uk_martin

Let me get this right. Poole could have 5, possibly 6 guests in their team, dependent on Newman's fitness? So when they are able to pick a team to suit any track, and engineer themselves another play-off win, who gets to keep the medals? The guests who won the play-offs for Matt Ford? Those who took no part in the play-offs? The one who is probably too drunk to care? What a mess.

Polish crowds are a strange thing. What matters to them is their team result first and foremost. after that (and some way after that too) their country, and barely on the radar are star riders, with the sole exception of Tomasz Gollob. British fans will have their favourite riders, and they will look to where there is a prospect of an exciting meeting and go to it, irrespective of their home team loyalties...that's why you will always get "speedway tourists" on the terraces at British tracks, e.g. Coventry fans to see Birmiingham v Belle Vue, or whatever. In Poland, you'll never see a Falubaz fan at Gdansk v Wroclaw. What matters to a Stal, or a Falubaz fan is their team. Quality racing is almost secondary to them, as are the riders involved in a meeting. An example of this was when I went to Gorzow when the SWC was there a couple of years ago. On the Thursday, in the play-offs then, there were 25 races, and the 4 teams featured 11 SGP riders, and 9 other top notch riders. British logic would say that for £5 admission for that meeting, the stadium would be packed. None of it. It was emptier than the next week when Stal Gorzow rode a league meeting. An interesting side line to the "how do they do that" question, is how is it that the average age of the crowd at a Polish league match is under 30, compared to the average age of fans in Britalin who are over 60? To answer to the second part of the post quoted, you're probably right, there won't be many. Part of the reason may be my observation above, and the other part may be that if a 20-something year old Pole visits a British track, and is amongst people two or three times his age, what's he going to have in common with any of them? Fish out of water tend not to survive very long.

Czestochowa and Malilla for me.

Additionally the land on which the stadium is built has a deed of covenant on it, requiring it to be used for sporting purposes...although which sport is staged there has changed over the years and has included athletics, greyhound racing, and speedway, as well as occasional forays into American Football and other passing sports. It will go on as a sports stadium in the new Perry Barr redevelopment plan, but there is no stipulation as to what sports are to continue there into the future.

I wouldn't rule out the "Euro's" though.

Thank you for that very sobering contribution to the discussion. Maybe you're right, and maybe I'm wrong. And maybe a lot of Birmingham supporters will be really cheered up by reading what you've written.

For as long as the nags attract a crowd, there will be a "social element" that will keep it going. Having been to Ascot, and been well impressed with the stadium and with how they make an effort to attract people to the races then maybe there is still a future. If it ever gets to the "one man and his dog" levels of attendences though, like with greyhounds, then the slippery slope will just get steeper.

But not future proof. People are broadening their directions and horizons when it comes to gambling and "old fashioned dog racing" may go out of fashion without notice. Put the BAGS business model to a vote at the Dragons Den and I think you'll get a unanimous "I'm OUT". Let's face it, punters can win or lose money gambling on virtual dog racing...why should the providers of a gambling service go to the expense of paying for the real thing?

Have you seen the attendance at a BAGS meeting? - The dogs owners are there, and maybe some close family. That's it. If they are relying on television broadcast revenues then they are on a dodgy wicket for the long term IMHO

Nothing personal against Adam Roynon, as I really loved watching him in action in 2008...HOWEVER...let's face facts, he can't go through a season without picking up horrible injuries. To see him break his leg in 5 places at Rye House just from laying his bike down to avoid Phil Morris, just showed one inescapable fact about his physical make-up, that he is too brittle boned. Someone close to him ought to be telling that to him as well, as he's going to suffer in later life from the complications all these injuries could inflict on him. Sorry, but I'd rather pay for Roynon to retire and preserve his health than to see him on a countdown to another injury in Brummies colours.

I think that the GRA are hoping and praying that Tony Mole will bring speedway back, and that next Wednesday's meeting will be a success. Without speedway's rental revenue, there's a belief that the GRA can't make the stadium pay for itself from greyhound racing alone. The last 7 years have seen greyhound racing whittling down from 4 nights a week to just two. Without the speedway, that stadium may well close of its own accord. The good news there then is that it improves Tony Mole's bargaining position from where he was in 2006/2007 in that the GRA probably need the Brummies now, more than they did 7-8 years ago, and their terms and conditions could be a lot more attractive as a result. Let's hope so anyway.

Sounds like the texter is tied up with a Polish meeting too???

Can I just ask, is this ELRC a second attempt at getting the farcical ERC sorted out? OR are they TWO different competitions? When was the ELRC inserted into the seasons fixture list? I must say, at the start of the season I was under the impression that the farcical ERC was a replacement for the ELRC. If others thought so too, including riders, then who can blame them for booking themselves up for this time of the year, and if they were subject to previous arrangements / contracts, then what right did the BSPA have to include their names in the original line-up only to later make it look like the riders were crying off when in truth they were never available in the first place due to previous arrangements?

I've got Mick Bratley on my wish list for come-back personalities.

When it comes to Polish Speedway, their contracts are usually along the lines of..."if chosen you will ride" - the fact that he hasn't been chosen much in the past is neither here nor there. Breach your contract and you get into trouble, the same in Poland as anywhere else in the country. Loyalty and respect - fantastic and romantic notions, neither of which pays the mortgage - applies just as much in one country as in another. Are you suggesting that he disrespect his Polish fans as well as being in breach of contract? Hell, we go on about Polish riders "picking and choosing" when to attend meetings in the UK, but you'd be quite happy for British riders to gain the same sort of reputation in Poland...and then when the Poles don't want to employ British riders, and Team GB stagnates as a result, you'll quite happily blame who for it???...oh I forgot...team GB already are stagnating because British riders (barring one or two exceptions) have a pants reputation in Poland and aren't developing at the same pace as their continental counterparts.

I guess a lot will come down to what is written into riders contracts and when they are signed. E.g. If Olli Allen was contracted to Wanda Krakow and his contract made it clear that he would be required for all Team matches then that has to take precidence over some British fixture that the suits in Rugby decide on at a later date.

Hot news - the Elite League will be sponsored in 2015 by Travelodge. In keeping with the brand image the teams will be cheap, cheerful and with plenty of room for guests. Just joking, by the way...

Which rule? Normally you quote from the rule book. Be interesting to see what example of BSPA/SCB pomposity you can find for us.

There was talk of the 28th last night. Too early for anything official at that point. I'm on a train all day today heading to Katowicz so not always in the loop to hear any more.

You're suggesting that an individual meeting in Britain is more important than a promotion play off match elsewhere. I can just imagine if roles were reversed and rider in a PL play-off team had to miss a semi final because of a Polish individual event, everyone on BSF being in total agreement with that? Yes? Or is it a case of the notion that we are British and therefore more deserving of a riders loyalty and the rest of the speedway world having to play second fiddle to us at all times?

Cheers. I ain't gonna let Mickey Mouse get me down although I can understand Gorzów fans not wanting anything to do with this fixture again in the future. There's more to a meeting out here than just the racing. I keep meeting some really nice welcoming people whom I've made friends with over the years so it's become a social event as well. I obviously won't be able to come to the restaged date but I'll be here again for "The Derby" again next year as when it goes well it's the best fixture in speedway.

Good news. A riot has been averted. Poland won the Voleyball World Cup tonight so an inordinate number of Stal fans who left the stadium baying for blood and who called in to a pub on their way home have been cheered up. (Amazed at how popular volleyball is over here)

Time wasting a go go by Falubaz because they know that thunderstorms have been predicted all day

Basically Mickey Mouse is running scared. That's the top and bottom of it.

I'm in the Gorzów stadium and it's just been announced that the match goes ahead