Leaderboard

98. A season I’ll never forget as an Ipswich fan

Well, can you not give a freind your money and get them to pay you in ?

Sounds like many of you think the best plan would be to turn off the lights, lock the doors and hand back the keys..... You should be delighted anyone wants to take it on and keep it going (at whatever level)

No, he just knows everything about everything, most of which is usually rubbish..

Bernie was the first Swindon rider I was aware of, as his picture was in the Speedway Star that I bought before going to my first match. That was also 1974, although David Ashby was riding, so Bernie isn't the first to go from that side.

Very sad news. He was my favourite Racer of the 70's and early 80's. Team riding with Bobby Schwartz was brilliant to watch. A team man through and through. I use to watch him grass tracking as well. A lovely man. Condolences to his family.

Yes but you will also cut the revs as you wouldn’t be able to get the same power and also the obvious thing is 2 less valves, springs and guides so you save £150 straight away

You are deluded chap, nothing can be done to save a sport that delivers only 15 mins of action over two hours. They find it boring, it's that simple...

Very sad news. Remember watching Bernie many times and was Reading thru' and thru'. After his one year loan spell at Swindon he did consider swithing over to 'the 'Robins' but returned home after Smallmead was completed afer a little pressure from Reg Fearman! Speeday couldn't survive without the Bernie Leighs...dependable team orientated loyal riders and something sadly lacking nowadays. May he RIP.

One league of 18 team would give 34 league matches + play off +koc or any other competition + any challenges , that’s around 50 meetings 25 home 25 away , season is only 26 weeks long , that pretty much 2 aWeek , how many do they need ? , I like bomber but his interview was selfish and at odds with what the sport needs to do to move forward

The thing with both town and the reds their run by "boards" indeed town just have a new chairman will these people be held to account to a 50 yr lease the boards could change with people saying i didnt sign anything nowt to do with me guv.

If I recall six-man teams were also implemented during 1997 (?) when the home team were numbered 1-6 and the away team 7-12 to help simplyfy identification.

I don't disagree at all but is British Speedway in a position to be classed as a professional sport? British Speedway is slipping behind the German league in the quality of rider's. When you look at all the leagues above us charging less for superstars British Speedway fans rightly, as shown with the ever declining terrace numbers, feel ripped off. What's your solution??

i will put a bet on it . you can pay me in 50yrs time . lol.

Count me out on that £10-12 is not a realistic or feasible price for entrance to any professional sport

With the lack of shale on most tracks..they like to appear to be doing something constructive,,,But if there is no dirt they are doing nothing except making meetings drag on going round and round on tractors...

I read a few comments recently by Chris Harris. It does seem the sport owes him a living. Let's look back. It made him leave school without qualifications, he hasn't done a job apart from speedway in the 20 or so years since (it paid so well, even allowing for a winter rest) and says nowadays what little he earns from racing goes straight back into helping him carry on racing. The lad must be using foodbanks. Me, personally, I feel if the sport is now set up purely to benefit riders having enough meetings for various clubs so they can earn a decent living. And by catering for the riders this way it is alienating the fans, who are no longer attracted by the team ethic of the sport. Obviously, there are other matters to resolve, but this is one of them.

Doesn't even need to be at the conference,on the night will do if it suits,as has been proved.

'Good old' Bernie Leigh as he was known. A Reading institution. RIP

The only way to bring equipment standards to a more acceptable level, and encouraging future rider's is to force a wage drop. If Chris Harris believes he can't earn enough on £100 a point he'll have to quite or buy cheaper equipment. It's that simple.

If Bomber had done better at school he would understand this... As he didn't, he doesn't

Who wants doubling up to end? The fans maybe, but I can't believe that riders (who earn more money) or clubs (who save on costs) would want it to end.

Spot on... Sign up 100% to ride over here.... Or dont. ... The Promoters will need to play their part by putting together a fixture list early enough, and sticking to it obviously... I know, I know, I am laughing as I type...

Thank goodness that this wasn't the case back when I used to attend (1970's & 1980's) otherwise I couldn't have taken in White City (Wednesday), Oxford (Thursday) and Swindon (Saturday) and occasionally Eastbourne (Fridays and Sundays). Obviously fans used to travel around a lot more back in those days but of course that scenario has changed dramatically with the downturn the sport has been experiencing over the last 20 years or so for all manner of reasons. I talk to many people at my place of work (tourism) who say that they used to go to speedway...a common observation amongst people now.

One upside of the aging demographic of the speedway fan is that soon they'll be bringing their carers along, it might just save the sport