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GWC

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Posts posted by GWC

  2. Posted

    16 hours ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

    I think initially rye house was taken over by BMR with good intentions, I know for a fact Warren certainly had enough money. It's a real pity it's closed as there was always a good atmosphere and the racing was exciting , plus a few characters about the place. Makes you wonder what happened to the likes of Steve Naylor and others like Webby etc . 

    BMR acquired Rye House from Len with the club in considerable debt. Their plan to make it a then top league club back fired when they overspent considerably on track improvements and then the loss of Saturday night racing. 

    It didn’t seem good enough for BMR to remain a championship club and grow they wanted it now!
    Scott should have stuck to car racing and I believe that also went pop something later.

     

  3. Posted

    Watching the likes of Danyon Hume , Jason Edwards and Jordan Jenkins I was thinking that they would have been star riders in times past.

    To complain that the standard is now too great for many riders seems a bit wierd but that is what it has become.

    Talent isn’t good enough now it’s money and lots of it.

  8. Posted

    On 10/15/2022 at 12:24 PM, iainb said:

    From PL lite... to NDL+

    Oh how the mighty have fallen :D

    I'm thinking maybe:

    1 Ed Kennett

    2 Max Clegg

    3 Kyle Newman

    4 James Shanes

    5 Drew Kemp

    6 Nathan Ablitt

    7 Joe Thompson 

    Ok a bit of fun from you but these are the riders who the so called stars need as well otherwise no speedway!

    Kennett has served speedway very well and is due some respect!

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    34 minutes ago, The Dog said:

    The saddest thing for me is the fact that the BSPL are making one desperate last move to show the rest of the speedway world that British speedway can attract the best riders in the world again when we all know the real truth. 

    We probably can but only if club sponsors provide the funds - otherwise where would the financials come from.

  11. Posted

    On 9/19/2022 at 6:12 PM, Derrickn said:

    So what we are looking for is a new Provincial league,for those of us who are old enough to remember it.

    Even in those far off days Eastbourne didn’t join the Provincial league staying in the southern league with Rye house and California I think.

    That must show there wasn’t confidence in regular league racing unless there was another reason.

  12. Posted

    2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

    Personally I preferred the old aggregate bonus point system...far easier and simpler to understand!

    There is an argument for going back to a simpler system but it did have the effect of teams being built for home advantage.

    Since the current system came about it has seen a lot closer results imo.

  13. Posted

    18 hours ago, Diamonds85 said:

    Sweden isn't much better off than Britain. So where else they gonna ride if all the Swedish clubs fold? Unless Poland starts allowing doubling up more and there's basically 2 ekstraliga leagues

    I doubt ALL the Swedish clubs will fold but as in the U.K. their costs will determine their employment.

     

  14. Posted

    2 hours ago, Gerbat1875 said:

    Leicester?  Didn't the elite league almost wipe them out a few seasons back,  why won't Poole run? Thought they were the Manchester Utd of speedway, or was that just self claimed appraisal, Speedway is finished in the UK unless the whole system changes completely from top to bottom, we need to be a big draw again for people like  Zmarlik, Dudek,  etc,  to come over here and race. 

    Sky money paid for the likes of Rickardsson Crump Adams Pedersen and they were top draw.

    Those that have come after them haven’t been the same and now the money has gone we are left to discover our own riders.

    UK is contracting and will continue as the sport loses its appeal. The idea that we will be able to attract GP riders (Doyle excepted) with no money is very unlikely.

  20. Posted

    16 hours ago, OGT said:

    There was that plus guests, rider replacement, double rider replacement, rider replacement for Bob Valentine who was still riding, oh yes and more guests. 

    Blimey I remember going to Brum v Hackney 1976 and I’m sure they used r/r for Gary Middleton and he rode too!!

     

  21. Posted

    19 minutes ago, topsoil said:

    That 'fanatical support' seems to be on the wane when you see from their website that ekstraliga crowds this season are 20% down from those in 2018 and 2019.

    Also 'the operating model' contains Lucky Losers in the playoffs. You can finish sixth, get knocked out the playoffs and still end up league champions.

    I recall back in the communist days the huge crowds in Poland of any pictures we got of racing over there.

    Times change and like us they probably have more things to do now, especially the young.

    My take on speedway and it’s survival is for it to look at the tracks that can retain support - a classic example would have been Cradley who would support their team whoever was riding. Sadly gone now.

  22. Posted

    ‘’Cannot believe Poland doesnt follow the UK operating model to be honest given it works so well, definitely missing a trick the Poles aren't they? ‘’
     

    They don’t need to Mike as Poland has one advantage over all other Speedway nations - fanatical support!
     

    • Like 2

  23. Posted

    If Woffinden Lambert and Bewley came back to the U.K. that would be a huge boost to the Premiership but can’t see it at the moment.

    Sweden is going (to go) the same way as the U.K. with interest falling alarmingly, again I would say through lack of top Swedish riders.

    I think after the pandemic U.K. had the chance to reorganise and have one professional league to employ the stay at home riders and from overseas - mostly Aussies and where would be without them!

    The sport is becoming Northern dominated as stadiums in the south come under pressure through ever increasing land values and housing requirements.

    • Like 2

  25. Posted

    Speedway started in the U.K. thanks to so many greyhound tracks being available - London dominated the sport and now the tracks are gone so has the speedway.

    I count 2 Premiership, 3 Championship (inc Edinburgh) and one stand alone NDL club racing at a greyhound track.

    The sport really needs to get out of these places and develop modern tracks capable of meeting the speed of a modern bike. Workington is a prime example, out of the way and a super track.

     

    • Like 2
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