uk_martin

It would make a change from burning straw

Give them to Glasgow, they can be burned on the track next time they need to "dry it out" after a bit of rain...and of course, it never rains in Glasgow, does it?

Murphy's Laws of Speedway: ... 13. Your tyres are supplied by the lowest bidder. ... Seriously though, how come if we are to believe that it's all down to mechanical progress and tyres not being able to cope with today's more powerful engines etc etc, how come, that they aren't popping like popcorn everywhere else in the world? You'd have thought that on Polish tracks, or on Long Tracks, that these tyres would be disintegrating all over the place, wouldn't you? As was said, the procedure is that these tyres are called-off from a BSPZzz secure stock held somewhere, and distributed at random before the meeting. Well, maybe that's where the focus of attention should be. If these tyres are warehoused somewhere, has something got in that's degrading the rubber? I know that (at least some kinds of) rubber is susceptible to degrading when exposed to certain substances. Diesel fuel for one, will cause some kinds of rubber products to fall apart. Don't know if this kind of rubber is diesel proof or not, but maybe there's something else, that's gotten into the storage unit that's weakened these tyres. Or could it be the continued storage in hotter than expected storage conditions, during the prolonged hot spell have affected the rubber? Be interesting to see what happens in the next few meetings to see if there is a continuation of the problem. If not, then someone will need to take a close technical look at the Peterborough track surface, to see what's causing this. Maybe next year, speedway can take a leaf out of F1's book and offer up a choice of soft, medium and hard compound tyres, with each rider needing to run at least two different sorts during the meeting?

That's an interesting question, as back in the 1960's and early 70's, the "market" for speedway riders was basically Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden. Denmark didn't really emerge until after Ole Olsen, Norway and Finland began emerging in the late 1970's plus there were one-off's from Germany and Holland. Russian, Polish, and most East European riders were tucked up behind the Iron Curtain until the early 1980's when a couple of Poles and some Czechs were allowed to earn some western currency, for themselves and their host clubs. British promoters were able, back then, to dictate who rode for which club, and the terms upon which they were employed. British league racing was a weekday evening affair, with the best riders free to ride FIM events, long-track grass track or other individual meetings at weekends "on the continent". The only time "western" riders got to see Polish or other Eastern European tracks was for FIM World Championship (Team, Pairs or Individual) meetings. The rest of the time, travel there and back was forbidden, or more agro than it was worth. Speedway on TV was a once-or-twice-a-year treat, with highlights of the World Final and possibly the WTC Final on World of Sport on a Saturday afternoon. Eastern European riders were pretty much tied to JAWA machinery whilst the rest of the world benefited from the developments of Weslake, Godden and latterly GM engines. A lot has changed since those days. Poland has changed immensely as a country and speedway in Poland has adapted to change a lot better than the "we're British and we know best" promoters in this country have managed to do with the sport over here. Just as Britain is no longer the epicentre of world football or world tennis, so it's lost that dominance in speedway to Poland, where they get huge attendances, huge television audiences, and huge sponsorships that are powering them to a position where they have to take measures to protect their investments. And understandably so. We have to resign ourselves to having lost control of the sport in Britain, and just as British promoters dictated to the rest of Western Europe how it could conduct its affairs before the Iron Curtain fell, so now we have to accept that we're just minnows in the sport and that we have to fit in with what other countries are doing.

If he'd have been good enough to break into the team, you could have had "& Belle Vue" for James Pearson too. Thank gawd that Brummies v Coventry was not an official fixture. 6 guests vs 7 guests. And yet there were still enough fans defending the format, all so that they could once again wear their yellow & black bobble hats & scarves with pride.

Free admission to the Cycle Speedway...what more can the "speedway is overpriced" types want?

Must be really hard doing so well in a town / city where they have to compete with Poole City FC, Poole Villa FC, Poole Bromwich Albion FC, and Dorset County Cricket Club (+ T20 and "Hundred" offshoots) on a regular basis. Not to mention Poole Harriers Athletics Club, Old Pooleans RFC, Poole Bullets Basketball Club, Poole Priory Tennis Club etc.

Does the £10 admission with a Coventry programme board or scarf, or bobble hat still apply?

Don't you believe it. In Post Brexit Britain, just watch how creative with their visa related excused promoters are going to get. And for as long as the BSPZzz allow "facilities" for riders who are "victims" of "visa delays" the more farcical the situation will become.

To which the answer may well be "why didn't you offer to take part in Birmingham's Festival of Sport 2022?" Joking aside, when the Council talks about sport, it refers to those sports that ordinary people can take part in, not just view from the sidelines. Participation is what it's all about these days.

So, is the "visa issue" just an excuse of convenience? Is he actually withholding his services and the people are being shielded from the truth so that he doesn't end his season with a 28-day ban?

The CWG are over but the traffic management and parking restrictions (at least as they affect the residential areas) continue for the rest of the week. There's ample parking at the One Shop Stopping Centre, and the new road layout provides you with a simple right hand turn option outside the main entrance when coming southbound down the A34. Access to the OSSC is traffic light controlled and seems to work well. It's far better than in previous years when you had to go around the Crown & Cushion roundabout and double back on yourself. Give it a go, you may be pleasantly surprised.

So, how's Brexit working out for you?

Maybe by providing a product that people consider is worth paying money to go and see? Not heard anyone complaining about not getting value for money at these games. Having competitors "of your own" to cheer on helps too. Team England didn't resort to American or German "guests" if one of their own was missing.

But that's a comedy show that doesn't pretend to take itself seriously...

I heard the perspective of this from Joe Thurley's widdow. The name was abused as a cheap publicity stunt. The trophy was supposed to have been on display in a glass cabinet at the stadium, and as was said, there was supposed to be an annual event to compete for the trophy too...it never happened. Hence my enquiry about whether the "Alan Grahame" event is anything else other than yet another name from Birmingham's relatable history being taken in vain.

Interesting use of the word "run". According to the Brummies web site "BIRMINGHAM have declared their intention to compete in the 2023 Championship campaign"...now whether that's going to be competing at a crawling, or walking or running pace, remains to be seen.

Glasgow Tigers vs Rest of the League. Easy win for the home team IMHO.

Let's hope that this problem gets addressed then. In a city where 40% of the population is aged under 25, relying on older people for your fan base doesn't bode well for a long-term future. Let's just hope that with the promotion giving it a proper go, they can tap into a younger and more sustainable audience.

I'd like to think that the meeting will generate some funds that can go to the Grahame estate. That said, with the crowds at the levels that they have been, you have to question if that's likely to happen. Is the Alan Grahame name being used just to boost crowd numbers just to cut losses, or is there a realistic chance of some money being raised that will go to the estate? I guess the answer to that depends on how attractive the teams put out on the night are, how people respond to the event and what the riders get paid for their attendance.

Maybe Poole will tell their fans that It'll be "A night like no other"? It's what the Brummies are doing on their Social Media posts. One thing's for certain, one way or another, it will absolutely live up to that billing.

If there are 40,000 at Cardiff, at least 10,000 - 20,000 will be Poles, Swedes, Germans, Danes etc "on tour". The British contingent at Cardiff is a lot lower than you may think.

Ronald McDonald will be available as a guest for the rest of the season. He already wears team colours

Oh well, there won't be much more of that in the future then, will there? Still, we got our country back, innit?