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Teams should race when it suits them, not other parties .

Yes think they would have done matches with teams further afield, these fixtures mean some" nearby supporters" may not make the journey.

Realistically it needs to be one big league only with riders committed to British Speedway, 2H2A, no doubling up, on the best race night for the club.

It needs to be a radical plan.. Five rider teams maybe to ensure enough riders fill the spots... You could have 12 teams in the top tier, 2H2A, and then 'x' amount of teams in tier 2 running at NDL level with the same 2H2A... 60 riders needed for tier one, with all clubs racing on the best night for them, and not Poland, Sweden or Denmark... Bringing back the GP stars hasn't, as far as I can see, brought back thousands of fans who have stopped going in the past 15 to 20 years, with the UK's Mickey Mouse operating model, and dozens of play off qualifiers, resulting in many who still follow the sport on TV, and going over to Poland, simply "not bothered" enough to attend the POQ's in the UK.. As for admission charges dropping? Good! So they should given there will be a clear drop in level from the current tier one and tier two. The lowering of admission would more certainly reflect the standing of the sport more accurately, rather than the current numbers which are only in place to try and pay riders who are expected to spend big on their kit.. At the NSS, as great as the racing is, it is £54 for me and my lad to watch essentially 15 mins of action. That simply isn't sustainable for UK Speedway.. Less number of professional riders, spending less on equipment, will mean less admission costs needing to be charged.. Charge me and my lad £40 and you would definitely get us there far more often than is currently.. I can watch the GP stars on TV, and over in Poland when we visit, so them not being at the NSS won't stop me from visiting... The current admission costs in place to pay them ride in some "contrived" competition, on a Monday evening, does...

I hope this works.... https://www.facebook.com/reel/545248225124876/?s=single_unit&__cft__[0]=AZXNB_GZCRss0SvbkZkFOocWF01FE-sf4LEq35EfTum7EtnGxo0HvdahsdLG_jiLjd_9ax7zvaRHbKjChfvgUUxLNJsJPBb5FilNXw7ZDN5H8E1hlevjsXp2nlodoomvAX2NuEePc8SZIzmenBlyJy982dkZ7Ig519GSuaZE-2oZ5UgUBH0fjgGiZOh6hniAnb0&__tn__=H-R

That's fair enough... we'd have to go without them

Best you find it and watch it,before you make yourself look even more stupid.

That shows how clueless you are.

Has anybody heard Nigel Tolley on this week's British Speedway podcast? 32 mins in:

Dont worry..... B'hams home average is 27.60 😀

You called?

Crap v Poor on a dreadful track, it’s not exactly inspiring is it.

Don't think it matters whether Zagar rides or not....it wont make a blind bit of difference to the rest of the season!!! His attendance will make no difference to the gate receipts.....he's past his sell by date!

As it should have been as soon as the GP rider mass exodus started over a decade ago..

Fair to say the Kennedy's have been impressive.

Even if he dropped to 4.00 as the rules were last season, he'd still be at reserve. Not a fan of the rule change, does nothing to help Brits get team spots.

Norick Blodorn is the SEC Challenge wildcard.

1st and 2nd Semi-finals Saturday 24th May Krsko start times TBC Final Friday 30th May Prague start time TBC

OXFORD: Maciej Janowski, Craig Cook, Erik Riss, Rohan Tungate, Charles Wright, Peter Kildemand, Luke Killeen. SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Josh Pickering, Justin Sedgmen, Chris Holder, Lewi Kerr, Leon Flint I think this one will be another tight scoreline, not expecting Lewi Kerr to score 16 again from reserve so Sheffield need a solid meeting from everyone. Oxford have been poor this season but just got a feeling they will find another gear tonight they’re due a good home performance at some point. 48-42 home win

Dan is still on the confirmed FIM starting list, updated 20/05. Am I reading too much into that? Or is there a possibility he's still gonna try despite the injury?

See above, 32 mins in

Having been a Leicester, Long Eaton and Coventry fan I've heard a lot of BS over the years. As a Wolves fan you're early on your journey to a return and there has already been some false hope. As for the current outbreak of optimism, as I've said before, unless we're not being told something we're in exactly the same place we were a year ago, and until the site is acquired we'll remain in that same position. Slightly related, listening to Nigel Tolley on the British Speedway Podcast, some people just cant help themselves coming out with yet more BS!

Look at the OP and you might find the answer to your question( not about Dan Thompson riding in Glasgow lol)

Would love to be with you in the trenches....

SF2 line up:

I was thinking of coming up for when the comets visit but with me paying for bsn I’ll save myself the fuel and admission costs. So you’re point is bang on

We normally get better crowds against the likes of Redcar & Workington, will BSN coverage make people think twice about travelling ?

BSN is a great service but their match selections are mind boggling sometimes.

I think for a number of those riders would choose Poland. I could see the Aussies getting together and being based near each other to provide each other with a ready made support network.

The frustrating thing is it's not rocket science. We'd lose the "top stars" but riders like Tom Brennan, Josh Pickering, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Keynan Rew and all other riders in that bracket would have to make a decision of whether to commit to the UK as the new "top stars" with around 40-50 meetings or ride Poland, and for the non British riders, base themselves in Poland.

I guess you could say he's a reserve because of his ability & a GP rider because of his nationality. Obviously he wouldn't be a reserve in most teams, whoever moves to 6 in the Lynn team would be a second string elsewhere. But much more was expected of him, however he should score a bundle from reserve!

My comment was disagreeing with the suggestion that Lambert dropping to reserve proves he is going downhill fast. I pointed out he could've dropped to reserve while keeping last year's form. I agree he's been poor this year.

Sadly though crazy fixtures again Not another home for 3 weeks especially as team on high after Saturday 2 home 2 away for each been better giving 16 home league ? And scrub early league cup

GP Rider at reserve you couldn't make it up 🤔

Not really Lambert finished last season on 5.96, started this season on 5.83 & is currently on 5.82. He certainly has been disappointing so far this season, no one can deny that, but the reason he's at reserve is because of the great form of the Kennedy's. Now there's always a chance Lambert will pick up his scores at reserve giving Scunny a strong 6&7 all season.

If everyone did this they will be no speedway in the UK very soon i go over from Hull most weeks and can see the Crowds are down and this is the negative side of the BSN deal which affects all promoters so will we have a product to stream as Birmingham are gone the end of this season

Stock cars have a completely seperate pit area to the speedway. The stocks used an area behind the 2nd bend where the old training track was- so would have no effect on the speedway. The greyhounds are going nowhere and therefore the stadium is going nowhere. Think people have seen the news with the stock cars and presumed incorrectly.

The stock car bit is correct, the rest is complete and utter nonsense. There are a few rumours flying around at the moment and people ask me if this is true or that is true, aside Birmingham closing, which isn't a rumour, all of it is news even to the club owners themselves. Keep calm and carry on.

It’s a vicious cycle really. Promoters want a winning team, at least at home meetings otherwise the attendances drop, so top riders on good equipment will usually put numbers on the gate but that costs money so it’s a difficult balance . Round about 2015/6 the late Jon Cook told me it was costing around £20k to run a speedway meeting. I forget what the gate money from spectators was but it was well short of £20k so apart from any TV money the balance had to come largely from sponsors and again sponsors like to be associated with winning teams so good riders can almost command their own pay if they are. successful. When Bomber was riding for Coventry he told me he never paid for anything and the sponsors paid for it all but I think he was the exception rather than the rule. I don’t pretend to know the details of how all this works but speedway has not been awash with money for years. In Len Silvers book he describes what it was like in the’60’s and 70’s for promoters and how most lived pretty much hand to mouth, even in those days. According to Silver, he couldn’t afford to pay the Hackney riders top dollar but he gave them a longer season to make their money up. It probably works differently from club to club. Not many people retire from speedway as rich men, either promoters or riders. Having said that, I don’t think the BSPA have much idea, at least in recent years.

GB Promoters have created their own downfall by letting the riders dictate unrealistic demands in declining sport in UK.

Possibly, however at the moment I can’t possibly see how the top flight can carry on. Brum going we’re down to 6 possibly 5 if the rumours about Sheffield are true. Enjoy this year because I can’t see a league set up next year that allows for the likes of Emil to grace these shores.

The sport does have "more than enough" of a following of those who "love it", yet what it never does is target market them.. Why do those who turn up (every year) at tracks on BH's then sometimes never attend again that year? And, more importantly, who are they? The club's spend nothing to directly market their product to individuals who actually purchase their product "sometimes", or even "semi regularly", yet spend millions on riders, who, clearly, don't put many extra bums on seats by their attendance.. You only have to have an email or a mobile number to see how businesses try to keep punters coming back, as you get bombarded with "special offers" once you have purchased something off them.. Speedway in the UK would be far more successful than currently if it just got those who do know about it, actively follow the sport on TV, and also attend occasionally, to make more visits.. You do that by using the information your punters provide and then target them with specific personal offers to try and attract them to attend.. Much easier than expecting 500 "newbies" to suddenly attend is to get 500 "non regulars" to attend with some inducements, and, as we know, the bigger the crowd, the bigger the atmosphere, meaning, potentially, the more chance of crowd levels consistently improving, as the virtuous circle gets turning.. An example is the BF. The crowd must have been around 2000 down on the previous year. Therefore all those who didn't attend, but did the year before, should by now have had an email offering them 15% off next years event.. Speedway doesn't need loads of "new fans", it just needs to get more repeat visits from those who actually do follow it.... To do that however, you need a marketing strategy fit for the IT generation of 2025...

I think Redcar look better than Glasgow currently, having seen them h&a to Berwick, Glasgow were better at Shielfield, but it was first meeting of the season, but in the away leg Redcar looked the much better home team. It’s still very early though, if Boughen picks up and Dan T comes back ok from his injury they’ll be there.

Surprised he makes it to every GP with the splinters in his backside, the bloke never gets off the fence. Too scared to upset any of his buddies it would appear. The rest of them aren't great either, though. Chris Louis is superb as a co-commentator to fill the gaps, but Kelvin probably isn't a natural lead commentator (albeit not forgetting the sad circumstances as to why he's there). The whole thing needs a new lease of life I think. The fanzone yesterday was exactly the same as it was when we went to a GP years ago. Do people really want to watch trials bikes and meet a giant mascot? Surely there has to be something more engaging? Same applies for the coverage.

Hancock is a terrible pundit.IMO

Not helped by Tatum & Louis commentating from the UK. And as good as rider as Hancock may have been, for me, he ain't cut out for punditry.

Give Lambert a break. He borrowed an engine tonight to try and get some more points and it ended up in the bin.

Busload of us Bandits fans went on a southern tour in 1987. Tuesday Milton Keynes v Berwick, Wednesday Wimbledon v Berwick, Thursday Arena Essex v Berwick, Friday Peterborough v Berwick, Saturday Canterbury v Berwick, Sunday Rye House v Berwick. Tragic thing is we are the only ones currently running.

Latest Press Release from Save Coventry Speedway & Stox. AS the Rugby Local Plan consultation continues, the Save Coventry Speedway & Stox Campaign Group are pleased to reveal details of the Consortium seeking to take over Brandon Stadium and restore it for motorsports use. As will be detailed below, the Consortium have already had several meetings with the Campaign Group, along with both parties having formally met with senior representatives from Rugby Borough Council on two occasions this year. To provide some brief background to the current position, after Rugby Council’s Planning Committee unanimously refused Brandon Estates’ planning application, that decision was upheld by an independent Government-appointed Planning Inspector following a public inquiry. With that decision confirmed in January 2024, the owners had a period of six weeks in which to issue a legal challenge. When this was not forthcoming, the Campaign Group turned its attention to the ways in which we could transition from the necessary process of opposing planning, to focusing on the pathway towards the restoring of the stadium and the return of motorsports, assuming of course that control of the venue can be secured. The speedway side of the equation was already in place as Matt Ford, the sport’s most successful promoter over a period of two decades, has declared his wish to promote Coventry Bees and had given evidence at the public inquiry. However, we have always been clear that the ongoing sustainability of Brandon is dependent on speedway and stock car racing operating in tandem, and on that basis it was crucial that we secured a stock car promoter. There are only five promoters of BriSCA Formula 1 stock car racing in the UK, and these promoters own all the dates on which meetings can take place. Those dates are then allocated to the venues at which those promoters operate. Over spring 2024 we therefore reached out to various parties who we felt may have an interest in being involved, with an initial meeting taking place in the boardroom at Nationwide Windows and Doors in Rugby last July. Further meetings and communication with the Leader of Rugby Council, Michael Moran, followed until the Consortium was formally established at a hotel in Manchester in January 2025. The Campaign Group have continued to work closely with the Consortium in order to facilitate meetings and provide the local knowledge required, but by the same token the Consortium is also acting independently in terms of the professional and legal work needed to push things forward. The Consortium members are as follows: GRAEME ROBSON: Based in the North-East and the owner of G & T Robson Agricultural Buildings, undertaking earthworks, fittings, plumbing and electrical work, and erecting around 12 buildings a year. He also recently manufactured the new 1,000-seat grandstand at Skegness Raceway. RUSSELL ANDREW: Based in Buxton and owner/director of freight transport company RR Andrew Ltd, concrete manufacturing company Kwik Mix UK Ltd, and three coach transport companies. He also has a working farm of approximately 150 acres. Mr Robson and Mr Andrew are promoters of all forms of stock car racing, including BriSCA Formula 1, under the Yorstox name, and are currently operational at Odsal Stadium, Bradford. LYNDON RUSHBY: Based in Staffordshire, and owner of Rushby Developments for the leasing of commercial property, and Jones Biomass which dries material for production into environmentally friendly wood fuel briquettes. Last year Mr Rushby sold one of his companies, Jones Skip Hire (Wolverhampton) Ltd in a multi-million-pound deal, and he sought to purchase Birmingham Wheels Park, which was subsequently sold to Birmingham City FC. WARREN HUNTER: Based in Preston, and Managing Director of Huntapac Ltd with a turnover of approximately £55m/year growing, harvesting, processing and distributing root vegetables to major supermarkets. Mr Hunter had already made an approach to purchase Brandon Stadium prior to being known to the Campaign Group, and he made a formal offer in May 2020, before appearing as a witness at the public inquiry. JOHN WHALLEY: Locally based in Rugby, Mr Whalley is the Managing Director of Nationwide Windows and Doors, one of Rugby’s largest employers, with an annual turnover in 2024 of approximately £46m and forecast to grow to £58m in 2025. Other business interests include Jooced (Jooced Custom Sound and Vision), a cinema and home automaton business undertaking bespoke and tailored installation of high technology products. We hope that by providing the names and credentials of these individuals, this will give supporters confidence that the dream of restoring Brandon for motorsport is underpinned by serious businesspeople who possess not only the financial capability but also the organisational and technical expertise to turn our dream into a reality. With a business plan in place, all are firmly committed to the vision, and the over-riding reason for their involvement is their passion for motorsport and their desire to see the stadium return to its established use. Gaining control of the stadium and restoring it for motorsports is not only the outcome desired by tens of thousands of motorsports fans in the area and beyond, but is also the best outcome for local residents who have suffered for nearly a decade whilst the stadium has been left to deteriorate, and the overwhelming majority of the local community, who have also made it clear they do not support housing development. The Campaign Group and the Consortium recognise the inconvenience and trauma that the closure of the stadium has caused and undertake that on taking control, the first priority would be to secure and tidy up the site. We have kept Cllr Moran informed throughout the process and place on record our thanks for his proactive stance towards hopefully reaching a solution. From the outset of our talks with Cllr Moran, he has insisted on a dispassionate, professional approach to resolving this longstanding issue. We have been fully content to proceed on this basis, and we have continued to furnish him and his team with information regarding our and the Consortium’s aspirations and intentions. We urge supporters to continue to contact the Council with their messages of support for Local Plan policy item W1(B) which seeks to provide full protection for the stadium. Please e-mail your messages to localplan@rugby.gov.uk with ‘Preferred Option Consultation’ in the subject line; or responses can be sent by post to: Preferred Option Consultation, Development Strategy Team, Town Hall, Evreux Way, Rugby, CV21 2RR. Whichever option you choose, you must include your name and address. Responses must be received by Monday May 19.