Hawk127

Why. You suddenly become the fat controller. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but clearly you think your view is the only one that counts. If you don’t like it tough, do not read it. As I have said trolls like you are not speedway supporters. I could give you some advice but the powers that be would probably ban me. For now FO.

Promoting stopped back in the late 70’s. I can remember seeing posters etc around Rayleigh and on the A127 etc on most race nights and plenty of articles in the local press. Saturday night and bank holidays at the Weir were packed with families in the stadium and a good smattering of away fans on the back straight. Best were Eastbourne, Ipswich, Canterbury and Crayford but you also had Bradford, Sunderland, Crewe, Ellesmere Port and others who made the journey. Alas this has all gone now and we are left with a shadow of what it used to to be.

Ipswich have been fortunate to have many a loyal supporter through thick and thin as have one or two other clubs. Unfortunately missed opportunities to reinvent speedway itself such as after the pandemic were not taken up and instead the status quo has been maintained which has not helped Speedway UK. It does not have the crowd following, infrastructure, stadia or t v exposure that Poland has and the reality is it never will. Cut your cloth accordingly and look first at the domestic structure and then the global scene going back to the old days of international series and the cream of domestic stars rising to the top to compete on the world stage. As it stands the UK riders in general have ideas above their capabilities and need to get real. A few can make it but 95% are never going to match the Poles let alone some of the other nations. Look at the USA, who had the world at their feet and then it all fell apart. Speedway UK is at the crossroads, act now or it will disappear into oblivion.

Just watching the introductions to the Polish meeting on tonight. Where did it all go so wrong? This use to be Ipswich on a Thursday with weekly meetings but now hit and miss, poor fixture scheduling and a sport that in the UK is on its last legs. Those that run the sport have capitulated and we are left with the dregs. A very sad situation but thankfully many on here will have seen the best of days when weekly racing was the norm and supporters turned out for individual meetings as well as the 4TT and local derbies. Best get to live meetings when you can because it cannot last as is.

Same riders as in Poland but not the same enthusiastic crowds or professional presentation. It is good to see these matches and you can see some good races. but alas it is a bit flat in terms of presentation and along with the UK TNT presentation is a long way behind the Poles in terms of being a spectacular event that makes you want to go along to the track week in week out. It use to be good in the UK with weekly meetings at your local track but no longer. Perhaps the sport needs a European super league to reinvent itself and make it more appealing to the public at large and then leave it to the lesser nations to run a domestic league on days that suit the local track rather than being forced to run league meetings dictated by external factors. It is good to see these matches and live TV but it can do little to encourage punters through the gates when the stadia are relatively empty.

You are wasting your time on this forum. Simply watch, observe and digest if you can and do not bother to respond, this place is no longer for genuine speedway followers but for the trolls who believe that no one else is entitled to a alternative view or valid comment. This use to be a genuine exchange of views from genuine speedway supporters but now, with a few exceptions it is just a cesspool of vitriolic views by few and fewer real supporters of the sport. Watch the response to this to see what it is like.

Vintage Nicki Pedersen. Great race

Not defending the promoters entirely (yes they do have a few faults) but with the apathy amongst the speedway supporters for wanting nothing other than a league meeting and shunning individual events as well as the NDL, what else can a promoter realistically put on as a meeting that will grab the imagination of new punters. Years back you had the second half where newbies got a chance to pit their skills against established riders and in a good few cases you could follow the progress of a rider as they developed from a second half rider to reserve to main team and then into the top league starting at reserve and hopefully moving on in the sport. All riders need track time to hone their skills but that comes at a cost to the promoters most of whom rent the stadia. Just take a look at Poland and see the various opportunities for all classes of rider. Yes Poland has far more practice tracks than we have in the UK but the Polish supporters don’t just turn up for a league meeting. Years back I can remember meetings being packed with families out on Saturday night to watch the likes of Rayleigh, Canterbury, Coventry etc and what you now see in terms of Polish supporter and mixed age groups, you did once have that over here. The business model in the UK no longer lends itself to full time top tier racing particularly given the restrictions of movement on riders and equipment since Britain left the EU and with the ease that riders can cross borders in Europe to race, why would they bother with the UK unless they are getting a good wedge for the effort and that pushes prices up for everyone. The sport needs to look at its lot and decide what works financially and stop pretending it is something that it isn’t . With the increasing decline in tracks and the lack of talent coming through the ranks it is only a matter of time before you are down to a handful of tracks left operating and a few more amateur clubs operating on an open licence with individual race meeting events possibly share these events with th3 likes of short track racing and side cars.

Ipswich not having a good time of it. What happened to Dan?

Fingers crossed for Jason that was awful crash. The fact that everyone looks so worried makes it worse. Here is hoping.

I agree but those in charge should have done the equivalent of a risk assessment to conclude the what if. That may be giving too much credence to those in charge who can understand a risk assessment and have a brain. The outcome seemingly reduces the T V audience by default and speedway in the UK disappears into the ether. Well speedway GB.

Other than speedway anoraks who would know this meeting took place and for the t v viewing public, who would pay TNT, therefore what does the avid follower of good racing expect. A shame that a wider audience such as was the case with Eurosport is deprived because on the insular self interested decision makers who negotiated away the t v rights to the sport on a platform that few are willing to pay a premium to watch. What are these fools on, the sport needs to reach a wider audience not some niche broadcaster (in speedway terms which is not what the sport needs).

Just took a look at the DMax highlights of the GP. Simple question, why did they bother? Unless something went wrong with the recording you do not even see the final. WB has shafted the GP series. Well done to those in charge of the sport who sold out to this bunch of amateurs who do not have a clue. Whoever put that programme together needs firing. Luckily to watch a GP other free alternatives exist.

Not that bad a meeting with the home side having to come from the back in a number of races. Maybe one sided but the racing to get the results was worth watching and in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. I would not mind going to a meeting on Friday night with a crowd like that. Brady Kurtz seems to be going very well. Let’s hope Maceij is OK

Every team has the opportunity to build a competitive band of riders like Ipswich but it takes effort to attract the sponsors and the backing to build the best with a reputation for fairness and paying wages on time. How many clubs have mismanaged the financial side by under estimating the income, the numbers of supporters, the attractiveness of the product and then give some thought to trying to compete at a level which in reality they can ill afford. The UK could put together at best three or four teams that could hold their own in the top tier of Polish speedway, the rest are fodder making up the numbers to satisfy a piss poor T V contract and the egos of a few promoters who have never promoted anything in their lives. if you want to know what promoting is all about then go back to the successful days of Wally Mawdsley, Len Silver, Dave Lanning, Johnnie Hoskins, Ian Thomas, Graham Drury and a good few more whereas today look what you have got, fools and the money which is soon parted and no cohesive response to what is wrong with the sport in this country. Most of those running clubs have heads up their own arses. You have no real strategy for new talent which is ignored by the majority of hard core supporters who believe the only real fix is league racing whereas many individual meetings at so many levels can offer excellent competitive racing but this is discounted by many and they wonder why you have few prospects making it through the league. Until you have a change in the attitude of promoters, the set up and the supporters change of attitude to watching racing that involves all levels the sport in this country is only going one way. Thankfully not all of the European speedway nations are following the UK business model.

Based on the commentary paint drying would be more exciting but at least it is live racing even if the commentator is in some sort of induced comma. Looking at the spars crowds is it time to try a invent the Kerry Packer travelling circus with the best in the world racing in teams in each country and then the next level down is weekly grass roots team racing and then the equivalent of the NDL. The sport needs to do something to attract attention.

KL could pull a surprise I would say 44 - 46 to the Stars. Doyle has been erratic, Emil seems to have bike or set ups not as good as they could be, Danny has had a couple of low scores for Redcar and it will be very much how the top end performs as Klindt will be a spoiler if he gets it right from the start. Not as clear cut as a few may think.

The riders coming out at the end of the meeting to encourage the crowd is to be commended. The enthusiasm is great and I just wish that more UK based spectators got to see how it can be done and channelled some of that to the local teams. It might not have been as spectacular but back in the 70’s good crowds at stadia were the norm and on a Saturday night Rayleigh versus Romford or Canterbury or Eastbourne or Ipswich saw it packed. Sadly the glory days have long gone but the fever you get from Poland is something to behold.

That was a good meeting on what may have been a difficult track but full credit to both teams and that is what speedway is about, well done to both sets of riders.

Challenging heat 14. Still a good chance of an away win.

British riders please take note of what to do when the track is wet - just race

That was a very good manoeuvre by Doyle. Good meeting thus far.

Vintage Pedersen in that race. It is good to see that he can still mix it.

OK thanks. This is a forum and each participant is supposedly allowed to express an opinion but many on here make it an unpleasant experience and should rely on those like you with first hand experience to put the record straight. Let’s leave it at that. Cheers.

OK but it is one opinion and I am sure many may share you view but it is based on what is seen for what it is and I accept your opinion. Something needs to change to recreate the glory days of UK speedway but that is should be open to debate. I respect your view given your experience which is far more valid then many on here.