theblueboy

Given there was a crater for most of the season on bend 1 that Apollo 13 could have landed in, I don't think that is much to shout about.

Bangkok Hilton to serve a much overdue sentence for crimes against speedway? Showers will work and if he finds the right cell mate, there will be fireworks (plenty of bangers)

My earlier missive encapsulated perfectly in tonight’s meeting. Home team average dropping, a ref clearly paid by the minute and the crowd, bigger than anticipated bored and disengaged. So, just in case, any current promoters read the forum take your heads out of your rear ends and put on a spectacle worthy £17. If not, shut up shop and close the door quietly behind you. Enough is enough...

What this match between between the current league champions and the current KO cup holders? A bit like Opal Fruits, this fixture is made to make your mouth water! I wouldn't compare any sport with speedway, least of all football. Does the football season extend beyond the Play Offs, in fact, does any sport that has Play Offs have a regular fixture running in tandem with that competition? I know this is one fixture but is also not the first time this has happened. Football has its issues but if you look at the sport as a whole, its moved with the times with regard to finance, stadia and social media. Meaningless matches are the preserve of any sport, not just football. For example the County Championship has been done and dusted for 2 or 3 matches, although the champs came unstuck today. Sensible well regulated sports deal with the league season first. I accept that speedway is different in that the sport is both weather dependant and that the participants are self employed who are not attached to a single club but want to maximise their earnings. That is not necessarily a great recipe as cancelled fixtures across the continent in several leagues have an enormous effect of riders participation, which no doubt has largely contributed to this particular meeting being run out of season. What infuriates me is that the promoters have issues re injuries and cancellations every year but none of them have the brains to figure out how to address these issues. Every year it is the bottom line and we have an article in the local paper this evening asking for supporters to 'flock' to the meeting tonight. Why? I am going because I go every week. It could also be the final meeting ever, who knows but that's not why I am going. There will be no more than 500 people there tonight on a superb autumnal evening. Once the promotion realise they have lost a packet you'll receive a veiled threat from the promotion that they cannot continue to sustain losses. To run a credible sport, you need credible rules including the use of averages, season dates that are pre-determined and relatively easily to achieve, ditch the Mickey Mouse KO Cup - no one cares anymore and for f*** sake put the customer first. Last season KL fans were mutinous, this season a decent team, good results and crowds on the up. Next season, it will be the ol' one over 8 rule or some stupid team average that's 2-3 points lower than the current league average and we sink in to the mire of mediocrity for the xx season running. Luckily, the best ever BSPA meeting is only just round the corner, and I for one cannot wait!

Who would you use then in this most meaningless of fixtures?

Yes, got there. A bit slow this morning. My apologies...

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/speedway/2017/10/04/wolves-42-swindon-47-speedway-final-heartache-for-hosts---report-and-pictures/ You sure?

You do realise that Batchelor is self employed? All he has done is sign a contract for service for Kings Lynn, nothing more. He can ride for whom he likes and when he likes. That is the beauty of working for yourself. I am sure there are plenty of self-employed workers on this forum that will tell you how it works. What happens if he got injured riding at Kings Lynn on a track he deemed unrideable? At the end of the day he made a decision based on what he could see, rightly or wrongly. Just because you and others disagree with his standpoint its ultimately his decision. It doesn't actually make him wrong. He is his own boss, whether you like that or not. I am not a Troy apologist either. He has not ingratiated himself to the Swindon fans either but as Daniel Smith has kindly pointed out, PUK has done exactly the same, however, that's ok because he's PUK and he's a good bloke. Clearly PUK has the same moral compass as Troy...

You should have said ‘Tell me why’

Campos and Pijper. Really?! We knocked Rye out in May and have had all summer to ride this and now we end up at the SF stage with half the team missing. What is the point of running the KO Cup if the promoters are only going to pay lip service to it? That Thursday in May could have been used to run the outstanding league fixture in the timeframe required i.e. by the time the PO started. A shambles of a sport, run by absolute cretins. Still I look forward to ‘the best ever AGM’, a lowering of the points limit, an amalgamation of the leagues and the remaining quality drained out of the league just because these clueless clowns continue to lack the brains to figure out what is required to turn the sport around to give the supporters what they want.

Alex Hammond, Sky Presenter, was seen at Blunsdon several times going back 5-6 years ago, which resulted in me missing a lot of races. I expect she had to use the toilets on the back straight ending that little relationship.

Probably, because of the score and the tension, Moooooorrrrrrrriiiiiiiisssssss in Heat 13 v Wolves. It was great to see Mr Gobby throw a little paddy on the infield as the lads went over the line for the 5-1. We owed him that from 2009. Harris beating Charlie Gjedde twice, in the same season, off 15m.

What you need to do is get your team, others too, a new fan base. As an example, and I’ll use young Kilby for this, he asked for schools to show interest so that the Robins could spread ‘the gospel’. My girlfriend, who is a teaching assistant, thought ‘the kids would love it’. She has attended a couple of meetings so knows what’s involved and keeps an eye on the results but not really a fan. The school is some 20 miles from Swindon and she sent a request to him via Facebook. To date, and it’s approximately 12-18 months now but no acknowledgement or interest. Now, it could be Lee is busy. I know he has many hats and puts a lot of effort in but an acknowledgment or something similar would have been nice. Instead, as always, the chance to interest new people and let them know speedway is out there is missed. At the end of the day, I attend so it’s not me they have to convince but clubs just do not help themselves. Promoters need to think of tomorrow not yesterday.

He’s not DC2....

Cheers RR.

Do you have a link re the subscription? Is this for Swedish speedway only? 4 matches per week?

Its over 10 years ago since I went to Brandon to see the biggest crowd I have ever seen at a league match, admittedly it was the Play Off final between Coventry and Swindon. A fantastic atmosphere and although ultimately a difficult evening to endure it was great to be part of the occasion. As an aside, Smolinski and Balinski were reserves on this particular day. Since then the promoters of a significant number of clubs, in all leagues I hasten to add, have continually driven down the costs to maintain the bottom line. This has been done by weakening the league year on year, however, each year despite 'weakening the league' promoters make huge losses. I cannot think of any club, possibly with the exception of Poole, that have made a profit in those 10 years. So if the answer is to weaken the league, why are losses continually made? There must be some correlation between the weakening of the league and the number of supporters who attend on a regular basis? If people didn't care who rode then the attendances would be high and profit would be made. To me its two fold, weakening the product to pander to those clubs who struggle both to compete and attract supporters. I mean that's worked a treat if you use the Premiership as a barometer where only Swindon, Coventry, Poole and Wolves have won the league since 2007. That may change this season but clearly the same teams are always competitive whether you weaken the league or not. The second is the cost to attend. In 2009 I remember paying £13 to watch Adams and Zagar plus several other good riders. I am not belittling the current crop of Swindon riders but to be fair I am not sure how many of them would get in the 2009 line up. So costs have gone up 33% but the standard has dropped considerably too. I am not an EL snob but it is my preferred choice of speedway. The sooner that the promoters realise that supporters actually matter then the sooner that speedway can move forward, although it may be too late now. This is not football where the income generated by the supporter is irrelevant. The income from us supporters has a direct correlation on each of their clubs. It is for the promoters of each club to talk to its supporters and see what they want. In all the time I have attended regularly, which is since 2005, at no stage have I ever been asked what do I think! Swindon have Lee Kilby in charge of the commercial side of things and he is a breath of fresh air. He communicates with fans via Facebook and is continually looking to push the Robins forward on a commercial basis but its kinda pointless if there is hardly anyone in the stadium to enjoy the product. Grachan has said he doesn't attend regularly. The club should be asking him why he and others no longer attend regularly and trying to identify any patterns that occur from club to club. Is that not a sensible business model - giving the customer what he wants? The promoters continue to take liberties. That is not a criticism of Tsunami or Skid Sprocket. Its a collective problem they have. They only do what is right for their club and not the benefit of the sport as a whole. One day the promoters will have an AGM and it will be the final one because people, like many on the BSF, we will have long since cared what happens and then the promoters can do whatever they like...

I have nothing to be bitter about. I attend speedway every week. I paid to watch 4 football matches last season. Speedway is where my loyalty lies. My observation was aimed at Lisa Colette's statement, which seemed to suggest that Somerset should change the fixture because Bournemouth are likely to be home in the Premier League on the same night as Poole would be. My point was if you were a casual fan of both, which would you want to attend? I am sure if Matt Ford was in the same boat, and presented with a similar scenario, he would be a very accommodating? Let's hope Somerset don't win by too many otherwise it could be One Man and his Dog again for the second successive PO semi final...

That’s a tough one, a professional sport, watched by millions, played on a bowling green of a pitch with a crackling atmosphere or amateur night, run by village idiots on a pot holed track in front of God’s waiting room. I’ll leave the forum to decide which is the best option...

Is that the same Doyle that rode with a broken leg for most of last season?

They could have also had the trophy situated in the Blunsdon cabinet had they put their mind to it but after last night’s capitulation....

So now that there is incontrovertible evidence from 2 videos that there indeed was a hole on bend 1 despite certain BSF members denying that this hole existsed, is it possible that Poole speedway are behind other conspiracy theories such as 9/11, the moon landings and the assassination of Kennedy...

Why, its an opinion? Have a look at the video.

The prosecution calls Lisa Colette to the stand... Is that your opinion from the video or your view in normal time? JD has clealrly gone past the white line, and in fact, is closer to the hot dog stand than the white line when he hits the hole. Bournemouth aren't going to be short of politicians when the current incumbent has had enough. I have assumed nothing. I have taken in to consideration the views of other Poole fans poole keith and Lisa Colette. Skidder has now confirmed that indeed there was a hole but it wasn't the 'hole' that caused JD to straighten up so badly. Perhaps you should take the opportunity to pop along to Specsavers today, and whilst your there book an appointment for Skidder.

No hole, you say. I have seen the video of heat 15 on the speedwaygb website. JD makes a reasonable gate from 2 hits something, straightens up and nearly collects Harris on his way towards the fence. Was it your wallet, Steve?