mikebv

On Youtube now is a full BV v Oxford match from 88.. Hans, Wiggy, Cox and Dugard etc.. The crowd looks 'huge' in comparison to the final days there..

Isn't the issue simply the viability of running the sport rather than any 'status' of it in the Govt eyes? All sports could have ran when football started but many simply couldn't do it with empty stadiums due to the huge financial cost of doing so.. Rugby League, Union, Cricket etc all decided not to start their leagues due to cost, hence postponed their start dates to see if crowds could be allowed in with a later start date.. Speedway also has a massive barrier to it of using someone else's property in many cases, which therefore can mean a positive test at 'the Speedway' by a steward for example, possibly impacting the core business of the landlord, (who rely mainly on greyhound racing). Therefore this would need a huge amount of faith being shown by any of the owners.. Add in the operating and business plan, which has always been unfit for purpose, of 'sharing employees' domestically and internationally, and logistically you can see why it's been pretty much a non starter to cram in meetings with riders who may need to be in four places at once.. The positive is that there may now be a 'reset' of the way they run the sport, to ensure any further impacts are lessened. A wake up call that starts with a clear focus on UK riders, meaning no dependency on rules implemented by overseas Govts, and Speedway bodies which may hinder your own business.. There may also be a reset around rider costs, as 30k of unusable kit sat in a workshop for a year, is a hell of a lot worse than having 5k of unusable kit gathering dust.. And lastly, as many promotions continually tell us that they lose "significant sums", at least this year they wont, so maybe they could invest something more into re launching and marketing a 'brand new' reset sport next year?

I think the Aces should keep the same seven next year.. None of them have increased their averages, but then again, none decreased them either.. Overall then, for me, it was a fair effort...

It doesn't take much to make the required changes needed to the stadia to be Covid 19 compliant.. Where my lad plays they have one entrance and a seperate exit system, and a one way system signed around the place.. You sit in one seat with the next two empty, with the row behind staggered using the same space allocation.. This then alternates up the stand. . One steward does the entrance to the stand and one does the exit.. When the game ends, fans leave one block at a time from the stand with the nearest the exit block going first as directed by the steward... Hand sanitiser is attached to walls at the entrance and exit, and within the one way system at various points.. Their standing areas are again one way in and empty stand by stand, with the nearest the exit first. Each is sectioned with a max amount people allowed per section, similar to how supermarkets let in customers dependent on Sq ft size.. It wouldn't cost very much logistically at all to set up as it is just 'home produced' signage, some tape, hand sanitiser every 20m or so around the ground and circa 20 barriers near the entrance and exits to ensure paths don't cross if the entry and exit points are in the same vicinity.. You really are much safer there than in any supermarket in the UK..

My lad goes back to full time training from next week at his League One football team's U19 dev squad.. Today he started contact training after a fortnight of social distanced training... As currently not 18, I have had to sign a waver to allow him to start contact training.. From August 1st they will play pre season friendlies.. We as Dads, generally get to watch the last half hour of training from the stands as many of them dont drive so get picked up. And get to watch all the games.. I am not sure how sitting in a football stand, socially distanced, to watch him play football, is any less of a risk than watching Speedway riders using the same social distanced rules.?

It wouldn't surprise anyone to see him continue to do well in the SEC though, regardless of league racing form..

Used to stand on the steps of that stand on the second bend.. Used to be lots of Wolves fans there too when we raced them.. Always good for some "good natured" banter.. I remember some Aces fans used to stand in front of us who made the trip up from Rugby every Friday.. Amazing to think that the crowds on the home straight in those days were considerably more than the home straight crowd it ended up with at the end of its use, and the back straight and bar were also very well attended... From 91 to its closure I reckon there must have been around two thirds of the crowd who were lost to the sport.. Not an exclusive Aces thing either I would imagine..

Miesac is 'entertaining' to watch.. Not sure his fellow riders always think its 'entertaining' to race with him.. A rider you would prefer to have on your side I would suggest.. He 'disappeared' for a few years after a promising junior career and came back several years ago now with new equipment and an attitude of some unfinished business.. Worked his way up to HL level over there in the past three years.. Always worth watching his races... If he did lose money when Nicki P stopped I am sure he will have let him know.. A 'cardinal sin' amongst riders over there, but is sometimes used as a 'getting your own back' ploy if the rider running last feels that the rider in third, now behind his team mate, has 'done him' to gain that position..

He certainly was.. Can't quite remember who it was who used to do it though. .

To be fair to any rider.. If anyone had two job opportunities at the same time, you will usually go where you will get paid the most.. Even more so I would think if you had only a restricted time in which to earn as much as you can..

When you watch on Eleven sports it is very similar to watching the domestic UK racing we have followed on BT, and Sky before them.. ie rider Interviews, two presenters discussing incidents, replays of key points in previous races etc.. Therefore you hardly notice the length of the gap between races, even when you haven't a clue what they are saying half the time.. (I am talking about the Eleven Sports coverage not Nigel and Kelvin's) The gaps are very much appearing prolonged due to there being nothing but replay after replay of what you have just seen, (and the endless tweets being read out), sorry Dave... And as we have said Dave does a fair old job trying to fill the dead space whilst he waits for something to happen.. It is though a small price to pay for the coverage of the best league in the world, and you can always record and watch later, fast forwarding through, or do as I do, and make a brew.....

Do the likes of Milik bring big sponsorship to the club? Meaning financially they benefit the club by being there? He was poor most weeks last year, and has been the same this.. Yet not replaced..? The likes of Cook and Wright (amongst many others globally) are more than a match for riders of Milik's level.. Another excellent evening for Robert Lambert again, easily in the top 10 in the world at the moment I would suggest..

I think it all boils down to the same result.. And that bottom line result is (unpalatable as it may be for some), Speedway (in the UK) cannot support the number of pro riders it currently has.. The 'alternative source of income' should actually be the Speedway racing for many.. Many, many riders over the past years have adopted that philosophy and ended their speedway careers, whilst not millionaires, with a fair few quid to show for their on track endeavours, and still have a 'proper job' to carry on their lives with.. It really should be only those who want to reach World Class level that should invest tens and tens of thousands in the level of machinery needed to assist them in their quest.. And that is a wholly individual, not team, quest it should be pointed out.. Therefore they should be prepared to 'self fund' this quest for super stardom, rather than expect clubs to help subsidise their individual aims and aspirations, through unaffordable (and sometimes business risking), salary levels. For me, only if you are in the Top 50 or so in the world you should be a pro.. Anyone Heat Leader level in the top division of the UK (so will invariably DU), should consider being at that level, as well as those at Heat Leader level in Denmark.... And anyone in the top five in Swedens and Polands top divisions, and probably Heat Leader level in Poland Div 2, should be pro level.. Apart from that, then 'semi pro' has to be the way forward surely for everyone else until they organically grow to the next level through performance... And if all you are doing (without sounding disrespectful) is riding domestic Speedway in your own country at 'mid level and lower' then you really shouldn't be spending tens of thousands of pounds on kit which will then require a commensurate level of income to finance not only that, but your life outside Speedway..

Sadly I think a great many around the globe will not get the chance to get their salaries reduced as they will lose their salary completely... Many companies who were already under pressure will take this opportunity to restructure, and change terms and conditions, whilst blaming Covid 19.. With some of those losing, or getting reduced income, being fans of the sport, which can only mean less revenue as 'recession' bites.. I think the most telling line is the one around how much riders pay out getting ready for the season, and it truly is a staggering amount given they get watched performing on their expensive equipment, in many places, by just a few hundred people every week.. It really is a vicious circle that needs to be broken as everyone, it appears, make nothing like the money they should (and deserve), for what they do. Unless, of course, Poland comes knocking and you become an elite rider, with the salary and individual sponsorship that reflects your position in the high profile sport that Speedway is over there.. Unfortunately, over here we do seem to have a continual race to the bottom, where everyone pays out fortunes, whilst clubs close as they can't make ends meet.. You have to feel for the riders, and the vast majority of fans do genuinely appreciate and admire what they do, but sadly, if the money isn't there to pay them they can't have it.. Just like many millions of others will unfortunately find out the same. .

And the best of it was... After saying for around 2 laps that Emil was riding within himself, he then watched him fly around Laguta... And then summarised Emil's victory with......? "I rest my case"...

Wow... Speedway when done so well is truly breathtaking..

Is he/she a relative of KK? Seems to be getting quite a bit of coverage for someone at the back of two races. .

No chance will Poland go down the route of UK with regards to guests.. Too much of a tribal emotional following to accept any of their riders representing any other team on an ad hoc basis.. Such is the depth of feeling, a few years ago, ZG fans were initially not happy to accept Darcy Ward as their own rider after coming from Torun, they even had very 'unfriendly' banners to 'welcome him', such was their dislike for him when he represented Torun.. Sponsors too wouldn't allow it. Imagine Woffy top scoring for another team and costing Betard their chance to be a sponsor of a play off team because Wroclaw didn't make it? They wouldn't touch the sport again with a barge pole.. The media also wouldnt allow it, far too much detailed coverage of the sport to try and pass off something as Mickey Mouse as Woffy, for example, being shared around the league.. And finally the governing body wouldn't allow it as it completely devalues their (currently) very important, and financially rewarding sporting competition. And no doubt at the same time blowing their own sponsorship of the leagues themselves by national companies, who wouldnt want to align themselves with something so contrived..

Counciils do support their local teams but its TV where the money comes in big.. The TV companies have to put in tenders over there to win the rights to show the sport.. Similar to the way the TV companies do over here to win the football contracts... Some very big money is offered, such is the armchair audience potential for the meetings they show.. And with the big audience comes the advertising revenue that fills the TV companies coffers.. The TV companies even run 'magazine' type programmes on the sport on Sunday evenings, during the week, and in the lead up to the weekends action, such is the demand for the sport... Add in a major national company to sponsor the league, and you see how it's a world away from the UK's version of the same sport..

Think "Trees" is a she (if we can still use gender pro nouns), and follows Kings Lynn, so watches the gate and go fest in the clay at Saddlebow Road's stock car track..

Chugunov didn't hang around for the apology..

And Speedway that means something..

And he has won exactly the same number of individual World Titles as every Polish rider who has ever ridden since the sport began...

Not bad that was it? Woffys gating for over 12 months now has been pretty poor.. Which is a good thing sometimes..

Kaspers name has always been problematic to him.. At least this year Vaculik isn't in it.. As when he rides with Milik we get.. Milich, Millichich, Vaculich, and Vacooolik....