Shrub

At the beginning of the season I stated that we were 'promoted' into a Micky Mouse League we shouldn't touch with a barge pole, were bought out by a clueless idiot who's one of the worst things to happen to British speedway and had a side that would be cannon fodder for the rest. I still stand by the first two but so happy to be proved 100% wrong about the last one. Last night was the best I've known the atmosphere to be at Ipswich in ages, a few decent races thrown in as well and all seven of the Witches had at least one stand out moment during the meeting. A real team effort, wouldn't like to single any one rider out but special mention to James Sarjeant for his bravery in heat 14 and the important pass in heat two. So, onto the final where we will race for a tinpot trophy that's not worth a hill of beans. Am I looking forward to it? Oh yes!! Bring it on!

Looked that way to me and to most of the people near us

Agree with this completely. Right result for both sides. Nice of King to let Batchelor past in the last heat to give Swindon their point.

I have, and think what the f@ck were they actually watching?

Perhaps you need to take your rose tinted glasses off.... If the positions were reversed and an Ipswich rider had got up and let the race continue there would have been uproar. It's only seen as cheating when the other side does it. Long standing fans still laugh about the time when Kevin Jolly done exactly the same thing at King's Lynn back in the 70's, when the league was actually a meaningful competition. That did win us the match back then. What Kurtz did made no difference to the result, we gated on a 5-1 in the re-run but Holder easily got by King in the only genuine pass of the match. What was more depressing was that a good crowd had turned up, positive new signings in the Witches camp and a genuine must win scenario only to find that yet again they were given a total pile of crap to race on. Dust after 4 heats, no extra water put down, nothing round the outside, just the usual gate and go you get at Ipswich these days. The close scoreline made for a good atmosphere but how much better it would have been if there was some decent racing to go with it. At the end of the day the better side won.

Pigeons certainly need lessons on nest building though I have to say their plumage always look immaculate. Gulls indeed always look tidy which is remarkable considering the crap they eat. A casual acquaintance and I were wondering today who picks up guide dog poo?

A warm, nostalgic trip down memory lane! A minor correction to the Ipswich one, it had a black border, roughly the same width as the the Cradley one. Don't they look far more impressive than today's bland race suits which often feature colours that don't relate at all to the side's history and club motifs that need a telescope to be seen?

Agree with most of this, (especially the bit about the Stars not being one of the top teams!). I would say on the whole the racing of today is on a par with the past but then as now it's certain tracks that consistently produce good racing. There were some shocking tracks back in the 70's , Newport and Bristol instantly spring to mind and plenty of strung out races just like today.

I certainly don't think the racing was any better back in the 70's, just certain tracks are much poorer these days. As many posters have mentioned the bigger crowds and atmosphere generated made it all seem so much more exciting. Though by no means perfect the league was bigger meaning more variety, top star names only visited once or twice a year, giving more incentive to go and the whole package looked more credible; it seemed worth winning back then. The regional early season warm up competition the Spring Gold Cup had more teams in it than the whole top league does now! Though back then as now the usual consequence of winning the league is the break up of the championship winning side...

Popped along last night. Very good result for the Witches, even better that the Stars ended up with nothing despite it being pretty tight until the end. However the 'racing' was dire. All decided by the second bend apart from three occasions, when Cook barged his way past Heeps in the last heat, Lawson nipping past Lambert whilst he was looking round for King and the best race of the night, the battle for third between Jorgensen and Procter in heat three, half a straight behind the Witches pair. Anyone trying a blast round the outside simply went backwards, just one line, follow the leader stuff. It meant yet another long drive home feeling that I hadn't been entertained and why did I bother. Good results are important but the racing has got to be the main reason for going. If it was just about the result you might as well sit at home and use the excellent update service.

Though I have always disliked the guest system it never stopped me from going, it did effect the credibility of the league, even as a ten year old I could work out it wasn't right but the thrill of the racing over-rided that. Plenty of people within the sport made a lot of noise in the 70's concerning guests, but nothing was done as it was the easiest way of covering for missing riders. However Ipswich, one of, if not the most successful sides of the 1970's achieved all their trophies and titles despite their total refusal to use guests, showing that it could be done. Nowadays, older, less easily impressed and more cynical than that ten year old I can hardly be bothered to drag myself along to watch. As Chunky said there are many reasons for the decline in support. For my part I could point to the proliferation of guests, the flexible rulebook, the poor standard of racing at Ipswich these days, Chapman hijacking the club and other gripes for my non-attendance but in reality it is because I am older and more cynical and can see that they are racing for a title that's not worth winning in a league that lacks any credibility. I still get a buzz from watching great racing but the team element of speedway in the UK, to me, is pointless. Only took me 40 odd years to work that out, mind!

Is it just me thinking that this thread sums up the sorry state of speedway when virtually all the talk on here is about the use of guests?

Chapman only did what he did because he hasn't the wit or wisdom to carry out the root and branch restructuring the sport desperately needed, instead he's enabled the many times failed premiership model to carry on for a little longer until it goes t!ts up again. Have said before I think this will put the long term future of Ipswich (and Peterborough) in serious jeopardy. No one was looking long term when this ridiculous deal was made.

In no way do I think that racing in general was better 'back in the good old days' but I do think some tracks have suffered due to the nature of the modern bikes and Ipswich is one of them. Despite the commendable efforts to improve the track to me the racing is no better. Like Baldy said we would never have won any awards for most entertaining track but we are much further down the list than we once were.

Last night and swindon

As I said, only been a couple of times based on what I saw there was little difference. Must have missed the better ones!

Admittedly I've only been a couple of times this year such is my dissolution with the way the sport is run, and it sticks in the craw putting money in Chapman's pocket, but to me the racing was no better than the Championship; the usual follow the leader Ipswich fare. Regarding the buy back clause and the hope that a successful season will justify the risk, you're assuming there will still be a viable Elite League! It's bound to go t!ts up again, it always does. Louis wouldn't take the risk to move up as he knew it wasn't viable and Chapman only did it to buy the Elite league another year. The whole sport needs restructuring but it seems it ain't gonna happen with Chapman at the helm, he hasn't the ideas, ability or vision to do it and instead is happy to paper over the cracks. I realise that in the few posts I've made I probably come across as a miserable, negative old git but I do fear for the club's future. A major decision was made in haste and nobody seemed to be looking long term, it was all about keeping the top league alive for another year. Such hasty snap decisions rarely work out well in the end...

Save for how long? This year? Two? For years now every time the premiership gets into trouble they con teams from the Championship into moving up, they then get into trouble and move back down again or go bust. They try the same thing over and again and hope for a different outcome each time. This time no one was stupid enough to move up so Chapman did what he did to buy the league another year or two. Whilst I'm pleased that things are going well for Ipswich at the moment, I still think this will end badly... And I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be feeling sorry for Peterborough fans

Well I've certainly had to eat my words because the Witches have done far better than I expected - still not convinced they will last the pace - and at the moment 'Ippo' do seem OK. However I think most Ipswich fans would rather the club was still owned by Louis in the Championship instead of by Chapman in Premiership.

Thanks brandonmole for your intelligent input. I asked a genuine question and a couple have had the decency to explain why. If not being a fan of dogs and failing to understand why so many fawn over the creatures makes me a twit then fair enough. As someone with obvious cerebral capacity perhaps you can enlighten me further as to what I'm missing out on.

I don't have a problem with it, I just don't get it!

Guide and other working dogs are certainly not pointless, the pet ones to me are. I haven't a problem with people who like dogs, that isn't what I said. It was a genuine question as to why the need to drag them along to speedway?

You're right I don't like dogs much, totally pointless creatures. But I genuinely can't see why anyone would take one to speedway. Why not leave them at home like any other pet?

Hope they have to pay to bring them in. Why people need to bring a four legged turd factory to speedway is beyond me.

I think you're on your own on this one! Live speedway commentary does not work. It's as irritating as having someone give a running commentary whilst you're watching something on TV. (I'm not thinking of my Father-in-Law at all). At least though I can throw the remote or any suitable heavy object at him to shut him up, you don't get that option with Porkie et al. Imagine the horror of having to choose between listening to Porkie or Peter York commentate on the racing.... On a par with having to choose between contracting rabies or anthrax