waytogo28

tigerowl wrote " When speedway starts alienating long term fans and losing them from the terraces whilst at the same time failing to attract new faces, it is in big trouble". We have reached that point now and wether the riders don't like it nor the promoters, the sport is going down the pan Big Time & Swiftly. Come on BSPA "save" the sport by making it credible and attractive. Doubling Up must go if they want the sport to have a future and reach it's centenary.

mikebv wrote " Must be someone who can market it and run it properly over here to deliver the exposure it (and the riders) deserves?." There's the rub. Within the BSPA there is not anyone who can do that. The promoters have almost all been there for donkey's years and have presided over it's decline and seem devoid of ideas on how to bring about any positive change in the UK. That is why they gave Buster Chapman his chance to "do it his way". There is not enough commercial value in speedway in the UK for anyone to even want to pick up the pieces when it finally folds up.

For me Rosco was very boring and repetitive. Not quite bringing the sport into disrepute but not far off.

At the "Holdergate" meeting there was little or nothing wrong with the track ( as track staff have said ) There was a little drizzle for 15 minutes - after a perfect day of summer weather. It was nothing to do with the weather at KLS that night. Only the riders know if there was a problem with the blending of two types of shale and if that really made it " difficult to turn" as alleged by Holder & Batchelor. At the NSS meeting the weather was much, much worse and affected how the track could be ridden by all of the riders.

If nothing else I hope that we can now end this allegedly deep emotional link to Darcy Ward, just as he has decided to cut his ties with UK speedway. Let's just remember some terrific, thrilling racing he did on track and that we also supported him generously when he had his life changing accident. He struggled with expressing himself intelligently when he was riding and let his bike skills speak for him. Now it's over. Let him Twitter on.

Ward is entitled to a point of view just as are we about, how we see his position. His opinion is nothing to do with now being confined to a wheelchair. We have done the best we can to support him but do not have to go along with his opinions out of pity.

I too like the idea of not kowtowing to Poland ( and Sweden if they begin to exclude in some way riders from the UK ) BUT the truth is we need to make our league as sustainable as possible and as stable as possible. That means asking riders to sign here for a season ( as a priority ). That also means that some will not and we have to go ahead with those who are willing to ride here. It could mean six man teams ( already so often like that ) and a weaker / diluted UK speedway structure. It is that or an even bigger shambles ( now you see him, now you don't as with Jack Holder ).

New team settling in nicely and providing decent racing entertainment home and away without throwing wobblies. Long may it be a team like that for supporters to follow. Thanks Buster.

I feel that Cook's actions affected more than one bloke! It is only a step away from challenging a referee and striking him / her. Cook should be punished but not on such a serious level. A 14 day ban and £1,000 ( or the match fee ) sounds about right. After all a promoter was thrown out of the sport for something similar ( but more prolonged ).

So where is Rosco going when Swindon close down? Is he ready to retire? Assuming Swindon's shiny new stadium doesn't get built.

It seems that his own battle with his "nerves" is a very difficult one to win ( as it is for many people in many walks of life ). I hope he seeks professional help with this as his talent on the bike is undeniable, when he is fully in control of his state of mind. This is one of the most difficult aspects of being fully competitive. Once you believe you are going to lose, you invariably will. Once you believe you cannot win, you probably can't.

Please could TB or his representative scan the alleged certificate and display it on here? No such certificate was issued by anyone with the authority to do so on the night. TB was just signed out of the meeting because the "injury" may have impeded his further riding that night.

I was told that it is £500 a point in Sweden and £1,000 a point in Poland. If it is that with no other payments - in the top leagues only, it is probably viable with their crowds and sponsors.

It hardly matters who is in charge, if it is someone from within the existing "club" of promoters. Buster has done very little to improve speedway in Britain. Unless he and the others have some miracle " save the sport" plan for this winter it will just go on diminishing with less and less supporters attending. It will collapse in on itself and what later emerges may be semi pro riders working on a very different basis than they do today. It is just unsustainable as things are now, whoever is believed to be in charge.

He'll be back in 2018 and most likely at Poole. I just wish that he would acknowledge his mistake, accept the formal punishment and the informal one ( missing the last two months of the season ). Any further outbursts will not endear him to British fans. As with Batchelor. Both of them are attractive to team builders , especially CH on a lowish average. If he is still employed at the top level in Poland he will have the choice ( or so it looks ) of only one other and that will be Sweden, if they require his services. The UK probably is a fallback position for him. I think that the sport in the UK is better without the GP riders.

The Return wrote " If Sky do come back, both of these need to be retained. Natalie is fantastic (best speedway presenter we have had in a long time), like you say knowledgeable and asks the right questions at the right time, and also personable." I agree that Natalie certainly is , all of the above and I hope that she continues fronting any broadcast TV of speedway.

I feel that all we need is a season long commitment, by contract, for any Australian riders. We need to put in place much bigger hurdles to preset this happening again. In this case the promoter should be fined for agreeing that the rider could de-camp as J. Holder did.

Danny Smith wrote " Strange how some meeting come across on TV to being there. It was a hugely improved meeting with riders that just want to do their best on a grippy surface rather than moan about it. We lost, well done to Somerset for the win & offering some excellent entertainment. Really enjoyed tonight, terrific atmosphere just like the PL days. A very happy Stars fan who's very happy with the team. Couldn't care less if we don't win another meeting in 2017." I go along with all of that as for me it was perfect example of what I want to see - other than a home loss. A crisply, well run meeting that was done and dusted in less than two hours ( 90 mins from tapes up to final flag ). Plenty of close racing with enough passing and the possibility of more if the rider in from was not really paying attention. Compared to any other meeting I have seen at KLS this season. It was the most enjoyable and I rated it highly for VFM. I have been a critic of much about how KLS has been in the last two or three years but this was a big improvement and is what I will judge future meetings on, Against my better judgement I went to watch it at the AFA ( rather than on BT ) and in the company of a friend who very much wanted to "be there'. I came away - much to my surprise - pleased with what I saw. Buster, clerk of the course, whoever - please take note of How To Do It when the cameras are there and apply the same methods every race night. I believe that it is just not what I want but that plenty of others do too. No superstars! But most riders of around the same standard. Made me want to see more of the same.

Sincerely , I do not believe that anyone or anything can turn the sport around. Lots of positive ideas have been put forward by a number of people and few of them , if any, have been taken up by the BSPA. The ideas that they have brought in to "save the sport" or "turn it around" have flopped. e.g. What difference did re-naming the leagues make? Did we get a major sponsor?

You can only work WITH someone who wants to work WITH you. Do the Poles want to? Is it high on their agenda/ Of course we should work with them in some way if they sincerely believe it is in their best interests.

Why not? Or at least 20.15. Common sense really and then go straight through with the racing and have the interval at 20.00! That would be too easy though.

Me too. Being messed about and ignored by some promoters and some riders has helped me to break the habit that was speedway - live in the stadium. Still great on TV though. I should be grateful really.

If that's correct ( a £10k bung ) then a £20k fine for Ged Rathbone should be about right. But don't worry the club will not close down because there will be a Strong Reprimand and Demand for Future Behaviour instead as the BSPA close ranks and continue to care little about the fans.

If that's correct then a £20k fine for Ged Rathbone should be about right. But don't worry the club will not close down because there will be a Strong Reprimand and Demand for Future Behaviour instead.

If these "bonds" that promoters offer up to the BSPA exist, fine Rathbone double what he took from Torun ( or an estimate of it ) from his bond.