spanner47

The only thing that most agree on is, different nights for the two divisions. Doubling up has forced that upon us and it isn't going away. It's looking like Monday and Thursday, so Ipswich and Sheffield might go up, but who would come down as they don't like the thought of riding on these nights? No TV money and a change of night would surely hurt Leicester, also talk of Lakeside coming back, but don't think they'd fancy one of those nights.

It's easy to get the word out these days if people want to hear about it. But Cookie's idea of an advert in the programme at Ipswich FC would be a waste of time, hardly anyone buys programmes anymore, and it would be too late in the day for fans to change their plans and head for Foxhall after the game. 20 years ago almost everybody got the Evening Star, now hardly anyone does. If the first leg does go ahead Thursday and Sheffield perform to their best, then the 2nd leg will be a formality. The best way of getting peoples attention is the billboards outside newsagents, most people see them. Normally I prefer the 2nd leg at home, but in this instance we'd have been better off riding at home first. Historically Sheffield don't ride our place very well, but nor did Somerset, but they raised their performance last season.

Can Workington claim that they won't pay any fine if they don't fulfill their fixtures? Another Saturday when they can't ride won't help their cause.

No one in their right mind is going to pay £20 with that forecast. It's got " let's go through the motions for 12 heats, rip the fans off,then we can go home unscathed " written all over it. The 1st Division riders meeting was poorly attended, fans just don't trust the riders anymore and don't want to support the dreadful organisation running the sport. When the BSPA listen to the fans, then I'll start supporting their events again.

I'd have gone with Danny, Kyle only won heat 14 due to a mistake, so I assume his gating wasn't that sharp, massive race like that you've got to go with the skipper. Can't believe any Manager would have picked anybody else. I assume you mean next Saturday, also according to another thread on this forum, the promotion thing is dead. Reckon there's a decent chance both us and Sheffield might go up, if they say top division to race Monday / Thursday.

How long do we have to wait for the final? We haven't got a meeting this Thursday but Sheffield have arranged a pointless meeting with Redcar. I suppose it gives Cam a bit more time to get fit. I see the idiots that run the sport appear to have done away with the promotion thing, what a surprise!!

Phew!!! Well done lads. If someone had told me we'd go through with Danny having a nightmare I'd have said, no way!!

Anyone know the reasoning behind the change in the R/R replacements last night? Very unusual not to give the reserve heat 1 so he can check the track out before his own race. Then to put Danny and Rory together seemed a bit strange. I can understand if R/R was for No4 and they wanted to get the better riders out of the way in case of rain and an early postponement.

I'll settle for that. Got a bit worried when it was 4 points. But it will all be academic, Sheffield look awesome.

As much as I'd love to be there tonight, the threat of the wet stuff has put me off. If I go to a restaurant and pay for a three course meal I expect three courses, but at Speedway I can pay for 15 heats and won't get a refund if I'm short changed. So hopefully the lads will win and the weather will be better for the final.

Why the hell did the 1st Division decide to have a KO cup this season? They haven't had one for the past few seasons, the 2nd Division supporters have been moaning for years about having the final earlier in the season, the 1st Division clubs must have realised this was going to happen. But this is Speedway so as usual nobody does anything about anything and every season ends up in a mess. The sport need a fixture coordinator with total power to force teams to ride, until this happens this crap will continue.

I originally questioned that, but as we ride Thursdays I suppose it would have been pointless waiting for another week, at least we've got the 2nd leg in the forgotten cup.

At last, have the British Speedway public eventually come to their senses and stopped supporting these meetings. Ironic when the fans stay away the meeting retains a decent field for the first time in years.

Certainly agree Cam should only come back if fully fit. I trust CL and RH to pick the guests, apart from youknowwho, they've been doing an excellent job on that score lately.

If that's true it's a disgrace, the riders should refuse to ride. They'll be part time footballers sitting on a bench getting more than that in Manchester this Saturday. I appreciate with no more TV money the BSPA need to get their income from somewhere, surely the fairest way would be to pay the riders a percentage of the gate receipts. Surely the riders are worth £1,000 each, roughly what most would earn on an average night riding for their clubs. Not sure what the turnout is expected to be, but 3,000 paying £20 wouldn't too far off the mark, would it?

I'm just amazed after all these years we still allow cheating and messing around at the start. Plenty of ways of stopping it, but if BSI, the Poles and the Swedes are happy with all the nonsense at the start, a 2nd rate Speedway nation like Britain isn't going to do anything about it.

Excellent point, when I was considering about going the hotel prices were ridiculous. No football traffic to consider, would have made perfect sense to start earlier.

I really fancied going to this, but after spending all season slagging off the hapless organisation running the meeting, I'd be a total hypocrite if I then gave them £20. Just hope for the fans that do go all the riders turn up for a change. But I'll pencil it in my diary for next season, based on the assumption these people will actually listen to us for the first time in years, and just try and sort out the problems currently within the sport.

That will hit us hard. Sheffield to do the double now.

We're certainly picking some decent guests (with the except of Kevin bloody Doolan). Normally finishing 2nd would mean we get the 2nd leg at home, but unless Glasgow ride us next Wednesday, I can't see us getting what we've earned,shame but that's the problem when you're a Thursday night club I suppose. Now we've just got to hope the mighty Sheffield go off the boil a bit. On current form either us or Sheffield will do the double.

Very true, but I was referring to a very fast track which I certainly regard as dangerous when wet. Tracks like Eastbourne and the other small ones are just more awkward when wet, where generally a rider will just slip off as opposed to anything nasty.

Either a moaning git, or a sensible bloke that doesn't want to risk serious injury on a dangerous track. I wont go to speedway if there's a threat of rain, and I certainly would never blame a rider for not wanting race on a dangerous track, and let's face it, they don't come much more dangerous that the last one he questioned whether it was safe or not.

Anyway, back to this meeting. Forecast still showing showers, I assume it all depends on how heavy they are.

Look at our situation with Edinburgh. If someone had told us we've got to go there the previous Friday then we'd have gone with Connor Mountain, 5 guests and R/R. Nobody is saying it's easy, but someone in charge (with power) would certainly make life easier. And don't forget, we're lucky at Ipswich, it hardly ever rains here on a Thursday.

Problem is, sometimes one team wants to ride and the other one doesn't. Would be harsh to penalise a team when others are refusing to ride them.