uk_martin

If you ask me, it should be a condition of the BSPZzzz ratifying a signing that the rider in question should be available for all if not the vast majority of the fixtures, if the fixtures are published before the signing is made. Anything else just invites more ridicule.

That's what I'm not sure about. The fans would certainly like 7 on their own riders every meeting. But is that Rogers's way of getting into the play-off's? Vissing hasn't got many competitive miles on the clock these past 3 years, and he's not getting any younger. Given that a guest would be up to a 8.92 average, that would be so advantageous to have if Vissing only rides to the ability of a 6 or 7 point rider when he does make an appearance.

The team gets a guest because the rider is NOT withholding his services. And if a rider DOES withhold his services, what does the team get then?

Plymouth & Birmingham team listing need updating.

Great News Curtis Sport has been signed to become the Birmingham Brummies new #1...er, sponsor. So welcome to the new era of the Birmingham "Curtis Sport" Brummies, er or is that the Curtis Sport Birmingham Brummies...heck, whatever.

Whilst the Brummies only had 4 riders, some were still placing them above a 7-man Newcastle team. It fair boggles the mind sometimes.

I hate to mention this, but having the stadium resembling a Derby & Joan Club night out is one of the biggest disincentives to young people returning to the sport. People tend to stick to their own generation. This is why BSF folk stand up for the oldies, because most on here are of that generation, and can't look at themselves in the mirror and see one of the causes for young people not being attracted to the sport staring back at them. Go ask some kids, where they want to be on a Friday night...down the pubs and clubs with people of their own generation or clapping hands and singing songs with the pensioners down at the local old people's home. If you want to stand a chance of making a younger generation omelette, then you are going to have to crack some older generation eggs.

It took the 2022 Championship Predictions thread 11 pages to conclude that the race to win the Wooden Spoon would be a close-run thing between Birmingham and Newcastle. How many more pages will it take for everyone on there to change their minds and have the Brummies in the top 4?

Update - 6/7 of the way there. Just need a decent #1 now.

It seems that wasn't too evident at Glasgow, and it wasn't evident in his last spell at Birmingham either. So, what did it take to upset him so much then? It's not like he lives his life on a hair-trigger from what his times at Glasgow and Birmingham show. And in any case, who would you rather have riding for you, someone with some fire and passion or someone placid and laid-back?

Why is it "reasonable" when the costs of bread milk, groceries, clothes and other essentials isn't reduced? To say it's "reasonable" implies a logical thought process that presumably comes out of a sense of entitlement. That "entitlement" comes at the cost of the people whose incomes are reduced for the custom of such "entitled" people. I spoke to a promoter a few years ago, whose headline adult admission cost was £15 (shows how long ago it was lol) but whose "average revenue per person" was only £11 after all the concessions had been factored in. Assuming an attendance of 1,000, that's £4 per person, or £4,000 that's being lost to the business every week. I'm sure that those self-same people feel just as "entitled" to their speedway fix, well there'll come a time when it''ll be one thing or another, they won't be able to have both.

Not yet...still only 5/7 of the way there. The rest is pure speculation. No doubt I'll get hammered again for not getting carried away and for relying on facts rather than fantasy, but hey ho. Now that Santa's signed, let's wait and see what other presents we get.

We were told that they would be, but we were also told many other things, not least that the art of the possible has been a lot more complicated than first expected. All we can do is to stay flexible with our expectations, believe things only when we see them and hope for the best.

Well, let's see, shall we? He's not even signed yet, has he? And if he does, putting pressure on a kid at an early stage and to fill our minds full of expectations won't do anyone any good. I seem to recall us signing a young Danish kid that Erik Gundersen "mentioned", and how far did that get us? If he signs, let's see how he gets on of his own accord, and be nicely surprised if he does well. So, Santa's back...Thank goodness we've got a signing at last. And let's hope that he can achieve what he did at Glasgow in 2019...mind you, that was 3 years ago. He'll be 3 years older, let's hope he's not 3 years rustier and can still bang in some good performances. As for the rumours about Ellis...let's wait and see.

Being British Champion must have its perks.

Most fans will be happy to be treated like intelligent adult human beings, be told honestly what's going on, and have this state of suspense lifted. From today's news release, it's been admitted that team building hasn't gone to plan, that riders are still to be signed and that we are at the mercy of external authorities. Basically it doesn't give us any guarantees, just hopes and dreams of a better future. Still, this is speedway where a solid grasp on reality is never guaranteed.

Great News! Birmingham Speedway's social media feeds are buzzing once again about the addition of....have a guess.... 1. A rider to the team??? 2. A headline sponsor to pay some bills??? 3. None of the Above The correct answer is 3. Apparently, it's about the sir fence being put up and some more material being put onto the track, and the track looking very good. The volunteers who are keeping the faith were thanked most profusely. Now it's up to everyone else to keep the (blind) faith that three riders can be found within the next 2 weeks in time for P&P day, keep buying those season tickets and don't panic. Innit?

Hands up...I missed that. Thanks for the update.

The Brummies make a feature in their advertising about the bikes being 500cc. That would disqualify Kennett.

They could still do it... The Polish leagues have banned Russian riders, now the Swedish league have banned Russian riders, the Danish league will follow soon. So Artem, Gregori and Emil have to go somewhere, right? The BSPA have not yet made an announcement, and knowing how far into the sand their head is buried, who'd be surprised if they don't? So, in a world of diminishing options it could become a buyers market...Birmingham or nowhere for them. We could end up with the Birmingham Brumskis on "assumed averages" to fit them in and keep the team running "in the best interests of British Speedway"

So where would the likes of Jason Crump, Bjarne Pedersen and Rory Schlein fit in? You don't get older heads than them. Imagine what their running costs would be. Anyone capable of fiddling an expenses claim would have a field day. Fanbase or attendance? Fanbase is vanity, attendance is sanity. So who has more than 1,000 people coming through the gate every week? You're going to end up with one hell of a huge Div 3 and a tiny Div 1

P & P is 2 weeks from tomorrow. The first match is 18 days away as has been mentioned before. A week ago, it was announced that an un-named rider had agreed terms and it was just a matter of sorting out the paperwork. Well just how long does paperwork take? Paperwork between who exactly too? Between the club and immigration officials, or between the club and the rider? Was this just a decoy in the hope of shutting fans up for a few days? One thing's for sure. For a club desperate for increased sponsorship, and on attracting a higher attendance level than in recent years in order to stay afloat, let alone to prosper, this kind of smoke and mirrors game, does nothing at all to attract more sponsors or to engage with an increasingly restless fanbase. Just look at the web site - and apart from those who get a mention for giving their time to the club for free, there's only one paying advertiser. ONE. Season tickets used to be sold at the stadium on special Sunday opening times. Obviously with nobody buying season tickets any more that activity has ceased too. It's not looking good is it?

The problem with "past fans" is anno domini....those who were in their 60's when speedway returned in 2007 will now be approaching their 80's and there won't be that many of them around as there used to be, sadly. And wouldn't you rather have new fans in their 20-50's who pay full fare at the door rather than old fans who pay half-fare, from the financial point of view?

That assumes a level of competence in the BSPA, and that they don't believe the assurances that the management are handing out.

And in other Great News... The pre-season publicity campaign has begun, with Birmingham Speedway blasting social media with announcements that the Brummies are back! I didn't have the heart to reply to it that at this moment in time only 4/7ths of the Brummies are back, Nor did I ask for a guarantee that each meeting will feature the advertised 15 "thrilling" races Still, good to see that there is optimism in the camp. Let's hope that in the 16 days that now remain between now and P&P day, that the remaining 3 "Sits Vacant" can be filled.