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As some of you may know, for my sins I am Director and minor shareholder in Birmingham Speedway. Now isn't the right time for me to comment on the rights or wrongs of Promotional decisions on team building etc. Nigel Tolley has bankrolled the club for the past few seasons and for that the Brummies fans and sport in general should be grateful, otherwise the club would have folded at the end of the 2022 campaign and a poor team is still better than no team at all as I am sure many fans of defunct tracks would agree. With 2025 being the final year for the club at Perry Barr, Nigel obviously wanted it to be a successful one, so his plan was to put together a side that on paper looked as if it would be in with a shout for the play-off's. As I say the make-up of that team or planning around it isn't for me to comment on at this time, but what I will say is that unfortunately the support in terms of numbers coming through the doors and promised commercial deals have failed to meet expectations. I am not sitting here typing this to disagree with anything people have said on this thread, far from it. I am just highlighting that intentions were for the best even if execution wasn't and that expenditure had to be reduced to ensure that the club continued to fulfil all it's obligations. Cheers, Paul.

EXACTLY! Grateful or not ...the 'product' has been poor, season after season since Tolley took over...it's not hard to work out why!? I'm not sure that I agree with having a team to watch is better than nothing....just my opinion!

Covid 🙄Was thinking of coming to this but instead I will spend my hard earned money going to see the loch ness monster, funny enough that doesn’t exist either, at which point does British speedway start treating its customers with a bit of respect

I was concerned that this might happen with Ashton, how many times have we seen someone stepping up to soon in the past? i personally think he should have had another season in the NDL to learn more about the sport, I really do hope that this is not the last we will see of such a promising talent.

600 to (on a good night), 800, was never going to sustain a competitive team in Div 1.. And, before some come on and say previous promotions did it, they didn't have to lay out big money to expensive top riders as very few rode over here for several of those seasons.. And they also often were in the lower leagues that crowds of 600 to 800 could be coped with... They simply should have been allowed to ride Mondays in Div 2... If that meant a few "guesfests" then so be it, (what's several more added to the overall total?)....

Even that money was mismanaged, it was alleged (that as a thank you) the guy ( Russell) who arranged the Sky deal allegedly pocketed a large chunk of it every year whilst grass roots got bugger all.

Should never of been in the top tier in the first place. awful crowds and not helped by the muppets who run the sport in the UK by pretty much forcing them up. there is certainly no danger of ending the season on a high with these type of signings. the club is run as an absolute joke. Why did everyone know MJJ was only riding till May before the season started yet the club said idiot all about it, just like they did a while ago with the Adam Ellis signing. ever since Birmingham have came back around 2007 they have proved the crowds just arent there. They are national league standard.

Your attire is as good as promoting the sport gets in this country. Fair play. I’ll be wearing a black tee shirt emblazoned with RON MAIDEN on the front. I tell people that he’s the uncle of Steve Harris, but truth is, the letter ‘I’ recently came off on the transfer in the last wash.

I was there too! Yes it was expensive but it was 3 hours 10 minutes of non- stop entertainment. I'm going to see Maiden on Saturday at the Olympic stadium, again around the £100 mark but again it'll be around 2 hours of non stop entertainment... although they are operating drummer replacement lol

It may have some legs. I heard the presentation at WSRA lunch. Worth reading the article I would think

The team he put together that had MJJ leaving at the end of May was only ever going to make the play offs if Brum had ridden all of their league matches before his contract expired! The fans ain't daft, despite the silence from the Birmingham promotion they know when they're being mugged off, like they were mugged off in a previous year with the short term signing of Adam Ellis.

Would've been better off signing another 'Sam Hagon' if there is one? Give youth a bit of experience.... Barker's signing will only reduce attendance levels! This Tolley/Rogers combination is the most inept promotional set-up in the Clubs history...bar none! God help the next Club that they extinguish!

It goes to show just how good the NSS is that it’s so hard to them ride it effectively, some tracks you put two riders side by side and there is no room to pass no matter how fast you are, the NSS is a dream for real racers who can move the bike. Can you imagine how Mark Loram and Joe Screen would have done on this track.

One thing missed with all the chatter on here was the excellent team riding from Harris & Cook over Jaimon. It’s not easy to do that at the NSS even if the track is more difficult to pass on like last night. Don’t know if it’s out there or if Lynn can get hold of it but it’s worth a watch. Best I’ve seen at home.

Thoughts with the Birmingham fans at this difficult time. Maybe he was signed as he still has his Brummies kevlars in the workshop, whether he can still fit in them is another matter.

The front cover of this week's Speedway Star has just been released. One of the headlines is 'Wimbledon...New hope for Dons revival.' MUST. STAY. CALM. My heart is racing just thinking that this could happen. I never thought I would potentially see us return in my lifetime, and tomorrow can't come soon enough to read about it.

Agree on every point apart from the 15 mins of entertainment... There is zero to keep me entertained during the gaps between racing.. 1970's music? Really? I attended an indoors MX event in MCR ten years ago and every Speedway promoter should have gone to it... The on track action was only a part of the evening.. You could win a mini MX bike, (just £5 a text), and 1000's of dads texted in. (Me being one).. They fired, via air gun, t shirts (all small so kids got them), into the crowd, and my lad got one... Each rider had a merch stall, with shirts, photos, selfies etc.. And Monster Energy Girls... (Ahem)... The guy in the middle kept the evening flowing, the music reflected the hi octane, adrenaline fuelled sport... And I didn't have a clue who anyone was but paid seventy quid for me and my then 12 year old lad... And it was worth every penny.. Some on here say that the gaps between races is a chance to talk with those they stand with and haven't seen since the last meeting, which is fine.. But what do those attending for the first time do? Twiddle their thumbs? A high octane, adrenaline fuelled sport should have an off track package that reflects it... UK Speedway's off track entertainment is truly dire...

I'll be the one at the front in my camper chair wearing my Leicester Lions jacket with "Happiness is 40-38" sew on badge attached!

No support band didn't help either, everybody trying to get in at the same time... at least the singer wasn't pulling pints behind the bar 😂

Yes it was great value at £100 but some tickets were £300+. I would have loved to have gone to the black sabbath gig but I can’t justify that price of over £200 a ticket, did you enjoy the K2 security shambles of getting in to villa park ?

Is Bomber singing insted of Bruce?

100℅ agree... Charging me over £70, for 15 minutes entertainment, to watch a competition where it really doesn't matter who wins it, and providing competitors with 12 months money, for less than six months work... In front of circa 1000 fans... Will never work... My lad plays semi pro football and plays in front of four figure crowds, which UK Speedway would kill for, but none of them has to spend £20k on their kit, and, therefore, none of them, expect to not have to work six months of the year on the money they get paid... The UK Operating model is simply not for fit purpose, and has been so for decades... It sounds like someone has finally realised that.. Unfortunately those who have suddenly realised this have also been running the sport for the past decades... Not holding out any hope...

We know all this but it’s more than speedway itself now,the country is going broke, at this point unless the finance is changed nothing else will make a difference

A Mickey Mouse Sporting League.. Four guests and RR? Not a problem, please take it seriously like we do, and form an orderly queue... Swapping two guest riders (so they ride for both teams) in the middle of a play off final ? Not a problem, please take it seriously like we do, and form an orderly queue.. Bomber helping Ipswich knock BV out in the semis, and then representing Sheffield to beat Ipswich in the final? Not a problem, please take it seriously like we do, and form an orderly queue... First v Fourth in the play offs? (Unless of course commercially it is better to change the rules?) Not a problem, please take it seriously like we do, and form an orderly queue.. Adam Eliis and MJJ only agreeing to ride for the first few weeks of the season, and their club, and the umbrella organisation, not informing the fanbase? (And then making them out to be the bad guys, even though all on here knew the reality).. Not a problem, please take it seriously like we do, and form an orderly queue.. For me, the wife, and my lad, it is over £70 to attend... Come on UK Speedway, treat us with a modicum of respect as to what you serve up.,. And, who knows, we may attend more...

This from a mere 22 years ago, sky has come and gone, Cardiff has come and gone, many tracks have come and gone, mainly gone... what was under discussion then is still under discussion today, to think that some of the posters on this topic then were young men 😂 Many have long since left the forum 😟

We now have some of the best riders in the world finally on British shores. Yet people still would rather “pick and choose” their meetings and not support the sport. There is no excuse. People on the forum need to actually start attending matches and helping the sport out inside of constantly moaning about this and that. Latest I heard was most matches are “qualifiers” for the play offs. That’s an embarrassing reason to not attend. Polish fans could think the same around this time of the season but they love the sport and just go to watch races. Too much negatively on this forum. Turn your phone off on a Monday or Thursday night and actually go out and watch some speedway instead of just chatting BS. Belle Vue have two of the best riders currently in the world but still can’t be bothered to attend until September as they always state… why?

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see them back. I used to live in Leatherhead for a while (1980's) and watched the Dons most weeks, but regular speedway back in London, does sound unlikely, but would love to be proved wrong!

I’m led to believe this is a major overall, I think it centered around the finances of the sport, I heard a proposal a few weeks back which is a major change and it’s not going to sit well with some but I don’t see an alternative,not saying this is the way they are planning but the sport in Britain more than ever is broke and the country is heading the same way,whatever the outcome the end result has to be cheaper admission for fans and a £1 here or £2 there ain’t going to cut it

As much as speedway is its own demise, the current worrying trend in attendances is in part down to the financial crisis currently hitting the world, people are starting to feel the pinch and are picking and choosing what they attend, it’s not just speedway it’s everywhere,every entertainment business, I think it has finally registered at BSPL towers and I’m led to believe that a huge shake up for the sport is happening this winter, it’s very hush hush at the moment but let’s hope it’s just not a new helmet colour

I remember attending PB when Lakeside Hammers rode there and there less than 350 in attendance( I was with a Berwick follower who was in the area for work purposes.He couldn't believe it😮)☹️

Live updates tinight https://rs.dmusport.dk/loeb/6981 Live link http://video.ucoz.lv/index/live_stream/0-5 meeting starts 6pm UK time

The trouble with a lot of folks who criticise clubs in the main havent got a clue what they are talking about and some don’t even go but want their say,this isn’t to say promotion’s are not at fault some of the time or indeed a lot of the time, I know one fan who hasn’t paid to get in a meeting for around 30 years but slags speedway and the last few years Birmingham off every chance he gets and most of what he says is complete crap but social media has given him a voice and doesn’t he just use it, shame he has no ideas, no clue and never ever anything constructive to say

Nicolai Klindt back to reserve from July 1st and veteran Dane, Niels Kristian Iversen, will be the new Stars number 1 👍🏻 this has to be the order for me… 1 Iversen, 2 Lawson, 3 Harris, 4 B Cook, 5 Kvech, 6 Klindt, 7 Scott/Harrison

The last flat track a few weeks ago was free entry, 140 riders racing went on most of the day, I was down for a couple of hours looked to be well organised, bikes waiting for next heat before the previous one had finished

How many handles and heads has the old broom had?

Any chance of a guest then? 🤔🤞🏼

Mark Loram could ride any track though he was never a fan of the big open spaces ones … he preferred the tracks where you had to use your brain and throttle Go see you tube videos of Mark at Wolves or Eastbourne or Arena even Poole …. Absolute master

Good call. Should have thrown a curry at William Cairns, wouldn't have to had pay top dollar and may have put some bums on seats and given Cairns a taste of PL racing with zero pressure

poetry!! The british final final is the sort of race we all want to see. Surely Harris needs a season at the NSS before he ends his career? I remember seeing Screen and Loram at Owlerton in the SWC in about 2002 and it as a great meeting before the rain intervened to end it early!

During the boom years of the seventies no investment into the sport was made and so began the slow downward spiral that has led to the current situation.

... Jen Crossland

When the announcer starts reading out the crowd names and changes to the riders, you know it’s as low as it can get!

Whilst it’s an opportunity for youngsters to ride the fact they can’t field four rider sides on a regular basis is a sad sign of the state of the sport . it’s dying from the bottom up !

Don't blame Tolley for cutting costs with the amount of money he's put in. Season's over for Birmingham anyway and the fans wouldn't even turn up even if they got an Ekstraliga rider in imo.

Maybe Wroclaw had paid for his physio...?

Many years of burying collective heads in the sand, and not listening to those who have drifted away, but still closely follow the sport, has delivered what we have today... Not sure those who have put the sport currently where it sits, are in anyway capable of sorting it out to be honest. The issues, and their obvious solutions, have been staring them in the face for two decades at least, and they have steadfastly ignored them... What will suddenly make them capable now of having a clear vision for the growth of the sport?

I don't think you realise who you are talking to here. Brum has plenty of experience regarding feigning injuries, question is does Brady get paid when he's "injured" and missing?😃

Pretty sure I heard that Poland are dropping the under 24 league next year so guess there will be a lot of Europeans looking for rides in the uk

Friday’s matches line-ups Lublin v Grudziadz- start time 5pm UK time Lublin 9 Kubera 10 Lindgren 11 J Holder 12 Cierniak 13 Zmarzlik 14 Przyjemski 15 Banbor 16 Grudziadz 1 Fricke 2 Lidsey 3 Tarasenko 4 Miskowiak 5 MJJ 6 Malkiewicz 7 Przanowski 8 Gorzow v Wroclaw- start time 7.30pm UK time Gorzow 9 O Fajfer 10 Thomsen 11 Chatlas 12 Vaculik 13 Lebedevs 14 Paluch 15 Krok 16 Wroclaw 1 Kowalski 2 Janowski 3 Laguta 4 Bewley 5 Kurtz 6 Krawczyk 7 Kowolik 8

Of which he is neither