oldace

100 actually. Statistically two thirds of heats have bonus points and it tends out around that over the 15 heats over a season

It is just a name FFS not an in depth analysis of the riding strength within it. "The top league in Britain but nowhere near as good as Poland and not even as good as it was 15 years ago League" is quite a mouthful so it can easily be condensed into the British Elite League, thats actually a perfect description, it is, after all, the best league in Britain. Of course we then have a league that is clearly not the top league in Britain calling itself the British Premier League but you are quite happy with that

He must be right Kev because he finished the statement with "end of". You cant really argue with that

Its like through the Keyhole isn't it, where to start? Look who posted it maybe. What about examining the content? "Back straight grandstand" not many places have one of those. "Champs Bar" Thats a big clue. So lets look at the facts. Posted by a Poole fan, using the term "WE" with references that could only relate to Poole Not sure where it could be to be honest, maybe Belle Vue?

Would that not refer to Go Speeds contract with the BSPA to rake off 20%? The SKY contract hasn't actually been terminated as such, merely expired and not renewed (as of yet)

Which suggests they have learned nothing at all. If a TV deal is put in place they still intend to stuff any money straight into the back pockets of mercenary riders

How ironic

And it was a deal open to anyone at the time. A 20% finders fee for any sponsorship money brought into the sport. The question is though, should Terry Russell have been conducting those negotiations for himself or for the BSPA?

Well yes but in reality it wasn't about getting speedway on TV, that was pretty much a certainty at the time, it was more a case of maximising its benefit to the sport. Did Terry Russell achieve that?

I think being in the right place at right time rather than being a super negotiator was a lot to do with it. In the late 90s SKY were pretty desperate for material to "show between ads" and speedway fitted the bill.

The formula 1 thing is purely a smokescreen. If Sky have over committed on F1 then the last thing they would do is axe other profitable revenue streams, on the contrary, they would be eager to keep them to offset against other less profitable streams. Speedway (for reasons gone over on here ad infinitum) clearly doesn't fit the bill. If speedway is to appear, in any form, on SKY from now on it is clearly going to be at the sports expense rather than SKY paying for the privilege but as Terry Russell has happily trousered 20% (?) of any money sky paid I am sure he will gladly pay 20% of any production costs.

Just very quietly so as to not annoy the neighbours (promoters)

Easy tiger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It doesn't need abolishing, it just needs someone with the balls to offer a job to a rider, any rider and just refuse to pay loan or transfer fees. For certain it will collapse like a house of cards because, stupid as some of them are, no promoter in their right mind would be willing to stake anything on such a system being enforced. Speedway riders are just self employed tradesmen, able to tender for any job they wish and when it is done tender for another

You haven't got a clue have you. The fan who attends 60 meetings a year is clearly happy with the sport so what do you expect his.her feedback will be? When he says everything is fine then just carry on as before wondering why those of his persuasion seem to get less and less each year

But in reality promoters shouldn't really care about league titles. They are, in truth, just a carrot to offer fans. Promoters simply want bodies through the turnstiles to make for a successful business and the best way to ensure that is for for all teams to be competitive. Every team should start the season in with a chance of winning the league, it keeps the fans happy.

Never ever. Imagine if the Champions League, for instance, ended up being settled in a one off match. There would be a riot

Not the case Rob, havent you heard, people are leaving the sport because of the play off system. I can't really explain how massive crowds for these matches fits in with that argument but blupanther might be able to explain that one to you

Using your ice cream analogy, if I had an ice cream shop and someone that loved ice cream didn't buy from me I would want to know why. OK lots of people don't like ice cream and have no interest in buying it but I would be very concerned if my shop, once full of ice cream lovers was now empty and those people had taken their trade elsewhere. In the same way I haven't become a hermit, I still seek out and attend other forms of entertainment, just not speedway. Attracting customers is always difficult but can you not see that if those with an affinity to the sport are drifting away then there is a major problem. In these circumstances "bring a friend" campaigns etc are futile, in reality you are likely losing a potential customer. I could get someone to come once based on what I tell them but having seen the reality they would not come back, ever. If it were simply marketing and awareness then where are the 5000 that attended Lakesides free meeting. Most didn't see enough value to come again (and i know an element were existing fans having a free night). Not only that but even if it were to improve you would not get a second chance from those people Never ever ever market a flawed product

If a customer spends a pound he/she wants goods/entertainment to the value of a pound. In simple terms value for money. Speedway is miles away from that

Doing as his employer tells him. Whatever next!!! You had two likes, think Phil had 12. That seems about consistent with those in favour of play offs. They are generally played out in approx 5 or 6 times an average crowd. Now without overtaxing your little brain have a think about whether the majority are in favour of play offs or not.

Of course it is true. These people are friends of quite a few people on here and their response to certain things (always a pet hate of the poster) is that they "cry with laughter" or on the occasional they visit the track for the "first time" where the love the action but always vow never to return because of "double points" "play offs" or whatever bandwagon the poster is on. It is all true, I know these people exist, I believe they live at the bottom of the garden with the fairies

Apart from, lets see, Moto GP, Formula 1 (and most other formulas), WRC. Are they not top level

Yes Ian. Take the USA in 1980. They boasted Penhall, Autrey, Sigalos, Kelly Moran but no matter how good only 2 could progress to the next round. The Aussies and Kiwis had a similar situation. To a lesser extent so did England in 1978. It is impossible to devise a qualifying process that is fair to all and that is before you factor in injury or e/f etc

So in order to give the sport the credibility you say is missing, to make it back into a proper sport all that is needed is to have a World Championship contested by a field of lower order riders. Make sure that it is impossible for the best 16 riders to be in with a chance of being in it. Maybe assure places to riders who would not be in anyone's top 50 and if you could exclude one or two of that seasons stand out stars all the better. I see where you are coming from on this one Ian