mikebv

Getting passed on the inside.... On a track that you clearly have to ride by holding the line on the bends.. Happened all night.... Strange....

Vojens is always crap... Unless it's peeing down and the track is virtually waterlogged so an outside line develops in the mud... Ironically... A track where "Fireman Phil' could have done his worst and made it better... And how poor is this ref? Rolling starts with zero stoppage of the race... You may penalise yourself but you can also penalise other riders too who react to your movement..

And in many countries that Speedway exists in, still isnt... Including the birth place of the Sport where "Team Speedway" is done "now and again" at a very local level as "something a bit different" to the usual individual meetings.. Dont forget though, that because we have done something for 90 years or so, (even if it no longer seems to work), it means we must never change, and we must keep doing the same thing over, and over, again ad Infinitum...

ie. Dont waste any time dwelling on the team aspect of it, or buying into it emotionally, and just enjoy the spectacle of the racing....

Incredible how many replies are from people who "used to go and loved it".. Or, "I have been meaning to go".... Such a market out there waiting to be attracted in...

Plus he will have been working on telly all week so might be a "bit tired" by the time it gets to Friday so he will request the evening off... Alexander Armstrong as a guest for him maybe?

Can she provide six numbers for tonight???

Isnt that what we do have? So, as the thread title suggests... No change next year then....

I was told that this was a secret document... They wont be happy you have launched their plan... At least you didnt mention the new rule for next season that states at each meeting the first two riders to turn up will be the captains, and that the first 12 riders to turn up after them will be given out numbers by the ref, (1 to 12), whilst the captains of the two teams look away... A coin will then be tossed between the two captains to see who can call out the first number... Whatever number they shout, the rider given that number by the ref then goes and stands behind them.. After all twelve are selected the 14 riders take to the track.. There has though been an addendum to the rule this week... It has been decreed that after all the numbers have been given out, each rider swaps places, so the captains wont be able to work out, just by going left to right, what number each rider is, and therefore pick all the best riders first.. Making the rubbish ones feel upset and sad...

Must be tempting.. No headaches arranging fixtures, even rearranging fixtures, due to all pretty much domiciled over here, and race nights being fixed... No flights to pay for, and no hotels to pay for commuting overseas riders.. No over inflated heat leader type contracts to pay out for the next foreign 4 point averaged "wunderkind" to ride at reserve. Instead you will be paying RS's.. And riders (heat leaders in particular) getting plenty of rides (and opportunity to make money), in both divisions, potentially, given the Div One fixed race nights, being able to ride seven meetings a week, five or even six races a night, with a fair few of the races having an RS up against them.. A win, win for all... Why change something so "good"...

Probably due to them not sharing a pit bay the next night riding for the same team, and will do this week in week out.. The mind boggles as to how many teams actually have their riders represented at every meeting...

Cant wait to see a Newcastle player run up to Ronaldo tomorrow, shake his hand and say "well done", after he opens the scoring...

You have to think that it works for both Promoters and Riders.. No flights or hotels to pay for.. No having to plan fixtures around other non UK leagues, even for rescheduled meetings.. And loads of potential earnings for the riders, who could in theory ride seven times a week over here.. All the heat leaders who DU must have done well for themselves this year, especially riding against so many RS's every meeting (both team mates and opponents).. Cant see either Promoters or Riders wanting too much change..

Watched pretty much every match in Poland too, Les... And to be honest one of the things that I have (or maybe just thought? I have seen is the lack of acknowledgement, and no "bonhomie" either in the pits with riders of opposite teams standing together, "having a laugh" which you often see over here... Maybe more do it than I have given them credit for, so I will look out for it a bit more..

The problem nowadays of course is that it simply isnt worthwhile taking any undue risks as a rider as they will lose out on lots or rides for their two teams over here and, for some, the team they ride for in their own country and possibly Poland.. One injury equates to up to four teams impacted... One bad race over here in either division where three or four heat leaders riders get injured and both leagues would struggle to fill their positions..

To be fair, Redcar's track shape is one that can deliver first class racing.. Maybe those teams with tracks that dont lend themselves to great racing (no matter how well prepared), would be better off riding at a lower level? Meaning a few more 'thrills and spills' as less talented riders take to the track... And of course much cheaper too..

To be fair to him, in Poland not many acknowledge each other... It's mainly the GP riders from opposite teams who will offer a handshake/fist pump to each other, and that is by no means across the board.. It's the same with team riding. Some have criticised Dan Bewley when racing over here, however, in Poland given the way teams are set up, you are usually up against a similar level of rider, so beating your opposite number is the plan. If you get in front then you go, as this means you cant lose points to the opposition in that race.. With the team managers expectation then being your team mate will do his job and you can get a 4-2.. Woffy is one of the few that seems to team ride, but even he will clear off if he feels the rider in third could beat him and his team mate if he hung back to support his colleague.. Jack Holder sounds like he could be a bad loser, however, for me, that is not a bad thing.. Especially in what is in essence, an adreneline fuelled individual sport, where performance means £'s.... As long as "bad losers" are safe to others on track then, as fans, you can appreciate how much it means to them..

What was the crowd level like? Did a 'decent' prize fund with a meeting that then 'meant something' generate a good number of attendees? Or was it the same (or worse), than a team match?

Are they allowed to swap sides at "half time" again?

Maybe they should sit everyone together then Rob and not make certain sections available until certain parts have been sold.. Like football clubs do when they only use the lower tiers rather than open up the whole stadium when they dont expect a large crowd (who just said that's every week at City?) Dont doubt your figures but the crowd didnt look like one that would make too many sit up and think "isnt Speedway popular".. Great racing though so maybe that will get a few more through the doors.. And to be fair1200 or so isnt too shabby for a Speedway match on a live programme, with both teams having pretty much qualified for the play offs already..

The fans have been saying it's been too grippy this season... The two matches I have been to were not as good tonight as the tracks were heavier.. The best meetings this year I have seen were two Colts meetings ran on much slicker drier tracks .. Tonight was more like the NSS racing that it's become well known for..

It was on the telly.... Looking at the pictures, if the grandstand holds just under 1800 I bet there wasnt 400 sat in there.... And many of those who were would have been season ticket holders.. Maybe 250 to 300 max on the back straight...? That's the play off trade off for you though... They have qualified so no point going until the play offs start as any match is now a dead rubber.. I presume the hope is that the "bumper play off crowd" off sets any losses in the meetings leading up to it..? Not sure it does to he honest, but I am sure they know what they are doing.. Although given they knew it was on TV and that the school hols had finished, maybe some promoting of the event at the last couple of home meetings may have helped? And even possibly they could have sold you a half price ticket for tonight if you paid in full to watch the Colts last Friday? Certainly no FOMO for anyone watching....

Almost as good as that Kings Lynn fans' chant from a few years ago that.... What tune is it sang to?

Tracks shaped like the NSS with wide sweeping bends deliver very ptocessional high speed racing when too grippy... With each rider flying around the inside like they were on rails... Even when prepared 'slick' the NSS makes it's own "dirt" on the outside as the meeting wears on hence the outside line comes into play, whilst by the kerb there is still a bit of material to use.. And the slick track from the outset means all the track can be used given the width of the bends...

Great from Howarth...