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Excellent turn out at the Brandon Hall Hotel tonight for a presentation by the S.C.S. Group detailing the continuing fight against Brandon Estates. Over 300 people attended, standing room only, to hear how the group are to counter the 'ahem' *inaccuracies* in the developers claims about viability and alternative sites. Almost a two hour presentation with no-one calling for a refreshments break, such was the interest in the well prepared (and delivered) presentation.

Starman I thought you were one of the reasons they closed the other one...?

I think the entrance fee is very reasonable , £16, for what we watched in the latter few weeks at Workington was better than Premier League served up on television. Through the season I paid £18, £17 for the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow , to keep Speedway at Workington I would pay that too . Its a difficult one with the Concessions...you have those with a healthy work/state pension who have more disposable cash than the likes of my Mam who only has State pension so finds the concession price a winner every week so I'm torn with that one . Its the kids prices I think you should target. You get a family coming with 3 kids it makes for an expensive night . Cut the kids prices and try and make it elsewhere selling food/drinks , getting more Adults through the gates could be key if they can bring kids for say £1 , sounds a big a difference than paying £4/5 for each child. I'm praying we can go to the tapes in 2019, the buzz in DP for those finals was unbelievable. Would be amazing to go and do it all again !!! I know a lot more people willing to donate their cash into the Trust fund , if we do run next season . If we can make the Workington Trust work with more fund raising, 50/50 every week, donations from fans it could have a huge impact . Look at Edinburgh's Trust Fund this season , fantastic contribution. The downfall to it working this year was the uncertainty , people are not going to part with their money for it to fold half way through the season. The interest for Speedway in Workington is still there, that showed with the crowds for the Finals. It would be sin to lose Speedway in Workington after the season that made History

Taking a carer along might not be a bad idea, could use somebody to stand in the food/beer queue ensuring i don't miss any of the speedway action.

As someone who got addicted to Speedway with the Bulldogs in 77, I fear we will never see or hear the roar of a speedway bike in Bristol again. I have so many fond memories...it's under my skin and I keep logging back into this forum to keep up to date. However...after the demise of the Bulldogs and then following Swindon, Newport and Somerset around the Country...I'm left in despair. I haven't watched one single meeting this past season...either live or on TV. I'm so depressed with how this sport is run. I can't give it my time or effort...it's a complete farce. However...it feels like a son or daughter who has strayed...and you are still thir for them. You can't help the love...but you know deep down it's totally screwed. So sad...yet so simple to resolve. The sooner the old school promoter dies the better...bunch of clowns that only have the interest of their pockets. The sooner Speedway riders realise they aren't like any other Motorsport...the better. Apart from Poland...they are a Garden Shed product...yet they want to portray an F1 type status. It's total bullrubbish...smoke and mirrors. Speedway is followed by Lower working class people with very little disposable income...said with respect...it's run by Promoters that are no better than second hand car salesman, Circus Clowns, found out by TV and sponsorship. It's a total shambles. I just feel for the kid I was at 12yo age....who got addicted and wanted to ride a bike and have fun. And then got a bunch of speedway politics thrown at me. Same for riders....same for public....it's all complete bullrubbish...yet it's totally ingrained in our lives and hard to ignore. Totally punch drunk with the whole affair.

Hey End of season do at The Railway Club in Workington I weighed over a £20 pound note for four pints of "Amber Nectar" and got £10:20 change. When I looked at the cash in my hand the Steward said "is there a problem" I said "I think you have robbed your good self Marra as I got 4 pints there" (in my poshest Geordie accent) and the guy said "no Marra its as cheap as chips in here" so departing with a beaming smile I said "you better find a wheelbarrow for later as I will end up legless at these prices" and it got better as the night went on 2 pints of larger and 2 Gin and Slimline Tonics £9 quid. That's Nine English Pounds!!!! Honestly it was a duty to make a pig of myself. Who needs to go to Spain for cheap drink when there is the Costa Del Cumbria. £80:00 kitty all spent up and a few extras to boot, Hic!!! Needless to say I am just waiting for my application to become a full member of the The Railway Club in Workington to arrive. By the way what a great night the end of season bash was and I appreciate we usually end up rattling around the Trades Hall and due to the success the club has experienced this season the evening was a sell out with the venue (which was rather tight to say the least) being packed out however this just added to the night. (plus the cheap drink to boot which was an added bonus)Brilliant!!! If I had one complaint it was the two bottles of wine I won in the raffle being requisitioned by "The Witches of Workington" in a magic act which resulted in the contents of the said bottles disappearing; totally!!! Although I did see some of the wine later in the back of the Taxi on the way home when Worky Worky adorned with a carrier bag hooked by the handles over each ear started shouting for some Scottish bloke called "Hughie" in the bottom of the bag. Doh!!! Last of the big time drinkers eh!!!! Finally for the benefit of Byker Biker and Tsunami, yes I was rather "Thick Headed" the following morning or should I say Thicker Headed than the usual norm but a couple of pints at lunchtime sorted that laal problem out... Yeah.... Regards THJ

Mick was not there but did send a letter that was deemed to be quite helpful in the S.C.S cause.

One upside of the aging demographic of the speedway fan is that soon they'll be bringing their carers along, it might just save the sport

Really? You want to swap 2 meaningful heats for 6 un meaningful heats that the crowd aren't bothered about, from my memory at least 50% of the crowd left after the match, then some of the top riders were not interested and often dropped out anyway followed by whoever was in the Rider of the Night Final agreeing to split the prize money whatever the result

The club can always run these meetings after the main meeting, and any fans that want to get away early can leave after the main meeting. This is what used to happen, after the main meeting a few races for juniors or any riders that wanted to test out bikes etc, or the club checking out a new rider.

Really glad to read this news.In this time of doom and gloom for many speedway clubs if Brandon can re-open it would put a big smile on every speedway fans face across the country.I for one have really missed Coventry's visits to Belle vue you were always the club I loved to hate lol.Wishing you all the very best in your quest and will keep my fingers crossed that you are soon back at the tapes. KEEP UP THE FIGHT.

Years ago the rider was of secondary importance to the Club, but now the rider holds all the aces. With their demands, their costings and their distant relation with the clubs, they have to take some responsibility for the way this sport has declined. They appear as mercenaries taking the sport for all they can get, giving little back in return. Like you say the majority of riders want to rush off to their next payday. If the rider cant give 110% to the club then don't sign them, Would much rather have a lesser rider who gives his all, then someone who goes missing because of fixture clashes The phase 'second halves' is old fashioned. what the punter wants is a well organised meeting that flows through the evening. We could start with a 15min practice session , to help riders set their bike up, then a 5min break to regrade the track, before the meeting starts in earnest. After 4 heats another 5min break, again to regrade the track, another 4 heats then another break . We see this every week in the polish league and it works like clockwork.... Midway though the meeting there could be a set of races for youngsters starting out , before the climate at the end of the night. Presentation and a scheduled program is more important than anything, It would enable the fans the opportunity to get drinks or pop to the loo without them long delays...

One seasons experience of him at Berwick was more than enough to see he wasn’t fit for purpose

Thats terrible This year Ipswich didnt run the 16 Lapper which was due as part of the season ticket A pro rata refund cheque was sent within a couple of weeks of the confirmation the season was finished with a letter apologising for the meeting not happening and thanking the fan for their valuable support

Correct, but George has already said Newcastle can't afford to run in a single league, as the more affluent teams will force up the expensive costs of all teams. Newcastle won't be the only ones as well. Difficulty is the more teams don't return, the higher chance of a single league.

Resignation letter from anything to do with Speedway

One Belle Vue meeting i went to they had track grading after more or less every couple of heats however nearly every single race was a good one. No complaints from anyone then

Wolves season ticket includes all ko cup and playoff home fixtures and even the olympique individual meeting

I must be one of the few that does not mind track grading.At Belle vue the grading keeps the dirt where it should be and helps to produce some awesome racing.

Looking at this post, it would be understandable if would be promoters just gave up, knowing their audience was ungrateful supporters. Of course they care for supporters and the advancement of the sport, otherwise we wouldn’t have had Redcar, Leicester or the NSS. Various people have tried to get a site for Bristol, as they have for Cradley and other places. Each attempt costs time, energy and money. They don’t give up because they don’t care about supporters but because there are too many hurdles. In future, someone thinking about Bristol may well look at your post and think all supporters are like you, ungrateful of their efforts, and query why they are bothering.

They need to bring back uncovered wickets, levy hefty fines if 90 overs are not bowled in a day, and cut out those ridiculous hourly drinks breaks.

Seems a few were left wondering what that post on Twitter meant especially when it gets on other sites and you don't see the comments made. Seems to be something a school kid would post but strange for an official account to post. Did the post White Bunnies on the first of the month

It depends what people want to spend money on, 20 fags about a tenner, 4 pints up town about fifteen quid. In that context sixteen quid for speedway is ok, it’s getting people in and coming back again that is the problem.

I do think that £16 is a completely fair price for an adult. Could even reach £18 and I think it would be well worth the entertainment (considering some championship tracks do charge this and more, with no greater facilities than Derwent Park). As for concessions, it would be wrong to scrap the discounted rate in my opinion as the majority of the current audience are 65+. However, a concession rate is offered for ages 16-17, students and OAP’s. The argument has been raised regarding retired people having more disposable income. What about the massive amount of young workers (24 and under), apprentices, that earn a totally lower pay rate than ages 25+. No discount is given. Maybe this could explain a lack of interest from young people. There will never be an answer to please everybody. It is seemingly difficult to pull in new fans, but we can protect the club with what we already have. Every little helps, plenty of fundraising, people contributing to Workington Speedway Trust. It would be a real shame to lose the club we love after such a brilliant season.

Honestly It is not just the teams you have quoted who run at a loss nearly all of the promotions in all the leagues are "blowing their brains out", however when you talk to these guys it is the same old "Hydraulics" "oh we have made a small profit", or "oh we have broke even this year" or the old chestnut "oh we have only made a small loss but we are nearly their". One promoter advised that "I've nearly balanced the books and only took a seven grand hit this year due to buying a 25 grand air fence, next year I am in the black" on further due diligence inspection prior to a possible investment that £7k loss was actually and £85k loss and the following year there was another £75k loss. When are these people going to realise, when is the message going to get through, how the sport is being run (especially in the top two leagues) is just not sustainable. We can not compete financially with Poland or anywhere else on the European continent for that matter. Currently British Speedway is being run as a "feeder country" for the Polish Leagues and we may have to revert back to the semi pro or fully amateur format that we once run in the past and stick with that for a period before we can climb back to anywhere near the way the sport was. BluPanther may have put up a really negative post however under the current terms of reference the sport has major difficulties and he may well be correct in his assumptions (unfortunately) Regards THJ

That of course was similar to that plan of Gaming International (Stadia UK) initially - move Dogs/Speedway from Blunsdon to the new Racino in Reading. I actually drove round the land which Reading Council had offered GI/Stadia today. Warehouses - made me think what it could have been if GI/Stadia had kept their word. They of course didn’t and never have when it comes to any stadium construction / replacement.

For more info on this very positive outcome, look here: http://www.savecoventryspeedway.com/news.php?extend.152

Just received in the post a leaflet regarding a new release DVD entitled '90 Stars of British League - 1970 - 1990' from the excellent 'Retro Speedway Shop'. A definite purchase on the cards as the list of riders featured resembles a 'Who's Who' of British Speedway during speedway's last 'Golden Era'.

Agree...those that don't wish to stay on after the main event can please themselves. I used to enjoy second halves...certainly during Oxford's tie up with sister clubs Eastbourne and Peterborough. Also when 'The Cheetahs' competeted in the National League it was interesting watching untried new talent. Night out at the speedway was what I enjoyed and a chance to meet up with mates and have a good chat. As long as the whole thing was wrapped up by ten.

Must admit I can't understand the mentality of folks on here who go to speedway, who are looking to get away from the meeting as soon as possible. At the end of the day it's a night out, and as long as the meeting is progressing at a decent pace, what's there to complain about. What's wrong with grading, unless it is long winded, after the grading the track should be better to then maintain a similar standard to keep to decent racing. At Newcastle we always aim to have 6 races( 125 and 500 3 races each) after every meeting with invited riders, that is when we do not have an NJL meeting which takes up about 6 or 7 second halfs in the season.

Have to agree, I would personally go and watch a competitive NL team with local riders but we would need other local teams to follow suit and anyways, we dont have an owner to do this with...

Tungate - based upon Premiership matches last season - actually averaged over 6 away from home (not including bonus points), two rubbish performances at King's Lynn putting a major dent in that figure. Could be better for a third heat leader, but most certainly not 'very poor' or a 'liability'. He's a big scorer at the NSS and, what's more, is hugely entertaining.

As things stand right now NL racing at Berwick is just about a non starter, maybe if the likes of Newcastle, Edinburgh for example came down to it would be a possibility but right now our most local track would be Buxton or Belle Vue so Berwick would be even more reliant on their own fan base than ever.

Pretty sure you will still get them coming down when they have free weekends they all love a Berwick night out another rider Ryan Blacklock whose thinking of chucking his leg over a bike again

yes I know that . You know as well as I do why the forum on the website was closed and that was a popular forum

Any club at Championship level that runs at weekends would have to avoid signing any rider who competes in any of the Polish divisions. By definition any of the 'richer' clubs riding Mon/Weds can afford to sign stronger teams which will make the one league concept uncompetitive for some. Clubs that lose regularly also lose fans!

Do you mean carers? But If someone had a career in marketing, that could help!

nobody uses it I'm afraid or very rarely has not been used since the 27 oct

I have found a link to a Parliamentary paper, which shows in 2014 £26 million pounds was paid to ALL tracks, unfortunately, due to being on my phone, my own incompetence or possibly both, I cannot provide it to you. That sounds much more plausible. By definition the top tracks e.g. Sheffield, Hove, Belle Vue and Nottingham’s would take a bigger percentage compared to Swindon. However, it’s rumoured £10k per BAGS @ Swindon, which x 3 meetings per week isn’t too shabby. Both tracks are being shortened, which means that some sacrifices have to be made. Swindon currently has a BAGS contract. As the speedway track has to be put in place for the start of the season I guess the dogs have to take the hit over the winter months to allow the adjustments. The Commercial Manager for the Robins has confirmed on the Swindon Facebook page circa 2 weeks ago that the speedway track has already been pegged out.

Yes THJ it may well be £20 for me next year

Pensioners have more disposable income then workers!!!,where does that stat come from?

EVEN if speedway in Norwich was a huge success it would never rival soccer in the shape of Norwich City. Places like Torun, Gorzow, Leszno, and Zielona Gora are towns where speedway is the undisputed number one sport, it is what they are synonymous with, and the fans that attend are doing so in support of not just the club but the town itself. The whole culture is different and is reflected in the media at all levels including TV.

A number of Championship clubs don't want one league with FRNS as they can only run on their designated day. Also if the 'top' riders are attracted to those clubs that can afford them what chance do the other clubs have in a one league scenario? They would not be competitive. (As already stated by the likes of Newcastle etc.)

Not defending the rider. as you and your other Scunny fan has pointed out Phillips was not scoring the points all season, so why did it take your Team Management while after the cut off point for team changes to decide that he needed dropping. Your Team Management were caught with their pants down, I find it more than frustrating that you vent your frustration out solely on the rider the rider, why not the Management team as well?

Well Danny king has tweeted today, that 3 weeks ago today he had his surgery, and following a visit back to hospital, in his words " my bicep is waking up"

DP has three years (minimum) then it is look for a new home. If the club is still running. Regards THJ

If it was a fishing match there can only be one winner, the mighty JCF ....

baa humbug , didnt even get a look in .

'Dream on, dreamer'

did he build it up ? it was an very interesting meeting with the promoters keen to hear the fans ideas, wishes and expectations as well as give some feed back feedback they gave was that they are 99% certain of riding next season which given last years winter's issues is great news and that crowds are up which is good but we all would like them higher various discussions and thoughts about raising more income for the team and making the meetings more enjoyable and more family friendly promoters discussed due to the winter issues, that team building was difficult (which I think we all appreciated back in March) but they believe they are in a good place to build a stronger team next year (within their budgetary limits) they like the supporters have been frustrated by the lack of meetings and lack of continuity. Whilst they refused to discuss likely size of the divisions, they believe that the minimum number of competitive meetings next season will be more like 18-20 rather than 14 this year - excellent news!! attendance of the meeting was very good although I expected more questions from the supporters only rather contradictory bit, was the pop at us keyboard warriors who predicted doom and gloom at the start of the season :-) ... even though up to the Sheffield meeting the promotion were still worrying about the wooden spoon and throughout the meeting they conceded the team was not as strong as they would have liked hands up the lads have done better than I expected - although I never doubted their commitment just that the team is way below the entitled limit. Although it has been a very strange season, especially at Brough where some teams have turned up beaten before the start, and who could believe that Sheffield would finish bottom. Even this current team, is probably only 2 riders away from being a very competitive side as at least 4 can up their averages and we have points available under the limit and also I would say well done to Martin and George, whilst other teams go through their regular annual axing of riders, George has again stayed loyal to his riders through thick and thin. And this can only be positive as more riders will want to ride for them. I think we can look forward to 2019 with optimism