waytogo28

If they don't start on time as promised and run the heats promptly they will be "frosted off" after Heat 9 and have to do it all again.

I do hope that if there is a legal case over BVA 2016 Ltd and there is a result, I hope that SS will report on it fairly, openly and objectively and not whitewash where the fault lay? I am still critical of the part in the collapse of BVA 2017 played by DG /CM and hope that fans of the sport do find our the truth. I do respect the role played by DG / CM in delivering the NSS and congratulate them on that but to see PR continually claim they did nothing wrong in seeing it all fall apart is galling.

KK does not speak English well enough to take part in this conversation.

I have to use the disabled facilities when I go to a match as I can longer stand up for more than 15 minutes and cannot use the steps to get to any seating unless there is a ramp. I do not need a carer yet ( thankfully ) but I believe one should be admitted free with the speedway fan paying a concessionary ticket. The carer is unlikely to be a fan ( although not of course impossible ). At the end of 2015 a good friend of mine had to stop attending matches ( after 70 years ) because he could no longer manage access without a carer, so these cases are real and it is a problem for some people.

The vandalism at Brandon was an utter disgrace I agree. But to be honest it could be put right at a much more reasonable cost than building a new stadium just up the road ( or anywhere in the area ). The fact that no-one has come forward with the resources to do that is the saddest part of the whole situation. Too big an investment to be worth while with the long term use of Brandon still in the balance? The big gain of a future stadium built from scratch elsewhere in the area is that it should have a more stable and longer leasehold future in terms of planning permission. But if Brandon is not restored and used, I cannot see speedway running for three to five years, if ever, as Coventry Bees.

Call an extraordinary meeting of the BSPA and with everyone attending - bang their collective heads together to encourage them to stop telling each other that - like the Emperor's New Clothes - everything is alright and if we change the names of the leagues and have a Marketing Big Push, thousands of fans will flood back to each track and All Will Be Well in the Speedway Family ( BSPA ). Remind all BSPA members that the voices of the diminishing groups of fans DO matter. And that fans DO care about are crisply run meetings and close exciting races on well prepared tracks that give all riders a chance to "have a go". I haven't given up on speedway in the flesh ( at the stadium ) but I am very close to it! Going tonight with an old friend in the hope that "things are getting better" Fingers Crossed! With 30 meetings at least live on TV that might be adequate to sate my appetite ( and cheaper, even including BT costs ) Hope springs eternal ( or almost eternally ) in the heart of speedway fans.

Excellent value as far as I am concerned. Especially Champions League football as well as the speedway about to come! My only gripe is that Scott Nicholls ( who is still excellent on track as a speedway rider ) flops as a TV pundit. Too often lost for words and with a limited vocabulary when expressing his point of view.

Stars will be beaten by at least 8. the Rye House track is going to be too big a challenge for other than the top two. Even Holder might struggle if his starts are not top notch.

I think it will be much closer than posters here are hoping for. Rye will lose but are likely to take a match point away with them.

Head in the sand appears to be the case once again as it looks more than likely that Swindon will not run in 2018 and fans should enjoy this season as much as they can. Another promoting licence "put on ice" ( rather like a football manager getting 100% support from the board ). The phoenix rising from the ashes, as at Leicester is sadly not the norm for "lost" speedway stadiums / clubs. If there was a genuine, positive aspect to the possibility of the new stadium they would be shouting about it loudly!

I last went to High Beech in 1968 and it was excellent! So much enthusiasm and happy banter between fans of different clubs! I now feel ( yes and before you mention it I am nearly 50 years older ) but it feels as if nothing is like that in speedway in the 21st century. There is no atmosphere at my local club and it's all gone flat since the last century ended. Hardly worth celebrating a 90th but we could ( those believers amongst us ) get on our knees and pray that the centenary will be celebrated in 2028. Or will it be a reading of the obituary at the Commemorative Service at Paradise Park?

Pleased to hear that it is not only me! Reading the reports on here about the "poor show" ( to be kind about it ) at the Leicester V Poole meeting there is no need for a Big Push by the BSPA. Speedway seems so eager to shoot itself in the foot that it looks as if they will do so until there is no ammunition left.

Now THAT is speedway racing and what fans everywhere hope to see ( several times in a match! ) What a prospect Bewley is.

Rugby maybe much interesting to watch as there is always something happening ( as in football and several other sports ) Selling something which is so stop - start in it's nature ( as speedway is ) is much more harder to sell to anyone ( ABC1s or whoever ). Crisper, better run matches ( and adding something interesting in between heats ) is what is needed before giving it a Big Push. As it stands few newbies return ( or seem to ) because of the 3 to 1 ratio of exciting races which seems poor value at any price.

I think Pearson & Tatum do it pretty well and add a lot to the on track action between them. Natalie certainly does know her stuff.The only current presenter I feel is not quite up to it is Scott Nicholls who is often "lost for words' and very repetitive. The only worthwhile addition might be to add Sam Ermelenko to the BT team.

What went wrong is that over the last twenty years or so the majority of promoters have adopted a head in the sand attitude and never ever thought about developing the sport in the way that fans wanted to see it being run. I heard in the past that a number of promoters said " we have always done it like that and that's OK". Clearly it is not if nearly all tracks are slipping towards average crowds in three figures and not four! What is on sale regularly now is 5 mins of thrilling passing ( if you are lucky i.e. five heats ) 10 mins of processional heats - all taking two to three hours to happen. No mystery about why few new fans are attracted and retained. Modern bikes make the first away, wins an even more of a certainty. If the BSPA want the sport to survive in some professional form they need to listen to and respond to fan's feedback. I can hear Roy Orbison singing THAT song - " It's Over".

Although the Sheffield V Somerset challenge - with free admission was not a BSPA initiative it is a pity to read on another thread that even this went awry! The report in this week's SS said "frustratingly the newbies had to put up with speedway 21st Century style. Lots of holdups, tapes malfunctions and too much processional racing The diet of the modern fan". And there you have it! Until and unless the presentation of The Product suits the taste of young people, the "diet of the modern fan" will result only in the slimming down of the fanbase even further. My waytogo28 tag was chosen because I believe we have a long way to go before speedway can celebrate it's centenary unless we suddenly discover it really started in 1918.

On the dot please, as it otherwise penalises those who have made the effort to be on time for the announced start of racing. At Lynn by the time we wait for those in the queue to get in for Heat One ( delayed start ) , it's time for the sun break ( in midsummer ) and then it can be ( and has been ) 8.30 before Heat One starts. A Big Turn Off.

I wish speedway was more open about payment levels to riders. No genuine heat leader class / international rider should need a testimonial except for serious injury. If for example Chris Holder is really being paid 10 X more for riding in Poland than in the UK he is getting paid £20,000 at least for each meeting over there.

Even more of an attraction for sport's fan with BT is the Chelsea V Man City Big clash! No contest?

I don't think that Somerset will score less than 38 points. There is still a big question mark against Porsing, Huckenbeck & Rose. They have been so hit and miss in their scoring ( or apparent effort at times ) And Bailey, so that we can judge his true potential has yet to be given an extended run.

And there's the rub! Where is the Big Push from try BSPA? It has been stated here that the social media side of things has been re-vamped and is better ( i am not a user so I can't comment on that ) Let's hope that If that is the full extent of the Big Push we were promised that it is enough to bring in noticeably more new fans to taste the experience. I haven't noticed any other kind of publicity for the launch of league speedway in and around King's Lynn ( other than the normal reporting ). A lost opportunity if the social media push doesn't work. We'll know tomorrow.

All clubs should at least offer the option of a race card for £1 or sell that instead of a programme. I make my own race card because most of the programme content is on the club's website and that leaves only the adverts to read. I would willingly pay £1 and the club should retain most of that as profit if self printing race cards. I don't know how much the ads are worth but keeping up the fan base would seem more important.

As a straw poll on here indicates that most people want meetings to be run much more crisply on a regular basis so why are the KL promotion ( and others ) not listening when the gaps on the terraces are all too visible? I emailed the promotion about a range of small things which could result in an improvement ( at their request for feedback in the programme ) in 2015 and 2016 and did not even get an acknowledgement which might indicate that they are very busy with more important things or that they do not want to hear suggestions that might help to stop the worrying drain of fans from the sport. If is is a "head in the sand" attitude then the demise of the sport is much more likely, as the world is changing around "old style speedway" and leaving it behind. All very sad.

I am just at the 'tipping point" as to wether or not to go to watch the Stars this season after being at the very first meeting held in the "new" stadium in the 1960's. I can't remember how poorly ever before I have been fired up my the start of a new season. The stadium has been dramatically improved by Buster but sadly the presentation and how the customer on the terraces is treated in terms of being seemingly ignored has been the same old, same old scenario of long drawn out meetings with unnecessary delays. Buster seems concerned only about ensuring that the track is as perfect as he can get it ( no bad thing at all ) but if there are fewer and fewer fans prepared to stand around for two to three hours what need is there for a perfect track. Crisp, well run meetings run to highlight the excitement of the Best of the night's racing is what you want ( what I want at least! ). 90 mins to two hours should be the aim except for unforeseen holdups and after those it should be On with the Show promptly! Starting on time has become more and more of a problem. Tapes Up on Heat One at 7.30 pm but no later than 7.45 pm ( as advertised ) and Please DO make a call off by 8 pm whenever that is possible! P.S. Does the interval need to run on to 20 mins, as it often has, when really it's just for a pee and a cup of tea!