frigbo

Reports on Twitter yesterday that former Ipswich, Peterborough and Canterbury rider Dave Gooderham passed away following a recent stroke.

Poor old Torquay....

It's simple economics though surely? You can't spend out more than come in - too many tracks are doing that right now. if substantial funding which tracks don't have is needed drive up incomings, the only option to stay afloat is to minimise outgoings. Personally, I think we're at a stage where not enough new people think speedway is anything but dull (which let's be honest most of the time it is) and as its hardcore support dies off there are insufficient new people to jutify the spend on massive promotional costs. As a fan of 40+ years, the reasons i no longer go are purely down to the lack of credibility as a team sport. I want to support Swindon, not some random selection of seven mercenaries each week who will prostitute their services to whoever wants them next. For me some of the best seasons in relatively recent times were the 2000-2003 seasons in the lower league. We had continuity, regular meetings, full away teams and a Swindon side that gave a toss - nothing to do with it being second division.

Simple - if they're not good enough to ride competitively to make a sufficient living, they should be part-time. Classic tail wagging the dog comment. Break the foundations of the sport so the riders don't have to get jobs!

Never understood the old "not enough riders" comment. Solely based on riders who are still active and have raced in Britain in the last 3 seasons, there are plenty to fill 19 teams with spares left over - that's without touching the NL and any newcomers. Sure, a few of those 19 teams may not be able to afford running at an increased standard, but that only improves the rider position and they would have to operate at a level to suit their pocket. 16 teams would be a more than manageable amount for one big league. The big challenge would be the need to retain fixed nights (sensible ones) to enable the few top-liners we still have to stay and attract any others who previously have shown an appetite for a full season here (Zagar for example). The old pony about watching Doyle v Wethers for example is no different from the 'halcyon days' of Mauger v Jim Tebby. If the top boys cannot be accommodated, either financially or on agreed race nights, it's time to bin them off and find a level to make it a proper team sport again, with teams operating when they wish as long as there are no riders missing owing to a second division meeting in Burkina Faso ir somewhere! The key to making one league work is to ensure the teams are balanced and at a level everyone can operate at - that's where 1995/96 went wrong as Bradford, Wolves, Poole and Cradley in particular hoarded the big stars and left Midd'bro, Long Eaton, Sheffield etc to scrabble around to find heat-leaders. The current situation of pandering to riders needs is killing the game and has to stop.

Therein lies the root of most of the issues. The sport is run to appease the riders and everything and everyone else has to fall in line behind Until that mentality changes it will continue to spiral southwards!

News gathering on social media that former Birmingham, Wimbledon and Swindon rider Ari Koponen has sadly passed away.

I see news gathering on social media this morning that Vaclav Verner has sadly passes away.

Whilst clubs should obviously honour the deals agreed, these numbers do highlight the type of unsustainable money riders are taking out that the sport can ill-afford to pay.

Ian Champion has passed away.

Unfortunately, as stupid as it is, shared and guest team managers aren't a new thing. Speedway has had an incredible knack to show itself as thoroughly unprofessional and tinpot for much longer than most realise.

Ex-Swindon star and world finalist George White passed away on Friday aged 86.

Very average side.

Absolutely agree. Shawn was streets ahead of Kelly, as was Sigalos.

I assume it means any rider who has ridden full-time in the GP.

I can only assume it means former full-time GP riders too.

Who knows? Ambiguous as ever....

I guess PK is covered by the "riders out of UK for a season"

Tobiasz Musielak has tweeted that he has signed for next season.

The one rider over 8 rule makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Why not let teams build to the points limit as they wish? Once again team continuity is dismissed, yet any new top-liners are also forced out. Just adds additional constraints for the sake of it.

Bound to be the best AGM ever

I saw a post on Twitter earlier today stating that former Coventry and West Ham rider Antonin Kasper had passed away this morning. Antonin snr was the father of ex-Hackney man the late Toni Kasper.

Congratulations/commiserations in advance to Lasse Bjerre and Josh Bates on their promotion/relegation to/from the Premier League

Nobody here saying you can't win. Just Mr Shovlar getting all a bit over-excited!!

Bless you..