RIP British Speedway

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

2 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Are you a promoter?

All that's needed in that statement is "if you don't like it p**soff"

Forgetting that the fans also put their hard earned money into the sport week in week out yet are constantly taken for a ride not given value for money & are expected just to turn up and have their feelings ignored or are just told to like it or lump it. Thousands have just walked away because of that very mindset.

Bottom line is if the sport was ran professionally giving value for money entertainment the sport wouldn't be in the mess it is.

As for fans tearing it apart the vast majority just want to see some form of acknowledgement that what's on offer is no long fit for purpose and that real change is coming. That change maybe too late to save the sport in the UK but at least bloody try!!

 I used to love my speedway never missed a home meeting. These days for many many reasons all connected with what's on offer for my spend and therefore in the control of the BSPA I attended once a year at best. 

 

I am like you and endless others  have given up  on the sport, still love it  BUT there is a chance to salvage something we all know how good the sport can be.On this forum there are some great ideas bandied about, do they get considered who knows? every conference come Christmas we all hope and prey maybe there is a different approach.Never happens for me this year something has to happen and things need to be put in place now not just a two day jolly up in Tenerife with a few needless rules tinkered with.

[scotty2hotty 183]

2 hours ago, Lord Skid said:

But it won't be Buster laying in hospital, too many times Promoters think it's a safe track to ride on, and are sadly proved wrong, should be left to the senior riders and Clark of the Course, not the Promoter, definately not the referee, most don't have a clue about track conditions.

You can always get another Rider, they're just a piece of meat, but you can't always get a pound in your back pocket.

The definition of safety has changed over the years. Now for some, unless the track is perfect, they moan. If last night at Lynn was Poland, they WOULD have ridden, no doubt in my mind. Sometimes, the tiniest spot of rain has some riders running for an extra pair of underpants. I would suggest they are in the wrong profession.  I may sound harsh, but speedway meetings have been run in far far worse conditions than last night at Lynn.    Also, when you say that the Promoter shouldn't make the final decision, no he should not, but at least give Buster the credit of knowing when a track is rideable, as he was preparing raceable tracks before some of last nights competitors were even born.

[scotty2hotty 183]

2 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Are you a promoter?

All that's needed in that statement is "if you don't like it p**soff"

Forgetting that the fans also put their hard earned money into the sport week in week out yet are constantly taken for a ride not given value for money & are expected just to turn up and have their feelings ignored or are just told to like it or lump it. Thousands have just walked away because of that very mindset.

Bottom line is if the sport was ran professionally giving value for money entertainment the sport wouldn't be in the mess it is.

As for fans tearing it apart the vast majority just want to see some form of acknowledgement that what's on offer is no long fit for purpose and that real change is coming. That change maybe too late to save the sport in the UK but at least bloody try!!

 I used to love my speedway never missed a home meeting. These days for many many reasons all connected with what's on offer for my spend and therefore in the control of the BSPA I attended once a year at best. 

 

At the end of the day, whatever the politics of the sport, it is and always has been, 4 blokes going 'hell for leather' racing on a track.  It is still the same product it has always been. Perhaps if we stopped worrying about the politics, the rules, the riders etc and just went back to enjoying good racing in its purest form, we might get somewhere.   I am not a Promoter myself, but had a family member who was one for many years.  I saw what it did to him and what he went through, I wouldn't wish that on anybody. It is a thankless task.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

3 minutes ago, scotty2hotty said:

At the end of the day, whatever the politics of the sport, it is and always has been, 4 blokes going 'hell for leather' racing on a track.  It is still the same product it has always been. Perhaps if we stopped worrying about the politics, the rules, the riders etc and just went back to enjoying good racing in its purest form, we might get somewhere.   I am not a Promoter myself, but had a family member who was one for many years.  I saw what it did to him and what he went through, I wouldn't wish that on anybody. It is a thankless task.

Yes and most of us really appreciate that , the effort is often forgotten.Also with most decent promoters there show goes on by having loads of unsung heroes in the background doing there bit without much reward.Last night was unfortunate i have seen quite a few really wet meetings over the years go on  and they improve over the night .Sometimes though the track enables the riders only to  follow the leader with the riders often being filled in.Everyone in the sport needs to pull together  we don’t seem to have that at the moment a crying shame really.

[TINYS 278]

1 hour ago, scotty2hotty said:

The definition of safety has changed over the years. Now for some, unless the track is perfect, they moan. If last night at Lynn was Poland, they WOULD have ridden, no doubt in my mind. Sometimes, the tiniest spot of rain has some riders running for an extra pair of underpants. I would suggest they are in the wrong profession.  I may sound harsh, but speedway meetings have been run in far far worse conditions than last night at Lynn.    Also, when you say that the Promoter shouldn't make the final decision, no he should not, but at least give Buster the credit of knowing when a track is rideable, as he was preparing raceable tracks before some of last nights competitors were even born.

Has Buster ever ridden a speedway bike.

[scotty2hotty 183]

9 minutes ago, TINYS said:

Has Buster ever ridden a speedway bike.

I believe he has, yes. Second halves at Mildenhall I think.

 

[tellboy 3,658]

53 minutes ago, TINYS said:

Has Buster ever ridden a speedway bike.

Yes Buster has.Has the ref from last night?

Edited August 20, 2021 by tellboy

[TINYS 278]

Second halves at Mildenhall wow.

[Dave Jones 2,124]

12 minutes ago, tellboy said:

Yes Buster has.Has the ref from last night?

I seem to recall he did some quad bike racing too. I have memories of  him crashing at Brandon  & breaking his leg?

[TINYS 278]

So not to much present day experience then.

[Daniel Smith 5,645]

5 hours ago, Tinker said:

Great idea Falcon. I would have Edinburgh in the top league though so that there would still be the money spinning derbies with Glasgow. 

Different teams, different venues to visit, different towns/cities etc. Would be great!

It's a bit of a myth that Glasgow v Edinburgh is a money spinner. 

Attendances at these matches ain't what's keeping the clubs alive. Glasgow could certainly survive without Edinburgh, in the same way Edinburgh always financially struggling even with Glasgow 

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

10 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said:

It's a bit of a myth that Glasgow v Edinburgh is a money spinner. 

Attendances at these matches ain't what's keeping the clubs alive. Glasgow could certainly survive without Edinburgh, in the same way Edinburgh always financially struggling even with Glasgow 

God Daniel you are a pretty positive guy right.? or realistic.

[scotty2hotty 183]

1 hour ago, TINYS said:

Second halves at Mildenhall wow.

So, how about you? Have you ever ridden a speedway bike? 

[scotty2hotty 183]

1 hour ago, TINYS said:

So not to much present day experience then.

What difference does that make? Its still four blokes racing on a track.   I always used to think it looked easy, until one day someone asked me to lift an engine into my boot.  I couldn't move it. Yes I am a girl, but it was seriously heavy and yet they throw those bikes around the track making it look easy. Amazes me how they do it.

[Hawk127 1,357]

I really do not think that it matters whether Buster has recently had rider experience.

In years gone by riders honed their craft and knew how to control the machine in a variety of track conditions and could work the track. Today you seem to have machines where riders are simply passengers and many are a far cry from the experience that prevailed in the 60’s through to the 80’s.

Riders have the right not to take to the track but if a rider is prepared to give it a go to see if it is rideable then why not allow the trial to go ahead.

Referees are unlikely to have the same experience as a rider and frankly should allow some benefit of the doubt to the riders. How often do you hear from the top riders criticism of referees who make a call but have little or no knowledge of the bikes/riders and the track conditions. No rider wants to deliberately injure a colleague or competitor but speedway is a risk sport and those that compete know the consequences of their actions.

Buster, love him or hate him, knows how to prepare a track and would not go out of his way to raise the risk of injury by preparing a duff track and riders should know the bikes and arrange them set ups to suit the conditions so it is a case of give and take. Unfortunately riders today want perfect conditions and neither the sport, the weather or the tracks will rarely offer this as an option and those who are looking for the ideal world should sell their machines and look for another job and stop letting down the punters who turn out to see racing.

Any right minded businessman would not invest in the current set up and if the figures stack up re bangers and stock cars where I believe most competitors pay to compete in a meeting, then why the hell run a speedway team. Get back to part timers etc and those who think they are so good enough, ply your trade in Poland or elsewhere and you will then soon receive a wake up call to your worth.