mikebv

His two watch words were also "integrity" and "credibility" and how he was going to bring both to the sport... 😅 😅 😅 😅 😅 To be fair to the BSPA though, they do take their role in protecting the environment very seriously, so lets credit them for that... Hundreds of thousands more air polluting journeys would have taken place, often of hundreds of miles, if the sport was ran properly over the years so we should all thank them for that....

Whose guesting for the fans who now won't bother turning up to watch Belle Vue v Poole Select? Will the 'fan replacement' facilty be in operation....? Three weeks without a meeting and now this bollox... As Fred Pontin would have said "Book early".... (One for the teenagers there)..😁😆

28 day ban for witholding his sausages...?😁

They all know that one day they will need Mickey Mouse to come their aid too....😁

I remember Phil Jones (now of BBC Olympic coverage fame) being very good at the old BV dog bowl circa late eighties/early nineties.. Where did it all go wrong for him?😂 I may have mentioned this before on another thread a long time ago, but this thread has just reminded me of one particular brilliant bit of presentation I saw at Bradford in 1990, first match of the season.. The presenter (I think Terry Hardaker) had seven cheerleaders all hold up a sign each to the Grandstand... In a line the signs all read out DUKES 90... He then asked the girls to turn round and show the crowd on the back straight where we were, who were obviously wondering what was written... The girls turned round and proudly held aloft... 09 SEKUD......😂 Speedway presentation probably hasn't moved on too much in the ensuing years at most venues!! Priceless😁

Hancock Woffy Pedersen Holder Gollob Rickardsson Jonsson Loram Havelock Crump Hamill Ermolenko Jan O Nielson Gunderson Penhall Lee PC Michanek Olsen Mauger Briggs Moore Muller

How often do a teams seven riders actually be in attendance? A Kings Lynn Select, Belle Vue Select, Wolverhampton Select etc etc simply cannot engender emotional loyalty.... Can anyone really get behind someone who a few weeks before rode against you and had led a defeat of your team? A 'club collective' in Speedway is often nothing more than 'a collective riding under a flag of convenience'...

Very difficult I would suggest to engender the emotional loyalty needed to passionately support 'your' team when it's very rarely all 'your' riders actually there...

Understand that Rob. But the reasons for the demise, in the main, just transfer from one team to the next... Teams drop down or go bust mainly because they cannot compete financially or simply there are not enough riders to go round to make them competitive... You can also then add the self inflicted issue of a poorly performing team not being able to improve their lot (even if they have the money to do so) due to some not fit for purpose average system. Meaning they continue to suffer as disgruntled crowds dwindle... Why should a team four months into the season, if they want to change riders, still have to measure up to the starting average when other teams in the league have spent four months making a complete mockery of it? . Simply there are too many teams with not enough riders to go round. Hence tracks will always struggle until the supply and demand equation is reversed.. When clubs can dictate race nights to draw the best crowds, rather than when their 'employee' can appear.. When clubs can dictate salaries rather than the employee knowing he is bomb proof and will get the same or more elsewhere.. And when clubs have excess riders 'waiting by the phone' desperate for a team place... Then, and only then can the sport move forward and businesses be ran properly... Too many tracks delivering 'poor value' actually impacts the overall brand detrimentally, so sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind and look after the many not the few... Less tracks means more riders available, more riders available means less 'no other choice but to pay' salaries are paid out and riders will have more pressure to perform for the club and fans to retain a team place. Which can only improve the competitive nature of the racing surely? Speedway, until it faces up to this will continue its ever increasing in speed 'race to the bottom'... On the plus side, when it does reach there, the only way is up!!

Agreed... This weekend next year at the NSS would deliver a much larger crowd and great racing. . It's the Great Manchester Run today too so thousands of people visiting the City to compete and support... Spring BH weekend would be a fantastic sporting festival in the City...

Yes.... If needs be for the greater good.. The biggest issue Speedway has is that evolutions theory of 'survival of the fittest' isn't followed.. Too many teams, not enough riders, and costs running out of control has resulted in a 'race to the bottom'... 'It's OK to fail as you can move down' is the mantra. But all this does is create issues for the League these teams enter as invariably they are better equipped to drop to that level than the ones currently there... You can see the positive rationale for dropping down, as all of a sudden teams can become competitive, crowds hold up, or even improve on the back of some success, and costs are slashed, however... As the 'race to the bottom' continues of course it will result in the same thing happening. ie as the 'bigger fish' continue to drop down as their 'sea' becomes too large, the current 'big fish' again become minnows, and as they then can no longer compete they once more need to find a home in 'another sea'.. Too many teams, not enough riders.... Until that is fixed then the Sport won't move forwards organically, ,,,

Unfortunately no title victory 'really matters' in British Speedway, hence its a major reason it is in the mire it finds itself.. Ironically of all the three League's the NL is probably the one with the most integrity an credibility when it comes to the way it is ran, and usually only becomes 'Mickey Mouse' when impacted by the two League's above.. Its Achilles heel is the very different objectives of its competitors, meaning too many 'haves' and 'have nots'.. Ironically by continually accomodating failing teams by letting them drop into the NL, the Sport actually puts pressure on other better ran outfits as rider demand is way higher than the supply. This simply means teams then are understrength resulting in regular (critical to crowd numbers) home losses, or, to remain anywhere near competitive, get forced into paying the way too high demands of riders who know they hold all the cards in negotiation... The 'bottom division' of Speedway should really be entry level which gives young (or not so young) inexperienced riders the chance to progress. Not a 'shelter' for destitute former EL and PL teams who fall on hard times.. The League above should find a way to keep costs down to keep these teams in their League. Bottom line of course is running so many teams nationally, all requiring seven riders, all having to try and reach a similar required set standard, without nowhere near enough capability of resource pool to achieve the objective, will always be doomed to failure...

As mentioned before in the 'olden days' you turned up, paid your money and found that PC was riding in Germany the next day in a Longtrack meeting so a guest was replacing him... You were a bit peed off but you had paid your hard earned so that was that.. Nowadays the Internet will avail you with the details 24 hours earlier hence it gives the fans time to decide if worth attending or not.. What Speedway 'got away with' then, it cannot now.. I would say missing No1's (with a proper RR facilty) could be missed more now in the top division than ever before.. The No1 generally doesnt score 25 - 35% of his teams points anymore (like so many used to in the top league), and there is much less disparity between a teams' one to five than ever before I would say.. We used to have 11 point plus average men scoring loads of points riding against two point average reserves... Not a common thing in todays top league. ..

Unfortunately if you want the Leagues to have any credibilty, then EVERYTHING is wrong with guest riders. .. It's supposedly a National Title in a Professional sport thats being rode for... To have any kudos to the title of 'Champion' then there has to be integrity and credibility. And from a fans perspective if no-one cares who wins a National Title in any sport, then why bother attending? In fact why bother holding the Championships in the first place? Bringing in 'ringers' to replace lesser competitor's isn't even allowed in my lads U14 football league as photo id's have been used this season which get checked by the ref before each game.. Yet in Speedway you can bring in a 'track expert' to replace your missing rider depending on where you are racing.. What happened (and was widely accepted) even just ten years ago is no longer viable in the modern world of instant global information... Years ago, you found out that your team, or the opponents, were missing their best riders so had guests when you got into the stadium. Nowadays you have all the team details a click of a button away, from the day before right up until the minute tapes are up.. In other words, plenty of time for the fans to decide whether the meeting has enough integrity or credibility for them to attend... Having a reduced number of team places, eight team Leagues, a fit for purpose RR operating model and a well planned fixture list would go a long, long way in eradicating the need for to 'borrow' guests from your competitors who are also trying to win the same competition.. No integrity? No credibilty? No kudos in winning a National title? Then let's be realistic and honest... Why actually bother running it as a team sport?

It is starting to look like visiting teams will always have a chance at BV.. Most will come with riders who have a liking for the track and many now have had quite a few visits... The three GP riders obviously ride the track very well, but you can add most Aussies to that list and foreign riders with a long track/grass track background particularly seem to enjoy the wide open spaces... Riders like Hougaard, MPT and King have also had some very good meetings there.. In fact, many riders seem to 'punch above their weight' at the NSS, often winning races and scoring points that belie their average.. Most teams in the League have I would say enough riders for at least six to seven heat wins at BV which leaves the Aces only around eight or nine left to win and build up any heat advantages. Such is the fairness of the track it means the scoreline in most meetings remains close for the majority of the match and obviously as most know by now, delivers some fantastic racing. The only downside with so many riders coming who like the track is when it comes to the play offs in a 'head to head', it may prove our undoing.. Certainly keeps the fans well entertained though, virtually every week...

British Speedway 😂😂😂 You put your Stevie in... You take your Stevie out... In, Out, In, Out... You p1ss fans and him about.. You do the Hokey Cokey and your turn around.. And that's what the sports about.... Oh!!! The Hokey etc etc etc...

Fine Work... So to summarise.... A great Sport, but ran in this Country without anywhere near the required credibility to be ever taken seriously or to be successful...

Sounded far too profound for me....😂😀

Same system applies for me Steve, let riders two and three take all his rides... However, to be honest the ultimate issue with your scenario is that Cook is too good for Div 2 so really shouldn't be riding there.. The disparity between the best and worse riders in all teams, (to try and slavishly keep seven man sides), is one of the main reasons guests end up being used. Missing an out and out No1 like Cook at Div 2 level takes out probably 25% - 33% of their points hence when he isn't there he needs replacing with a similar standard rider.. For me, less riders per team but a reduced ability gap between the best and worst is the key to make 'no guests' work...

No need to replace Craig Cook with a guest in this example.. Just let every other member of the BV team take a maximum of two of his rides... All riders to be able to take a maximum of seven... Fricke taking two, and Bjerre taking two wouldnt lessen the team strength too much, if at all Same for riders further down the line. The riders above and below can take two each, (if the manager sees it fit tactically to do so). The only stipulation would be if a number seven is missing he must have two (or more if again manager sees fit) of his races replaced by a No 8, who must be a two point man from the NL not contracted to any team in that division... Reduce the number of riders in teams from its current seven and you would also have replacements available for short term loan deals to replace riders.. This year after the winter team building changes has already seen a surplus of riders coming in as replacements. It's crackers though that the 'unattached' riders cannot step in for riders missing on a one match basis if so needed, rather than 'guests' used from the same League's teams..

Guest riders are a 'necessary evil' only because we are brain washed into thinking so... It is the easy, lazy option, rather than working the team strength system into being fit for purpose. No Guests in Sweden and Poland? Not all Superstars either. So why? Because they race on the same night the vast proportion of the time so riders cannot be in two places at once.. Too easy over here as riders always available to step in... Denmark run five man teams using mainly Danish riders as enough of the required level riders are not available without paying foreigners to go over... Danish crowds are most similar I would say to Britain of the 'big four' League countries. So maybe this should be a template to be adapted.. One thing is for sure. Scott Nicholls helping Wolves into the play offs last year when they beat Poole and then his own team getting gubbed by Wolves six weeks later in the Final or Troy Batchelor starring for Poole a few years ago, before watching his Swindon team get hammered in the final by the Pirates, can never, ever, be seen as credible in anyway shape or form.... And if a professional team sports competition isn't credible then simply, why pay money to go and watch it?

British Speedway....😀😀😀

Manchester City regularly 'sell out' the Etihad.. The TV pictures every week however tell a somewhat different story... Giving tickets away, or selling them as BOGOF's or at £5, gives City credibility when it comes to attendance figures quoted.. (Although it does generate a certain amount of pee taking from other teams' fans)... Arsenal last night had 'over 59000 tickets sold'! With, in reality, about 40000 in actual attendance.. Speedway should do the same... The British Final at BV should be a sell out! First meeting on BT so showcase the sport... Knock ten pound tickets out and if advance sales are not good, sell them for a fiver or even give them out for nothing in city centre Manchester. Why not do a roadshow on the Saturday and Sunday before from the City Centre?... Advertising a 7000 crowd (whether paid full whack to get in or not) makes the Sport sound at least credible and less small time, and on TV makes it look like it's successful... A half empty Grandstand with 300 people rattling around the back straight stand wouldn't impress any armchair non Speedway followers. Especially when they are watching 'The British Final'! With The National Title up for grabs! A British Final where they announce the changes to the 'crowd line up' before they announce changes to the 'rider line up' wouldn't look or sound too good on the box either.. "Mr Edwards of Ardwick sends his apologies. He cannot be here tonight as his wife has gone to Bingo and he has to look after their cat, 'Ivan'".....😂 Fill the place, by hook or by crook...

Wouldn't be hard to do... Just let the away team sell tickets to their fans from their own ticket office... Even Premier League football caps an away ticket at £30 for every match so why doesn't​ Speedway do it for say a tenner?... eg. BV v Swindon this week would see Swindon fans getting in for a tenner, which might just encourage some to attend? Throw in a free programme too and they would save around a tenner on the usual costs. Four people in a car would therefore save forty quid between them which would go a long way to pay for expensive fuel, and BV would pick up forty quid that more than likely they wouldn't have... The more away fans, the better the atmosphere, the better the atmosphere, the more likely are people to attend again.. Twenty Swindon fans paying a tenner each is better than none at all paying full price...

..... and he should get his hair cut, what kind of role model has hair like that? etc etc etc...😴😆