mikebv

or alternatively how can Garrity get excluded for something that technically didnt happen as the race should have been stopped before sarjeant reached the tapes!!!? is it the same ref who was at bv last night..? rules?? speedway??? hee hee....

A great nights entertainment.... Darcy Ward and Stefan Nielsen 'men of the match'.... Speedway when done this well certainly delivers a great night out... Well done to both teams, full on 100% commitment all night....

Sometimes, but not always... Agree with the wider the better but for me it's more the shape of the track that delivers the racing... You can have an almost circular 'small track' like Gustrow that can deliver great racing as straight line speed isnt the 'be all and end all'... Sometimes the longer the riders are sliding the more the rider with real talent can use it to get the drive he needs Could Swindon fit that type of 'footprint' inside the confines of the greyhound track?

Two major things are required for the EL... 1. Integrity...... no matter how you try and justify it, (and by no means an isolated example) Coventry's Chris Harris scoring 11 points for Swindon in a 14 point win at Wolverhampton on Monday thus improving Swindon's chances of qualifying for the play offs so they can then possibly knock Chris Harris' team out of the competition is simply ludicrous and unacceptable in a sport desperate for credibility and acceptance in a wider sporting context... and when a good many 'loyal' supporters simply don't care who wins the league due to the final by preceded by a series of non stop 'select meetings' it cannot make selling the sport as 'professional' easy can it? 2. Costs reductions which allow admission fees that deliver value for money in the eyes of the fans.. as we see when the lower admission 'specials' are done, the track ends up with their 'best gate of the season', not a co-incidence surely? therefore it proves without any doubt that at the 'right price' there still is (sometimes significant) demand for the sport. now the sport just needs to deliver costs that allow that 'right price' every week... Neither points easy to deliver given the current (often self inflicted) malaise, but I would suggest crucial to the EL's survival never mind growth. Some tough decisions need to be taken for the good of the sport in the close season, is there enough will to do it though??

and the irony is that in lots of cases the guests that come in can earn much more than the rider they are replacing, yet squads are too expensive? supply and demand rules dictate that the 'track specialist' (aka a ringer) brought in as a guest can often earn his best pay night of the year.... crackers....

and I may be wrong, however it doesn't appear that any marketing gets done on the night when the BIG crowd turns up... captive audiences should go away with at least their details in the database of the business visited for further marketing enticements.... free car stickers, flyers with the fixture list, money off coupons etc etc could also be handed out... the free/low admission meeting should be the start of a sustained plan to attract regulars to the sport not just a standalone 'one off' that leaves promoters amazingly wondering why the following week they didnt all come back!

Simply not the money in the sport now to pay for what they have, hence distress flares going up around the country... You only have to see the 'great crowds' that turn up when teams do £5/£10 admission to see that the current admission costs are too high... Paying more 'Top Riders' and increasing team strengths will mean circa £30 - £40 admission fees... Crowds will dwindle to nothing if they try that... Bottom line is you cannot pay around 9k a night for three GP riders (and then spend around a further 3k on the other four riders) on crowds that would give most non league football team owners sleepless nights (and the part time ones pay their whole squad of 18 players collectively around 3k a week tops)... Speedway needs to very quickly cut its cloth accordingly, reduce its costs dramatically and set an admission fee that the punters feels delivers value for money and meets their stretched disposable income... If not then it simply wont move forwards, and any entity which doesnt evolve simply becomes extinct...

A radical approach is what the EL needs... Team numbers? Seven man, six man, five man, four man, three man two man one man and his dog went to mow? etc etc etc... Bottom line is promoters need to reduce costs for themselves and the riders so admission can be reduced... Maybe a salary cap? Six man teams salaried with say 6k per team the limit? No1 and 2 getting 1.5k a match each? Riders 3+4 getting 1k each and fast track reserves picking up 500 quid a night ? That would mean 12k per home meeting to pay two home and away matches? £15 quid admission ex vat would need 1000 punters per match to pay the rider bills. (surely achievable)? .. Sponsorship/Sky money can be used to pay the rent and running costs as needed ... Ten teams in the EL would mean 36 meetings per season if home and away twice, meaning top two could earn 54k, (without personal sponsorship) not a fortune but 'not bad' for a little over six months work, and certainly a damn sight more than most other 'good' motor sport competitors earn in other sports... Maybe the GP riders wouldn't ride for this money but maybe other 'good' riders would? Six man teams with two Brits at reserve and at least one Brit minimum per team could be the answer...? And lets be honest does paying 3k a night to a GP rider really impact the gate that much in cash return from 'extra attendance'? (or would each track lose 3k if no GP riders are there)? I would say not.. Run the EL Monday/Wednesday when no PL meetings, letting all Brits 'double up/down' (like sweden does for its own riders)... Running six man teams should ensure 'middle order' riders are 'more plentiful' thus injuries can be covered by 'free agents' rather than 'guests' (good luck with that!)... We know we don't need world class talent to have a great speedway meeting, just four riders in every race with commensurate ability is what is required, a great race is just that regardless of what the riders earn and who they are.. Maybe a step backwards or two, to take several forward is the way to go?

Or do run a meeting and fill it full of guests not committed to either the GP or riding for their PL clubs....! Unpalatable it maybe but British Speedway seriously needs to decide if having GP riders in teams is cost effective... Do they really justify the money they earn, and the restrictions to the fixture list they bring, by the effect their appearances have on attendances? I would suggest in most cases, not... Allied to how better manage 'The Irish Speedway Team' (ie the Dublin Uppers). Those in 'charge' have some big decisions to make between now and next March..

Reading this thread with so many arguments and opinions put forward pretty much covers every reason why the sport is in such decline so should in theory provide a good 'starter for ten' for anyone involved in the sport when they are looking to target improvements.... Most appear valid, fair, very relevant and constructive, with the contributors passion for the sport clearly demonstrated...... As has been said so many times, Speedway when done well is a great night out and is truly one of the few sports with a genuine 'wow factor'... However, the bottom line is that any business that is struggling to bring in any new custom, whilst alienating and eroding its hard core customer base through its ill advised business, and poorly administered operational plans, can only go one way..... And sadly its not up is it?

Not sure about that.. Some close matches this year between the two with Jason Garrity being the obvious difference between the two.. His paid 35 points including three DNF's at BV in the four matches has had a big impact.. Should he be missing for any reason and I would suggest Cov wouldnt be too keen on taking on the Aces...

Pkoc??? Play Knockout Off Cup???? Never catch on that name....

Take a bow Scott Nicholls.... Heat 13, inches from the safety fence, the match virtually won with Zagar in front and he produces 'the pass of the season'....! (Don't need him involved with Team GB though, no young Brit could learn from him)... Good crowd at BV tonight, very solid team performance, if they reach the play offs and can deliver a team effort like that, not many would fancy taking them on home and away...

The lack of 'one night' speedway is one of the main reasons 'guests' exist... If all the EL matches took place on the same night then riders in the EL couldnt ride for anyone but their own team.. Look at Poland on a Sunday and Sweden on a Tuesday.... However just because you CAN do it, shouldnt mean you do.... No one can really take seriously a sport that is only one step below the WWE in relation to contriving the outcome of matches.... Maybe watching any four riders racing four laps in the name of 'sports entertainment' rather than it masquerading as a professional team sport is the answer? In fact, thinking out loud, you could have someone like Jason Garrity shouting into the camera before a race "I'm mad for it me!", "Get outta my way Noddy coz I'm comin' through!!!".... Could catch on....

And the biggest irony is the way promoters completely dismiss the notion of 'squads' as they are too expensive.... Yet every week they must pay out thousands in 'guest' fees.....!! Effectively using the whole of British Speedway as a huge squad system.. Surely having a squad where 'no ride/no pay' costs the same as employing guests every week? (If not more as the old 'supply and demand' kicks in)... Oh, hang on, just remembered, only using riders within your 'squad' will prevent teams 'cherry picking' track specialists as guests through the season.... That won't be 'in the best interests of speedway' will it...?

To paraphrase and apologies to 'The Drifters'.... Saturday Night At The Speedway.. Who Cares What Riders You'll See... The Way The Sport Is Run These Days.. Will P1ss You Off Inevitably...........

But not in some other countries.....

I am sure Zengota rode 100% for the Aces.... The ridiculous thing though is why you would expect someone to perform 'out of his skin' to deprive himself, and his team mates the chance to make more money and get some success later in the season! As for Krcmar,when re declaring these days, particularly with the lower end rider, you may be better off taking someone on who CANNOT ride in your remaining meetings.. Such are the rules you can then bring in riders on a 'horses for courses' basis to tactically improve your team.... Both the above situations are yet further examples of the self inflicted bollox which mean the sport in this country, as a team competition, can never be taken seriously by anyone other than those people who say "I just enjoy watching four riders race each other over four laps"..... The ever dwindling number of 'those people' obviously........!

Maybe the owners of the Stadium and the House could go on 'Judge Rinder'.. I think he is now the 'highest court in the land' isn't he??...!!!!!

Must admit, I've hardly been this season, regardless of position in the league, simply had enough of farcical encounters with 'select teams' week in week out around the country as Speedway masquerades itself as a 'professional sport' When it's not worth winning a competition with so little integrity, it's not worth paying a ridiculous entrance fee to watch it... Missing most of this years meetings has meant though that the 'Cardiff fund' was well covered so 'every cloud and all that'....! Four Lakeside riders there tonight, eight guests/double uppers/downers/in/out/shake it all abouters, oh the okey cokey, cokey.... You put three riders in, you take four riders out, in out, in out etc etc.. Happy days.....

well said.... and the ultimate irony is that in the "fight to be the best", those who succeed win a league title that hardly anyone cares about anymore given the fact when you win it half the league have invariably helped you to do so by lending you riders throughout the season....!! risking bankrupting a club to win a competition with zero credibility? couldn't make it up could you?........

Agreed, why though doesnt the bspa get sky to display all the weeks' fixtures during the 'summing up' at the end of the programme? Just maybe someone watching near a speedway track with a 'vague idea' of their local team and what the sport is, might be tempted to go along after watching the racing on the tv?? Lots of 'play off' impacting meetings this week and none at all mentioned in any detail...

Cannot see any team paying out BIG money for the transfer of any Speedway rider anymore given that at any moment team building rules can change and you could end up with not being able to use your newly acquired 'prize asset'... And then, even if you can use him in your team as the team strength rules allow it, he simply then decides to give GB a miss!!

Realise we are going to have a National Stadium in Manchester, however one of Speedway's balls ups (amongst many I know) was not collectively purchasing the old Hyde Rd stadium... Therefore could all promoters and sponsors involved in the sport (and stock cars) get together and purchase Brandon? Would provide another 'all year round track' for training, like the new BV but in the Midlands and also deliver a major financial asset for the sport if that land value was on British Speedways balance sheet...

Sadly, family tickets are not the way to go though.... Even if they look like value for money, hardly any families with teenagers attend... The reason is simple, not many teenagers want to go out to an event with their mam and dad, they want to spend time with their mates... Charging them over six quid wont get them to the speedway I can assure you.. Letting my lad and his usual 'posse' of 15 'bros' and 'sisters' in for nothing and you may just have a chance that some will take to the sport (all his mates know he goes but not one of them know what it is!)... Obviously 'k-tels hits of the seventies' may need to be updated to the playlist of Capital Radio which may be a stumbling block too big to overcome!!!!