waytogo28

Not to worry there will be a group of fans chipping in to make sure that the Diamonds come to the tapes in 2018. If not then it's OK as there was not enough interest in the area for speedway to continue. What will be will be. The whole sport is in a state and if Newcastle close they will not be the last.

And of course - Fans who needs 'em? Not speedway promoters it seems. Or care much about the hard core crowd who stand on the terraces everywhere across the UK. Promoters seem to think that the fans should be so grateful they go on and on working tirelessly to put on the sport, never mind that the supporters don't want to buy what the promoters are selling. Or rather how they parcel it up. Should the sport collapse completely over the next few years there are only about 20,000 people left in the country who would care.

Although the "brotherhood" seems to be closing ranks to extinguish any discussion of a topic many fans ARE interested in I can only say what I have been told in good faith - I have not plucked these figures ( basic rates per point ) out of the air. It may be then that speedway riders are being paid far, far less than that - according to these people with a good pedigree as promoters say - in which case riders are being exploited and even abused for having dreams of sporting stardom. Perhaps the promoters are much more despotic than we imagine? Are speedway riders then the lowest paid professional sportsmen in the country? I don't want to know every detail of what a rider earns, I merely want to establish what the basics of the sport are as it is struggling to survive. If riders are so poorly paid what happened to the millions of Sky cash that poured in for 14 years? If it didn't go to the riders who pocketed it? Do you really expect fans to believe that GP riders like Jason Doyle are riding for £200 per point? When they are being paid £1,000 per point plus in Poland and not far off that in Sweden. Hmm. Very Masonic the BSPA. And there was me thinking that the Forum was the place for discussion.

Perhaps from the same kind of nonsense fountain which some promoters come out with time after time? And which seem to dominate the influential leaders within the BSPA. who are showing us the way to rebuild the sport of speedway. Along with a number of fans I talk to ( and others connected with one or two clubs ) and documents I have seen - we just wanted to shed some light on the matter that is never spoken of in the speedway press or on club websites etc. To be talked to in a condescending manner by someone who has helped an iconic club to be ground into the dust is a pity.

Pathetic and more reasons for the rest of the sporting and commercial world to ignore speedway. Who the hell made such a ridiculous decision inside IMG? Any young Aussie would be more worthy of the place.

Another failed BSPA initiative? Let's hope it's true that they didn't buy more than a few, but just arranged a discount for riders. And let's hope that the next BSPA Great Idea to Save Speedway is more effective. We can only wait and see - watch this space 12 months on.

I am mostly interested in doubling up riders in the UK only. I based my calculations on a rider doubling up and scoring 8 points ave. in the Premier League and at least 8 in the Championship ( i.e. the Top 20 who are doubling up and scoring 300 points in each league ). I did miscalculate but I still believe that the Top 20 doubling up riders are earning £150,000 gross from their points in UK speedway racing. Depending on their Premier League deal this could be between 150k and 250k for the top riders. Plus sponsorship but obviously less kit costs. From what I have been told it is at least £200 per point ( or above for the "top" riders ) in the Premier and £100 per point min. n the Championship. The extent to which their equipment costs are covered by sponsors obviously varies but again the higher averaged riders usually have more sponsors who cover a lot of kit. I estimate that at leat 30% of riders are making a good living - at least 4x the average wage or double what most qualified people earn e.g. a teacher. Another 30 - 40% ( so around 75% of all riders in the UK ) are "making it pay" i.e. earning above the average wage for something they have chosen to do and enjoy. Thats's great! I have no complaint, they are heroes on track and still love to watch them in a good, close , exciting races. I just feel that some riders claim they "can't make it pay" without doubling up when it is likely that only 25% are failing to earn from speedway, at least the average wage. Even those not doubling up. Quite a number work for their sponsor or someone who is a fan of speedway in the winter, thus adding to their annual income. Some do suffer equipment misfortune and of course some suffer from injury and that may mean that they are out of pocket for their efforts but it is a business for them and there are no guarantees of commercial success in business.

And that £90k was not added to by the sponsor? I thought a sponsor/s might well cover a lot of or even all of his kit? I can't imagine that Woffy has much less than £500k net income per season including sponsorship income and it could easily be nearer £1,000,000. The sky is the limit for established world class riders who have "made it" in Poland.

I though Aussie riders season was contracted to Ist May - 30th Sept, because it is medically far too cold for them in March or April in the UK and they are all homesick by the end of Sept.?

There must be or they would have given up doing it at least five years ago - since crowds dwindled to a point where the word crowd, would be a lie. Must be sponsors propping up the art of promoting? In five years time I can see it being one man and his dog unless changes are made to how it is "promoted".

The problem is that very often it isn't very exciting at all meaning, that if you do get 5 mins of racing excitement in 15 races ( domestically in the UK at least ) you have been lucky and those 15 mins tend to drag on for 2 1/2 hours. And with around only 1,000 attendees on average, any sponsor has to be a dedicated fan already. Yes, it can be more exciting than many other motorsports but only in very brief bursts.

It's all decided already and the Tenerife jolly is merely to rubber-stamp it ( and to enjoy the awaydays ).

From afar wrote " Most No1's will think they are a top rider and can't see all the rest of the team riding for less than1/2 there team mates.In 2007 I spoke to a rider who was earning £80 appoint as an Elite League reserve." Therefore the £100 per point in the Elite league ten years ago ( at reserve ) is quite likely to at least be £200 per point in the main body of the team - as a minimum. ​I am not putting down any rider - they are heroic - to race at close quarters into the first and second bend at the speeds they do. It can be a dangerous motorsport.Some have paid a terrible price for their efforts. And yes it is a private matter and I don't want to know what Bomber or X might earn, I just wanted to demystify the I can't make it pay" - as some riders claim - aspect of modern speedway. I still believe that a doubling up rider averaging above 6 points per meeting is going to earn at least £250,000 from their racing ( gross ). Plus any sponsorship. That is 10x the average wage, so it's a good life if you have the ability and bottle. It cannot be that they can hardly make it pay. ​To get what they deserve we just need average crowds to be around 3,500 and that is what is impossible it seems.

What is the truth about "poor old riders" - are they driving home with nowt in their pockets after a hard night's racing? If only we knew? No-one is prepared to break the Code of Silence over even basic pay rates are they? But they can't be too bad and doubling up riders must be well off. With what I have heard as £100 a point ( no idea if start money is now paid ) at Championship level and £200 per point ( minimum ) at Premier league level.. It looks as if no doubling up rider is earning less than £250,000 gross income per season from riding speedway - plus whatever income he can glean from sponsors ( which in some cases can be very considerable ). Yes, of course Development League riders who do not get paid could do with anything in the way of sponsorship. Let's hear about pay rates from someone in the know?

I will say it again here - So the whole UK sport will need many less riders as all of one team in the "top" league can ride in the "2nd" tier - as has almost happened in 2017. With more guests permitted we will be one step nearer to just choosing from a pool of available riders ( who are not ill that night ) for each week's "team". Pick and Mix is that progress?

So the whole UK sport will need many less riders as all of one team in the "top" league can ride in the "2nd" tier - as has almost happened in 2017. With more guests permitted we will be one step nearer to just choosing from a pool of available riders ( who are not ill that night ) for each week's Star's "team". Is that progress?

As we know speedway and the way it is run in the UK has gone backwards in terms of credibility since 1988 ( and that is why so many fans have fled ). Now the Chairman is touting for "more guests"in true Oliver style! Believing it's the way forward.

Better not to run in 2108 and what a Low, low it would be for him to be accepted as a "suitable person" to fill a Promoter's role. I hope they demand a £100,000 bond from him if this does happen.

I heard Busting Chapman would really like for 2018 a UK pool of riders from who each weeks "team" could be built. This would enable lots of flexibility for team managers and allow for the illness factor for riders.

So why don't the grass roots speedway ( clubs run locally ) promote it in Australia? If there is so much interest in speedway racing as a sport Down Under it could be given big boost in that way. Is it as it is in the UK that even with a World Champion elect ready to race there the Australian media are unenthusiastic about giving column inches to speedway?

If only we knew? No-one is prepared to break the Code of Silence over even basic pay rates are they? So they can't be too bad can they and doubling up riders must be well off. With what I have heard as £100 a point ( no idea if start money is now paid ) at Championship level and £200 per point ( minimum ) at Premier league level.. It looks as if no doubling up rider is earning less than £250,000 gross income from riding speedway - plus whatever income he can glean from sponsors ( which in some cases can be very considerable ). Yes, of course Development League riders who do not get paid could do with anything in the way of sponsorship. Let's hear about pay rates from someone in the know?

Because he is the Voice That Matters as far as the paymasters are concerned,

Even if the "powers that be" at the BSPA decide at their AGM to "do something" about starting it will no doubt be in place for the first two months of the new season - just as "gardening at the start " was and then ignored by refs. Needs new technology implemented ( which is not expensive ) OR anything goes but if you do touch the tapes your are excluded. As usual can't see that the issue will be discussed or sorted out, as it seems that only fans are concerned about it.

Down at King's Lynn. By about 20% on 2016. And Down from 2015.

I thought that the racing in both legs was poor ( 7 races out of 30 were what I rate as good, close races ) and for the casual non speedway viewer a bad advert for going to watch a live match. First away shown up as being mostly true.And it was carefully avoided that the same promotion runs both clubs and that it is likely that both will be "promoted" in 2018.