What Are The Five Issues You Would Like Changed In British And World Speedway.?

[Guest compost]

There are so many things that need looking at (imho).

 

The top 5 for me would be -

 

1. Reduce costs. Standardise the bikes (on a cheaper more mass accessible machine - don't forget the very first Speedway machines were stripped down road bikes) and pass some of the savings made back to the fans via cheaper admission. Make the racing slower and closer, bring back the excitement as a rule and not just as the occassional thing.

 

2. No GP riders in domestic leagues. Make foreign/non-speedway commitments (i.e. mx or grass) secondary to Speedway and need club & governing body approval.

 

3. Indepenent, and public, review of the sport and the way forward (a la Shawcross) and implement at least the body of the recommendations

 

4. BSPA not to control British Speedway. Control to be vested in an independent body which has representatives of the promotors, rider and fans (or at least supporters clubs).

 

5. Get a weekly or fortnightly highlight programme on ITV4

 

 

Too many suggestions on here are too specific, the major issues are not how many rides or whether or not tac sub rides should be allowed but are to with with cost, control, excitement and numbers.

[arnieg]

1995 Knockout Cup

To be fair most sports use 'minor' competitions to experiment with rule changes.

 

One of speedway's problems is the inability of its administrators to manage the change process sensibly. In particular:

 

I) proposed changes that are frankly bonkers don't get weeded out at the drawing board stage (often they are forced through by one strong personality with a chip on their shoulder)

 

II) The failure to adequately consider the law of unintended consequences and consider the knock-on effects of proposed changes

 

III) The lack of planning for change - too many times a new rule suddenly emerges or is 'discovered' in some unpublished memorandum.

[False dawn]

 

1995 Knockout Cup

 

 

 

Let me guess. Tried for one year, then scrapped because it didn't really work well.

 

Doing that is fine for speedway nerds like us forum users, but it would confuse an awful lot of people I think.

Okay if you don't like that, although I don't see why team points are so confusing, go for the pairs scoring system, 4 3 2 0.

[Grachan]

 

 

Okay if you don't like that, although I don't see why team points are so confusing, go for the pairs scoring system, 4 3 2 0.

 

I think 4,3,2,0 is a better way of doing it. A lot of people know nothing about bonus points and don't care about them.

[False dawn]

A lot of people know nothing about bonus points and don't care about them.

Including riders, unfortunately. I can never understand if a rider is really being paid points money, why he wouldn't work more for the team and raise the number of bonus points scored. Sadly, we are left with the impression that more riders are not paid, on the whole, based on their points scored.

[BWitcher]

In a Gp now would you say there are about 8/10 who could win any round and at anytime.? In yesteryear in the one off W finals what do you recon 5/6 who could of been a serious challenger so not that much difference really.Saying that the series is in good shape just feel the top eight is going a bit stale could be tweaked some what.

 

No, I would say there are about 15 who can win a round at anytime.

The GP's are as close to the best riders in the world as they ever have been.

 

As for the other points..Averages, they've only been messed around due to the changing formats of the league. Otherwise the 28 match (or however many it is) rolling averages is FAR better than the old system which was easily manipulated.

 

The biggest recent issue is doubling up, it's way out of control. It either needs radically reduced or EL and PL race on separate nights so there is never a clash.

 

Unfortunately the boat has long sailed on speedway in this country. Every year they reduce the strength of the top flight and admission stays the same or rises, every year crowds drop further and still folk don't see the pattern. It's been going on for nigh on 15 years now.

Edited July 19, 2017 by BWitcher

[arnieg]

Including riders, unfortunately. I can never understand if a rider is really being paid points money, why he wouldn't work more for the team and raise the number of bonus points scored. Sadly, we are left with the impression that more riders are not paid, on the whole, based on their points scored.

Given the importance of averages I'm also surprised we don't see more riders shutting off early and letting their team mates pass them, thus keeping their average down and making them more marketable for the following season.

[Fromafar]

Biggest issue for me is the number of serious injuries in Gb nowadays,the technology has over taken the sport and a lot of tracks are now unsafe regarding preparation and width.If we want to improve the port as an entertainment we have to slow it down a little and make racing safer.There is hardly a meeting goes by these days that rider is not injured quite seriously .Will never happen though.

[steve roberts]

Given the importance of averages I'm also surprised we don't see more riders shutting off early and letting their team mates pass them, thus keeping their average down and making them more marketable for the following season.

...like Simmo or apparently Coventry during the Olsen years!

Edited July 19, 2017 by steve roberts

[Trees]

1) Sell the British Premiership TV rights for £Ms for starters (I wish)

2) Try to buy plots of land to build new speedways on where clubs are tied up with dog track owners

3) Base a few of these new tracks on Polish tracks and buy some of their track material too or source it from GB if possible

4) Get all promotions singing from the same hymn book re promotion, if each promotion has a good idea they must share it with all promotions.

5) Do a study into track prep to assertain what is best for British Speedway and make this compulsory

Edited July 20, 2017 by Trees

[Star Lady]

1 Independent body to oversee the sport

2 Abolish the dingly dangly double points rubbish

3 Standardise engines

4 Provide some kind of entertainment in addition to the bare 15 heats, riders contracts include clause that they must do laps of honour, go round with flags etc (i.e interact with the fans)

5 All clubs to provide time for 6 heats of junior racing for British youngsters (curfew permitting) at every meeting (could be put in between heats, before or after

 

It's all cloud cuckoo land stuff really. Can't see any of it happening at all track.

[refereerick]

Bikes, tracks, riders, promoters and engine tuners

[greyhoundp]

This is my thoughts to help British Team Speedway;

 

1. Scrap doubling up/down i follow my Team that rider rides for my team, except for occasional Guest bookings.

2. Riders are paid solely on points money, this would hopefully end manipulating of averages. (how its policed is another matter), currently we have the contradiction of riders riding there hearts to win and for their team to win, only to find they get replaced by another rider supposedly on an artificially low average this HAS to stop.

3. One League or at the very least promotion/relegation between Leagues, plus development Leagues where Teams are allowed rider assets.

4. A British Speedway Co-ordinator overseeing the senior League racing.

5. Something has to be done about machinery ie costs and safety, im no expert but it seems to me that Lay downs, combined with the new exhaust regulations seem to have made Speedway more dangerous through the riders not having so much control over the actual bikes. F2 maybe could be a way forward could we have a F2 league ?.

Edited July 20, 2017 by greyhoundp

[moxey63]

 

When were bonus points included in the team score? I'm not sure I'd go along with that idea. It would make scoring more complicated to understand and not everybody fully understands bonus points.

 

Bonus points, me lord, were actually included in team scores for the 1995 KO Cup... and it lasted for only that year (for some reason!).

 

Speedway is all about tinkering with the rules, when most fans want it simple. There's the so-many-points-for-a-bigger-win, the now defunct aggregate bonus points, green helmet cover, six-lap nominated heats.... and they have all long since gone.

 

Find the best rules the sport has had and stick with them... and bring back 13 heats for god's sake!

 

But we'll be having this discussion in a year's time, 10 years' time... I sift through old mags even now and they are talking about what would be best for the sport. Meanwhile, those who want the change usually end up getting frustrated by it not coming, they eventually fall out with it.

Edited July 20, 2017 by moxey63

[The White Knight]

This is my thoughts to help British Team Speedway;

 

1. Scrap doubling up/down i follow my Team that rider rides for my team, except for occasional Guest bookings.

2. Riders are paid solely on points money, this would hopefully end manipulating of averages. (how its policed is another matter), currently we have the contradiction of riders riding there hearts to win and for their team to win, only to find they get replaced by another rider supposedly on an artificially low average this HAS to stop.

3. One League or at the very least promotion/relegation between Leagues, plus development Leagues where Teams are allowed rider assets.

4. A British Speedway Co-ordinator overseeing the senior League racing.

5. Something has to be done about machinery ie costs and safety, im no expert but it seems to me that Lay downs, combined with the new exhaust regulations seem to have made Speedway more dangerous through the riders not having so much control over the actual bikes. F2 maybe could be a way forward could we have a F2 league ?.

Said Co-ordinator should be overseeing ALL Speedway Leagues, not just the Premier League.

 

That is the only thing criticism I have with a very well considered and positive Post.

 

I totally agree with you regarding the Bikes too.

[BWitcher]

 

 

Find the best rules the sport has had and stick with them... and bring back 13 heats for god's sake!

 

 

 

Yeah, that would be great wouldn't it. Even less value for money.

[steve roberts]

 

Bonus points, me lord, were actually included in team scores for the 1995 KO Cup... and it lasted for only that year (for some reason!).

 

Speedway is all about tinkering with the rules, when most fans want it simple. There's the so-many-points-for-a-bigger-win, the now defunct aggregate bonus points, green helmet cover, six-lap nominated heats.... and they have all long since gone.

 

Find the best rules the sport has had and stick with them... and bring back 13 heats for god's sake!

 

But we'll be having this discussion in a year's time, 10 years' time... I sift through old mags even now and they are talking about what would be best for the sport. Meanwhile, those who want the change usually end up getting frustrated by it not coming, they eventually fall out with it.

...and re-introduce a Second Half either culminating with a Rider of the Night Final or a Junior Meeting over six heats as was the case during the eighties and nineties.

1 Independent body to oversee the sport

2 Abolish the dingly dangly double points rubbish

3 Standardise engines

4 Provide some kind of entertainment in addition to the bare 15 heats, riders contracts include clause that they must do laps of honour, go round with flags etc (i.e interact with the fans)

5 All clubs to provide time for 6 heats of junior racing for British youngsters (curfew permitting) at every meeting (could be put in between heats, before or after

 

It's all cloud cuckoo land stuff really. Can't see any of it happening at all track.

Agree entirely.

[ch958]

 

Yeah, that would be great wouldn't it. Even less value for money.

yeah, i think he would be advocating a second half or junior match but thank u once again for your positive attitude

yeah, i think he would be advocating a second half or junior match but thank u once again for your positive attitude

by the way - i don't agree with him - we got rid of 13 heats for a reason

[BWitcher]

yeah, i think he would be advocating a second half or junior match but thank u once again for your positive attitude

by the way - i don't agree with him - we got rid of 13 heats for a reason

 

There is absolutely NOTHING positive about reverting to 13 heats.

 

In terms of ridiculous ideas, it's right up there.

 

Junior races, 2nd halves, sure they are a bonus but not at the expense of the bread and butter product.

[The White Knight]

 

There is absolutely NOTHING positive about reverting to 13 heats.

 

In terms of ridiculous ideas, it's right up there.

 

Junior races, 2nd halves, sure they are a bonus but not at the expense of the bread and butter product.

So you prefer TWO Heats - to an extra FOUR in a Second Half.

 

It's only two Heats off the main Meeting so what's the problem. Second Halves could be great, as well as beneficial to Speedway by giving youngsters the opportunity for more Track time and the experience of riding in front of the public.

 

Happiness is 40-38.