Hawk127

Yes there is a way forward but none of the current crop of club owners are prepared to break rank. It would not be pretty compared to Poland but you could have a decent set up if you offer not just speedway but make the meeting an event with speedway and say short track etc. The same old formula in the UK is different to the rest of Europe and the occasional onlookers who probably take a look on YouTube think there is no cohesion and that in itself shows speedway up as a fragmented sport that is difficult to relate to and comparisons then become difficult. You watch Poland with heat 14 and 15 nominated and then the substitutes etc in those heats whereas in the UK heat 14 is a done deal as far as the programme is concerned and heat 15 follows the Polish format but without the changes. Look at the sport as a form of entertainment and play up to the punter not the throttle jockeys who have little character and cannot be protagonist to wind up the crowd like riders did back in the day. With one or two exceptions, it is going through the motions rather than putting entertainment as a top priority. Sad as it is few do but the exception and one providing excitement is Plymouth who for example the match on Saturday came across on the updates and reading the feedback on the forum as something out of the top drawer so it proves it can be done and I wish I had been at the meeting. Brought back memories of a fine Saturday night at Rayleigh with superb crowds and then during the meeting hearing the results coming through from the other Saturday night tracks and how they affected the league standings. Alas it has gone down hill ever since.

Sadly even the most loyal supporters have become disillusioned with the offering and if you look at the lapsed supporters and even those who use to contribute on this forum no longer bothering it sums up why no one bothers any more. A few hardy souls will traipse along to the meetings but for what, a contrived league that holds meetings as and when and if someone is pissing in the wind it is called off because of adverse weather. Where did it all go so wrong. Time for a major reset and focus on young up and coming talent and stop pandering to a few who see the UK as a supplementary income to fund overheads without the need to over do anything apart from turn up at the track. The riders are not to blame but those who employ them are. These guys are contracted to overseas clubs paying top dollar and they are not going to jeopardise everything for a tin pot Monday/Thursday night league with six clubs where the teams are made up of the riders doubling up who are screwing the system by trying to make an annual return out of possibly 20 plus meetings. For the bean counters, work out how many evenings/days they actually race in the UK and then you have an idea of the restricted working pattern with individuals seeking an annualised return that does not stack up if compared to the alarm clock worker who in person in this the country has to graft five plus days a week or more to try and make a decent annual living. You then ask why would they attend a meeting simply to line the pockets of part timers. The sport has lost its way with supporters, sponsors and the trust of many. Fingers crossed someone comes along with ideas to turn it around because as a spectacle and Plymouth can prove it, racing and excitement can prevail, it just takes balls to offer the public what they want when they want it as opposed to the riders.

Leon Madsen far from happy with the decisions for heat 14 and 15. Did bite his tongue but it seems that rider and club are not seeing eye to eye. Oh well always next week.

Well done to the Gladiators and that heat 15 result. Onwards and upwards with two of UK speedways ultimate professionals. Take a bow Scott and Danny. From the updates it seemingly was a great meeting on the best night of the week to run. Well done to all involved.

Fickle lot and we will never know but it entertained the punter. I enjoyed that meet.

A good nights racing and reminds me a bit of Friday nights at Hackney. Great entertainment and thank goodness that speedway is still being served up at this level. Well done to the riders and the presentation etc is first class. Onwards to the next meeting from Poland.

If you look at the Polish scene then you will know that they have enough talent at all levels and really do not need to rely on a third rate provider such as the UK filling team spaces. Many other European based riders will fill those spots way ahead of U k riders simply because these youngster have a different mind set. One or two U K riders might make the grade but a pipeline of Dan Bewley’s (a rare and unique talent who never knows when he is beaten) is not going to happen so no fear of riders en masse disappearing to Poland. Agree a feeder system is needed and long ago the UK sport had one but today’s promoters nether provide the opportunity or are of the right calibre to recognise what is needed to make a success of the sport.

No not me but you have so many on here who share the views, Mike, Ian and many others who can offer so much more. I agree with all that you say and it needs to gather momentum to stop the sport falling off a cliff in the UK. I would rather watch seven riders trying their best than seven gate and go merchants. As I said standardised the machinery and if necessary grade it in formulas and the top riders can spend thousands chasing the crown while those emotionally involved in the sport ride to entertain and be competitive and gain experience whilst putting on a show for the punters. Short track riders do it and can put on a show. Perhaps ST should consider league racing. At least you would get regularly weekly meetings.

What about next Thursday. Nothing else happening and think of the savings with a curtailed league programme. Just pull two names out of the hat and get on with it. That will have as much credibility as seeing the campaign drag on for another four months with meetings interspersed by weather. It has become a fragmented programme with little to get excited about. A sad state of affairs. If only those in charge took on board some of the feedback from the punters but alas the contempt shown towards the supporters in this country will back fire on in the short term and more tracks will close as the finances will not stack up and they have no chance of getting the lapsed supporters to return. Heads up arses and fingers in ears best describes those who oversee this once great sport.

Apart from the supporters of many years including those lapsed followers It is doubtful that anyone else cares about the facts and now the sport at its highest level in the UK is of little interest and is unlikely to survive many more seasons in its current form. It needs to gamble on starting again with one league and riders who commit to the British league without fear or favour of overseas leagues. Poland pays top dollar and can dictate what the clubs riders do and that is understandable but in the UK that luxury does not exist so stop pretending and stop paying for the service of the European league riders who cannot/ will not commit 100% to UK speedway. That is fine and clubs in the UK just need to build teams without these guys. If the sport wants to have these riders grace tracks in the UK then hold an individual open tournament. For the domestic scene build from the ground up, use a different business model, appeal to a new generation of supporters and make it more accessible to prospective riders by standardising the equipment and embrace modern technology and new formats. Make a meeting more than just a league meet of x number of heats. Have scratch races, the fastest one lap competition, head to head for golden helmet and handicap races. It needs something different and it can be so good but it does not always need the worlds best riders to produce good racing or exciting racing. Can it happen, possibly, will it happen, unlikely given the management of the sport and the fickle supporters who believe the world revolves solely around league racing and then complain about the lack of a pipeline of new talent. Riders of all levels need track time and back in the day they got it with the second half of a meeting, now they are largely ignored by the mainstream clubs.

Ipswich to Leicester would for mostly be by road and no airport exists within a thirty mile radius of Ipswich town so saving on flights is a little bit of an exaggeration. 😀 The problem with the sport in this country is that it employs riders who are hell bent on topping up earnings they make from the European clubs and it is these clubs that provide them with a living and they are not going to take risks that could jeopardise the overseas earnings. British speedway is in the invidious position of failing to offer a competitive form of entertainment because of the participants ultimate goal and it insists on pandering to a bunch of jerks who fly in and out of the UK ripping off UK punters. If anyone believes UK speedway is a viable proposition and stacks up then take a look at every overseas rider who plié’s their trade here and ask yourself do they care about the the UK supporters who partly put money in the pockets of these rip off merchants and will they go the extra mile to ride and entertain. The answer is no. Few punters buy the call off’s and the saving money excuses any longer. It is not a sport but a past time funded by a few soles who use it as a hobby and rely on the die hards to make it work in part for the profit and loss account. How anyone can make money running a business along the lines of UK speedway with a model that gives no control or management to the club owners is up with the fairies.

Tried them but dog fish O’Leary and Salmon Slicer Fillets are the main sponsors who can possibly override any decision by Snatcher Neil Thatcher and the rest of the BSPL. Mayfield might take the line on this but do the ledgers add up. My money is on a float your boat followed by barbless hook two protagonists who are always up for a bit of ground baiting to reel in the punters. We have a chance of turning this around but hammerhead could be a stumbling block, however shrimp o scallop and winkle prawn could be outsiders with the roe to make a difference. I will get in contact with squid malone, he knows every marine mafia. Until then let’s keep this under water .

They do not understand the talent planning to attend, Tanker tail fin, bruiser dorsal fin, bugsey gills alongside handsome predator pike and dodgy lend me your maggots perch with substitutes Roach and Gudgeon and you have a first class field. What is Phil Morris’s problem. Has he ever discussed it with BFRA. No wonder the sport is in a tail spin. I’m off to watch a spot of worm aerobics.

Tanked out again. Can no one cope with water😅 An island surrounded by water as it would be and gold fish following speedway riders by not even giving it a go, no hope for sport in this country. I’m off to the Sahara desert for a bit of sand racing.

How serious? It must be worrying with all that donner and blitzen around. Have they not heard of hair dryers. A job lot from Argos and half a dozen extension leads would have done the trick. No thinking outside the box is the problem with the sport😂 Oh well always got the next round of the European gold fish racing championship.