Hawk127

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.

The sport in the U.K. tends to have a history of racing seven nights a week and clubs rode on those nights that suited the local fan base. With few exceptions popular race days were Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Others found success on alternative nights because of the number of clubs in the various leagues. Now the sport has to share the action with other nations this is not conducive to the uK business model. Tinkering has failed. Ignoring the fan base has failed. Only the NL (except Stoke) seems to be getting on with entertaining the punter and providing opportunity to new riders. The BSPA have failed to listen and learn. They think they know best and that may possibly be right but those that really count, the fans do not agree.

If the team are unable to continue and that in itself is a sad state of affairs and the blame must sit with the BSPA who voted through the changes that have had such a detrimental affect on clubs and in turn lead to supporters not turning up on ‘off’ race nights one must hope that the speedway track is retained and perhaps an open licence can be granted to run some individual meetings and possibly share with short track until something more permanent can be sorted out. The sport really has hit a nadir and those in charge should hang their collective heads in shame. Time to have an emergency BSPA meeting, sort it out now and not November and allow clubs to revert to race nights that offer the best chance of getting punters through the gate and clubs generating some income. Sod Poland and the other nations, start thinking of number one. Are you listening BSPA?

I agree with Dean on the point of riders being unable to control the machines or having any track craft. Take a look at the Wolves match last night and most riders were all over the place. Some blame the track and the shale etc but the fact is the bikes are simply Set up in such a way they are overpowered for the tracks and conditions which demonstrates the lack of knowledge amongst many to read the conditions. Most riders are a liability to themselves and others and this is probably why many races are strung out and team riding is generally a thing of the past. Riders trust neither the machine, their own capabilities or those of the other three riders on the track. Years back this was not the case. Irrespective of Stoke’s woes, no one wants to see a track close and let’s hope a way forward can be found to resolve the issues.

This really is a poor public display and when you listen to the line up,with guests etc. This is one reason why supporters are drifting away. The sport is a joke.

The sad thing is that despite the many valid points for and against the fixed race nights raised herein and in particular how the sport could be improved no one who is in charge of speedway in the UK is listening or gives a fig and the riders tend to look after themselves. Supporters, fans, followers, all area irrelevant, the only thing management and riders are interested in is the entrance fee paid and the income from other areas such as food, car park, programmes etc. that go towards paying over inflated wages and money spent on bikes etc. The sooner the two guilty culprits realise that funds/followers simply do not generate sufficient income to make their demands viable. Why else are so many clubs in dire financial straits and so few new potential riders of the right quality and skills coming through the ranks. A radicle change is required but it will not happen. At the moment you have fewer meetings and lack of continuity with some clubs racing at home once every three weeks and this is another nail in the coffin. I doubt that any of the current encumbents at the BSPA are capable of pulling the preferable rabbit out of the hat and fewer clubs will be coming to the tapes in 2019.

Sad news indeed. Looking back it seems that some sort of controversy arose over Kelvin where Kings Lynn were claiming he was theirs. The good news was that he donned the Rockets colours on Sunday 4th May in a league match against Crayford scoring three points from four rides. The match result was 39 - 39 with top scorer for Rye being Brian Foote with 11 and for Crayford Laurie Etheridge with 12 point maximum. As an aside after 13 heats you had a further 8 races. The cost of a programme 10p. Kelvin went on to be one of the characters you never forget with that cheeky grin and as already been said, another type of speedway character that just simply does not exist today. RIP and thanks for being a ‘special one’ who made speedway entertaining.

Yours and Ipswich then bring Scott back to where he belongs. One last hurrah with Ipswich having Scott , Chris Harris and Rory leading the team they could then look at some up and coming NL riders who the old timers could train and educate? At least it might be entertaining and building for the future with the NL riders learning from racers rather than gate and go merchants. Then again the the idea of entertainment is of no interest to those who run speedway and the trainees think they are better than they really are so back where it started with no team racing and over inflated egos.

Unfortunately the way the meeting schedule is it would seem that many clubs have little chance to turnaround their fortunes. Stop,start for a variety of reasons and the inconsistency of racing feels like the whole thing is falling apart. Witches came close to shutting down once before and while it has a loyal following the lack of regular Thursday night meetings must be worrying for those running the club. Add to this the poor performance of one or two riders and the chance of making the play offs is seemingly a long shot with the current team. Success leads to better gates but the fans have only so much patience. One has to wonder what is the future for the witches. This great name is being dragged down into the mire by circumstances beyond its control. It is sad to think that not so long back it was the good old days, you had regular Thursday night speedway from March to October. Now it is a pale shadow of how good it once was and when you look back at so many great names who have graced Foxhall and worn the Witches race jacket, Jarek, Mark, Tony, Jeremy, Tobi, Ben, Chris, Tony, Piotr and many more who rode with pride for the witches. It is not rose tinted glasses. The reality is it was better not so long back and unfortunately it i# going down hill rapidly. Now it has to be fingers crossed which teams will come to the tapes in 2019.

Perhaps the reality is that the sport is dead in the water financially and it will need to eventually revert to semi-amateur status to survive. Not sure about the licensing these days but in years gone by tracks had an ‘open licence’ and could run individual meetings but not compete in the league. Maybe that is the only way some stadia can keep speedway tracks open. Rye House use to be one such track. I don’t know the answer but weekends and regional leagues might see more travelling support etc. but many hardy supporters are even unlikely to travel any distance if it looks cloudy as they have little confidence in the meeting actually going ahead. For too long the punter has had a raw deal and the powers that be have a long hard journey ahead of them if they want to rebuild the faith and gain the confidence of the supporters. Something radical probably needs to happen but with these so called businessmen allegedly running tracks/teams at a loss you have to question their sanity. If they are trading at a loss, are they trading insolvently? If the answer is yes then some should be calling in the administrators now otherwise the directors become personally liable as the limited company status no longer protects the shareholders/directors. Will the truth ever come out. Only when it is too late and most of the problems are because the sport is managed so badly.

The execution of this decision added to which you have fewer meetings in the Championship meaning that no team/rider can get some momentum going and probably a further reduction in fans going to mid week meetings probably will result in disaster for some clubs who may not come to the tapes in 2019 and others with a bloody nose financially speaking. Racing does not match the quality seen in individual events such as the British Final yet most supporters are fickle and only want league racing which is and will never be what it was many years back. Bikes have changed, with few exceptions riders can’t team ride and the double up is a joke and with no hope of the top stars ever returning to British racing you have a sport in its twilight years. It is going nowhere and those in charge have dug such a huge hole from themselves it is unlikely they can get out of the mire that they have created. The current fixed race nights are a disaster for the sport and would only work if the fixed days revolved around weekends and for that to happen and possibly see clubs survive, the sport at domestic level has to forget the other nations and start to rebuild for the future. The chances of that happening are nil.