chunky

Yeah, I often wonder what happened to Nick? Haven't heard anything from him in years; does anybody know? Steve

...as does repeatedly mis-spelling "Pedersen". Oh, and mis-spelling "intelligence"... Steve

Oh come on, Phil!!! Ronnie didn't come back until 1969!!! Steve

In an effort to attract the 96 year old speedway fans back to the sport, it might be better to go pre-decimal. If that is the case, Rob Godfrey and Buster Chapman would be replaced by Ivor Shilling and Arfur Crown. The BSPA would adopt the new war cry of: "Go on luv, show us your thrupennies!!!!!" Steve

Yeah, sounds good! All second-half points earned by non-Commonwealth riders with a CMA between 2.37 and 4.74 will be awarded either to Poole, or a team of your choice, based on another coin toss! Steve

I think the third meeting should be at a neutral track, perhaps in Poland to keep them happy? I think it would also help to use a three-team format for this meeting, so you could introduce a wild-card team of riders from 1975 to keep us old'uns interested... Steve

Absolutely. Every match means something. Sad that we have ended up like this.... Steve

Thank you so much! I was wondering the exact same thing! Is the quality of racing really that irrelevant now? Is the desire to follow your team through thick and thin irrelevant now? People still go and watch other sports because they enjoy "watching", and because they enjoy being a part of it. Are speedway fans now that shallow that the result - and the quest for a playoff spot - is the only thing that matters? If that really is the case, there is no hope for civilisation in Britain, let alone speedway... Steve

I definitely think that the circumstances have to be taken into account, and I agree with your views on Pedersen. The problem is that we see so many ridiculous posts on here! Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that people were saying that Pedersen and Hancock should "retire with dignity" (or words to that effect). Are the pair "past their best"? Of course they are. BUT, while they do not perform with the same consistency as they did a few years ago, they have proven that they can still compete at the highest level. As far as the "circumstances" I mentioned above... Let's just say that both Nicki and Greg get injured before the end of the GP season, and both fail to make the Top Eight. While we would never KNOW what MIGHT have happened, it is fair to say that without injury, both would have qualified for next year! Even if they finished outside the Top Ten, I think there would be a strong case for both to receive a Wild Card. Again, this is just to illustrate that the circumstances can make a difference... Thing is, nobody can deny that, even though they are not at their peak, both Pedersen and Hancock add to the SGP. Unfortunately, that cannot always be said about others who have qualified for the series by right, although if they are there on merit, good luck to them! Steve

Not sure I totally agree; I think Dudek was partly responsible for their demise with that move on Janowski! Steve

Had to shut off after Pedersen ran him out to the fence on the back straight. Never got back after that, Steve

I agree, and whatever way you look at it, you are effectively replacing a heat-leader with a junior. Heaven forbid you are two heat-leaders short... Not being negative, but adding to a point I made earlier regarding this situation, here are the likely scenarios: The loss of a star name (or names) can certainly cause spectators to stay away. Replacing a heat leader with a junior drastically weakens a team, so the resulting contest is likely to be "no contest". That can drive away spectators. With an uncompetitive junior (or juniors) on display, the quality of the racing will probably suffer. That can drive away spectators. The key to competitive sport is confidence. Particularly in a sport like speedway, where one is basically competing on a individual basis, throwing kids in at the deep end can destroy their career before it even begins. We have seen that all too often, and certainly back in the 80's when they introduced the compulsory junior in the BL. The vast majority of the kids never did anything in the sport, and it wasn't because they weren't good enough; it was because they had the stuffing knocked out of them, and they lost all confidence. I have seen that happen to many talented youngsters in my own sport of darts too, so I am very familiar with the problems it causes. So, loss of stars, one-sided match with crap racing, and irreparable damage to a youngster's confidence and career... Is that really a solution? Steve

I am totally okay with something like that! I believe that guests are a necessary evil, but that doesn't mean you should be replacing a bunch of lower average riders with guests. For those who continue to compare speedway and football, look at this; when Leicester City won the PL, they relied heavily on Mahrez and Vardy. Not heavily enough though, that should one (or both) be missing from the line-up, they get beaten out of sight. Take a speedway team like Coventry a few years back, who relied heavily on Hancock and Hamill. Take one or both out, and they were screwed. When I said this same thing previously on the BSF, I was told, "That's why teams should have a solid 1-7, with no stars!" Really? Okay, isn't the league watered down enough already? So, just get rid of the crowd-pullers, and worse still, just force them out of the league because they are too good... Steve

The disturbing thing is that while British speedway has been in decline for many years, it was still relatively successful, and largely self-sufficient. Suddenly, everyone is sitting up and realising that we have now reached the point of no return. There is no single reason for the sport's problems, and unfortunately, there is no single - or easy - fix. Of course, the biggest issue is the finances, and as much as I hate to say it, the riders have to shoulder much of the blame. Thing is, the promoters are equally at fault by spending more than they could afford. I accept that these days, everyone thinks they are special, and that they deserve to be treated as such. That applies to all sports, and as someone who has spent a lifetime in professional sport, I do think that many sports have been ruined by money. I don't have a problem with the top names earning more, but I also feel that their demands shouldn't exceed the supply. We all know that hasn't happened in speedway, and I honestly fear it is too late... Steve

Right! We already know that from comments from riders and ex-riders! So, what is the answer? As you say, if we stick with what we have, it will continue in a downward spiral... Looking at comments on here, we accept that there will always be conflicts, and as I said before, everyone is an "expert"! There are two choices, then: 1) Fix the tracks to suit the bikes. 2) Fix the bikes to suit the tracks. That leaves us with these questions: 1) Which will be more practical/viable? 2) Which is more likely to stop the rot? Steve

...and therein lay one of the major issues in British speedway; what the riders want and what the paying customers want are two totally different things! The supporters resent the riders for wanting conditions to suit THEM, when it is the riders who are the ones risking their necks. Of course, the riders then resent the supporters for wanting things that interfere with their jobs! Both opinions are totally justified, but it gets us nowhere. The issue seems to be the modern "all about me" concept, but unfortunately, I don't know what the answer is. Without the riders, there is no speedway. Without the fans, there is no speedway. Looks like we're screwed either way... Steve

That is exactly the way I feel. Speedway evolved from "dirt-track" racing. Watching burly men wrestling bucking broncos through heavy cinders was a spectacle! It wasn't just about passing, or close racing; watching the skill and sheer strength that was needed to keep a bike upright was worth the admission price! Sad thing, it's not just speedway. Now, we have fancy "motocross" on man-made indoor circuits instead of "scrambles" in waist-high mud! We have cool looking indoor trials over man-made obstacles rather than run the risk of getting dirty outdoors. Football went from a man's game to a an over-refined non-contact sport. Hell, look at life in general. We see these Facebook posts about what life was like when we were kids. We went outside, we got dirty, we got wet, we ate dirt, we drank from hosepipes, we played football with metal studs, we fell off slides and roundabouts and landed face first on gravel! "Ooooh no, we can't do that now..." None of that is cool now, and a much duller world it is as a result... Steve

People always mention football, but playoffs do not decide League or Divisional Champions. So, why should speedway? Steve

You okay, mate? Not like you to hold back!!! Steve

Ah, the days of Mr. Nelson Mills Baldwin OBE... Steve

Come on, ALL of us that have been around for 40+ years are cynical! Thing is, I know that, the older we get, the more cynical we get, but in the case of British speedway, there are very good reasons for our cynicism! Steve

I honestly don't think it SHOULD be a problem for a rider to ride for multiple teams across Europe. The important thing is that, whoever he rides for, he should be there, injuries not withstanding. If there is a clash of fixtures due to a rescheduling, the fixture that was originally scheduled for that date should take priority. Steve

..and the fact that Hancock is STILL one of the best 8 riders... Steve

So, even though he is still proving himself to be one of the better riders, you DO want them to pick who you want? Oh well... Steve

So, do you want them to just choose the riders YOU want? Steve