foamfence

Cardiff is a unique event, if the league had to re-structure and teams had to lessen their averages, it might make a slight difference. Anyway It looks to be heading that way whatever changes are made. Land is too valuable, tracks are too inaccessible and people have different leisure priorities. I can see the day when about a dozen tracks hold meetings clustered around weekends and Bank Holidays, using riders who work in other jobs through the week. I don't think the sport will stop but I think it'll change greatly.

We are simply debating opinions here but in mine I think if we splashed out on more top stars (especially when you consider their wage demands), you would get tracks closing at an even faster rate than now, it just wouldn't work, you either go with what you can afford or you go out of business, same on the high street where only the cheapo stores selling downmarket rubbish survive. Cardiff does well but it's a one off that has become a tradition for many but it isn't a patch on Belle Vue but even the international meetings there don't do brilliantly. Imagine Zmarzlik at Belle Vue (or any other track), you'd need an extra two to three thousand more just to pay his wages, you wouldn't get them, then look at the state of most stadiums and tracks, the majority need bulldozing and replacing.

If you can't afford caviar you get scraps at the chip oyle.

And the man who looked to be it's saviour turned out to be the reaper.

I agree with that but it would mean reverting to one league and initially a lower standard of rider, fine by me but every time anyone suggests it on here they get shouted down.

What would you suggest, you have the best track there's ever been in this country and still it has pathetic crowds?

From Twitter....

Are you sure that he doesn't or that messages aren't passed on from management and above? Most riders like an easy to ride track and don't give a hoot about what things look like from the other side of the fence.

It's listening to what the riders want that has lead to most tracks becoming boring and processional.

Is that the same rule that stopped Redcar signing Wallinger?

Bears done ya.

Well they used to have rider control.

Very unlikely, unless one big league comes in.

In my years (50s onwards) as a spectator, mechanic and sponsor, those three stood out as being unpopular, they might well have been adored by their own fans etc but I was going by the thread title.

Bernt Persson, Bob Valentine and Alan Wilkinson.

That was a brilliant race but sadly he doesn't yet produce many, in fact his giving way to pressure is often disappointing, much as I'd like more Brits in the GPs, I don't really think he's quite ready yet.

IOW or Mildenhall? One is too isolated and the other is not really suitable for major events.

'carnt' disagree.

defiantly

'zarger'?

No need for it, we have Belle Vue which is a better track than Odsal ever was.

A long way short.

Yes.

He's riding.

That all changed over the last two years, they've had people on hand to help with fitness and pre-match meals have been pasta salad and suchlike.