Hawk127

Matt Ford. Said he was looking at something abroad and anything north of Poole is abroad.✌️

If Mildenhall have financial difficulties as is rumoured and I am not casting aspersions one way or the other, the chances are that the current promotion will fold and if the riders are out of pocket then maybe that is the reason they are unavailable. If another track and team is lost there is no way back. NSadly the current state of the sport is probably a contributory factor but letting down another team in their hour of glory is probably unforgivable and Eastbourne fans and riders must be spitting feathers. On a positive note what a send off for Mr Dugard. They did you proud Sir and best leave it as the finest legacy any team could have made.

I am at a loss to understand how far downhill the sport has gone. Mildenhall cannot find enough riders for a meeting at Eastbourne and one wonders whether this has anything to do with the alleged rumours over financial condition of the club and the fact that it is supposedly up for sale. Perhaps riders are unsure about being properly remunerated. Here we are at the end of October and still unfinished business in two of the three leagues. In the upper echelons of the sport Mr May is whinging in the SS about comments on forums and claiming people don’t know all the facts. Well perhaps if he and his cohorts who run clubs were open, honest and stopped treating fans with such disdain and put the record straight rather than let speculation run riot then they would have no need to ‘blast off’ as he says. The comments on here and elsewhere manifest themselves primarily because none of you at the BSPA know fact from fiction and if it is so frustrating Mr May do something positive about it. You obviously read some of the comments, get some balls and respond. No one really slags off speedway just those that run it and some who participate or don’t as is the case with riders not bothered about meetings. Why don’t you all reflect on what a mess 2018 has been, admit it and then get your own house in order then you would find fans would have little criticism to make on a public forum, but alas for years you collectively have failed miserably. That Mr May is why people ‘blast off ‘ and will continue to do so as long as you treat the punter the way you do. If it is that bad, shut up shop and do something else, but as long as you involve the public you put your head above the parapet and have to be prepared to deal with the flack. Clearly you are having trouble with it. As the topic implies, it is a fixture shambles which is out of control and gets worse year on year and that sums the sport up as well, a shambles.

So often the Cinderella club but finally worthy trophy winners and the town/supporters should be proud and now just need to deal with Lakeside to cap a fine season and make history for Workington speedway. You all deserve the success and in a season which has been dire run by an inept organisation, Workington is the one bright outcome of a crap 2018. Thank you to the promoters and fans. Enjoy.

I agree. Simply state in the rules that the cut off date is the 31st August for the play off and the league positions at that date stand irrespective of the number of fixtures completed/still to complete. Start the season in April and clubs have five months to complete one home and one away league meeting. Outside those league meetings you can have regional cup (North/South preliminaries and the top of each division meet in a final October to crown regional champions). Those who do not qualify for league play off are put into a shoot out cup meeting. One meeting no home and away. Any team that has a eight point advantage is handicapped in the next race with the highest scoring participant going off 15 metres. It is simply a knockout and the winner goes to the next round and the losers lick their wounds. No second chance. I digress with the above knowing that no one listens but so many on this forum have come up with so many good ideas to make the sport more entertaining with ways to attract new punters etc. yet the collective powers that be think they know what the customer wants. How wrong they are and if by leaving things as they are with no radical changes you believe it’s OK, check your gate receipts next season and let everyone know the percentage fall year on year. With that fall what will you do? Rather than make the product more attractive, you will probably try and reduce the number of meetings further to match the drop in income. No wonder some are on the brink of closure. The BSPA do not deserve the free pool of ideas that are put forward by loyal supporters on here whose loyalty is being tested to breaking point.

And so the shambles appears to continue with the Panthers and Rye House/Lakeside with Workington waiting in the wings and eight days to the end of the month and still nothing decided. Feel sorry for Workington. But what can one say about this joke of a sport. Best decision that the AGM could make for 2019 is scrap the top two leagues and simply have individual meetings. That will give the incompetent lunatics allegedly in charge and control of events time to work out a winning formula for 2020. Until then most supporters have found other things to do because of the irregular fixtures this year so no real loss for the fans who may just crave more speedway if they see some close individual meetings. Alternatively rally around the NL teams that are the future.

It probably has a simple answer but why are Mildenhall not racing the final on Sunday or failing that Friday or Saturday. Thursday seems an odd day and will deprive them of some extra footfall that may have been willing to turn out when no work the following day. Whatever happens Mildenhall have had a cracking season and the trophy really does belong to them and not decided in a lottery meeting.

Just been looking through those few clubs still racing and struggling to rearrange meetings because of the weather. Here we are on October and despite having had a very good summer their have been plenty of teams who failed miserably to get fixtures on when the weather was fine. Excuses will be many but the reality is that no one who is running this so called sport is in control or can manage it. What is wrong with those who own teams that allow this regular annual event to take place? Rules need changing and must be robust. Race by a specific date or forfeit the match. Neither the owners or administrators seem up to the job and they wonder why those who follow the sport are leaving in droves . Has anyone in a position of authority at BSPA level or running a club the balls to come on this forum and explain why come October the fixtures are still a shambles. Clubs at a least two levels have unfinished business and are rapidly running out of dates but I suspect that the usual excuses will be trundled out. Most fans are fed up to the back teeth with the clap trap that comes from the authorities. You have no respect for those who put hard earned cash into your coffers If you are one of those owners of a club and have the balls (and I doubt that no one with voting rights at BSPA level will stand up and be counted) it would be interesting to hear, (and please don’t try and tow the party line,), why you individually or collectively as a member of an exclusive club, have allowed the sport to have almost reach its nadir. Why you cannot be honest and tell the most important contributor, the fans the truth and convince every one of us why we should turn up in 2019 is something I doubt has even been considered. Furthermore what do you intend to do to win back the support of those who have long since drifted off into the sunset. You owe every supporter past, present and future an answer. I would put money on it that none you at club or BSPA level will come on here and tell the truth but I am happy to be proved wrong.

Tai came across very well this morning. Good exposure for the sport. Cannot be bad that the BBC gave the sport this time.

That is a bit harsh. Cheating maybe, champions of a home and away meeting yes but not top of the league that accolade belongs to the Stars. This is just a circus and the clowns are!!!

The Stars finished top of the league with 53 points six ahead of the next team which l believe was Somerset. That makes them top of th3 league and on a full compliment of league meetings they are top of the pile.

Kings Lynn won the league by finishing top but not the championship as per the play off. Hard work was done throughout the year and makes them the true winners and not some lottery meetings.

I suspect that the Stars have run out of options and with Ellis being a poor substitute (is he really the best that was available) sad that history is unlikely to be made tonight. Oh well always next year.

It is really a question of what the leagues look like in 2019 and then deciding that if availability is an issue could the track host NL racing as an interim measure simply to keep it open. If that was an option could it be taken over by the supporters? Hopefully a buyer will be found but perhaps now is the time to think about plan b and c to keep the venue going. Once it is lost that may be it forever. If a buyer is found hopefully it is not at the expense of losing a track in another part of the country. Whatever happens, fingers crossed for the team and the supporters

You reap what you sow. Yes the whole country hates Poole and the bitterness you refer to is of your own making. It is only a poxy speedway meeting and in the overall scheme of things it is irrelevant a bit like Poole. Win or lose only Poole have had the rub of things this evening and what goes around comes around.

No but to capitulate without doing anything means that the refs are god and only one may never made a mistake and he got crucified for it. Challenges should be allowed rather than simply rolling over.

Is the ref in the pocket of Poole.

Why didn’t Allitt get on the phone to the ref. What is the point if refs have carte blanche.

A spectacular failure for viewers and KL supporters.

It seems that KL are simply not up to it. This is boring and it makes it worse that it is a Poole team that are running away with it, anyone else and it might not be such a downer in terms of entertainment. Make it one leg and give Poole the title tonight, let them gloat and rerun the GP on Wednesday or a any repeat GP/SON.

Does it really matter what formula was is right be it that of the 60’s 70’s or 80’s. Riders and machines cannot be compared across the decades and should we all not be grateful that we have a UK or English world champion and the fact that he has won three titles puts him as the best this country has had. The Poles for once are not number one. Tai is young enough to chase those six titles and he has ambition. The sport has a bit more coverage on TV news and in the papers thanks to him winning the title. The other problems in the sport and attracting a new audience is down to the powers that be who run the sport. The guys on the track generally do their job and the rest is out of their control. You do not get much to cheer about in British speedway but this is one bright spot when the domestic scene has been a disaster and without some serious changes by the BSPA, not even Tai can save the sport and they should not ride on his coat tails. They did nothing to actively promote a British rider but they are happy to try and reap the benefit of his success. Well done Tai, you have come a long way in a short space of time.

Unfortunately the luck is not with Tai at the moment but he has one more race to put things right. We know the Poles have good riders but with their refs being involved in questionable decisions and the ‘home’ track advantage it makes you wonder whether it is a level playing field and in this meeting a ref who wants to get out of the stadium in one piece. Maybe next year. Would it not be good to have a final round of the GP in the UK but it will never happen yet these should be shared around Europe.

Possibly Zmarzlik to lose. Cannot see anyone catching him and unfortunately Tai has it all to do. Fingers crossed for him though and how good it would be to see him crowned.

Agree and interestingly he appears on the side of the supporters when it comes to so few fixtures. One point that I think he is spot on about and that is the bikes need to be more rider friendly. For someone who was a very good experienced and skilful rider to almost say the the bikes today would not be for him I think sums up why you have gate and go. The bikes are simply too unpredictable for general close racing. I really believe that he may be a loan voice at the top table which is a shame.

Subscription is the way to go. I use to buy mine at various news agents over the years and on the odd occasion at the track but with subscription it falls through the letter box on a Thursday with very few hick ups. Possibly on a Friday but that is down to the post not the Star and what is more you save money. Agree I would be lost without it and I am an anorak who use to buy all the speedway news papers/magazines, Speedway Express, Speedway Mail etc.