mikebv

They'll be giving Haaland away very soon!!!! And the rest!!!!

As is often said ... Sometimes the lack of scrutiny, publicity and focus, that the sport gets isn't always a bad thing ..😉

Far better for the sport to have signed Robert Lambert, (or someone of that ilk), who didn't ride over here... Would have meant credibility but also, just as importantly, got a fair few more through the turnstiles at any of the tracks he rode at...

I hope the Aces don't lose to Sheffield in the final... An open top bus parade down Deansgate has been planned for the day after the 2nd leg ... Dozens are expected .. And a celebration pie and pea supper sorted in the Star and Garter afterwards... Someone who knows the Mayor will be there... Serious stuff this...

And lucky his average dropped enough to replace Jack...

But using the +5% rule you could have someone better....

Because over 200 of them will be used this season again in the top two leagues, and it is now 2026 and not 1976.. The "optics" of what you do nowadays are often the maker, or the breaker, of your success in business.. And Social Media feedback from sometimes millions of people, has replaced half a dozen blokes in the back of a "tap room" moaning about life to each other, whilst another half dozen moaned about exactly the same thing in thousands of other pubs... Now so many have "a voice", which can be great for any business if you are open enough to listen to it.. The bottom line is if you launched Speedway this Monday as a brand new team sport, (using its current operating model), and did it with a huge fanfare and press launch, within an hour the operating model would be slaughtered in the public domain, and ridiculed mercilessly.. And a team sport, which relies 100% on tribal emotional attachment, would fail from the off... Without a credible offering, a business has no chance nowadays, and, in business, not evolving your operating model for over 50 years is simply never going to make you a success in the modern world.. I have no details, but I do think that Mayfield's involvement will result in the top tier becoming something that does have a credible offering..

So NORA run the same operating model as the BSP?..

Sheffield 42 Leicester 31 Kings Lynn 17.. A shame KL didnt have another rider in the semi final as they may have got second.. Still, I am sure all the KL fans will be delighted to see Max doing so well after an indifferent season, and it looks like they will have more riders in the final than their rivals Ipswich... "Welcome to ITV4's coverage of the UK Speedway Play Offs, and, if you haven't watched Speedway in the UK before, Yes. This is perfectly normal"... Sometimes it is just for the best it doesn't get any real notice or publicity...

One of the major stumbling blocks to rider development has been the amount of experienced Double Uppers/Downers who have filled two places and not one... Particularly taking up so many places which should have been set aside for development in the 2nd tier...

Hopefully the NSS gets the GP Challenge.... No need for £70 plus prices, and no need for the considerable six figure outlay for the extra stand...

If that happens I am not sure the Aces will be too unhappy, given the impact to their crowds in the lead up, and just after, the event... Plus, the huge costs and time put in to organise it .. The sport itself though would be the main loser given the NSS is clearly one of the best circuits in the world...

Last seasons league was so successful the sport couldn't even get a decent TV deal for this season off the back of it.... Now The Aces are back on top this year, it looks like even ITV want to get involved again!!!!

UK Speedway is contrived and cobbled together every season.... Therefore. No one season has less, or more, meaning than any other.... Hopefully, that ends this season and it gets the complete reset it needs... That way, it may become relevant, and more notice will be taken of it...

This seasons "tin pot" league, of just six teams, certainly doesn't stack up against last seasons magnificently auspicious league of seven teams.. A league where the bottom two teams scored an excellent 17 points (combined), from their 48 matches, with seven tremendous victories in those forty eight matches being attained, four of those victories coming by one of them beating the other, meaning, therefore, that 10 of the 17 points they scored together came in those four matches.. And their combined total was just 13 points behind the fifth placed team, and just 26 behind the team who topped the league... A hugely impressive, prestigious league to win last season without any doubt, and one which will go down, I am sure, in the annals of history as one of the greatest ever, as the sport nears its centenary...

Didn't a helmet that got cracked, mean the concussion protocol needed to be observed?...

Great night of racing... Enjoyed that... Good to see a proper heat advantage needed to win..

Great night of racing... Enjoyed that... Good to see a proper heat advantage needed to win..

Some big decisions re wild cards next year given the injuries to "regulars"... And, as we know, there is the political angle too, to ensure more "eyeballs" are on the series.. If Poland allow "Sweden plus one" then it could be a bun fight for Freddie... Denmark, logistically, will have the advantage, but maybe double the meetings over here would sway his decision?...

When he rode for the Aces, I always had a "Steve Worrall" feeling to Tom.. ie There is a very good rider in there, but "something" will prevent him consistently reaching that international level... The pressure to perform when he has to step up seems to be the challenge for him... Birmingham had pretty much zero pressure given they were so poor, which I think reflected in his riding.... And at both the Aces and at Ipswich he has had two genuine World Class riders keeping pressure off him.. I watched him in Sweden last season against the larger number of top riders over there, and he definitely started to look more aggressive on the bike, and in one race pushed Zmarzlik out of contention in a race with a very robust manoeuvre.. Then he got badly injured pre season which I think has (as you could expect), dropped him back a bit this year... A big season for him next I would suggest as an indicator as to how his career will progress.. Will he just end up a solid UK rider, with maybe a 2nd or 3rd tier contract in Poland? Or will he become a consistent SEC or even GP performer over the next few years, with a top tier Polish contract..?. I think any team would want him if they can get two top level riders at One and Five, and Ipswich should be in the box seat for that, given they will want to take advantage of this seasons average..

I saw some of the action from the Sheffield meeting in Luke Killeen's Vlog, and it was clear you couldn't just "howl" into the bends at full gas, sideways blocking the track, meaning the rider behind couldn't pass, but just did the same thing... Meaning, as often happens at most tracks, four riders in procession, equidistant apart... From the action I watched in the Sheffield match, the riders had to go around the bends more circumspect given the level of grip they were getting, hence more mistakes and opportunities were available to be had... Hence, the racing was decent... With so little actually riding on the outcome of a any UK Speedway meeting, you would think the promoters would 100% focus on ensuring that the actual entertainment level, both on and off track, encourages people to keep attending wouldn't you...?

And Kurtz did his usual.... Happy with paid ten off four and didn't do heat 15..

The whole thing was summed up by Mark Lemon being the manager to do some "damage limitation" in Heat 15, and not using his GP stars to deliver another 1-5....

The comeback is on!!!!! Another 5-1 in Ht 15 needed... Chase the Ace and Mark Lemon should go out in it... The Aces may need to do a "Special Offer" for the 2nd leg..

Embarrassing this...