mikebv

Definitely one of the very few who won't let BZ take liberties.... He is quite happy to turn left on BZ, and risk contact, when he is dive bombing into bend 3 at ridiculous speed... Zmarzlik seem to know it too, given it has happened quite often, and he doesn't tend to launch at Woryna the same he does at others...

I thought the car parks (there are many), could be an issue getting out from... They had some very pleasant marshalls on the road in, upon arrival, but probably need them to direct people into the car parks further into the complex.. And have them after the meeting stopping and starting the exit of cars, at maybe five at a time, from the different car parks.. Someone suddenly came out of a field as I left that I didn't even know was a car park!! I got out early due to the drive home length, but could imagine that one lane being full very quickly.. The promotion are obviously trying to ramp up the "experience" of the evening so feedback on any tweaks needed always helps... And as such, the gents toilets on the first turn only had one basin with water, and that was only the cold tap working .. Best wishes to the promotion there, they are quite correctly targeting getting kids in, which is the way to develop the business as each kid will have a circle of friends (with their parents also knowing each other), so word of mouth is a key tool to use... A mithering kid can get his or her parents to take them places!! Especially if their friends are going already and the parents talk positively about the evening out... I heard that someone filmed the rider locked in the toilets, so, hopefully they will get that on in the socials and YT as that is the type of thing that goes viral and quickly... Write some context across the screen as to what is being watched, and add in some action from the racing, and include the clubs name, race night, and time... A small community can get phenomenal % reach from such opportunities....

Isn't that what happens now?... Having to use a 75% guest is a facility isn't it?.. If you were not allowed to sign riders who are needed elsewhere (either by another club, a country, or at an FIM individual event), then you would have teams full of NDL second strings and reserves... Running Saturdays will be good for crowd levels but also will mean home and away teams may not have their seven riders there... Much the lesser issue given that the challenge in getting numbers through the doors is the one to prioritise. Genuine reasons for guestfests, or non genuine reasons for guestfests? It makes zero difference.... Virtually every meeting has a guest, for a myriad of reasons, therefore just run them on the best night you can get people to turn up to watch.... Looks like Plymouth are doing OK out of Saturday Speedway...

Well worth the trip up... The racing wasn't "great" throughout but that was due to the Bears consistently getting out of the starts regardless of grid number... And the track being too dusty and slick for the first half of the meeting at least . Never seen a watering done after just heat two before, but it definitely needed it... It looks like a track that needs a good soaking given the camber is big...... The 2nd half of the meeting was much better and heat 13 was a cracker... But why no lap of honour? Where I was stood, on the home straight with the Redcar fans, (a good number there too), it literally killed the atmosphere generated by the great race.. Atmosphere, driven by tribal opposition, is what they sport desperately needs... Paco (one of the guests), wheeled around after his win in heat 14 so I presume some riders know what is needed... The food van ran out of chips, (a disaster it appeared for some), and I must admit, trying to protect my burger from dust was a challenge... The place itself is fantastically well laid out, with the viewing platforms all round the track providing a great view.... And there must be god knows how many artics worth of aggregate used to make the pathways!! The track is great, with my only slight criticism being the wide outside runs on bend two and four seem to make riders lock up a tad rather than letting the bike run like the NSS does. Are the exits narrower than the very wide entrances to the turns? Or was it just a lack of grip meant the outside line wasnt working as much as would be liked? The kids race attracted plenty, are kids in for free? There were plenty there... The centre green announcer is definitely one of the better ones I have seen... You can also hear what is being said around the stadium as the tannoy seems to work...!! And the signs from the town outskirts telling you that Speedway exists and, even more importantly, where it actually is, and when it runs, look professional... £20 a ticket? Value for money for me, I hope the crowd levels meet what is needed, it looked like around 700 to 800 tonight which I presume is better than break even? If you haven't been, definitely give it a go, great set up, and very good track..

Brilliant Heat 13.... All four riders in it for all four laps with King just holding on at the line .. And then they all stop at bend 2 an eff off into the pits instead of doing a lap of honour.... Give the fans something to get excited about and then take away the joy in an instant...

Never been to a meeting before where a heat got delayed due to one of its riders being locked in the toilet and unable to get out....... I won't embarrass him by naming him... (His initials are VF)...

First time mate.... Is it cash only? I think I have read it is on here, and is there a decent car park?

I suspect thier play off dream could be over....

Just looked at the forecast and it looks decent for today... Going to risk it even with Cumbria s "changeable" weather... Still might be tempted to stay over given I had a great night there a good many years ago after going to watch the Comets v The IOW, with Danny Bird riding superbly all evening... When I asked the landlord of the pub we were in what time he closed, his answer was "when everyone has finished drinking"... Which was around 4am if memory serves.... Taking my lad today though so maybe just coming back might be safer!.... With some the riders on view it should hopefully be a cracker on that track...

He has a higher average so is scoring more points.. Hence will cost more...

If they don't win it this year they might drop down a league again.....

Costs? If Edwards has double the average then it won't be far off double the money surely? Let's face it, Birmingham's season ended the moment it declared its team, so no point throwing any more money at it... Tolley has spent enough flogging the dead horse and keeping Birmingham going, so whatever he doesnt spend between now and season end no one can surely begrudge...

Maybe something clubs over here should do on "TV nights"? A tenner in and SS holders bring a friend to offset them already paying... A reasonably full stadium delivers a much better advert for the sport...

Did some riders already know? 😉

Should have done it when the internet and social media started... Running their own "closed shop" with scant regard for sporting authenticity, and putting their employees needs forward, before the fans, was never going to get a free pass in the modern digital age... "Oh, for the 1970's eh?"☺️ One league will just mean guestfest after guestfest, particularly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday due to the inevitable clashes with Sweden, Denmark and Poland,, so it still won't be taken seriously by the media. Or . They don't sign riders from those nations... And that leaves (?) to fill the 70 places, (if they run it with five riders teams)... Personally, if it is one league, then run with guestfest after guestfest but do it on the best night for each club to deliver the best crowd . They simply cannot bring credibility to the sport, as they would have surely done it by now, as they must know the adverse impact it has had to crowds over the past decade or so, as riders went missing time and time again.. Sell the night out at the Speedway on the best night for you individually ,rather than try and sell any importance in the league itself.. As that (as we have all seen for a long time, and still continue to see today), would be a tough sell...

How long have they got for that to happen?

Or the leagues that hold their licences dictate they must prioritise their own league...? Many riders now won't ride here due to actually not wanting the travel for possible several meetings per week, and having to have kit over here.... One meeting each weekend in Poland and Scandinavia on Tues and Wed seems to be enough for those many "top and middle order" riders that currently give the UK a miss... One league with even more meetings per week won't attract too many more than come now, and may even mean some current ones dropping out..

The bikes deliver some fantastic racing, which, in my opinion has never been better at the highest level... Many of the tracks sadly are the issue with many of them still the same shape as they have been for decades... There was considerably more dirt down years ago, so more throttle control was needed, and bend entry speeds were less. Plus, riders entered them less sideways than they do now at full gas... Meaning that many of the bend entry lines that used to exist are taken away by the rider actioning a full on broadside... Hence. The tracks more circular, wider, and slicker, deliver some, regular, fantastic entertainment, with "too much grip" resulting in almost "riding on rails" at these tracks, as the dirt berm builds up.. Hoping to get to Worky this weekend to watch at one of them...

Duplicate post..

Monkey masks too.... Boiler suits worn and saw dust down when it is peeing down... And a full second half to win a "canteen of cutlery"... It would pack 'em in... Give us an A Give us a C Give us an E... Etc, etc etc... Maybe a three day week too? It would help with fixed race nights....

Back in the 70's was fifty years ago... Lifestyles and challenges to disposable income have moved on considerably since then... As have massively inflation busting admission costs... A major part of Speedways problem is thinking what was fit for purpose 50 years ago, is still going to work today... A unique idea in modern days sports administration....

For me, a six team, five man team league would work... You would end up with far too many "wobblers" for one league, even with five rider teams... A "knockout cup" of two x three team groups with the top two of each league riding a semi final (1st of one group v 2nd in the other)... Home and Away twice in the league would mean a total of 12 guaranteed home matches without the KO Cup Semi's and Final and the play offs.. Any team going all the way in both comps get 16 home meetings.. People talk about "more variety" but watching completely out of their depth riders each week wouldn't deliver much entertainment I would suggest...

The Danish model has 14 heats with several riders taking six rides..... Five man teams can work over here, just as long as the fifth best riders in the teams are competitive, and not out of their depth makeweights to fit a team average... Keep the development aspect in Div 2 and Div 3, and only let "juniors" ride in the top tier if they are clearly good enough to do so...

I had you down as more a Hai Karate man...

Did you use body wash? ... I like your high opinion of yourself too...