Leaderboard

Not posted on Speedway-forum for a few years (apart from a couple in the last half hour re British Final 2020.) but saw the subject about Michael Lee and 40 years on for him being world champion in 1980. Holy Moly I happened to be at the meeting in Ullevi, Sweden on that FRIDAY night. Me and my Coventry teenage mates had booked a Tee-Mill tours trip ( a coach journey from Birmingham And back) essentially to watch our Ole Olsen bring another world championship - alas we also SAW Ole fail to make the world finals - albeit was just a reserve - in his demise at the inter-continental final at White City. en-route to the final we had heard that Finn Thomsen (Wolverhampton) had crashed in practice, broken a leg, and Ole was in. Total bullsh**. So our support had to be moved elsewhere and the next best was to watch Michael win the evening. I so remember walking out of the stadium towards the ‘town’ and hearing Lee-o, Lee-o, Lee-o being sung by the Other English contingent. A spectacular evening with thousands in attendance - beaten I must add to the 2 finals I attended at Wembley By Olsen and Penhall (the Penhall win not the best for a Coventry supporter !) This era was fantastic for a fan of the sport, so many GREATS with many being English - Kenny Carter, Peter Collins, Malcolm Simmons, Dave Jessup, John Louis, of course Michael Lee, Sorry to bore the living daylights out of your all with my memories, but tonight I have enjoyed reliving the good times, this rather than enduring the grief we all encountering with the never ending COVID episode. Stay strong all and stay safe.

Personally wouldn’t question crump or schleins inclusion I’m more disappointed in those British riders who declined the invitation.

Honestly Just like Pavel "Ivan was a Geordie" Regards THJ

71 deaths in uk last 24 hours, largest number since July 1st. If cases have been doubling each week for couple weeks it’s obvious to me that deaths are likely to increase shortly after, People mixing without social distancing/facemasks etc, simply ignoring advice and now legislation merely because they don’t want to conform is shouting out “I could t give a monkeys about anyone else, I will do what I want, it’s all about me, me, me”. Hospitals will be overrun, staff will be in danger, all because of selfish self centred people.

my point is that it hardly matters - we're in strange times. It ended up a good meeting by all accounts

I wouldn't pay for streaming and miss home meetings just to save money even if it was half price although I'd pay for streaming when Wolves were away. Maybe pay streaming for one away but actually go to the other away meeting

It is not just about people dying which is bad enough, but long term possibly life long effects on those that have recovered. Seems to me we should realize this is a previously unknown variant of the Covid strain which is evolving all the time. Probably we will have to learn to live with it for the foreseeable future.

Great to hear in the BSPL Chairman's statement that the income from streaming more than covered the costs of the British Final meeting!! Not all bad then.....!

Don’t agree with you on numbers. Some may stay home to save a few quid, but I think many many more will stream. Tjat could be past supporters who may have moved away from the area, supporters like me that find travel (30 mile each way) is too much but would stream, there would be away supporters who cannot afford a day off work to travel Poole to BVue for example but would stream, and of course keen supporters who would stream watch a good match between two teams, neither that he supports. So at the right price, streamers could outnumber those in actual attendance. £8 max.

Good official TVP coverage https://sport.tvp.pl/50077841/zuzel-polska-rosja-mecz-towarzyski-transmisja-online-na-zywo-wideo

presumably had those 2 not ridden, they would have been replaced by greenhorns. I think under current circumstances a bend in the rules to ensure a quality meeting is acceptable. Did people complain when Mauger and Briggs rode for GB? Now that was daft.

I'm sure I've read somewhere (Speedway Star?) that the 5-year Eurosport deal has been deferred to start in 2021, with the full agreement and support of the Eurosport Management.

I watched last night and the quality of the stream was generally not bad. My only grip is that it was hard to make out some of the commentary over the sound of the bikes at times. I watched last night but I wouldn’t make a regular habit of paying almost £13 to stream a meeting. When the viewership figures come in I hope the fact that it was the British final and the fact that we’re in unprecedented times come into play. I certainly wouldn’t have paid £12.50 to watch the challenge meeting from Belle Vue last week, perhaps a fiver would have piqued much interest.

With a season of racing behind him, Luke Becker would have a real chance in this meeting, but it is a big ask on the basis of almost no competitive action this year.

I think you've summed this up pretty well actually. I've said for a long time British Speedway is marketed poorly and has for a long time used the 'family sport' banner, which I think is completely wrong. Speedway is just about the most extreme sport you can get, no brakes, 70mph and flat out on a dirt track with 4 riders spraying dirt everywhere. None of this nice family night out. As an extreme sport, Speedway could sell with the correct marketing drive behind it.

Warm dry and overcast in Bydgoszcz at present- 1st race 5pm UK time links https://sport.tvp.pl/50077841/zuzel-polska-rosja-mecz-towarzyski-transmisja-online-na-zywo-wideo http://www.maniak.tv/mk10 http://www.drhtv.com.pl/drhtv-7.html https://daddylive.live/channels/stream-15.php

Never to be forgotten.

It's really great that Svein is remembered. I only saw him a couple of times in early 1972 when he rode for Oxford before moving on and being replaced by Preben Rosenkilde.

That's the thing; we all hated Mauger (and Olsen, for that matter), but we did have a grudging admiration for them. You really can't dispute the effect they had on their teams and team-mates.

I used to like the old place. The depot was on a slope using garages as workshops & the run to the track was over cobbles & with a right turn onto the track the turn was very interesting. I was at a few meetings there in the mid 90's. The old East Germany had many tracks at one time sadly most seem to have gone.

We have all heard what our so called experts say in their Sky commentrey. But the one thing they have all negleted to spot is that the rules state that all riders must line up a maximum of 10CMs from the tapes & remain stationary until the tapes are released & there is only one person in the stadium that knows when the tapes are released & that is the Referee. Transponders would be a good idea for start line discipline. But like in F1 Moto GP & Drag racing all competitors would be required to line up at a staging point prior to the tapes are released, This could be difficult as in the other sports the cars/bikes are staggered or within a controlled lane. Drop gates as used in Moto X could not be used as the race has to go over the start line every lap & it would cause delays as the gates would need to be cleaned after each start. You also have to factor in the tractors & the equipment they pull going over them. The thing's that really annoy me is allowing the race to go on to its finish then warning a rider that moved at the start. But worst of all it's Messers Tatum & Pearson saying a rider has not gained an advantage, The whole idea of the sport is to accumulate as many points as you can so if a rider moves at the start & is in a point scoring position he has gained an advantage

My guess would be Torun or Lublin

I'd be very surprised if the FIM & BSI were that forward thinking.

It doesn’t I’m afraid,but realistically there only 5 or 6 riders who could win the World Championship with the present GP series,there are a few youngsters coming through but not GP standard and it is a struggle to be able to afford to compete at the Top Level.Young Poles have the best chance with Sponsership IMO.

That is your best troll post so far. Hilarious

Let's say £5k for arguments sake. Do you think it would be easier to persuade 500 people to pay £10 each to stream the meeting or 1,250 at £4 to stream the meeting? I'd say 1,250 at £4 is a far easier sell than 500 @ £10.

Nicola Sturgeon (Nippy Sweetie, apparently, is a Scottish term for someone, usually female, who annoys people, just by talking).