Ray Stadia

The same Pugh that sold the stadium to Barrat Homes! (off subject I know, just wanted to put the boot in!).

I suppose one might have to say, 'Be careful what you suggest'!

Best wishes to Sam and his parents. His dad was riding grass track when I was riding, so really feel for the family. Fingers crossed all will be good!

I was watching British Superbike the other day and there was a mention of a speedway rider, Squib Burton, I think!

I seem to recall that Rawreth (Rawreth Lane) was indeed a front runner/favourite location for Rayleigh speedway, but for some reason didn't happen. However, Rawreth Lane is soon to have a massive housing development, so likely, speedway would have been booted out, around now!

The Isle of Dogs is a yappy area these days...sorry, that should be yuppie area!

Only if they have a dog licence! Available for 37p! Well they were 37p in 1987.

I suppose it wouldn't help matters, if Swindon speedway changed their nickname to 'Sons of Anarchy'?

Glad you appealed. I am sure you will be successful.

Well I think you are providing us with a perfect reason why the UK getting out of the EU can't come quickly enough. As it appears, you are virtually suggesting, British speedway's decline is due to the growth in European speedway and I think you are right! We have allowed Denmark, Sweden and Poland use British speedway to our detriment. Pull up the drawbridge!

Well as usual/normal, you have lifted a small part of my full post. Other parts of my post make suggestions, but also as usual, like many on here like you, your raison d'etre on here is to shoot people down in flames! And if you are going to tell us how things are in Germany, I for one, am not interested in what happens there!

Grasstrack didn't used to be 'once in a blue moon'. In the 70s, most centres had a meeting every weekend during the summer months. Back in the time, many speedway riders doubled up on grass, Malcolm Simmons, Simon Wigg and many others. Which was good for both sports. Grasstrack was a good feeder for speedway teams and grasstrack benefited by having household name riders at their meetings. This rarely happens any more and the reason for that is many speedway riders ride abroad as well as the UK and can't fit in grasstrack and in any case, wouldn't earn enough money from grasstrack. Grasstrack has always been drawn out, because you do have a lot of classes to get through and many heats. But it is a different attraction, grasstrack is a day out and hopefully enjoy a full afternoons racing in the sun. What has happened recently and it is good in one way, grasstrack pads out the meetings with youth riders, whereas, yesteryear, there were schoolboy meetings. Riders like Jeremy Doncaster started in schoolboy grasstrack. Both grasstrack and speedway need a major overhaul and reboot and perhaps look at what was good and worked in the past. Both sports, in my opinion, worked better when there was little foreign influence, i.e. few foreign riders here and few British riders riding abroad.

I don't think the main problem is the entrance fee, as football fans are a similar demographic and there are plenty that still go through the turnstiles. The main problem is value for money, the lack of team continuity season to season, teams saying they may run they may not, supporting a team which may run this year, but may not next year, supporting a sport which is clearly on it's downers rather than it's uppers (or at least flatlining). However, unless there is a solid will to change the situation by those involved in the sport and not just the promoters, nothing is going to change. I do think Grasstrack is looking more healthy these days, as there seems to be a strong youth initiative within the sport.

I would have thought, with the new houses so close to the stadium, the least speedway activity there is at the stadium, the less chance there will be of complaint from the residents.

'Press and Practice Day'....surely, a bit hollow these days, with the state of British speedway currently. I realise I sound negative, but Press and Practice Day sounds like a season launch, for a sport which is healthy and going places! When, as we know, it's in trouble, sadly.