RobMcCaffery

Sometimes you need to do the small things well in order to make the big things happen. Well done Tai and good luck on forcing the publicity door open wide next year.

Those who decry learning from the past - where has 'only look forward' thinking got us? It's hardly a healthy situation now. The trick is to learn from the past, try to re-create what was successful but not to live in it. Here's a few things from the past that I miss and would love to see a modern version of: Larger crowds More tracks Promotions making money Better (no, not perfect, it never was) racing - with riders going for the outside sweep having a fair chance Weekly speedway Close-fought test matches Appreciation of speedway for the racing and entertainment rather than just the winning Affordable speedway. Yes, the past is irrelevant isn't it. How can we possibly learn from times when the sport was successful?

Now, where have I seen that avatar before?

In over forty years of watching Speedway no rider has ever entertained me more with his remarkable ability on the bike than Peter Collins. A gentleman on and off track, a superb ambassador for the sport, recipient of the prestigious Segrave Trophy, honoured by the Queen and a thoroughly-deserved World Champion cruelly denied a realistic chance of defending his title by the crassness of a badly-placed drain cover at the old Belle Vue that shattered his leg. The man gave me more pleasure and excitement than almost any other sportsman I have been lucky enough to watch. He is simply the most entertaining Speedway racer I have ever seen and if I could I would personally pay for him to watch any meeting he desires. I'm sure I'm not alone. Stupid, stupid comments from someone who clearly knows a lot less about our sport than he thinks.

Far too many words for that bastion of the printed word 'The South London Press'.

Isn't doubling-up/down going a bit far when it extends to Poole loaning-out their village idiot?

Welcome home Panthers. Delighted you race on.

In my limited experience of speedway politics it's a case less of 'conspiracy', and more like 'cock-up'. Things happen sometimes not due to some sinister plan, but.....just happen.

I hear the Isle of Wight needs help....

The price of segregating reserves is that you also segregate heat leaders. While that could make for some great racing I just wonder how it'll go down with some riders.

Same here. The problem comes with those eight heats that would not include the reserves. You have sixteen slots to fill on both sides but second strings only available to take four per side (with their others being with the reserves) so it's incredibly hard to keep a balance. At the top end it's going to be very hard to avoid repetition of the same heat leaders meeting and some of the lower-averaged examples are soon going to wish they were second strings elsewhere. How long before riders are demanding extra money for racing a full line up heat leaders in almost every ride? I'm not trying to put a spoke in this, just pointing out the real problems, and this is before even looking at sharing out gate positions. On a separate point, comparing this situation with Sweden isn't that appropriate given this selection of Elitserien reserves: Hans Andersen (Vastervik) Davey Watt (Dackarna) Kenni Larsen (Smederna) Anders Mellgren (Vargarna) Joonas Kylmakorpi (Indianerna) Simon Gustafsson (Dackarna) Ludvig Lindgren (Vastervik) David Ruud (Vetlanda) With all due respect to our British youngsters almost all have a lot further to go within the sport!

The Swedish formula doesn't meet the BEL's requirement to keep reserves away from heat leaders. It's not that difficult to programme the reserves' rides, two all-reserve races then four heats featuring reserves and second strings. That gives the four reserves four rides and the second strings two each. Then, assuming they continue with fourteen heats plus a nominated race there are eight heats left in which to give the six heat-leaders four rides each and the four second strings their other two rides each. Assuming the second-strings ride with a heat-leader in their remaining rides that takes up four of the remaining eight heats, leaving four all heat-leader races. Now, this 'grading' of meetings does stand a chance of levelling-out abilities in given heats and gives us four all-star races plus the nominated but I do wonder how this will be accepted by heat-leaders once they see the final formula. They are clearly going to haver to work harder for their points with no rides with reserves and only half their programmed rides with a second string. It's already acknowledged that it will be impossible to compare the averages of the reserves with the top five without a conversion ratio similar to the comparison between leagues, but a similar procedure will have to be taken to adjust for second-strings having half their races against the reserves. I'd suggest team-building in 2015 isn't going to be easy. I do hope this cost-cutting/encourage young talent scheme works, despite history suggesting it's unlikely - my main hope is that by effectively having four grades of racing (all-reserve, second-string-reserve, second-string-heat leader and all heat leader) on a more formalised basis than before we might see closer action with inequalities of riding ability smoothed-out. Now, as another poster has mentioned, once you made all those segregations you've got to even-out riders racing against the same opponent too often and giving an even spread of gates. I suspect that's going to take some time and I do look forward to seeing the result. Just to give a small indication of the problem, let's assume we start the meeting as before: 1 2 v 1 2 6 7 v 6 7 3 4 v 3 4 All pretty logical so far. What do you do in heat 4? Obviously the two fives should get a ride, but who with? If it's a second-string it's got to be number two to avoid two rides on the trot delays. But the two twos met in heat one - do you want the two rides with heat-leaders to be against their direct opposite number? So, maybe you use another heat-leader. Again, only number 1 is 'available'. That's probably the way out, but I think you can see how tricky this could be. I do wish the complier luck.

I do hope they paid the royalties for the music. It's easy to put music in videos, not always so easy to pay for it.

Now THAT's marketing! Superb work.

Okay, it's big in Togliatti.....

There are several versions of Eurosport, Philip, with some having some distinctive deals. For example the Hungarian/Romanian service used to show the FA Premier League live. As for stations in Denmark, Poland and Sweden being unhappy with Eurosport showing SGP in opposition, well imagine what Sky would have said a couple of years ago if it had been suggested that Eurosport would show the SGP as well when THEY had paid for the UK and Ireland rights?

The greatest please I got from the Rugby League World Cup was from the matches between the minor nations, especially Scotland's two games at Derwent Park. They were well-matched sporting events, unlike those at the higher level. Now I wonder which sport that reminds me of?

By a fundamental change in mindset when dealing with the media and many years of very hard work. A good starting point would be when making a decision or public announcement considering what impact it would make on the wider world outside speedway and those many lost or future supporters. Of course we should try to exploit Tai's success but it is only a part of a much longer battle. The sport's reputation needs rebuilding in so many ways.

Of course both Rugby Union and Cricket are played at all levels of society, but that does not mask the fact that they are both cornerstones of public school sports, and as such are a firm part of Britain's social elite's culture. They are very much 'establishment' sports at heart despite involvement at other levels of society and as such have a huge advantage over others.. At my state school they had pretentions of being some kind of quasi public school and so competitive football was banned with only 'rugger', cricket and hockey allowed as team sports so I've really resisted all three sports since. They are important sports but along with football they are allowed to dominate the sporting 'conversation' far too much. As for Rugby League, it is an odd case but the BBC did rely on it as a convenient Saturday afternoon live sport and so, helped by the unintended comic novelty value of Eddie Waring's commentaries it was a major exception to my point but then I was trying to offer a suggestion as to the problems speedway faces, not absolute fact. If only the world were that simple. Anyway, perhaps I should have just posted. "Speedway's face doesn't fit." My previous employers long ago decided to ask the IBA if mud wrestling was acceptable as a sport. The answer was "As long as the audience doesn't join in'".

Again, whatever your views on whether sailing is a worthwhile sport Ben Ainslie has in successive years won Olympic gold and the Americas Cup and received much media attention in the past. I again suspect far more people would be familiar with the Americas Cup than the Speedway Grand Prix It's really a matter of breaking into what you might call a journalistic 'circle' of 'worthwhile' sports. Every cock-up speedway makes just makes that entry barrier higher. I read the autobiography of a particular sports commentator who questioned on his first paper in the 50s why public school 'soccer' and athletics were given such priority. The answer was that it was the way of the world. What in fact was going on that people from a certain social level were reporting on what they and the elitist colleagues were interested in, not what the general public might want. You see this in the disproportionate coverage given to sports like rugby and cricket. Essentially if your sport isn't played at the public schools or in the Olympics you struggle unless you're a huge corporate juggernaut like F1 or are dirt cheap to cover like darts and snooker. The battle for hearts and minds of those with the true power in sport and sports journalism has a hell of a long eway to go.

Whatever your view on what constitutes a sport those included in the BBC list all have prominent media, especially TV exposure on the major networks. Sports such as sailing and the paralympics do benefit from rather significant TV coverage, even if only every four years in the main. Tell the average person that Tai is a speedway racer and most would ask which car he drives, I suspect. Speedway simply has a low profile, even amongst other minority sports and that's where the real problem lies.

Oh no, I'm not implying that the EL would or should follow either formula, but since the new scheme compares itself with those two countries I thought I'd show how they arranged matters abroad. If the reserves are up to the standard of the top five the system works well, but otherwise it's harsh, especially in Poland for many youngsters getting two rides and thoroughly beaten in the process. Shovlar's endorsement clearly shows he believes Poole will have the best two juniors.....

In six months' time the Panthers' fans could be enjoying the Premier League, relieved that they are well away from the Elite League. Let's hope so, eh?

Just so that people can see how it works in Sweden and Poland here are the race formulae: Sweden 1 1 2 1 2 2 6 7 6 7 3 3 4 3 4 4 6 5 5 7 5 2 7 6 4 6 3 4 1 2 7 1 2 3 4 8 3 4 5 7 9 6 5 1 2 10 1 7 6 5 11 6 7 6 7 12 5 4 3 2 13 3 2 1 4 14 1 5 3 5 15 Nominated POLAND (the home side's numbered 9-15 but I've converted it to 1-7 for clarity) 1 1 2 2 1 2 6 7 7 6 3 3 4 4 3 4 5 7 7 5 5 3 4 2 1 6 5 6 4 3 7 1 2 6 5 8 5 7 2 1 9 1 2 4 3 10 3 4 7 5 11 5 2 2 3 12 3 6 6 1 13 1 4 4 5 14 & 15 - Nominated Now, bear in mind that riders such as Patryk Dudek can be found racing at reserve in Poland There are some pretty raw juniors in both leagues. In Poland you see many cases where young riders just get heat 2 and one other, usually pointless rides. I think it was 2011 when one Polish team had a promising young rider at reserve through the season - one Emil Sayfutdinov. You really can't compare Swedish and Polish reserves with our NL talent. I have nothing whatsoever against the NL - I've enjoyed thoroughly what I've seen at that level but let's not fool ourselves about the present level of development of most. I've seen far too many riders promoted too soon with the result that they leave the sport equally prematurely.

They get two reserve races but in others are up against heat leaders.