Hawk127

No you are right and if you go back even further Canterbury on a Saturday and Eastbourne on a Sunday. Many a happy time following Rayleigh on the visits to both these clubs and throw in Crayford, Peterborough and Ipswich, happy times back in the late sixties and early seventies and good crowds with the odd scandal involving fuel additives etc and Dave Lanning or Johnnie Hoskins stirring the pot and the tribal following came to the fore. Romford was another track in the group so you always got good crowds. After the meeting at the Weir all roads lead to the blinking owl cafe on the A127 where the riders also use to go.

Watching the coverage tonight really rams home how poor the t v presentation outside Poland is, they have most angles covered and treat it as a professional sport and if only the rest of Europe and the UK could adopt this. This afternoons meeting showed a young and enthusiastic following with that tribal attitude and that formula needs replicating across Europe and this evenings meeting is another spectacle. We live in hope that others can follow.

Why not repeat yourself to make a point!

A good afternoons entertainment and with it nip and tuck and an enthusiastic young crowd it had just about everything you would want from a finale. On to the next meeting alas the last this season.

Tension mounting what a heat 13.

Great race by Kvech. Deserved that win.

Harsh on Keynan but that’s racing.

Anyone who has access to Facebook take a look at Ipswich stadium and it is packed to the gunnels. Crowds that speedway can only dream of but hopefully a GP at Ipswich and let’s hope BelleVue can stage one and generate a good deal of interest for the sport in the UK. Until then take a look at tonight’s match in Poland to remember/realise how good it can be.

What more could you ask for but some of the best riders entertaining you on a Saturday night. Takes me back to the days at Rayleigh on a Saturday night and Len Silver putting on a meeting that was guaranteed to entertain and waiting for the results to come in from the likes of Coventry, Canterbury etc. Tonight’s Polish meeting is top draw and sad that we have now reached the end of the season. Another days racing tomorrow and again thanks to the guys who help give us this insight to European speedway

As an aside to all the tribal discussion, just seen the World Championship banger meeting starting today at 4pm at Ipswich is sold out and the only way to watch the meeting is on Spedeworth TV. I guess the stadium holds circa 10k and if Spedeworth can organise an event like this then no reason why Mayfield cannot fill the stadium for the GP.

A decent meeting and the last four heats had some of the best racing. Well done to Leon Madsen. These individual meetings in Europe bring out the best in the riders and I only wish we had more individual meets in the UK with some real prize for being the winner. Dream on as far as that is concerned and thanks for the links for this and all the seasons meetings we are indebted to Racers & Royals and Stewmac for the valuable contributions that they make which enable many to watch European speedway. Cheers guys.

Yes that was it and unfortunately I witnessed that one standing on bend 2. Getting old so the memory is not what it was but that was one of the worse crashes I have witnessed and the silence while they attended to Mark was awful.

Did they also run one from Felixstowe or am I imagining that?

I think you might find that the local residents behind the pits area of the stadium and East Suffolk council who are very strict objecting to music and bars added to which the curfew which in itself is amusing. The bikes can race but I believe they cannot use the tannoy system to announce results. Years back the meeting overran and while they raced to the end of the meeting no announcements. It is amusing though that the bikes noise lasts minutes whereas a stock/banger meeting races go on relentlessly for several hours(with short breaks to clear the track) but it always seems that the complaints are about speedway. The plus points are the planned changes to the stands and track and historically the fact that the speed weekends have regularly attracted thousands of supporters, so a GP can easily be accommodated albeit hotels may be an issue for overseas travellers as most are in the centre of Ipswich and i don’t believe that they have direct public transport links to the stadium so that is something that needs to be considered for punters staying in the town centre or arriving at Ipswich Station. I believe that it can be a decent venue for a GP and those who have a downer on Ipswich holding the event should wait and see. Don’t base views on what has been, RC has ambitions and he has a point to prove so let’s give him and his team a chance. Remember he only rents the stadium from Spedeworth and if he has convinced them to make the changes then don’t under estimate what can/will be done.

That was a decent meeting this evening and thanks to all the riders who made it worth watching and thanks to the guys who provide the links so that we can watch some of the best speedway available in Europe. Onward to next weekend.