old bob at herne bay

So speedway with no spectators. Is it possible ? Could a meeting not be streamed online on a pay per view basis ? I cannot see regular "league racing" attracting much of an audience onlne (watched enough paint dry on the you tube offerings ) but if a series of open meetings were arranged with select teams representing a number of clubs maybe that woudl attract enough interest? Not an IT expert so dont know what would be involved - but there are already video companies out there doing speedway videos..... which can be paid for online so if they charged for a one time password to log on to the streaming service would that work ?

As cityrebel says, sad but predictable. Let's not forget that the speedway was effectively killed off by the BSPA decision not to allow Rye House to run on a Saturday evening. That was the beginning of the end. My only surprise is that the site hasn't been sold for new housing development, as did the Lakeside Bowl . Small crumb of comfort is that the local community will retain the land for a sporting activity albeit more b****y football.

Weather looks decidedly dodgy for this tonight ..... recommend you check with te track before setting off

It is hard to understand how any speedway club hasn’t got the same issues clearly highlighted in the Glasgow promotion’s statement. Speedway barely attracts breakeven attendances on a warm sunny evening .... to suggest they will be able to attract breakeven attendances under current circumstances ain’t going to happen. Parents aren’t happy to let their kids go back to school, let alone go out for the evening to a speedway track. As for the more mature sections of society many of them are still reluctant to leave their homes to collect groceries, let alone go out for the evening at a speedway track. All understandable of course .... but doesn’t make Speedway in the UK likely in 2020. I don’t see any proposals from BSPA on spectator safety being promulgated to build confidence........pointless statements saying they are ready to start the season as soon as possible.....so how about each stadium to be assessed for maximum attendance to allow safe distancing. Pre booked online tickets for meetings .. no at the gate ticket sales each ticket has a bookable allotted arrival and departure time window with allocated seating/ standing area.... no wandering around the track permitted. face coverings must be worn at trackside Management of riders/ mechanics to follow polish ekstraliga rules. NO IDEA how you manage toilet facilities. Some tracks have toilets with very cramped facilities ( Eastbournebeing one I know) with no means of safe entry/exit without bumping into people. Sadly the decision making will be like that of rain offs ..... yes the season is definitely ON ON ON and then suddenly it will be OFF. ☹️☹️☹️

WIll the Ekstraliga matches be available to view on any UK TV channels ? Either live or recorded highlights ?

Thanks Mike BV for your opinion. Yes I agree Running behind closed doors has a CHANCE of safely proceeding .... You mentioned F1 ......with its HUGE travelling entourage which has to somehow reach the worldwide venues. Still they have deep pockets and I am sure money will buy a lot of “safety systems. “ Not so for British Speedway which really ought to stop wasting effort on a dream of operating in 2020.

Thanks for replies ..... Oh dear, still some clinging to a dream of racing in 2020. Stuff the format of the league that’s not the issue. This virus isn’t just going to disappear overnight by July or August. ! No thought to how you safely accommodate several hundred spectators spaced 2m apart , allowing them safe access and egress to the stadium ... and safe use of basic welfare facilities ... or are they meant to cross their legs for 3 hours? I wait to see how the Polish Ekstraliga will safely run behind closed doors ....

Thought I would kick this one off early, as the realists amongst us realise that the 2020 British Speedway season will not happen. No clubs in the UK can afford to run behind closed doors. No clubs in the UK have the resources to safely manage crowds attending thier stadia under social distancing rules. No club in the UK can expect crowd levels approaching those of 2019 to come into their stadia, which will have no facilities open. With just the Polish Ekstraliga kidding itself that it can start in June, (heaven knows what happens when a rider is injured and requires medical supervision. ) If it goes ahead it will be like watching the timed SGP practice sessions. Surely now is the time for the BSPA to get together on a Zoom call and start planning 2021. They need to engage with all he riders and all the clubs to agree how the sport can rise from the ashes of 2020 and survive. ?

"Easy Jet have been brilliant" You must be joking. You have been done up like a kipper IMHO. Well, you might have a worthless piece of paper (an IOU ) so if Easyjet decide to remain in business you might get a flight from them form some airport to where you want to go at an inflated price - which will make their "£10" gesture worthless. I have put my refund into the hands of my credit card company for a refund under section 75.

The blue boy is correct. Self employed. Riders are free to negotiate contracts to ride for whoever they wish .... their “businesses” own their assets ( bikes) .

Good points “sings4speedway” i would suggest a club could say to season ticket holders we will honour your tickets for 2021. riders advances race suits - yes they have been paid for but the rider would be told you keep the money but no advance for 2021... race suits used for 2021. they ain’t going to be riding anywhere in 2020. Vans booked ? Cancel the booking . BSPA fees - that’s up to the BSPA if they want the sport to survive ... refund them Tough times and tough decisions but if the sport is to survive action is needed ... personally I am not hopeful that anyone in the BSPA is capable .........

With sporting events across the UK now cancelled until further notice, and Speedway surely set to follow once the BSPA has met tomorrow, can British Speedway put 2020 league speedway “on ice” , and possibly just run some ad hoc open meetings later in the year ? Surely with no meetings, the costs for a club are nil . No rent, no riders wages? These are extraordinary times and covid 19 and the consequential are surely a “force majeure” event ?

Horses cannot catch Corona Virus I guess ... the vets can treat any injured jockeys ..... one rule for some and another for the toffs who run “horsey“ sports.

“Will the premiership start on time ?” is the title of this thread. Hawk127 and The Third Man ......on another planet?

Very much depends on how many people turn out to watch, whatever the government advice. Given the age profile of the majority of supporters I would guess a fair number will stay at home and watch the TV. Personally it is hard to see the situation improving before Easter given recent actions around the World. It will surely put into jeopardy the SGP series with so many travel restrictions now coming into force. Looks like the roarin’ 20’s has started with a real roar. stay safe folks.

Iron Scorpion, apart from the Bank Holiday Monday fixtures, away support at Central Park is a very small number of fans. This is probably true at most tracks ? With the distances involved , and time taken off work to get to midweek meetings, the cost of admission is a relatively minor expense for away support.

Seems each year UK speedway continues its downward spiral to the bottom..... less entertainment and lower quantity teams for more money. Kent’s pitch at CL speedway is just a reflection on how few people are bothered to go and watch. Sadly it’s reflected in the sports magazine offering, with increased costs and less detail on match reports. The sport is slowly failing. Reducing attendances will continue to reduce still further ..... initiatives to attract a new generation of fans will fail unless the accompanying adults turn up with their kids. As for the OAPs .... they are a significant % of fans attending the sport, not sure it’s good business to not offer any concessions. Price comparisons with other tracks don’t mean much in speedway.....people who don’t go rarely to save money don’t suddenly start supporting another team. They just find other things to sped money/time. Not sure Kent can support Championship speedway at these prices with the draconian curfew still in place. Let’s hope the track delivers entertaining racing without the all too regular incidents seen at NL level last season.

Historically Kent have used Bank Holiday Monday afternoons in the NL

Might be tempted to have a punt at seeing CL speedway at Central Park in 2020 ....with the more experienced and capable riders there is a chance that 15 heats will be completed within 2hours which now seems to be the accepted avarage time for a meeting. My concern is that with better riders the slick surface will produce FTG in every heat.( Just like Arlington) Scant details on admission prices ,race night , start time and whether any Kent NL team is allowed to run on alternate race nights?

Not sure Mr. Cook got his promoters "licence" returned - dating back from the closure of Lakeside.

Alf Bowtell has been giving 100% for a couple of seasons now, and really hasn’t improved . Never mastered the tight Arlington track, and don’t see him making any impression at Central Park at Championship level.

thought he rode for the Kent Kings ?

The answer to your question is simply not enough people go to watch speedway in the UK . However you dress it up that is the answer. All the various attempts at tinkering with the rules to cut costs, putting the sport on TV, developing young British riders, have failed to increase attendances. With current attendance levels I am surprised that professional speedway can be sustained in the UK.

Anyone care to estimate the sale price of Poole Speedway ? I struggle to understand what I would be getting for my money ?

Surely riders wages are the only variable cost between PL and CL - all the other costs are fixed whatever league you race in ? As for the costs of Kent moving from the NL to the PL, Len will need also 7 riders, or maybe 6 if Drew Kemp rides at number 7.