waytogo28

Riders DO have a major part to play in the "saving" or re-structuring of speedway. Accepting what is available to them as realistic points and "package" money will be essential to stabilise the sport. They ARE heroes at all levels for their on track efforts but the level of fan support, make a football style lifestyle ( even for the best ) in the UK, pie in the sky. It is a different level of sport compared to racing in Poland and in Sweden where the fan base is excellent ( Poland ) and good ( in Sweden seemingly ). The head in the sand pose of promoters about the average crowd level ( or their public acceptance of it ) and what that means for viability is not helpful. If what can be afforded as a pay level for riders is unacceptable to a lot of them, that will signal a further step along the way of the sport ceasing to exist.

Oh Yes! Or the dis-organisational side of speedway. It can hardly claim to have been "organised" over the last two or three years. A good, close race in 1957 and in 2017 is just as satisfying!

Sadly it will never happen until and unless speedway in it's present form does collapse completely and a single engined format is brought in to re-build the sport of speedway racing in the UK. They would still ( and why not ) be paid on a results basis. Yes, the most skilled riders would come out on top, as technique and the ability to master it is what really counts. I don't think that it will be the GTR only route that speedway eventually follows.

I agree except for I genuinely believe that people outside of speedway do not laugh at it because they no longer see it. It vanished from public view around the turn of the century. I want to Shout it Out LOUD - please Robert, stay and ride for at least one more season for the Stars IF Buster is going to change things so that lost fans revive their interest. Robert Lambert is the best thing to happen to KLS for ten years.

I agree fully. At what is the 55th minute of the final hour of speedway, as we know it - the SS editorial is most welcome. Please let it be heard and fully understood by all the UK promoters - including the long established "senior" ones. Listen to all ideas before rejecting them and make every effort as do the IOW do, to sell, what people want to buy.

Yes all that Barry Bishop wrote about how they promote and run speedway on the IOW is great to hear, truly. But for those who post what is feedback ( not just negativity ) which BB values highly and which appears to be ignored by individual local promoters and the BSPA. This is the case at my local track King's Lynn where feedback is ignored for whatever reason. To say that all is well within speedway would be foolish in the extreme and although I think speedway in it's present form will die out, I don't want it to. I want to contribute positive ideas about how the efforts on the IOW can be replicated everywhere. Just read the comments in the SS this week by the Scunthorpe promoter and they were "negative". Positive promotions are being held back, not by the sport but by the BSPA, who I suppose are the sport?

It certainly is at King's Lynn where numbers have dropped by at least 25 or 30% in the last three years. I doubt if the average crowd exceeds 1,000 but as Buster doesn't agree with the purpose of them, we will never know. And compared to say 10 years ago there has been a huge decrease in attendances - perhaps 50%.

THE DEAN MACHINE wrote " when I read Phillip risings post " it looks like doubling up is here to stay" I just felt like another kick in the ball for fans ,where is our voice ? We don't seem to matter and I think it's just wore me down" I can only agree that this " We don't run speedway for the sake of the fans" seemingly attitude from the BSPA and particularly from Buster as the Chairman. It's certainly worn me as a fan down to the point where I don't want to go to watch any more live in the stadium - in the UK. IF the BSPA do are about the fans then they need to find a much, much more positive way of interacting with and involving them.

If that were the case -that it is "just" a re-occuring generation phase speedway is going through, why are there noticeably lower crowds at many ( the majority perhaps ?) of UK tracks. There is a very small, next generation of fans and it is this failure to entice new younger fans ( 20s or 30s ) in reasonable numbers that is the real problem. Of course the play offs will attract a lot of fan fever but just like rider averages, we need to count crowds as an average over the season. The BSPA tinker with rider averages but have made little effort to pump up the crowd levels.

Well why not say so up front when the match was announced. Buster has so little understanding of how other people think or react.

GRW 123 wrote " Probably the next time Buster cancels a meeting on a whim, he'll remember the consequences of the alternatives. " That is the problem - Buster seems incapable of remembering such things, or even of thinking about who they affect ( the fans ) other than himself. I agree that Trees does a good job but it is peeing in the wind as they say. Unless Buster takes on someone who can forge a good communicative bridge with the fans and a co-promoter who DOES recognise the consequences of cancelling on a whim, and is prepared to argue the point, nothing will improve for KLS. Only when he is standing there with 200 fans and his staff of "yes Boss" people, will it come home to him that his way was not the best way after all. The speedway is no longer his main income stream and he can therefore continue to harden his resolve about how speedway should be run, both at King's Lynn at in the UK.

Me Too Sid - others may say it is because we are growing old and may be also less interested in other things. I don't think it is as simple as that because I too have been watching man and boy since the early 1950s. With serious interest when Ove Fundin arrived at Norwich. I am not gaga and am very interested in other things and other sports. I live only three miles from the KL track and someone picks me up and takes me there so there are no practical difficulties about getting there. Buster even has a disabled section where I can sit on the bench ( with my own cushion ). So it is the action I see on track which leaves me very disillusioned. Of the 15 heats there are very rarely more than four with any excitement over passing or possible passing. 75% are tapes to flag processions - dull as ditchwater or worse. Too many rules that do nothing to spice up the interest in my brain and entice me to remain in the habit of going. Gardening at the gate is longer than the race - I kid you not! Doubling up - ah well don't get me started on that! r/r or guests all too often. So 4 minutes of thrills for my time and money is inadequate - Thumbs Down for me. Oddly I have NOT fallen out of love with the sport as I am eager for the next GP where I see much more ferocious determination in the racing ( of course for higher rewards ) and only last night I watched a LIVE Swedish match and a Polish League match which provided more ( a higher % ) of exciting races for me to enjoy. The BSPA have got it all wrong because as a die hard fan like me being turned off, they are unlikely to attract new fans who require more VFM in what leisure activity they pay for.

I will go to the RH match and if there is no significant reduction I will take the matter to the County Court. Fans who paid for the double header have been defrauded. Man Up Buster and do the "right' thing if you still know what that is. There should be NO charge for those with that ticket and Poole fans who request a refund should get one. As the head of the BSPA, are they all to be tarred with the same brush as you of being crooked?

The Fours will have a very dented future if the BSPA don't pay more than a flat £200 for riders to race for. I was flabbergasted to read that this was the case when it was revealed.

Why no announcement of the use of the re-admission ticket for the RH match? Straight in on your rain-off ticket or how much is to be knocked off? And can Poole fans apply for a refund? The announcement of the new date should have included these things.

Should be cause for Great Concern! But as the BSPA is a "closed shop" nothing can be done about it. I hope there is a survival movement within the BSPA who will ask Buster to step down as Chairman. And I feel exactly the same as you semion.

It hardly matters wether we get rid of D/U or Guests because IF whatever the BSPA decide on and put before us, is less and less acceptable to the majority of fans out there ( as opposed to on here ) the fanbase will go on shrinking. How many tracks can cope with fewer and fewer through the turnstiles?

Let's be honest, even if they put on the match V Rye House, how many people will turn out for it? Not many I bet. You only have to look at the low turnout at the double header last week. AND if nothing changes as to how KLS is run over the winter, how many will turn out for "more of the same" next year. I won't, because this season was abysmal with very few, if any positives.

Now that's great idea - fans doubling up! If the BSPA can somehow persuade BT to cough up money for televising speedway that money could be used for this re-juvenation scheme. 500 fans could be bussed to away matches with free travel and half price admission. A kind of pyramid income scheme for promoters that also makes the terrace look good to possible new fans. It is no more crazy than having used up all the Sky money for 15 years to pay over the top for the world's best riders to stay on in the UK.

There is no question of the Bees returning to Brandon in 2018. We must all learn to savour the memories of the great racing there in the past.

Sadly some people say they can't wait for the season to be over, but the problem is not that simple because of the constant mis-management displayed by Buster and his "You're right boss" backup team. If this continues into next season KLS will fail as a business and as a speedway team with a long history. Critics of Buster do not wan the club to fold they only want things to be run in a credible manner.

If it's not on, how will we be able to use our re-admission tickets from last week? Will there be a cheque in the post?

Far too early to say if X, Y or Z are definitely running - or not. Until the Powers That Be unveil their master plan for the revival of the sport in the UK ( again ) very, very few promoters can say definitely - "we are running in 2018". They have no idea yet, of what they might be putting a team together for or in what kind of league.

One day they will understand ( they being riders who feel the same as Worrall ) take what is on offer or don't ride at all. Those who believe that this not enough should sell their bikes now because it may not be next year, but within two or three years, speedway in the UK will look very different to now. It may not be such a good offer as one big league.

JFF time I suppose. Tonight's re-jigged team at Wolves is a good example of Just Fulfilling Fixture time. Thankfully BT are not covering it and thats an escape for the Stars management. It sounds as if a text was sent out to any available rider who fancied a spin. Perhaps the reality was that was the only reasonably priced option. The most important person at the BSPA is not the Chairman but the "crack paperer" ( of course it could be same person! )