LesR

Motocross GP was at Winchester.

Interesting comment by Bassman on the Kings Lynn vs Somerset match, about the Poole track, on the Speedway Updates site, see below. "Not surprised at the call off track is crap, has been for a while they took to much off a few weeks ago and the sub base started to break up and what’s been done since absolutely nothing as it potholed and rutted out on bends 1-2 ever since, woeful state of affairs really,makes a dangerous sport even more hazardous, really need to get something sorted before someone cops an unnecessary and preventable injury" Read more: http://speedwayupdates.proboards.com/thread/17847/somerset-premiership-30-05-2018?page=1#ixzz5H4EWSklg

Totally agree with you Mike and I think many of the problems started way back in the early 80's. Up until then Promoters were generally just that "PROMOTERS" who relied on the sport for their income, and as such actually promoted to get the crowds to come in. Then in the coming years you had supporters, who thought that their business could support speedway, become promoters to get their ego fix. I think some of them soon realised that, especially with the introduction of the Danes and Swedes to the 2nd division, it was far more expensive than they realised. I think a lot of the many clubs running in that time have suffered from this. Also the lack of second half racing has hindered the development of local talent over the years, much of this was local riders who developed and moved into their local team, something the local team supporters could relate to. I'm just glad that I was able to enjoy that period!

Starman try reading your original post above @ 19 hours ago, it does not make sense.

Totally agree. Back in the 70's you got paid by cheque at your next home meeting for the previous weeks meeting, and any away meetings that had paid the home promoter. If you did an away tour of say 3 tracks you didn't get paid for any of the meetings until all 3 away promoters had paid your home promoter, which could be 3 to 4 weeks wait. I was paid by cheque at a home meeting two thirds way through the season, paid cheque into bank on Monday, returned by bank on Thursday " Refer to Drawer ". Next home meeting took bounced cheque to home speedway office and was offered another cheque, this I refused and told promoter I wanted paying the bounced cheque, and the cheque they were going to give me for the previous week, before the meeting in cash or I didn't ride. Promoter said he didn't have enough cash, to which I reminded him that the gates opened to the paying public at 6.00pm. I also said I wanted paying after each home meeting for the rest of the season in cash for that nights work and any away meetings that had come in that week, as it was my living as well as his! If I didn't ride he could explain to the public why I wasn't riding, or if he wouldn't I would. Payment in cash arrived just before rider introductions in front of the grandstand and I was there ready to race. The payments after the meeting continued for the remainder of the season, problem solved.

Put on a proper peak to the helmet for the first half of the meeting, instead of having the motocross ones that most have pointing slightly upwards. The sun has always been there at Lynn but don't recall big problems in the 70's and 80's. I would assume lots of riders these days don't drive their vans west to Somerset with the sun in their eyes!

I have to agree with some others that Jason Doyle is a great marketing addition to the Benevolent Fund meeting and my admiration for him has grown over the last few years, especially to come back from the horrific injuries of 2016, when he surely would have been World Champion without them. He now reminds me, to a degree, of the great Ivan Mauger, who came to the UK as a young man and didn't make it, so he went home and practised and came back a few years later with the determination to succeed at the highest level. Doyle has shown those characteristics since his move away from Poole and the Party Scene, realising the need to put in the hard graft. What I think is very commendable is that he rode for a few months with a broken right foot, not just in the Grand Prix and World Cup but also for his league clubs in different countries, this again reminded me of Ivan Mauger, who rode for virtually a whole season with a broken scaphoid in each hand and still fulfilled all his commitments. Ask any speedway rider how hard it is to ride with one broken scaphoid, let alone two! So, Hat Off to Jason Doyle his commitment to UK speedway and hope he has a very successful year in 2018.

You might be wrong there, PJR recommends Castrol R in his engines.

"It's always been my belief the disparity of team strength has been the biggest turnoff in our sport for years. Talking with many old supporters who packed up going, this was the reason most used when asked about their dwindling interest." I agree with g13webb that this has very often been the case, that's why they introduced the Rider Control back in the old British League. But with the points limit system that is in operation for a long time now, every promoter has the opportunity to build up to the limit in force at the given time. I don't think that you can really moan about the more astute promoters who seek out riders that are likely to improve their averages during the season. I've no doubt that Matt Ford knew that Woryna would come in on the average he has, likewise with Spanner. According to Middlo it's Matt's only form of business now, so he runs it as such, being astute, finding new riders to improve on decent averages, finding sponsorship to enable to afford some riders, like Somerset have done to be able to sign Jason Doyle. It's about time a lot of the promoters treated speedway as a business and actually promoted, maybe then the crowds would improve and speedway might be on a better footing. By the way, I don't support Poole or any other club, just speedway in general.

RIP Jimmy.

Looks like an old bike. Rear mudguard is not a hugger and throttle is metal Magura , not one of the fancy see through ones they have used the last few years.

In Kent. Got mine as usual on Thursday.

Have to agree there Gemini, when I think back to the 70's and early 80's when my local track Canterbury had 3000 - 5000 people per week over that time. There was a curfew, the meeting had to finish by 9.00pm. It started at 7.00pm with a centre green rider introduction and one lap parade on their bikes, swiftly followed by the first heat. 13 race league match, 3 second half junior races, 4 second half heats and the second half final, 21 races in less than 2 hours with even time for a couple of laps after the final if a rider wanted to try something out. And yes the sun was a problem, for about 20 minutes, going into the third turn but that is what the effective peaks were for on your helmet! After the meeting the fans had full access to their favourites too.

Saw him many times, a great character, RIP Noddy.

Get well soon Starman.

Something on his facebook page aswell!

Two excellent signings for the Hammers.

A shame that Swindoh won't be able to advertise being league champions and having the world champion in their team. Lets hope that one of the 4 bottom clubs who voted for the 8+ rule back up their decision and sign him, otherwise he will be lost to the uk this year.

I can just imagine a new rider agreeing to join the team, having a meeting with a prospective sponsor a couple of weeks later, all goes well and they reach an agreement, then the rider says " Thank you very much for the sponsership, but you mustn't tell anyone for 2 or 3 months because I will not be officially named in the team until the end of February! "

Announcing the team in one go also allows the riders additional time to seek out local sponsorship, as opposed to being announced in dribs and drabs over four months.

Have to agree with big cat diary and it really needs someone from the outside looking in, with no connection to any team, to sort out the problems. One of the biggest factors, in my opinion, is that a large majority of the current promoters are not "Promoters", just fans who have a successful business, which underpins the speedway, that allows them to be called promoters. The more successful promoters today, like most of those in the 60's, 70's and 80's, actually promote/d their sport because it is/was their living or have a speedway business plan that is profitable. Until the problems of team equality, badly prepared tracks and the current diehard supporters being taken for granted I can't see this great sport attracting, and keeping, new supporters.

£80 per point, so on the proposed £60, £50, £40 scale and £12 per race for engines would be viable. If the home promoter has to pay the away teams points also ( 90 in total plus bonus points) then you will need an extra £ 1000 or so.

How about Eddie Kennett, likes the Poole track?

Goodness knows what their VAT return looks like!!!

8.71 divided by 1.2