stratton

Penhall in 1982 certainly had home advantage, did that make a difference in the Carter incident??.i can always remember Ivan saying in 1973 that he feared Jerzy just as much as the Polish hotshot Zenon Plech.

I have never said the play/offs were bad for the sport,and i know they are here to stay.My choice would be to have an outright Champion then four fighting out a semi final scenario therefore something to fight for all season.Even a team achieving a double what a feat that could be Orion said about the expense??? it would only be a couple of home fixtures and lets be honest we are starved of home fixtures these days so that would be great.Everybody has put there case across and there opinion nobody is right or wrong it is just a matter of personal preference debating is not always about being right or wrong.

Tell Witcher and Orion that Colin, is there a right or wrong for me it is just every bodies opinion no more no less.

I am happy to watch again at the Abbey what about you.?

I really believed Lee could win the final he had been on fire for about six weeks prior and after the final he rode very well.Any speedway fan knew Muller had a hell of a chance (ie he was quality rider with great aquipment and we all know he had excellent time there practicing at Norden a well deserved winner.

I really believe "steve that speedway is a SPECIAL sport, it can't be bought and changed overnight as you said it is in your blood.I see the ex riders Briggo,Broady,and endless others (ect) totally love the sport they are ex riders but they are still totally engrossed in the sport.My wish is for all Promoters to get together and really put there heads together and move the sport forward but there is not alot of chance of that happening anytime soon.

I think Oldace must be in cloud cookoo land if he believes the thinking overnight dont mind losing five hundred oldies on the gate to get 3000? as they will be replaced by a load of newbies.Where will these newbies come from out of the sky? speedway is so different to alot of sports unique it is in your blood families often have taken there kids and they have created the next generation.Would i like speedway to be like Darts no i wouldn't, i watch darts enjoy it but lets be honest it is just a boozed up crowd shouting and hollering.Barry Hearn is good at what he does, but he does it to make money just for HIMSELF and he is a DICTATOR now he is head of snooker i hardly watch for me he has ruined it.

A great post and you are so right it is only our opinions after all,i don't understand Oldace his stance against the oldies me included without us we would probably not have play/offs or speedway at all.Myself i want youngsters to replace us,it would be great but it is not happening my two sons are great examples both dont go now.It is frustrating because they both keep in touch with the sport but both feel now it is poor value for money.Surely there is a place for all age groups? i hope so the play/offs stay i hope crowds improve but i don't see it myself clubs only get back money what they have lost earlier in the season.

I still believe people would go they did before,to be honest i see no real growth in the new supporter going.Its basically the same people who go anyway that is where the problem is in a way the play/offs cover over a few cracks.Look we all know they are going to stay and i have no real gripe with them but we need to try and get people BACK who used to go to speeedway everyweek.Alot of those type just go for the play/offs, and if we don't qualify for the semis don't go hardly at all.Also with Ward he was a superstar available,so it was a no brainer to get him so glad we did a pleasure watching him at every home meeting.But even with Darcy there the crowds were not always great, and you have to take in to consideration what money Darcy was on did Swindon really make much.?As i have said some of the supporters on here who have said they are not a real lover of the play/offs will still always go.

Remember that and the Nielsen/Per Partnership was very good indeed, Sorensen was a very useful rider knew him and Peter Glanz reasonably well as they were often seen about in Stratton.But Nielsen really helped Sorensen in his riding bigtime, he made alot of progress when going to Oxford.

Do you think if the play/offs were scrapped that people would wave there arms in despair and never go again.? I think you over value how important the Play/offs are, even with them the crowds are hardly booming are they.

That's what i can't understand in "Witcher"s thinking Pirates" we are starved of meeting's at home fourteen home meeting's.You could have a outright winner and a play/ off after, we are hardly saturated with other cup competitions are we???.How many meetings would you expect to see at home in yesteryear at least thirty if i had a guess wiith individuals, Test Matches,4TT (ect).

Most like me would still go anyway all these supporters how many are new ones? speedway has survived before without the play/offs and would survive again.

There are rules but it does not mean the rules are right,i think you would be surprised how many dont agree with your theory.

Great days teams like Halifax, Sheffield,you only got to see once at home a real treat so different to today's fixtures.

Got a superb full lot in the Mike Keen benefit meeting, at Hackney when he challenged for the helmet he showed great form.He was also decent for Reading/Oxford i don't think he was keen on the White City track to be honest.

Great to see great riders comeback and show there real class, Waterman often does not get the regognition he deserved.I never ever see him ride but i have a prized picture of Split/ and the great Vic Duggan took in 1950.

They don't get many at Lakeside is that anything to do with the entertainment value? surely diehards like myself would stop going if the racing was complete dross.Surely not everybody is that fickle to pick winning over non entertainment, i would like to think most people have gone to the abbey over the years because the racing has been generally good and have enjoyed there night out. Before the play offs people still went, even if they were bottom of the league a couple of decent play/off crowds do not make up for alot of the moderate gates throughout the season it just covers over a few cracks.

I actually think if the play/offs was scrapped, it would not make that much difference to the crowds to be honest.I actually think by having the play/offs it does affect crowds?it certainly does for the bread and butter meetings and certainly the live sky nights.People seem to pick and choose there meeting's now, no real youngsters coming and taking over from the diehards like me.I actually think the play/offs paper over the real problems speedway has, and going by Swindon's crowds last year they have real problems.For whatever sport you have for me you have to have an outright CHAMPION did TAI win his title in a play/off?.Another comment that did not add up from WItcher he says the crowds are not affected by the entertainment value REALLY? If i was watching complete dross every week i certainly would not keep going i used to go to football most weeks.But I stopped going regularly because i don't enjoy it as much as yesteryear and in my view is vastly overpriced and overated.Look it does not bother me that much about results playoffs teams (ect) i go just to enjoy the racing the winning means nothing to me. There are not Millions in Division 2,and the winner of the league are still Champions.

Without the play/offs do you think the diehards like myself would stop going? do you think the play/offs are the saviour of our sport i personally don't.

Agree totally Steve,if you are not entertained even a bloke like me who never misses a home meeting might be tempted to pick and choose his meeting's more.The last few years i have felt that often i have been going on sufferance and habit then along came a few good races which rekindles your enthusiasm.

Fast Gater i think i remember us finishing bottom 3 or 4 times? at least 3,it never bothered me at all my thrill was usually seeing a real top class visiting no1 come to the abbey every week. With my suggestion i don't think the crowds would differ why would they?in a way a team would have two CHANCES to be champions or win a consolation play off final.But you have not answered the question that i asked do you believe something needs to change?

He was a really exciting rider i remember when he rode for England v Russia in a test match at the Abbey and followed him ever since then.Banger also was a real class act a superb stylist and he was good anough to have won a WC as a lower end rider i always quite liked Laurie Etheridge a great team man.

That is what i am saying something has to change,you have to admit the crowds were really quite poor at times.Swindon have generally over the years had excellent crowds how many times did it hit 1,500 when it was 17 pound a head not many i think.

Yet the league meetings at home v Lakeside (ect) the crowds were sometimes terrible, so in the play offs the club only got back the money they lost earlier in the season.