Pieman72

I wouldn't take too much notice of balance sheets unless they are a plc.

We're talking about Kenny Carter. I'm not defending him just trying to draw a line under such a tragic event that left so many bereft.

They chose this route and it isn't working that's why they are closing, six teams in the Premiership is not viable. Spectators do not want to watch speedway midweek unless your an anorak.

Too expensive, too boring, too many costly foreign riders, too many anoraks and too many midweek meetings. Couldn't agree more. Greedy riders and promoters expecting a couple to split with £45+ on windswept Monday night.....get real.

Please explain as I was trying to draw a line underneath it?

Probably best to let it be and consign the incident to memory. It was such a tragic event god knows what he was thinking. Lets just leave it there and realise what he gave to speedway and took in such a cruel way.

We all put it under the microscope but unfortunately speedway has gone out of fashion. In the 50's, 60's and 70's motorcycles were very popular and speedway attendances reflected this. In the golden days of the 50's most had a motorcycle but not a car. A lot of non petrol heads particularly young people haven't heard of speedway our jobs and culture don't integrate with our wonderful sport. Clearly our supporters and administrators are the wrong side of 60 but no one is to blame. We just need to be a little less anoraky and open the sport to a wider public. Mind you if your a couple speedway is a very expensive night out.

Hopefully Ledbury on the 7 and 8 of August will go ahead. Superb track and an excellent club should be good racing.

This happened at Santa Pod about 15 years ago a bolt flew off and killed a spectator about 10 meters away. The HSE launched an investigation and it was deemed Santa Pod were not culpable and additional fencing would be impractical. Accidents can and do happen with motorsports even with strong safety measures.

I'm reading about the possible closure of Wolverhampton due to Covid restrictions. While I agree with the sentiment surely having 90% of you team consisting of foreign riders is going to give unsustainable overheads. Would it not have been more realistic to hire local and national riders thus balancing the accounts given that Covid could change the situation overnight?

I'm sure Wolves will be back soon I never realised what a dedicated bunch of supporters attend Monmore Green good luck for the rest of the season.

Sorry it was the Masters of Midshires old track.

Might have something to do with there being only 5.5 teams !!

No point complaining about the dire state of British Speedway as the majority on here are completely happy with the present organisation and their synopsis of running British league speedway. It's just rather sad that there are numerous speedway and grasstrack riders with a lot of investment in their equipment with little enthusiasm to ride.

Having a complete team of foreign riders is not a healthy situation but if the fans are happy with the situation then something must be going right. I haven't had one voice of dissent from any Wolves fan so the BSPA and the Promoter have been given a blank canvas. Can't disagree with that.

Getting back to the rational. Can anyone tell my what is the reason for Wolves fielding so many foreign riders. I'm interested to know what the die hard fans think of this while they sit with their feet up on a Monday evening.

Went to Lemington for the Frank Yates memorial on the same track as the European Championship superb as the inclement weather kept the dust down and it was very smooth. The organisation ran it like clockwork.

I tend to go for a variety of exciting and close racing not posing though I do enjoy the riders parade prior to racing. Tiger Tom Leadbitter with his pom pom hat lol.

An excellent reply at one time many teams operated Friday, Saturday and Sunday making it possible to have another income outside speedway. Having foreign riders has stopped that as they ride in Europe of a weekend. So supporters have to watch their side midweek and British riders cant ride as they need another income to make speedway viable. There is something wrong with speedway and it is making it entertaining in a place that is welcoming at time that's suitable and a cost that's reasonable.

What I can't understand is why fans let promoters walk all over them and then charge obscene admission prices to get in. And not a whisper of dissent am I missing something. Speedway can't continue down this path of destruction. Just been to a wonderful Vintage Grasstrack at Lemington with some excellent varied racing even 5 JAP engined bikes racing together entrance fee...a donation. Many volunteers and riders turned up and did it for nothing just the love of the sport take note Speedway !!

I'm a grass man and there are some fantastic riders who produce brilliant racing funded out of their own pocket. The problem is the fans turn up (that's if the stadium is open) week in week out and accept that the racing has to be done with foreign riders syphoning the life out of the British Leagues. While I accept the situation is very difficult the promoters should work harder instead of defaulting to foreign imports. There is nothing I'd like to see more than local riders doing something that they want to do and hopefully get paid doing it.

What an excellent summary regarding the state of British Speedway. I think it all fits in to the term 'if it isn't broke don't fix it'. The problem it's broken ! For some time I have been very critical of Speedway and have met a wall of resistance. I could see the 'train crash' coming when the Speedway Grand Prix format was rolled out. It's not really successful most of the venues are 'not on the map' lol and it's taken Speedway to a place where the Brits don't belong and to be fair it's a bit boring and 'Anoakky'. I've heard colleagues rave about Cardiff hang on it's not even a proper track or is it a good pay day !! I though Covid might see a change in the rigid attitudes prevalent in speedway but it seems to have hardened their resolve.

Taking fans for granted is probably the main reason why the terraces are empty and speedway is dying. The administrators are well meaning but they are digging a hole that just gets deeper. How can there be a future with a team full of expensive foreign imports where is the logic and then lay some of the blame on the Council due to Covid restrictions. Is the fans Monday evening entertainment being sacrificed for the bottom line? You just can't treat supporters like this but nobody is listening.

Superb meeting if you enjoy the green stuff. Ledbury are staging a weekend meeting 7/8 August 2021 at Bromyard an excellent venue staged by the very accommodating Ledbury MCC. Anyone know anything about the VMCC Grasstrack being run on Saturday 20 June 2021 at Warwick?

They never really got off the ground because they had to lob off the gearbox. That seems to be the unique element of a speedway engine. The biggest problem is the lack of manufacturing capacity in the uk and the costs involved for a bespoke product would be horrendous.