1 valve

Whilst I understand the points you make they are not actually correct. The concept of arriving at a final was to provide a winner takes all climatic last race rather than trip up “the favourites”. Consequently, as you say today’s system means those riders not making finals face a mountain to climb. Which of course is what happens with the leading (minority) riders more often than not making the finals, leaving the majority to scrabble up the mountain.

Whilst I understand the points you make they are not actually correct. The concept of arriving at a final was to provide a winner takes all final race rather than trip up “the favourites”. Consequently, as you say today’s system means those riders not making finals face a mountain to climb. Which of course actually happens with the leading minority of riders more often than not making the finals leaving the majority to scrabble up the mountain.

Which currently means a rider finishing tenth after heat 20 could actually win the GP. A bit like having a main course taken from the freezer warmed up in a microwave and falsely served up as a freshly prepared dish. But for now - the GP format is what it is. I for one hope it is revised for the better next year if for no other reason than to remove the opportunity for Tatum to keep abbreviating Last Chance Qualifier. LCQ’s sounds like something he should take medication for. “Here comes the LCQ’s” - pass the medicine.

Which currently means a rider finishing tenth after heat 20 could actually win the GP. A bit like having a main course taken from the freezer warmed up in a microwave and falsely served up as a freshly prepared dish. But for now - the GP format is what it is. I for one hope it is revised for the better next year if for no other reason than to remove the opportunity for Tatum to keep abbreviating Last Chance Qualifier. LCQ’s sounds like something he should take medication for. “Here comes the LCQ’s” - pass the medicine.

Of course the rules are known before the season kicks off. But that doesn’t make the current/latest format a fair reflection of the overall performance of riders during the first 20 heats.

As somebody who attended many “one off” world finals can’t ever recall being bored after the winner was known. I agree a final does add excitement to the meeting at its conclusion, but it’s just not fair on the rider who has performed the best over the preceding 20 heats or have a winner of the GP who may not have actually scored the most points on the night.

Just do away with LCQ (stupidity) and indeed a “final” and go with the finishing places after 20 heats when all riders have raced each other once during the meeting. Qualifying could still take place to provide an incentive for riders to give it a go as early choice of gate positions could make a difference to the outcome of the main event.

Such a ridiculous post. Best stop kids going to football & rugby matches just in case the wee things get exposed to some occasional pushing/thumping/brawling between professional sportsman who give a dam. As the saying goes “show me a good looser and I’ll show you a loser”.

Both Pickering & Chris Holder have ridden well at Leicester in the past, with the respective Heat leaders battling it out it could come down to the lower half of the teams. Lions should get the result on the night but reasonably close score expected.

At no point in time did Buster own the stadium which has always been an asset owned By David Hensley via Beaumont Sports Complex Ltd for which he is the sole Director and built on leased land owned by Leicester City Council. Buster stepped in to acquire the club in order to maintain speedway at the venue which was ultimately taken over by the Bates. The stadium itself was designed and built with the sole purpose of hosting speedway. Holding stock car racing at the stadium was and never has been a consideration.

Its just difficult to comprehend why the BSPL fail to grasp modern streaming media and the benefits available to UK speedway for a modest investment. Clubs working independently of each other at the local level is just plainly inefficient from a marketing and promotional standpoint. Hopefully (maybe) the more recent promoters to the sport may bring something different to the table and in doing so, not let the hobbyist "take" without "first putting in".

The realty was that Sky needed subscribers and from their knowledge of the mutually successful relationship between TV & the NFL they knew that Uk football was the answer. Sky played a pivotal role in the formation of the Premiership alongside the then big five of Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs & Everton. From its inception, clubs have never had the need to fund any part of the running of the league itself as those costs are met from commercial income including TV deals. Each club as shareholders own one share with one vote which they lose if they are relegated. Speedway had a similar opportunity with Sky but the promoters and their central body failed to invest the money correctly to future proof the sport and eventually rather than build a strong relationship with their broadcasting partner the promoters as a body actually alienated Sky.

If indeed it turns out that the role of CEO (incumbent Phil Morris) has been made redundant due to a lack of money then it’s difficult to see how an “independent body/person” that is often raised as a solution on this forum, could be funded to run the sport. That said, the sport is already “run” by a (supposedly) independent body - the SCB - which by and large get their objectives done and funded by license & similar fees. Which brings the conversation back to the BSPL & the intransigent hobbyist majority within. Their actions continue to block progress of the sport (to now include the removal of a CEO) simply because they have little or no intention or capability of implementing change which may (would) disrupt their hobby. Until, somehow, there is sufficient momentum by a group of well funded vested promoters to bring about long term change, then worryingly, we fans need to understand that whilst they remain in situ the hobbyist will continue to rule.

I mean. A group of promoters, the majority of whom promote Championship speedway. That said, “Cartel” is a very strong term to use. Maybe more accurate to use “hobbyists” who’s preference is to keep to the way things are run because that protects their involvement to a low level of risk whilst fulfilling their egos.

I mean. A group of promoters, the majority of whom promote Championship speedway. That said, “Cartel” is a very strong term to use. Maybe more accurate to use “hobbyists” who’s preference is to keep to the way things are run because that protects their involvement to a low level of risk whilst fulfilling their egos.

The majority of promoters who in the main run Championship clubs.

Unfortunately for UK speedway we are exposed to two types of promoter. 1. The professional. 2. The hobbyist. And let’s be clear, some regard themselves as professionals because they run businesses elsewhere but are in realty stuck in the mud hobbyists. What makes the matter worse is that there are more hobbyists promoters than professionals and thus they get to say what goes and what doesn’t. I live in (faint) hope that the time will come when the professionals get together and gain sufficient momentum/influence & money to go it alone. Because make no mistake the hobbyist are not (as they would like us to believe) keeping the sport going on a thriving basis, they are holding it to ransom and actively leading it to an eventual demise.

But nothing official so far?

It already is. Along with the home straight and the bends. Otherwise a tad difficult for the riders to do one lap never mind four! 😉

LCFC & Forest in different divisions and likely to continue for a few more seasons so no local rivalry (fiction or otherwise) for some time to come.

Maybe, some riders have been signed and maybe, Iversen is one of them. If so then he would be a declared rider albeit not to the general public which would be done once all riders have been signed.

Milton Keynes “The Grove” was just a tad over 4 miles from Newport Pagnell. But at 9.6 miles it’s very close to Brafield so let’s hope folk take the time to take in a few enjoyable meetings.

“Kiss of death” ?

The chosen level doesn’t really matter as there are insufficient numbers available of any section of rider ability to offer equality across the current number of teams. Doubling up isn’t actually killing the sport, after all it’s keeping clubs alive due to the sharing of riders. It is however removing any real opportunity for growth because as you say the sport needs credibility and doubling up acts against that concept. For speedway to grow in the UK, what’s needed first of all is some pruning to give eight full time professional clubs with the remainder running on a (lower cost)semi-pro basis. Unfortunately there’s too much self interest involved by promoters to make this an immediate possibility hence unfortunately the demise will in all probability continue.