mikebv

Got my South Stand tickets last night, numbers 807 and 808... £22.50 plus £2.20 administration fee for me and my 15 year old lad... (£27.00 if I went to an Aces meeting and ordered via the Internet, so Great Value!) Presume they are going out in some kind of order? If so that's over 2500 already..... That temporary stand may be needed on turns 3 and 4... Some strong advertising in and around Manchester for the event on billboards so hopefully they get a good turn out...

I would suggest you just leave it... You are not going to convince those who don't agree.. For what it's worth (ie not much), I do understand your sentiments.. When I played football I bust my ankle and for approx 3 games on my return I barely made a tackle due to my concern there could be further damage, (even though physio and all medical team who had helped in my recovery said it was fine)... Fourth game in, I had no choice but to instinctively take a 50/50 on and won the ball but got 'nailed'.. Best thing that could have happened to me as after some 'magic sponge' treatment (when did that stop fixing every ailment in football by the way?) I was up and about and flying in like nothing had happened... Coming back from injury can be a very mental thing to fix as you say... You do sometimes have to test your body out to convince yourself you are OK. ..

To be fair... I remember reading comments from one of the Poole fans on here that 'the tides' play a part in the track being so poorly prepared... Was it in or out yesterday? Thank goodness we in Manchester don't get the same problems with the Rivers Medlock and Mersey!! They could create havoc with the NSS....

I would suggest at the bottom end of the NL the standard is as low as you would want to go so RR gives those riders potential extra rides.. Where RR should be used more is in the top two leagues... A ridiculous amount of guest riders get used when a 'fit for purpose' RR (not the current system), could be used instead, meaning the sport remains credible.. Riders want to earn more money so let them by taking more rides per meeting instead of bringing a non team member in... For the NL those unattached riders need to wait for their place and take the opportunity when it comes along through natural selection, not get drafted in on a adhoc whim basis, and maybe then flit from team to team weekly depending on how well they do... The sport needs some credible rules at all levels...

Justification opening today then!!

But not if Poole think GF will deliver a much better crowd.... There will be absolutely loads of contrived nonsense meetings with riders coming in from all parts of the country, and elsewhere, to earn a few extra quid representing other teams than their own through the season.. So one more contrived meeting isn't going to make any difference to the sports credibility, and if the bank balance proves it was worth doing then that is all that matters.. Promoters know that all credibility has been lost a long time ago, so they might as well run on the best days they can to get the best return...

Well I hope they dont leave him there like that... Someone should go over to him and give him a big hug...

Have they found a few used Pampers under the track yet?

Down the pit.... 24 hour shifts too... Seven days a week.....

Bet Batch can't wait...

As you say... It must have been so much more difficult to win World Titles in the Seventies and Eighties with around a third of the field from a much less progressive and heavily restricted, Eastern Europe.... Many of whom nicely helping fill the bottom five finishing positions.. ONE of them actually won the thing ONCE showing how good they were...! Getting to the Final was probably harder than winning it for many of the riders... Nowadays the best riders in the world ride against each other in every round, and any rider just outside the top echelon gets their opportunity to join in via the very high standard GP Challenge. (If they are good enough).. Winning any season long sporting competition, regardless of what sport, means you are 'the best' out there.. To do it regularly, in any era, means you are one of the 'very best' of all time....

You have been obviously too convincing.... Meaning some must agree....

Top riders who earn 100's of thousands of £'s in Poland and Sweden would all ride over here for thousands of £'s less per night if Speedway brought fixed nights in.... And if each club had three top riders each they would pack their stadiums out every meeting, so they could easily afford them..

Two meetings, over 25,000 fans in attendance... Would need at least fifteen meetings over here to get that many in the top league.. Some riders earning circa £25k - £30k a match... As you say, a world away.. Not comparable in any way shape or form...

Agreed... A great team man, consistent everywhere, however... The level of rewards and expectations in Poland now is far and away more intensified than when Leigh rode... So much live TV, so many blue chip sponsors, huge crowds, and so many young hungry riders busting a gut to take your place and earn the huge rewards on offer to the very best.. Real pressure to perform over there EVERY RACE never mind every week, with a very unforgiving fan base and in turn a very quick to make changes club hierarchy.. Becoming a mini version of the football premier league over here, lots of clubs speculating huge amounts, all desperate to stay in the top league to pay for their spending thru sponsors enticed in by the prime time TV coverage.. Riding in the UK must be a lot different and you can't keep up that intensity.

When he rides like he did at times yesterday there isn't anyone to touch him.. As he says, if he brings his 'A game' and everyone else brings theirs.. His is better.... You can see when he is in 'the zone' everything flows, there is no locking up, or fighting the bike, everything is so smooth (and therefore very fast) and he is almost thinking several steps ahead of when and where to pass... Great to watch, one of the best ever for me...

To be fair to the 'very top' riders it must be difficult to maintain the same level of motivation.. Its a bit like playing for Manchester United v Liverpool at the weekend, then represening Rochdale v Oldham on a Monday night.. The same sport but a huge amount of less intensity, pressures and rewards.. Watching the top league in Poland really brings home to you the vast difference. Every race is like a stand alone event with each heats' outcome being treated almost like the be all and end all.. 15 races of constant pressure and scrutiny from a very partisan demanding following.. A heat advantage to the opposition on your shoulders is treated like treason, especially when at home... And if anything, from what I have seen so far this season, the crowds and expectations are even bigger! No surprise then to see a drop off when these lads ride in the UK sometimes just 24 hours later..

I would think its down to the 'every £ is vital' situation that the sport has 'sleep walked' itself into Phil.. Probably worth over £2k all those £2's.. Pays for a heat leader I would think..

Bang on the money.. Those tracks that still exist in inner cities are often surrounded by ethnic minorities yet very, very few of those on their 'door step' are in attendance.. Running a shop one mile away from BV, my customer base is 31% Asian/Asian descent, and 5% West Indian/West Indian descent.. Guess what? I bring in loads of products Asians and West Indians want to buy!!!.. Asian families too are often larger than other non Asian families.. A rich untapped market.. Seemingly ignored..

No, just entrance fee.. Car Parking and Programmes will bump this figure up to a fair old amount at some places... But they are, like consuming food and drink at the venue, both 'optional extras'... I always park out on the side streets at BV and never buy programmes.. If I did it would take the cost well over £30 quid for the two of us.. NB in the SS this week it has corrected Leicester's admission to £16. Still very good value....

"Struggling with the set up, we just need to work harder to find it".. "The track is very different from practice" "I need to find my gating gloves"... etc etc etc.. And then produces a storming ride when its needed most, which very, very few could emulate, and belies several months of utter mediocrity... Not a new phenomenon how Chris' season's pan out so shouldn't be any surprises.. (He seems to be doing well in France)...

Isn't Lambert riding U21 this year? Thought he was, doesn't it depend on your age at the start of the year or season? If not then Dan Bewley would be a great U21 'third' rider, particularly at the NSS.. Would make sense crowd and PR wise too. Bring a lot of local fans in who may be undecided abut going, and give BT a positive narrative about the 'future of British Speedway' etc..

Dont think it does cost 'loads'.. With ITV being regionalised often you find complete ad breaks given over to 'small' businesses in your local area, which, I presume, is offered out for less than the usual going rate? Here in Granada land we often see ads for local car sellers, caravan sellers, private hotels etc etc. Not usually during peak time but during lesser watched programmes.. A bit like you used to see in the cinema with Pearl and Dean.. Par Par Par Par Par Par Par Par...etc Maybe given the 'close' proximity of Busters three clubs, a collective advert covering all three might be worth it? Or maybe, heaven forbid, the sport does one as a collective and goes national with it!

He is correct though... Poole by definition of their success attract more fair weather regulars than clubs who win nothing each year.. When in the odd year times are not so good, these fans seem to disappear.. Hence Matt always makes changes quickly if he thinks the team isn't play off/title winning material as he knows expectations are much higher than at lesser achieving clubs. 300-500 fair weather non attendees each week will leave a big hole in the coffers .. Victims of their own success to a large degree I would suggest..

You can't take your eyes off this one Nige... Speedway out of the top drawer... Pretty sure that's what the two Polish commentary lads just said!!! Can see me quite getting used to this every Friday...