nobrakeshere1
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Posts posted by nobrakeshere1
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6 hours ago, Gemini said:I'd do the lottery this week if I were you.
Smack on with tonight's score but what a cracking match it was ~ best this season ~ and the Lions only pulled away because of three 5-1's in the last 3 heats. Just shows how good the racing can be when the visiting team is prepared to put up a fight so well done to Eastbourne but congratulations to the Lions also for continuing to battle away after losing Josh Bates following his nasty crash in his first ride after both Eastbourne riders fell in front of him. Hope he recovers quickly.
Wrist injury for Josh. Agree that it was a good meeting to watch with some close racing throughout.
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6 minutes ago, Big Al said:Who takes charge of the track prep for BT matches now? Back in the Sky days it was Mr Russell who took temporary responsibility and supervised it but from what I've seen it has been put back into the hands of the local curators now.
Having now seen the TV coverage, Kelvin Tatum spotted that gate 4 was going to present problems for riders, and that was well before the start of the meeting. What actually happened was that apart from two heats, the majority were effectively 3-man races with the poor s+d off 4 effectively having a 15 metre handicap. So the entertainment possibilities were clobbered even further. Surely this is highly unsatisfactory for BT and their subscribers, and of course those who paid to attend.
Not having any experience of track prep, I don't know about the feasibility of this - but would it have been possible for Tatum's concerns to be followed up and acted on, such as ripping up the start area before the meeting began? He is after all a hugely experienced person, so why not put that to good use?
Have to agree gate 4 was hopeless. I'm a major critic of the track and hardly ever bother going, but i did go last night and the first part of the meeting was totally dire, however it did get better and I counted 6 races with passing after bends 1 and 2, which seems about the right number looking at speedway updates. Not great racing but I've certainly seen worse. I'm not sure what length the track is now (after aletrations) but the straights still look a bit long, Colin Merideth told me 280m is the max he would fit in the space - advice not taken at the time of course.
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10 hours ago, RobMcCaffery said:No, it's about having teams of relatively equal strength so that you don't have a race to financial extinction for those who cannot compete economically. It's a case of not having the insanity of paying highly expensive 'star' riders blasting round half a lap in front and taking home more than the total attendance money.
Sadly too many fans hide behind the "watered down" mantra that totally fails to realise that the sport in Britain is a brown ale sport trying to live off champagne.
Yes, there was a day when we could afford the top talent but those costs have been disastrously escalated by the money being paid in Poland and riders' expectations soaring as a result. The bubble will burst but for now Britain has to find a way to survive until then and if it does not then find a way to survive. Having fans that see that the quality of racing is vastly more important that the quality of names in a sport like ours might help.
At this level it's all about putting on meetings that will attract and entertain new crowds, not provide them with uncompetitive meetings but telling them,"Who cares, that's Tai Woffinden half a lap ahead of Jason Doyle". Most would say "Who the hell are they and why is there no action?".
British speedway's situation cannot be simplistically laid entirely at the BSPA's door. The competition of Poland and the Grand Prixs have battered British speedway which never stood a chance. When the sport here tries to do something to survive it would be useful if these posturing 'supporters' actually demonstrated that support by dropping this damaging "watered down" rubbish, but then that would ask for a view of the bigger picture that too many cannot or will not even begin to try.
This will be my 47th season in the sport and in those years I have watched speedway and often worked in it all levels from World Finals to training tracks. Thankfully I've learned that I was just as likely to see a decent speedway race at Iwade as I would be at Cardiff of Wembley. I would have missed so much joy if I had stupidly stuck to the "I don't DO second division" or "It's watered down" approach. In most sports the greater the talent the greater the entertainment, but that doesn't work in racing unless you have the enormous hype budget of F1.
I adore the sight of a match being won by a rider bravely taking the outside line to win on the line and I don't care what his name or reputation is....
Spot on. After Leicester closed I went to Long Eaton, lower league - but if anything the racing was better. My recent preference has been watching my friends ride MDL or amateur meetings but may try BP on a more regular basis now it's not a Sat night.
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Likewise, been watching our boys in Oz too!
Some of the quality has been near awful but on the whole okish with a good signal.
Love periscope for all the cycle speedway stuff tho, including all the major British events over here too.
This thread amazes me, There should never be any question about the need for a deal with BT. Speedway is in desperate need of a wider audience, advertising if you like, TV gives that to both the sport and riders. Very few products become popular without exposure to the public, corn flakes, cars, airlines etc etc all are all advertised on TV - getting the product known is vital. Granted the actual product has to be half decent but that's another topic!
Getting a minority sport onto TV is not easy, you can spend many hours trying to find a suitable production company (not easy) who will then get slots on Sky or whatever, but it costs money and is certainly not viable on a weekly basis. Never tried to get a live event out there but I imagine that would be extra difficult. IMO opinion if BT are going to do the job for free then speedway in it's current state should bite their hands off.
I've seen the cycle speedway from Australia, it's fine but I suspect the only people who will watch periscope are those who have an interest in the first place,
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Attendance last night was poor and a vast majority of those that were there wished they weren't.
First time I've been for two years (other than practice days) and I didn't think it was so bad, I've certainly seen far worse racing wise although the team were just abysmal. The track shape does look better now and when shale is available again from Breedon I feel that racing will improve.
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Hopefully the SCB will change their stance of not allowing a new promotion to take over the club until fines and costs are paid as that is not something that they are responsible for and will only achieve in the club remaining closed.
I can understand that they will not allow Yulia to take over and in my opinion that is a good idea as she is not very speedway oriented at all and is embarrassing in the pits with riders
I can't see David paying the fine. Assuming I'm right, would any prospective new promotion be happy to pay the fine in order to operate what must be a loss making enterprise? Maybe not, flagrag is spot on there. I felt that the future wasn't looking too rosy before this, the SCB ruling certainly does nothing to make the prospects look any brighter..
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Having not watched the meeting on tv, and not going to suffering it, I would say to us in the stand, that Cook deserved to be booted out of the heat. It was clear that on the first attempt he was moving and everyone in the grandstand noticed it. So did the ref. He then did exactly the same thing the second time. Easy to look at slow mo replays on tv and for it to look ok but in real time he moved on both occassions and everyone in the grandstand reacted both times. Only time it happened in the meeting. He was still in his other rides.
IMO and most in the grandstand, the ref got it right. Excluded for delaying the start.
Having been to the tapes myself hundreds of times i can honestly say that the slightest movement will set you off, first time I think Cook saw the magnet and off he went, perfect start, second time he jumped. Seen far worse where the ref lets it go.
Imagine the scenes if that had been Mike Lee excluded..................
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It would only be good if it allowed the management to afford to bring in a world class number 1 that would bring in the crowds.
It's not a company I have heard of but well done them for sponsoring the team when it seemed nobody were interested.
Contract crushing if it's the company I know of. Heard that DH is currently down under, checking out future signings maybe?
Best of luck to the Lions for 2016 and lets hope the track alterations produce the goods.
Nice to see our old mascot Luke Whitehead getting some good points in the Scunthorpe winter series.
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Isn't there a 400 page thread for all this DW rubbish?
More to the point today is that it's match day and confirmation of the line-ups seems to be a top secret again
Ashley Birks has been mentioned as guest for Auty
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MRCTS, humour is entirely a matter of personal taste. I dont especially like Charlie Hebdo's style of humour but its fine with me if others do. And if anything on here's unacceptable from the moderators' point of view, they'll deal with it.
I gave it the best part of three seasons at Leicester (not every week by any means i admit, other things to do etc); that was pretty fair i think, many others didnt stick with it for that long. And once you've gone from something, especially after you've given it a fair crack its very difficult to be persuaded back again. I spend a substantial amount of my small income on other sporting interests, like to go to Owlerton and EOS occasionally, but much as i'd like to, at present cant see me being at BP unless something radical changes. Shame really, because i supported Leicester Lions uphill and downhill during their first incarnation.
Went nearly every week for the first year, then less and less as it wasn't speedway as it should be. I know exactly why it's like it is - horses mouth and all that - and I have also been told what it should be like by people who should know these things. In the end it's up to DH what he does though. If it's working finincially then why change things? I personally think that the expense of changing the track would pay for itself but of course it's not my money I would be spending.
Overall the promotion have clearly got a lot right, DH gets a lot of stick for his manner but to get a project like this to operate you have got to be single minded and have belief that you can pull it off.
I have a lot of time for David and get on with him just fine, I've had years of practice and got used to him I guess - but I really do wish he'd take a few metres off the straights - lets's hope Jason can convince him where the rest of us have failed!
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You really are despicable. What has this lad don e to deserve your criticism give the lad a chance I would like to see you on a speedway bike.
Agree. Luke tries his best and has improved a lot - he could hardly slide it when he started. He has limited backing but his family put a lot into helping, from experience I know it takes a lot.
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Was this track designed by a five year old with a box of crayons?
Anyone who thinks this track provides good racing must believe that UKIP are communist.
Only passing is caused by mistakes, otherwise no one is getting anywhere near.
It's just reminded me why i no longer pay to go and watch such total rubbish.
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But you do spectate don't you Tina? It's the spectators who say this - not the riders. The people who pay money to watch speedway racing. Simply dismissing the discussion as 'boring' doesn't alter their opinions, their future non-attendance and subsequently their financial backing of the club. It's a serious subject and when many of your customers aren't happy then any business should pay heed to that. It's common sense. Obviously it doesn't affect me as I don't attend anymore but this is a forum and issues such as the track will continually get debated until the issue is resolved. The only way to make it go away is for something to be done about it. The racing is the thing that's boring - and therein lies the problem.
Spot on. Not the first time I've said this but I'm just one of a small group that no longer attends meetings, we gradually drifted away, it's just rubbish entertainment. No axe to grind with DH, we all know him fairly well, warts and all, But the fact is the racing is just pathetic and unless the track is changed then the promotion are losing at least £75 every meeting from our group alone.
Simple economics suggest that over a couple os seasons you only need 4/5 small groups like ours to be enticed back by a real racing track and any work carried out will have paid for itself.
I know Dave can be stubborn but you would think that in the end money would talk. Clearly he's losing more income by keeping the track as it is than the net gain by changing it.
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I'd say you are bang on the money there. Have a look at BP and Slater Street on google earth. I think he maybe wanted to create a speedway track that is different to anything else, as a monument to himself. That seems to have been thoroughly achieved
Glyn has been to Slater Street and paced it out, BP is a scaled up version. DH wanted a fast track and to be fair that's what it is, and you can understand the thought process, trouble is it's too fast for the bends. Shorten the straights and it will help no end I'm sure, Who knows if it will happen though, until it does I'm staying away as I've spent hundreds watching garbage. No axe to grind with Dave or any of the management, known most of them for donkeys, so no hidden agenda, but it's not entertaining to watch and like others I've told prospective punters to stay away fearing they will be put off for good..Please, please just make the changes we all know are needed - we are known as the worst track in the country - does anyone really want to have that label attached?
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I couldn't agree more. These sort of posts really do get on my wick.
Usually made by people who claim to know the inner secrets, but in fact know bugger all.
I have heard something similar though, some riders are to be added to the list and a couple of the names mentioned were riding EL last year. It's a normally reliable source who is in a position to know these things, could be winding me up of course but it does seem to have a ring of truth about it.
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I went along to this yesterday not expecting to much.
But, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Nice weather, decent racing and no Chris Popple.
Defiantly be going again.
Best meeting I've seen at BP, even got a few passes and several tight races. Maybe this is the level of racing the track is best suited to.
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I wonder if this is why the track is the shape that it is? Perhaps Mr H wanted the largest track possible, or at least as big as Blackbird Road was, and the only way to do that was to make the straights long. Did he want to give us a minutes+ racing and not below? Is he able to make the arena bigger or has he got boundaries?
DH wanted a fast track, he wanted spctators to get the impression of speed, that we certainly have. I can fully understand his thinking and when he explains it to you it makes perfect sense, it's not worked out racing wise though, it's just not entertaining. As others have pointed out reducing the straight at one end could well do the trick. Let's hope something gets done sooner rather than later, but I suspect that winter will be the time, if anything happens at all.
Ref comments about a slick track - that's the riders asking Glyn to prepare it that way. Maybe easier to ride but from a paying customers point of view it just makes it worse.
Apart from the track issues I think everyone who has worked at the stadium deserves great credit, a lot has been created from nothing in a very short period, and I wish the Lions (and Long Eaton) all the best.
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I heard he fell out with DH, so what's the latest on alan jones?
Still in RSA I think
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Tai seemed to get around the track pretty good too...does anyone have any genuine feedback on what he thought of the track...shape...length etc?
You don't need to be Tai Woffinden to know that the straights are too long and the bends too tight.
No axe to grind, No chip on shoulder. No vendetta.
I have known the promotion and many of the backroom staff for many years, and without a doubt they deserve full credit as they have achieved a lot in a short time. I wish them the best of luck.
Doesn't alter the fact that the on track entertainment is abysmal.
Sort out the track and I'll go and watch again.
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It costs between 28-40k a week to produce elite league coverage on Sky sports depending on location and whether the track is connected to the BT broadcast fibre network. If not and the broadcast requires satellite uplink the costs rise significantly.
The amount that is dedicated to production for Speedway will rise again next season
I think that any "non mainstream" sport that gets air time from Sky that actually involves them paying for the privelage or even doing it for nothing is getting a better deal than most.
My own experience is that they are quite willing to broadcast if you employ a production company to do all the work for them. The cost of this recording and associated editing varies vastly,
But I would suggest that flagrag has his costs about right for a live broadcast.
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As a Coventry fan I really enjoy my visits to Beaumont Park to see Premier League racing, particularly given the waste of time it was supporting Bees this year - but with one caveat. Whilst I give kudos to Dave Hemsley for getting the Lions up and running, building a great little stadium and putting out a good team (give or take the reserves), it could be so much better if the track was made more like Somerset, with a rounder shape and wider entries to the bends. Three years in, it really is time for meaningful action re the track shape.
Comments are all spot on tiberon. Nothing wrong with the place, it's a great stadium, but there is very little entertainment on track. We gave up going ages ago and that means over £1000 lost in revenue from our little group alone. A few more voting with their feet like we have and it becomes blindingly obvious that the best business decision would have been to make "real" changes to the track. EL or PL? I don't care, just give me a track that offers some entertainment.
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Always seemed to me in the past that if they went over it they got sucked into the fence.
Is it higher/wider now than in previous years?
Had a similar problem at Blackbird Road, around 1980 (yes I'm that old) only half the track was of any use, go over the camber and a drift to the fence was a certainty. Previously we had a great track, rubbish results though! I complained about it at the time but it made no difference, so I went to Long Eaton.
i cannot believe that it's meant to slow you down, in my experience more banking keeps you away from the fence and more dirt slows you down, adverse camber sends you ouit to the fence. So I guess you do slow down eventually, but not in a nice way.
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In view of some of the problems at Leicester - do Supporters really think that 'having a go' is helping? If I were DH reading this Thread - perhaps I would dig my heels in even more.
DH is known for digging his heels in, can be a good trait in certain circumstances of course, remains to be seen if this is one of those instances.
Hazzman - Linda Jones resigned before the season got under way.
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Did you prefer it before when Leicester did not have any speedway at all?
Let's be clear, it's up to Dave what he does with the track. Equally it's up to those who pay to watch speedway to decide if it's value for money. Originally I was one of a group of four people going along every Saturday. Now it's just me and I go along less and less. I have taken several people along to watch and no one has ever gone back.
Some of course will go along no matter what, but to maintain numbers the sport has to appeal to those who want a little more for their money.
So in answer to your question, no I would not prefer it if there was no speedway in the city. But I wouldn't want the rugby, football, or anything else to close either. My point is that we must appeal to a wider audience than the die hard fan or support will dwindle to just a few hundred. As good as the stadium is, and full credit to DH and everyone else for that, on track entertainment is sadly lacking.
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Leicester NDL 2020
in National League Speedway
Posted
Take no notice, most of us who have ever ridden a speedway bike have tried too hard and fell off, only way to find how far you can push your limits! Hoping your
leg heals quickly.