OveFundinFan

Is the a blank available that has the semis and the final on, I can add Croatia, Torun or Cardiff myself. If JK could do that before this weekend that would be great and we got it for the whole year.

I understand Crucible has a contract for 3 more years…..to mark 50 years at the Crucible….thats amazing. I like watching snooker, but it can’t match the excitement of a speedway meeting, actually ……nothing can.

For those that don’t like the “high prices”. Highest price seat at the Crucible for Snooker World Championship final is £450. How do you like that?

It’s hard at times to get one’s head around the fact prices for almost everything and anything have shot up in the last few years. Last year, on holiday south Shropshire we paid £13 for fish, chips and peas each, and that was takeaway price…..no cafe seats, we found a bench in a park. If “we” want live world class speedway on a British track, and Belle Vue is one of the best race tracks in the world, that most of the riders/mechanics, plus officials etc, are travelling many miles mostly from abroad, then it has to be paid for. The erection of the temporary stand on turn 3-4 will cost more than a few quid as well. You can’t compare prices with a uk premiere championship meeting, it’s in a different class. It is clearly a case of if you don’t want to pay the price then you don’t attend. I was at BV for the 2016 world team meeting at the atmosphere was pretty amazing. This year I am very happy staying at home watching everything that will be televised for the £6.99 Discovery+ are charging per month.

He would have been fine with Aprilia. Remember Aleix almost took the title a few years ago but blew it in the second half of the season, it showed it's potential. KTM is pretty good too. Brad Binder not been too bad, and Acosta is doing really well and he not on factory bike (will be next year). I hope Yamaha do make it back, cannot afford to loose another team.. And good to hear BMW might be in it in 2026.

Really very pleased Vinhales won. To come back from 11th in that field of riders is amazing. Acosta went extremely well, maybe just tired out towards the end. Honda really down in the dumps. How that can be I just can't figure, I know Marquez was an exceptional rider, but Hondas performance is really bad. Interesting what Quatararro said....... "Yamaha did more testing in this one meeting than the whole of last year". If that is so, I can't understand how he put up with it and resigned for next year. Maybe it was the $12million dangled in front of him. Never really enjoyed the meeting at COTA but got to admit it was really exciting this year, in all three classes.

It's very possible. It's a shame the like of Quatararro, Mir, Rims, Miller are not in

I really pleased Vinhales won the sprint race at COTA. Acosta just losing out in 4th, top KTM rider again…..his day will come, he is doing amazingly well. Only one Honda finished and that was Marini in last (17th) of the finishers. Feel sorry for Rins (16th), he is a quality rider now stuck on a Yamaha and maybe without a ride next year, though Yamaha should keep him as he is a good developer……amd that is what Yamaha need if they are going to get back. Quatararo finished just ahead of him, but he has chosen the money so I have no real sympathy for him. Are Aprilia on the verge of really coming good? Their 4 bikes in the top 11 is pretty good. Love to see them successful after years of being mocked for being tail end Charlie’s. Roll on todays main race, then to watch highlights on Monday evening.

I reckon Saturday night will be FULL. Maybe not the 2 semi finals, but not far off full. Hotel prices are what they are. Any UK city hotel is high and more so when a big event is on, they would be if it was a national dog show. You can't run a big hotel charging £40 per night. Even Travelodge prices go up. Few nights ago I was comparing prices of an hotel. 2021 we stayed 7 nights in Thetford, Norfolk at Premier Inn. Average price for 7 nights was £46 per night, room only. That was mid June, not in school holiday. This year same week asking just over £90 per night. This year we doing 3 nights in a b&b Llandudno at £97 per night. We simply had to cut back. Now we doing 2 half weeks per year instead of 2 full weeks. We got the whole of Cheshire to explore on our doorstep and the Welsh border is just 8 miles away. Lots of beautiful countryside.

It's very possible. It's a shame the like of Quatararro, Mir, Rins, Miller are not in the mix.

Seems they erecting the temporary stands on turns 3 and 4. Like they did in 2016 Doing that must cost more than a few bob. Plus 23 teams of riders, mechanics, all of the officials, heck of a lot of important background staff. Must cost a fortune and a nightmare to sort the logistics. On that basis £191 for a 4 night tournament ticket on the start line seems reasonable, and concessions available.

Difficult to predict. What I would like to see is KTM with Binder and Aprilia with Vinhales and/or Espargaro get into the results. Too much going Ducati way. May as well have a Ducati GP Championship.

Nine for me. Not seen Arthur Payne, Dan Forsberg, and though Ian Williams rode for Swindon up to 1963 and I was a regular at BVue with mum and dad for at least 5 years prior to that I just can’t remember seeing him…so not included. I can remember seeing Eric Williams though, who was a few years older than Ian. Strange.

I’m about 6 weeks behind Ray Wilson (33). Yikes! It gets you thinking.

Sorry to hear this news. Not just a very good rider but a brilliant racer.

No, last year was a disaster with the track breaking up. So only main SGP this year.

How big was the crowd? Did it get into the hundreds?

I doubt it. BT had the contract, That part of BT now joined into Discovery owners and called TNT. They have big football contracts that cost them a lot of money, so TNT charges to the punter are not cheap. Of course "not cheap" to one person is easily affordable to another. Discovery+ gives me all the speedway GPs for £6.99 per month, plus the speedway world cup (or whatever called this year, the British Final plus other bits, and world superbikes (all rounds), then I watch snooker, arious ski sports, cycle cross, mountain bike and such like. Good value for money IMO.

It's usually the season. Should be on tonight, I not checked yet but the whole of the races were on over the weekend....that is rare.

Last night, Sunday, I watched the two Sunday WSBK races. Fantastic stuff. What with MotoGP,2,3 races on ITV4 (the whole lot, very rare, and WSBK and it's supporting races (paid for via Discovery+ £6.99pm) I have had a feast of tarmac racing this weekend on two really good tracks. Roll on speedway GP's come the end of April, can't wait. Again viewed via Discovery+, about 5 weeks to go.

Same story every beginning to a season....arrange to hold speedway in March and be prepared for cancellations galore.....it's inevitable......until global warming alters things for better weather. And many times April is not much better.

What a fantastic race track is Portimao, scene of this weekends MotoGP, 2 and 3. All three class races today were thrilling, some fantastic youngsters on their way up. Today those youngsters were learning how important tyre management is.... some flunked the test and learned the hard way....losing out on the trophies.

A good race. Is Bautista the only rider that has had to increase weight of rider/machine?

Is Sam Hagon any relation to Alf Hagon or his descendants.?? Good to see the young ones shaping so well. Impressed With Cook and the two Connors. Initially looked like Blodorn had took a leap forward. Re Celina, she is having a go at a sport she loves, just like many other youngsters. Nothing wrong with that. How far will she develop……who knows. What I havnt seen in any video clip etc is she mixing it on the first corner (in a tough way). She has got speed and very steady. I give her 10/10 for the courage to have a go.

That obviously implies people living and working in Poland don’t earn a good income yet the commentator said at the beginning of the meeting, as the camera was scanning the back straight stands, some fans had travelled from Poland. So some Polish residents can afford to come to UK for a meeting so a £15 stream must be well affordable.