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I do hope we are not drifting into the cheap "snowflake generation" argument here are we? I'll give my own experience as an example... I was first taken to the sport aged 7 to Belle Vue's Hyde Road and was hooked..we then went every Saturday. Not a school night, no problem. Though I suspect it might have been a problem had it been a midweek track at that young age....less so 2-4 years later. Then, we certainly had the odd midweek trip to follow the Aces to Sheffield and Birmingham. I am now a father of six year old twins, they will be 7 by the time of the next speedway season, so the right age (I think) to have a grasp of what's going on and potentially engage with it. Bedtime at ours is 7-7:30, later at the weekend. So a midweek track is out for now. Additionally, even when they are a little older and could cope with a later midweek night, we - unlike my parent's boomer generation - are much more squeezed for time...and disposable income beyond the mortgage and bills. Like many in the 30s-40s generation, both us parents work and after the kids get back from after school club and we rush to make dinner, there's little time left for anything before bed. In contrast, as a child, I had the luxury of a stay-at-home mum who could get us kids home at a decent time, have dinner ready early for the whole family and much more time for any possible midweek outing. Society has changed. Now, this isn't all about me, speedway can draw from older and younger groups. But I do think that appealing to my (current) demographic is absolutely key for speedway now and in the future. We only really have time- and money - for weekend outings and if speedway can't cater for us, it is going to miss out on thousands of families like mine.

In short, speedway is saying to Dave and his family down the road that it cannot cater for them because it has to accommodate the wishes of some Danish bloke you've never heard of, so he can also ride in a Polish town you've never heard of either. Bonkers

Everywhere is South to us in Glasgow, looking forward to my first ever visit to Poole

Just been round our house talking about joining the Diamonds next year. Got a spare room so that's a given now.

I think it's a very good point. After all, you wouldn't expect to watch Moto X, Grass Track, Moto GP, F1 during the week. The only other mid-week stuff I can think of is TT racing and other road racing motorcycle events. If there was a mid-week Moto X event, I wonder how many fans would turn up, compared to a weekend? Years ago, when speedway was more popular and had more tracks, the bulk of the fans could probably walk to the tracks or use public transport, but now with far fewer tracks and fans thin on the ground, those fans who are interested, have to travel and that is a put off for a mid-week event. It would still work in a city, such as London, with the good public transport it has.

Too late guys

No chance we would even contemplate signing the numbers 2 or 3 in that team. Well i hope not anyway.

Would rather have the four legged Lassie collie type than the moody two legged dane that rides a speedway bike.

I find the comments about young people not being able to attend midweek meetings due to school the next day interesting as throughout my school days I went with my parents to Wimbledon Speedway every week and they used to run on a Monday evening in the early days which then changed to Thursday evenings. My parents had a strict rule that I had to finish my homework before we went to the meeting. If truth were known it was the one day in the week when I did do my homework properly as there was no way I was going to miss the racing! Are today's children really so soft that they are unable to have one or two late nights during the school week?

MASSIVE CONGRATS to Danny Ayres, 2019 Scorpion of the year, HAS to be back in 2020

I myself am in favour of radical changes which i won't repeat here because i can't take the flak atm. It does look, however that another season of 'lets pretend nothing's wrong' is ahead of us with 2/3 teams being bribed to enter the top league stripping the less disastrous (i won't say successful) CL and NL of clubs. One thing i would say again is that people talk about dilution when big names don't ride here but actually the product is well presented good racing, not necessarily star names whose names ,lets be honest, mean f. all to the general public.

The new Belle Vue is unique, it that it was built for the modern day speedway bike, and will usually deliver great racing. Unfortunately the majority of the remaining tracks are not suited to these high revving machines. Years back the bikes had more torque at low speeds, giving the rider better control. Now the bikes are high revving speed machines, as soon as riders cut the revs they lose all the power, and this results in many processional races... Looking back to the Peter Collins and Michael Lee era, there were some titanic battles, equally as good as anything today. Back then the rider was much more important than the machine was. So thinking along them lines, I'm sure these highly tuned machines add far too much costs that the sport cant afford, without adding any significant extra to the sport. When you think along the lines of the sport's retainability, these machines are slowly but surely killing it..... Rather than find ways of meeting these costs, why don't we think of ways of reducing them.....

You only have to look at Poland as to when the best time is to run Speedway.. They wouldn't dream of running at any time other than weekends.. Play offs get decent crowds over here but I would suggest it doesn't make up in any way shape or for how many don't attend during the season due to riding Monday to Thursday.. The other glaring issue is how very few teenagers go.. Meaning free admission to Kids with a paying adult simply doesn't maintain enough interest.. Letting 18 and unders in for free, if still a student, would at least possibly deliver some return when they become 19 and have to start paying.. It would also mean they could attend in groups which teenagers so love to do... And not have to stand with Mum, Dad, Gran and Grandad.. And wouldn't be any financial loss really as they are not there now. But you may make some money at the bar and burger van!

Batchelor cough, just for balance you understand.

That was funny but Pedersen was so shaken by the prospect that he had to come onto the Facebook thread it was posted on and quickly deny it. Was obviously horrified at the thought.

I would rather build a more solid team around Cook and Vissing.....

when did he buy it?

The voting was carried out during one meeting, I was certainly shocked that Rory won rider of the season but wouldn’t have given it to Bomber myself. We can only answer for ourselves as to who we think should’ve won, we all have our own opinion

It's not so much the bikes are too fast, for me, it's more the tracks are not designed to handle their speed.. The NSS proves time and time again that fast bikes on that track can deliver awesome entertainment... As does Poland, Sweden and the GP'S, SEC, SON etc.. High speed and great, close racing is the 'Holy Grail' for Speedway. It's just not delivered sadly over here at too many places. 100% spot on with points 2 to 6. Can't see too many of them ever getting overcome though to be honest, given how far away the Sport over here actually is from being able to correct each point you make..

Would think Danyon Hume must be in with a shout for reserve spot

Sorry but statistically Kyle started on an assessed average of 2 - his actual average for his first season at Workington in 2018 was 1.37. His average over the 2019 season for Glasgow was 4.54. Pretty impressive improvement I'd say.

Are there enough riders between 16 and 18? And the difference in ability could be huge

In a way a logical move as believe he lives in Midlands so less travelling in what will be a busy old 2020 for him if he is riding Prem & Champ plus his normal Longtrack meetings and anything else on the Continent he can sign up for on a qualifying or guest basis. Won't have to trek to Somerset every Wed.

Yes for some, but not all... And if nothing else more people there will at least look like the sport has a following worthy of the word.. As we always say, get a big crowd in and the whole experience changes from the entertainment perspective, which can only begin that virtuous positive circle of 'big crowds/great atmosphere/more repeat visits to sample the same.. You only have to look at the play off finals to see that.. Two pretty average meetings, however both being played out in front of good crowds meant those who were there would have a very different perspective on those meetings than if they had been completed in front of the usual Monday or Thursdsy night die hards..

Which in many cases won't be to the benefit of the speedway promotion!!!

He will not be in the team- Smektala will take his place in the top 5

I don't know why Nicki should ask about the Edinburgh Track as he rode for Newcastle in 1998 and one track he visited throughout the season was the one at Armadale.

He was all for it and then heard Edinburgh were in the same league. He then started hyperventilating at the thought of riding Armadale. He then phoned Leon Madsen to ask if it was true that it was a trick track , Leon confirmed it was and this is why he was horrified at the thought. He then saw the picture in a Monarchs scarf and poor Nicki hasn't been seen since.

Yep, we’ll be gutted to see Poole go. We used to enjoy our away wins.

Who would go to Northside with its limited facilities. When NL racing was staged at Iwade, no one went. Yet a couple of miles down the road, they turn up in their droves to watch the same level at Central Park.

I think in reality we will have Cook and a more solid side with Sam and Connor at reserve

He hasn’t bought the club and I expect it to remain in Chris Louis safe and capable hands.

I do wish that some fans wouldn't keep running on about keeping the same riders from year to year like the 'old days', if you're gonna do that you have to take the good with the bad, can't have it all ways!! Not you Baggy of course ....

Got to love a Rumour .

Some continuity is good but two or three fresh faces are too IMO. Bottom line is you can’t have riders averaging 3-4 away from home however good they are at Lynn.

Wash your mouth out........lol

So continuing the dog theme he will be a Great Dane then.

We know; keep up. Jensen is Sam, not Rasmus

Nothing wrong with bikes, it's the tracks,,, those ssme bikes will be good on good tracks and poor on poor tracks, whatever country they are in. You are more likely to get better close racing on tracks that have multi lines into corners and on tracks that you don't have to scub all your speed off going into bends. Flowing race tracks most of the time offer better racing in most motor sports.

To the F.I.M. the BSPA have nothing to do with the GP series (Financially).

Shame really would love to see a junior side back at scunny

Santa's coming mmmmmmmm Nice

Very good attempt + + + + + ? ?

Political move to expand the Longtrack world ?

Massive thanks to the departing Scott Nicholls for his efforts as a rider and as our influential captain in Season 2019 - huge respect for the guy as an accomplished speedway rider over many years .... hope the future holds good things for you wherever you end up Scotty !!

As teams are settling on certain riders and the list of top Enders shrinks I hope Newcastle have someone in the bag like Hans Anderson already or could be faced with picking at scraps and a season as the leagues whipping boys. Not sure even the leftover hardcore would stomach that. Not exactly a good time for a third tier season either so I fear for the Diamonds. Hope behind the scenes they are well ahead and on the front foot.

Yes - Realised I had put wrong reason immediately after I had posted. I have corrected.

Calm down, Rasmus is a class rider , who was strutting his snuff for Workington in 2018, and is now giving up the championship to concentrate on riding on the continent and probably Swindon in the Premiership.

Yes I am talking about Rasmus Jensen . He has hardly pulled up any tree in the Uk before this season and may not next season. i think turning your nose up at someone of King or Lawsons calibre to replace a rider who until this season has spent his uk career as a second string is a bit snobby to say the least.

One season wonder , are we talking about Rasmus Jensen, if so you cannot be serious.