cityrebel

Hard as it is for the fans, for some of them it must feel like the end of the word. I know it did for me when Wimbledon closed. Riders will never have the same attachment to clubs like the supporters do, they just move on to the next job. The days of one club men like Ronnie Moore are well an truly over. How would you feel if Sheffield shut?.

Do common sense and speedway ever go together.

As a kent and Eastbourne regular, i will choose the best meeting on the night if they clash. With the loss of Lakeside and Rye, my meetings will be greatly reduced next season.

There is a lot said about speedways aging fan base, but very little about the ancient promoters running the sport. What's needed is some younger people with fresh ideas to shake the whole thing up.

Traditionally tracks in this country staged a full season of meetings. My team Wimbledon ran 38 in 1980!. It works for Len Silver at Kent, less isn't always more.

Hopefully these cost cutting measures will be passed on to the fans. It's obvious that the british public thinks the sport is poor value for money.

Apart from the rent, the GRA also got a percentage of the gate money from the car meetings. It was a very good deal from the stadiums point of view, with very little work needed to prepare the stadium for cars compared to the mess that speedway can make. It was easy money for the landlords.

Both of my kids loved speedway until their early teens, then stopped going. Youngsters want to be associated with things that are popular, things that they can talk about with their mates. I've been a speedway fan for just over 50 years, but i know the end is near for me. The loss of Lakeside and Rye are more nails in an already full coffin. I admire people that continue to to wave the flag for a dying sport, but i fear they are flogging a dead horse.

It's been a few years since i visited Northside. Could it be a potential NL venue in the future.

Far too blinkered to see what's happening right under their noses.

Maybe bluster can buy every track in the country, to ensure the sport limps along for another couple of years.

With Workington gone, only 10 league matches at Arlington this year. What a mess this sport has become.

Could be the first of many. With so many people opting to keep their hard earned money in their pockets, this could be the season that breaks speedways back. After losing Lakeside and Rye last year, my enthusiasm couldn't be lower. I bet Eastbourne and Birmingham are wondering what they have commited to.

It's not just the debts though is it. Rye House stadium is a mess and needs big investment. Who could afford such an outlay with very little chance of a return on their money. Hoddesdon might be another venue that is consigned to the history books.

Who is going to pay for this work, if it ever starts. There is no benefit for the stadium owners to cough up. They might as well sit tight and wait for the place to fall down.

Who knows, but the powers that be advise riders not to ride on unlicensed tracks. I guess it's down to the individual if they take that advice. I have been to several meetings at Lydd over the years, and it is an excellent set up down there, but without the finances to bring it up to SCB standard. Rye is a different kettle of fish. They have fallen foul of the authorities and are paying the price. Whether this stand off will ever be resolved is another matter.

Yes, the two meetings run there last season were officiated by SCB referees. From memory Mick Bates was one of them. I attended both meetings.

Iwade is now a fully licensed track complete with an air fence. Kent ran two junior meetings there last season.

Poole are running on thursdays next season. I don't know if that means a change of race night on the island.

I would imagine insurance would be the biggest concern, unless riders participate at their own risk.

Not my neck of the woods, but I'd be suprised if there was professional speedway staged again at Rye. The place needs too much investment to make it viable and fit for purpose.

I saw him score 16 at Romford riding for the czechs. I was a wee lad at the the time, seems like an eternity ago!

Boomerangs, Tudors, Panthers, Northern, Barons & Dukes!

Too right, just bury it and hope everyone's forgotten about it.

Saturday's would clash with Eastbourne's return to middle tier racing, which would be bad news for me. Choices would have to be made.