Brummies V Stoke Nt Good Friday

[Steve Irving 393]

 

I'm not surprised as they just don't have a weak link. There was a lot said about the two Jack's at reserve (not unreasonably) but I was impressed by Hume.

 

Completely agree Besides, Graham Drury said in the programme that the Brummies have done everything possible to avoid fixture clashes.

Only one meeting of course but he already looks an improved rider from the rider we saw last year. A baby when it comes to speedway experience, and the lad clearly has something the Ipswich promotion took a liking too as they made him a club asset a few weeks ago.

 

Hume has spent time with Chris Louis and the Witches travelling to the pre season training camp in Italy as well as practice at Foxhall.

 

That experience already looks to be rubbing off.

[Baldy 69]

 

Get Jon Armstrong in the team and they would become the Dads Army of the NL.

 

I feel more confident about the 2016 Brummies team now than I did 12 months ago about the 2015 team. And let's not forget that Reidar Replacement, our stand-in #1 only got half of what our usual #1 would be expected to score, so it demonstrates not only some resilience within the Brummies team but also that Stoke got off lightly.

 

This is the National League. Get used to it. It's only right that a higher league team should have first call on a rider. That way they stand to progress more quickly and earn more. It's not ideal but at least it's not as bad as when the Brummies were in the EL and had riders missing because a lower league team had first call on their services.

Whilst understanding to a degree what you say that the lad needs to be riding higher speedway to progress, you could say that riding against "lesser" riders holds him back; therefore should not be in NL. I don't have to get used to it, I work too hard to spend it on anything that is not worth it and at present speedway isn't,. After watching since 1978 I packed in 4 years ago as the scales fell from my eyes to the poor fair on show. Others enjoy and that's great for them but saw a quote further up that it was processional after bend 2......not good enough to me.......first match of the season I hear people cry....then do not charge for admission until they are ready or mark as a challenge. I check in now and again to see it rules have changed that might bring me back, like seven equal standard riders against each other but as of yet it has not happened.

[uk_martin 1,606]

Whilst understanding to a degree what you say that the lad needs to be riding higher speedway to progress, you could say that riding against "lesser" riders holds him back; therefore should not be in NL. I don't have to get used to it, I work too hard to spend it on anything that is not worth it and at present speedway isn't,. After watching since 1978 I packed in 4 years ago as the scales fell from my eyes to the poor fair on show. Others enjoy and that's great for them but saw a quote further up that it was processional after bend 2......not good enough to me.......first match of the season I hear people cry....then do not charge for admission until they are ready or mark as a challenge. I check in now and again to see it rules have changed that might bring me back, like seven equal standard riders against each other but as of yet it has not happened.

 

Fair comment. Like you I'm not particularly impressed with British Speedway in general, and as for what's on offer at Birmingham, well for me it's a chance to meet up with old (and getting older) friends with the hope of a race or two that can remind me of what the sport can be if done properly. Whether I've "gotten used to it" or simply accepted it for what it is, who knows. What I have accepted though is that the Brummies are in the 3rd tier, and the days of them being this "big club" that you hear about every now and then, are over. It's kindergarten speedway at Perry Barr now, and that's the way it is, at least for now.

[Argos 262]

Fair comment. Like you I'm not particularly impressed with British Speedway in general, and as for what's on offer at Birmingham, well for me it's a chance to meet up with old (and getting older) friends with the hope of a race or two that can remind me of what the sport can be if done properly. Whether I've "gotten used to it" or simply accepted it for what it is, who knows. What I have accepted though is that the Brummies are in the 3rd tier, and the days of them being this "big club" that you hear about every now and then, are over. It's kindergarten speedway at Perry Barr now, and that's the way it is, at least for now.

But why do more supporters go now than ever,even the season we finished top of the EL and I say that his as a supporter that has missed a handful of meetings since the rebirth in 07

[Brummies_Ste 136]

But why do more supporters go now than ever,even the season we finished top of the EL and I say that his as a supporter that has missed a handful of meetings since the rebirth in 07

NL is a lot cheaper than EL & PL

Also NL riders don't have big ego's & all they want to do is race its very refreshing

[uk_martin 1,606]

But why do more supporters go now than ever,...

 

What time frame are you looking at? "Ever" is a long-tailed period of time. Attendances in the PL were the highest that the Brummies have had since 2007, which in the year under Patchett / Bratley started to decline. That decline was halted briefly with the elevation to the EL and then it started petering out again with all the rider and fixtiure re-aranging shenanigans that the EL brings with it. There was a board room civil war going on between the McLaughlin and Drury camps which pissed a lot of people off, as did other things. The good NL attendances are basically from my observation about the same as they were at the end of the EL era. I don't see crowds any more where everyone is shoulder to shoulder any more. To say that there are more supporters now than ever is extremely "optimistic". If there are numbers there to back that assertion up then all I can say is that these people find more and better places to hide these days because they certainly aren't on the home straight.

 

The price thing has nothiing to do with it in my opinion. It was £15 (adults) in 2007 and I don't think it ever rose above £16, even in the EL. Now it's down to £13 and as I say, the crowd levels now are about the same as they were in 2013-4

[Argos 262]

uk Martin were you on the payroll at sometime in the past at Birmingham Speedway and was part of the civil war between McLaughlin and Drury are still there but you aren't

[uk_martin 1,606]

"On the payroll" doesn't describe how things worked. Like a lot of speedway (and other sports) teams, there is a great reliance on volunteers who get a few favours returned. I tried to stay out of the politics but could see what was going on. It was very unsavoury and I'm glad to be out of there. There's a book that could be written about the whole thing but the Brummies v Stoke thread isn't the place to publish it.