topsoil

Just a couple of thoughts following the meeting tonight:- I wonder if all those who said on this forum that Tai should never ride for Britain again after the Pairs still feel this way? Hopefully the authorities will take heed from the performances over the two meetings and realise that entry into the airs and a couple of Test matches each season will benefit British riders to be exposed to this level of competition. I still hate the joker rule. Even though Britain gained from it tonight, I would still get rid of it. I've seen it affect the outcome of too many meetings. We have a genuine world class talent in Tai. Please BSPA look after him, he is our biggest asset and used and promoted correctly he could really raise the profile of the sport in this country, even if it is just at GP level. Two decent performances by Britain. I'm not getting carried away about tonight, Britain got close to Poland due to a joker and the absence of Hampel. But it's certainly something to build on. Lets not waste the chance.

Excellent result. Solid scoring all the way down and another brilliant night for TJ dropping only one point. Proving to be an inspired signing.

The type of fixture Berwick are expected to take something from, therefore I will go for a Redcar win 49-41.

You field your strongest team available, age is irrelevant. If you want to "give them a try" do it during Test Matches (need to organise some first) or the Pairs events (if the BSPA ever allows us to enter). You don't experiment at major competitions.

Reducing teams to six men would help, but I wouldn't reduce the number of heats, I'm sure there are formulas out there for 15 heats with six men teams. To try and introduce more British riders into the sport I would then add a rule that every team must have a junior team of sorts. The MDL and NJL are excellent starting places for young riders. I would expand that nationwide. A meeting with 15 heats and 6 junior races, 21 in total is a decent night entertainment. Even add a couple of "second half racing" if you like, giving riders a chance to try out equipment or give riders who are struggling more track time. As long as there are no long hold-ups for injuries there should be no reason why you can't fit that into two hours or so.

For me it was a really good meeting, close to the end, with really committed riding. Overall just a good advert. Can't fault the British riders, you got the impression they gave their all, Harris making starts was a personal highlight for me. Certainly no lack of effort. If they are not good enough, they are not good enough, can't help that. The best four riders were chosen, it's not as if there are a deep pool of riders out there who can compete at this level. I would stick with the same four for the race-off. Personally, I would like to see Britain race a couple of Test Matches, just to expose riders like Danny King and Robert Lambert to this sort of competition. Tai and Bomber race in GPs so they are used to it. I can't help but thinking a couple of Test Matches would do the riders a lot of benefit, especially a couple of meeting abroad. I know fine well this is never going to happen, but I honestly think it would be of more benefit to drop two or maybe four Elite League fixtures and fit in four Test Matches instead, If the BSPA did it correctly, they could surely make money out of it. Get TV coverage, promote it like hell so they get a big crowd, even try and get a sponsor, much like Sunbrite back in the day. That money could then be spread out amongst the clubs and fund a World Cup campaign. But the chances of that happening, somewhere between nil and never.

That was what I was trying to get across. My point was all that all that is written on here is the good races that took place, but as usual it was in amongst some pretty ordinary stuff, but you only seem to remember the good parts. I can remember some cracking races out there as well. One between Rob Grant and Martin Dixon springs to mind where they knocked seven shades out of each other for four laps and shook hands and were joking and laughing all the way through the warm down lap.

According to the programme I have from 1992 he was listed as a promoter and manager. As to the mystery duo, I'm otherwise in the dark. I was young and naïve back in those days, I didn't have much idea what was going on behind the scenes. On another note, on Youtube there is a link to an entire Berwick v Ellesmere Port meeting at Berrington Lough, round about 1985 time. The racing is actually quite dire, which just goes to show that those who wax lyrical about the place do so with rose tinted glasses. As with any other circuit, there would be some good racing amongst some mediocre. The racing would certainly be closer than Shielfield, simply because the track was smaller. But better? Matter of opinion I suppose.

Okay so one of them must be Terry Lindon, according to an old programme scan I have looked out the other promoter towards the end was Dave Younghusband. Getting warm? or miles off?

Who is this "flimm and flamm" and "hold it and doddle"? excuse the ignorance

Welcome to speedway

I know, that's why i said in an ideal world. Wouldn't happen unless we can find our version of the Facennas.

In an ideal world Berwick would find Berrington Lough Mark II, then they could design their own track (Somerset replica please), wouldn't be faced with any curfews and could pretty much design the stadium to suit their own needs. unfortunately, there is nowhere suitable in the town (certainly none that I can think of) and any chance of getting planning application would be somewhere between no chance and never. As has been said before, any venue out in the country would struggle to attract supporters. Apart from anything else, it would also costs an arm and leg to set up, unless you could somehow sell the naming rights or something like that.

Total lack of investment in youth speedway Total lack of investment in stadium facilities, very few teams own their own stadium Too many meetings called off too early, too many meeting called off due to bad track preparation (last years ELRC) Too much money wasted on expensive foreign riders, who then fail to turn up for meetings Too many times fans have been let down (the Warsaw GP the latest example) Total lack of investment in track equipment / covers. Many of the tracks had to be given an ultimatum to install air fences Entertainment at meetings hasn't moved on from the 70s, failure to move with the times on a grand scale There's a start This is a very difficult one. Firstly there isn't a great deal of riders out there. Ideally the club would bring in a replacement for Vissing but there are dangers. It's okay to bring in a new "asset" but invariably these riders need time to bed in. That means for a while these riders don't ride to their average. And it has been proved before a lot of Berwick fans don't have the patience to wait for riders to settle in. You only need to look at the numbers staying away after losses to Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this season as proof. And a repeat of this could be disastrous financially.

Small town outside Edinburgh, the east coast mainline railway line runs though it. The name usually gets a giggle from passengers who have never heard of it before. From what I can remember it was a run down old greyhound track. All that remains these days is the steel structure of a grandstand in the middle of a field. From what i can remember it was a very run down old greyhound track.

You see the grandstand at Wallyford on the railway to Edinburgh, just a half built steel construction in the middle of a field, looks bizarre.

Since when have speedway riders been sensible? LOL

I'm willing to get shot down here, but rather than describing this as a farce, I would say the sport deserves more credit than it is getting for at least trying to put on a show. I get more frustrated to hear of another call off. I would rather see the riders give it a go, I accept the normal levels of skill will be diminished. I've played in and watched as many football and rugby matches in horrible conditions to accept you are going to have games where the elements diminish your enjoyment of the game. Let's face it we live in an era where TV is king and unfortunately, if you want your sport to survive and prosper, you need TV exposure. It's not an ideal world, but it's the one we live in. What would do more damage to the sport, another meeting called off and the TV programme replaced by another sport, or the meeting going ahead, albeit not at the same level as usual? I honestly think that the sport would benefit by trying to get more meetings to go ahead in difficult conditions, rather than calling off if the meeting is in doubt. Very few fans travel to meetings these days, knowing that meetings are called off. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen rugby and football fans, in wind and rain, still turning out to watch games. You stick some waterproofs on and get out there. I'm ready for the hail of abuse, but I get really frustrated at this sport. Really hate meetings being called off.

I've thought for a long time that for the televised meeting especially, it makes good sense to reduce prices, but it has to be thought out in advance. Firstly, the club will receive TV money. Secondly, you would expect to get a larger crowd. Thirdly, if you can attract a sponsor to meet some of the meeting costs. You then give the sponsor maximum exposure in front of TV cameras and a larger than usual stadium audience to keep them happy. On top of this the sport as a whole receives a boost by playing to bigger crowds for the TV cameras. Examples of this lately are Glasgow and Swindon. Like I say though it has to be thought out in advance to make it work properly.

I remember Jan Staechman posting on twitter last year that young Danish riders were being sent to FIM run workshops where they were given lessons on how to go about approaching sponsors, what they could offer sponsors, how to keep them happy, that sort of thing. I think it could be a very useful lesson for promoters / riders over here. Could be very helpful towards riders to meet the costs of running machines during the season. Whether they approach sponsors themselves, or the promoters do it on their behalf. If promoters / riders were more savvy in this regard it would help the sport out a hell of a lot.

Again, lot's of positive things to say. Obvious you have an personal agenda with the team, the promotion and in particular Ben Barker. Tedious. Thank you Michael Palm Toft, you can come back again! What a performance. Certainly a better outcome than I thought this would be when I heard the line up this morning. A track we never do well at, so I was expecting a heavy defeat. A similar sort of outcome in the Cup would do.

Not a lot of luck going at the moment, Richard Hall the latest victim. Surely Claus would have scored more than the 3 Fisher got? On to Dry House.

Yawn

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