mikebv

Haven't a fair few tracks had decent crowds this year? Certainly comparable to pre Covid days...? Reading the various threads' comments around crowd size, and watching the UK racing on Eurosport, I would say most tracks are doing 'OK'.... They never got close to capacity anyway so even a 25% max capacity for many would be around a 'usual' crowd.. Wolves, Birmingham and Newcastle seem to be the ones taking a hit it seems, but most appear to be moving along..

Gambled with his gearing there I would think... Knew he had one chance or no chance from gate two.... Fair play to him too....

A once tremendous track... Unfortunately undone by poor preparation over the past few years.. A great shape for the modern bike, meaning horsepower wasn't the major decider as they go sideways a lot of the way... So the riders who could work the track and find grip were always rewarded.. Nowadays gate from the outside and ride the white line and you win..

More like a Gustrow race...

Good ride from Dan... Saw the mid track develop so moved out to block Madsen.. Looks like they have made the inside too grippy with the soaking they gave the track given the hot weather. . Could do with no grading and just let the track develop....

Usually the outside develops and the racing can be very good indeed...

I would have once agreed, however, times have changed, and massively for some.... Those who have much more to earn (and lose) over the following night/weekend in Poland may no longer (quite understandably), "give it their all" when a meeting is comfortably won..... Dan Bewley for example has 'World Stage' aspirations that hopefully get advanced via the SEC this weekend as well as also riding in front of a possible full house at Wroclaw as they try to stay top of the table... For riders like this I am sure that when a meeting is all but over in the UK, then no undue risks will be taken if they don't make the gate.. Either consciously or unconsciously.... And given the rewards on offer in Poland for being a success you can only understand that position, as it's just human nature..

Got to give great respect to Kolodziej... Every race 100%...

Blimey.. Four lads racing around a speedway track for four laps.... And it becomes filled with all sorts of nonsense.. Nonsense that every season results in teams miles apart points wise who supposedly started 'quite even' using the nonsense criteria..

Ain't that always the way? On a 5-1 then their one rider wins the rerun....

Great race from Lambert.... Wonderful to see GB lads not backing off against the best in the world and beating them....

A good start to Torun v Leszno... Three decent races out of three.... Hopefully more to come...

Can't they just take payment over the phone and have a pick up point somewhere outside the stadium for the tickets? Advance booking and no pay at the gate... Ticks both boxes?

I remember the Aces during the mid to late nineties, seemingly always signing riders who used to do well against them at the dog bowl..... Riders who subsequently became "not so good" when they wore the Ace Of Clubs... I don't think it ever truly sank in to those who ran it that the reason they looked so good when visiting, was that the Aces were invariably so poor.....

Welcome to the Quiz Of The Week Put the following words into a well known phrase or saying.. 'Couldn't a brewery up piss in a organise".. First prize is two 2021 season tickets to a track from the following list.. Somerset, Swindon, Coventry, Rye House, Lakeside, Workington and Buxton..

I think it's ok if you are left handed... And have brown or blue eyes.. Or something like that...

Surely Anlas will be absorbing the cost themselves? Their review process that they carried out must have highlighted the issues hence the additional tyre is the recommendation... If it was fit for purpose initially at these tracks then there wouldnt have been a need for extra tyres, therefore they as the manufacturer will be taking this cost impact surely?

I presume that there hasn't been a 'root and branch' overhaul because those 'in control' don't see anything wrong with their operating model and business plan...? And fair play to them too... Can't be easy constantly avoiding the obvious year after year, after year...

"Going back to it's roots, as a development league"... That was the plan wasn't it?

100% agree, but for me the size of the prize is the carrot for the fans to come and watch.. Promoters literally fork out millions collectively to achieve the grand result of "sod all", running (without credibility) supposed professional sporting competitions.. What a complete waste of a truly incredible, huge investment... Even more so when you consider the small following it has.. So use some of that huge outlay to hype up the sport, generate some publicity and hopefully, see some forward movement for the sport as a whole in the UK off the back of it.. Carrying on doing the same is ludicrous given all the evidence of the past 20 years or so shows 100% that it doesnt work..

On the Newcastle thread it mentions a turnover of circa £350k for the club.. No disrespect intended, but that is an 'average team with an average following'... Therefore, using them as an 'average' it would mean the 18 teams in 2019 had around a £6.3M income collectively... If that is the case then how the hell is the sport living hand to mouth every year and promoters get quoted as saying "survival is an achievement"? And the income doesn't include the NDL standalone clubs at the time.. I have mentioned on another thread that the sport needs a "big event" with a big prize pot to get some publicity for it and then clubs can promote their own business on the back of each of them having qualifying rounds, with a huge finals night which has a huge prize fund.. I suggested that 18 clubs take £10k out of their 'payroll budget' to make an £180k prize fund for an individual event.... If they are taking in circa ££6.3M collectively I would suggest it should be more like £20k each and make the prize pot £360k...!!! Any reduction in salary to the riders would be more than made up I would suggest given they would each have several qualifying rounds in front of (hopefully) good crowds who had been attracted to the event by its overall prize fund... And of course, for 16 of them a bumper pay night on finals night.. (Or even spread some of the £360k over two semis as well).. Promoters are obviously spending a huge amount individually and collectively to achieve precisely nothing in the development of the sport, (I say spending because it certainly isn't investing)... And a "British Masters" (call it what you will), wouldn't cost any more than they are currently paying out (it just redistributes a percentage of their current outllay but for a hell of lot more publicity I would say)... Surely it's time for them to get together and see how futile it is to keep racing to the bottom with the current operating model and business plan? Forking out literally millions to achieve "nothing" seems absolutely nonsensical doesn't it? Maybe therefore it is time to do something different that may help themselves prosper in the short and longer term? Each track promoting an event with an overall £360k prize fund, with all 'their riders and nine others' at each event, must be easier to "sell" to local and national media, possible sponsors and lapsed non regular attendees, surely? And then you promote "very hard" your own clubs season during the event itself....

In the GP's, Berntzon will be like a raffle winner who wins a place in a sporting event as a "guest player".....

And no World F1 Stox Final for the AFA this year... That must make a fair old dent in the coffers given how many attend it...

A sensible decision by Buster I would suggest.., A bit of 'Polish weather forecasting' is most opportune given the reduced fan numbers.. Not sure if anyone thought Poland was being 'professional'... More 'opportunistic' for me....

Thank goodness the nights are long and bright in Sweden at this time of the year....