Trees

I would like each of our promoters to make their tracks the best they can for entertaining racing as possible for starters. I'd like them to consider the music they play, making sure it is loud enough and appropriate. I'd like them to get the best guys as centre green mic men that they can, who are entertaining, know the sport, know the riders, have rapport with the fans, are fun and totally bias towards their team 😊 I'd like them to make sure the stadiums are looking good, that their track shops have good quality, current, smart merchandise at decent prices that the fans want to buy. Give their supporters clubs a proper base and all the help they need. Make sure their programmes are interesting, a kids page, competitions, stats, fans page, supporters club page ... Then turn to the race format, if they're going for 6 man teams, as long as we don't have any more protected heats and riders end up with proper, fair averages that's what we want isn't it? I'd like the promoters and refs to give time for riders to do a victory lap and for riders to always do them too and celebrate with their fans. I'd like all clubs to do some sort of press conference or talk to their riders after a home meeting, win or lose, the fans want to hear what they have to say. I don't want to see the return of tactical substitutes because riders don't get their full compliment of races but maybe it would be interesting for the team manager to have to pick the riders for the 2/3/4 races and/or a losing team could choose gate positions in a race if 6 down as a small tactical positive? How on earth you could encourage or make all EL clubs have a NL or DL team I don't know but they should all do something to develop our youngsters, thinking particularly of Poole here who are one of the best supported clubs in the country who don't 'seem' to do anything? I'd love to watch and support some test matches at BV, Lynn and Peterborough to give our best riders good, tough meetings on our big tracks. But of course to put anything like this together is near on impossible with the GP series taking up so much time of the top guys, I doubt it could be fitted in 😕

Not keen on the track but love the music 😊

Perfect example of not counting your chickens, oh damn ......

Least we know he likes Swindon.

Yeah I love their enthusiasm but I do hate their overthetopness at times, it's just so OTT!

IMG knew with the advent of satellite tv they were onto a good thing, it was so wrong of the FIM to sell off speedway's crown jewel and the World Team Championship

Wasn't gonna bother with this one cos it's not always a good track for the Stars but it's ages again since we've watched the team race, so off we go And Darcy, who would not want to give the guy a cheer.

You know the old saying, it takes one .. ... 😂

Floppy was great in commentary, very entertaining Whether he still would be i dunno.

If the BSPA receive monies for SWC participation it can't be much because the Aussies wouldn't have had the begging bowl out?

So we are saying that our current promoters who are managing their clubs on peanuts compared to years ago and Poland and Sweden, need to all build themselves new, polishesque tracks. Tall order! I don't personally know how fit the likes of Craig Cook, Danny King, Robert Lambert and Chris Harris are. Tai obviously thinks they don't take it seriously enough or don't do enough. Yes if he had arranged for them to have fitness tests with someone he knows, why didn't he tell the riders? That's a bit odd in this day and age .... he'a saying he still doesn't know if they'very been told? Why hasn't he asked them? All the other riders aren't stupid, they must know what they are or aren't doing and why? As for funding, BSI money goes to the FIM, I wonder if there is a way of accessing some of this money for grass roots training, I wonder how it works? We never hear anything about this sort of stuff, perhaps the ACU or SCB do access it to run everyday as such? I'll ask Rosco on the EDPpodcast, see if he knows.

So it's got to the point where silver and bronze medals mean nothing to riders? I know Tai has his memories and the video coverage but who knows what will happen in this sport ..... Of course it was a special moment for the little girl but the medal is not significant to her, whatever Tai had given her would be special. Just my thoughts ....

This is something of the ilk I wanted UK Martin to admit. Do the Polish clubs pay rent on their facilities though? I haven't a clue what the Russells do for their cut apart from being involved at Swindon and doing stuff on Sky nights. You've got the chance to ask Alun Rossiter on the EDP podcast all these questions if you like ...... Long range vision, surely BV is long range vision for one? Of course being a top rider isn't all about fast engines, it's the complete package, all riders know that, some are more talented, more clever, more ruthless, richer, have the gift of the gab, are more single minded and so on than others and all make a difference.

Come on Mrs, there must be stuff you'd like answering?

Of course he raced really well for TeamGB, nobody can say any different whether we think he should, on principle, be in the team or not. His conduct had to improve after the last GP though, jeez!

I've tweeted a few questions

The money Manchester Council has put in has to be paid back, probably at a premium? I personally don't think Polish Speedway is presented any better than any other speedway meeting. They do nothing extra that I saw. But they don't need to cos the people just turn up in their thousands to support their team, they go there up for a good time, just like fans who go to Cardiff, the SWC etc. I didn't see any kids on the centre, no sponsors watching from the centre green, no supporters club presenting Rider of the Night, no child doing the coin toss. But they just don't need to, the fans turn up anyways, all they want is to see their team win, they are passionate about their teams. The top riders want to race over there. They're getting their thousands of pounds or zlotys from somewhere to pay the riders. They have it made at the moment ...... just like British Speedway did in the 50s, 60s and 70s ..... everything is easy when the money is flowing ..... but as you say all is not perfect in the Polish Speedway world. As for what the BSPA has done in the last 3 years, from what I can see from the outside, I guess many promoters are shoring up the running of BNL teams and quite possibly their BPL and BEL teams because the fan base and sponsors aren't. The Poultec course has happened, whether they are financially supporting it or not .... I don't know what Tai wants to happen but the riders themselves need to do all they can to be the best, surely that is what Tai has done, he has worked out what it takes, he's had the will to do it without any special support from the BSPA? If you are good enough to break into Polish and Swedish clubs then things become that much easier financially wise although you are then under plenty of pressure to perform consistently, but the Poles help their riders quite a bit don't they, cos they can, cos the fans want their teams to win full stop. I haven't a clue whether any money has gone into TeamGB, I don't know if there is any money in the coffers to be invested even of course. As we have seen this weekend, not even the mighty BSI/IMG can get column inches in the tabloids for speedway so what chance does the BSPA stand on that score. They do a reasonable job locally although I think more could be done of course. BSI/IMG haven't found many new sponsors for their plum comps only Monster but they sponsor nearly all motorcycle sport so that's no surprise. So clearly the BSPA find that one hard ......although Buster Chapman has a league sponsor lined up for next year apparently or so I have read .... I'll never be in a position to join the inner circle of the BSPA, unless I win the lottery ha, so will never know why certain things are done or not done, I'll just keep supporting my team, enjoying the racing and flying the flag

Of course we need the boys to go through the system from academy, development league, NL, PL, EL then whatever. The good boys invariably do mind ..... if the promoters can give them every opportunity, the fans can help with that in attending their club meetings. To get our boys to GP standard they need club racing, hence it pees me off when people rave over the GPs but don't support our leagues.

JPB, Jack Smith,Bickley etc are the boys we need to be investing inIt's surely a good start, they learn about everything from psychology to mechanics? Is it money or time and knowledge that these boys need. Certainly track time, I guess having the development leagues and the BNL helps, certain promoters invest in these learning leagues whereas others certainly do not. If only the TV paid more for speedway ala football, then the promoters could do loads more ......

So you've been privvy to the emails between Tai and the BSPA? Is he asking for too much money? Is the money the stumbling block, I haven't a clue, do you? Of course Tai racing in the BEL would help the youngsters, he would lead by example, hopefully give them tips and help, telling them about his journey to the top, he could hold impromptu schools as he would have his machinery here, simply he would be involved in British Speedway instead of doing his thing only in Poland and Sweden.

But as a result of their communism all their tracks are state owned aren't they? But where has all this investment come from? Where do all the thousands and thousands of pounds of wages come from? Is it right that Gorzow council (or whatever it is called) have invested massively into the club, can you imagine any british town or city council prioritising a speedway club over other things? Yes, Manchester has invested in the National Stadium but they're going to get their investment back in rent .... The BSPA have made a start with the Poultec scheme at least. Surely we need Tai to pass on his knowledge to our young riders though by racing here, being involved, being available, being a role model?

Well they have done one thing, built a polishesque track, BV. Good start ..... Poland are so lucky, they have everything in place, as we all know it's not so easy here, no 24\7 tracks, no huge sponsors/promoters, no state owned tracks, few speedway only tracks, small crowds, hardly any funding from tv companies ...... our boys face an uphill battle. Perhaps Tai would like to use his influence in Poland to get Robert Lambert a team spot and macinery chucked at him, he certainly has the talent.

Let us in on this plan Tai so we can see what your ideas are for the future of British League Speedway ....

Should buy the Saturday EDP Meg!! The Sun, oh dear!! 😉

You have to blame the famous IMG/BSI for lack of coverage, surprised they don't have important contacts at the tabloids? Mind you, who reads tabloid newspapers?