SteveLyric2

I know!! Great news.

Vetlanda with Emil!!!!

Sounds as though Tungate is intending to ride on Monday!!

Yes but that income rarely goes to the Speedway Promotion!!!!!

Sky didn't seem that bothered about continuing with the GPs with all the 'top' riders!! Whether Sky negotiate a new league deal or not, it will be financially driven, due to the vast amounts they have committed to Premiership and other Football. Whether any new deal will financially be enough for clubs to cover the costs of the top riders is highly debatable!

I am sure the vast majority of fans understand the financial pressures on every pound in the average person's pocket!! Lets hope the BSPA finally recognise that too and do what they can to make the sport more affordable for fans as well as the promoters themselves!!! There are early signs that this MIGHT happen, but as with fans, not all promoters will be in favour!

Howarth (and Grajczonek also) confirmed in Poole's 1-7 for 2014 today - no matter what the points limit! Probably also Kyle Newman.

Always good to see clubs investing in young Brits!! (Sorry Steve0 - couldn't resist!)

No, Norman Wisdom is funny!!

All provided by the good offices of GSI of course - subject to a properly negotiated imposed pricing structure!!

That's just a ruse so that you could get in free to watch the meetings, rather than stay at home and watch the Sky ones!!!

I agree with you about the pricing for general speedway meetings but not for the play-offs! What some people forget is that most speedway tracks have a maximum capacity limit imposed by the Health and Safety police - which in the past has seen fans locked out!! The last thing any promoter would want is to let loads in for Free and then have paying customers locked outside!! In any case for the Poole leg the prices have not increased - you just get a very good full colour, minimum 48-page programme (which this week will have a very special 60-second interview segment!!!) to help while away the extra half hour waiting time as the gates are due to open at 6pm.

...and I see it hasn't stopped you from sponsoring the meeting - well done!!!! Maybe you should have suggested your pricing policy before agreeing your meeting sponsor package?!

I actually don't think Holder or Ward will be at Poole next year. I think Woffy will be at Wolves - as World Champion it would be crazy for him not to be! Zagar maybe if the National Stadium is built and that was part of his deal. Andersen - who cares? I'm talking about top 'GP standard' riders!

At least you had sound, all we got were the pictures on the small large screen at Poole!!

perhaps you mis-spelled 'gif' in your original post??!

Not if Leicester stick with Sat/Sun home meetings it won't be!!

I can't see Freddie racing at Wolves nor indeed anywhere in the UK in League racing!! He's done his time valiantly, had the testimonial and probably won't fit within whatever the 2014 rules are!

Normal admission at Poole is £17, with a programme £3, so no increase in price really. In fact if the programme is going to priced at £4 like Brummies, then it will be effectively £1 cheaper than for a usual meeting!!

You'd better sit down and prepare yourself then!!!!

We all know what should and shouldn't have happened in the past with the money allocations - but that is history. What astounds me is why we the BSPA are in the final weeks of a multi-year TV deal and still seem not to know when or if a decision about the future will be made?! The BSPA and/or GSI should have had the ba**s to approach Sky much earlier and give them a deadline, on the basis of taking a presentation to BT Sport (or whoever)! I know its a bit like the 'tail wagging the dog', but we wouldn't be in any worse a situation than we are now - at least the sport would have had several months of being able to plan ahead (in theory - it is the BSPA after all!!), rather than seemingly not knowing and not having any plans before the winter break/AGM!! Incidentally, why would Sky's Barney Francis need to be made aware of this year's play-offs? Its not as if we haven't had them for many years (although having 3 hours of overrunning semi finals this year - I hope they weren't brought to his attention, unless the viewing figures were phenomenal!?) Personally, any new TV deal that offers any reasonable sponsorship funding, will merely be papering over the cracks. As much as I would miss seeing some of the 'top' riders in our league, the GPs and Euros are still on TV!! Clubs and the sport as a whole needs to cut its cloth accordingly and run/promote a sport that is affordable for all. Get back on a more even keel in the next couple of years or so and then look to expand again then.

Is Barker staying over, to rest his knuckles??

As you should well know - its always up to the home club to initiate that a meeting is called off - whether it has already started or not?! - and as long as its done correctly and within the promoters' rules, then there is nothing 'dubious' about it!!!

...and would almost certainly increase the sale of souvenir pens at most tracks!!

Couldn't agree more. That was the one downside at Wimborne Road too, especially after it had been announced that the first televised race (from Perry Barr) would be at 7.40 pm. It was very drawn out and unnecessarily so. What it must have been like for the 2 BBC Radio 'simulcasts' (Solent and Wiltshire), who started their broadcasts at 7.05, with all the long gaps, no action and limited background knowledge, goodness only knows?! Another media 'own goal' because of Sky's production!!