keepturningleft

Positioned at the very top of the temporary stand, I settled down for heat one and watched as Fido and Rex battled it out with Jet coming in third, until my wife pointed out that I was facing the wrong way and was in fact watching the dog racing at the old stadium. Seriously though, with panoramic views of both stadia, the contrast couldn't have been more amazing. What an achievement the new stadium is. What a track! What a night!

I can't believe that the thousands in the East stand are not considered important enough to have an extension to the PA system so that we hear what the hell is going on. This must be fixed for tomorrow night.

These days I am only an occasional buyer of speedway star, but this morning I skipped along to my local WH Smith to buy the mag and enjoy the build up to the WC. Whilst I can appreciate that it would be impossible for the mag to fully preview the event because of not knowing who all the finalists would be because of the closeness of the qualifying rounds to print deadlines etc I would, however, have expected a comprehensive preview purely from the perspective of Belle Vue/NSS. At the very least, I thought we would be hearing from Dave Gordon or Chris Morton as they stand on the threshold of seeing their dream come to fruition having given British speedway it's biggest shot in the arm since god knows when. I would have expected information on hospitality, pre meet entertainment, the parking situation, local traffic info, catering, local media interest, what to do in Manchester etc etc. Ok, I know most of this info can be found on line but I still think that SS has come up short here.

These days I am only an occasional buyer of speedway star, but this morning I skipped along to my local WH Smith to buy the mag and enjoy the build up to the WC. Whilst I can appreciate that it would be impossible for the mag to fully preview the event because of not knowing who all the finalists would be because of the closeness of the qualifying rounds to print deadlines etc I would, however, have expected a comprehensive preview purely from the perspective of Belle Vue/NSS. At the very least, I thought we would be hearing from Dave Gordon or Chris Morton as they stand on the threshold of seeing their dream come to fruition having given British speedway it's biggest shot in the arm since god knows when. I would have expected information on hospitality, pre meet entertainment, the parking situation, local traffic info, catering, local media interest, what to do in Manchester etc etc. Ok, I know most of this info can be found on line but I still think that SS has come up short here.

Thanks for the info everyone re the car parking

Does anyone know if there is anything to stop people parking in the (huge) adjacent showcase cinema car park on Saturday? Google maps needs a bit of correction to say the least. The map shows the NSS positioned incorrectly behind the old stadium and declares the NSS to be a dog track with a restaurant! https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4612756,-2.1840667,18.01z

You just beat me to it..! Tai, but much more significantly someone like Adel at Glastonbury the other week, is able to unleash a torrent of bad language to a world wide audience of millions and not too many people blink an eye, but on this forum seen by only a few dozen, the offending words are banned! This makes no sense at all.

No, I did indicate, apart from the GP's speedway is struggling.

Had Andy Murray let forth with the F word after winning Wimbledon, he would have been jumped on pretty quickly and the backlash would have been significant. It is quite obvious that Woffinden is swearing in a quite calculated and deliberate manner in order to promote himself as some kind of a jack the lad, bad boy. Unfortunately, it is quite clear that Woffiden's strategy, admittedly embraced by many, to promote speedway as an adrenalin fueled, 'cool' youth sport with its participants covered in tattoos and piercings, is not working. GP's aside, the terraces are empty. The 'young' are not pouring through the turnstiles in any significant numbers. Maybe us oldies are simply out of touch with modern times but at least we've got a hell of a past to look back on. It is difficult to be optimistic about the future, at grass roots level at least, and it gives me no pleasure at all to say that.

Can't agree with this bit...I think a 3/4 completely empty stadium looks bad on tv.

...and, the Wales match is on this Wedenesday!

The dishonesty of - already rich/well off - sports and celebrity people pretending (lying) to consume and enjoy an unhealthy product is what dismays me the most. Hancock and the rest lose all their dignity with this weekly sham.

I think what many people find galling is the unashamed insincerity (and irresponsibility) of super fit sports stars promoting unhealthy products which we all know they wouldn't consume themselves. Because we all know it's phony, and they are doing it purely for financial gain, it renders the whole charade patronizing and embarrassing. Of course, celebrities are just as bad on tv. I remember many years ago, Eric Idle used to advertise Breakaway (I think), chocolate bars and then later when his contract had finished, pretending to almost throw up when he found one in his pocket during a live Monty Python show for a laugh. People will sell their souls to the devil for money.

Would be interesting if Durex were still sponsoring speedway - and having GH waving a condom around in front of the camera. and...half his last name would be quite appropriate.

Exactly - hardly any people in their 40's will drink that stuff. It's as ludicrous as teenagers appearing in ads for horlicks.

Sadly, speedway riders and other sportspeople are now happy to humiliate themselves by pretending to consume the god-awful product they are promoting. Greg Hancock is by far the worst - it's cringeworthy and embarrassing to see him like a child with a dummy clinging on to that green slime. I would be surprised if even one single viewer watching this nauseating charade has ever been out and actually bought a bottle of the stuff. Sad that this is how it has to be.

A Saturday night staging automatically ups the status of an event such as this. Long time Belle Vue fans will never forget those BLR championships in the 60's and 70's - Saturday night, under lights, huge crowds, magic! Monday nights just don't hold the same kudos. We have to backwards to go forwards in some cases.

Does anyone know if Peter Collins has any involvement, or has even been, to the new National Stadium? It seems a shame that such a legendary figure in Belle Vue's history, and someone who enjoyed huge media attention in the 70's is not around to boost the profile of the stadium in some way or other. Even to this day, many people 'out there' will be more familiar with the name Peter Collins than Tai Woffinden.

"I reckon there was at least 3000 people there and it was great to see lots of children since it was the bank Holiday." Although 3,000 is probably a reasonable crowd in this day and age, it's a pity that in Great Manchesterwith its population of 2.7 million, we can't get more people interested. The local media generally give the Aces a fair crack of the whip and the sports presenter on Granada isvery enthusiastic about speedway and always gives it a positive spin.

I will be attending many Belle Vue meetings this year but I've no intention of buying tickets in advance. I live in Yorkshire and the prospect of getting snarled up on the M62/60 and being late or not able to get there at all, is something that is going to happen at some time. I wouldn't take the risk.

Very, very true and quite strange at the same time. Speedway is a motor sport that isn't a really a motor sport - if that makes any sense. From my observations, speedway fans are more likely to be into football than any other motor sport.

There's been some great racing at Cardiff - not sure why there is anything to be concerned about.

Question is why do they do the gardening at all. There is not a single solitary advantage to be gained by all this irritating, time wasting nonsense. Pretending to gain some scientific advantage fools no one, is nothing but 100% hokum, and it should be stopped.

An official at the south stand asked me how long it had taken me to get a ticket and was clearly logging such information.

I'm sure I spotted Stuart Maconie in the bar. He included a piece about Belle Vue speedway in his brilliant book 'The Pie at Night'. Perhaps he's becoming a fan!