Hawk127

Some great pictures and the Saturday night under flood lights is brilliant. Looked like good crowds on both days. Thank you for sharing these. Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Berlin on this occasion and really missed the action. For those who have never been it is worth giving it a go and if you can get to one on the European meetings you will not be disappointed. I would also like to thank Conkers and Iris for always providing updates, reports photo and video etc. and other valuable information, it is greatly appreciated and the best reporting you can get.

I have some old programmes from Rayleigh, Crayford and Rye House covering home and away matches which includes 1969 through to 1974 plus other memorabilia such as ‘Stop Press’ in 1972 as well as Ipswich progs 1995 to 2008 and Arena Essex and a few Mildenhall progs plus books from the 80’s and GP prog for 2007. Also press cuttings from Rayleigh 1970 to 1973 and an old programme board etc. Any idea who may be interested in this collection.

Maybe this could serve as a wake up call. Simplify what seems to be a overly complicated product. Basic rules. After all you have four riders in a race, four laps fixed helmet colours, simple points system. Add no gardening at the tapes, restarts, straight back to tapes, no mechanics on tracks, tactical substitute as and when, thirteen heats and riders contracted for the season only. No assets and no loan fees. One possible change, grade riders. That is it. Any issue over which riders are in what league is scrapped. North and South leagues only with the second tier being the NL. What more do you need.? One down side though. Thirty odd club owners who cannot agree what day of the week it is let alone deliver a simple product that they have managed to take to a level of complication that baffles rocket scientists and professors. That is why it is such disarray.

The lack of good close competitive racing is partly to blame for even those regulars no longer going as often as they used to let alone newbies. This is could be partly down to the bikes being far too powerful for the tracks but the lack of skilful riders who often seem to be hanging on for dear life is a contributory factor. The art of team riding is virtually dead. Get back to basics and make the sport entertaining rather than processional to the point where you might just well be at a drag race meet rather than a team match. As has been said if the product is good enough then price is not an issue but given that most supporters seem to want no more than a league meeting is it any wonder the racing is what it is with infrequent fixtures, lack of talent coming through and what is perceived as poor value for money with no more than circa fifteen minutes of racing over two hours. In this fast paced instant action society and the lack of patience amongst many, something needs to be done to make it a slicker presentation with more races and perhaps different types of racing alongside the league match. Have a contest for the fastest lap or two laps and allow betting. Each team can nominate four riders if it is two laps then one rider goes first and pulls off the track and the opposing rider comes on immediately to do their two laps. This could be after every three races and the four fastest compete in a grand final after heat fifteen of the league match. Just an idea but someone somewhere needs to think outside the box. At the moment presentation is as dull as dish water. Television does help in some ways but live meetings are not the answer. If you sit at home for two hours to watch a live meeting on TV, why on earth would you want to travel to the track. Put more racing into those two hours and people may think it is worth while but not as it stands with delayed starts, gardening, etc. Which makes it boring and an unnecessary waste of time.

At Rayleigh Peter Moore, what a wily old character who could really gate and was the only rider I can recall with slightly raised left hand side of the handle bars. The other was Bob Young. Another cracking rider who in style rode a bit like Batchelor does now. Those were the days.

I do not understand why Scott is excluded as in theory he did double up albeit as guest for Sheffield and Ipswich. It might be down to the exact definition of double up. Is it permanent signing for a club for a full season or riding in both leagues possibly as a floater. Who knows the mysterious ways in which the rules are made and then interpreted. No wonder most supporters think the powers that Be have lost the plot. Bit like the number of meetings this season. Less means more. I doubt it. Simply putting ‘reserve dates’ in the list of meetings is a joke. Take a look at the number in the Ipswich schedule.

I think the days of regular weekly speedway throughout the season are long gone. Many of the current crop of followers are for league racing only and anything else no longer hits the mark unless it is a GP. Sad really that this is what is on offer now but thankful that I watched the sport for many years when you looked forward to the weekly fix. It was the thrill of racing be it league, knock out cup 4TT or individual meetings. It was the riders and the machines you followed not just the team racing. Too late to change now and less may not mean more in terms of supporters coming through the gate but time will tell. Also not sure how less can be good for those riders trying to make a living from riding unless they are lucky enough to double up or down. It may be similar to last years fixture list in terms of frequency of meetings but it cannot be good to have one home meeting every three weeks. If the stadium is available then could they not have put out an NL team. The other point is that with fewer meetings do the stadium landlords earn less or have they put the rent up. If it carries on with fewer and fewer meetings how long before landlords say it is not worth it any longer as they may make more from banger and stock car racing. So many issues both at national and possibly local level it begs the question, do the custodians really know where they are taking the sport.

It nearly did for Mildenhall and if you look at how close the houses are getting to Foxhall and it would/will only be a matter of time before someone moves in and whinges. It only takes one if the story about Romford was correct.

Whatever the pension payout, many may have contributed to the fund during the working life so will have saved and made financial sacrifices. However in real terms most blacks policies or annuities now offer poor returns compared to a few years back. A £50k pot/fund would get you roughly £2k per annum pension at 65 on a Joint basis. Some will have contributed to the pot possibly through salary sacrifice. This excludes any state pension. Add to the fact that interest rates have been held low meaning that anyone with savings relying on income through interest has lost out in recent years. On the flip side those lucky enough to have mortgages that they can ill afford in normal circumstances have been protected with lending rates that are simply farcical. To harp on about how the younger generation are hard done by everyone needs to consider how long it takes to build up a pot to carry you through retirement. The state cannot support the sick, those who need care etc. Assets are be sold by the elderly simply to pay for care despit3 th3 fact that over the years they have paid NI. To suggest that the pensioners are so well off is written by those you have no idea of the reality and is sensational clap trap. The younger generation need to get their priorities right and start looking thirty or forty years ahead and not the short termism that is so evident in their attitude while whinging that everyone older is better off. Most elderly have worked hard for what they have and those graduates are just starting off on that journey, so they need to plan and stop complaing. No one owes them a living or a right to an inflated standard that so many aspire.

I totally agree. Is it not time that the sport in this country looked after its own. It is becoming slightly frustrating that the up and coming riders who really deserve the backing are cast aside and the British promoters are falling over themselves to bring in overseas riders who cannot generally hold down a team place in their own back yard. People might winge about the old foggies who harp on about the 70’s and 80’s but back then the decent promoters took pride in home grown talent and we did see some real British characters. No point in naming them because most will know who they were. Sad that today few have the courage to take on riders and build for the future. That is one of the reasons why support is dwindling. Promoters think on. You have lost the plot and are signing the death warrant of this once great sport.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Does anyone have a link where I can find all the dates/times of the league meetings in Sweden or do I need to go to each team web site?

If you have BT sport, you can get the app and watch it on catch up or I believe if you open up the menu it comes under the heading of Action Women where you will find this Clare Balding series

At Ipswich it is roughly once a fortnight except for speed weekend. It is not just bangers but a range of cars from stock cars, hot rods etc. To get an idea of attendances at Ipswich, take a look at the face book page for Foxhall Stadium. I think it may also depend on who is running the meetings. Spedeworth run Birmingham, Arlington, Ipswich, Mildenhall, Great Yarmouth, Northampton and Aldershot. They run at a few other venues. Ipswich speedway would certainly like the level of punters that turn up for the four wheeled motor sport and given the number of speedway meetings likely in 2018, attendances on a like for like basis based on frequency of meetings will be easier to judge. I am not comparing one sport against the other but was simply saying if you look at the numbers turning up for the four wheeled sport they seemingly are generating greater revenue than speedway hence from a business perspective why would you battle with the way speedway is run with dwindling numbers through the gate when you can probably derive greater benefit with less aggravation from running stocks, hot rods and bangers.

Thanks for the offer. Magazine arrived this afternoon, albeit slightly soggy.

Having looked on You Tube a number of oval circuits that host banger racing/four wheeled racing some of which do not host speedway, is it any wonder that those promoters/owners do not host speedway or consider speedway secondary income and not worth the hassle given the regime that runs speedway. Simply take two examples of Ipswich and Kings Lynn and look at the numbers that appear to be on the terraces and turn up to watch Banger racing. If only similar numbers turned up for our beloved two wheeled sport. Perhaps those who have some control could learn a thing or two. If the entertainment value is offered and it is properly promoted then just maybe speedeay might see a revival. Until someone is brave enough to get to grips with what is wrong on the promotional front and recognise it for what it is, four riders, four laps and simple points scoring, cut the crap with highly tuned bikes and rules that make it laughing stock, let us see racers with skill and not simply powerful machines that propel the rider, then Speedway will languish as a pastime followed by a decilning and aging fan base. Even Ice speedway appears to get better support if you watch some of the Russian qualifying meetings. Time to wake up and see what is wrong and stop tinkering with the irrelevant. Speedway deserves better.

No sign of it so looks like arriving after Christmas now. Oh well two issues in one week to look forward to.

Wholeheartedly agree. Yes it is harping back to the good old days but being at Rayleigh and getting the many results through from the other clubs racing was always great and we were lucky to have Hackney on. Friday, Rayleigh on Saturday and could look forward to some great local derbies against Romford, Eastbourne, Canterbury, Crayford, Ipswich and Peterborough. Such a shame that so many clubs and characters have long since passed into history. For those fans who were not around at the time, criticise the old timers but the atmosphere and friendly rivalry was second to none so if you were not around don’t mock as you have no idea. Today is different but not the same and perhaps supporters were speedway fans then rather than club, SGP and world cup followers

Agree and to add to this, once the gates are closed the mechanics are not allowed on to the track following tape infringements and or other restarts (except for crashes where riders are down and being treated by medical staff). The other is six man teams given that most clubs seem to operate R/R. Ban R/R and all teams to have a named number 7 rider. No black & white for double points but allow all riders apart from the number 1 to take tactical rides after all riders have completed three races.

I understand the sentiment but that does not deal with the real problem. Dwindling numbers turning up to watch a live meeting. Do what they like tinkering with double up, r/r.etc. if no one is watching it is all rather irrelevant. Give the punter what they want and they will turn up. Allow the tail to wag the dog and you have what is a sad situation that speedway finds itself in. Someone seems to have forgotten about the customer which is what ever supporter is.

Wholeheartedly agree. To add to the debate I am not sure why promoters think that fixed race nights will solve the problem? Has anyone bothered to consult the fans who pay. Is a Monday or Thursday going to suit the majority who turn up having been used to Wednesday or. Friday or a weekend. What happens if many cannot make it because most have busy lives and many other commitments/options. It is pie in the sky to think that the top riders will flock back. Not many clubs can afford them and if it ends up reducing the fan base on a night that does not work locally it is game up for the team and track. The same applies to having a national league of teams dotted around the country. Financial suicide. Supporters do not travel in numbers to away matches unless they are relatively local (Ipswich/Kings Lynn/ Peterborough/ Lakeside/Rye House as e apples) so each club is relying on a dwindling number of locals to turn up come what may. Therefore to add to what has been said above, they seriously need to contsider a spell in the sport where it is regional leagues, north and south and finals in both then the winners of each contest a national championship which will give clubs some opportunity to fill the coffers and rebuild the business. Other team events and an individual championship could if structured correctly give clubs weekly racing assuming that they want to think outside the box. Carry on as is in the blind belief that anything other than radical changes are needed and the sport will become amateur in a very short while. Think about open licences for race tracks and turn the clock back a bit, it was not all bad in years gone by.

All to ride for on Thursday. Wish Rory well and look forward to seeing a large contingent of Panther fans at Foxhall for the showdown. Whoever wins thanks to all the riders.

No intention of meaning all of you. Met some great genuine Panther fans over the years and believe that th core are not represented by a few. Sad that a family sport with real good fans at heart has some down and outs in the r@nks of supporters. Whatever the result grateful that it is an East Anglian derby and hopefully also a good meeting on a Thursday.

Why such aggressive feedback/uncalled comments from Flappy and Jeremy Corbyn fan? Guess it is a reflection of the management riders and track staff of the once gracious Panthers. Sad how times have changed.

Allegedly an unhelpful start Marshall. Nice to hear that the Panthers track team believe in fair play and gentlemanly behaviour. What goes around comes around.