George Dodds

can't beat a good conspiracy theory. Point the finger at Health and Safety first, then try the Eu, then the BSPL, then the Government. Don't forget microchips in the vaccine so Godfrey can track any rider partaking in illegal track action and have him terminated by the Men in Black. Apart from the the over-active imaginations of the usual suspect forum truth stretchers is there any evidence/suggestion of sanctions against anyone taking part? They don't ban anyone who takes part in flat-tracking do they?

But why would they need to ban anyone at all? Let's face it only riders not already racing on a Thursday night and prepared to haul their asses down to the Isle of Wight would possibly be involved. See the attraction for those living in the area who don't want to venture north for rides in the NDL. Time will tell whether it's a revolution - the proof will come not from the number of keystrokes supporting the venture/management but the numbers paying on the gate or joining membership schemes. Time will tell.

If it's amateur "unpaid" is the word.

While I accept that Startrax have done a lot of tidying up work I also suspect that a 20,000 plus capacity is fanciful without some serious structural work on first and second bend terracing. Suspect that both they and Bradford Bulls would be happy with 10,000 capacity otherwise it could become a costly money pit - which is one of the reasons the rugby left in the first place.

Wouldn't that be a qualifier for the 2022 GP series? Travel restrictions are more likely to interfere I would have thought.

I'm intrigued. Under your scheme who owned the stadium and what were the financially viable alternatives?

Speedway also has its unique, self-inflicted problems. In no other sport could you have participants appearing for four of five different clubs in different countries in the same week. If you want to watch Phil Foden you either buy a ticket for a Man City or England game or settle down to watch him on the TV for one of those two teams. He won't also appear for Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Legia Warsaw and Paris St Germain over the next three days. That also means that the introduction of any form of pan-European tournament on the lines of the Champions League or European Rugby Cup is off the table. It even prevents a meaningful Inter-League cup. Arguably it also affects the pulling power of individual meetings. It is difficult to build the narrative of something/someone unique happening at your local track when they could appear multiple times somewhere else in Europe, on your TV within the next few hours.

very true and really not even worth the bother, better to look for new audiences who don't come with the baggage of those who see the past as a land of milk and honey through their rosetinted spectacles. Trouble is you can't even get them to pay a decent amount for watching livestream. "I'll gladly pay a couple of quid ... but a fiver's too much". "How do I watch Premier Sports without paying a subscription". Won't contribute towards the sport but want it run to their specifications.

to be fair football, rugby and cricket have all had huge injections of TV money annually for decades and despite literally getting millions of pounds per match virtually all of their clubs and counties are financial basket cases. Speedway was small fry and quickly hoovered up by the "stars". What it did do was develop a culture of watching speedway from the sofa for hundreds who realised that £15 a month would give you Sky Sports while a night at the track cost £25+ (at the time) each trip to watch the action live at the track. The winners were satellite TV sports channels.

Lindon's would be especially spectacular

need to attract a new crowd with all the Brexit voting Costa Brits being deported this week

Probably worded that way to specifically stop that sort of free movement of anyone playing sport otherwise Terry from the Dog and Duck darts team can claim an exemption to play in the Marbella Open - First prize £100.

... and while the MDL/SDL may have had its problems what about the successes of the Northern Junior League? Integrating 500cc and 125cc and this year trialling - along with Birmingham from the MDL - a way of bringing the 250cc classes into a meeting set-up. Obviously nothing and (virtually) nobody is perfect ... but at least some are trying to improve matters. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is more than a sticking plaster solution needed. The answer might be more important than whether towns without a team for decades are included in a league or not. Maybe it needs a radical overhaul - as long as teams don't pull out when they don't get their own, very club-centric, way. If all four leagues are flourishing in the future you'll still find something to whinge about .

apologies for not finding the negative - will try harder in future. A competition - no matter how limited - has been announced which will provide extra track time for those riders who want to, and can, utilise it. Potentially the weather, injuries and delays in the preceding main meeting may restrict or even lead to the cancellation of these races. Alternatively they may not. These opportunities did not exist in previous seasons. It seems like a good thing ... you and many others may disagree. The World might end tonight (or on any subsequent night ... or day) - which could lead to the postponement of the Premiership Junior League. Then again it might not.

Probably the opposite to what happens if it's a sunny night, the senior fixture is completed without delay and the junior fixture goes ahead as planned.

Only had one which I have just replied to - but, if the geography on your profile is up to date, I suspect it isn't you. Please contact us again via club@berwickspeedway.com or pm me via this site if you have not had a reply. Same goes for anyone else who paid for a pass last season and hasn't heard from the club.

from the club ... 2021 season passes 2021 SEASON PASSES ON SALE! Your 2021 Berwick Speedway season passes are on sale over at https://www.berwickspeedway.com/shop now! You will find the prices below and your season pass allows you to enjoy all Bandits home Championship listed fixtures, Championship KO Cup first round, all Bullets home National League listed fixtures and Bandits Academy Northern Junior League fixtures are included too! Berwick Speedway Season Pass prices: Adults, £229 Concessions, £189 Kids, £10 Any fans that purchased season passes for the ill fated 2020 season should have received an email informing them that their passes will automatically rollover into 2021.

Suppose the obvious answer is that two separate meetings would mean two lots of stadium rent, two lots of medical cover, two programmes. While they still cost more for a double header I would suggest that is where any real saving comes from. Also potential for the bars and catering to make a bit extra with people in the stadium for that little bit extra time. There is also a possibility that those who complain it's not good value for 15 heats might find it a better deal for 30.

Regardless of supposed inexperience I would suggest that it'll still take a good team to beat that side around Shielfield. Kinda think it pretty much fits my idea of what a development side should look like. I assume that Mason and Kieran are still eligible for the NJL side too. Looking good ... just need to make sure that the initiative gets the support it deserves.

not 25% of a crowd but 25% of capacity. So if a stadium had a capacity of 4,000 then a crowd of 1,000 would be allowed.

Just out of interest this is taken from a rugby league website where clubs in the second and third tiers have roughly similar attendances to British speedway. Some interesting actual facts, based on the experience of lower level professional football, on how much streaming would be likely to bring. https://everythingrugbyleague.com/irvine-streaming-is-not-our-saviour/?fbclid=IwAR1aO-5Z8N7yAIC5z3eNp0bhCYRwsEHtEl9X0SD46SJmpxrspp-XDQXyKdQ

Not sure why you think that someone with dual American/Swedish nationality would be able to ride in Britain except on a visa/work permit

why? Speedway riders are unusual in that they are not contracted solely to one club like almost every other sport. No club is obliged to employ someone who doesn't play by the stated rules of any given league. Don't see how that restricts them. Lawyers could argue otherwise but let's face it if you pay a lawyer enough then they would be prepared to argue that Tuesday follows Sunday and Monday doesn't exist.

Absolutely. Yes. No. Maybe. Perhaps but ... Dan's the fastest man around the new layout (62.9) but Cookie is still the fastest man ever around Shielfield (62.8). Maybe it's time that Cumbria applied for a place in the Speedway of Nations.

I think match fitness probably came into it as well. Kemp's pass was a bit rash in the first running of heat 16 especially compared to Bewley's stalking and probing approach in the rerun before swooping around Leon. Probably illustrates that tad extra bit of experience - but you'll never find me criticising a rider for coming unstuck attempting a ballsy overtake (no pun intended) Kemp, Rowe and Flint - along with Dan Gilkes and the Thompson twins - all come out of it with reputations enhanced and a few more opportunities to take this title in the coming years.