mikebv

But you get a full day there.. With the adrenaline rush of having a few bets.. (When the fun stops, stop!) Kids.. And get to possibly see Status Quo, Rick Astley and Tony Hadley...

To be fair, they did bring in the Green Helmet Cover... Pretty damn radical... Couldn't move at the old Kirky Lane track the night they introduced that.. Queues back to Levenshulme..

From 1971 to 1984, Great Britain/England won 16 World Titles at Individual, BP and WTC level.. All won by very well known sporting personalities.. I would suggest that this kept the sport very much front and centre in the minds of the TV companies.. As they knew an audience was out there to watch it... With the domestic leagues getting huge knock on benefits..

And therein lies another issue.. Salaries are needed to maintain kit that needs to be at a level to fund individual ambitions.. Individual ambitions that feed nothing directly back to the clubs through increased numbers, even if they have someone who has achieved something on their books.. And personally, if they want to run the sport as a team sport, and the rider wants to ride full time, then all sponsorship should go into a pool for the club to use.. Even in F1, some drivers have to bring £x amount of sponsorship to the team just to get to drive the car.. Obviously with two/three/four teams each, some in different countries, dividing up the sponsorship may be a tad difficult though... A recent example of a theft from a young "junior" making his way in the Speedway World highlighted just how ridiculous things have become.. According to his team manager in the SS, to buy the kit stolen from his van, from scratch, would be £20k... A van that was ultra professionally finished on the outside with a superb action shot of the rider painted on the side... When a "junior" feels he needs all that just to compete in a sport ran in front of several hundred people, then it truly is in trouble..

The 70's and (very early), 80's were dominated by Englands success at WTC, Best Pairs, and Individual level with PC and Michael Lee, two sportsmen known as well as any in the country.. PC must have been worth the admission alone at most tracks domestically after watching him thrill the watching millions on World Of Sport throughout the Speedway season, with several 100 (at least), going just to see him.. And even when not winning England always were in with a chance of success so would keep the watching viewer interested by being in contention... Then the foreign contingent took over.. And some may have engaged crowds by their colourful antics and cheery disposition, and also no doubt raised standards significantly given the talent of some of them.. However, it was then the free for all that took place whereby any number of foreign journeymen riders were brought over to replace any number of other foreign journeymen riders ad nauseam that set the rot in.. People just lost interest because there wasnt enough to keep them interested... Riders you had no affinity with, being replaced with riders you had no affinity with, was not a great fan engagement plan.. Nor were the regular price increases to pay for the overseas lads and the drop in crowds.. And of course having so many places filled by non GB riders impacted internationally as GB started to struggle due to a lack of talent coming through.. Football brings dozens of foreign players over because they have the money to invest/speculate.. Speedway spent its money from Sky (millions and millions), on ensuring the top riders rode here, rather than investing in some stand alone infrastructure.. And the top lads promptly cleared off when the Sky money dropped... There are a plethora of reasons of why we are where we are today but there is no doubt so much of it is down to those who have ran it.. Death by a thousand cuts is usually done to others and not to yourself..

But back then you got to watch the worlds best on TV on one of only three channels most Saturday afternoons, with many of them household names.. And then had your tea... And then went to watch the same lads ride at your local track.. For a small dent in your disposable income.. With England ruling the roost in the Speedway World... Meaning the domestic leagues fed off the international success being beamed into (literally) millions of homes.. And if PC or Ivan were "elsewhere" and a guest replaced them, you found out at the track, after you had paid to get in, not days in advance.. Then the USA and the Danes took over.. So Promoters brought more of them over.. And then more Swedes, Norwegians, Aussies, Czechs, NZ's, Finns, Poles, etc etc etc.. And then viewing figures dropped because England were no longer winning, nor even looking like winning.. So the TV companies stopped beaming the sport into millions of homes... So then crowds started to drop in domestic racing.. Meaning inflation busting admission fees started to rise to pay for all these overseas stars, and the drop in crowd levels.. And that was 35 or so years ago.. Yet the same operating model has taken place all that time until today where we now seem to have realised that a successful national team might help fill some domestic league meetings with fans.. Yet that is undermined by all that nonsense that still exists with "guests", ridiculous made up rules, poor track prep etc, but is now done in a 24/7 social media glare which (quite rightly), holds it up to the ridicule it deserves.. People's disposable income has shrunk due to so much modern technology in the home and life in general being "a basic need", and not a luxury, with monthly outgoings very high in many homes.. Nowadays a Speedway meeting doesnt leave a small dent in the disposable income anymore, but a significant one.. What you could do and get away with in the 70's and 80's you cannot now.. The Worlds moved on, but UK Speedway didn't, and to a huge degree, still hasn't. .

But if you want to sell it as a team sport there has to be emotional attachment to that team.. Or simply no point in doing it... UK Speedway obviously cannot/choose not to (delete as applicable), run it as a team sport "properly" therefore their operating model cannot do anything positive whatsoever, but can only impact it negatively.. Only the riders benefit from the operating model, team sponsors and fans definitely dont.. I 100% agree if what you had was entertaining then it could work, sadly when what you are watching comes under the word "contrived", getting people to buy into in more than once or twice initially will take some doing.. The lack of any league sponsor, or major company team sponsorship speaks volumes for its operating model as no company would want to put their name to something so made up.. Riders can pick and choose when to turn up, and have a night off as they are tired... Or get stopped from riding for their own team when fit, after representing their other team several times in the previous few days.. Both scenarios resulting in guests, as shown this week.. Teams will go into the play offs not allowed to sign replacements for genuinely injured riders out for the season, and instead get to use track specialist ringers as guests.. You would need a seasons worth of full on entertainment in every meeting to make all the above nonsense get accepted.. Speedway should just either decide to do "it properly" or not at all, as the current "fudge our way through" simply wont cut it.. And by "doing it properly" either run (at least) the top league with credibility, or run individual meetings similar to Grass tracks, Superbikes, MX and MotoGp, with decent fields and prize money.. When you have to collude with the promoters that what you are watching is "real" they have a serious problem, however.... The raw product of Speedway racing can be uniquely exhilarating from a spectating perspective... So THAT is what they should sell.. Meaningful meetings, with a decent standard of rider, all racing for a decent prize pot, on days or nights when the healthiest crowd can be attracted to generate some atmosphere, at a price point conducive to attract, rather than prohibit, the fans from turning up.. If that's within a team framework then fine, and if it isnt, then also fine...

£35 to £40 is good value fo a family of four however, the vast majority wont do it more than once a month, at most, as more often and it becomes far too expensive as you add on the "extras" of food and drink.. Many seem to equate a night out at the Speedway to a night at the Cinema or TP Bowling however, again, they wont do this regularly, but as a "treat"... And by definition you are then regarding a night at the Speedway as pure entertainment rather than a "sport".. With the other issue then of course being that clubs are trying to, and are dependant on, fans becoming emotionally attached to the club... Yet they choose to run an operating model that can never encourage it... The sport is simply knackered by self inflicted nonsense isnt it?

It would be far simpler, and better than current, and credible, when using RR, if the riders above and below the missing rider in the averages could take two rides each.. All the way through the team.. With a No1 missing having his rides taken by anyone the team manager nominated up to 7 rides max each, but no more than two each of his rides for any individual.. And if a No7 in the averages is missing, then nominate an unattached No8 and let him and No6 ride two races each, with the No8 having a minimum three rides per night... Its ridiculous how many guest riders are used to fill spots that dont need filling if you ran a proper RR system.. The No1 nowadays isnt the powerhouse of old so doesnt need replacing as riders 2nd and 3rd in the averages are now much, much closer.. Riders want races to earn, so keep that opportunity within the team, and not bring outsiders in to take these money making opportunities, and also at the same time, add some credibility and integrity to the meeting..

Baled out rather than locking up behind HA and following him round...

I would suggest that there are far more people who still follow the sport pretty closely who WON'T be attending any meeting this week than the amount who do.. Many, many thousands more followers not attending than those who actually will... And it will be all down to the ludicrous way it is ran, and the ridiculous cost to get in for no more than 16 mins actual entertainment...

It's Wolverhampton... Four laps, clutch start, four riders.... All finishing a straight from each other from first to last... You CAN take your eyes of this Nige..

He/She/They (it is 2021), will be waiting for the New York exchange to close and then the Far East exchanges to open.. You snooze, you lose....

Are you mad? Letting a rider, who is fully fit, to ride for his own club rather than bring in a guest??? Sheer lunacy.... You will never be a promoter...

I personally don't see doubling up as a major issue... It isn't ideal, but we don't have cross league cup comps so no major drama for me... But being allowed to ride for all and sundry? With the operating model being drawn up to actively encourage it? Now that's a completely different matter and is ludicrous... Over the past few days we have seen a rider decide to not race for his own team after riding for a few others as a guest in the week leading up to their meeting, as he was tired, and needed rest. So a guest was brought in... And tonight a rider cannot ride for his own club because the rules say he has to sit it out, as a rider who has replaced him for 28 days only must ride instead... But that rider is now iinjured so instead a guest will come in... Barmy on both accounts... Lets face it, if those who run it don't take it seriously you have zero chance of the fans doing so...

And in sport you can get injuries... Which can weaken your team... That is the way of it.. I still do think that a "proper RR facilty" which is actually fit for purpose would replace so many guests... Still providing riders with more chance to earn money, but at least it will be their team that they are earning it in..

It is purely set up for the riders to earn as much as they can by racing as many times a week as they can.. You know this irrefutably to be the case when one rider can spend his week guesting, and then not turn out for his own team because he has ridden too much, so needs "a rest" and they then can have a guest, (who may be a track specialist ringer), to replace him.. They havent a hope in hell of ever being successful when the whole shebang is set up so amateurishly.. During lockdown wasnt it regarded as an "Elite Sport in the UK"? Even the great Sean Lock couldnt have made up something so comedically surreal as that comment... Selling such nonsense must be so difficult for the Promoters.. Yet they are the ones that sign off the nonsense as "perfectly fine" in the first place.. You couldn't make it up, because you dont need to, it's all there lined up in front of you each meeting.... Best of luck to Newcastle..

And all of the above of course means no major companies would ever consider getting involved sponsorship wise... Both at team and league level.. Maybe though Disney might see some synergy?...

KK when Doyle went under him basically took himself out of the race by having to go so far wide to avoid Doyle hitting him.. Given the speed and angle he hit the bend, Doyle didn't have any control other than the capability to eventually lock the bike up to get around the turn... If KK hadn't taken avoiding action he would have been wiped out... But because he didn't fall off, the race continued... Unfsir riding from Doyle, and should have been punished... But to be fair, the ref was really poor all night so he wasn't going to spot that.... .

There was passing but it was more down to riders spearing there bikes at opponents than down to the race track... A lot of forceful undertakes were the order of the day... The World Champ certainly likes that method of attack, last night and most weeks.. If riders didn't just "get out of the way" and kept their line he would face a fair few exclusions.. He has a worked a big advantage for himself as he seems to have got into their heads that he is "coming through" no matter what.. A risky strategy but seems to be worth it...

Traditional crap tracks, create traditionally crap racing... No surprises..

Agreed... Hope there was no delayed reaction after the adrenaline melted away.... A horrible high impact crash...

100%... And quite telling that even though "everything is ok" they have yet to re show it... The level these lads race at is truly staggering.....

Fantastic result for the Championship... Zmarzlik wins so many points by riders getting "out of the way" as he drives/spears his bike under them on bend three of every track... Nicki P would have him excluded time and time and time again by leaving his left leg out and sliding serenely to the fence...

That looked horrific... Freddie looked like he was knocked out on the bike before he hit the fence.. Hopefully both ok.... Edit. Thank goodness both up..... Air fences worth every penny...