mikebv

Isn't the track a bit different most weeks?... That won't help engage riders... That clay surface also doesn't always lend itself to take too many risks...

Who are the riders, of the needed capability, who the clubs can sign?... Plenty get asked, plenty say they have enough on their plate already.... For me, Kings Lynn seemed to do better in tier two, both success wise and crowd numbers... Some clubs are just seem "organically" suited to a particular league, yet some decide to move into a higher bracket which they then struggle in...

Can't be too far off having a digital programme surely?….. Cheap to do, and could mean a decent price cut from current, and doesnt matter if not sold as nothing to throw away... Make it printable for those who like to keep a collection and even do some nice club official season binders to store the printed programmes in.. You won't even have to attend the meeting to print one, and you will never miss out by them selling out... Meaning your 50 years of programmes won't suddenly have one missing because you arrived too late one week!!! Nightmare!! It will also give the club direct digital access to their support base to target offers, keep regular communication etc... Some may need help from their sons or daughters with it, granted, (or even their grandkids if their own offspring are too old)...

Thanks for the info... I still think a one off stand alone "play off special" would get some decent income generated... There will be thousands more Speedway fans without a subscription I would imagine than currently have one, so a pretty big market to target... So few meetings carry any relevance or consequence in the UK, so when some do exist, in such a short space of time, then they should be used to maximise interest and income...

Interesting comments from Olly Allen in the Speedway Star... Recommending to the young British lads to ride in Poland as much as they can given the money involved will help future equipment budgets, and give them the required level of pressure to perform, given you don't get a job for a season like you do over here when of a certain level.. The more these lads compete in the International events the more they will get noticed, therefore more power to them... The very top of fhe tree can earn well over £3 million for five years of riding in Poland, (life changing money), whereas you could ride 25 years in the UK, (unless something dramatically changes money wise), and not earn the same... Best of luck to these lads in their journey, as it does look like maybe half a dozen of them have at least a chance of reaching international class... But time doesnt wait for any of them, and there will be plenty of riders of their age around the globe wanting the same, therefore every opportunity to get themselves noticed has to be taken...

A sad indictment of the sport (in the UK), but maybe, in house streaming will deliver better income than the money any TV company is prepared to pay to cover the play offs?.. Are BSN doing a "play off special offer"? Covering all 12 meetings in both leagues?.. I would suggest £120 for all 12 could get a decent response given how many "generic" Speedway fans there are in the UK..

There will be well over 100 Guests used in the 2nd tier this season... So what not just run more Guestfests during those weeks they chose not to run meetings?... And many of those weeks had no FIM/FIM Europe clashes...

There is nothing more Mickey Mouse than UK Speedway's version of the sport. Good luck to the lads broadening their horizons, as far too often you can get a false impression as to your actual level by competing against your peer group, many of whom being much less capable than yourself... Good to see these lads test themselves. . And, as has been said, the many weeks of venues not being used isn't their fault...

Caveat Emptor...

Whatever is in "the best interests of Speedway"..

Three Mondays being used for the Play Offs?? As three of the teams are Thursday tracks, does that mean TV are involved?....

Given the cost of living nowadays two meetings per monthly salary is the maximum affordability for many I would suggest, therefore every fortnight should be the target, but if not possible, then still run just the two meetings per calendar month.. I do think though that they should always work around those "Mickey Mouse" FIM meetings, given, if alive today, Walt Disney might sue UK Speedway for copyright, given the amount of Mickey Mouse meetings they run...

The GP"s in Manchester showed Speedway, in the UK, can still attract plenty of people, at admission costs that are Premier League football level... As they bring relevance, credibility, close racing, and atmosphere.. Unfortunately, none of that is regularly replicated in domestic UK Speedway... There are a great many out there still following the sport, and closely, but don't see UK Speedway as something that warrants their attendance and monetary outlay... A huge opportunity for growth if those running UK Speedway ever listened and got things right...

Wow!... Even my lads Sunday League team have three teams worth of players registered so they can get at least eleven out every week... You would think UK Speedway, which professes to be professional and not amateur, would do the same with its volunteers wouldnt you?.. Meaning they always have enough volunteers.. Or. Nominate a two week break where the sport shuts down and all hols can be taken... "The UK Speedway Wakes" could be the name...

What sorcery is this??!!!!....

DMU did have a rule that if they didn't ride in Denmark, then they wouldn't get a Danish licence.. Not sure if that still exists... Regardless, it's an ideal time for Poole if they ever wanted to go back into tier one given so few UK and Aussie riders will be riding in Denmark if they have Polish contracts... Well over a dozen Aussies currently over here, with many having residency visas, who also ride in Poland, therefore Poland could have very much helped the UK if they do bring in the one other league only rule .. Even a 7 team top tier would bring a minimum 26 meetings with KO Cup. Whereas in both Sweden and Denmark the minimum is 14 meetings...

Is that a Guest replacement like we have over here?.. If not. Sweden seem to bring replacement riders in very quickly..

The key words there being "at the moment".. A decent six figure TV paynent, per team, for the top tier would encourage movement I suggest, as would being allowed to use Wednesdays... I don't think too many riders will ride over here and Denmark, therefore there shouldn't be too many clashes.. I presume the Championship is being set up to be a league for "the hobbyists" and the top tier seen as the league of "the professionals"...

What a ridiculous thought!!! The most baffling thing is meetings don't get run during those best months for decent weather... I can only presume, down to "rider availability"... Yet Guestfest after Guestfest will take place at the start and end of the season, when the weather is generally not great for watching Speedway... Due to "rider availability".. Work that one out?! If Guestfest after Guestfest is (as it clearly must be), their only way of running Speedway in the UK, then at least do it in the best weather to get the crowds to attend!!!

It only needs a couple of injuries to opponents and they could stay up!! 8th should just swap with the top team in tier two.. Maybe 6th v 7th for the losers to ride against the second team in tier two, if they want to create some end of season drama.. The fifth team in only eight getting brought in seems a bit extreme....

Those "last gasp" meetings before the cut off date often show the "integrity" involved .. With a good many down the years taking place on tracks that would have seen a call off in the months before.. "We just need to get to Heat 10"...😀 Amazing how the date of a meeting can suddenly make tracks rideable...😁 If only this country ever got some decent weather from say April to August, the fixture compilers could have at least a chance of fitting in so few meetings in so many weeks!!!

As has been suggested before .. Any meeting called off gets one point each to the teams and doesn't get ran at a later date, and no bonus point gets awarded for those section of home and away meetings.. If they were the rules I would suggest many, many more meetings would take place that currently get called off now... With the riders themselves being the main ones pushing for the meeting to take place given each meeting lost is a pay day lost too...

The counter to that of course is "if" the Championship sees a significant drop in team average, so there is the desired clear difference in standard between the top two tiers, it could result in lower crowds for those teams delivering four figure numbers now... No longer having each meeting with a large number of top tier riders in attendance, or watching young overseas riders, with growing reputations, being given an opportunity, could easily impact crowds negatively... As many fans are now accustomed to a certain level of standard of rider on view, for a certain level of admission cost....

Given the "one extra" league, the better level of riders will have to choose either Sweden, Denmark or the UK, meaning less cross over, so minimal clashes, (if any at all)... That should mean Poole could, theoretically, ride in the top tier on Wednesdays...

If any TV deal justifies the extra costs seems to be one of the main crieria...