bigeddiechek

You would like to think so, but the year we were challenging for the league was one of the worst we had for crowds in Peter's time: he told me people stopped going because we were winning so easily. I wasn't referring to you Jim, we were having a discussion about what you just asked. That is very different from moaning for the sake of it, or without thinking. Even I was moaning last night: it was just an off-night for us, and a good night for the Bears. As you walk round tracks, it's what you overwhelmingly over-hear, though. It makes for a gloomy atmosphere. Not much smiling and jocularity going on. The Supporters' Club guys on the 3rd bend are a breath of fresh air, getting behind the team and in a lively way. That creates a completely different atmosphere to be around. It'll not have escaped your attention that they were quite vocal against the team half way through the meeting as well, though The fans, as a whole, are going to have to take a bit of responsibility within the sport, instead of taking any opportunity to knock it, the track, the promotion, the riders, the authorities, etc. If the fan base carries on doing this, then they'll have to find something else to greet about on a Saturday night.

It bores the crap out of me, almost to the point that I think about doing Saturday afternoon rugby instead of Saturday evening speedway. Year after year it grinds people down. It either wears off on folk and makes them the same, or it wears them down. The fan base is dwindling to a bunch of grumpy old men going through the list of the same old complaints week in week out. Just look through the threads on here. It's all the same. Anyone looking from the outside would think everyone who goes hates the sport. It's mental.

Here we are experiencing - once again - the major problem with speedway. I will get thumped for this, but I believe it to be true. The fans. They moan about the presentation. It is improved. They moan about the cost. Admission is slashed. They moan about the track. It is improved. They moan about team selections. We get most of who people wanted (does any team get all 7 that everyone wants?) They moan about not having a number 1. We get one. We moan about not winning anything. We win the fours. Then it is the close season. Then the season starts. They moan about, presentation, track, team selection, team management: probably not number 1, but heat leaders this year, losing a home meeting. If we're no way near the top of the league after a few meetings - which doesn't start until for 2 weeks yet - there will be greeting about it. The fans make the sport feel like a miserable waste of time. They really do. With rugby, fans talk - generally - enthusiastically about their teams. Of course there are grumbles, but they are not incessant, and utterly predictable in their nature. That wasn't a very good meeting at all last night, but it is the first one that has been bad enough for me to be vocal about in probably the best part of a year. The sport really isn't that bad. The fans are atrocious and are killing the sport. For that reason it is being strangled to death in the UK. We'll soon be saying RIP British Speedway, unless we start turning up and supporting it properly. I'll get pelters for this, but I'll stand by what I say, and I'm big enough to take it.

I think this is just one of those meetings that are best moved on from. We were not at the races, and Redcar were. Our lads will be doubly up for Thursday though. I wonder how much of an effect silencer design has on going round the outside in the dirt at Shielfield? It was a discussion a few of us were having tonight, the engines seem to die when they hit any kind of dirt: just a question, more than anything else. Also, as Fromafar has mentioned many times, the bikes a so fast that if a half decent rider gets out in from, you have to be rocket powered to even have a chance of catching, never mind passing. It would be interesting for stats person to count the number of genuine passes at every PL meeting and find out what tracks are the most inviting. Then look at if it is applicable to every other track. Oh, well done to the Bears!

He didn't say you were. Losing the plot wee man.

He's kind of like the turkey that votes for Christmas, fairplay1

Hah hah hah hah! As if you ever change your tune! More classic numpty talk from Emily Ali!

There have been some folk getting awfy shown-up on this forum recently.

Not a bad result considering we lost Ricky. Hopefully he is OK.

Thanks Shadders.

Any updates for this?

I think you will probably find most people agree with you on that one. The fact that there can be racing - and there actually often is - says to me it is down to the quality of riders. I guess the answer is to go Elite League.

Surely - with that being constant - there would never be any good racing though?

I know that is something that has been looked at, but doesn't work with the football pitch. Although, if they go ahead and build their new stadium, we could widen the track then One question: how come there are meetings where there is a lot of passing? I've seen it with the Peter Waite tattie field, with super slick dustbowl meetings, new shale, old shale, soaking wet, new smooth surface. If the track is the problem, how come we have had lots of passing in all the above conditions? I had the DVDs from over the years to prove it!

I guess that would be more apparent on bigger tracks too?

Maybe, or is it any different from other tracks? Smaller tracks, of course, are going to have riders closer together, which might be more desirable for some. I can't say that I didn't enjoy tonight, it wasn't a classic, but it entertained me. It was by far better than the crap that was available as "entertainment" throughout the close season. For what it is worth, I think the biggest factor in the quality of racing is that opposition.

I'm not saying I disagree with you, but there was an interesting discussion of Facebook which included ex-riders and current riders. The question as was about whether or not tracks need dirt for good racing. Almost every rider that posted had track shape as the most important factor. Some talked against a lot of dirt. Some said track shape and a slick track. None mentioned lots of dirt. Don't shoot the messenger.

Dick deserves a lot of recognition - and thanks - for the services he has given to Berwick Speedway over the decades. Thanks Dick, for it will not be the same without you!

Running free buses to each others' meetings could be a really great idea. I like it.

Thoroughly enjoyed last night. Some good racing, especially considering it is a season opening challenge. Good crowd, on a freezing night, and some welcome changes that clearly show - once again - that the guys running Berwick Speedway listen to the fans who actually make the effort to talk to them! It must have been good, because the usual lunatics have not appeared on here to knock it.

You can bet your house on them not voicing their opinions in real life, time has proven them to be frightened of that.

There we go, thank you for adding a bit of sense to the request for assistance to the two riders. I'm agreeing with you here, blue snow tonight. Even more useful. Shows emilali up for what he is.

You have gone up in my estimations: quite a witty riposte

Exactly, anything could have happened to cause this. To seriously state that the club are unprepared is bonkers. Erm, I think I described it as one of the World's greatest tracks, and I don't recall editing that. It still stands: it is a truly great track. Guid lad though, keep it up, it's been boring on here without the Village Idiot!