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From been a small lad of 5 or 6 been taken to the Boulevard by my Dad to watch the Hull Vikings and the smell of methanol ,I was instantly hooked . Back then I wanted crashes and spills . Fast forward 50 yrs and sadly losing my Dad in March this year I’m still going to my local track which is now Scunthorpe and follow them up and down the country this season. the last two meetings away to Redcar and then onto Berwick 24 hrs later as a single driver because it’s a sport I love and if we don’t support it we will lose it . Look at the uncertainty at Mildenhall now. we might lose another great club . When I worked in London approx 5 yrs ago I visited Swindon , Ipswich ,Rye House and Poole from my London Digs , Look at that small list and we have lost 50 % of them teams so what I’m trying to say is it’s fine been a supporter on a forum but if we don’t get numbers up we will lose Speedway on mass . I’m not a lover of individual meetings but love the team aspect of Speedway so let’s not knock our sport and get to your local tracks more regularly

I wish Cookie nothing but success next season, he is just a fantastic rider and a gentleman as well.

We should also remember riders aren't riding for money but for our entertainment

Both be hastily writing a column for the Dirt Extra calling out the ‘Forum Fannies’ for questioning the admission prices I would imagine.

Every other 2 pointer signed up is a good bit ahead of freeman who’s NDL average is at least a point lower and that’s being at reserve all year. No disrespect to freeman as he’s a good kid but not ready for the championship yet.

... and as an ex Poole rider he has a "Best interests of Speedway Average reduction Voucher'

Great lad and a Monarchs legend…..he bleeds blue. Will never forget his leadership during our purple patch and back to back league titles. My personal favourite was the last heat wonder in the 4s at Redcar, balls of steel ride round the boards for a max and to bring home the bling. The heat 15 masterclass with Sam against Somerset is a close second. He was more than a big hitter during that spell, more a sledgehammer, and a certainty in heat 15 if you needed it. He will be welcomed back at Armadale if that’s what he chooses…..just remember the passport to get through at Harthill.

The unfortunate facts are that as per ONS statistics the over 65s are the wealthiest group of people in the country. They as a group have the largest amount of capital, and whilst like any group of people by age there are some who are not well off, as a whole they have the most disposable income. Most under 65's have higher incomes, but are still paying mortgages and funding kids and god knows what else. But from a business point of view, when presented with those facts, it does seem a little absurd to be offering a discount to your wealthiest customers. I'll now stand back and wait for all the over 65's to explode as to how ageist these statistics are Remember folks, this is a group of people as a whole. It may well not apply in YOUR personal case.

If pensioners are well off it is because they did not have a feeling of entitlement only bought things when they could afford them and lived within their means

One of many I fear .I fear for Berwick as many of the fans attend from out lying regions and further and will have to factor in travel costs,which could sway regular attendance.The Bullets might suffer the most out of this price hike.IMO

Really strange feeling hoping cookie gets back to what he was 2/3 seasons ago even if it is with the enemy. Seems to be the most hated rider in the country and in all honesty don't know why. Even when was with Edinburgh before you applauded him cause he was a bloody good rider who was a pleasure to watch.

I haven't ben since their NDL days so can't comment on the specific of what they do now and there have been mixed reviews but mostly very positive. I think the bigger picture though is that they have FREEDOM to do it the way they want to do it and want to PROMOTE it! Promoters take a lot of stick but they are effectively in a Closed Shop that would do an old Eastern Bloc dictatorship proud. That's not entirely the fault of the current directors, its the drip drip of previous uninspiring Management Committees who set down Rule and Rule and had no coherent strategy. Of course IOW have also got FREEDOM from £10k or more BOND (£3K I understand in NDL) £15K or more Asset List (that in most cases has no market value or relevance and in actual fact is a closely guarded secret full of ex riders) £20-30k additional Bonds which new Entrants / movers up to CL from NDL have had to pay in past few years. £xxxx.xx for sole supplier Tyres that defy the Trade Descriptions Act which can only be purchased from storage in erm Scunthorpe! £xxx for Insurance whoch has to be purchased from you guessed it a Sole Agent who pays a fee to BSPL Ltd for exclusivity (Martin Lewis eat your heart out) £xxxx/xx SCB Fees to pay for them to oversee the BSPL with completely blurred lines and sharing Directors / Management Committee in part. (like a Politbureau and a Sub Politbureau) Strich Rules and a Rule Book that is a complete joke, insistence of which day you race and what you have to do in terms of reporting - even PR to a degree that has to be monitored and approved. Club Websites that don't belong to the Club, domains held by BSPL Ltd. Fines levied if you don't toe the Party Line. IOW runs via NORA... Time surely for some Clubs to work out the excessive COSTS of BSPL and the possible INCOME of breaking free to NORA.

I agree with you about intervals. I take particular notice at King's Lynn which is my nearest track, and people use the bars and eating outlets throughout the meeting, and don't make a rush for it in the interval, so an interval isn't needed from that point of view. Generally speaking, the track is graded on and off throughout the evening, so we don't need an interval for that. I often wonder why there is a need to grade the track, weather situation conditions apart of course. I know that speed doesn't make a good race, but I've noticed particularly at Peterborough, races tend to be a bit slower after a track grade. Obviously, I'm not a rider, so there might be benefits from having it graded after every four heats, but unless a rider or ex-rider comments on that, we can only guess. Going back to Mildenhall, I so hope they can find a way round the financial shortfall, and it was noticeable that the crowds were lower last season, and it's just unfortunate that due to stadium unavailability, they went for weeks on end right in the middle of summer, with not a single meeting, and during that time, the public found other things to do, that maybe they liked better or as much as speedway, so didn't return. The length of time it takes to stage a meeting in the afternoon, doesn't unduly worry me personally (it does in the evening) , within reason of course, but would of course if I had a 3-hour drive home at the conclusion of the meeting. I wasn't aware of that many people complaining last season at Mildenhall, but I certainly was in the previous season (2021), when many walked out before the end, and said they would never return, and unfortunately didn't. I was lucky enough to visit the Isle of Wight for a meeting last season, and I say lucky, because the variation of things they did, not just on track, but off too, mainly for youngsters, made the entire evening a real pleasure to experience. Riders were happy to greet and talk to you prior to the meeting and in some cases afterwards, dependent on their ferry time. Promoters Barry Bishop and Martin Widman were happy to wonder round talking and laughing with their paying public, intermingled with any duties they needed to tend to. You were made to feel a part of the event, and not just somebody sitting watching, without anybody even knowing you were there. The announcer was probably the most clearly spoken, taking breaths between a few words, that I've heard for a long time, anywhere. At no time giving race results, times etc; over bike noise, which is certainly a problem at my local tracks. On the occasion I visited, the infamous Christina Turnbull was the referee, and I found her most pleasant to talk with, and a lady with a great sense of humour (please don't come back with Belle Vue v Sheffield..LOL), and offered you time to converse with her . Yes, a really great evening out. Would it work in say the National Development League, then I have to say I don't see why not, because the IOW stage 15-heats of speedway, plus a nice variety that changes from week to week of other events, such as speedway riders racing on grass track machines or the upright engine bikes, which attracts riders that have been long retired, returning to race. If you are a sidecar racing lover, they provide that from time to time. Ladies races, kids races. I made my way back to the ferry wishing I could be there the next week, because I'd felt part of proceedings all evening, rather than just somebody that has handed over his entrance money, with nobody caring or knowing I was there. So I think the NDL could maybe try something similar for a season, and if it doesn't work, then knock it on the head the next year.

That sums it up really.£13 last year with concession to £20 this year with no concession is over 50% increase. I realise looking at the crowds a big number will be concessions so can see why their business model says cut out concessions to increase income but not for me at those prices.Won't be back.

Hey you Geordies better be careful you don't upset that tosh1218 by carrying on this chit chat

Think that'll take all of 5 minutes

Sure. Leicester - Dan Thompson Peterborough - Jordan Jenkins King's Lynn - Jason Edwards Wolverhampton - Leon Flint Ipswich - Jack Thomas Sheffield - Dan Gilkes Belle Vue - A choice of whatever is left after the above picks.

He is also near unbeatable at his new home track next year.

Rider who rides same track every week, gets good at it. Not really a surprise.

Common knowledge eh? Feel free to list them then......

Another rider nowhere near ready!!!

The criteria was that rider's had to come through the National / Conference League system to gain the 2.5% reduction.

Everything is getting expensive these last few months for the general public not just in food, energy, petrol/diesel but isn't the speedway fraternity just the same. The promoters have their costs, the riders have their costs, the speedway suppliers have their costs so it is a never ending circle. The hard core punters will find a way & budget accordingly, just as in watching other sports but viewing from the stands, in stadiums, in velodromes, in theatres I would think, is declining all over. Just watching the early rounds of the snooker on tv the other week tells me that a lot of sports are struggling & even not paying out for that "magic 147" (of which Judd Trump has done 2 in 3 weeks).

I'd take Batchelor at Peterborough on that average like a shot tbh. Do I give a monkeys if he comes across likeable? No Do I think on that average he can at least add a point? Indeed Can he find the form that once had him a 9 point man? Doubtful but he could be a solid 7 pointer.

unless he's going to be presenting TV when PL fixtures are on? I also think people are over thinking what a captain does these days in speedway, which is pretty much nothing.

If you don't want to pay £20 for 2nd rate entertainment that's fine, we all are only ever going to pay for what we value. And we all value things differently. But please stop blaming riders and calling them money grabbing when idiot promoters are paying them what they cannot afford. That's like blaming Mcdonalds for making you fat! Are you seriously suggesting they should give back what they are being offered and say No that's too much! pay me less

Totally right although I blame the countries sense of entitlement rather than the government.

I hope Mildenhall can sort something out because it's a great little venue for a Sunday afternoon out, but they MUST sort the long drawn out meetings and the high number of falls. Folk are obviously voting with their feet, get the product right and they are likely to return.

The "Must Have Now" society that we live in, is the reason why the national debt per person is so high, we cannot go on passing this debt down to future generations, sometime or other this debt has to be paid, people are going to die with credit card debts. If we ran our household budgets like the government does its finances, we would all be out on the street. As a pensioner I am only reasonably comfortably off, because I scrimped to buy my own house, and now don't pay rent. People moan about interest rates. when I had a mortgage it, at one time went up to 15%.

Certainly concur with your view about Mildenhall and credit to the promotion for making the position clear. In my experience, most meetings are completed in less than 2 hours and that certainly has to be a target for all clubs. Anything longer than that is just too much and a good start would be doing away with the absolutely unnecessary interval that some clubs still insist on. How many of us have groaned with disappointment on a freezing cold night when a match is interrupted by having one? Personally speaking, I have never had any difficulty with a meeting that takes less than 90 minutes (admittedly I haven't been to many). You get the same amount of entertainment, after all. Perhaps Mildenhall could do an Isle of Wight (running only at peak times (and therefore no 'fractured season') and with substantially reduced expenses). The Warriors seem to be doing very well indeed and are clearly in no hurry to return to the NDL.

I certainly hope that's not the case. The 25% rule for former rising stars when introduced ahead of the 2021 season. I can't see how they can cancel (a well thought out rule) before it ever gets used because some clubs won't benefit from it! I was delighted when it was first announced, thinking they're putting British riders first & trying to ensure the biggest improvers don't then get dropped (as can happen frequently sadly). Look at how Poland treat their youngsters 2 x U21 riders at reserve all year. When Smektala & Kubera were the strongest juniors, they didn't cancel the rule because it helped some clubs (i.e Leszno) more than others!

I feel so sorry for Mildenhall as I enjoy my Sunday afternoons at West Row. I agree with your comment about taking 2-hours plus for roughly 15-minutes racing, but that applies at almost every track. But on the flip side of the coin mate, would the public be prepared to pay their money to travel goodness knows how many miles and hours to be at a venue for around an hour. Buxton were a class act at getting meetings done and dusted in a reasonable time. I really don't know what the answer is, but I just hope somebody comes up with one for the sport in general, because it's dying in front of our eyes.

There was a reason why the crowds dropped so dramatically in my opinion and if they can address that then I think they could carry on and be viable. No doubting the commitment of the promotion and the volunteers behind the scenes but meetings must drag on for over two hours for just 15 heats.

Here you go mate -some more ex-Bears for you to add into your ponderings Adam Roynon Jake Allen Carl Wilkinson Michael Palm Toft Ben Barker Mikel B Anderson Kyle Bickley Good luck - should keep you occupied till 7pm tomorrow

.04 shhhhhhhhhhhhh Maybe no one will notice...

I was looking for a season ticket to Bandits only too, but I doubt it’s going to be double header with so few fixtures in the calendar, bar possibly when Leicester and Oxford come. They’ve got Bullets prices, and didn’t advertise double header prices. The rise in admission is a joke and I will now be thinking twice each Saturday before going, which I’ve never done before. Normally you’re deciding between something on the TV, or who the opposition are, now I’ll be bringing personal finances into it too as £3 more, to watch a worse team, is excessive. Adding to that, Bullets were £10 this season on the gate, and are now £14! £4 extra for NL is ridiculous. Concession’s prices, whilst don’t affect me, worry me, as there will be plenty who can’t justify that price hike. And for people saying just book online, you used to get £1 booking fee last season, see no reason why it won’t still be £1. So you’re only saving £1 not £2 by booking online.

Please, enlighten us with names? You have often said that you are not a supporter of Scunthorpe & going by your other posts on threads, NOT a supporter of speedway. Why bother?

I think Batch got a lot of hatred from fans last year which he didn't warrant. Yes sometimes he gave up at the back but the poor guy was chucked at number 5 because a guy who started 2 points in the averages ahead of him didn't turn up last year! Batch lost 0.10 off his average when riding at 5. King dropped 1.19 off his average but because he was trying the non existent outside line all year no one can say a bad word about him! And he got 2 brand new engines which didn't help him either

His form did tail off towards the end of the season and because of the way they now calculate the averages it dropped his average back down to the 5 and a half mark which he started on. He was averaging mid to high 6’s most of the season. Another example of the way these daft averages now work is Josh Pickering. Was averaging high 7’s at one point but after a few weeks of his scores dropping off towards the end he’s now on an average of just over 6. Anyone signing Batch on 5 and half is NOT getting a poor signing. Anyone claiming otherwise is blinkered by their dislike of him.

Seriously though who cares? Nobody has to socialize with him

I think many would say that he doses not come across as a particularly likeable person

Must admit I am at a bit of a loss as to the Batchelor hate - he had a decent enough season, he tailed off towards the end but mid season he was pretty much unbeatable at Foxhall for a few matches. As usual a couple of wets on a forum think they speak for the 1800 regulars at Foxhall! I think his Sheffield season is best forgotten - it just didn't work out - when I attended the last Ipswich match at Owlerton he was getting hand signs and everything from grown men who should no better - one spanner who looked like he didn't even had the strength to ride a push bike was giving it the old hand job signs - sad speciman!

25.99 leaving 14.01

Aye, but they would've turned up if it was good!!!

I’d pick Allen over them pair of ausies

Because fans dont need to know these details... Just pay your 20 odd quid or more, and be quiet.... The BSP know best. .

Jenga on previous posts it mentioned weekend afternoon meetings, then in last week's speedway star 3pm Saturday afternoon was mentioned, would think all will be revealed soon after a local management meeting. UTC

Writing or not !! Speedway has gone for the foreseeable at Newcastle

I get the full state pension plus a small private pension cant live on that so I still work part time so I can manage must be hard if u rely on the state pension only

Adding my 2P's worth (though a good few years off being an OAP myself), one very well known ex-promoter didn't offer an OAP discount - despite actually being an OAP .....