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We have had a long dry summer. No reason to extend at all. Clubs could have planned better to fit fixtures in gefore panicking as time ran out. Think back to all those weeks when no fixtures were run. The playoff dates should not be moved imo. Clubs should simply plan their fixtures better.

What the Edinburgh promotion do is really down to them , if it is within the parameters of the rules then how can anyone knock them for trying to improve the team. I think it is more a case of people wishing they had a promotion team like Edinburgh who are always looking to improve the team. If things click they potentially have a title winning team here, personally I applaud them.

Its not that their music isnt any good, I’m not really a fan but you dont want to be listening to outdated stuff like that at a speedway meeting. There is so much work to be done to even attempt to get it off its arse. Every single club would need to upgrade facilities, tracks, the bspa would need to completely re write the rulebook. One of the main things that would need stopping is doubling up. Forget how many riders are available... all clubs go to the AGM knowing doubling up/down is a thing of the past. Then you can figure out how many teams in each league. Guests can still be used from either league on half/double their respective league average. Riders must sign a contract stating they will be at events like ELRC/PLRC . If their not there , they get fined £5000. Fixed race nights clearly dont work in this country so get rid of that and go back to clubs preferred race nights. It was brought in to stop double uppers being missing but there is still riders missing all the time. Get rid of doubling up, you wont have clashes. People will disagree obviously but something needs doing. No having GP superstars dictating what goes on. If they dont like it, they can sod off back to Poland and Sweden. take the sports back to basics and invent a decent product for potential newcomers... they wont care if riders like Richard Lawson are number ones instead of Jason Doyle. I got hooked on the sport when it was a better product than it is now 20 years ago. Craig Watson was my home towns number one not Tony Rickardsson. Didnt stop me getting hooked on it straight away. I still think the sports fcuked in UK but something has to be tried rather than all these stupid pathetic things they try each year. also, what on earth is someone like Rob Godfrey doing anywhere near the top of the chairman standings. He only gets a few hundred through the gate every week, get someone in as chairman who is young, full of positive ideas , proven track record of good promoting.

And the fault of that lays with the promotion. King's Lynn knew when they came out the AGM fixed race night were to be Monday and Wednesday's. At the end of the AGM we only had Jorgensen signed. The signing of Iversen was up in the air as he wasn't sure of a British League return. By mid December the club had their 2-7 chosen, our popular No1 was still uncertain. As we entered the new year Iversen puts pen to paper, so that 3 Dane's signed knowing Denmark takes priority on Wednesday's. Initially we had 3 Dane's so we knew racing Wednesday's could be problematic enough. Then Rose left and we employed Palm Toft adding to the issue. Now further into the season we're running a double header because rider's ain't available on Wednesday's. Fixed race night's HAVE NOT caused the problem. Having Dane's in the team knowing full well Denmark has priority IS THE PROBLEM, i.e. no fixture tonight. The blame is firmly at the door of the management and not the Championship clubs because they wanted to keep Thursday's. Going OFF race night also doesn't seem to be a problem for other clubs to try and fulfill their fixtures but we can't seem to be able to manage that option either. To now hear we're being awkward to other teams for our away fixtures is nothing short of appalling. The club IS being run appallingly and the issues we're running in to are all the club's management's own doing. The blame cannot be placed elsewhere. The whole atmosphere had been very positive for a couple of months then the same problems rear their ugely head again. Not just British Speedway but King's Lynn as a club really do have some sorting out to do.

Absolutely spot on - a 7 team league there is no reason what so ever no excuses that clubs couldn’t complete fixtures on time a cut off extension shouldn’t be allowed - as you say hot dry summer and weeks with no fixtures .

When I first went to Ipswich they had a 16 heat national league match a second half of junior league racing plus the likes of Ben Howe who was 14 or 15 at the time practicing afterwards along with the juniors hoping to get into the junior team. Sometimes 22 or more heats plus practice and All before the curfew of 10pm. Now from what I understand sometimes they struggle to get 15 heats in before 10pm. Certainly when I stopped attending on a regular basis we only got served up 15 heats. Far better value for money back in 89/90 plus no doubling up guests. Seemed far more professional to even though most of the riders had jobs to support themselves.

Quite frankly if the promoters can't fit in the pathetic number of home fixtures into a whole summer they have no right organising the sport. A cut off date is a cut off date.

would you be saying the same thing if it affected our club i doubt it

Has there ever been any news on the training track that Glasgow were looking to start, on the land next to Ashfield? That would be an ideal start in the search for local riders. I like the fact that both Edinburgh and Glasgow have teams in the NJL this season. Small steps I suppose. Both these teams (along with my own, Berwick) really need to concentrate on producing young, local riders, to engage fans. Regular second half racing, NJL matches and training days will all help.

Still all it proves is that the sport we follow is poorly run

Thats not dust - thats just the 'thin shale' we've been using. Also its been said many times that modern-day riders don't like the track to be watered once the meeting has started and got past heat 4 because it *ucks up the set-ups!! (NB. * is an 'm' by the way )

I would say the club should have planned better. No excuse this year to not have completed the fixtures on time. The weathers been fine. We are not overloaded with fixtures. There’s not been enough for gods sake! For those that fail to complete, tough!

CLEARLY his hand has been forced, so the least we can do is support him and our club and team??

It simply shouldn't happen... Imagine trying to explain to a wider sporting audience this scenario with Craig Cook...? That effectively, British Speedways Premier competition must be rendered so inconsequential and worthless (by the very people who run it) that they allow the League below it to have priority on its competitors... Imagine trying to sell that "brilliant concept" to any National Company that you are trying to attract to Sponsor the Premiership? Imagine trying to sell that "brilliant concept" to any National Mainstream Media outlet that you may be hoping to bring on board, with the aim for them to increase coverage and awareness of your Sport? And Imagine trying to sell that "brilliant concept" to fans of the clubs effected, fans who follow the teams through their emotional attachment that only 'team sport' brings...? An independent board or single entity simply wouldn't allow such 'brand damaging' nonsense to take place, as anyone with even just an ounce of business acumen would see such an operating model as nothing other than 'corporate suicide'... That is why of course there never will be an independent board or entity running the Sport.. Let's be honest. If those who run the Sport constantly make decisions that show absolutely no respect for the reputation of the very Championships they run, then really, why should the fans give a monkeys about them either? We could say it's a joke, but sadly, no one is laughing...

I don’t take offence from you so please feel free to quote me at anytime as I really couldn’t give a s@&t !! No one on here with more “Scunthorpe tinted glasses” than yourself , I prayed for rain on Sunday and yes it bloody poured it down You really can’t get over that amazing gesture from your lot to re-arrange one fixture , by the hell you’ve made up for it since ! But hey you carry on trying to convince everyone it’s no fault of the BSPA the sorry state British Speedway is in , how Scunny did us a massive favour ...as us we’ve got something called playoffs to qualify for which might just be out of your reach at the minute

Swindon has not been great but there are many worse.

Fab meeting, apart from the NSS the best race track in the UK by miles

Nope - probably certain Poole fans with squeaky bums with the amount of sh!te they write Now - if BV do the same tomorrow then I would agree with you!

So a Championship (Ipswich) meeting takes preference over a Premiership (BV) meeting. What a laugh. Can you imagine a Man Utd first team player not turning out because hes playing for Watford. Couldn't make it up. Some VERY serious sorting out to be done to get speedway out of the dung.

That’s given a few fans from Swindon and Lynn a squeaky bum tonight!

Belle Vue win at Somerset! What a difference couple of days make and a decent track!

...but some of those teams rode at home on Monday and don 't have a problem fitting their remaining home fixtures in!!

I agree totally with what you say. According to the Speed way Regulation 2018 rule 15.2.1 and I quote "The time from finish of a heat to the start of the next not exceeds 4 minutes( including the 2 minute time allowance)". Allowing 60 seconds for the race then a meeting should last about 75 minutes (assuming no hold ups). I do not understand why we need an interval after 10 heats to my mind its an unnecessary delay and should be after heat15 and before the after match racing. After all if a match is exciting a 15 minute break could break its momentum and if the match is a bore it only prolongs the agony. Here ,up in the frozen north east it can get chilly late on and any unnecessary delays are not always welcome.

That's 4 more than the number of Poole fans who came to the NSS for your last meeting.

because of fixed race nights the team you want to ride is already riding another team like last thursday when we had to ride on a of night we was slagged off . fixed dont work in that situation

All this talk next season of 'one big league' will be an embarresment when half the fixtures aren't run. I know the Easter period was a right off because of the snow and aftermath, but with the summer we have had there is no excuse at all. Fixed race nights should only have helped the cause for rider availability so it is an absolute joke to be scrambling to fit fixtures in right now before the cut off.

The BSPA have fiercely resisted this idea in the past few years and I fail to see why they should do it this year, clubs have had more than enough time to sort dates out.

OK. 32 dates for 13 home meetings then. I don't know how it is at King's Lynn, but at Swindon there seem to be plenty of dates where there has been no speedway when there could have been. So much so that fans get frustrated by it.

Judging by post number 4on this thread it seems pretty clear that most think there should be no extention. And rightly so.

I’m looking forward to the meetings. Needs must to get fixtures in by cut off. 2 meetings in 1 night for less than double price. Only 1 program, 1 drink, 1 fuel cost. It’s not the end of the world. They make up for it in reduced expenses.I hope they have a decent rider or 2 on stand by to learn from previous mistakes and I hope the riders are on board with it too. Fingers crossed 6 points.

It'd be within Poole's interest that Kings Lynn make the play offs I expect, seen as they've battered them recently at Wimborne Road. I always thought of you as being a decent poster until recently where you've posted some absolute nonsense to dig at Poole/Matt Ford.

But how many locals do Glasgow track? The fact is that that by returning from retirement after 8 or 9 years, Willie Lawson instantly assumes the mantle of Scotland's number 1 rider. That's sad. Until both Glasgow and Edinburgh think seriously about how to develop the next generation of riders, the situation will only worsen further, and hasten the UK's demise as a speedway nation altogether. That's the real problem, not the fact that Edinburgh are prepared to fly in foreigners.

I too have made any number of constructive comments. I have come to the conclusion that the sport is controlled ( not run ) by a group of incompetent amateurs at sports administration even if they have previously excelled in a business of some kind. They do not treat the sport in a businesslike manner but as their plaything. They are far removed from the customers they have and are incapable of attracting others. If speedway in the UK was an animal it would be put down.

Too right, the best summer since 1976, and the promoters have wasted it.

I think the point was that fixed nights hasn't had an effect on whether or not a team completes their fixtures, and I don't see how it has. It's really not hard to get all the fixtures in. I remember at Swindon last year there were frustratingly many weeks with no matches - yet they still got their fixtures in before the cut-off despite this. With so few team in the league there really is no excuse.

I agree he doesn't have much choice, I will be there and am looking forward to it

Let's just get the top four teams at cut off time in the play offs, and all then conveniently forget all the Mickey Mouse nonsense that has taken place to reach the play offs, and turn up in numbers to collude with the Promoters and BT in pretending that it is actually a serious competition worth winning... (Like we do every year)...

This is a ridiculous thread. Neither team are guarenteed a place in the final.

pizz poor meeting only made watchable by the score line. Track was very poor.

Belle Vue required an extension many years ago, it was a no then so it’s a no now, as all teams should be treated the same - shouldn’t they?

The Edinburgh promotion do all they can to put the best team on the track. If that’s what you’re describing as “win at all costs” then so be it - I for one am glad the promotion still care as much as they do.

Sad to say, but you have hit the nail on the head, great post deserving a wider audience.

Well done Belle Vue! What a turnaround from Monday! Thank you very much from this Pirate fan. We remain top if the league for another 24 hours!

But he's riding for Poole in the British premiership, please tell me what the rules on that are as I don't know?

There has been loads of times when nobody has ridden though. Fixed race nights makes it much easy for planning as there is no need to check rider availability.

Easy win for the Tigers in my eyes, even if you have lost the last 3, we are never strong at Sheffield and the Newcastle team has not performed well away from home, nice confidence boosting win for the Tigers. Probably good to face the Diamonds whilst bedding in two new riders, 60 - 30 to the Tigers, would love it to be a win for the Diamonds but just can't see where the race wins will come from, plus I think Garrity makes you stronger.

Fixed race nights seem to have caused a lot of issues with the main reason seemingly to attract the top riders which hasn't been achieved. Only really Iversen who you would class as a top rider who is riding this season and didn't ride last season.

Its doomed. I cannot see how there can ever be a way back now. 9/10 tracks dont even get 1000 through the gates anymore. Think speedway is just not in with the times anymore, the fans who did attend have just got fed up with the constant watering down of the product, riders missing every week, rubbish race surfaces half the time, irregular home meetings, same teams visiting on the bounce, ancient presentation and music, pretty poor spectating facilities .... why would any new fans want to turn up every week taking that lot into account ? I remember as a 9 year old first going to Newport, there was a meeting every week. And that was just Premier League level. The Mavericks were on every other Saturday in the Conference league. Youd rarely see a rider missing, and if they were it was for a genuine reason. None of this injured for one team and then suddenly fit again the next night for their other team. The sport is absolutely on its arse in the UK, and its hard to see any way out at all. can you imagine attending your first meeting. One team has r/r , a national league guest at number one and a guest. The other also has r/r and guests . Your stood around on a cold winter night watching tractors going around listening to Wham or Duran Duran. Why the hell would you ever want to go back?

ask the speedway nuggets running the sport !

Isn’t it crazy how we are praying for good weather to get our fixtures in after the glorious summer we have had with no meetings