waytogo28

Madness but the kind of decision you see from Promoters and Team Managers who do not care about the future of the sport. They see a shiny cup and a "forever" listing as Simply the Best for 2018. Sad. Playoff matches should be run on tracks prepared to offer good, fair racing with all riders ready to give it a go. NOT Gate & Go. Such matches could even attract new fans for 2019 and the inevitable " New Era".

If this is from someone on "the inside" there clearly is little hope for the kind of radical change needed to ensure the sport does continue in the way that current supporters will go on supporting. Is UK speedway a kind of vanity project with benevolent, wealthy promoters underwriting it? Their unwillingness to work together ( seemingly ) or uncover the man or woman who can take them in a sustainable direction in the short term ( and build for the medium term ). Fans have turned away from what they see on track as well as the " good of the sport" decisions syndrome ( which is often laughable and of course unexplained ). The Chairman should step down as he has been increasingly invisible, as should the Deputy Chairman. Their leadership era has only made everything worse and has improved virtually nothing. They have failed perhaps for a variety of reasons, but they have failed, as have all of the leadership of the last 20 years. They failed to capitalise on the Sky years and find other major sponsors. What is shown on BT is mostly excrable racing on trick tracks in grotty 1950's stadiums with hardly anyone watching on. With one or two exclusions. BT may be happy with the viewing figures but it is not an edifying sight nor one which is attracting the general public nor sponsors. If anything it shows that Pay Per View could have been a success and may still be.

"It is what it is" is a shrewd reply and a clever one from Woffy. It could be the stinking, putrid, corrupt mess that it was. Or it could be an acceptance of things working out as they will. One view gets punished the other one is seen as thoughtfully reflective.

That is precisely what has happened, partially due to those who promote speedway not changing their ways or looking at what the customer would like. The general public of the UK is disinterested in speedway and has turned it's back and walked away. I genuinely doubt whether it can be turned around, even to the point of being viable enough to carry on as it is with enough diehard fans.

It seems that it is unlikely that all the highest averaging riders in the PL will be racing in UK leagues next season. If so, it is easy enough to reduce overall team strengths. After all changing the name to Premier League didn't result in a doubling of attendances at all PL clubs did it? If there is a lower level all round that should hold the crowds at present levels but is unlikely to boost them much. Might get rid of doubling down.

A missed opportunity then for some riders.

Or even perhaps another opportunity to lower one's average for 2019. A massive home win then?

Thank the Lord for "nerds" - Truly. Collectors of information on the sport we still are foolishly addicted to, are always of interest. As the start is absolutely vital ( at least in 80% of races ) more should be done to make them much more alike and fairer. Something as simple as suggested - men with rakes should be possible but concrete starting areas would also help ( because there are good gardeners and poor gardeners ). Little is ever done to improve the spectacle of racing including the possibility of passing only faster bikes ( on less adequate tracks in many stadia ).

Of course, they won't "sort it out" they never do ( unless they make things worse ). The organisers steam blindly on with the Emperor's New Clothes syndrome as their yardstick. Everything is well in the world of speedway, is the cry!

NO! Definitely not in it's current guise ( or even another one much like it ). But we ( the fans ) are never going to get a say about it unless and until clubs run out of medium-sized sponsors.

Let it be 100 times more interesting from a racing point of view than Krsko. Was that the last year of the contract with Krsko? Mind you, Teterow is not the best of racing tracks but it can be prepared to give more racing lines. Let's hope that it is!

I agree with this and would add that like some others I believe the ref, was corrupt. He may not have taken money ( of course he may have ) but I feel it was more like, I need to make an example of someone, so why not make the example of benefit to a Polish rider. That kind of corruption. Because three riders should have gone if he was being consistent and in the following race, where it seems riders learned nothing from Woffy's exclusion.

Only a speedway mad ( or speedway dinosaur addict ) lottery jackpot mega millions winner.

Not much interest in this it seems ( is it on? ). Let's hope that on this dreadful track Woffy gates well and gets a few more points ahead on the way to that 3rd title.

That is so and hard to believe. But week after week and season after season Promoters seem determined to kill off the sport. Do they want to run matches with no paying customers do you think - it looks like that.

Not quite as crazy as last season when `Scott rode for both teams in a Final ie in both legs for a different side. That really put me off the sport in the UK. Complete nonsense that can't be taken seriously - although a great race is still magical entertainment ( sadly for the addicts ). Pantomime stuff.

I am led to believe that "buyer beware" does not apply to an organised event ( show or concert ) where admission is charged and is open to the general public. I have before suggested that someone challenges it in the County Court ( cheapest method of mounting a legal challenge ). It is as someone has posted here already another reason not to go if the weather is at all dodgy - which is what I have done for a number of years. It is one factor in driving fans away instead of attracting them. It is different in the real world, away from the speedway bubble.

RRR it's good to see that there is some truth in the saying "what goes around, comes around".

It was indeed, Proper Speedway and out of the Top Drawer ( as someone once said ).

Free meeting where? It won't be at Swindon at The Abbey.

It's amazing how polarised fans views can be because - "The racing there is already pretty processional even when slick. 2 or 3 good races just don't justify my £18" - I agree with entirely - although I have been 3 or 4 times this season, mostly as a "night out" with a friend. On those occasions, it has never justified my £15 ( being long in the tooth, I am a concession ). BUT I could never condone track doctoring even if it were to win, for the first time ever, the top league title. And this is only a semi. No way for me would that be acceptable and I hope that Belle Vue don't do it either. I prefer two matches on two different, but normally prepared tracks where the victory goes to the best team of speedway racers. As it happens without any trick track setups, I believe that the Aces will just shade it. Then I hope that the playoff final, whoever is in it, is also run on decent tracks offering all riders a chance to race on fairly. Better not to be televised if it is to be on trick tracks! Go Lambo Go - All the way for a fair Stars victory. Champions at Last!

Unless they have re-shaped and re-surfaced the track we know what to expect. The same as before with a serious lack of competitive racing,

It's much more likely to be two leagues. One as per Championship level and the other as per NL without any "superstars" ( those that ride abroad regularly ).

A very, very happy Buster then! Because there were often 200 fans there for NL matches when Robert Lambert was 'doing the business" and that means that around 2,000 rolled up for the latest doubleheader. What a fairy tale.

The only thing that is of concern is that I really don't believe the crowd topped 1.000 ( inc. both stands ) and that is a tragedy.