BWitcher

A poor example of speedway? Race after race of overtaking, riders going from last to first? Clearly it's you that need the glasses.

As for the meeting, excellent racing, partially through good riding from Lakeside and even more from braindead, inept riding from Wolves who reverted back to type riding the wrong lines over and over. Edited... as Odds On has confirmed he had the lump earlier in the meeting

I'm really not sure what is going on on this thread. Some people have stated they don't watch second halves.. (personally I did in most cases).. and it's been pointed out that the majority of fans don't stay for them either so it's not a game changer in terms of bringing in fans. Somehow that has been turned into an attack on people who organise second halves and the reason for British riders not being successful! Nobody has done any such thing. Staggering.

This post is so factually incorrect it's staggering.

Agreed, Masters was solid in a heat leader position, far from woeful. As for Howarth, I've never seen him have another good meeting and thought last night would break that duck... I know he's been great for Wolves so far so not knocking him, perhaps I'm a curse! Some seem to be making a lot of a Wolves 'collapse' last night... I don't see it that way, simply the job was done and minds switched of somewhat.

Exactly, the old style second halves really are a thing of the past and will never return. I do agree though that junior racing in the 2nd half of meetings should be encouraged. Although I mentioned earlier that most fans don't stay to watch, I was not and when I have the opportunity to attend now, am not one of them as I do watch. I totally agree also that the main priority should be in the presentation of the main meeting.

Correct.. At most tracks the vast majority of the crowd leave at the end of the main meeting.

At least we've gleaned from this thread that some feel it is 'offensive' to use the word boring in the context of speedway riders. Which confuses me.. as some of the posters most offended have filled this forum up for some time with their ramblings about how 'boring' the sport now is compared to the 'good old days'. By there own definition those very people are insulting all speedway riders.

It's been that way for ages.

I must admit it's great to read about the excellent racing being produced, particularly in the case of a day meeting. I really am looking forward to my first visit to the stadium.

He is correct. The rules for the current season were set before Chapman was appointed.

Not so, there were delays at the first league meeting as well. It's no good getting the big things right (which they have now) if the little things let you down. It won't bother the regulars, but those picky folk who come along to see what it's all about.. won't take much to put them off unfortunately.

Seriously? It costs an extra £1 to purchase online?? What kind of thinking is that, it should be the other way round surely? As for today's delays.. once again Belle Vue seem to be doing their utmost to sabotage themselves. They had this at the first meeting, lessons should have been learned and systems put in place. Especially for a Bank Holiday meeting where a bigger crowd is expected. They're shooting themselves in the foot again.

I believe they have to be replaced by another rider eligible for Heat 15. i.e. a heat leader or one of the top 3 scorers?

It can't be me, you've announced many times that I'm on ignore.

Another post where Gresham posts some nonsense, is corrected on it and instead of being an adult and accepting it, proceeds to continue with elongated posts, trying to change what he originally said before resorting to calling anyone who points out he is incorrect a troll.. all that is left is the threat of 'placing people' on ignore. I was wrong earlier in the thread, when Fred Flange showed me the evidence I immediately apologised and that was the end of the matter. My take on improving the situation the sport is in... Remedies that can help immediately (i.e. next season) Different race nights for EL and PL which solves the problems with double up riders. Continue with the fast track system but change the race format. Just those two changes alone would improve things immensely. It wouldn't bring the crowds flocking back in but it would stop the bleeding at the very least providing a more stable platform to build from. I'd be quite happy to see the tactical ride scrapped and a reversion to the old tactical substitution rule also.

Not trolling DAC. Just wrong on my part I honestly had completely forgotten it was initially set at 8pts, you are correct.

The above is incorrect with regards to the tactical ride rules when they were introduced.

Not a vague trolling post. You don't even know what the original tactical ride rules were, as from your first post on the subject. The point has been answered, both by myself and Grachan.

Well, as you don't even know what the Tactical ride rules were when they were introduced you're hardly one to argue the point. Revisit your post, when you've corrected it, come back and we'll discuss.

The same thing was also said at the Wolves forum by Chris Van Straaten. Colin Pratt I believe was also present and had some words on the subject too as I remember.

I see you're gullible enough to fall for promoters spin, blaming someone else for their decision. You're also suggesting that Sky are dumb enough to want a system less effective at keeping meetings close... in order to 'keep meetings close'. I've heard it from two promoters that it was cost related and that Ipswich were the primary movers behind its introduction. If Sky indeed had the power to make such rulings, it wouldn't have been changed from two to one...

Under the old system a top rider (who is paid more per pt) would be brought in as a tactical sub, giving him an extra ride and more pts money to pay. Now, they just take their normal ride. Correct. Also his repeated notion that it's boring to see the home team winning all the time, which is fine as his opinion, but he tends to think that is gospel across the board when the reality is quite the opposite. As for the woes of speedway the biggest change they could make is having EL and PL run on different nights. It doesn't matter if riders are doubling up or not then, they aren't going to be missing matches because they are riding for someone else.

You realise incorrectly. The introduction of the double points rule had nothing to do with keeping meetings 'close, they had a system in place that was more effective at doing that. It was introduced as a cost saving measure. In terms of 'keeping a meeting close', the current tactical system is the least effective in the sport's history.

Speedway rules are not complicated. Try looking at some other sports and comparing.