mikebv

And isn't shoehorned into some "contrived" team competition... The way the sport is basically "made up as we go along" over here does definitely impact attendances . You see the way the play offs bring many "out of the woodwork" (like me!), who attend simply because we know the crowds will be "decent" and the events themselves will have some atmosphere.. Both things lacking most weeks during the play off qualifiers.. With no "tribal element", and any real rewards, kudos, or recognition for winning any of the trophies on offer, it really must be a difficult "sell" for the clubs in trying to engage more fans firstly through the doors, and then to maintain them as regulars.. Price increases will be more designed to offset a forecasted lower number of attendees I would think, rather than be a tactical business growth decision based on elasticity of price .

But they don't drag out the system to riders over 21, and don't "protect" heats to give them an advantage others don't get.. That is just contrived nonsense in a sporting context.. We now have "professional RS's" who year in, year out, take a slot but don't progress.. With many, "well behind", during races, which adds nothing to a speedway meeting.. Like a non league footballer playing Premier League football and not being allowed to be taken off for 70 mins.. Just use the system in the 2nd tier and let the odd " next superstar", take a place on merit if good enough to compete eg Bewley,Lambert etc.. The gap is too big currently for them between the best riders at each meeting and themselves.. Which won't help them develop, and doesn't help what's on offer entertainment wise..

You don't get many riders that have ridden for five years becoming an "overnight sensation".. Jason Doyle is one I can think of, but he was a reserve in a much more competitive league at the time, so was well in front of the current RS level lads...

Almost as many as "this year is the most important AGM ever's"....😉

In the top league 100%.. No disrespect to them but not many add too much value to the racing, (which a good many measure a speedway meeting on more than any result).. If it is a 'cost issue' to not have two "Number 6's" then run with six rider teams... These lads can then ride at second string in the 2nd Div, and No1 in the NDL...

Sadly, I fear you are correct.. There is a danger of a four team league going forwards... Brum, just making up the numbers, will do no one any favours...

They key is how competitive Brum will be.. Hopefully, the other clubs will support them by not trying to tempt their riders and they can put out a team of a "Premiership level".. It won't help anyone to have a similar scenario to last season where they were always going to be seventh, even before a wheel was turned... A strong Brum will mean a strong Premiership...

And, just like with Swindon, the spectre of the houses will always create a possibility of noise complaints in the future should Peterborough stay on that site... With the council now seemingly "on side" now is the chance to be the "bigger party" and suggest alternatives to prevent more time and money being used up discussing things, changing things, appealling things, and re-appealing things.... Maybe all could "win" now?

A great summary... R.I.P. Len... The sport owes him a huge thanks for the incredibly high standards he set, and the enormous amount of effort, work and time he put in to deliver those standards that set the bar height for others to aspire to... Condolences to Andrew and all his family...

The aim surely has to be to get those who attend "now and again", to attend more regularly... They are the ones that a price reduction may inspire.. Just look at the PO Finals to see how many "locals" attended their tracks.. It shows that there is more than enough potential interest, but just not for "PO Qualifiers", at the price being charged..

Spot on.. He seemed to be what he is... ie A young kid enjoying the moment with fans of the team he rides for, fans who some of which will have watched him ride for the Colts.. I would imagine he therefore feels an affinity with those who run Belle Vue given the relationship he has built with them..

Surely with so few meetings, a Championship side could run on a Monday. ? Double uppers could be worked around with Guests if needed... Plenty of meetings will run with them so a few more wouldn't make any difference..

Poland are not doing "anyone over"... The UK had Thursday as their priority night... And they gave it up so Poland could use it... No point complaining now...

Oxford maybe making a stronger go of it if they get one of Sheffields HL's to add to two of their current top three..

100℅ agree, a bargain average, especially at home... I just think some believe that this kind of rider "should" be beating much higher level opponents more regularly, away from home in particular..... They don't, simply because the level of rider in the top tier is that much higher than ever it was over the past decade.. King, Ellis, Wright, Worrall, Lawson and Nichols, all seem to do better at "four or two," than when riding at "three"... Meaning their default position is as a second string.. With Brennan being an exception this season as he has started to establish himself in a HL position...

Many of today's riders in the number three and four berths were riding in higher positions in the teams until the GP riders came back... Creating almost a false expectation of their true capability... Some were "one and fives" only in a severely watered down top league.. Sheffield for example, had pretty much "3 top HL's" which can only dilute tbe scoring of their opposite numbers, four times a year.. Some perspective needed as to expectation levels I would suggest... Scoring points against Polish top tier riders is somewhat different than scoring points against other GB riders second tier HL's... Which, until the those top tier Polish riders came back, many riders had built their averages on... Riding against the same lads in both divisions several times a week... And to the likes of Bewley, Doyle, Emil, Fricke, Woffy, Jack Holder, Lidsey, Lindgren, Cook, and Janowski, you can add Chris Holder, Musielak, and Kurtz who are top tier level in all but name in Poland (Kurtz now riding their next season, plus being a GP rider).. As I say, perspective needed...

Puncture repair kit needed.... He will have let her down in more ways than one...

Many of us watch Polish Speedway similar to the way we watch UK Speedway... ie. More "sports entertainment" than a bone fide sporting contest.. However. In Poland, it is very much "winning matters" as financially there are big rewards, and tonights result will be lead news in the national written and TV news coverage this evening and tomorrow... We might want to be "entertained" but Lublin and Wroclaw fans only want to see their team win.. And if they get entertained too, then that is a bonus..

For me, the top six go through to next year, the next 8 go through to the GP challenge,with the 15th being "relegated"... That 8 race against 8 qualifiers and the top 8 qualify... With the SEC Champ getting the last place..

I think the phrase... "FOR F***S SAKE!!!!".. Was actually designed for this level of decision making.... 😁

Birmingham just isn't interested in Speedway... Fair play to those who have tried to make it something that the local populace would embrace and attend.. I went approx 8 years ago and felt "young" given the demographic of the place, and I was fifty.. If Phil Morris wants the top league to be clearly better than the next one down, then Birmingham will struggle to meet that criteria without "made up" averages to make their team look competitive... The Aces at Leicester on Thursday must have had an amount of fans that Brum have been "ok" with for a home match... You cannot expect that "true equality" that UK Speedway craves, when such a huge disparity exists between teams .

A mid summer rest... Like European football does... But they do it in winter...... PS... As Elsa sang in Frozen... Let it go, Let it go.... You wouldn't have beaten us anyway..

Always a subjective discussion, but... He did nail six world titles in the "golden era" when competition was truly at its fiercest... Fundin, Briggs, Moore, Collins, Olsen, Michanek, Jessup, Simmons, Louis, Crump, Jancarz, Plech, and so many many more truly World Class riders, raced at the top level against him... To win it six times in that era was trruly staggering...

For the first couple of seasons at the NSS, Brady had an unfortunate knack of not scoring in Ht 1 when on gate four... Now he has developed onto such a level that you are surprised when he doesn't pick up a win in heat one, regardless of home or away, off gate four. Surely the UK rider of the year given the Ipswich lads got injured.. Great to watch him "howling" around the boards, and a bit of a throwback to the days gone by when it comes to leading from the front, and not taking any prisoners when racing... Back next year as Captain without a doubt...

100%... The Aces were just 8 points up with three races to go at the NSS.. A 10 - 2 in heats 13 and 15 made a huge difference to how the 2ng leg got set up.. That's also why 'strength in depth'... "Peterborough won with Dad's Army"... In a league choc full of Div 2 Heat Leaders at the time, no longer would happen again.....