B.V 72

Fair play to Poland they have got it right. But for you to as you say Bang on about how good it is in Poland and then state that the British league will never recover until we have full teams to support every week makes me cringe a little. Because in my eyes Poland are playing a massive part in causing a lot of the problems that this thread is all about. As I say fair play to them they are looking after their own league.But by doing this it has a knock on efect on the British league. They restrict riders to 3 leagues(I heard 2 next season) stopping some riders riding in Britain.ie I herd that NKI and Kildemand wanted to ride here this season. They insist on the Polish league has priority even for rearranged meetings that clash with arranged meetings in Britain.Which causes riders to miss meetings over here. I believe because of a new tv deal are moving more and more meetings away from Sundays to other nights causing clashes and riders missing meetings here. Then there is the money they can afford to pay the riders along with better pay in the Swedish league.Thisstops not just the top riders needing to riding in Britain as they can earn enough just riding overseas. Now all the above is causing a lot of the problems in British speedway. Less and less top riders wanting/need or allowed to ride over here. Less and less quality overseas riders wanting/need to ride over here. The need for more doubling up riders to replace the above missing riders. The need to use young riders to early at reserve because of shortage of riders. G Ps and big money meetings overseas causing riders to miss Fri/Sat night club meetings.MONEY MONEY MONEY. Now from my point of view I look at the above problems our promoters have to face(and I know they make a good few of there own)and think that there is not a lot they can do to avoid most of the above problems.Unless they start throwing big money around and bankrupt most clubs within a few years.Thats where all the sky sports money went is it not on top riders pay. This is why I keep standing by the sport I love and keep turning up every meeting the racing on the track is as good as ever.I don't like it but I try to understand why there are guests and doubling up shortage of quality riders(promoters trying to give fans of both leagues some quality riders to watch). I have great hopes that next season that they can sort out 2 separate race nights for the Prem league this should sort out a lot of clashes (guests R/R etc)and giving both leagues some quality and may tempt perhaps not the top riders but a few quality overseas riders back. If they do this I will think that our promoters are at least trying to do something.We all have to realise that we are far from the top league we used to be and the quality is no where near what it was but if you love speedway racing we have to stand by our sport.Things are not great in Sweden so you never know with set nights in a few years riders may prefer to ride here instead of there but we have to keep it going for that to have a chance of happening.

With respect in my opinion TWK will never return to speedway he and others on here are lost forever. Using TWK as an example he say he will not go to watch live speedway because of the double point rule but as he states he still watches it on tv.The double points rule is still used on televised meetings so whats the difference he still watches it. I can understand why he still comes on here like a few others it give him something to do to pass the free hours but I think that if a lot of you are really honest whatever rules are changed etc a lot of you will never return.

Just a big thanks to all the riders track staff and everyone involved in getting the meeting on last night. I came away from and left my wife at an all day wedding to see this meeting and at 7.30 I thought I had dropped a massive clanger. I could go back to the wedding for the last hour or so and justify my absence to my wife by reporting that the colts had rode to a storming 59 - 31 victory giving us a big lead and a great chance of progressing to the next round. Thankfully I have a very understanding wife but the meeting being run made a few funny looks from other guests worth while. Thanks again for everyone involved COLTS FOR THE CUP.

Yes I know speedway has its problems and they have turned fans away. But I still think a major cause is the fact that leisure now cost far more than it used to and people now cant afford to do everything. I can only go off what I have done myself I used to go to speedway and football I cannot now afford to go to both so I decided to drop Football I also don't go down the pub as often.Its choices we all seem to have to make these days and sadly for speedway it seems a good few people have chosen something else.

Just to post a yes vote I buy a season ticket every year for the Aces and the colts and I still love it.Better still now we have the NSS. The sport still has its problems but when all said and done its still 4 guys on a bike racing hell for leather round an ovel track the same as its always been if you leave the problems at the door and just enjoy the meeting.

Just a point about the 20s age group I don't know if it was the same for others.But in the late 70s and 80s when I hit my later teens I discovered ladies and night clubs and was missing from the sport until I married and settled down its then I retuned to the sport and have attended ever since. Could perhaps partly explain the missing numbers in this age group.

Perhaps because without them we would have to promote another 19 or so National league riders and a lot of them are not ready yet, to replace them reducing the quality of our leagues even more. Get rid of a few rotten apples but do not throw away the barrel.

Just scrap it next year problem solved any more problems you can think off.

If they can sort out different race nights for both leagues and there are no clashes there will be no doubling up or down. The riders will just be riding for another team in a different league just like many riders ride overseas for a different team in a different league in Poland,Sweden and Denmark and fans seem fine with that. Just as a eg for next year with no clashes between British clubs going off the teams the riders ride for this years and there is no change. Cook rides for 2 teams in Britain. Bjerre 1 British team and SwedenDenmark. Fricke 1 British team Poland/Sweden. Tungate 1 British team and Poland. They could ride for other teams as well but without researching these are the teams I know about but in a truth if they turn out for Belle vue I do not really care. So my point is with separate leagues and no clashes next year whats the difference in riding for 2 teams in Britain and riding for 1 team in Britain and 1 in Poland none what so ever to me.

How about doing a poll with all the facts. Thanks to Alan Jones for all his hard work showing us the strength of teams if we stop doubling up and have one big league. Wolves 2017 Wolves 2018 Lindgren Lindgren Thorsell L Bjerre Masters Bates Schlein Howe Howarth Campton M Riss Cupitt Greaves Kinsley Choice 1 if they can sort out different race nights for the 2 leagues to stop clashes Hence stop riders missing meetings for both their clubs.If riders still double up we can keep teams like 2017 with a chance that with 2 set nights a few decent class overseas riders might come over to add much needed strength to our league. Or Choice 2 if we combine the leagues to stop doubling up and use all the riders that already race here despite the large difference of class within each team weakening our league to a massive degree we will have teams like the stated 2018 team. Which way will you vote.

Just a question if the talked about fixed race nights Mon/Thur for the Premier league goes ahead and in the past I have read that Sat night is a must to get the supporters in. Would Leicesters fans turn out in enough numbers on a Thursday if the set nights gave them a regular 1 to7 to support every meeting.With there being no Sat problems the club would have as much chance as any other club getting any rider to sign for them. Would the club and fans want to stay in the Premier league. Thanks in advance for your comments

Yes looking good but the top 3 teams have 4 each in the top 18 which should lead to a very competitive play offs.

I can understand why the top riders no longer want to ride over here regular race nights and they can earn a lot more money riding in Poland and Sweden so why do they not just say that. The problem I have is a lot of them have to slag off British speedway before they go.Like a lot of people have said this Country gave a lot of them their start or plenty of meetings for them learn their trade no problems then.Before they were considered good enough to ride for big money in Poland etc the level of opposing riders safe etc no problems then.I agree some of our tracks do need improving but after riding on them for 10 years or so with no problem they all of a sudden become unsafe. I would ask the question of Doyle of your recent big injurys did any of them happen on a track used for British league meetings and what level of safe rider you were up against. I have no problem if a rider moves on for better pay etc we would all do it and would welcome them back at anytime.But if a rider slags off our league before he goes when his form drops off a little and he is no longer wanted in Poland for me he would at that time be no longer wanted back in Britain ever. I agree that Poole's track needs work but don't you think you should have mentioned your own Kings lynn track as well.

The way I am looking at it is that if they race on different nights and there are no clashes.Then there is no du/dd the riders are just riding in a different league just like the ones that are riding in Poland,Sweden and Denmark. I think that with different race nights there will be no clashes and if fans get to see their full team every meeting just like there riders riding for a team overseas they wont give it much thought. To me its the clashes, missing riders,guests, R/R that pisses fans off not the fact that there rider rides for another team.

Nothing is set in stone. I don't know you might get the odd clash but its got to be a massive improvement on what we have now.As I have said people seem fine with riders riding for overseas teams but over the season I bet a good few of them have missed matches to ride for there other team.Jack Holder missing the 4s being the most complained about. There's bound to be a few clashes here and there its the way things are these days.But racing on different race nights seem to me to be the best way of stopping clashes and still gives both leagues quality riders for the fans to enjoy.

Please comment on the real content of the post and not just the little jest I put in there thank you. if they can arrange different race nights there should be no clashes.There is more chance of a rider that has an overseas club having a clash.An eg K Bjerre missing from Belle vue tomorrow night due to racing in the Danish league.

Next year if they manage to have different race days for the two leagues and avoid fixture clashes which will mean that each club from both leagues will have a full line up for every meeting.Then I do not understand this mind set it seems that its ok for a rider to double/ triple up for other teams overseas But not ok if he doubles up for a team that rides in the same country. If he does not miss any meetings for any of his teams what's the problem. If its just a problem when a rider rides for 2 clubs in the same country then with this mind set you should be ok if he doubles up with a team from Scotland. If a rider turns out for your team for every meeting what does it matter in what country his other teams ride in.

A point on this thread is that if they sort out different race nights for both leagues for next season and some of your riders ride for a Premier league team as well but do not miss any of your meetings would you care if they did that.

Question - Does anyone on this thread still go to watch speedway live or are you already lost to the sport complainers. No offence intended but it might help me understand some of your points of view.

For me if they can sort out different race nights for our 2 leagues with so many overseas riders no longer wanting to ride here doubling up is the only way to go. R/R guests etc is what really P's fans off which is caused by fixture clashes if they can sort different race nights for both leagues most of these problems will go away. Even though we have lost a lot of top and middle order overseas riders with the aid of the top Championship riders doubling the Premier league is still a very competitive league this year with 6 teams at the start of August still in with a chance of reaching the play offs 7 if Kings lynn had not had their problems.This says to me that most of the teams are fairly well balanced which has led to many close meetings for me to have enjoyed.And the prospect of a very close exciting play off's which any of the teams could win. With perhaps the exception of Doyle most of the teams top 5 including clubs number ones beat each other on a regular basis.The only let down in the league through no fault of their own(they are not yet ready for this league) is riders like Smith,Greaves,Clegg and Ayres etc even though they have the odd brilliant ride and beat a top 5 rider which is great to see. Now if we go down the one big league route all the teams would have to share the top riders share the Championship middle order and reserve riders and then add perhaps 2(a lot not ready yet) National league riders to each of the teams.Losing all the fairly well balanced teams the 2 leagues have now.What sort of racing would you get with such a mix of very different classed riders in each race some would walk most races and you would have some riders trailing at the back.I and I think most fans go to speedway to watch good close competitive racing with teams like these most of that would be lost and i m o a lot more supporters would be lost to the sport as well.

We are not the only league that has doubling up.In the Swedish top league bar Lindback,Lindgren,Thorsell and P Karlsson every decent Swedish rider inc Sundstrom,Ljung and T H Jonasson double up.The difference is their two leagues ride on different night and there are no clashes so it is not a problem. So as I have said before if the BSPA can sort out different race nights for both of our top leagues and there are no fixture clashes doubling up will not be a problem. Like I have said before if we get our act together and there are no fixture clashes whats the difference between Dudek doubling up with Zielona Gora and Vetlanda and Harris doubling up with Rye house and Peterborough apart from Harris's two teams ride in the same country.

I am talking about doubleing up/down riders

Its like they do not know that most of their riders ride for other clubs.Hampel Vetlander.Thorsell Wolves and Rospiggarna.Dudek Dakarna.Protasiewicz Indianerna Doyle Swindon and Rospiggarna. The difference is that their meetings do not clash.So if the BSPA get their act together for next season and have separate race days for the Premiership and the championship to avoid clashes what will be the difference.

Well done Leicester on their deserved win. But I am not surprised at the result fielding 2 very poor reserves who from the start i could not see how they were going to score many points and R/R for Fricke.It was always going to be difficult with a poor reserve riding in 8 of the 15 heats and a big ask for the other 4 riders to score at least 43 point between them. Not putting Leicester down but with a full team I think we would have had no problem winning this match. Thoughts towards the play offs of course we need Fricke to recover in time and be back to top form very quickly for us to have any chance at all.Just like Wolves with Masters. Here's hoping for 4 fully fit teams for the play offs and may the best team win.

On a personal note sorry to hear that Kyle is injured again no luck this season at all. Re the meeting Kyle missing could be a big game changer with a 4.22 average the quality of rider replacing him should not score anything like he would giving our reserves more of a chance of scoring some points.