mikebv

70's racing was no better, nor worse than today's, for me.. What made it stand out was the crowd sizes thus, the atmosphere got created that made you return.. BV's Yorkshire rivals would bring a good few coaches with them ran by their supporters clubs, whiich had several thousand members, meaning an "electric atmosphere"... Almost 20 teams in the league meant there actually looked line something worth winning, and the vast majority of riders were yours and no one elses, (apart from young UK lads being allowed to double up for development, rather than due to a lack of riders, or tier two clubs wanting to use tier one riders at a reduced rate).. Teams rode on their best nights for attendances, and the admission costs took up a far lower percentage of your disposable income after your bills are paid, than it does today.. And Guests were the exception, rather than the rule... The Superstars were on TV most Saturdays, and also crossed over into mainstream non sporting programming... The top lads rode massive averages, making them "box office" particularly away from home when you may only got to see them once... Their averages often being down to them picking the best gates, bonus points being included, a "gimme" tac sub ride against the weakest second string and reserve, and less "head to heads" than today against the oppositions top two, and, usually, especially at home, just four rides.... It was though, overall, the size of crowds that brought the atmosphere and made it "an event"... The promoters of today though still have thousands of "lapsed fans" who still closely follow the sport, but see no reason to attend UK League Speedway... A huge opportunity should the promoters ever one day decide to get these thousands of fans re-engaged with their version of the sport...

That's why the sport needs 100" s of young kids in attendance every week.. And not sure that will happen on a Monday night in particular... Young kids bring, in the main, young adults.. Hence, tracks should fight tooth and nail to get young kids into the stadium... Even if all kids for free.... The bigger the crowd, the less inhibited people are, which means more atmosphere created.. Plenty of 60 somethings attend football, (due to the costs the elder age group make up a fair portion of the crowds), however, mine, and their behavior at Old Trafford surrounded by 74,000 is certainly different than at the NSS, where I am surrounded by just a few programme filling people.... Last nights meeting at Lublin was remarkable, however, if only 1200 were there to watch it, with hardly any away fans, it would have been as unremarkable as many UK meetings become with a similar standard of racing...

They arrive Thu/Fri as they know that their eviction summons won't get processed till Monday at the earliest... Tuesday on BH weekends.. My stores had a major problem with them as concrete car parks were perfect for them.. Therefore. My company (through a third party so no trace to us), employed a "security company" to arrive and ensure that the car park remained "safe".. In reality, it was three "big lads" with three big Alsatians that stayed overnight... The dogs stayed outside their transit van,continuously barking which triggered the pikeys (I mean travellers), dogs,and also scared their horses all night, ensuring plenty of noise.. The lads were all body cammed up, looking like Police, and sat up all night playing music... Any verbal altercation was met with "I have to tell you that I am recording this conversation both visually and with sound. For your protection and mine"... They hated those words... I was always in for 7am and would catch up with the security lads for an update and, invariably, they would telll me that "head pikey", I mean traveller, was going to see me later that morning... Around 8am he would come over and agree to clear off if I let them use the toilet and washroom facilities... Which I obviously did... Word soon got round their communities that our company wasnt somewhere to go to, and the problem quickly stopped....

A shame no one broadcasts it over here... The Polish league being shown would certainly help boost interest in the UK version of the sport, who could "piggy back" off it... Admittedly, given the enormous difference in the operating models, and level of riders, the boost may not last too long, but that woukd be down to the UK promoters to resolve, and maximise any potential growth...

Big noisy crowd means great atmosphere, which then makes even the "average races" seem good... And then when you get a "special one" the place goes up!!!. Two decent, well matched teams, a big crowd, including away fans, great atmosphere and decent racing... Surely someone over here could use that template and deliver something a bit nearer to Poland than what we have currently...?

Been great to watch for a fair few years, but didn't always get the focus... You've never won a race until the flag with Woryna behind... For many years he has been one of the few who have given Zmarzlik zero respect when riding against him.. Which amazed me even more that he let himself get dive bombed by Zmarzlik in the GP.. Usually he reads it and goes left down the back straight... Maybe getting a bit soft now he is his team mate...

I remember Kelvin saying something about Holder leaving Lublin, and Vaculik and Zmarzlik being good mates, and that Bartek requested they brought him in.. A strange signing given they gave up Holder..

That's why Poland get so peed off when they get injured elsewhere... A fair call...

A fantastic wage packet for Brady!!!!! Around £40k???

Hansen and Tungate... Brilliant idea to race each other...

Could be a last heat decider given Heat 14 line up...

Gating tart Kurtz....

Good ride from Lidsey, from the back to get second... Three rides and scored two more than last night already... Kowalski seems to only ride one track well... Looks like Wroclaw need 33/34 from Kurtz and Janowski this evening...

What? How?... At those prices no one was going!!!!

He'll be missing tonight so as he doesn't aggravate the aggravated knee..

Richard must have a log in on here...

Thanks for that.... I will use it next time with the missus....

He'd be "Mad For It!!!!!"

Ricky Kling for me....

Self policing often means no policing... They all will use some kind of nonsense decision at some stage, therefore all are happy to let the circus roll on..

Without Dan, it only left Brady as a Wroclaw rider so probably keeping the locals happy.. Riding well this season to be fair, so could upset a few riders' nights...

Is it for the drone to capture? Or maybe its done to look like a 3D one like they do at cricket?...

In the "halcyon days" of the sport I was fortunate to attend Hyde Rd every week, and they had massive crowds, with several coaches full of away fans.. The racing was very much on a par with today, with most races strung out, with a few "good races" thrown in per meeting... PC would often win a race by half a straight when he gated... The Aces though were serial winners in those days meaning crowds stayed big, and whenever they went away they often drew the biggest crowds of that tracks' season.. When the sport started to lose its fan base, there started to be too many gaps on the terracing, and hardly any away fans in attendance, which resulted in nowhere near the same atmosphere being generated, which led to even less people then attending, making the atmosphere worse, and on, and on the vicious cycle went, with it never being even slowed down, let alone stopped... The racing was the same, the crowd size wasnt, therefore as the atmosphere declined, with it also went the stature of the league titles being raced for, which then also adversely impacted crowds further.. Poole know they need a winning team to keep a good crowd level, so provide one, with their crowd numbers ensuring that there will be sufficient atmosphere each week to (hopefully), engage enough people to keep coming due to the feel good factors of success.. Off track atmosphere, through winning, can add plenty of entertainment to a Speedway meeting, and obviously keeps people attending at Poole, even if the on track action doesn't always excite as much... Cardiff's first ten years or so also proved that... Great racing in a one third full stadium doesnt generate much atmosphere, and, thus, crowd growth... The NSS proves that... Poole "sells" success and the crowds respond in numbers.. Glasgow "sells" entertainment and the crowds respond in numbers.. Each to their own, and, if it works, why change?..

We'll see if he is still a Talonted rider... I'll get me coat...

Ensuring the home teams have their best riders available is the fixture planning priority for the teams.. Zach Cook will miss several Saturday meetings away from home, however Poole still signed him and said they would do their best to avoid clashes but that some would be inevitable... That's the state of play in UK Speedway, unfortunately...