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I saw TBA... thought it may have been a typo... CBA

Excellent summary comments Turnip. Brilliant meeting in the end despite losing Stevie Worrall in his 2nd ride. Ben Cook, Danny King, Steve Lawson, Matt and Danny Ford and every backroom helper all worked their proverbials off to get last night's important meeting on with great racing, the biggest crowd for some considerable time (and thats saying nothing about Poole's usual big crowds) and a terrific PR exercise for the Council and the longer term future of Poole Stadium and the Pirates. As the posters said "POOLE NEEDS SPEEDWAY"

I keep telling people that the younger kids in Birmingham have no interest in the speedway, there are a lot of Asians, West Indians, Jamaicans in Birmingham and especially around the area the speedway track is, Aston, Witton, Newtown, Handsworth are just 4 locations that are highly populated with the Asians, West Indians etc, all 4 locations are on the doorstep of Perry Barr there is just no interest whatsoever of the younger generations, they are into T20 cricket, Football, Boxing amongst other sports, I go to Edgbaston regularly for the cricket and its full of young people, especially the T20, it offers great value for money, speedway I am sorry is not value for money and that's my opinion, so before I get shot down remember I said its my opinion, others may disagree, I used to love the speedway but since trying out other sports especially at the CWG even I can see its not value for money at the speedway anymore.

Oh come on. I mean nearly 80,000 women managed to find Wembley for the recent football game, and if they can get there with their famous bad sense of navigation then anyone can !!!! I’ll get me coat, again

Last night at WINborne Road was a demonstration of what speedway is all about. The racing & the scoreline may bring up differing opinions but I think something that none of us will differ on was that speedway was the winner. The fantastic size of the crowd, the family atmosphere, the kids constantly blowing on them whistles (& maybe the adults in weeks to come ), kids with painted faces, the mascot, free posters & riders meet & greet......... even the usual mobile phone torch light rendition of Sweet Caroline after heat 14 was further enhanced by the size of the crowd........it truly was a magical night for speedway and there was no bigger & louder a message, that could've been sent out to the representatives in attendance from the BCP Council, to back up that POOLE NEEDS SPEEDWAY To everyone present last night, to those that put in all the hard work behind the scenes & to the riders & management all of you take a bow, u did yourselves, speedway & Poole speedway proud! Oh what a night

I thought we heard in the past that the shale was being stored in scientific pyramid shapes. I thought lessons would have already been learned by now, considering it's pretty the same promoter.

Imagine recovery from a knock in 6 days who would’ve thought.

Every rider is given a list of banned drugs when they are issued with their licences and few cannot be aware of what is and is not permitted. Very few prescription drugs are banned, only those that are believed to affect performance, often through making riders fearless or indeed reckless. I very much doubt that there are many riders “who in extreme pain and under pressure to ride have taken a prescription drug” that would be in breach of the rules. Indeed, I recall Shane Parker back in 2005 riding with a recently broken collar bone saying he was unwilling to take any pain killers for fear of breaching the anti-doping rules. Drug testing at UK speedway meetings is carried out regularly and independently and it is testimony to the “clean” nature of the sport, possibly fuelled by a fear of being banned, that few are caught. I would expect that the same systems operate in other countries which have caught very few over the years either. Your comment that “Whatever the outcome the Sport needs MORE tests and more education and not just gloat that they have caught one and then sit back and do naff all for another 3-4 years.” is, in my view, very wide of what happens. Riders ARE educated and tests are already frequent. I have no inside knowledge about the current case but am aware that there are clear procedures for the hearing that will take place and these are laid down in section 018.5 of the 2022 SCB Regulations. Until that takes place and a decision made, it would be pointless to speculate further.

So that's all that Sheffield can offer you as "fun" arnie? When it gets darker you will get joined by a few locals having a disco, dancing under the traffic lights as they change colour...

No point arguing with these arrogant root vegetables. Poole who know everything had free kids and 10 quid to attract 2000 last night. They usually have 1500 for 18 quid. So they lost a few grand but according to their owner things are desperate in terms of speedway having the stadium after end of this season according to some or next according to others. Be better if they focused on their own problems like finding some land pdq than telling everyone else what to do. Joe Mc like you said worked his nuts off, as has Brian Buck and others.. Need no lessons from Poole. Maybe when they close Brian can help them get a new track.

Did I say every young kid, I spoke of the local community that you asked about, I answered about the local community, do you know Birmingham as an area, do you know anything about Birmingham, I will tell you now that Joe mclaughlin when at Brummies tried everything to recruit new fans none of it worked, yes maybe for a meeting or two but it soon fizzled out, I will tell you now I have taken all my eleven grandchildren to other sports and they want to go back, took 4 of them to speedway and they said it was rubbish when I asked if they wanted to go again, when I took them to the T20 earlier in the season they loved it. So it's not twiddle twaddle as you say, I know the local community in Perry barr as well as anyone because of my job, and I can tell you now in 67% of youngsters in and around Perry Barr, sport is the last thing on their mind, unless they can be rehabilitated, I will say no more on that matter though

Shame it's being held at Leicester. It could have been a decent meeting at a different track, but this is just a foregone conclusion.

August too expensive for me to spend money on public transport for it called off late! Saw images of track at 7pm and thought no way will this be on. Good job by track staff.

Some fan you

i have some funny dreams lol

Haha, no not me! I didn't go last night. Weather put me off tbh. Watched the stream though.

Looks like Knudsen back for Berwick

Yes... Go to the station and get a train to Manchester..

Since when has Cardiff supported a league team? I suspect a London GP would get the crowds, possibly more than Cardiff (although wouldn't be difficult if only 19,000 turned up this year), but the staging costs and lack of subsidy from the Welsh authorities (although Visit Wales no longer seems to be listed as a sponsor) probably wouldn't justify it. The Olympic Stadium is probably the only realistic option and that doesn't have a roof, so you're running the gauntlet of high staging costs with the possibility of cancellation. If you're having to spend a fortune to adapt a venue and build a track, then you need the certainty that the event is actually going to happen.

I don't think Craig will be back riding for quite some time from what you hear on the jungle drums.

Seeing who it is the reading bit might be his defence.

I believe whippet tickling & putting a ferret down your pants are both popular things to do on the dark side of the Pennines.

Good job for Panthers as the lineup was embarrassing Lambert and Mulford

Sheffield will be struggling to fit everything in Still have 4 league fixtures , this pairs , a cup final and play offs That's as many fixtures in the last 2 months as they have managed to complete in the first 5!!

Well done boys. think we should tell Paco every race he is in is heat 14. Sam rumoured to be back Friday. Hope not a gamble.

What a daft idea to give whistles out.

People are unbelievable really. We get one chance a year to have a Speedway meeting in the UK that feels like a proper sporting event and people don't want to know about it. Yes, the track was bad this year. But the event itself was still great even though speedway fans decided they don't want a proper sports stadium inconveniencing their schedule and stayed away. Watch Chris Harris winning in 2007. The riders were bouncing all over the place, but they still went for it. Jason Crump and Greg Hancock both seemed of the opinion that this track was no worse than the older Cardiff tracks. It had improved in recent years, though, which, I guess, is why this one seemed particularly bad. I also wonder if having the practice the day before added to the track cutting up. If Cardiff ends up being dropped because fans decide to stay away then it just proves that Speedway fans really are completely nuts.

Halifax Dukes Captain Eric Boothroyd has passed away in hospital after a heart attack. Ninety five years old a great rider and team captain for the Dukes. R.I.P Eric

I was picking my mate up on the south side but Motherwell is just a tad out the way. Worth a try if it could have saved the drive.

Would appear to have been a good call by the Sheffield promotion, it's been raining very hard for the last half hour here, five miles from the track! There may well be a fixture back log for Sheffield, that's all down to the work that's been done at the stadium this summer ....... for the greyhound track.

Neither is the London Olympic Stadium in the best of areas, but there's not a chance it'll be held at Wembley. Quite aside from the cost of renting a stadium (reputedly 500-750k per day + 10% of gate receipts + costs) that would never be filled, it would be a squeeze to get a track in without substantial and expensive modifications. It's also why there's never been an athletics event held there.

Having reflected on the whole cardiff 2022 experience im amazed at some of the comments on this forum. No we are not going to tottenham or the o2 as they are premier league clubs who do not want there ground digging up for a one off motorcycle event. I attended wembley three times and yes 1981 was iconic but the track in 75 and 78 was awful. Built around the football pitch where riders didnt know whether to turn left or right and was an absolute dust bowl. Yes there maybe of only been 19000 on saturday but please explain how that amount of fans get into the nss. There is no infrastructer at belle vue. Its miles from the city centre and very little to do before the meeting to make a day of the premier event in british speedway. Lots of things played a part in this years low attendance, fuel costs, train strikes etc but as a british speedway fan im proud to say i was there for my seventeenth gp to watch dan bewley produce a bit of magic. Also i dont remember bomber moaning about the track rutting up in 2007. Costs buy a cheap ticket mine was 22.50 and had a perfect view. Hotels forget it student accomadation en suite 30 pound a night. Food and drink there are seven spoons in cardiff . Doom bar 2.49. I work in a four star hotel. We charge 4.90. Shop around . Cardiff is here to stay and thank god because it is the best weekend of sport if people would only stop knocking it. One down side . Why could we only find one british reserve on sunday. Poor effort.

In which case its very poor form from the promotion. Its been clear from the start of the season that its 2 from top 3 in averages. As i said i "thought" it was mandatory after the debarcle of the NLRC a couple of seasons ago. "2 of the top 3 riders in each team by MA, from the green sheets of the month prior to the event must be selected to participate." Must be selected, any club failing to do so is cheating the public.

Thank you for your expert diagnosis.

To get 80k there must have been some serious promotion - but again Wembley is not in the best of areas, a bit like the NSS. Now Tottenham stadium I was impressed with when I went there to see GnR.

350 to 400, and haven't got above 600 according to report in star, but point being the same regardless. Clubs have moved up and down leagues in the past and seen little change in their attendance. If you are club struggling at the bottom of the table for a number years, its better to move down and see if you can make it pay being a big fish in small pond.

Certain teams do have "NDL" written all over them... A level that they can be "successful" at rather than always being an annual "also ran", and unable to really compete in the level above.. Many Championship teams are the same, big fish in a small pond, but unable to compete with the level above.. No idea why promoters take the risks they do moving up, especially considering none of the leagues bring any real media coverage or great financial rewards.. Ego maybe? Rubbing shoulders with "better riders"? Seems daft to risk your club to try and win something that will probably cost you more to win yet not get any guarantee that the increased costs will be covered through an increased attendance.. As many have said, two leagues, one professional and one very much semi professional/new starters has to be a consideration.. A "Premiership Lite" and an "NDL Plus"... With each club going into whichever league based on their organic growth position in the sport..

Sad news - a little before my time but any fan with an eye on the history of the sport will recognise him as a main stay of the 'old guard' RIP

They were allowed a temporary increase for the Pairs to 3,000 which I assume is the number through the gates

Fantastic comeback from Monarchs to win and confirm our place in the play-offs. Brilliant team effort led by Josh.

First of all big well done to the track staff on working very hard to get the meeting on. Lots of track work and an hours delay. Huge crowd in the stadium and it would probably have been even bigger but for the rain leading up to the meeting. The track rode well. Lawson said in the press conference that he enjoyed the track and there was a fine line to get on once leading mid track. Too far out and sloppy, too far in and slippery. Ben Cook again rider of the night and next season wants to ride both leagues. Held back this year due to visa not allowing it. He had to turn down guest bookings. Pirates have a brand new mascot in Magic Pirate, who got swamped by the kids for photos. Crowd very loud, everyone went home very happy. Well done to the Redcar fans for making the very long trip down, after their rainoff at Plymouth yesterday. Unfortunately their team underperformed and it was pretty much one way traffic. Expected it to be a closer meeting but they had no answer. Next week the Championship Riders meeting.

To be fair the track looks as though it's riding OK, credit to the track staff... never in doubt Will be interesting to see how the track progresses as they're normally riding the fence after a few races, will take a brave boy to go out there!

Indeed and not least going up against the start of the Football season on a match day. I know there are a lot of football haters on here but unfortunately, a good percentage of the Cardiff crowd are casual supporters and not die hard speedway fans. Many have lost their local teams and make Cardiff their only speedway meeting of the year but regularly support a football team. Having checked average football match attendance figures it would appear that on average, over 750,000 fans attend a full programme of matches over the 4 divisions on a Saturday. A small percentage of those who might otherwise have otherwise gone to Cardiff if it was in June or July like it used to be is a big impact on the attendance figure.

19000 looked about right around a quarter of seats occupied. How many do they need to make it financially viable.

That's part of the problem! How many fans would prefer to sit on a bend in a foldable chair with a flask of tea and sandwiches wrapped in cellophane to watch a meeting? Quite a few I'll bet!

You miss the point mate it’s always gonna be noisy, but not in the row in front of me. Quiet zone don’t mean “quiet “ it means no klaxons.

They had only booked the stadium till Tuesday....

The original intended date for staging this meeting in April, generated considerable interest from Coventry supporters, so I don't see why there shouldn't be a decent turnout for the restaging on Wednesday, but of course, anything Birmingham do or try to do, just produces scornful criticism from the select few! Just as a response to Lisa-Collette's comment, all of the named riders have a past connection with Coventry including the number 8 Freddie Hodder whose father also named Fred, rode for the Bees in 1964.

Blah, blah, blah... He wasn't THAT bloody old!

Before I was born!