mikebv

I remember Josh Auty saying on the centre Green at the old dog bowl a fair few years ago, when he was "on then way up" as a potential star of the future that he would "love to ride for the Aces next season".... Must have meant as a guest.....

It did certainly feel as if there could be a "new dawn" during those first couple of Sky seasons... I seem to remember a lot of TV meetings having some "entertainment plan" included to try and make an "event" out of the evening, with, on quite a few occasions I attended, a reduced entrance fee using the 'extra money' Sky gave them for showing the meeting from their track... Then it all stopped and fell back into the usual stuff we still have today.. I hadn't seen that doc so was interested to hear Chris Louis' earnings from around that time, (almost six figures). So you can only wonder what the likes of Tony R were on then? And Danny Kelly's views on Speedway and where it could go to if marketed correctly were particularly interesting given his background.. £9 to get in at KL too, which is on par today when you add in inflation.. Of course post that doc, Sky subsequently put well over a million in a season for circa 20 years which sadly was the golden opportunity to leave a great legacy for the sport.. Probably the biggest mistake made ever was how the Sky money was used, and sadly, that lost opportunity to truly develop the sport to any where near its potential may never come again.. (In the UK)...

There are more than enough quality riders if they were shared around better.. The issue is that a few clubs will have 3 heat leaders of Div 1 heat leader standard and some clubs will have one at best, and some maybe none whatsoever.. There really is no point in "saving" tracks and then leaving them to face another year of struggle due to not being supported in team building.. Running the sport like they do really doesnt help anyone either, as these teams with a poor side will struggle at home so their own fans will stop going, and struggle away so their opponents then get low crowds when they visit, and then invariably pay out loads in points money for a hammering.. With ironically the team with the poor side who get hammered away getting a 'positive' as they dont pay out much... Still.... Winning that UK Speedway title is so important isnt it? Much more important than the collective growth of the sport... I mean. You may get your results in the weekly local paper, (just above the darts and crib leagues updates), and, if successful at the end of the season, be invited to a buffet with the local mayor. (Covid rules allowing obviously)... A completely avoidable race to the bottom once again for some...

But typically have ploughed on with the same unfit for purpose operating model, regardless of the obvious negative impact to the sport in the UK that it brings...

Millions of pounds given to the teams by Sky since then too... Quite an incredible "achievement" to deliver what we have today...

Spot on.. Always enjoyed my trips to Poole.. People seen to forget that others can only wind you up if you allow yourself to be wound up in the first place... And I must admit, if you keep getting bites then often the most fun thing to do is to keep fishing.....

A rudderless ship without a suitable Captain, John, for far, far, too many years.. Crying out for someone to properly lead it... You only have to look at the threads for teams struggling to get a decent team together next year to see how ridiculous the whole operating model is.. The "collective" are desperate to keep as many clubs going as possible, (any Speedway must be seen as better than no Speedway), yet they dont ensure as a "collective" that every team has a fair chance of being successful. Yet they will use a supposed "team equality" mechanic which we all know to be far too subjective when it comes to previous riding numbers in the teams rode for, home track advantage of previous tracks, amount of meetings done, assessed averages depending on where you are from etc to be of any tangible accurate use.. Some teams next season in Division Two will, once again, have three heat leaders of a high level, (on a par with some in Div One given they will be the same riders), and other teams will end up with second strings having to take heat leader positions. The result? Well, we know that dont we? The teams using second strings as heat leaders will struggle at home and be dreadful away. However all will come to the tapes "relatively equal" and no doubt every team will talk up their side. "Strength in depth, always have a good reserve, all can put two points on their averages", etc etc etc.. What the "collective" (still after all these years of doing the same thing year in, year out), fail to grasp, is that unless EVERY track can be competitive then you will never move the sport organically forward... Getting visited by teams who are "cannon fodder" simply cannot be good for the host clubs business, yet they happily allow such things to happen... With the ultimate irony being that a few will throw hundreds of thousands of pounds into their teams to try and win something with only marginally more kudos than winning a meat raffle at the local British Legion. With the lack of kudos, financial rewards and publicity, all down to their very own operating model.. In short mate. No. The sport hasnt moved on.. (Over here).. In fact you would have to say that it has regressed a long, long way..

I think fundamentally UK Speedways issue is the return it gets on its "huge" outlay... Well over a million next season will be spent collectively on circa 200 meetings in the top two leagues that, sadly, have very little meaning other than providing a salary for the riders... That's an an enormous of amount of money shelled out to get so little cut through and recognition for their sport by the promoters.. Yet they continue doing the same thing year on year.... I would suggest less (but meaningful) meetings, with the same outlay but as "prize money" would attract a much larger overall following for the sport, given each meeting could be marketed as a stand alone event, with clear quality control of riders, presentation standards, fan engagement etc.... Theres too much of a "any speedway is better than no speedway" view, which then leads to its contrived operating model, and a dumbing down of standards, which ultimately will restrict fan interest and growth of the sport...

Eg The British Final... In and around Manchester there has been virtually zero advertising either via visual adverts around the city, or local media audio and visual coverage since it has been there... 2.5 million people live within a 45 min travelling radius and a sporting national championship is taking part close to their homes.. At a track a stones throw away from a city centre which attracts 100's of thousands each week to work or play.. The flagship of the countries domestic calendar, and the pinnacle award for any GB rider domestically... Every team should be made to set aside budgets for these key meetings. Instead, massive sums are spent on riders collectively who make hardly any difference to a crowd level by their presence or not, yet very little is spent in comparison on advertising that may make a positive impact to crowd numbers... A strange plan indeed...

Yes..... But apart from all that? .....

In the top league it would work... Six man teams and eight or even nine man squads... Just 48 to 54 riders needed.... All DU anyway virtually, so all would have two jobs to cover not riding every week...

I think you are correct.., I remember in the 90's Sam Ermolenko riding at 3 for Wolves when their "No1" rider... Nicki P, Jason Crump and Leigh Adams were others I recall didn't ride as the No1 for their teams.. I would suggest it is circa the last 10 to15 years when an AGM decreed that the top two riders rode at one and five...

Always a possibility I suppose, but lets be honest, promoters cancel meetings days out using weather forecasts without a thought for fans.... And watching such a farcical situation as 3 guests and RR isn't worth much of a watch (nor financial outlay), I would suggest.. I was once working in London and the Aces were at Lakeside so thought I would go along as had never been to Lakeside.. The meeting was on the same weekend as (I think), 3 GP Qualifiers at various points around Europe, with the Aces having three representatives in them and one injury.. Needless to say I didnt bother to go as the 'Aces' had RR and three guests.. Who in the their right mind agreed to ride this meeting that weekend, knowing one team would have zero comparison to its usual septet? Well for one. The team that knew the Aces would need guests so put the fixture forward.. .. And for two. The Aces themselves who knew they could bring three track specialist ringers in to replace riders not too enamoured by the Lakeside track.. Pretty sure the 'Aces' won too... The sport on the other hand, definitely didnt win...

Dont organise the meeting....

Given the age of most of the competitors in ALL teams now, I am not sure whether the average age of them all put together is now much different from that of the crowd's.... Take away the RS's and most teams are made up of riders who have been around a fair old time... Given so few riders represent so many clubs, "Dads Army" teams may become the norm, with the odd "Chelsea Pensioner" one thrown in now and again too!!..

But certainly wouldn't be needed to feed the 5000 at any track...

His initial first couple of season averages were pretty much on a par with Hamill and Hancock when they first came over too I seem to remember.. Looked like he didn't have the same focus or discipline to match his undoubted ability...

Saw Ryan Fisher at Victorville in 1992 when he was about 10 I think... Started every race in the "juniors" from 50 yards back and hammered lads five years his senior.... Made a note of his name in the programme I bought given how good he looked and presumed he must go in to great things... Did pretty well over here initially too I seem to remember then dropped off....

Six man teams. . Nine heats where all pairs race against each other on alternate gates.. Then. Three heats of managers choosing pairs, winning team name theirs first, then losing team pick theirs, and losing team pick two out of the three gate positions, winning team then have what heat is left... Last three heats lowest to highest scorers, losing team choose their gates for one heat, the winning team then get the other available, then heat 15 is a coin toss.. No riders under 4.5pt averages, however each team can have two 'subs' signed below 4.5pt (RS's?), to replace missing riders (similar to how a Number 8 would now). So no guests needed, but instead a 'Number 7' allied to a fit for purpose RR facilty with each eligible rider allowed a max seven rides.. 15 heats in total, only one tac sub in heats 10 to 14 allowed if 8 behind, as gate positions are also used to gain an advantage, and all riders of a reasonable ability level to cover even a missing No1 if the RR facilty is fit for purpose....

Dont knock it... Gets you in Europe that...

Is there a four team tournament next season..? BV have enough to enter a team if you are correct... At the moment they have to hope for a Best Pairs event...

The top league is having to contrive some cup competition to stretch the season.. The 2nd Division include six teams in the play offs to offer up an extended season for clubs.. And hardly any non UK based riders now too, so plenty of nights available to run a season with zero fixture clashes with other countries meetings... They even clash with their own U21 Championship fixtures for crying out loud.. The bottom line is they have guests because they can, and it's far easier to do this than run the sport properly...

Should get a few of then to reconnect those power lines for the people still without power.... Would be able to get the water sorted too with just a simple diversion of a pipe....!!

Well they all do ride mostly for our entertainment..... I know this because I have read it so many times on here...

3rd Heat leader missing for me and one too many second strings. However, they should win plenty at home so that should see them through to the play offs.. Not sure if this team would score enough to win on aggregate over two legs though against Sheffield given their "four hear leaders" team..