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They are preseason challenge matches to blow away the cobwebs, just organised warm ups. No big drama is it ...

So you have a reserve that's flying on the night,,, don't put him up for a pick,, it's then chosen the under performing rider goes in 14,,,goes though tapes,, replaced by flying reserve. Can flying reserve also do heat 15 as wasn't original pick for 14

Oh the irony from the Starman of Manchester.......

But what's wrong with fans voting when it's not their team? Attendance 890 Votes 2035

The BSPA Keith Chapman Everyone's opinion of British Speedway right now (apart from the blinkered)

Wouldn’t say that’s strictly true. Made many gaffes while Rye promotor, but, give him his due he kept the club running. £15 is too much for speedway at any level in this country nowadays. Sport’s on the slide massively.

It's not just Somerset, the "we must reach the play-off" mentality of all promoters is killing Speedway........... but promoters cannot see it.

I can't believe any adult would think this cup gimmick is a good idea. Its meant to be a serious sport.

Why is it that a sport which has quite a few young riders cannot attract the younger fan base. Clearly this young rider base cannot connect with these fans and it is simply a sport that from a participation aspect is beyond the reach of the average youngster unlike it use to be when grass trackers progressed into speedway. It is costly to get into, not high profile enough and won’t make the newcomer a fortune or famous overnight. Perhaps low cost standard bikes etc and not the high performance machines that are used today might make it an option for a few more but in reality people will just have to accept that it simply does not work for a younger generation and never will given the choices that are available today. It is only a matter of time before it becomes a part time amateur status option for a few in the U.K. and those who are professional will have primarily Poland to race which continues to be a hot bed for talent and supporters something the U.K. will never replicate.

There is that word again! PROMOTION. Last season I went to all but what turned out to be the last meeting at Rye House. They have a large advert just by the road entrance which had the next meeting date and time. Trouble was on all but two meetings when I arrived it showed the details of a previous meeting. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, surely changing that hoarding should have been the first job on the day following a meeting.

The product is constantly on the decline. Ramping prices up further is going to do nothing but drive more fans away. There are other ways to draw a crowd, namely promotion. I wish Rye were still running but towards the end I was picking and choosing my meetings because the sport simply wasn’t value for money. So no, not at ANY price. The generation of fans who are/were happy to turn up and lap up whatever tripe was being served up, up and down the country are dying out, just like British Speedway.

Well least see where 2019 takes us .... certainly a more positive vibe to last year With such a points reduction difficult to really forecast how teams will do and to be fair who would have predicted Workington's success last year ! With 3 heat leaders we should be competitive. and we are always going to have a strong 1st reserve whether it be Clegg, Lambert or Wether's Also we should be in with a shout for plrc, pairs and fours ... unlike last year Lets hope the support increases (here and elsewhere) Number 1 wish for season - a good tight competitive league with little between top and bottom and a mad scramble for the playoffs (really my number wish is for us to win everything )

Remember we come away from your place with the points a few times always good meetings between both teams

The thing is, if you're not interested in it then you don't have to do anything. Just watch the racing. 13 heats using to old race formula and 2 nominated races at the end. That's it.

It's the saviour of british speedway,,,, praise the lord

It doesn't matter. Managers will chose their top four riders and the fans will choose which pair ride in heat 14 with the other pair riding in heat 15 by default. Just because some people don't have smartphones isn't a reason to try something new.

Exactly. I don't understand why some people are struggling with this concept. I actually think it is a good idea, just with slightly uninspiring implementation.

Lens only doing the sums for the 65-25 mashings each week, even the home fans will get brassed off with that eventually

What a complete dogs dinner, which numpty thought this would be a good idea. Its clearly open to abuse and i'm seriously beginning to think my time as a fan is coming to an end ...

Yep, not good. I wonder what/who was behind it. It was - and still is - an avoidable clash. But I guess Buster & co don't give a flying one as a good few K/Lynn fans will be there to compensate for some Panthers fans opting for the Posh game. Another one to file away under "Speedway shoots itself in the foot".

I have been a supporter for nearly 60 years, in Edinburgh and now where I live in Somerset. BUT I will not be attending many meetings this year. WHY? Because of the ridiculous clearing out of riders at the end of the season. We were in the Premier league with the world champ riding for us. Now he's not and we are down a league, with only one rider from last year. Sorry guys but that is not the way to engender loyalty. No concession entrances so I will be voting with my feet. I like Bill and Debbie and what they have done but they have to work with a broken system. Accuse me of being a dinasaur if you like but it cannot be viable to keep managing the decline like this.

Are you really a Belle Vue fan, or are you another forum member posing under another name? Why are going on about the stadium like you are? Swindon fans know there are concerns, but we don't need supporters of other tracks coming here and taking the mickey about it, just because they now have their own new track. I think there's only one person who needs to grow up.

Too late I've already took the job.. but have I done the correct thing after ref'n some under 11 games in the past it's hard to say who you get the most abuse off kids or parents

Usually blue and white.

Speedway is a sport run by old fogies for the benefit of old fogies. It's a well known fact that a lot of the older generation have more disposable income than a lot of the youngsters, so they are more likely to pay whatever the promoters want. Both of my kids are ex fans, but wouldn't attend now even if it was free entry. Kids of today want to be associated with popular things, not something that no ones heard of.

Total bull. Belle vue have reached out on more than 1 occasion to him but to no avail. Its PC's choice to stay away. Sad but true I'm afraid.

I think we'd all worked that one out.

Please do as I do and ignore speedtiger He is a troll and only posts to cause upset.

The rules say a minimum 2

If i was leicester, id invest in a fleet of mobility buggies. Pretty soon they will need them. I've been a speedway fan for over 50 years, so I'll be joining you soon, up against that wall. Take aim and fire!

How to attract a younger generation? If you own your own track and the concessions, then let them in for nothing... Most kids when they become teenagers (all of a sudden) don't want to go out with their parents or grand parents so advertise free entry for all in secondary schools, colleges and universities.. Maybe even have an 'app' or one of those QR codes or something for them to download (or whatever it is they do).. The more forward thinking promotions may also get some links with schools and colleges around engine maintenance for aspiring mechanics to learn about and do some hands on experience etc. But let's crawl before running... They all hunt in groups so let them all in surrounded by mates, and sit back and wait for the income from the burgers, pop, snacks and chocolate... Older students can drink something stronger and more expensive. Student loans do burn a very quick hole in their pockets.. Even if you don't own the track and receive no money from the concessions, let them in for nothing anyway.. There are hardly any teenagers at most tracks so there won't be much loss, so therefore hardly anything to lose, and parents who don't have to fork out £8 or so for their teenager each meeting may also attend more often themselves due to the value for money this provides... A whole generation is basically being by passed with zero knowledge of the sport... Something radical is needed to change it or who will take the places of the ageing current fan base?

Honestly Totally correct Jenga is like a Ruminant without any Orbital Ocular Sockets Before you look it up Jenga it's a deer without any eyes or a no eyed deer!!!! See what a did there Biffa because it Totally sums you up "No Idea" whatsoever... Definitely a prize plum Regards THJ

So how would you get their attention so they wish to attend? Fireworks, scantily clad girls starting the race and holding up a board for each lap, latest music, band playing between each race, 25 heats per meeting, £10 admission? It's no good saying the promoters need to attract the younger generation if you don't say how. I think you are being very unfair and the next time you go should have a walk round all of the stadium so you can see how many teenagers/young adults are there as there were loads near where I was on the 4th bend. Yes there are a lot of older people as well and unless someone wants to stick us all against a wall and shoot us I suppose we will be stupid enough to carry on going until we are incapable of making the effort.

Think you may be confusing us buying Richard Lawson from Workington after Lakeside never paid the initial transfer fee to Workington . Glasgow then stepped in and paid the fee. Craig Cook as far as i am aware is still an Edinburgh asset

If this is the best the BSPA can come up with to improve British speedway, then God help us. It's a ridiculous idea.

Yet again, the powers that be have managed to make things more complicated than they need to be. Just use the standard race formula with heat 15 voted for by fans.

I was being polite. The whole thing is a load of turd. Somehow I must stop myself coming on here

What happens if a rider is injured... i take it they cannot be named in the 4. Wonder how many riders will pull out of the meeting "injured" if they having a bad day?

More chance for Tractor racing.... not that any excuse was needed at Leceister on Saturday !

It will be another delay in proceedings while he votes are sorted. There's enough pissing about now at meetings without adding to it.

Might work, might not but I applaud them for trying something different and incorporating modern technology into the process.

Ignore the fool. He’s a deluded ex Coventry fan who for some unfathomable reason posted Coventry conference league results on the Poole thread last season. At least we won’t have to suffer that this time around. He lived on the 2010 result but how many times did we smash them after that? Would like to see Bees back but doubt it will ever happen. Joined Wimbledon, Hackney, Reading and Exeter as defunct. A shame as I loved to go to Brandon. Nearly always came away with the points. Was mostly easy pickings.

Ulrich could quite easily be out the no1 race jacket after the first set of new averages. I think morris or Newman could easily over take him in the averages then after a couple more months it would not surprise me to see shanes and Zach overtake him then ..

Not keen on team suits. I think back to Oxford in the 1980s, and we had Hans in sleek black leathers, Wiggy in distinctive day-glo green, Cocker in his chequered-leathers, etc. The leathers were an extension of the personality of each rider. Team suits and that's lost. Not only that, but it's a significant cost that most clubs simply cannot afford.

Great start to Promoting that Carl. Clashing with Posh and their biggest home gate of the season

Ahh...the smell of burning clutches

With many fixture clashes, and guests needed, due to riders riding for several teams around Europe and domestically.. An amazing plan... Signing employees who dictate to you, the business owner, when you can and can't open your doors to your customers..? It will never work as a successful business operating model, because quite simply it cannot.. Yet, year in, year out, this is the model they use... No surprise really then that the sport in the UK is where it currently is... As everyone knows... Keep doing the same thing and you will keep delivering the same results...

Yep I appreciate that, and you are right it does get harder. That's probably because of your 50 friends at speedway you are now the only one attending. This is the start point. On the island I recalled what it was like for me as a kid at speedway - I had different friends there, in the main, to my friends from School and Sea Cadets. So it is this that we have focused on with the island... fun, family, friendship, entertainment, community, value for money (kids always free for anything related to speedway).. speedway on the island is a show, of which the racing is the main event sure, but there are lots of little side events from mascots, to face painting, home made specials in the cafe, pits open.... even me getting a megaphone to drive the fans nuts but its a fun experience... and this is what, in my view, every track should be looking at. To be fair, we have seen a big increase in this across speedway over the last season or so. While I do appreciate it is hard to be positive... and I have been there beleive me... I am always positive about what we do on the Island because I totally believe it in, totally believe we can make it better (why we regularly have discussions on our show - for everyone to contribute). Finally it is pride... we are very proud of our club. To me you visit my home when you come to Smallbrook, and while there will be problems from time to time I am very happy to explain them if needed, I am always happy to have feedback contructive or positive, and I would be gutted, totally, if fans had a crap time with us. See you trackside and thanks for the feedback

Agree, but its not. I think its good if they honour their prior arrangements, after being shafted elsewhere.