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Sky were always "very pleased" with the viewing figures they got, particularly in the first ten years or so.. Often they would easily hit well over 100,000 for the GP's and high 80's and 90,000's (and more sometimes) for domestic racing.. BT delivered circa 50 to 60000+ last time I looked at their figs on BARB which, for them, was also more than a reasonable return, and often would beat their round the world sports and non Premier League football.. I think with Sky it was just the cost of the OB to show Speedway, especially at a time when they had paid out zillions for football, that made them decide to pay up the contract and move on to other sports like Netball which I presume is cheaper to produce and definitely has no weather threats to it taking place.. Speedway's following on the TV though certainly punches well above its weight in relation to its 'live' following I would suggest... Which does make it all the more frustrating to he honest when you see hardly any effort to sell itself when the TV cameras come to town. There is obviously an interested and curious market out there for the sport, sat in their armchairs, so maybe doing more to hide the huge swathes of empty stadia that take 'centre stage' most weeks at the live meeting, and fill the space with fans or advertising, would be worth considering..?

Had you missed naming one of the streets on your map after him then?

Thanks. I wish I hadn't asked now.

Mrs D C-B also was a Cycle Speedway supporter / sponsor as shown. The trophy is currently being restored.

Quality, the clique I refer to is BWitchers mob and I certainly don't suspect everybody that doesn't agree with me is in his clique, but those that defend him definitely are. Your comment suggested that you are one of those. I don't do the 'last word' thing and this is 100% not a last word you clique member

Personally think it’s a good deal 19 heats of speedway on a great track with some quality riders in and the innovative use of 250 riders as part of a 9 man team. It’s a great way of extending a meeting and making the kids feel part of the team can only be good for the future. Maybe this could be part of the bigger picture when the NDL is back next season.

What are you doing on here then!

Nobody has been aloud in for God sake

I attended the SWC at the NSS a few years ago and originally had standing tickets for the first bend, however, upon arrival at the turnstiles we were offered seats on the fourth turn.. Me and many, many others took up the offer... The reason? Well it wasn't the organisers being charitable, it was simply that this section would be more in view than any other part of the stadium, as they showed every start from that camera (positioned directly above our original standing place focusing down the home straight).. They understood how important having a "full stadium" looks to the casual viewer, and the event's sponsors, if you want to grow your product in the ensuing years.. Quite often when the Aces are at home the camera angle at the starting gate (hand held from the centre green just in front of the tapes), shows rows and rows of empty seats interspersed with the odd one or two fans.. The circa 1800 seats are usually around 40 to 50% full on a TV match so there is still approx 700+ fans sat there, yet if you looked at the TV "plenty of empty red seats" would be your over riding view of the place.. Putting these 700+ fans together (for one night only) in line with the camera angles would only improve the overall positive view of the sport from those watching at home.. And any seats left empty would all be together so perfect for being totally covered with large advertising banners for their sponsors, or large adverts for the next meeting at the place with contact details etc.. I am sure for the 'odd time' fans would understand getting moved 'a bit' for the good of their club's long term marketing plan.. It doesnt take much to make something look far more popular than it actually is.. It often just takes a little bit of positive creativity..

You might think that but BWitcher’s just PMed me to say I’m definitely not part of his clique!

It has always seemed widely accepted that when a club is on TV they will get a lower crowd because fans would rather sit at home because they don’t have to shell out their entrance fee. To me that screams out the lack of value for money there is in attending Speedway. I support Stevenage FC. If we are ever on TV (it has happened a few times) I don’t decide to sit at home and watch, if anything I’m more interested in going to the match live. I’m reluctant to draw comparisons to Premier League football as it is a completely different beast but the majority of games are covered live or given extensive highlights yet it is rare to see many empty seats at these games. There is no substitute for attending a live sporting event, yet the numbers watching Speedway on TV don’t seem to correlate to the numbers who appear to walk through the gates to watch meetings in the flesh. I can’t see that being anything other than a promoting and cost to the punter issue. WWE use a technique with their TV shows when they have empty seats in which they move as many people as possible to the seating that their hard (main) camera faces. This gives the impression of a packed arena. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for Speedway tracks to do something similar when the TV cameras are in town. A track like Sheffield, or Wolves, where fans can’t stand on the back straight would surely be better served having the cameras set up facing the main stand where the crowds are packed in as opposed to in the main stand facing a desolate, empty area.

Michael Michelsen replaces Martin Smolinski in all 8 GP`s

Neglected, is how I would describe it.

I agree with Steve!! This never happens. Sandhu shut Coventry down, whatever Matt did or didn't do, he didn't shut it down. He apparently tried to help to keep it open. Only people with other issues they have with Matt blame him for it.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure Sandhu did that.

Not that you are biased in any way of course.. TBH I rather have Matt in charge of the club I support than the terrible threesome of Sandhu, Trump and Horton!

Reckon Premier Sports think EPG means every programme (is) guesswork.

You've led a very sheltered life, Steve!

I'm genuinely sorry to hear of the circumstances of your father's death ianb, however having now read the full exchanges on pages 21 and 22 it's clear that Bwitcher was referring to flu and not your father's death.

Another clique member methinks.

Jeez, more googling. Do you actually have a life outside this forum?

It's all inclusive. Most National League tracks charge £14, plus a couple of quid for the programme. The price is for admission, programme and parking. At how many tracks could you do all of those for £15.50? It's 19 heats and nine riders per team.

https://www.svemo.se/Sporter/Resultat/Speedway/Serier/Elitserien2020/Matchresultat/

You're right, that paragraph was a general response to all of the day' posting's, not meant to be aimed at you personally. I should have placed it in a separate posting.

I was also brought up on a council estate (and proud of it) and having many jobs mixed with all sorts of people from differing backgrounds where the language used was often, shall we say, near the knuckle. I have been known to use a few words in given circumstances but age and experienced has mellowed me (although they can slip out occasionally) but I'd like to think that I'm a rather nice well spoken good mannered individual to be around...although I'm sure there are many who would disagree!!

Was somebody asking if anyone is artistic? If so I'm interested in applying, here's a good example of my work,

https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/see-you-next-tuesday/

well,iwas planning on attending this until i saw the admission price, sorry but £15.50 for an ndl meeting, no way jose

Oh yeah! Steve and Mick Hines got into it at Wimbledon once after an on-track collision... Generally though, I don't think he ever went looking for trouble.

There is one available on eBay from 1978/79: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Unused-1970s-Workington-Comets-Speedway-Car-Window-Sticker-L1/283888536622?hash=item4219134c2e:g:Kd4AAOSwWvtdoFlH

I think I read somewhere there is a week's break, so it is next Wednesday 26th August.

REDCAR REWIND from the archives of Tapes Up Productions: The Bears were bottom of the League table in 2016 when the Glasgow Tigers rolled into town but, as you'll see, gave the Scottish side a real run for their money. Thanks again to sponsor Paul Routledge. Tapes up 7.15

I agree, I don't think he's done that either, but I DO think his manner and pig headedness to anyone who disagrees with his point of view or challenges anything he posts is very OTT. He is definitely obsessed with Covid and especially Covid v Flu and spends hours and hours trawling the web finding articles and links to statistics just so he can prove (I prefer force) his opinion on anyone who's crazy enough to read it. And he HAS to have the last word on everything....wait for it.... He also has a little clique on here who tend to agree with every word he posts...I believe you have an honorary membership to this clique

Interesting. Assuming this was nearer the beginning of Speedway being on Sky Sports? Would like to see your source of these figures, and the figures the sport has been doing on BT in relation to other sports such as boxing which has had a resurgence in recent years to see just how much things have changed.

Good old Geoffrey and his Belle Vue bias.

Anderson got 11 and Kurtz 7

Despite being in a rugby league stronghold, my secondary school forced rugby union on its pupils (thankfully, for only one term each academic year; football being the main sporting activity). Wind forward a few decades, and the retirement of its union-loving Welsh headmaster and a union-playing games teacher, and the school switched - very successfully - to rugby league. It's a crying shame many Britons still believe all 'rugby' has to offer is rugby union.

Gets away with what? Posting facts? And truth? Your comment above is pretty despicable also...

Its easier on the mind iainb, i wasted minutes of my life arguing with the guy mute is the sensible way

I think Speedway needs fewer clubs. Each region should have a super franchise team with 1 star rider. Fewer meetings spread over Friday nights, mainly in the summer. Birmingham Bears - Bartosz Zmarzlik Manchester Aces - Martin Vaculik Norfolk Ninjas - Robert Lambert Somerset Scorchers - Tai Woffinden Scottish Saints - Leon Madsen Swindon Sizzlers - Artem Laguta 6 teams play each other once home and away, make an event of it. Have good entertainment on at half-time, each team can sign one star rider like Zmarzlik, Sayfudinov, Madsen and Vaculik. Tickets are £20.

Well Polish speedway isn't just about which riders is the most suitable due to merit but there is also allot of politics involved.

And I think he should lay off the Covid stuff and stop being an obsessive bully. Saying "having an interest in numbers and figures doesn't automatically make someone Rain Man" could be interpreted as being pretty offensive in itself and shows a complete lack of understanding of Autism. You've watched Rain Man that's your benchmark? I only ask if he is Autistic as then I could possibly understand his behaviour and adapt my interaction with him. If he isn't then he's just a rude, obsessive, cantankerous man who just won't accept anybody else's opinion or point of view.

They don't have v because they use w instead and l with a bar gives them w. It's just how languages evolve. Most central European languages, including German use w for v. The Germans pronounce v as f. They probably think it's odd we use v in the way we do. It's only the same as how languages evolve with different words for the same thing.

He had a really weird style and who could forget the somersault over the air fence against Newport and walking back to the pits through the crowd.

I'm not Ford's biggest fan and certainly don't agree with some of the suspect antics he's carried out over the years, BUT he's now doing everything he can to save Poole Speedway. So no matter who you are or what you think give the guy some credit. Losing our beloved team would be a huge loss, not only to me personally but to UK speedway. We've lost enough teams in recent years for goodness sake!!

Or a parting memento for the fans to cherish I suppose, even being an Eastie fan I hope that's not the case, still looking forward to the usual beating them at Arlington followed by the not looking forward to stuffing at Poole.

all water under the bridge done and dusted . more concerned what happens to my speedway team now

Their closure was down to their “saviour” Avtar Sandhu - who turned out be a very unsavoury character in his antics with the stadium!

If he can learn anything from Lewis Kerr it will be resilience and mental toughness, the way he has bounced back[ no pun intended ] from some very big get offs. Shows he has them in abundance.

Comedy Gold even in such sad times, and you don’t even do it on purpose