mikebv

Dan not getting in the mix again tonight... Looked like he had stopped that towards the end of last season and the start of this. .. Can't ever reach the top level if a bit timid... "See a tiny gap and make it wide enough to go through" is the motto for the top lads.. Giving him the benefit of any doubt, maybe saving himself for Wroclaw...?

I do think it's great that the sport still have a following from people such as yourself as it does help build whatever the future entails.. As for me, the sport is still great to watch nowadays, at any level, and doesnt need 'the worlds best' to make a great night out at the Speedway... I remember the halcyon days of the 70's and some of the racing level of today is easily on a par with much of what I saw then... Unfortunately the sport in the UK does seem to want to ignore its potential and try to put it into some contrived team competition structure which, unfortunately, does absolutely nothing for that huge potential it has, and in my opinion actually holds it back.. However. I am sure though, to be fair to them, that the promoters know this but simply, no matter how willing they may be, are just not capable of turning this potential into results... For probably a myriad of reasons which get discussed on here ad infinitum... As I said previously, I can watch Eurosport to just enjoy the racing, and that is how the sport should be enjoyed in the UK, and is done by countless others, and taken seriously in places like Poland where the league structures deliver some truly staggering financial rewards, respect and kudos.. The important thing for the UK is that there are plenty of opportunities for the riders to earn as much as they can to make it worth their while, as without them there is no UK Speedway... If that means DU'ing and Guests galore are the only way it can happen then so be it... It clearly won't ever help the sports future growth though, but it is what it is, and we have what we have.. Keep your faith and keep attending...

"In the interest of Speedway"?

Spot on... The 19 people who run the sport in the UK obviously 100% know that the way they run it won't ever get any cut through with a wider sporting audience, nor get any mainstream coverage, nor bring in any large companies to sponsor it with big money, however.. They seem more than happy with what they deliver, so what we have now is simply what we will always get... The downside to it is the obvious one of over time, you will inevitably lose more fans than you attract, but the upside is that 'ringers' getting brought it will, in the vast majority of meetings, keep the score close, and the racing very watchable... A perfect storm for me personally, as I can watch UK Speedway on Eurosport "just for the racing" not caring who wins, and just "enjoy it", and with the money I save by not regularly attending, get to go over to Poland to watch "Real Team Speedway" several times a year, as well as attending a fair few FIM events... (Hopefully a soon to return scenario, with a Wroclaw play off and possibly a final on the agenda)... A 'win/win' for me in modern parlance I believe.....

Tarasenko looks a bit more than a decent rider... Seems to be moving up the levels gradually as he gets older...

Similar to the situation last week with Anders Rowe riding for Sheffield.. Why he was there last week was "debatable", but there was no debate that his presence would improve the spectacle of the meeting, and so it proved.. Tonight Sam Masters will hopefully add to the entertainment value for all those in attendance.. Integrity had been mentioned but let's be honest, UK Speedway is "flexible" at best when it comes to running their meetings under that umbrella.. As had been said, if Crumpy was riding overseas and giving the UK a miss at the same time, then there would be questions asked about how this could be allowed to happen, however, given it "doesn't really matter who wins" over here, just let him ride for Plymouth, get fit, and in the interim replace him with a "currently better" rider.. I am sure many there tonight will be pleased just to see close exciting racing with the result being whatever it will be...

It does always appear "too grippy" when I watch the racing from KL.. The inside in particular being grippy means "follow the leader" racing.. Fast racing certainly, but not very watchable.. Then the inside slickens off and the racing becomes "pretty decent" when compared to anywhere.. Not sure its worth grading the track too much after the inside has become slick to be honest as pulling the dirt line back then creates the inside grippy line again for a couple of heats.. And KL do seem to like a good old tractor grade dont they? Starting with a bit less material on the track, (dont hear that too often!), and a couple of less tractor grades, and, given the shape, the racing would be pretty good I would say.. Maybe not as good as I used to watch far too many years ago, but worth watching nevertheless..

A classic example of where the team down there have a first thought of "How can I make it happen?" Rather than "We can't do that".. Some tracks have had double headers with a "Well that's just the way it is" attitude when getting feedback from a fair few who were not willing to pay the extra to watch an NDL match.. "We have to run the NDL meeting last so what can we do?".. Well Eastbourne show what can be done when you listen to your customers and remove barriers..

Tell me about it.. It can be a real passer.....

Of course they could carry on doing the same thing, paying out literally hundreds of thousands, and more, each season, to deliver poor, and ever dwindling crowds, as well as securing zero wider mainstream publicity for the sport..... A great return for a huge collective annual investment isn't it?

Glad you put the 'r' in....

I wasn't far off then... Both decided not to bother riding in the Premiership this season...

And 18 clubs put £20k in each to give it a big prize fund to advertise... They haven't got the money? £20k over even a small 20 league match per team season is just £1k less spent per night than they currently spend which when divided up between 14 riders is 'peanuts'. (A smidge over £71 each per night).. I am sure these lads would lose "just a few quid'' each meeting to race several times in qualifiers, earning a few quid each night, with the opportunity to qualify for a cut of a £360k prize pot. (Maybe two semis @£90k and a £180k final?).. Every track could advertise the £360k as the grand prize when they have their own rounds (even though the money that night will be much smaller, it's never a bad thing to use some hype), and the overall beauty of it is that they are paying this amount of money out now but without any publicity or positive impact to crowd levels.. Who knows? The more savvy promoters might actually promote the event properly, get a big crowd, and use it to advertise and push their own team racing at the same time..

Just read your previous comments Ian and didn't even realise Leicester had actually won anything the year before last.. Never mind a 'double'... Although, to be honest, I couldn't name you who won the Premiership (was it even called that then?) either... Probably Poole.....

Having such a strong top four means good guests if they are absent and even RR for the top two in particular will still be a decent option..

Reminds me of the rabbits pulled out of the hat by Matt Ford.. Those many foreign four point superstars of the future that he seemed to find, that effectively rode as a fourth heat leader (or even better), within just a few weeks of coming over... Many a season was decided there and then when the next 'wunderkind' came over to put a good couple of points on his average minimum... How times change...

They would give Kings Lynn a run for their money..

That's four points the Tigers have had in the past four evenings, courtesy of the Witches and now the Aces... Only the Stars, Panthers and Wolves left now... (But not sure the Stars have anyone they would want to use)....

Of course not, they wouldn't have a prayer.. However.. Constantly pretending in the UK that this is a team sport is doing it no favours.. The leagues are simply only in situ to provide plenty of rides for the riders, which the clubs could do just the same, but with credibility.....

Would you have an emotional attachment to the Kings Lynn Panthers or the Ipswich Aces tonight?

I remember, and not so long ago either, Nigel would often say prior to Heat 13 each week.. "This could be a Grand Prix Final line up Kelv"..

Can only presume wearing the colours of both clubs has confused him...

Quite agree.. They can't do Team Speedway with any degree of integrity, credibility and kudos, so why not pump all their huge investment into putting up some big individual prize purses, promote the meetings accordingly, and get lads riding each night of similar ability in each race.. They are truly 'flogging a dead horse' by, year in year out, putting out a different version of the same old nonsense that they put out the year before.. The annual reduction of fans being a clear rejection of what they put out... The spectacle of the sport is on a par excitement wise with any other and much more exciting than most... So they should just sell that...

Love the photos of the riders in their variety of club colours. Some are even in Kings Lynn and Ipswich colours...

Well done Cookie....