mikebv

Tac sub replacement... They will name the original rider then tac sub him...

Pentel Pete has had a good night.. Still can mix it... And must bring a fair few quid sponsorship in with him too....

If the other rider hadn't been there, Doyle would have had a very good potential run around the outside in the dirt given how wide the track is.. Zagar did what he needed to do by forcing him outwards on the first turns... As you say, just racing...

Interesting to hear Thomsen say "you can go crazy and ride like that when the track is so good"... There are a good many tracks over here you couldn't go "crazy" on..

Great ride from Vaculik... You just can't beat a round the boards last bend blast giving you victory by half a wheel on the line...

Looks like a good few in Gorzow... Good race to start things... Nicki P!!! Could be very good this meeting, nice to see real rivalry at a Speedway meeting... Having away fans there always helps too...

Chris Holder on fire!! Five out of Five... Not too shabby at this level... Lindgren, Madsen and Zagar all seen off..

Correct.. Just seen it.... If the other rider hadn't been there, Doyle would have had plenty of space to ride out wide into the dirt like so many do.. Zagar led going into the bend and moved Doyle over.. Nothing wrong with that..

Really? Who knew?

Really? Wow.. What are the others getting then if BV are the best?

Correct.. Sadly another one of those "let's make it up as we go along" 'rules' that means the Sport (in the UK) can never be taken seriously, and will continue to spin along in ever decreasing circles... For me, having Scott Nicholls riding is 100% OK as he is replacing an injured rider (just like in 'proper sports' where they would replace someone injured), but, as always in Speedway (UK Speedway), there will always be an inconsistency of applying the 'rules/subjective opinion' which renders most situations ludicrous when finally implemented.. 'They' truly never, ever learn...

Some 'tough' racing.... Big prizes and rewards certainly hightens the competiveness I would suggest..

Pretty much a spot on business plan I would suggest... Go with six man teams to reduce wage bills (and provide replacements without needing guests) and charge £15 in with all school and college kids 18 and under free,... And you would have a pretty good chance of getting some decent crowds (with the atmosphere that decent crowds bring), I reckon..

Let's face it Phil, those who still attend regularly are pretty much immune to the contrived way the Sport in the UK runs its competitions, because if they weren't they too would no longer attend... Therefore if all you can provide is contrived competitions (and let's be honest there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of effort to stop doing it), then you might as well run them on the best nights to get a crowd in... The bottom line is winning any (team) Speedway title in the UK has no kudos, so it doesn't really matter who wins any of the meetings that make up these competitions.... So run these contrived meetings with teams as equal as possible, on Fridays or Saturday's for the Aces, Thursdays or Sunday's for Sheffield, Monday's for Wolves etc etc etc. (If that's what they want).. In short whenever ANY team can deliver the most customers.. Fans who still go (by definition of them being there regularly) will watch any ad hoc, for one night only, random septet cobbled together and pretend it's 'their team' so you might as well do it on nights most are free to do so... For me, the sport by using guest riders means any night won't see me at any track as I simply cannot justify paying to watch such nonsense in a sport that wants me to invest emotionally to a team concept, however I do accept that most fans who are still left no longer see that as any issue at all... Therefore if all the sport has is what is now on offer then so be it, but do it when you can bring in the most money... As I have previously mentioned, 600 extra punters, twenty times a season delivers an extra £200k.. Got to be worth a go surely given the potential prize on offer?

As a starter for ten, I would suggest running on nights you feel you can deliver the most punters.... For Wolves, as an example, Monday might be their best night so carry on... For the Aces when we opened the average crowd in year one was circa 1800 riding on a Friday/Saturday.. Therefore, for them, run at Weekends... A basic principle of buisness is open when your customers want you to open.. Speedway, particularly as something in the entertainment sector, needs to open its doors when the punters want them to, not have an opening hours business plan based on when their employees can make it to work.. As that will never work for ANY business. . Because it can't..

Very, very basic business practice..... If something is wrong, give some factual explanation as to why (don't for one moment use it as an excuse), and then apologise.. Maybe even make a gesture of goodwill if you see fit.... But don't ever do or say nothing.... As that makes it look like you either don't care or you are taking your punters for granted... And neither is a great way to be perceived in business..

Running a shop in Mcr, 1 mile from the NSS. During school hols my trade pattern changes too.. When speaking with my customers (6000 of which are classed as having families thru our database), Fridays seem to be the big change over day at the caravan parks for the weekly holiday makers and those who own their own vans around North Wales, North West coast etc will often go away for long weekends on those ones they haven't hired out.. Therefore they shop with me earlier in the week more and come in on Mondays on their return.. Weekends actually see a drop in footfall during the school hols, unless it's cracking the flags outside! Bottom line for me though is a simple one... All motorsports run their offerings at weekend as they know it's the time they can get their best crowds.. Speedway has a 'better idea'...

Interesting to read in the SS the other week that Leicester's Saturday crowds in the 'second division' are up on the Monday crowds they got in the Premiership.. No GP 'superstars' riding there this year yet crowds are up? As you say, a Friday or a Saturday would get you at least 600 more I would say,... Twenty meetings, 600 extra, would equate to 12000 more fans.. At £18 that's over £200k more revenue... As you say, a great product, but not much use having something so good to sell if your opening times prevent customers from getting there.. Doesnt help itself Speedway sometimes does it?

Riders not ridden the circuit before? Given the amount of doubling up/down and guests used each week, I am amazed that all riders are not track specialists at every track in the country they ride them so many times..

Which is how a team sport should be... The town or city becomes tribal and their team becomes all encompassing.. 2.5 million people live in Grt Manchester.. Just circa 1500 go to Belle Vue... And many of these, (just like is reflected across the country), now just go to 'watch the Speedway', as competitions in the UK have so much nonsense attached to them that it no longer matters whether you are successful or not... Imagine trying to get away with such garbage in Poland as Tai Woffinden being allowed to guest for ZG or Leszno? And help either qualify for the play offs! Wroclaw fans would riot! (And TV wouldn't touch any sport running such daft rules with a barge pole and neither would the blue chip companies who currently sponsor it.) A professional team sport representing a town or city should generate such passion, sadly over here because of the way it is ran, Speedway barely raises any emotions at all...

That to me is the compromise solution.. For me it would be as they enter the last lap to build up a bit of tension and atmosphere... "Can 'x' get past 'y'?", "If it stays like this 'x' are 'y' points ahead with 'z' races left" etc etc.. Not many could carry a commentary for four laps effectively and as many have said, at lots of tracks you cannot hear anyone anyway in parts of the stadium.. Plus someone telling you what you are seeing isnt going to add to the entertainment, on TV things might happen off screen which gives value to the commentary. .

Buzz was the Tac for Lindback Col..... Hence he went in 15 as well. . Watching Polish Speedway really does show up how poor the offering is in the UK... And I don't mean the best riders being on show, as it's clear the UK cannot afford them.. For me it's the whole package that leaves us decades behind regardless of the standard of rider.. Fans all in T Shirts of their teams.. It would cost approx one heat leaders salary for one match over here to buy 1000 T shirts at cost and give them away to fans.. The riders lined up waiting for the 2 minute whistle meaning they all come out together building up atmosphere, (music being played as they enter the track).. Buzz had four minutes allocated between HT 14 and 15 to be ready... The racing starting 2 mins after the whistle so riders don't go back to get things rechecked as they don't have time, and gardening has to be done quickly.. The starts meticulously ran by the Marshall with head phones on directly linked to the ref meaning tyres are mm away from the tapes, hence no rolling at the starts and each rider has to comply or the ref instructs the Marshall to speak with the one not following orders.. The mechanics and managers all in club colours, not their own overalls... All these things bring professionalism to the sport and it's also noticeable how tribal it is, there is hardly any congratulations given to an opponent by the riders, (which may be down to not being able to ride on any given night for every team in the league like you can over here, being team mates one night in the Premiership and rivals the next in the leagues below)... And all done and dusted under two hours inclusive of TV advert breaks.. Unlike over here, the only thing Mickey Mouse about Polish Speedway is the ZG badge! No wonder the crowds are so good..

Is that nine out of nine from the inside? Edit: Laguta! Great ride from gate three... Looking very sharp..

Just switched it on and an interview was taking place... Screen said ZG : GRU. 20:30.... I thought "wow never thought that would happen"... Then they cut to the line ups standing for the National Anthem... And I realised it was the start time!!!

Speedway seems to be a sport where you seem to find your true level, regardless of age starting, after about five years.. Not many ride for five years or so then clearly go up a level... Jason Doyle and David Norris are two for me that I remember becoming 'very good' after a few years of 'average' performances... Not too many others I can remember doing the same If you have rode for 8 years and are still an average NL rider then that is pretty much where your ability level is I would suggest..