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It's madness that every team doesn't allow 16 year olds and under in for free every week!

No point in targeting new audiences, or even trying to hold on to your existing ones if you don't first of all give them a speedway meeting to attend. As has been said before, what those dullards Chapman and Godfrey have done is to unliterally wipe three clubs fixtures from the already sparse fixture list , which cannot fail to hit the attendances of the clubs concerned even further. They then compound that display of mismanagement by telling the fans absolutely nothing, not even the briefest of announcements and merrily carrying on as if nothing has happened, and hope the fans wont notice. The more I think about this utter, crass stupidity, the lack of communication, and the abject short sightedness of those at the helm, the angrier I get. They are worse than useless.

He was unhappy about the way Lakeside and other Friday teams fixtures were removed without warning. He said that ongoing discussions are to be had, and that whilst our next home fixture is in 2 weeks against Peterborough, this is only provisional as the official permission to run it has not been given yet. He stated that decisions were being made to benefit one club at the expense of several others. He didn't name names, but the implication was pretty clear that the culprit is Mr Godfrey at Scunthorpe.

NO! I won't have this... they changed the white helmet colour to green! They did all they could

I have just had to scroll to the top to check that I am actually on the Somerset thread. If you aren’t going to discuss Somerset topics guys can you use another platform to air your views please.

But you are now a serious prospect for the play offs. No one will touch EDI at home with a top four of Wells, Riss E, Worrall and Palovaara. Glasgow have handed you a lottery win by dispensing with their more flexible heat leader and rider most marketable to rival play off contenders on 7.57. Had it been Harris in the low 8's there would have been few takers, especially not Edinburgh. Its a spectacular own goal by Glasgow that could end our own fragile playoff hopes, particularly as the last two league meetings are Edinburgh home and away.

Superb guest choice

The tracks are too small and the bikes are too fast. Has anyone got a magic wand.

Yes but Fred Flange, I’m not the one populating most threads with spats with other posters, and rarely being on topic.

Unfortunately with a PR company you have situations like last Monday. A live TV match on a major broadcaster, 2 evenly matched teams , the most successful team of recent years as the visitors,a modern purpose built track and stadium , beautiful weather and no clashes with the World Cup. And what do we get , 2 hours of dross,a trapping contest with riders strung out like washing after 1 lap with little or no racing. A bore fest, now how could any PR company worth its salt do anything with that ? Unfortunately that's where we are !

I hear what your saying but my point is that in whatever business your in, you have to listen to the paying customer and adapt to keep them happy or you will lose clients..

Yes the troll will come up with another load of rubbish re replacements, just like Chris Harris

Riding stoke most weeks would dent any riders confidence

The sport needs an independent body with a blue print plan for the future of the sport, I think most agree on this. The sport needs to go back to basics and concentrate on the product on offer. We can't afford the top lads so get rid of them for a while, spend the money not on wages but track prep, presentation, advertising and putting on an entertaining evening with fast flowing speedway on a well prepared track with a slick show in between races to keep fans entertained. A consistent fixture list is essential with the only non race night is because the team is away that night for a fixture. The governing body needs to at first win back the trust of the existing fan base with transparent honesty and then look towards winning back the lost fans base and then and only then can it start to attract a new fan base. Stabilise the current business, work within the existing financial constraints and then start to build for a future.. They have to consolidate what they have first, work as a team and then build, this I doubt will happen..

Why should Sheffield Ipswich and Redcar be sacrificed just so the premiership teams can have fixed race nights. The championship / premier league / national league has always been a better run league. Several clubs have been tempted “up” and then been shafted and either closed or ran in the current national league.

You are nothing if not consistent in your anti Lakeside rantings. You may think your comments are meaningful but they just exemplify exactly what you are . After experiencing a truly awful track at Peterborough and then being lied to by the then promotion, I vowed never to go there again (and haven't) but I do not constantly post anti Peterborough comments. You need to get a life!

I must admit it was close and waited for the official announcement before jotting down scores . P.S did you touch the tapes ?.

They have not listened to anyone, as far as I know, or asked any fans or groups of fans about preferences. The BSPA should be going ahead with a survey of the type recently posted ( which was first done 20 years ago ). They neither welcome nor acknowledge feedback from their customers. Such businesses usually end up by closing down. I agree with your choice myself.

Again you are missing the point, I was comparing Klindt score against those of the rest of the team. Such was the advantage of having a strong reserve, any team would have profited likewise had they had the same.... In all of my years , jealousy has never been one of my straits. In fact I believe jealousy is such a juvenile behaviour, that its probably more in keeping with those who think it.....

Agree, but, better a guest, if it had been last night, been down to 5, too risky against a good Sheffield side

maybe give them a free rattle and a club rosette?

A very enjoyable meeting with lots of good races. Much credit must go to Sheffield who gave a real battling performance. The two 5-1s in heats 13 and 15 made the score look a lot more comfortable than it ever felt. Fortunately for the Hammers, Lawson and Morris were superb, and it's that spearhead that may make the difference for us when the trophies are handed out.

I don't know why any sensible person wouldn't go for the heat 15 option when winning the toss.

Not fans at fault it's down to the BSPA who have allowed this to happen , fans, have not created this situation , alarm bells have been ringing for years , when the so called top league started poaching riders from the now known championship to double up in reserve positions for the now known premier league , you see they even nicked our league name because they know we have a better product.

Glasgow dropped a rider that was performing way below what everyone expects him too and im sure that includes fans from every club/area of the uk cant call a club that drops a rider that's probably been given a really good deal when they don't perform maybe the lesson there is give them more points money rather than big sign on fee and big start money throwing money at someone before they do there job isn't the best way to motivate most people reward them when there doing the buisness

Well, no. Surely you’ve got to balance what the customer wants with what’s financially viable? Customers want: (a) the best riders, no doubling up or guests, better stadiums, preferred race nights, better presentation and (b) cheap prices. It’s obvious to everyone that you can’t have (a) with (b), so the BSPA needs to come up with a costed compromise and get the support of the fans for it. Be inclusive, open and honest.

Wish Cookie all the best, understand the need to earn some cash with a young family to support. Really hoped he would have cracked Poland this year and he would have taken his career up another level. Hope he hasn’t given up on his dreams by coming back to division 2.

besides at some of the bigger tracks the racing is quite boring at times and some at the smaller is very good

No doubt at all. How`s that for support Mrs Cresent Girl.

You only have to read the arguments, self interest, and sometimes downright crazy ideas on here to realise the fans are the last people that should be listened to. Neither do the vast majority of businesses consult their customers on their product and services as quite clearly the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If you go back a few years you had fans complaining about speedway being watered down, when quite simply the top riders were becoming unaffordable and in many cases unavailable. Now there's a bit more realism about the situation, yet still lots of complaints about missing riders which is why something was done to try to address that, yet fans have essentially voted with their feet as a result. The underlying problem is that speedway has become poor value for money, played out in largely unappealing venues lacking 21st century facilities, and where you're not even sure who's going to be riding. You're also facing an increasingly ageing fanbase who's kids have already grown-up and aren't the least bit interested in the sport, let along willing to bring their own kids along - all the marketing in the world isn't a substitute for existing fans introducing new people to the sport. At the end of the day, professional speedway will only survive if the promoters themselves are able to come-up and implement a workable plan, and that is a big if.

Bellego broken scaphoid ! I can see ReadingRacer2017 going into a frenzy

Following your expert advice?

Decent line ups.

Get on the phone to Richie Worrall to replace Ostergaard

The Wimbledon Mens semi being suspended until 1pm today has put a big spanner in the works- the Womens final will start when that finishes and i`m assuming the speedway will be on when that finishes. So whilst Eurosport Europe are showing from 6pm local(5pm our time) we in the uk will not see it until the tennis finishes and then we don`t know if it will be "delayed live " or join at whatever stage the meeting is at !! What i do know is that in Gustrow it`s dry ,cloudy and warm but not baking hot. Plan B will be to watch Eurosport Poland 1 here http://ekranik.net/channel/view/eurosport-1-5534 until the UK start coverage

Scott Courtney posted the following on Facebook last night: "So it's pretty much the norm after a Saturday night match that I put out a little blog and a gracious summary of events, but I feel the urge to put thumb to iPhone tonight before tomorrow's League match against Scunthorpe Scorpions. There's no escaping the current state of British speedway as a whole and only being 3 seasons deep on intense involvement in the running of our club, it really is the most testing time the sport has ever experienced. It's the easiest thing to observe and criticise without any solution to any issues. It's easy to think your whole week depends on a speedway result but these last few weeks have been thought-provoking to say the least for me personally. My old team Rye House unfortunately won't be in a position to fulfil their fixtures and there are others fighting for survival. British speedway definately drops clangers where they don't need dropped at times but let's all just gather sone perspective. When you think of your favorite moments at experiences at speedway I'm sure it's all about the feelgood factor, the atmosphere and the racing? In little old Berwick-upon-Tweed we're actually doing all right, we always strive to be better obviously but in a very troublesome period within our sport, the town with the lowest population is hanging in there in the professional leagues. We all need each other in Speedway, that is one thing I’ve figured out and there has never been a more crucial time to dig deep and support what has brought so many of us memories that will last forever. The same risks are taken by the guy who is guesting or the rider who your annoyed with that didn’t do the job you thought he could. Promotions are blowing their brains out to make sure legacies continue and solutions are being sourced to problems that nobody had seen coming. Speedway is dangerous, Speedway is entertaining, Speedway is frustrating but Speedway is ours... Speedway is Live in Berwick-upon-Tweed tomorrow night at 7pm". These are excellent words, which should read and digested by everyone. Those who gripe and moan, who demand instant action, rider-changes and track perfection are living in a different universe. Let us -- all of us -- who care about having speedway, at Berwick, and every other track, help people like Scott who are prepared to do something about it. Stop sniping, stop back-stabbing. Start supporting.

the ting is , he can do it. its just that bad habit he needs to get rid of. seen him have some good rides @ workington and a good few bad ones as well .

Is it time for the Lions to roll the dice and bring in another American?

Swindon have 2 x 8+ point riders and a team total of 43.04, so who and how would you suggest?!

Think you will find we have a guest for Ulrich

2 full teams ? should be a decent match- certainly we know it will be better than the dross from Leicester last week.

All of the Croats and French that follow the Bees

The track isn't great, that's there for all to see. The entertainment hasn't been close to what it was last season. But my point is that we are having extreme weather conditions this summer, which for the man in the street are excellent, but for those trying to prepare a track must be a nightmare. It's easy for us sitting on the sidelines to complain and say "just do this" but in this heat it will almost be a full time job keeping the track in good condition.

Poole, having a rider of Klindt quality at reserve was always going to be the telling factor. The Leicester track is tailor made for a gater like Klindt He was always going to have extra rides and score loads of points. I was surprised the Lions were in contention as long as they were. Take away Klindt haul and the rest of Poole side were pretty ordinary, so Leicester shouldn't feel too disappointed. The one obvious deduction to come from this meeting was that the Lions reserves are desperately weak and are in need strengthening. Have always thought it would be better to have at least one strong reserves at the expense of points higher up in the team....

poor Gavan, another pasting for Ipswich tonight

Breaking the track record at Glasgow is about all he has done. Had a pretty poor season, never seems settled and is largely unreliable in the big heats. Can think himself lucky he wasn't dropped in the latest re-shuffle just as Worrall can consider himself unlucky that he got binned instead.

Are you really that influenced by what other people think? Why not have a bash at making your own mind up about things. It might be a pleasant surprise to you.

YERS, very much so. Before speedway found a place on TV, the vast majority of people in this country thought it had long since died. Sky brought speedway back in front of many. Admittedly, the majority didn't also visit tracks to see the sport live but you can hardly blame Sky for that. The money Sky poured into British speedway was never well spent. It largely went to fund rider payments and never to improve the infrastructure of the sport. Cannot really blame Sky for that either. British speedway had a great opportunity to build on the exposure and platform provided by Sky but didn't do so. Personally cannot see how Sky can be blamed for the demise of domestic speedway. They don't create the product.

Thank god for that, maybe now he will let Workington get their fixtures back on the Fixture List just awaiting a change in cut-off date for the play-offs to be extended til you's get some more points on the board ...He may even re-arrange coming to Worky now he has Worrall back , lets hope Worrall hits the ground running or dummy's will be well and truly out the pram again !!

This is the time for all clubs to stick together and for once forget self-interest. They all need to refuse to ride anymore meetings until the BSPA come out with a full and comprehensive explanation as to why they have suddenly stopped clubs from riding on a Friday Night. Are they going to compensate any fans that have bought season tickets on the back of the published fixture list at the start of the season? Fans have been treated badley for many years now, but this surely has to be the final straw. This farce has to stop and a complete overhaul and rethink needs to be done openly and with all clubs having an imput.