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Doesn't cost money to who? The fans, the riders or the promoters? To put on a decent presentation and to promote the sport properly will definitely cost money, a lot of money which isn't in the sport, maybe never was, probably not for many many years. For speedway (or for 4 riders going round an oval shale track to survive), in my opinion, it needs to go back to grass roots and build from the bottom. The sport needs more tracks and more homegrown riders. The sport needs to be far cheaper for everyone, the riders the fans and the promoters/organisers. It needs to be an amateur sport, similar to grass track. More tracks will probably mean 'tracks in a field', but does that matter? If a rider wants to ride, they will ride for free or even pay to ride, as grass track riders do. The sport needs to get back to everyone loving the sport, i.e. the riders, organisers and the fans. At the moment, everyone is gathered around the patients bed watching the patient slowly die and everyone feeling depressed. However, there are a minority who feel all is well and are ignoring the fact, the emperor is wearing no clothes!

Great gesture from a top ambassador for the sport.

On the other hand....This is what Bartosh Zmarzlik, double world speedway champion wrote today on his social media site. Tears, joy, happiness - this is how I felt when I entered the finish line in Toruń, in the final round of the Grand Prix in 2019 It was then, for the first time, that I won the title of the Individual World Champion Now, for the auction for Nina, I am presenting something extremely important to me, which I dreamed about since I was a child and which I was striving for step by step - it is a gold medal for winning the world championship I decided to pass the medal on the auction to help Nina, who is at the start of her life and also has her dreams. Let us help her (on https://www.siepomaga.pl/en/nina) so that she has a chance to fulfill them

Why have Birmingham waited this long ?, this was foreseen by everybody and should have been done as soon as England won ! Thats besides that it should have been awarded to Redcar in the first place.

Surely you are grasping at straws. He wasn’t fit in last week’s match and they can ill afford a number 1 who isn’t fully fit with the results they have been getting. It’s the right decision and gives Jason more time to recover.

Agreed. Think we should enjoy the fact we have live speedway and be thankful for that. For a long time it looked like there would be no team so I’m very thankful Rob Grant took over. He may not be everyones cup of tea but deserves a lot of credit.Hopefully enough people come through the gates when restrictions are lifted to get us through this condensed season and we can all look forward to 2022 with renewed optimism. Sundays without speedway just wouldn’t be the same.

No because Ford/Middlo got wins......

Surely this is 'withholding services' & blatantly trying to cheat a win??

Because by doing it this the club generate some anticipation from the fans. After all, we are now all posting about the announcement.

Socially distanced of course Bar has just been restocked ....

If nothing else its added an extra bit of spice now to the meeting with Crump's absence and its generated a bit of banter on here Added to Cook and Heeps swapping sides and both teams desperation for the win hopefully it will produce a decent meeting .

You may be over thinking this, in speedway, 'debut' means first time this season!

Why don’t they just say who it is. Oh I forgot this is speedway.

That’s correct. The way averages are calculated is all laid down in the Speedway Regulations http://www.scbgb.co.uk/regulations (Chapter 10)

I can't resist...........I've said this a million times to anyone that will listen but here I go again League Speedway needs to be promoted with professionalism and taking itself seriously as a sport to attract new committed partisan supporters of local clubs. I DO NOT LIKE Speedway being promoted as a sideshow, you get the picture "extreme sport - no brakes" type of thing. That is not sustainable. It should be a serious sport. If it's a sideshow, people come along like they would to a 'monster truck' show then they've seen it once, the racing thrill soon wears off if they have nothing to support and they don't come back. A cultural phenomena that has really taken hold over the past 20yrs is more and more people getting into supporting a football team, wearing the merchandise and 'belonging' to a club. People will even wear team colours of sports teams from other countries. Put on a decent presentation (which doesn't cost money) and promote the sport as though it means something as a sport and not just a spectacle. And any 'promoter' who doesn't put some signposts up around the town or try to get the team into local newspapers/tv/radio should be shot! The general quality of UK league speedway PR is horrible

Totally irrelevant. It is a condition of allowing speedway to operate .It says it all over the ticket booking requirements. Its made clear on entry too. I agree, I dont think its necessary in an open environment. If its the difference in being allowed to operate or not, then surely its a no brainer to comply? The 'Im alright Jack' scenario doesnt cut it for me at all.

I have been to Belle Vue each meeting this year. there are a lot of missing faces.... but not necessarily due to lack of interest......there are fans that are very wary at the moment and will pick back up once the restrictions are eased. I expect crowds to pick up after July 19th......

Few outside the current followers have ever heard of many of the top riders (except for Polish supporters perhaps) and the lapsed fans may well take the view that “we have seen it all before but it won’t last” . It might be too big a financial risk for many running tracks. It is sad but the U K version has to find its own level and rebuild at club level. Outside that you have some talented riders who will rise through the ranks but for now it would seem that the best option for the weekly fix in the U K is to plough our own furrow.

You'd get few more in but not that many more cause I fear that the majority of lapsed fans who don't go can't be arsed with speedway full stop. A prime example of this is Mildenhall speedway. They don't want to move up to the 2nd Division even though the crowds are on a par with many in that Division cause crowd levels wouldn't increase by hardly any yet the costs would go through the roof. I'm afraid speedways a retro sport and when us 60+ age group, fans are gone their won't be many others left to make staging meetings worthwhile. In a way I feel blessed that I can still watch speedway in my retired years cause the few youngsters that attend meetings now I suspect won't have the same opportunity in their later years? - I hope I'm proven wrong!

Are Louis/ Hawkins the new Ford/ Middlo in the Prem

Perhaps the rain went down the back of his neck and he has a chill.....

I think why people are questioning McDonald is after this Saturday he will be given a new average as it will be four home and away fixtures so his new average will kick in within 7 days I think . So why try and strengthen the top end with Ellis coming in and let the bottom end just carry on . Speedway can be ruthless and if a change will freshen things up I’m all for it as the home form is good and Palin has been taking an extra reserve ride

I still follow the Norwich Stars who evolved into KL Stars and will be back when I deem it to be safely run for the Vulnerable Elderly ( being one of those ). I have supported The Stars since I was six years old. You assume too much and come across as bitter, unless fans buy a season ticket ( wether they go or not! ).

Why Crump not riding when he was at Glasgow on Friday ready to ride until rained off?

If you are going to that you may as well just have some separate demonstration races for them instead of including them in the team Bonkers idea so likely to be under serious consideration over the winter.....