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Me and my lad on Monday were actually joking at just how many "wear the club shop".. Plenty were doing so ... Granted most were fifty something's so were wearing a coat over the top to keep the cold out... Which maybe hid just how many were wearing some Aces memorabilia.. The issue the sport has was clearly highlighted on Monday when, on an evening where there was no threat to it not taking place, given the forecast from 24 hours before, not enough Aces and Ipswich fans could be arsed turning up for a POSF... The whole reason we go through a season of qualifiers is to get this part of the season meaning the competition itself must have so little kudos and credibility, even to some of the sports most regular followers, that so many simply couldn't see the worth in attending... The Ipswich fans stated a Monday night as being the problem, however, I am sure if it was the final then they would have attended.. (Maybe Phil was right in putting commercial reasons in front of everything else when he put Sheffield with Belle Vue!?).. There are only SIX meetings that actually mean anything all year, therefore when one of those six delivers such disinterest, those who run Speedway should really be very worried.. No point having the play offs if they don't generate more money than the tracks lose by fans not bothering to attend qualifiers..

and as if by magic one of the people who is a massive part of the problem (head in sand) comes along with a laughing reaction those who run sponsor and are involved just cant see the damage thats being done to still be running semi finals of all three competitions in mid september is gross negligence

Same at Oxford. There are numerous Reading (and even a few Swindon) fans who attend each week, wearing their old club kit.

100% spot on, most people seem to have missed this, the SCB are basically admitting they messed up (not for the first time).

It's a shame that in the 10 years I've been going to the NSS I'm still unable to get around to the other side of the stadium for a nose around, I've never seen it... only from the South stand.

Old factory site is interesting - what's the track in the US that appears to be in a factory? I'm sure it was used in the background of the True Detective series? Could that be an option (proper air extraction included of course) for the UK? Sound proofed walls and a filtrations systems wonder if anyone has ever explored that idea

Leicester are pretty good for merch wearing I've only ever seen it open once in all my visits to Belle Vue, admittedly I only turn up just before start time and leave immediately afterwards but during the meeting and many interval breaks I've never seen it open

I would also say (and I have said this in print) that Belle Vue has the best track shop in Britiah speedway (Glasgow are the only other serious contender)

https://glasgowtigers.co.uk/brown-shocked-at-poole-response/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMvj65leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtMVxWkkA3s4DTs_kxf4MAQlCI2WicF2p290RSVRH3NLZYLrlOPNawo8qbM__aem_9tKMRxF--hQ8DMG403TYxg Getting a bit silly now, Cami and Lanning need to give it a rest and move on. Asking for trouble in the return leg by keep banging the drum.

I'm afraid you are not going to get a new speedway stadium in the West Midlands conurbation area, there is simply not space for it unless an old disused factory site is used. Cradley are looking at somewhere in green space in Worcestershire, Wolves I'd imagine would have to do the same in South Staffs, by the i54 seems the most likely. Coventry have a chance as Brandon Stadium comes under Rugby Council who are supporting them.

without pointing fingers or blaming anyone jn particular british speedway as a whole should hang their heads in shame that this fixture should be going ahead with two riders elsewhere an absolute joke, guests are a cancer of our sport if this is the best they can do then decide the title by league position

I don’t believe that, British speedway does have a place in modern society it just we don’t see it and we apologise and make excuses for what we can’t achieve and never think what we can achieve and that in the main is down to the personal running the sport, something that really gets me at the moment and I’ve spoken to a lot of people within the sport about this is not one person has a vison of where do we go from here ? Yes there is a plaster here and a bandage there but nobody has a plan or a vison or anything of any hope and that really bothers me

I’m not saying it’s not the same sport etc it’s about pulling power and usually it’s younger fans into the 20/30 year old, you quote football clubs average 10,000? Christ that’s a league one attendances, united have 75,000, city 55,000, they have world wide fan base and kids know the players, speedway in Britain is trying to complete locally with that and kids are going to follow their friends and want a footy shirt etc not a BV or whoever top, it’s just how it is, speedway can try everything it can but modern life has changed and speedway unfortunately has been left behind

Well we seem to be stuck in limbo with the weather, all very frustrating as we all want to get on with the semis and finals. The relavent threads mainly seem to be full of Poole bashers conspiracy theories, all pretty boring really. So how about a bit of a review of this seasons team. Even before the start many fans wanted Vinnie kept, but maybe with hindsight that wouldn't have been so shrewd. Starke wasn't many people's fav selection but he has done the job. Tobias and Zac have shown what they're capable of. I still wish we had secured the services of Dan Thompson. But both Anders and Kerr have performed be it a bit inconsistently. What do you think?

I believe the BV riders have this written in their contract which imo is a good thing and shame other clubs don’t do it, I heard one promoter say he wasn’t interested in it when it was put to him as an idea, absolutely everything should be pushed by the clubs to forge that bond with the fans and club, riders on the whole are pretty easy going and will do such things if asked but if you don’t encourage they will just get in their vans and drive off

Although the SCB would no doubt disagree (Vinnie Foord case) as it is 120 miles from Northside to the Ecco -- even on a Sunday that'll be a three-hour drive -- it would be foolish to ask Nick, or anyone else, to try to fulfil the booking.

It’s pretty good at Belle Vue as most of our team ride for only us in this country with many who have never ridden for another top flight club. Most are quite long standing Aces with Dan being with us since 2016. It’s not the norm but something we like to do with our team. As with decades ago points limits, like rider control sees us forced to lose riders, we would have loved to have kept Max and Tom for instance but it’s good to see these riders continue to prosper at other clubs. Several riders are in the Craven suite after the meeting and mingle with the fans chatting and having photos and this has helped create a real affinity with the fans (many decked out in club colours) who see them as part of our Belle Vue family.

The councils giving money to polish clubs doesn’t make the clubs successful, the clubs being successful make the council money in tourism, speculate to accumulate, it’s happens in this country with anything successful, it’s just speedway isn’t, Does anyone who lives outside say zielona gora visit that town for any other reason than its speedway ? So how do the council attract visitors to spend their time and money in their town ?

That is a very good post, in this country we don’t address the differences we make excuses why we can’t do them

I get that it's a chicken & egg situation in Britain, but the appearance of the merch available in Poland is usually superior to this country, and doesn't normally start and end with a race shirt and a polo top. I bought some Janowski merch where I last visited Poland, just because it was a decent looking tee that had a cool speedway design on it - I don't think I could name a more boring and forgettable top-level rider than Janowski, but I still bought his merch because it looked decent. It's a completely different animal, yes...but it's the exact same sport. Why is it virtually the national sport? Why is it tribal? Why is merchandising a big business? I don't think Poland has any big secret that they're keeping from us, it's still 4 riders/4 laps/etc/etc. They just do everything better. They don't have PL football to compete with but they still have football clubs who average 10,000+ every match, basketball clubs that average 15,000+, volleyball is very popular, gridiron is popular, etc. It's not as if it's some sporting backwater where the choice is speedway or nothing.

Except at football where all ages wear their teams shirts even the women

It may well be the best but it’s only a fraction of the crowd, Birmingham had virtually non that’s my point, im not having a go at BV this is about British speedway, all fans need to wearing their own brands ,I’m going to Ipswich tonight and I will see how many wear their attire

I got to the point, in Poland I said it’s tribal like football in Britain it’s simple, speedway has ceased being that way for years, less people of the age who would actually want to wear team shirts or something associated with a certain team, scarves used to be more common in the 70/s and eighties but certainly not now, times have changed and demand has changed, fact of life

the south shop is open every match

im sure you just walk around with your eyes closed, but id say out of all clubs, and ive been to all, belle vue is one of the best for wearing team clothing