Aces51

Heroes is another devalued word. Today, people are heroes if they walk 10 miles to work in the snow. Years ago you were in trouble if you didn't get to work. I can remember walking 5 miles to work in deep snow and being told off for being late because I should have realised that public transport wouldn't be running and got up earlier.

I don't think it's a question of forgetting Lambert. He is obviously a talent but I have doubts as to how far he will get. I think he is going to be a good rider but have my doubts about him getting to the very top. I hope I am wrong and I could be if he has a breakthrough season. I think the difference with Bewley is that he has only been involved in speedway for two years and because of his injuries in 2016 has not yet actually completed two full seasons. When you take that into account his progress has been exceptional. Over more than 50 years I have seen very few riders who have convinced me so early in their careers that they have the talent to get to the top. Collins, Morton and Lee are other similar British examples. Having said all of that I think he will improve his average but it will be no easy task for him to become a second string at Belle Vue this year. Drozdz is the unknown quantity who he may replace but I don't expect him to replace Tungate, who I think is going to have a very good year.

If only. At the recent fans forum both the management and fans commented on how often on seeing car stickers or Aces clothing being worn people ask if the speedway is still going, often saying they used to go. The Management are trying to improve the presence on social media and we are having a new website. They are also looking at billboard advertising but doing that or, radio advertising, which they tried last year doesn't come cheap. With limited resources it is a matter of trying to find the most effective way to spread the word. There's no easy answers to making people aware that the Aces are still running considering the TV exposure when the NSS opened and at the beginning of each season and the regular local media coverage. Either people don't watch the local TV newsor read the local press or it doesn't register with them.

I hadn't seen those reports of the three millennials falling down and all within an hour. I hope there's an immediate and thorough Health and Safety investigation. Whoever is responsible must be publicly denounced.

They see it as a way to get people interested in the sport particularly, the younger generation. A night at the Colts for £20 for two adults and two under 18's is affordable for many families. The hope is they will give it a try, like what they see and then become fans and then as they discover more about the sport also support the Aces.

This meeting starts at 6pm and is the Peter Craven Memorial Meeting. Belle Vue are the only Speedway club in the world to have run continuously since 1928. The first two riders announced are World Champion Jason Doyle and British Champion Craig Cook.

I think you are missing the point. Chapman is part of the problem in allowing riders to return on outdated averages. This isn't a Poole problem it's a UK Speedway problem.

You would be correct if Belle Vue had made a profit last year but they didn't.

Excellent move for Dan. Don't know how many rides he will get but he will have some help with Craig Cook being there.

Edited my link whilst you were posting yours.

Lee Payne has apparently injured his shoulder again in a Motocross accident and will be out for the season. The Colts have signed Tom Perry as a replacement. http://www.bellevueaces.co/newsitem.aspx?id=2325

I've no idea if he is 4 or 5 but the problem with your argument is that you're being logical and sensible. Drozdz is assessed at 5. Even though I doubt very much that you'll find many, if any, people who would argue that at this stage of his career he is a better rider than Woryna. As I've said many times the sensible approach would be to use a formula for each foreign league to calculate a UK average for every rider who does not have a current UK average, just as we do when riders in the CL without a PL average move up or, vice versa, when a PL rider moves down. That way every rider would be assessed on their current performances not on an outdated average or an assessed average.

I agree. I was sitting in the same temporary seats and the Polish fans were brilliant. Apart from the the big crowds we certainly can't replicate the wooden stands at Hyde Road and the noise created when thousands of fans were stamping their feet as they clapped and cheered. That definitely added to the atmosphere.

As a matter of interest Starman have you been able to get to the NSS yet? Thequality of the racing come across well on TV but there is nothing to compare with watching it live where you are so close to the track. Yes, we need more fans, like every other track but the new owners are in it for the long haul. Another benefit never mentioned is that the shape and width of the track means that there are very few falls and fewer restarts. Riders know that taking a risk at the tapes is not so important as it is at many other tracks because of the many passing lines. The result is that there are fewer of the delays which so many fans complain about. I was priveledged to have watched Speedway at Hyde Road for 30 years. It was a brilliant race track but no track can produce good racing in every race or even every match. When Ivan Mauger was first out of the tapes, which he invariably was, very few riders could get close enough to challenge him. What I can say is that in my opinion the NSS produces racing every bit as good. What it lacks is the atmosphere created by the crowds we had at Hyde Road but that is a much more difficult problem to resolve.

They were saying it in the late 50's.

Belle Vue have had the glory years and a long period where we were bottom of the league or thereabouts. I've followed them throughout even though for many years I have lived much closer to other teams that have been or, still are in the top league. I could never imagine changing my allegiance to the Aces and very rarely miss a home meeting.

No complaints about today's offering. http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.33937 That's what you call racing.

Pleased to see that Kyle Bickley, who is 16 today, has signed as an asset following signing a letter of intent 2 years ago. Bewley and Bickley are two of the best British prospects and we are fortunate to have been able to sign them both.

Why not have the chuck wagon but make the staff pay for their food? Most people don't expect their employer to feed them for free.

Belle Vue is 347m the track record is 58.2 set by NKI on 29 July, 2016. I get the average speed to be 53.58mph but it's many years since I was at school so I could easily be wrong. Interesting that the track record at King's Lynn was set more than 15 years ago.

I thought that what has been shown is that you can get a good crowd if it is promoted properly at a much reduced admission fee. That doesn't mean that it is as profitable or less loss making than a meeting not on TV. I certainly think the overall benefits of a TV deal will outweigh not having one. However, I do think that with fixed nights it will have an effect on attendances not just at the televised meeting but also other meetings held that same night. The unknown factor is how much of an effect it will have.

We higher beings practice thought transference. At least I think we do because my wife always seems to know when I think I might sit down for five minutes or decide not to listen when she is issuing instructions.

The place to be this year is the NSS on Saturday 24th March for Belle Vue's 90th Anniversary Celebration Meeting. The only Speedway club that has run every year since 1928. No details yet on who will be racing but it's bound to be a brilliant night.

I have seen very little of Bowen and nothing of Dicken, so it's difficult to make an assessment. However, the Colts are in a different position to stand alone NL teams. The club doesn't stand or fall by their success. Many Colts supporters will watch them so long as they can see riders who are progressing and hope that at least some of them have the ability to eventually become Aces. Yes, crowds will fall if they are losing too many meetings at home but they are an investment for the future of the Aces and I suspect the promotion will see it that way so long as they are not losing money.

Well done Berwick! I hope it does turn out to be an excellent production to give some much needed good publicity for the club and the sport at large and that it reaches a wide audience.