BUDGIE

I would say that the continued insistance by some fans that the sport in England needs top SGP stars has caused a lot of issues. The crowds are nowhere near being able to support a Tai, or a Bartosz, the sport needs to get to a level that it can afford, and supporters need to accept that and continue to attend, otherwise its curtains....and I for one will be very sad at that. PS thanks for responding without the vitriol and mispelt swear words, and at least if others are going to swear they could at least spell them correctly if they are able!

Laughable.

Spot on, need to start again, it seems some fans are hung up in the past...they need to stop it, sub 1000 crowds are not going to get us back to the time we had all the top stars in the 1980s. If that means 'lower level' stars that what needs to happen. Ultimately it is the fans fault because they have stopped going, causing cutbacks to be necessary. I am prepared to take my share of the blame!

Poland are looking after themselves. Its upto them what restrictions they put on their contracted riders. If this speeds up 1 rider one club it can only be a big benefit, and the sport maybe taken more seriously.

This is a very interesting debate, and for once very civil! I have always thought that TV affects the crowds at speedway meetings. Its an interesting debate that is for sure, I think back to the days when I attended Cradley every week but because of that I also went to Birmingham and Wolves regularly ( and by that I mean probably 3 out of 4 meetings and indeed the vast majority of Cradley away matches.) Once Cradley closed I just lost all interest in domestic speedway, went to a few matches in the junior league, but it didnt mean anything to me, and I just drifted away. Watch everything I can now on TV, but would I get up from my armchair, probably not as I dont have a team to support or a base. Would I get up from my armchair if no domestic speedway was available, again probably not but I guess I may think about it more. So my thinking on TV has changed somewhat and perhaps the screening of domestic speedway doesnt affect the crowds of other tracks that much. I am though convinced that if I had the choice of say Workington on a Saturday night or watching the world elite in an SGP, the SGP would win everytime. No disrespect intended to Workington of course, I really used to enjoy my trips there! The televising of SGPs is obviously not in the control of UK promoters and it will now be an ever present problem, what is in the control is the televising of domestic speedway. I remember thinking at the launch of the SGP that my Saturday nights at Dudley Wood would change forever as they would be forced into alternate night racing, however other things happened and sadly that wasnt the issue at all with the troubles and eviction from Dudley Wood!

Have read through the last 5 pages, and they show an obvious frustration with Holder being picked, there will always be a 'hint; of suspicion when anyone who is picked is sponsored by a series partner. I am actually pleased though for Vaculik as I thought he deserved it, although he may only have been picked because it would have been odd to have 10th and not 9th. I dont understand though the thought running through peoples minds re Andžejs Ļebedevs as he was knocked out at the first hurdle, and in my opinion there were at least 25 riders in front of him for qualification and then he was tied with Mikkel Michelsen Jurica Pavlic and Martin Smolinski.

Booing!!!!! Seems as though it is either good or bad! Not so, it depends on circumstances. The pantomine booing of riders on parade has nothing wrong with it at all, adds to the atmosphere and is all good fun, think Nicki Pedersen at Cardiff, but were it does become unacceptable is when riders are injured, even to the extent of being booed whilst lying on the track?????????????? What is up with these people. I am always glad when someone walks away from a crash! Good to hear it was a big crowd last night, if the product is good enough and you cant get it for free on the TV then crowds will increase. Its not rocket science. (although it probably is for the BSPA)

Completely agree one rider one team thats it! Riders cant have split loyalties in the same country, its bad enough across different countries, but the same country!!!!!!!!! No wonder crowds are so poor. Also the notion that all will be well if we get back the SGP stars is just a nonsense, they will never add enough people to the attendance to justify the cost.

Who beat him? Have tried to look it up but cant find anything!

Surely the one with the most points will win unless they change the rules, haha, so no need to deserve it? By the way for no apparent reason I dislike Doyle, but that doesnt mean that I dont recognise that hes been the best rider in the world over the last 18 months

What an absolutely awful GP. Back to being in a field in Germany, Thought we were over that! Sure they had weather problems but last nights 'entertainment' was very very poor. Looks like Doyle will be World Champion this year and who can say that he doesnt deserve it after he was by far the best rider last year only to be denied by injury, and currently is at the top of the pile by 10 points.

It wasnt it was originally a football stadium. The origins of the track date back to 1917 when the Cradley Heath St Lukes Football Club built a new ground after the First World War because the lease at their previous ground had expired. They found farmland that was suitable for a pitch and constructed a basic football ground and stadium east of the Dudley Wood Road.[3]

Just reading through this thread, this is a gem!

Agreed, the excitement was generated by errors in the main! Do I need to put 'fact; at the end of that opinion to give it more weight?

A few years ago lots of people where saying that we needed to forget the temporary tracks and get the racing on 'proper' (the meaning of which I guess was permanent) tracks. The comment above is completely opposite to that train of thought, ie the poor tracks were the permanent ones! Strange how things change

The Heated Seated and Licensed Grandstand! Yes you had to pay to get in, that is why the Bar on the first bend had a wrought iron fence through the middle of it! To keep the great unwashed in the cheap part of the stadium. We couldn't even access the toilets in that building originally. There is a picture in existance of people seating right up to the kennels, which shows the whole of the home straight as seated at one point, now I never saw that so it was before 1969!

Whatever the right wrongs and arguments about clutchs misbehaving which is obviously a Technical matter, and should be reveiwed by the appropriate authorities, pulling out of the meeting is disgraceful unless injured and should be penalised by exclusion from the next one. Oh and yes I suppose I am a Hancock 'fan' having supported Cradley all my life.

Does anyone else get completely hacked off by the continued misuse of the word 'of' instead of have? illustrated perfectly above! Could HAVE, Should HAVE, Might HAVE Feeling in grumpy old git mode today!

Rob I dont subscribe to the fact that GBP16 is overpriced, just paid GBP80 for some average concert seats. Its the easy accessability on TV that is the issue, and the fact that you have to hang around for > than 2 hours to see 16 minutes of action, the setee looks a good option!

It was, speed watched it, but where was the crowd? Televising these matches can be doing any good!

What a sad individual

have have have have have!

I've always thought that 'Finals' in one off events are just unfair. They are OK for a series (ie SGP) as that evens itself out over 11/12 meetings but a one off that can get a silly winner! (not that it has happened too often in the British Final!)

Totally agree with that, no way 'Big Names' can be supported at the current attendance levels. Would have to start at the bottom and work up. My absolute hate is the tourist rider situation that now exists, a rider cant have 4 teams in a serious sport can they?

Couldnt agree more with this. The bigger picture must be looked at, Speedway meetings can be called off at any time its the risk you take! 21 years without a track now, Id love to waste GBP100 on a washed out first meeting! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradley_Heathens