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I am far from convinced that fans do either. They suggest that points limits, tactical rides, rider replacement and guests cause people to walk away, ignoring the fact that all have been in existence in the sport for half a century. Cut the prices they say, ignoring the fact that when that has been done clubs have usually sustained heavy financial losses. Its too expensive. Belle Vue costs £18 and I see at least one world class rider (usually two) every week. Halifax Town costs £20, and they aren't even in the Football League. By that comparison, speedway is cheap. They criticise the play off system, disregarding the fact that it is a huge success in terms of revenue and that it is now common practice elsewhere. They compare speedway to other sports, ridiculing its rules, its practices, its procedures. Speedway is about as similar to football as an elephant is to a haddock and any comparison is just as valid. I am sure I have even read that speedway should be marketed as a sport for those aged 40 or over, a bit like crown green bowling. Total nonsense. Speedway is for all ages, and should be promoted that way. As to the ageing attendance, I think that's a myth. Barry Bishop told me that less than 15% of his crowds are of pensionable age. But the most telling fact is that while some claim to have all the answers, ask them to put their money where their mouth is and they are running for the hills. Quite willing to gamble others funds, they won't stake a single penny on their - occasionally hare brained - schemes, which shows just how confident they are about their success. While I deplore the utter contempt that most - but not all - members of the BSPA have for this forum, they can justifiably point to that in describing us as 'keyboard commandos'. All I know is that speedway has to start treating its paying customers as paying customers and not run the sport for the benefit of the riders, because that's how it is at the moment. Even with things as desperate as they are, clubs still find time to treat its fanbase like dirt. Sheffield's Damian Bates, faced with huge criticism over an underperforming team and a dreadful track, found time to slag off the clubs fans last season. Faced with similar criticism over an equally dreadful track, instead of listening Plymouth's Mark Phillips chose to ban those who were being critical. When you choose to treat the lifeblood of the sport that way, you get all you deserve.

They have to.. Newcastle are a classic example of all that is wrong.. Riding on a Sunday (a key day for leisure time) should be a 'shoe in' for such a unique an entertainment as Speedway. . Especially as that club has had some of the finest riders of all time representing them so have an incredible history.. Instead, as a Sunday track they must have had nightmares trying to ensure riders turn up, given Sunday has become such a key day for all three Pro leagues in Poland with so many UK contracted riders competing in them.. When Poland became the 'be all and end all' the UK should have just pulled up the drawer-bridge and gone alone... Instead it went done the path of 'fudge' and 'appeasement'. A subservient "We will work around you" became the mission statement.. Newcastle must have god knows how many difficult variables when trying to get a meeting on. Will their own No1 be available? Or will their opponents No1 be available? And if not, do they run? Or do they run with guests which makes the meeting somewhat contrived? Either way the fans (the life blood of the sport) and therefore the club, lose out.. Clubs should just be able to publicise a fixture list, and then market it, safe in the knowledge that all riders will be there, which then ensures a decent crowd can turn up safe in the knowledge they won't feel short changed. .. UK Speedway should set it's stall out and say "this is us", and build to whatever level it can. On days and nights fans want to (and can) attend.. And not bother about the wider Speedway world as they at the moment play on another level.. Four lads of similar ability per race, with a decent off track entertainment package, at a reasonable value for money admission fee, will tick a lot of boxes for a great many British Speedway fans, (both regulars and, more importantly maybe, non regulars). Promoters, who are business men and women in their own right, must know that surely? As lets be honest, it is very, very basic..

why are they still on prem page

The problem as I see it is that fans & sponsors have lost the feeling that the 7 riders representing your club are yours. We have almost completely lost this connection. Most if not all of 2019 championship teams consisted of 7 riders that also represented another U.K. team. This is also a huge problem with credibility when trying to convince newcomers to support our sport. Equally wholesale team changes during the season do the sport great harm as do the huge changes season on season. Question: As a sponsor would I buy rider X (my local team favorite) a new bike, only for it to be used while riding for another team? NO.

Scott nicholls confirmed

If Newcastle go (and let's hope not), that's 13 gone in 19 years.. Thats 1 club going every 1.46 years... Surely someone who is involved in running the sport can see that what they currently have (and have used for far too long) as an operating model and business plan simply doesn't work..? How many will go before it gets sorted? Best of luck to the Diamonds... NB Did all these 13 clubs get £5,000 fines for closing?

Fixed race nights. To ensure that riders can double up, leagues have to ride on different nights and that has meant that some have had to change the traditional one for racing. It genuinely does surprise just how much that affects attendances, but Rye House closed down as a result, Sheffield went up for sale and Poole dropped out of a league that have graced for decades.

Well done Kent. Look after him -- he has served most teams well and been a great Captain. Leicester's loss but Kent's gain -- wishing you well Scott and hope you have a great season.

The cynic in me suggests Plymouth were turned down to ensure the NL has enough teams in it to be viable?

Agree to an extent, he WAS disappointing if truth be told but on the other hand, we know he’s a quality rider and what he’s capable of. Maybe a full season and starting from the beginning we’d see the rider we all know? He also has an attractive average for a rider of his pedigree that he’d surely increase. We simply can’t go in to next season with Klindt and King as our heatleader duo, that has disaster written all over it. We’re gonna need another top end rider from somewhere and I personally think we’d be mad to turn Iversen down on an average over just over 7.

Poole fans should defo put scunthorpe and Redcar on the list of tracks to visit.

Do the promotions really listen ? I remember about 7 years ago when Adam started riding in the UK one of these “how do we gauge public opinion” threads came up on here and I suggested a simple questionaire slipped into a program and a suggestion box near the exit. Most if not all people who buy a program have a pen (or can borrow one). A few questions filled in with their contact details at the end isn’t the hardest thing in the world. 1, you know really what the punters think and can maybe act on some of the suggestions 2, with their contact details you straight away have a database where you can contact people with offers etc. its really not that hard eh ?

Just have to correct the statement slightly We knew there were a host of teams looking to sign him, so we had to act fast offer a shed load of money to get him on board.

Answer that yourself as a fan. Forget the logistics and the statistics for the sport. Think like a fan. If you do, you will have the answer.

Sleepless nights in Ipswich.

Just like to add my thanks for you Sue for putting so much into getting updaters and texters needed to cover every meeting every day of the week. We tend to take it for granted, but I am aware of the difficulties you have especially when a usual Texter in not available for genuine reasons. I wish I could do more to help you..

Depends if Rob has forgiven Howarth for slating his dry track and wearing his tyre out.

Why make a comfortable living when you could make a better living and become a better rider. Too many brits imo not willing to push themselves to that next level or trying hard enough to do so.

I think Poole will be surprised at how competitive championship league is, I am sure the Poole fans will enjoy visiting new tracks. Will any of you venture North as we don't get many southern visiting fans.

I hope the AGM have addressed the farcical double-up situation where your very own 1 to 7 are all riding for different U.K. teams the following night! this has gone completely out of control & unless addressed our sport will never have any mainstream credibility.

Disgusting.

Yes. The only way such a system makes sense is to run it on a conference basis, in the style of American sports. Anything else would be madness. My expectations that speedway has chosen the sane option are fairly low.

He played cricket for the West Indies.....

Great news for Kent..hopefully they can run in the National league as well and have meaningfull meetings every week....

Ted was a much better British League rider than his results show in that he didn't score as many points as he should have given his huge talent when he rode full time for Hackney. But when doubling up between the Hawks and Rye House as Hackney number 8 he often turned in match winning performances and of course his National League record speaks for itself as the master of Rye and Canterbury. But of all those wonderful memories of Ted my favourite is a non riding one. When we ran the Hackney reunion in 2005, the night was so hectic I found myself running around all night until I raced past Ted propping up the bar. I was almost past him when he grabbed me by the arm pulling me to an abrupt halt and with the other hand thrust a pint into my hand and said, now stand here and drink that, you deserve it. It was a simple but wonderful gesture. I didn't know him very well but had the pleasure of chatting to him at a handful of social events over the years and he was always a gentleman and a real pleasure to chat too. This is one of my favourite pictures of him as he has his fag in hand. RIP Ted.