mikebv

Terrestrial TV coverage can only boost those tracks trying to come back too... If their endeavors get some publicity during the programmes... Developers have played on the fact that the sport has been on a decline, so, anything that ITV endorses would automatically infer otherwise... One of the key strengths the sport has is, as daft as it sounds, it's pretty low starting point, meaning growth can be quick and very noticeable... One or two 2,000 plus crowds and all of a sudden the optics are very different...

I wasn't being serious, hence the laughing emoji...... They do things properly over there. Over here we would have had a SCB enquiry as to what specific historical injury it was that made him feel "second hand"... And then he would have got banned, but only his 2nd Division team would have him missing.... And then, before he rode again for either of his teams, he would get himself a Guest booking....

Seven day ban?...

On one of his Vlogs, Dan T said he was actively trying to lose weight.... Amazing to think when you look at him on a bike... But he obviously can see how important being as light as possible is in these days of modern machinery and track prep...

And the way the sport is set up in the UK, with the RR and Guest system, it reduces the impact of injuries significantly, even to the point of actually improving the team!!.. Injuries, and good and bad luck, are part and parcel of all sports... S*it happens... There's hardly any major prize at stake, with each season pretty much rinse and repeat from that perspective, so I am sure fans of clubs suffering some "bad luck" will find a way to get over it without too much trauma..😉

Obviously several years too late, but you would have to think that necessity truly will be the mother of invention...

My lads Sunday league team had a similar "curse" last season.. They ended up just second in the league because of it... But did, thankfully, win two cups... The "curse" has now been officially recognised as being "The Curse of Deansgate" A popular street, which is full of bars in Manchester... Some Sundays we were down to a bare eleven as "The Curse" struck... It struck usually around 9am when all the lads who had been out till 5am in the morning cried off on the WhatsApp group.. On the WhatsApp group it got very personal with the lads who went out each week, but still turned up, even questioning the sexuality of those who didn't make it... I showed the comments to an ex player of the team, and he said he was glad he had no idea what WhatsApp was, but added, he would have gone out and just arrived at the game from the boozer in his day... The fans of the club were devastated by last season runners up spot with literally dozens of people effected, particularly as the prize giving at the Town Hall includes a buffet .. Let's hope "The Curse" doesn't hit this season..

It is a very difficult decision for these lads though... As Dan T said, his Lodz's signing fee was "several times" more than his Leicester and Edinburgh fees combined... Which can set you up for the season outside Poland too.. And given the current level of these lads, and their aspirations, riding in tier one of the UK will give them more stretch than riding in tier two... In an ideal world they 100% should develop through the 2nd tier over here, but that pull of Poland, which includes the professionalism of the clubs, the level of the crowds, and the jeopardy and consequence of the competition, which ensures a level of pressure to perform which will test them, (it's not just the money), must be tempting..

Dan said last week it's £700 - £800 a point at his level... And £1000+ for number ones in the 2nd tier.. Plus that so important high five figure signing on fee which helps riders not only set up in Poland but elsewhere too. (Which is part of the reason the Poles are not too pleased when rides get injured in other leagues).. He also confirmed that his tier is also impacted by the rule, and he may have to consider not doing Poland if he doesn't get rides, like this season, and he can then ride in both tiers over here.. You would imagine those running the sport in the UK will have already sounded out the riders to see who is willing to do two tiers over here next year, such is the fundamental impact the rule could have, and have a complete list of them already sorted... Wouldn't you?... Edit. He also said there should be a BSP investigation into the standard of the Poole track last week..!!

I don't think your post came across as snything more that taking the pee out of the usual "Belle Vue Play Off Curse" comment that seems to get mentioned time and again.. I took it that way anyway...

30+ teams, who all pretty much had decent crowd levels that many would love today, meant the national domestic events had a fair old fanbase to pull from... Just 15 teams, with nowhere near all of them getting even 1000 a week, is a lot less of a fanbase to deliver even high four figure crowds, never mind five figure crowds, for these events.. Edit. Just watched Dan T's Vlog and the winner gets just £1750!!! Last gets £200..

Fantastic meeting... Wroclaw's obsession with riding around the outside on bends three and four was baffling... Would be a great final...

I was particularly disappointed as I think I could have been possibly next in line to ride!!!!

Watching tonight, it was clear the "missing bit" is the crowd engagement... Wroclaw v Lublin last week had a stadium rocking, as did, to be fair, the two GP's at the NSS.. The racing is one thing, the crowd interaction is the other part of the equation which will engage those watching on TV... Some very good racing got met with a polite round of applause, and programmes being filled in...

Bless him.... A proper 100% lad for a good many years...