Hawk127

A bit of a long way to go for those of us south of Ipswich and a pity that more clubs do not take a leaf out of the Northern Junior league book and put on a show featuring different levels of skill so that we get a chance to see the future on a regular basis, not just an ‘ as and when someone feels like it’. What is your opinion of the mixed racing and is it recorded or on YouTube?

Agree Neil does appear to be working hard for the future but these youngsters deserve some support on the terraces. Take a look at the 85 cc Gold Trophy that was raced at Rybinsk today. A decent crowd, big screen and although some of the racing is a bit processional (bit like British league racing) the crowd get behind the next generation. Why not have teams with different classes of bikes racing in a meeting. Four man teams at 125, 250 & 500cc with the aggregate points scored then determining who wins the match and the league points. Something different but isn’t that what is badly needed to reignite the interest

Without Guy Nicholls and his Tru7 Group who sponsor the witches, the chances are Ipswich would find it difficult to run. Despite so many decent ideas being thrown into the pot, few on the forum will reach a consensus as to the way forward and with the ‘franchise’ mentality of those running their clubs and reasonable sums of money being put in by primarily local businesses sponsoring local clubs, is it any wonder the current business model is a failure with so much local self interest Perhaps it needs such a major change to fix speedway and that may drive away the dwindling fan base yet I suspect no one has deep enough pockets to take the gamble unless you give tracks an open licence to experiment but that would also mean no league racing. Radical changes such as dropping league racing should be considered by those clubs who cannot afford to run a team sport rather than expect the majority to fall into line with the minority. To owners and promoters perhaps you should cut your cloth accordingly and start thinking of the sport as a whole and not your own little silo.

Keep it up Craig I have you nailed on at 80/1 with an each way net. You can do it.

Is it not time that every race has four riders. If one gets excluded for whatever reason bring in the reserves rather than just have three only. Most people want to see four riders. As to the referee what can you say. Time you had two referees and not one short sighted lunatic. Apart from that not a bad meeting

We would only know that if you know every limited company running each track and then download even the abbreviated accounts from Companies House to assess who is in negative net worth territory or a substantially reduced net worth based on prior year trading. I suspect that for many clubs the numbers are not adding up and hence cost controls need to be put in place to make it an even playing field if the sport is to continue at many venues. Yes you will always try and protect your assets but given the many variables that impact on the sport from rider costs, sponsorship, numbers through the gates, machinery upkeep, stadium rental etc. it is a mystery as to why any sane business person would invest almost to the point of having a blank cheque book. I doubt we have seen the last of troubled and stretched clubs.

What has happened to the once mighty witches? 38 - 34 and seemingly finding it tough. Have the team given up or are Redcar in their element tonight. Whatever way you look at it a stronger team would be wiping the floor and you wonder whether the witches will pick up any points away from home let alone make Foxhall a fortress

Totally agree. Some of the better racing you see on home tracks is when it is an individual meeting. As you say many of us oldies are bored with the format and teams which are in reality a collection of riders with no loyalty other than to the bank balance which is fine, so give them and the punters what they want, weekly racing at every track with the opportunity to earn. As I have said before, tracks should have open licences and start this off with Rye House. Allow them to experiment with a few individual events at weekends and include different classes such as 500 and 250 cc and make it an event, not just a meeting. Good talented riders will rise to the top and if it is a locally based rider then people will follow. If marketed correctly this could be the saviour of the sport. For those who want club racing, watch the Poles and the Swedes or support an NL team.

All those purists banging on about seven man teams and shortage of riders for a variety of so called valid reasons but far too often you have a six man team with Mr R/R. Some will simply stay away as they pay to watch seven riders racing not six and something as simple as this is lost on promoters. Not necessarily an Ipswich situation but it does seem that the powers that be have an attitude of put up with it as it is what it is. No wonder punters are voting by not turning up. Sad to say but you reap what you sow promoters.

Over powered machines, riders with no track craft and inflation making it far too expensive for riders and punters. Promoters who no longer promote and took the easy money from TV. All gone wrong at roughly the same time. As one politician once said ‘back to basic’ and that is where it needs to go before it can move forward.

Perhaps start with the three leagues and price fix the admission charge so clubs have to build a team to a budget. If they get additional sponsorship that is up to them. Premiership £15 - Concessions - £10 - Under 16 free. Race sheet included Championship £12 Concessions and under 16 as above National £8 Flat rate except for under 16 who will be free. Revert to 13 heat formula and a second half split between the top five riders and the 6,7 and nominated number 8 Allow teams to race on the night that best suits them and if they sign riders who have commitments abroad, they will not be given any facility if the overseas team has priority. Scrap the restriction on over 8 pointers for the Premiership. Revert to home and away twice, k o cup and Craven Shield. introduce a British championship that runs throughout the season with every track holding one round Unless you get all tracks operating under a fixed set of rules when it comes to costs etc it will never work. Fans generally want a weekly fix or at the very least once a fortnight and sorting out the schedule of meetings should not be difficult if the league season runs from mid April until mid September. Clubs given two alternative dates when a meeting is postponed. If neither work they forfeit the league points. This would at least attempt to deal with the shenanigans that go on with rearranging fixtures and rider availability Keep the rule book simple. For example If riders break the tapes or cause a stoppage which requires a race to be rerun (and depending on the cause) it should be all four back with the culprit off 20 meters. The punter pays to watch four riders in every race. Unsatisfactory start, straight back, no pit gate being opened. Mechanics restricted to the pits once a rider leaves to race. it would not be difficult to simplify the running of the sport and introduce some scratch races as part of the meeting like for example the fastest lap or two laps or even bring back the golden and silver helmet match races. The odd tweak might make all the difference but getting all the clubs to cut their cloth accordingly is going to be the stumbling block.

Why not put together a team of NL riders, arrange some challenge matches and individual meetings and forget the rest of the league season. Afterall the witches are only making up the numbers now and so how about putting on some entertainment and see what riders can be unearthed for next year. Riders turning up knowing that team places are up for grabs will certainly be going all out.

Says it all about the feelings of supporters where you have 191 following on updates and only one page of comments. The sport really has reached its nadir. Sad state of affairs but the following is so poor.

I have started to believe that it has become a case of look after number one and collectively the promoters will never agree for the good of the sport. Each club must have a threshold where you say my business cannot continue on this basis, it is not financially viable but rather than all work together to help each other and take the appropriate action to cut costs, it seems that for those clubs who are in difficulty it is tough luck, your problem, not the BSPA. Either that or they have collectively all gone so far down hill that none of them know what to do any longer to save the sport. These are suppose to be businessmen yet some of the decisions are pure madness. The lack of transparency is worrying and way they treat the punters, their number one asset is beyond belief. I don’t think they will wake up until it is too late let alone get a chance to smell the coffee. As an example why not loosen up on the rules of running a track, cut the owners some slack and allow tracks to have open licences to run speedway in whatever format suits them as a regional business. They are in effect a franchise and need to sell Tom the local market. What you do in Newcastle might not appeal to punter s at Lakeside . For example Rye House might then be able to rebuild some confidence and win back supporters with some open meetings and a mixed event including other two wheeled sports. Don’t stop riders taking part because it does not suit your current business model. RH was never ever going to be a successful weekday venue. Since 1974 when Rayleigh moved in and before that it has been a weekend venue. History tells you that so why force a club to race mid week. No doubt other tracks are on the brink and is it not time that the promoters turned to the supporters for help rather than shun them.

Reckon you have been conned - Rolex is the correct spelling. Might be a Chinese version which have additional duties and tariffs imposed by President Clump. I also believe Clump is replacing Greg in the next SGP at Cardiff. The referee is a guest, Boris Johnson. Clump tried wrestling so why not lawn mower racing.

Does a 41 - 37 score give confidence to both teams. A close match and if the aggregate score counts the chances in the return match are far more interesting than a major collapse by either side in the last three heats. Always remember, mhappiness is a 40 - 38. Longing for the days of the 13 heat close result and a 39 - 39.

Why is it you cannot get excited by a live TV match in the U.K. but show a recorded Polish match and you realise just how good Speedway is and why most love the sport but sadly not the product dished up in this country. Flogging a dead horse comes to mind although using this phrase is possibly politically incorrect. Lost the plot as far as entertainment value is concerned. Sad state of affairs.

Totally agree. Surely though it is not beyond the wit of the fixture compiler(s) to ensure that every team in the league has a minimum of one home fixture every two weeks between April and September if they all race on any day between Thursday to Sunday to at least ensure some momentum and fans know that at least every two weeks (barring rain offs etc.) The farce is that they cannot even do that and you go three or four weeks with nothing. If teams are able to race more frequently then so be it. One league meeting home and away and the KO competition is simply not enough to sustain interest. To reduce costs but maintain regional interest either have a competition with the top two from the North versus the top two from the South home and away. Also have a British Championship where every rider gets a chance to compete and each track holds at least two meetings. As it stands the sport has nothing new to offer except a policy of ‘less is best’ which clearly from a fans perspective it is not.

I think they have a meeting this week if you believe what Jon Cook has said on the Lakeside website. Will they disclose what is being discussed and any decisions reached? Doubtful apart from a short one line statement. The article in the Speedway Star from Sheffield stating that fewer meetings had to be the way and the reasons behind it may have some merit and could be a contributory factor to the financial state of some clubs. Fewer meetings does not change the fact that the stadium landlords still want the same rent or an increase over last year. Riders costs are increasing and the financial burden puts pressure on the cash flow and why would sponsors flock to invest in a failing sport, hence the greater reliance on increasing numbers through the gate but the opposite is happening. Did anyone do the numbers to see what crowd levels were needed to meet all the costs of fewer meetings and the contingency plan as folk find other things to do when they have so many blank race nights when previously most of the fan base had been used to a weekly fix from March to September. Collectively the owners of clubs ought to take a step back and perhaps take on board some of the views from the most important asset critics and source of income, the customers. It just seems like they are burying their head in the sand and treating generally most with such contempt that even harden supporters are drifting away. Most if not all on this forum want the sport to survive and thrive but it is just not happening. Those in charge need to ask the customers what is wrong but you can ignore them at your peril.

The sport is on its knees, fans are deserting the sinking ship, other tracks are on the verge of going out of business, one promoter is intimating that as a professional sport it has had its day for now, when will the BSPA wake and do something? What will it take for those in charge to do something positive to try and save the sport? What about an extra ordinary meeting of the BSPA and a public statement as to what they plan to do? When will the powers that be stop taking the p... out of the supporter? Luckily at the moment the clubs have some hard core support who do not what to see their team disappear. All the rumours about new tracks should be quashed and a statement from the BSPA should make it clear that no new clubs will be entertained but these tracks can apply for open licences. The sport is in possibly the worse state that it has been in a generation. Do all UK supporters need to act as one and all get together to challenge the authorities? Having watched the sport since the late 60’s and seen the ups and downs it is sad that it has reached this state. Time for clubs, supporters and all interested parties to work together or soon rather than later racing as we know it in this country will pass into history. Act now or repent at leisure.

I think due process has to be done. You and no one else has any rights to,act as judge jury and executioner. If what you say is true then the authorities will deal with it in accordance with the law. You have no rights to know anything at this stage and it could prejudice the correct outcome of what may be a serious allegation. Do everyone a favour and curl up under your Aussie shell and mind your own business. Let due process take its course. Your assertions probably have little to do with the Rye House current track/meeting issues and add nothing to the substance of the debate.

The comments were made on facts and based on what is in the public domain. Late filing of accounts etc can be verified by going on to the Companies House web site. The references to other issues is not relevant and for the record I have no knowledge of any suicide or the full facts re the Stoke situation. Those points iarebnot for this thread and doubt that they have any bearing on the cancellation/ postponement of meetings for Rye House. Sticking to the issues is probably the best advice as anything else may just be over stepping the mark.

Maybe the problems revolve around the financial status of the company that runs the speedway. Warren George Scott is a director of several companies including BMR Speedway Ltd, BMR racing Ltd and Warren Scott Racing Ltd. Three companies in which he is involved are on notice about late filing of accounts and that includes both the BMR companies. Warren Scott Racing has a major controlling interest in BMR Speedway. All three companies have given security including charges to Clydesdale Bank. It is possible that the businesses are cross guaranteed and if one or more are in financial difficulty, this would create events of default as far as the bank is concerned and unless the default is rectified within a fix agreed period the bank could crystallise its security to protect its position. It could take just one creditor to file for a winding up order and life becomes difficult. The speedway issues or more particularly the fall in income could be the catalyst that have forced non related parties to take action due to a deteriorating financial position where possibly the business is unable to meet its debts as and when they fall due. The suspension of racing would in effect protect the directors particularly if the company were to be trading insolvently. Hopefully the aforementioned scenario is not right but if it is then it may take sometime to get all parties onside.

Whilst the powers that be can share some of the blame for the current state of things, perhaps the fan base being so fixed in their ways does not help. Many tracks dare not run anything other than a league or cup meetings simply because the fan base does not want to see individual meetings and running the club on the limited number of meetings is in itself no longer enough to make it viable given the pay demands and cost of machinery. I still don’t quite understand the lack of interest with individual meetings when some of the better racing on TV has been those featuring individual riders. Perhaps if you had an individual championship that meant something to all participants and it could attract a sponsor or decent pot of winnings this might throw up one or two characters which the sport needs. You could have riders representing clubs and the gross points scored by those representative riders go towards awarding a team championship. On the reverse it might just be that league racing as currently set up will not work in this country any longer. Perhaps it has had its day as a seven man team sport. Riders rarely ride as a team and as has been said on many threads most riders want to earn a living and really don’t care who they ride for as long as they are on the track being paid. Clubs should be allowed an open licence and the new perhaps have the option of running league racing where strict rules apply to teams and rider availability and others run at NL level with individual meetings and challenge matches etc and if necessary put on a two wheeled evening with a reduced league racing format, short track and perhaps some other form of racing. It is difficult but one thing for sure i# that joe public have fallen right out of love with the current format, lack of meetings and racing on nights that don’t work for a variety of reasons for most of the punters. i still think that it needs to put its own house in order and if that means going back to basics so be it but forget the other nations, start ploughing our own furrow.

I think two leagues. One NL and the rest and if it is the same number that are open today in the pl and cl then it must be regionalised for financial survival. North and South each with own league and final being between winners of North and South. Cup competition on a national basis, best pairs, 4TT and individual British championship with every league rider eligible with qualifying rounds and final in September for the top scorers. Anything that stops the rot and wholesale closure of tracks.