mikebv

Maybe to help Nige and Kelvin explain this nonsense he could be called Adam Ellis in the first match... And Edam Allis in the second... They could tell the audience that the 'new man' is the Dutch No1...

By attending either Final every fan who does so will 100% endorse the Promoters policies and processes... Just like they do all season... Is this situation really much more of a farce than say Brady Kurtz putting in a man of the match performance to help BV knock Swindon out of the very same play offs? Kurtz riding for them because the meeting was arranged (and agreed to by both teams) to be ran on a night when Craig Cook was scheduled to ride elsewhere for Glasgow! I think there is a certain synergy in what will happen... A Season long farce has a Season ending farce... A fitting tribute and ending... And one several thousand will support, and therefore by being in attendance, provide their very own stamp of approval and blessing to allow more and more of the same.. ad infinitum...

But a fit for purpose RR system would lessen the blow... Two rides for Lambert and two rides for the next rider below NKI in the averages.. Poole could do the same with Kurtz. Two rides for the rider above him and two for the one below.. You could even split it for home and away meetings Eg Kurtz is No1 in the averages at home so all riders below him could take two rides up to a max of seven each.. When away as the number three in the away averages the rider above him two and the one below him two. (Harris and Grajczoneck).. Still, no point in trying to bring in credibility, that would never do..

To save some credibilty could someone quickly knock up some 'half n half' kevlars for Adam to use..? Kings Lynn Pirates/Poole Stars special Green/Blue, Yellow/White ones? That way he will score exactly the same for both teams in every race he has... We would also obviously need some 'half n half' helmet covers too for when he comes out in Red/White, Blue/Yellow, Red/Yellow, Blue/White... Thank God there isn't a Black and White anymore... That would be quite ridiculous wouldn't it...?

Yet the same Promoters will spend all season using Mickey Mouse rules and see nothing wrong with them.. And fans will spend all season colluding with them, pretending what they are watching has some semblance to a bona fide national sports championship... And pay circa 20 quid each for the privilege each time they attend... The fans therefore 100% get the sport they deserve.. No point complaining now.. On the plus side, the Sport (in Britain) has no credibilty left so hasn't lost any by its latest self inficted nonsense... Incredible in what should be a huge positive week for the sport with Tai's win will end up being a huge embarrassment...

Correct.. When the Sport had it's most mainstream media coverage, it was due to individual and international team events being shown/written about in the main.. The icing on the cake was a rider like PC who could thrill the generic sport watcher with his endeavour and success which naturally attracted the media who love a British success story.. The coverage didn't transcend to domestic speedway in the main so it's 'dodgy' rules didn't impact the overall domestic crowds like they do today in the modern instant news, internet age... It's ironic that as the Sport in Britain has become more and more less credible over the past 20 years or so, the Sport has enjoyed the most coverage domestically it ever has.. A shame, and a huge opportunity missed... Especially when you have a rider like Tai who ticks so many boxes re demographic, personality and above all, talent..

Worth a watch... Not only can he pass on the first two turns... He does a pretty decent job of it elsewhere too..

Fair calls... Vaculik, Zagar and Dudek all had injury hit seasons but showed their capability level to be in the mix for Semis and Finals... Madsen has been one of the stand out riders in the toughest league in the world for a few years now, and showed how good he is in the SEC.. Some of the old guard have been treading water a bit too long, with the odd cameo exception, therefore bringing Madsen in adds a new dynamic... Lambert I am sure will be in consideration the year next if he maintains his form.. Doing the SEC and W21 is probably enough for him at present, as is getting a team place in the Polish top division. That would bring him on quickly to the required top level I would suggest..

And five 'eastern bloc' riders were given places which invariably meant, on most occasions, places 12 - 16 were sorted as they were not of the same standard as the other riders on show... In fact, they were not of the same standard of tens of riders who hadn't been able to qualify for the Final... Another flaw was that several riders, once they qualified, would basically give up their positions in races so they could get the (already decided) start number they wanted for the next round, with which to gain the gate positions they wanted.. Add in the many times riders who couldn't qualify would stay out of a race (but get paid a win by those who did need points) and the contrived way riders from the same nation carved up certain races to gain qualification, and you could argue the 'worlds best' were not always on show with 'everything on the line' like the GP brings.. Being in the top eight seems to be a huge prize which ensures all riders keep focused and driven to deliver their best... You top the table at the end of a GP season and you truly are the best rider in the world.. Not just the best on one night...

Get in there!!! Well done Tai!!! Britain's World Champ!!!

Apart from the fact that it prevents the Sport ever being taken seriously by the wider mainstream media outlets, denying it the clearly so desperately needed oxygen of publicity..? A decent answer to guests? Should we give Poland and Sweden a ring to find out...?

It's always been that way... Its just become more obvious over the past couple of decades as satellite TV has taken over most of what the BBC used to show.. I believe they are taking steps this year to prevent the orchestrated block voting for minority sports after Rea came second last year.. If only we could get a British, blind, one armed, non binary, dwarf winning a British Speedway GP... Winner, winner, chicken dinner...

For too long the Sport has had 'The Survival Of The Weakest' as it's mantra... Charles Darwin had a theory about how that would never work if you want to evolve and grow, and get bigger and stronger..... British Speedway obviously had a theory that his theory was bollox..... This year a rider has had a season ending injury which effected the 'Flagship Competition' when riding for his 'other team' in the Lower League.. This year a team qualified for the play offs by using a No1 from one of their play off rivals to oust their nearest competitor, because their No1 was riding in the Lower League for a team he joined just a few weeks earlier.. This year several fixtures were pulled without consultation because so many teams racing on the same night would mean not enough guests would be available... Just think about that one for a moment... Basically, it means guests are now a fundamental key priority in the operating model. No longer an occasional 'necessary evil' as they may have been regarded as in the past... UK Speedway obviously now admits it cannot do without them and builds it's whole operating model around their use. Putting their need well above the impact to fans who may have made plans to attend the initial fixture dates.. So, is it. Not enough riders? Or too many teams? Either one or the other has to give.. The Sport will never get that (so vital to its success), Mainstream Media coverage if it keeps running itself in the same nonsense manner. As the MM will never take it seriously, and sponsors, of the size required, will never want to be associated with it... Change has to come for the greater good, sad for those who may lose their teams, but currently British Speedway is on a clear race to the bottom... A race all may end up 'winning' collectively in a 'dead heat'...

So, the two leagues are too close in class?... Well, considering they invariably use the same bloody riders I have to say I am not too shocked..... Next week, a Speedway Promoter will put in his programme notes that bears do actually defecate in the woods..

Is it going to be yet more 'deck chair shuffling on The Titanic' again? Deep down we all know it will be.... The time to be radical has almost passed... Doing the same thing time and time again and each time expecting a different outcome was considered a sign of insanity according to Einstein.. Seldom wrong was he?

What has changed so dramatically THJ? Disposable income... Nowadays we have mobile bills not just for ourselves but our children, nowadays we pay out big money for cable/satellite TV, nowadays we pay out more big money for access to the Internet, and nowadays we pay fortunes on utility bills, public transport costs and fuel for private travel, insurance on housing and vehicles, higher rental charges, and obviously ever increasing mortgage values on ever increasing house prices... All the while that has been taking place, Speedway has obviously seen some of the same costs rising, so it's answer was to reduce the quality of the product on offer but brought in umpteen inflation busting price rises on the back of it.. Team Speedway (in the UK), has no way back from here I would suggest...

To be fair to those who criticise, the current lot have presided over the worst attendance levels British Speedway has known for probably its lifetime.. With undoubtedly much of the reason for this being down to their designed, and voted for, ever changing operating models... In a Sport that is in so many major conurbations around the Country, it is amazing so few people actually know about it, never mind have the opportunity to decide to attend it... Most tracks have a virtual monopoly of their potential local fan base to a radius of tens of miles yet very few of the locals will visit.. Thats down to simply poor pro active customer marketing, non existent brand advertising, and a product either not deemed fit for purpose, or the outlay you make to purchase it is regarded as in no way shape or form to many, value for money... Useless? Probably not.... Not very good at what they do due to not having the relevant skills required to ever be successful both individually and collectively? More nearer the mark I would suggest... Fair play to them for putting their money in, but deep down, even they must surely see what they come up with each year will NEVER facilitate the Sport (in the UK) to deliver anywhere near it's full potential..? If it's more of the 'same old, same old' then all historical evidence tells us that this will only deliver more of the 'same old, same old' crowds.... Or, as is more likely, even lower crowd numbers....

If they could get one to drop out the top League could run as a four team tournament... Same four teams constantly riding one home match per week, providing that continuity of fixture list that so many want... Would only need 16 riders too so lots of replacements available so no need for Guests, adding much needed credibility to the Sport... Or maybe to spice it up a bit they could have one complete Guest Team per week replacing one of the regulars on a adhoc non conjoined, randomly unplanned basis? It needs to be made clear though that no Guest Teams would be allowed to gain entry to the end of season playoff, regardless of performance. As only the four official Premiership teams will be allowed to try and qualify for the four places available... Bring back the Green Helmet cover to add a bit of colour as well.. Also. Possibly any team six points behind at any stage of the meeting, to any other team at all, could also then have that team (or team's) riders that they are six behind, blindfolded....? Circa £30 to get in, the increase being down to the fact that you will now get 16 races each meeting, so more than at present, and that only blindfolds officially made by respected ex riders may be endorsed to be used, and this costs money.... Oh, and due to the Polish, Swedish and Danish Leagues race nights, to avoid clashes, all matches will be ran at 1.00am on a Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and Friday morning, so the lads can, the very minute after Heat 16 is completed, drive directly to whichever the nearest airport is that gets them out to Sweden/Denmark and Poland as early as possible.. Thus saving on costly overnight hotel bills.. Add in a few K Tels Hits of the Seventies CD's, a centre green presenter who has had experience in hospital radio and an evening full of birthday dedications to fans who have been "coming for 60 years and whose favourite rider of all time is Bjorn Knutsson" and quite frankly we are on to a winner... Could be a great year for British Speedway 2019... Edit : Monkey Tennis in the interval? No? Ok but no ideas a bad idea...

Wow... Not too much of an optimistic outlook for what crowds you expect to generate is it?

So is the total capacity around just 3000? The Grandstand is just under 1800.. Thought I read it was 5,000 when they opened not including that West Terrace that got removed? Didnt they get 7,000 for the SWC Final with an extra 2000 seating on the third and fourth turns..? 3,000 seems a little low...

Hi LW.. A bit factual and a bit guesstimate, as you say, Omerta is the word to describe Speedway attendances.. Last year the average quoted by the CEO was circa 1400... This year it's visually and tangibly less than that due to FRN... DG said crowds were around 1800 on average the first year, up considerably from the old place.. But sadly not enough.. BH's brought in 2500 - 3000 according to DG at Kirky Lane and this year when I went the circa 1800 Grand stand was around 2/3rds full with around 500-600 ish in the south stand.. Not been much this year due to Mon and Wed race nights but looking at photos on FB, and listening to a mate of mine who goes, the Grandstand is approx 1/2 full each week with 300-400 in the South Stand.. Not bad for such a Mickey Mouse ran Sport to be fair.. Imagine how many would go if it could be ran like a proper Team Sport? On nights that the majority of the population of Manchester can actually get there.?

Where is SCB? E block... 37C...

Why was Tai wearing Union Jack Kevlars? Isn't he an Aussie?... I was lucky enough to see PC at his best... But have to say overall, gating and passing combined, this lad is the best Brit I have ever seen... Well done Tai....

Go on Kelvin!!!

Get in there!! Smarzlik made some daft decisions in the semi and final.. Gate four after a track grade? And never let your main rival have a gate inside you in a final... Strange..