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Its all down to "costs" riders have to play their part, do they need 4 crash helmets, do they need to pay someone to fuel a bike and change a back wheel , a hair dryer to cool a clutch? All the things riders didnt have in the glory days it has to go back to being a decent paying hobby not a full time job.have said many times the only people making money are the stadium owners and engine tuners!

I'm overjoyed for you all at Oxford to see that you are on the brink of winning your long hard-won fight. It gives inspiration to all of facing similar battles. I so look forward to visiting Cowley next year. This wasn't just Oxford's fight. Well done.

Let's face it, in the 80s of the five continental qualifiers, only Muller was close to world class. So you were guaranteed at least quarter of the field would not be competitive. Additionally, every workd final of that era - except 81- was arguably missing at least one genuine title contender due to injury, one poor meeting etc And of course by mid-late 80s the sport had prematurely lost a number of riders who should have been at their peak- penhall, sigalos, sanders, carter, lee etc. What a line up you could have had, without those losses and with a fairer system; Lee, Carter, Wigg, Tatum, Nielsen Gundersen, Knudsen, Pedersen, Sigalos, Penhall, Ermolenko, Moran, Moran, Jonsson, Muller, Sanders as an example. Have to add, this is a superb thread; rational discussion and great memories.

I'm with you on helmets but in fairness lots of riders are not paying for mechanics the work is done on lots of occasions by friends, family or junior riders looking for experience. The pits become an intense place during a meeting and riders are busy passing on info to others changing helmet covers and cleaning goggles between heats especially in today's climate were fans like meetings pushed on time is limited. Clutch coolers are needed as the potential to burn it out if running to hot is very high. Surely £100 for a cooler that lasts years is better than burning up a full set of clutch plates and alloys which cost over £200

Think Barker should be their next,if he has not upset anyone down there.!!!

How great it would be to stand on the third bend as of old however most of those I stood with are no longer with us including my much missed Dad.

You need to be a headcase to ride a speedway bike don't you?

My understanding was the City Council would not allow Speedway to re-open if Newcastle closed for more than one year, this is due to new housing regulations and people must realise that in 1929 when the Stadium was originally built, it was in open ground and there was not a house in site for anybody to object to the noise.

Watching a sawdust laden, soaking wet track in the 70s was not conducive to anything other than processional, spread out "racing". Been a fan since early 1960s and there has always been good and bad races and meetings. Rose coloured spectacles apart, thrill merchants have always been around and not always the big names! With regard to Peter Craven, I was taken by my father to one of my first meetings at Brandon because Peter Craven was riding and I can still see him in my mind's eye, my father pointing him out, entering the turns after the first lap with his foot still up on the footrest! In 50+ years, I have never seen that since so comments about "the wizard of balance" have more than a casual basis. With regard to comparing eras, I was very fortunate that my grandfather grew up with Jack Parker and Jack used to visit our house in his later years. He always said that the top guys from every era would have adapted and been at or close to the top in any other era. Jack, with a smile, always said he would still have been the best in any era!

Another good day out at the NSS Belle Vue, good racing, viewing and all round one of the best experiences in British Speedway, even managed a quick chat with fellow Cumbrian Dan Bewley. Also there must have been around 20 Comets fans in attendance in the packed crowd, it just shows that Speedway can be successful in the UK given the right ingredients....

Another track ticked off for me - that's 9 new ones this year - and once again I was really impressed. Good atmosphere, friendly people and some great racing. Sat in the Royal Box and benefitted from being able to see the pits clearly as well as the track. I also thought the track staff did a great job, making the outside so attractive for the riders really brought the racing alive. Thanks Redcar - let's spread some positive vibes for once !

Matt's comments referred to the landlords (GI) wanting to impose a dramatic increase in rent, without negotiation, despite only parts of the stadium being available/open and other parts eg changing rooms, in a state of disrepair - this being despite the accepted and agreed 3% annual increase since Matt took over in 1999. The Council Leader said publicly in 2 video Q&As a few weeks ago that they would support the retention of speedway in Poole and also assist/intervene if the leaseholders were making things difficult!! Those videos and other evidence including photos will I'm sure be in the hands of Poole Speedway's solicitors - who are also a club sponsor and partner in Matt's French Chateau business - to bring pressure where its needed!! Meanwhile, the track is receiving some serious work this week with some clay-based material secured from Edinburgh and being transported down today in time for Friday's meeting, along with some new track equipment - a vibrating road roller no less!!!.

I haven't really commented on the substance of this topic, nor answered the original question, so here goes.... I was, of course, brought up in the era of The Big Five and have followed speedway ever since. I have to admit I did lose interest in the 80s and 90s, though I still managed to get along to some meetings at Ipswich and followed the sport in the Speedway Star, so what I have to say, may be a bit unfair on that era. But, I do feel that speedway lost its way a bit during that period, which is maybe why I lost interest. I think there is no doubt that the Grand Prix revived a flagging sport and gave it back some oomph. There is also no doubt that the old one-off finals at Wembley were magical occasions and the atmosphere was just incredible. 80,000 fans at Wembley couldn’t help but create such an atmosphere. But there was no way that would have been sustained through the 80s and 90s, even if Wembley was still the venue. The sport really needed a big change if it was going to survive. That change came about with the Grand Prix and I absolutely agree with those that say that it is a much fairer way of finding the best rider in the world over a whole season. Of course, there have been times, as I mentioned above, when some riders have been unlucky with injury and maybe should have won, Jason Doyle and Leon Madsen to name two, not to mention running out of fuel like Jason Crump! But I agree that was far more likely to happen under the old one-off than in a whole series. As for the riders themselves, as others have said, I always think it difficult to pitch different era riders against each other. No-one would question that watching riders like Zmarzlik, Doyle, Sayfutdinov, Lindgren, Pedersen and yes, Gollob (let’s not forget him) is what speedway is all about and why we love it. But so was watching riders like Briggs, Fundin, Craven, Harrfeldt, Lofqvist and others from the 60s era, who were no less thrilling and spectacular. Speedway has always had its thrill merchants. Of course I never saw them but when you read about the exploits of the likes of Vic Huxley, Billy Lamont, Tom Farndon, George Newton from before the War, this has always been the case (as an example, click on my avatar photo of Lamont and Huxley!). So, to sum up, I do think the introduction of the Grand Prix was the right thing to do at the right time, but I do not agree that it has produced more thrilling and spectacular riders. They have always been around.

Joking aside, this Poole team would be challenging In the premier playoffs. Perhaps not quite as strong as Wolves or Peterborough but better than the rest.

I used to enjoy second halves whether it be those taking part within the main match or a junior meeting...whichever.

Basic bikes, upright engines, cow horn handlebars, the smell, noise and flying shale. Bibs, not team suits, helmet covers that blew off, scarves, nicknames like little boy blue. I love nostalgia.

I admit the only WF’s I attended were at Wembley and my attendance at meetings were spasmodic post-1981. Had WF’s at Wembley continued post-1981 would successive finals have been better and better attended?. I know I am a dinosaur and living in the past, but it loved my speedway in the 60’s/70’s. I really can’t say anything I have seen on tv in the GP era has excited me as much.

I don’t believe that there is a singular factor to why one club is thriving at this time and one is struggling but as has been said it’s not that long ago that Redcar were struggling themselves for crowd numbers. One of the main differences between the clubs is access to revenue streams, with Redcar being in a fortunate position to have access to the STMP to run other events outside of a match day and also gain other match day revenue through the selling of food and drink. Newcastle are at an disadvantage straight away with no chance of using the stadium outside of the usual few hours allocated for a match day and the substantial outlay needed to pay for the stadium rental. Also, some other match day sales also go into the pocket of the stadium owners rather than the club. Speedway in a majority of cities can no longer survive on gate receipts alone and in Newcastle’s case they don’t have sufficient access to other revenue streams to build up the business. That coupled with the reduction in sponsorship available due to the effect of Covid on businesses, means Newcastle budget was severely reduced. This means that Redcar have the comfort of being able to control their future financial model and have managed to build an attractive side as a result. Newcastle on the other hand have had to cut there cloth accordingly and as a result do not have a team that is as competitive. This has to my mind stopped some of the more casual supporters coming along to watch at Brough Park as they see it as a watered down product. The other element for me is that Redcar finally have the management structure that is built for success. Speedway is more than a full time job for those that run it and Redcar now have a trio running the show that knows the sport, knows the club and knows it’s supporters. Ben, Jamie and Jade have done a fantastic job and the split of the roles between the three ensure they are able to actively grow the club and focus on every aspect needed to do this successfully, from social media presence to rider development. In Newcastle case, Rob has taken on a huge challenge and, as one man with only one or two helpers then I believe certain elements have lapsed, match night production and digital communication being a couple. This again means that some supporters have drifted away either through lack of insight into the club or through the fact of the product on offer. This is no way meant as a complaint against Rob as I do believe that had Newcastle came to the tapes in 2022 under Robs ownership that we would have seen a different approach from the lessons he has learnt through a very tough first season.

It only states "initial declaration" & there is nothing in the rules that states that if you re-declare above your 38 point limit then your new 39 point limit applies & your rising star is reduced. Un written rules and grey area applied & does not matter if your promoter is the "Head Honcho"! (ALL IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF SPEEDWAY. OF COURSE)

He,s not suspended he,s been ill.

Looks like a perfect club to start in the NDL (not the current version but the previous one).. Get that "fan bounce", desperate to see Oxford back, without the costs of Pro Heat Leaders, meaning they can charge an admission fee that isnt knocking around the twenty quid mark.. I would suggest looking at the disparity in Div 2 between the teams, circa half of Div 2, (and maybe Mildenhall and the IOW?), would see the "old NDL" as something worth trying...? The league pre Covid seemed to be the most viable, and delivered the best value for money..

Millions & millions for 20 licences a few tractors and rakes really? That a hell of a valuation.

Might do the sport a favour if not on TV at all,,, people may then go and pay to watch it

And about 500 people watching the gps compared to tens of thousands on a proper channel.

This was written when the begging bowl that is ‘ Go Fund Me ‘ was first put out , and before the third ‘ line manager ‘ was released, it makes interesting reading, even though it was written tongue-in-cheek by the author. Does this sound like a good businessman? Buy a business , based in someone else’s rented property , that has struggled for years and probably has not made a profit for quite some time. Don’t do a thorough check of the ‘books’ and sack your main staff members who have good knowledge of how the business has been kept afloat all this time including the main man who is highly respected within his very specialised field. Then, decide to double your potential outgoings by doubling your main staff wage bill whilst only expecting the same financial income as the previous few years even though the country is an a financial crisis and add it to that the fact that you have watered down your main product to such an extent that your ‘ customers’ are telling you they won’t be visiting your establishment as you no longer provide value for money. To add further to that issue, INCREASE the price of your ‘ product ‘ to the point where most of your repeat customers cannot afford to purchase it on a regular basis. Then, bring in inexperienced staff to run the production line, sack two ‘ line managers ‘ in a row before they even entered the premises and then put out an appeal for cash from the very people who you wish to spend their hard earned pensions within your business as you also threaten to close the doors due to lack of support. I ask you ‘ Dragons ‘ , do you want to invest ??? Whilst its sad to lose any track , and not all of this catastrophe can be fully blamed on Mr. Grant, why would any businessman in their right mind put money into speedway in the current climate ?

Very sad to hear of what could be the end of Newcastle Speedway but.. Last Friday i visited a fabulous speedway club just south of Newcastle where the club seemed to be very vibrant,a really good crowd,brilliant racing,good presentation and a very strong team.The stadium looked really good and importantly supporters seem to be spending cash inside the stadium! The club seem to be brimming with sponsors and no talk at all of any closing or looking for investors,things looked really good at Redcar,and despite the result all of us headed back to Scunny thinking what a great night we had at Redcar[Hats off to the promotion and supporters ] how is it that Redcar`s nearest and dearest are in the position they are when the mighty Bears seem to be going great on and off the track? interesting that being so close to each other yet total different situations

Excellent that the Cheetahs appear to be on the road to a comeback. Really enjoyed the 2007 NL season. Glad you mention Mike Kilby. Swindon v Poole mid 70's. Before this, Martin Ashby v Tommy Jansson in the Golden Helmet. Great times. Mike had gone home after the Helmet races and before Ht8 and had returned with photos from that! As you say, great photos and smashing family.

Would love an answer on this from Dandelion , a few facts 1- Rob Grant got caught out on a few things the previous promotion had listed and Rob went with his heart on his sleeve and has come unstuck . 2- Running a junior side was a suicide decision from day one 3-How has the Speedway Promotors shafted Newcastle Diamonds and it’s promoters 4- The underlying issue here is there hasn’t been. the footfall through the gate to see the Diamonds survive these tough times 5- Has anyone asked for a lower rent from the owners 6- Can the local council help ?? All the above are not Rob Godfrey and his cronies fault as you call them , still awaiting a reply from my previous comment. Dandelion ??

It's sad news for sure when a promoter decides to walk away, I've suffered it twice with my team. But I've highlighted your opening sentence THJ because is it really gonna be the final nail after 92 years?...(I hope not.. ). The facts are those 92 years were not actually 100% active for Newcastle Speedway...there has been at least 4 periods of non speedway action at Brough Park.. when other promoters packed in..With therefore something like 20 seasons of no speedway racing for Newcastle's fans during your long history...92 years yes - but 72 years of racing realistically. Ok speedway is perhaps in a worse position nationally regarding fan bases today than when Diamonds were halted in the past....but the phoenix culture is nothing new at Brough and so why not be something on the future horizons again ?.... Hopefully, yet again, you geordie fans can rally round and keep the party going for many more years...practice makes perfect.

Absolutely, they've done well under difficult circumstances and apart from Scunthorpe at home, have either won or lost on a last heat decider if I remember right. Home entertainment has been good and this is important for any club and the fans have been brilliant too. We might not make the play offs but it's been nice to have racing back at Perry Barr and hopefully next season will be even better!

Looking good for Poole to finish as the 7th best team in the UK with there home track advantage Is it true that the GB girl who won the gold medal in Tokyo for BMX has booked Pooles track for her training sessions

He seems to get beaten quite a lot by opposition second strings and reserves when riding for the Aces.. Maybe its because these riders are of a higher standard than second strings and reserves in the 2nd Div? The heat leaders are pretty much the same in both leagues, but the next level down are better maybe? Thus he runs a few wins or seconds giving him confidence in the 2nd Div, whereby (usually from what I have seen), seldom wins his first race in Div 1, and more than should probably happen, doesnt even get second.. Him, his brother and Wright do seem to often be on the wrong end of a lot of heat losses in Div 1 due to their poor win ratio, and to compound it, dont always get the second place to reduce the impact, and actually run too many lasts... Hence the Aces invariably lose the meetings they do in the "engine room" of the team..

Yep that’s exactly what I knew they would do, few first bends, what’s the point. Just show 4 of the best races, would take 4 minutes.

Fingers crossed that it comes off. Cowley was one of my regular haunts right up until 2007. We are desperate for another track in the south.

The problem is how long have we being saying this for? The "powers that be" haven't listened before, so why change now?

Sad news for the fans of the diamonds, but unfortunately due to the mess left behind by you know who, to be uncovered by Rob and the taxman, this was on the cards. I doubt Newcastle will be the last to say such things, I wonder when the people who run British speedway will wake up to try and save the sport before it implodes on itself. Was an article in today's belle Vue program saying things must change with how speedway is ran !!

Well, if you are so confident, why don't you go and see the `Dugard family and take over Eastbourne. They need an inspired businessman like you. Oh yes, and while you are at it, educate all the promoters now in the BSPA as to how to do it. The sport will boom. All down to you.

I loved my times at Plough Lane, but old videos seem to tell a different story to the one I remember... I don't know about you, but I think I know part of the appeal. Shiny black leathers and gleaming chrome were spectacular under lights. The kevlars and bike covers don't do it for me. I was a kid, watching these he-men wrestle their bikes through deep heavy tracks was fantastic. These he-men called Arthur, Norman, Bert, and Fred... Now, I'm the old fart, watching these snotty-nosed, tattooed little kids called Tai, Dakota, Jordan, and Jaimon... Where did we go wrong?

Bewley is not a team rider just doesn't look to help or even see where his team mate is

Presumably they'd like to win something. Not sure i see anyone having a go at them just highlighting that they're obviously spending when bringing a new rider in. Glasgow fans are a touchy bunch.

There are tens of thousands that plan in advance with speedway - its just they are the ones that now plan not to go again......

Kemp is not free, Kennett as now retired,,for Newman no better than the two you want to get rid off. Again clueless

If the sports business model was designed to make money, promoters would come forward. While it doesn’t make money, expect more tracks to disappear under houses.

Easy. That's my era you are talking about there! Seriously though, as much as I was into the sport then, I'd be kidding myself that the sport didn't fall behind badly in that period. Some of it bad luck, some of it external factors, but plenty of it through poor management and lack of foresight. The 80s started with a host of household names....PC, Mauger, Olsen, Lee, Carter, Penhall, World Finals in front of packed crowds at Wembley, Gothenburg, regular terrestrial tv coverage, national media interest and some iconic stadiums like Hyde Road and Plough Lane. By the late 80s/early 90s all of that was gone.

Yes Masarna v Rospiggarna is TV match.

1969 was my first, and quite honestly, I don't remember anything special, other than Toby breaking his leg, and Mauger letting Sjosten beat him. 1972 is best remembered for Briggo's accident. 1975 is best remembered for the dust bowl, and the idiots watering the track and costing PC the title. 1978 is best remembered for Kennett's performance, including Mauger's fall. 1981 is remembered for TWO races. I fear that, like everyone else, you are remembering the occasion and the Wembley atmosphere, rather than the actual racing. Let's not forget the other, even more underwhelming World Finals like Amsterdam, Munich, Norden, and Ullevi underwater in '77. There was some great racing in the '76 final. Speedway fans are like amateur golfers. World Finals were mostly crap, but like that one chip onto the green that lands inches from the pin, you have one good race which makes everything worthwhile!

We would love that at Eastbourne, one last chance to say goodbye, meet old friends etc. So would Oxford, Cradley, Swindon and everybody else...

Mr hindsight always gets it right

Not everybody paid Eastboune rates though by the sounds of things