Is anyone losing interest

[OGT 612]

13 hours ago, Ringitsneck said:

‘ is anyone losing interest ‘ asks the title ?, well no as you ask. I find the ‘ sport ‘ fascinating now as individual promoters find their own interpretation of the rules ( are there any now ?). Having seen Poole’s and now Birmingham’s line ups for there next matches I am constantly entertained.  A facility granted for a rider who hasn’t ridden for you when that was against the rules but now isn’t ?. A guest for an ‘ injured ‘ rider ( injured in this country allegedly )who is now riding in his own country but not here ? I used to think I understood most of the rules but not any more.

I don’t think we can call speedway a sport for much longer as sports have rules, not guidelines to be used to increase an advantage for some but not all.

It's nothing new though is it?

One of the last straws for me was in 2010 when Brum wanted to re-declare due to a long term injury for Chris Kerr. 2 other teams, Berwick and Stoke were in the same position. They were allowed to, Birmingham were denied. The BSPA chairman was Alex Harkess and Brummies were dicing with Edinburgh for the league that year. Draw your own conclusions. 

Speedway is like a form of water torture for many fans who eventually succumb and walk away. Fair play to the people who can put up with the nonsense, there'd be no speedway without them.

[steve roberts 9,246]

27 minutes ago, OGT said:

It's nothing new though is it?

One of the last straws for me was in 2010 when Brum wanted to re-declare due to a long term injury for Chris Kerr. 2 other teams, Berwick and Stoke were in the same position. They were allowed to, Birmingham were denied. The BSPA chairman was Alex Harkess and Brummies were dicing with Edinburgh for the league that year. Draw your own conclusions. 

Speedway is like a form of water torture for many fans who eventually succumb and walk away. Fair play to the people who can put up with the nonsense, there'd be no speedway without them.

Something not dissimilar happend to Oxford in 1985 when Belle Vue visited Cowley. The Belle Vue Promoter was Stuart Bamforth and he also was BSPA chairman at the time. Oxford had declared Klaus Lausch in their line up which Belle Vue would have been aware of when teams were declared but they left it until just prior to the meeting when Bamforth wearing his BSPA hat made an objection knowing full well the circumstances and Oxford were forced to use a junior (Jon Surman) Okay Oxford were wrong in that the paperwork hadn't been cleared and Bamforth would have been well aware of that but used his position of power to influence the line up of the Oxford team who could have re-instated Melvyn Taylor as  a replacement. Bamforth took advantage of his position but remained tight lipped much to the annoyance of Oxford Promoter Bernard Crapper who took to the microphone during the interval venting his anger after Oxford had trounced the "Aces".

I recall also in 1977 when the "Rebels" arrived at Hackney and programmed to ride as a guest was Mick Hines but Len Silver left it right until the start of the meeting before making an objection (Mick had appeared at Waterden Road only the week before). The fact that Mick's name was listed in the programme and Silver would have been aware of the situation the episode left a sour taste in one's mouth but it only pumped up the "Rebels" and they beat the "Hawks" in a last heat decider!

Edited July 14, 2021 by steve roberts

[NeilWatson 1,988]

32 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Something not dissimilar happend to Oxford in 1985 when Belle Vue visited Cowley. The Belle Vue Promoter was Stuart Bamforth and he also was BSPA chairman at the time. Oxford had declared Klaus Lausch in their line up which Belle Vue would have been aware of when teams were declared but they left it until just prior to the meeting when Bamforth wearing his BSPA hat made an objection knowing full well the circumstances and Oxford were forced to use a junior (Jon Surman) Okay Oxford were wrong in that the paperwork hadn't been cleared and Bamforth would have been well aware of that but used his position of power to influence the line up of the Oxford team who could have re-instated Melvyn Taylor as  a replacement. Bamforth took advantage of his position but remained tight lipped much to the annoyance of Oxford Promoter Bernard Crapper who took to the microphone during the interval venting his anger after Oxford had trounced the "Aces".

I recall also in 1977 when the "Rebels" arrived at Hackney and programmed to ride as a guest was Mick Hines but Len Silver left it right until the start of the meeting before making an objection (Mick had appeared at Waterden Road only the week before). The fact that Mick's name was listed in the programme and Silver would have been aware of the situation the episode left a sour taste in one's mouth but it only pumped up the "Rebels" and they beat the "Hawks" in a last heat decider!

Two examples of why the current system of authorising line-ups is an improvement. Race-night challenges are now a thing of the past.

[mikebv 10,274]

15 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

Two examples of why the current system of authorising line-ups is an improvement. Race-night challenges are now a thing of the past.

Still far too many ridiculous situations happen though Neil for the sport to ever be taken seriously.. 

So sad really that something with so much potential can never get it realised when so much nonsense is (actively allowed and accepted), to take place, year on year...

Still, I presume all the promoters must be happy with their lot to keep doing such things ad Infinitum.. ?

 

 

[mikebv 10,274]

1 hour ago, OGT said:

It's nothing new though is it?

One of the last straws for me was in 2010 when Brum wanted to re-declare due to a long term injury for Chris Kerr. 2 other teams, Berwick and Stoke were in the same position. They were allowed to, Birmingham were denied. The BSPA chairman was Alex Harkess and Brummies were dicing with Edinburgh for the league that year. Draw your own conclusions. 

Speedway is like a form of water torture for many fans who eventually succumb and walk away. Fair play to the people who can put up with the nonsense, there'd be no speedway without them.

You do have to "collude" with the Promoters when you attend a Speedway match that it is "real" within a true sporting context..

Which is not a great starting point is it to a) keep its regular fanbase,  b) grow its fanbase further, c) get some major sponsors involved and d) be taken seriously by the wider mainstream media..

Some will do it though and be willing to accept anything put out in front of them..

And fair play to them for that, as without them the sport would be in serious trouble..

However, they will inevitably only ever be the smaller minority of the (very large),  number of fans who still follow the sport closely, but from a greater distance...

[steve roberts 9,246]

38 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

Two examples of why the current system of authorising line-ups is an improvement. Race-night challenges are now a thing of the past.

...Ian Thomas was a classic example of utilising the rules to suit his own ends. Well known story when Tony Coupland challenged Thomas's continual use of the R/R facility for the missing Robbie Gardner when both his average and the fact that he had retired should heve been picked up by the authorities and the match referee in particular.

[NeilWatson 1,988]

19 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Still far too many ridiculous situations happen though Neil for the sport to ever be taken seriously.. 

So sad really that something with so much potential can never get it realised when so much nonsense is (actively allowed and accepted), to take place, year on year...

Still, I presume all the promoters must be happy with their lot to keep doing such things ad Infinitum.. ?

 

 

Not sure if they’re happy with their lot - more than one promoter has gone public this year with his disillusionment.

Edited July 14, 2021 by NeilWatson

[arnieg 3,643]

38 minutes ago, mikebv said:

You do have to "collude" with the Promoters when you attend a Speedway match that it is "real" within a true sporting context..

 

That's a great encapsulation of British league speedway. However with a few exceptions ( e.g. BL2/NL in the 70s) that's pretty much been the state for over 50 years

[mikebv 10,274]

42 minutes ago, arnieg said:

That's a great encapsulation of British league speedway. However with a few exceptions ( e.g. BL2/NL in the 70s) that's pretty much been the state for over 50 years

100% Arnie..

However...

The sport used to go out nationally to millions most Saturdays in summer, when ITV showed the worlds best in "Big 'proper' competitons"...

Domestic British Speedway then fed (extremely well), off it's very large amount of crumbs falling off the table..

There was also often zero advanced warning of what you were going to see when you got into the stadiums, you had paid your money and you were in...

Any "moaning" was done to those around you and was discussed by half a dozen or so at most..

Whereas now any "nonsense" (and let's be honest there is far too much), is known well in advance, discussed via the thousands on the internet, and often will then lead to comments along the lines of "Well that's me out then, I am not going to watch that"...

A very, very different modern world that unfortunately UK Speedway hasnt appreciated and adapted its operating model to...

 

[iainb 5,015]

14 hours ago, mikebv said:

It will always be a 'sport',

It's a pantomime...

Ohhhh yes it is!

[mikebv 10,274]

31 minutes ago, iainb said:

It's a pantomime...

Ohhhh yes it is!

Thinking out loud.

Seven Dwarf's would be perfect to make up a Speedway team...

[iainb 5,015]

2 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Thinking out loud.

Seven Dwarf's would be perfect to make up a Speedway team...

1. Floppy

2. Shaggy

I'm struggling now 

[mikebv 10,274]

15 minutes ago, iainb said:

1. Floppy

2. Shaggy

I'm struggling now 

3. Guesty...

[marko 956]

Back in the 80% and early 90s I used to rely on the speedway star or speedway mail for news on upcoming meetings but in those days and until the late 2000s I would go anyway.

But even the internet isn’t always helpful, I recall Arena Essex going to Swindon in the pairs final in 2003, a load of fans went and when we got their found out that Joonas Kylmakorpi wasn’t there and was never going to be there, Mr Russell kept it quiet much to everyone anger.

[cityrebel 2,960]

10 minutes ago, marko said:

Back in the 80% and early 90s I used to rely on the speedway star or speedway mail for news on upcoming meetings but in those days and until the late 2000s I would go anyway.

But even the internet isn’t always helpful, I recall Arena Essex going to Swindon in the pairs final in 2003, a load of fans went and when we got their found out that Joonas Kylmakorpi wasn’t there and was never going to be there, Mr Russell kept it quiet much to everyone anger.

That old chestnut was used all the time, pre internet!