BWitcher

Buffoons. Simple as. I must be losing it because earlier on today I actually had the notion the BSPA were actually going to be 'promoting' the sport. I had visions of a fantastic launch to the season in front of a packed crowd. Something that could be repeated in future years, bring prestige back to the event as well. It could have developed into a traditional curtain raiser to the season, rather like the Daytona 500 in Nascar.. but no, all that would be foolish. As said, I was a complete fool to believe for one moment the BSPA would do something useful. Instead they will prefer to serve up a half hearted event in front of a sparse crowd that once again will reinforce the message to the casual viewer... speedway IS NOT the place to be.

No, because that would just look as above like a kickabout game of football where you are wearing bibs. In the past it wasn't so bad as most riders wore black leathers. The team kevlars, at least all the ones I have seen, have the club emblem in exactly the same place as a race jacket has it. So I really don't see what your issue is!

So to clarify, your argument is You want fans to able to identify with their TEAM. You want it to be like football and rugby where they all wear the same colours. You want all the riders to wear different colours. Ok.

Of course it's relevant. If the stronger league is charging equal to or less than a weaker league, questions are going to be asked about the weaker league.

So it wasn't an accident then.. Little point in having an 'offer' if you're not going to promote it. The idiots have panicked, or put a limit on it. We don't want too many fans attending.. dear me, that would be awful for the sport.

I'd say it's looking like it was a cockup by Sky. I'm afraid it also shows that there is absolutely ZERO hope of this group of promoters turning this sport around. This 'accident' should have illustrated to them just how successful this promotion could have been. An opportunity was there to FILL Brandon Stadium. What a sight it would have been to see the opening meeting of the season, live on TV, being contested in front of a packed stadium ALL round the track. It would have looked fantastic on TV, opened peoples eyes and could have been a major kick start for the sport. Now in their utter greed and blindness we will be back to 1500 or so folk sprinkled round the stadium and it will look like any other run of the mill tv meeting.

Just as praise is given to the authorities, they have now royally ****** it up. Can they get nothing right?

That's a myth as you know HA. In my job role I speak to many people in the UK daily. Many of them are Poles, I always slip speedway into the conversation to see if they are a fan, I'm yet to find a single one who is/was and many oblivious to what it is. Over the last year spoke to around 200 I would say.

Not wide of the mark in the slightest. The Premier flat out refused to have any rule introduced that made them have a minimum number of UK riders. That's the be all and end all of it. The costs in the EL are way higher than in the PL, even taking the Sky money into account.

When watching 4 bikes racing round a track from the terraces, the race jackets aren't particularly visible at the best of times. Speedway is far far more professional looking in team kevlars. Fans, new and old can tell at a single glance which team the rider races for.

Of course they will, have you not seen the negativity already shown towards it? The OneSport propaganda machine will ensure that Poles continue to be educated that anything BSI = Bad. Anything OneSport = Good.

Sorry WK, but really struggling to follow you now. You're saying identity is important to youngsters, and its part of what attracts them to a team... You're saying look at Football, Rugby.. that they have their colours prominently displayed... I'm with you and agreeing with you so far.. But you want to have 7 riders in completely different colours instead of 7 of them wearing the colours of their team.. as in the other sports you mention!

Time for some positivity regarding this event. It's a decent line-up, the promotional offer is EXCELLENT. At long last the penny may be dropping. I'm hoping for a BIG crowd at Brandon now that will make the sport look attractive to the casual viewer. Hopefully then they will get the message and have such offers for EVERY televised meeting.

I'm really not sure what you are trying to say here WK. If you were arguing that it was better when riders had their own individual leathers from which the avid fan could identify them then I would agree with you to an extent.. However, you seem to be going down the path of new fans having something to identify with, in which case team leathers are an absolute must! A team kitted out in the same leathers/kevlars looks far more professional than 7 riders in completely different colours. Most team leathers I have seen have the club emblem in the usual place anyway, so I'm not sure where the issue is?

The Premier League is beginning to be exposed in all honesty. Charging prices almost the equivalent of EL, with much lower costs and showing absolutely no interest in the future of British Speedway. They haven't learned from the cock-ups of the EL at all.

I think you have missed out a 3rd reason which of course is the non-stop anti BSI propaganda they are being fed on an almost daily basis.

So... it seems clear that No 3 is the toughest riding position... No 3 gives the best opportunity for tac's away from home... yet we have one thing confirmed in the riding order, Tai is at No 1. Is this a mistake? This is what worries me about Peter Adams. In some respects I think he is fantastic, his input with Tai last season as an example and he is very very well respected by riders. Where he falls down in my opinion is the lack of imagination or thinking outside of the box. We've seen it before. Last year in the playoffs we could have scored 5 or 6 pts in each leg with intelligent use of Klindt. Instead we just stuck to the book and trotted him out in his standard rides. We're seeing another example now.. playing it by the book and having Tai at No 1.

We're all like that Sidders to be fair. My happiest days as I said before were in the Ermolenko/Correy/Karlsson/Jones era at Wolves. I was a teenager, they were my heroes. Nothing will ever beat it. I almost don't like watching the DVD's of the matches from that era as in some ways it tarnishes the memory! Better to just remember it as being bloody brilliant every race, every week If only the powers that be could use some imagination to get bodies back onto the terraces. Big crowds make the whole spectacle so much better. I like the GP's and they bring a sense of big time speedway, but for me, you simply cannot beat seeing your own team in a vital match in front of a big crowd. It's why I love the playoffs so much.

No, not at all, the issue arose when you denied that it was your view. You're perfectly entitled to your own view on things and the posts you make, particularly those reporting on the news from Poland are most interesting, keep them coming.

Absolutely spot on. They need to market this as much as possible now. Get the place packed out and start the season off on the right foot!

Actually it does happen. There have been many football matches with reduced prices when they are shown live on TV.

The ones who declined a place in the draft. There were a number of them.

Excellent post GRW. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone rubbishing the greats of yesteryear to be honest though, its usually the other way round, the starts of today being rubbished in comparison. Apart from that, you hit the nail on the head though in my opinon.

Good report as always Steve. Much appreciated for us homesick types.

If you read some of his earlier posts you will see his stance. He's now trying to hide behind his 'messanger' cloak, whilst still pumping the OneSport propaganda into the forum.