Chadster Posted October 19 Report Share Posted October 19 Test matches in the summer would be very difficult to organise now bit I have wondered if we could organise somthing at the start of our season, before other counties get started. A 3 match series against, say Denmark would be a great way to highlight the start of our season. You might even try to link it into the Ben Fund meeting. I thought the Danes rather than the Aussies as it would be arare chance to see the top Danes in this country and might attract more fans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 19 Report Share Posted October 19 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Chadster said: Test matches in the summer would be very difficult to organise now bit I have wondered if we could organise somthing at the start of our season, before other counties get started. A 3 match series against, say Denmark would be a great way to highlight the start of our season. You might even try to link it into the Ben Fund meeting. I thought the Danes rather than the Aussies as it would be arare chance to see the top Danes in this country and might attract more fans. Trouble is British Speedway has been stripped down to its absolute bare bones and with the national team being "subbed out" there's clearly no appetite to stage home meetings so we just have to read about GB's appearances on the continent via social media... what a terrible state of affairs for the world "team" champions! Edited October 19 by IainB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 19 Report Share Posted October 19 What's the point in having a successful national team if you're not going to use that for the betterment of the sport in your own country? The way things stand at the moment with the non appearance of Team GB... in GB, are that they are just entries in the history books. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted October 20 Report Share Posted October 20 (edited) Love it seeing the USA v GB but I have to correct the history statement about being the first time for GB to race there, its not the last time was 1971 and the US won the series of three 2-1 GB team was Mauger, Briggs, Airey, Harkins, McMillan, Hunter and Gifford.....not an Englishman among them!!!!! Edited October 20 by andout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted October 20 Report Share Posted October 20 1 hour ago, IainB said: What's the point in having a successful national team if you're not going to use that for the betterment of the sport in your own country? The way things stand at the moment with the non appearance of Team GB... in GB, are that they are just entries in the history books. True statement that one!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted November 24 Author Report Share Posted November 24 Watching the Rugby Union Test Matches in the Autumn International Series this November it hurts to see what we once also had in Speedway, but and sadly neglected and eventually lost. The sport is the poorer now without any full strength International test matches. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris116 Posted November 24 Report Share Posted November 24 Sadly, it is the fans who have caused the loss of international matches by us not turning up in sufficient numbers to make them profitable. We have also lost most of the big individual meetings due to lack of support caused in some cases by promotions reducing their costs with cheaper riders or running with only 12 riders instead of running a full 16 rider 20 heat meeting. Costs being reduced by those methods give the promotion a higher profit the first year but further reduce the attendance in following years which leads to more economies, further loss of attendance and then the loss of what used to be a well attended meeting. I can understand why the promotions did what they did as I suspect that the rise of Polish speedway meant some riders started asking for more money. At the other end of the sport, we often read how much we need a thriving Development league but such comments are often followed by the same correspondents saying that they don't want to watch Development league standard racing as they only follow professional team racing. I used to enjoy the international matches, both top level and junior level. Equally I can enjoy meetings in all three leagues run in this country. I have seen good and bad meetings in all three leagues. How the promotions get the sport back to what it was I don't know and I fear none of them have the cash backing to be able to run big meetings in half empty stadiums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted November 24 Report Share Posted November 24 (edited) 6 hours ago, Chris116 said: Sadly, it is the fans who have caused the loss of international matches by us not turning up in sufficient numbers to make them profitable. We have also lost most of the big individual meetings due to lack of support caused in some cases by promotions reducing their costs with cheaper riders or running with only 12 riders instead of running a full 16 rider 20 heat meeting. Costs being reduced by those methods give the promotion a higher profit the first year but further reduce the attendance in following years which leads to more economies, further loss of attendance and then the loss of what used to be a well attended meeting. I can understand why the promotions did what they did as I suspect that the rise of Polish speedway meant some riders started asking for more money. At the other end of the sport, we often read how much we need a thriving Development league but such comments are often followed by the same correspondents saying that they don't want to watch Development league standard racing as they only follow professional team racing. I used to enjoy the international matches, both top level and junior level. Equally I can enjoy meetings in all three leagues run in this country. I have seen good and bad meetings in all three leagues. How the promotions get the sport back to what it was I don't know and I fear none of them have the cash backing to be able to run big meetings in half empty stadiums. I disagree... whenever I've seen GB/England ride it has always been very well attended SWC/SoN, test matches seem to have ceased since the inception of these competitions. As for individuals when they're run and promoted correctly (PCMT) it's almost a sell out at the NSS. As the BSPL have washed their hands of the national team it seems to be left to the company running Team GB Speedway to stage test matches which they apparently have no appetite for. So we have the situation where we are current World Champions and are not using that for the promotion and betterment of the sport at all. Edited November 24 by IainB 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted November 28 Report Share Posted November 28 (edited) On 11/24/2024 at 9:35 PM, IainB said: I disagree... whenever I've seen GB/England ride it has always been very well attended SWC/SoN, test matches seem to have ceased since the inception of these competitions. As for individuals when they're run and promoted correctly (PCMT) it's almost a sell out at the NSS. As the BSPL have washed their hands of the national team it seems to be left to the company running Team GB Speedway to stage test matches which they apparently have no appetite for. So we have the situation where we are current World Champions and are not using that for the promotion and betterment of the sport at all. 100%... As has been said.. Start the season with three Test Matches. Before Poland starts.. Speedway fans, starved of six months without Speedway, will want to attend.. "Top" riders get some competitive racing before Poland kicks in.. And. The UK can then advertise their launch of the domestic season off the back of it.. Tracks in places like Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Ipswich and Poole, (and maybe some others?) would get 2500 plus crowds I would suggest.. Edited November 28 by mikebv 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavan Posted Monday at 06:42 PM Report Share Posted Monday at 06:42 PM An England V Australia match mid season would be so one sided and not a spectacle Doyle Kurtz Holder Fricke Holder Masters Pickering Douglas Tungate Bewley Woffinden Ellis King Lawson Brennan Harris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted Monday at 08:44 PM Report Share Posted Monday at 08:44 PM (edited) 2 hours ago, Gavan said: An England V Australia match mid season would be so one sided and not a spectacle Doyle Kurtz Holder Fricke Holder Masters Pickering Douglas Tungate Bewley Woffinden Ellis King Lawson Brennan Harris You've left Robert Lambert out. I'd probably have Charles Wright ahead of King and/or Ellis. And I think Harris has retired from Team GB. 6 man teams, 18 heats, none of this 15 heat nonsense. Edited Monday at 08:48 PM by IainB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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