Wee Eck

I’ve not read through all the thread so maybe missed it, but why is no one slagging off Mark Lemon for not using Jason Doyle, in the same way that some tore into Neil Vatcher for not using Flint last night? The under 21s did a great job and chose not to change the pairings, same as Australia did tonight.

I assume you’re on the wind up? The Poles are head and shoulders ahead of every other nation. Czechia included a rider who’d scored 15 for his country in the full version of the SON semi last night so (a) could mix it with the big boys and (b) had very recent experience riding the track. GB came next ahead of some major speedway countries, Sweden, Australia, Denmark and Latvia. It’s not many years since the position would be “and the plucky Brits bring up the year”. And for those that think Flint should have had a ride, think on this - the management decisions brought GB bronze which was probably the best possible out-turn. Would we have done better if Leon had had a ride? Meanwhile, the Aussies decision to go straight to Europe, bypassing UK isn’t really working out, is it? Rew and Bowes were so out of their depth. Battling hard, perhaps, but lacking basic skills. Come to Britain boys and learn how to ride a bike on all sorts of different tracks before trying to make a living on the fast ovals in Poland. Final point for now - is it correct that the team coming last gets replaced next year? That would be a big blow for Sweden

I agree that it’s far better run in Poland but think every other European nation plus Australia, New Zealand and the USA are struggling just as much, or more than UK

I know - nowhere. There is nothing planned for 2022. Something might happen in 2023 but the multi million dollar losses of New Zealand and Melbourne are making it difficult to find a venue. For Discovery to hold an event in Australia, they’d have to agree to pay a venue - the complete opposite of how they do business. But, if they chose to do that, then they’d have plenty of takers, happy to put on a financially risk free event

Maybe it’s all a smokescreen and Vojens was always the preferred option of DMU? As they’ve got a GP there already, they were unlikely to get the SON at the same venue unless something went wrong. Or maybe they heard Arnie’s Army were headed to Esbjerg and felt the need to defend themselves? Don’t I just love a conspiracy?!

Arnio dropped and replaced by James Wright

On the basis of the press release and “in the know” Blobby’s comments, the process has been in train for some months now. Edinburgh have always been skilled with PR hence the recent “we’re out of Armadale and looking for a new home” press release of a week or so ago. There’s much more impact going from “we’re all doomed” to “we’re all saved” than just an announcement of a change in venue. But, will their prodigal son return to the blue and gold as a final swan song? Or maybe he’ll move from his current track to one nearer his home?

You had said the turbo twins were paid well from tv money in the early days of Sky. I was merely pointing out that neither were riding then (nor were Magic or Hancock) as Sky started broadcasting about 10 years before. By the time they came along, the share per Elite club wouldn’t have covered the cost of one of them let alone both.

The turbo twins weren’t racing in the early days of Sky tv. They only started riding together in 2010

So, what is the solution? Promoters get the blame, and some of them are certainly part of the problem, but none of them has been able to find a solution to reinvigorating the sport. Everyone knows that the Polish business model of town/city and even national subsidies will never happen here, so what’s to be done? Elsewhere, others have commented on the shocking crowd levels at Danish and Swedish meetings, so it’s a problem that goes beyond UK. UK promoters are an easy and constant target on here, but even the professional ones like Glasgow, Redcar, Poole and Wolves are struggling to make a decent return for their efforts.

It worked for me at www.britishspeedway.co.uk

The rule book is on line and I can’t see anything on hair. As I said, I’m sure the rule was dropped some time ago. Similarly, there can’t be any restrictions elsewhere in Europe as Antonio Lindback has had long hair for years.

There is no such rule - it was dropped a few years ago

The push for speedway at Odsal was coming from the stock car promoter, Steve Rees, who was actively looking for someone to take it on. But Steve has now sold up to Yorstox. They also run stock cars at Sheffield so maybe they’d look at speedway at Odsal? I know a few had a look last year, including as a possible GP venue, but no one took it up probably due to the high cost of reshaping the track so it was suitable for speedway.

Was the last big deal not when Oxford, Belle Vue and a third track I can’t remember (Wimbledon?) were bought from the GRA by a Guy Hands company with the sole intention of closing them down and selling the land for development. A bit like Sandhu at Coventry. If it was Wimbledon, then it has been redeveloped and Belle Vue is well on the way to being a housing estate. The only one that escaped the permanent closure of greyhound racing was Oxford

But there’s not been greyhound racing at Armadale since 2016. There are only two greyhound tracks left in Scotland - Shawfield and a “flapper” track in Fife

Does “putting on an exhibition” mean of racing or of bikes etc? If the latter, speedway has been promoted at many different non motorsport events over the years. If the former, won’t the noise scare the horses (and all the other livestock)?

Anything’s possible but, my figure was only an estimate, which is what Skidder1 asked for!

Estimated attendance is 10,000. But it’s only an estimate

They’re Aussies. Moaning comes naturally to them. They invented the expression “whinging Poms” to cover up the fact they’re the world’s best at whinging (I’d add a smiley face there but, for some reason, can’t)

Maybe his house somewhere near Coventry? Is that not where he lives? Less than an hour from the track

There have been worse decisions, though. Didn’t Belle Vue take Charlie Gjedde on loan and then swap Simon Stead for him on the strength of one meeting?

That’s an interesting way of doing things. Then no one is to blame if it goes wrong and no one gets praised when it goes right?

My comment was tongue in cheek - CVS being blamed for something that he isn’t responsible for!

I’m not aware of any “successful businesses outside speedway” that Matt and Dan Ford have at Poole to “bail out the speedway side of things”. I doubt Matt’s chateau has covered its costs as it has had to be closed for much of the last two years, let alone been able to bail out Poole. Poole speedway has been a profitable business for many years now, bar a blip in their last year in the top league which was why they decided to drop down.