RobMcCaffery

The Sunday match was covered by TVP Sport, as is Polish Division 1. So far this year it;s been tough to find any of TVP's coverage on You Tube, as opposed to nsport's Ekstraliga coverage so you may be disappointed. Frustratingly the match is on the TVP website but only viewable in Poland. There is one option though, a repeat of the match is on TVP Sport tomorrow night at 23.25 CET, 22.25 BST 17.25 New York time. It's also being shown on Saturday at 13.15 CET, 12.15 BST or 7.15 New York time. If you use this link and look for TVP Sport you should be able to watch it as live: http://www.telewizjada.net/ Hope this helps.

So, the inadequate access, inadequate and unsafe parking, revisions to location of the new stadium without key alterations to the original plans are 'excuses'? Do you actually have any kind of grasp of what's going on?

Thank you. That's pretty damning and amounts to 'go back and start again' re the plans for parking and access. It echoes the concerns voiced here that the proposed parking will be thoroughly inadequate and that there have been significant revisions to the new stadium's location that have invalidated several previous plans. Most importantly, the idea that the old stadium can continue while the new one is being built is severely questioned. The reference to the proposal to use a local park and ride to compensate for the car parking shortfall is also cast into doubt by the failure to include plans for revised access to that site. There is also fundamental criticism of the lack of pedestrian walkways. These are fundamental problems and in the modern H&S culture would appear to need to be comprehensively addressed. Something tells me that it is going to be a long time, if at all before we see any diggers moving in. There is another document regarding noise which states that if after three meetings the noise levels exceed a certain limit then activities will be suspended until the noise barrier can be improved to bring levels below the limit. That again is concerning. If someone were to go to a council and argue that they would like to build a motorsports stadium in the middle of a housing estate I think we would all know the response, and yet that is what is proposed here, and one with inadequate parking as well. I really worry for the future. The new stadium plans look great but I really can't see how this is going to happen. It does look to me that once the initial housing is built there will be pressure by GI to claim that the new stadium is unworkable and apply to finish off the housing estate.

BBC WM do a superb job. If only more could.

Can I suggest that those arguing with the polish troll read the other thread started by him about Darcy Ward and just treat him with the contempt he so obviously deserves and don't feed his sickness by responding to him. I made that mistake and regret it - please don't repeat my error.

The meeting isn't held up to let the presenters finish their conversation you know. It's their job to fill the gaps so they talk about the meeting and the sport. What would prefer them to do, form a death metal duo? As someone who's done the job on a much less-important scale it's good to know that all anyone who's ever done the job is ';waffle'. So good to be appreciated. People wonder why so many shun the sport when you have to put up with ill-informed comments like this. I still love and enjoy the sport but would never, ever work in it again given that this is the kind of 'reward' that you get.

I'm not convinced it's human. I think it's an experimental pillock bot. Anyway, for those too stupid to know where Scunthorpe is, here's a hint. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe

We have had domestic video recording for nearly forty years now!

https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/bt-sport

I do wonder if it depends on the track you watch at. Some tracks were as appalling for racing in the past as they are now. Never once used the crass phrase "good old days". I just have the ability to remember and have the video to help. People had genuine concerns in the mid 70s how the four valve engines were spoiling the quality of racing. I suppose in the late seventies we were all reminiscing about the "good old days" of the early 70s. The same happened later with lay-downs. Some people believe what they wish to believe and try to dismiss those with a contrary view of stupidly living in the past - all very convenient and prevents actually having to think. Perhaps I spent too much time at decent tracks which produced great racing?....and Rye House.... ;-) - Well we did our best with what we had but it was a heck of a step down from Rayleigh. So, next time I'm at a track watching 15 processions from the gate I can console myself by thinking it was just as bad in 1972? Dream on guys. You can fool yourselves but don't try to fool me.

Very much so, but you'd have thought the World Champion was a 'must'. The Poles ran a series of rather contrived meetings under this format last year. So far it looks like this is the only one of its type this season. Still, as long ass the two sides are evenly-matched it should be worth a look.

If only more people would open their minds like this and give NL a chance. I'm delighted you tried and have had your reward.

I was trying to stress that you can't blindly try to adopt the past. Let me offer an analogy. A friend is diagnosed with a serious illness. Do you help them fight the illness and restore the good health that they used to have or do you wring your hands, give up and say "the world has moved on"? Your point regarding SGP and SWC is correct though in many cases.. It's clear that when riders are sufficiently motivated and the track given to them suitable for purpose (obviously this excludes several GPs) you can still have excellent speedway. Likewise in Poland. Sadly that vital combination so rarely comes together in Britain. There's not enough money on offer for most star riders to put in their best efforts or use their best equipment, even if they can be bothered or are allowed to turn up. Britain is just a source of a bit of 'pin money' and practice for too many. In the short to mid term while we rebuild we have to show them the door. The names may be box office but how often do their UK performances match and crucially bring in the revenue to pay them?

British Speedway was at its strongest when it had weekly fixtures, almost always on the same race night, except for matches between two teams sharing the same race night. Fridays and Saturdays were key nights. A wider appreciation of the sport beyond winning league points allowed open events to succeed and vary the entertainment. Individual events were taken seriously by riders and public. Racing was not so dependent on machinery. Most of all the sport was fun. We'd have public rants by team managers and promoters (often staged) and the odd villainous rider to hate. It was a show and everyone contributed to make it so. Meetings were affordable. We have lost almost every one of those positive attributes. This isn't blind, rosy-tinted memory of the 'good old days'. I can list forever matters outside speedway that have improved hugely. The key is - outside speedway. About the only positive changes within the sport I can think of are air and foam fences, greater control of safety and making riders stay still at the start. Yes the world has moved on but that does not mean that we cannot repair the errors made over many years although it will be a long process. Customers need to be made welcome, whichever side they support, facilities must be acceptable, tracks up to standard to allow good racing, running under clear, sensible rules. Most of all everyone from promoter to fan must work together to make it work. I am privileged to have seen some wonderful years of speedway and want them back. Costs have to be controlled and the entertainment raised. We must offer value for money. I've seen speedway work and want to see it do so again. That won't happen as long as we dismiss the lessons of the past in the futile belief that the only way to progress is to carry on in the same direction. In my opinion that path leads to a very large cliff. We cannot rely on winning keeping fans. Only three teams can win league titles and someone has to lose for someone else to win. We need the competition to come out of the meeting room and back on the track. Perhaps if we only used riders who were committed to the sport here the fans might sense and respond? There is so much wrong now that it is hard to know where to start, but still I love this sport but too often now I wonder why.

The format they used last year was this (all R B W Y): 1 - 9 10 2 1 2 - 11 12 4 3 3 - 13 14 6 5 4 - 12 12 2 1 5 - 13 14 4 3 6 - 9 10 6 5 7 - 13 14 2 1 8 - 9 10 4 3 9 - 11 12 6 5 10 13 10 4 1 11 - 9 12 6 3 12 - 11 14 2 5 13 - 13 10 1 3 14 - 11 14 4 1 15 - 9 12 2 5 The Polish website Sportowe Fakty should have the race chart up on their website over the weekend. The link is: http://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/wydarzenie/60876 Right now it doesn't even have the teams listed but that will change during Saturday. As you can see from the above the home side is numbered 9-14 and the away 1-6, and that yellow is the heat-leader helmet colour, not white as over here and in Sweden. I hope this helps.

For me, the day I once too often saw a true racer open the throttle and head for the outside line, only to lose ground horribly. About the late 80s.

I don't doubt that the rest of the meeting wasn't but I am only commenting on the one heat that's available, not the meeting itself. I trust your judgement of the overall meeting but that heat 11 entertained me hugely, hence my comment which acknowledged that there was still far to go. To me the mark of a good track is the ability to pass on the outside but I can still know a good race when I see one. Obviously I can't comment on the other 14 heats.

Brian, you have been a devoted and loyal friend of speedway who has achieved remarkable things for your club, Birmingham. Please don't feel the need to apologise to those who record is entirely the opposite. I do wish you success in this latest battle. Those who never made a mistake probably never tried......

What the BT argument comes down to is "Sky are charging me so much that I can't afford another service. How dare speedway sell rights to anyone but Sky?" Ever thought of stopping Sky bleeding you dry?

Proper speedway. Once the outside line develops fully it's going to be marvellous.

No World Champion? Is he worried about burn-out?

At least David Rowe included the result going into heat 7 which does suggest that either the studio commentary was added after editing or they knew live that heat 6 wasn't going to be shown. Just like any meeting I go to I keep a programme running so prefer not to have to work out heat results from later scorecharts. I just worry about those time slots.

John has brought this on himself with his unpleasant attacks and ridicule on subjects such as the National Speedway Stadium, National League speedway and those valiant people who are running 'nomadic' teams as part of their campaigns to restore speedway to their towns. His constant reference to stock car racing and speedway in the 1940s were tolerable but his insults and childish behaviour have exhausted patience. I tried to sympathise and help him with advice, if only out of respect for his past achievements some time back but it was rejected out of hand. He clearly has no love or respect for present-day speedway and you have to question his motivation for being on this forum. Yes, I have him firmly on ignore but sadly people quote his messages, thus defeating that. I am dismayed that an attempt to voice my frustration with John's behaviour with some gentle satire has been grossly misrepresented by some and what indeed should have been a thread about a speedway reunion so diverted. Perhaps if certain people with Wimbledon connections had realised that the criticism was of the messenger NOT the message we might have avoided all of this?

Eurosport 2 are running just a weekly one hour programme on Wednesday mornings. In the first meeting they at least carried all 15 heats. Timings for the next three weeks are: May 11th 10.45 am (as above) May 18th 9.45 am May 25th 7 am. Not exactly prime time and no repeats.

It's not that difficult unless you have a problem counting to six. Home - Win 3, Draw 1, Loss 0 Away - Loss over 6 0 Loss 6 and under 1 Draw 2 Win 6 and under 3 Win over 6 4 It's scarcely cricket's Duckworth-Lewis method!