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Or simply a promotion that is passing on its experience in growing its fan base to give Worky a fighting chance of becoming the success that it deserves to be. Since the Facenna's took over Glasgow, they have spent 10 years trying to build the fan base in a city that only see's green or blue and have seen what works and what doesn't work, if Worky can benefit from that 10 years experience along side the business experience of Allied then that can only be good for British Speedway.

Saturday night’s a proper speedway night!!!

Maybe if the Workington fans are not happy with this thread they could dissolve it and start a new one and blame everyone but themselves and their promotion for the direction it's gone in and how its ended up.💣 just putting on my body armour and tin hat😁

Good to see Danyons back home keep up the good rehab

Another hot day apparently. 27 degrees and another long hot trip for the Pirates. I hope they have sorted the AirCon out for the trip up😎

I'm normally on the same page as you Mike but think a championship standard league set up of say 12-14 five man teams is the way to go, I love seeing the top boys on tracks where they can truly display their skills but we can't afford them. I have said before when Rob Lambert turns up for one of his brief stints he's a brilliant rider to watch, but is probably on 4-6k per meeting and I reckon he won't add 50-100 on the gate the numbers just don't stack up. Look at Poole the other week 3k turning up to watch premier league second strings and two point men its about getting a team out that's there for the fans for 90% of meetings. The Ford's are shrewd they know moving up is financial suicide and they are a well run club look what's happended to Brum they signed Lindgren last season even with Wolves closed and the crowd numbers were still utterly terrible.

I know most get covered their costs by other outside income than points money... Therefore, surely that should be "boom time" for the clubs shouldn't it? Big names, potentially no costs, so just sit back and watch those stands fill up... Kerching .. The reality of course is something different... NB And if sponsors do cover all the costs, I suppose the question must be.. Why is it around 20 to 25% more expensive to watch Speedway now than it was pre COVID in 2020? Maybe that is a bigger reason for the current crowd levels than the level of riders on show?

My qualm about Cookie when he was announced was his off track problems, they have proved to be correct, I don’t know how anyone can defend it or stick by him. He has let the club, the fans, and his teammates down, again.

I am certainly not Craig Cook fan , but too say he is bang average when he is Top of the Berwick Averages Home and Away is total nonsense.Think most fans had doubts about the signing with his “problems health wise”.His non appearances are disappointing but to criticise his on track riding is someone who just does not like him full-stop.

That’s better than r/r for Hume.

They have already had riding here, or brought in over the past two seasons... Woffy, Emil, Doyle, Bewley, Kurtz, Fricke, Holder, Lindgren, Holder, Janowski, MJJ,, Zagar, Kvech, Lidsey and B Cook... All either Ex World Champs, or GP winners, some being multiple GP winners, some are GP riders, others being well known names, or Polish top tier riders.. And most tracks have seen no increase in crowds, with some actually showing less... Yet their costs have increased by using these riders... How do you afford even more "top level riders?" so your crowds can magically grow?

The fact that my profile image is the scales of justice should say that I only post factual balanced comments. Not opinion. Look at the links I have previously posted. It will take you to Companies House. If you would like me to explain any of the legal terminology then please drop me a private message. (In my previously life I would have charged £825+vat per hour for this service so grab it while you can). lol.

the chef has put the sausage on the barbie

Get you cook bingo cards at the ready for this one, will he or won’t he ? I’m going for cant ride cause he has suffered from climate change

I shouldn't let it worry you Gav. Good to see an Ipswich rider in attendance anyway

I don’t think one league would sit well with Chris. When you see how far he has brought the club from being on the verge of of selling to Buster to getting the backing & the right riders in to make it a success. For Emil & Jason who knows what is going on. Perhaps injures have finally caught up with Jason & Emil is having engine issues. Or maybe there is some average reduction going on. If it’s one league with only one rider above 8 permitted next year Emil on a sub 8 could be a master stroke.

I see it a bit closer than StarBoy and SuperStarsFan91's 56-34. Although the Stars will giving it 100%, i think Ippo will be smarting a tad 😃, and they might not give 5 rides to JD and Doyle if they have the aggregate score in the bag. With that in mind, i'll go 52-38. Seeing as i waved goodbye to 40 quid to the bookies betting on Ippo to beat Lynn by -4 on Monday, Id take my prediction with a pinch of salt.😆

Just a reminder to allow extra time to get to Foxhall with the Orwell Bridge works ongoing.

You suggest the Cook signing has been a disaster but when he's actually ridden he's done a good job. It seems like he's been ill a lot but per BSPL stats he's only missed 2 meetings. When he's missing you should have a good choice of guests, given his average and there's only ever one other meeting. Basically any rider except the majority of other clubs number ones. Glasgow or Edinburgh riders the obvious choice if at home on a Friday night.

Superb race that. Belle Vue have featured it on their social media. Kurtz had it wound on around the boards . Cook given it a go on the kerb and Fricke riding as well as he could to stay in front of both Aces - Top stuff.

In fairness... The promoters put demands on them to have the best kit... Which costs several thousands for two bikes minimum... To help them win something they shockingly then devalue by using such a ludicrous operating model.. An incredible business plan.. Personally, I think they should keep the top riders and reduce the "middle order" and the "RS"... As, the top riders must bring a few more in than would ordinarily go... As everyone knows, a struggling business needs to either increase turnover or reduce costs... Now, given increasing turnover seems to be a challenge, then cost reduction has to be the way forwards.. And the easiest and quickest way to do that is by reducing head count.. However, a business with seven employees wouldn't lose its top two people, as that would close the thing down... Instead it would make savings further down the line, and hope the top two would drive enough turnover... For me, five man teams, no make weights, all over 4.5 point average... That would release seven 3rd HLs/SS's immediately to potentially cover either as official "squad riders" or short tern replacements... With a six team top league, not a bad starting point to bring some desperately needed credibility..

You have to realise that 99% of the general public have no interest in speedway, they think it's very boring. I'm afraid that UK speedway is done, it's just a matter of time...

thats why l like to be at the meetings i can look at what i want when i want, 😎

Another reason regarding Admission prices is paying over the odds to meet mediocre riders demands.

I wonder if we will see an appearance from Demi-Blu Harris or some form of acknowledgment to celebrate her impressive achievement this past weekend - Would be a nice touch

The problem is, if someone commenting on the meeting says "this proves Foord is better than Starke" people are going to want to give an opinion in this, which naturally involves who Poole started the season with. If someone replied to a message on this thread on the Poole thread, people wouldn't understand the reply. I agree with what you are saying in principle, but meeting threads can expand into other subjects without that being planned.

People probably can't be bothered to travel when the meeting goes over 2 hours and people have to drive another 1.5 / 2hrs home. I am disappointed that we have a Derby Day semi-final match tomorrow and anywhere you go in the town you wouldn't have a clue. I just don't understand why flyers and posters can't be displayed. They rely on word of mouth or the same people coming back but no new customers, it's ridiculous really. Anyone who lives in Ipswich would know what I mean when I say the advertising of 'Festival of Wheels' is all over the place, why can't speedway even do 25% of that advertising. So lazy.

I like how George says Cookie is sidelined that's a new one 😂

Hey, all Diamonds fans. Have (just about all, unmarked) programme's going back to 2011 if anyone wants them before they go in the next recycling. PM me if wanted.

Belle Vue to get dicked Hopefully

With no competitive speedway or any riders, why oh why is this event being held in Croatia? To expect any of the existing riders to make such a long and expensive journey is beyond belief. Surely Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Italy or the UK would be a more suitable venue for most of the existing riders? This is why speedway is on the decline at the moment with ridiculous planning and promoting of speedway!

I have always been surprised that Poland chose Friday, Saturday and Sunday for what is, after all, something part of the entertainment business.... Who would have thought that the weekend would attract the most attendees...? Same with the GP's .. Monday or Thursday for me should have been the call...

Who's that?

Good idea. Kurtz vs Bewley at both tracks would be awesome!

But why would you sign someone that constantly gives you a headache? There is a reason teams like Workington moved on from him and they’ve been totally justified in that. The fact you don’t know if he's turning up at all to any meeting should be reason enough to avoid him and as for having all these bouts of sickness well maybe the less said the better. On track he’s been bang average imo, he’s nowhere near the rider he was years ago that would mean I could understand the excuses that were made for him. There always is plenty of people willing to defend him and personally I don’t understand it but each to their own.

Do your mum and dad know you're on the forum unsupervised?

Updated TNT list of live matches in August 4th Belle Vue v Ipswich 11th Sheffield v Belle Vue 25th Oxford v Kings Lynn

Don't worry our season will finish early September but will the pilots get all their fixtures in by season end, remember you still have that micky mouse jubilee trophy to complete from a few years ago 😁

I would fancy my chances if I was Plymouth, a lot will depend on the guest whomever that may be and the reserves for Berwick. The Cook signing had disaster written all over it from day one and those that hailed it as the best thing to ever happen have certainly got a dose of reality now.

@lewy Best keep yer head down and stick to Plymouth thread 😁

He’s too much of a moron to apologise 😂😂

Hi GladiatorPhil, do you want to apologise to Chef1 for daring to suggest Scott Nicholls? You looked like a sausage then, and you look an even bigger one now. Any congratulations to the Plymouth promotion for strengthening the team significantly? Oh, and you kept saying Matej Zagar rides in Poland at the weekend and Saturday is part of the weekend so it was a stupid suggestion. I’ll remind you, he rides in the same league as Nicolai Klindt, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him.

Poole is in the title thread, Poole riders were in the meeting, so it is on topic lol. If you want to talk about the meeting, no one is stopping you.

Foord would have been in place of Starke at reserve, if they wanted Foord he would have been signed before Starke was considered, my own opinion is that Starke was signed because it was decided not to have Foord.

Not many successful entities use an operating model that they used 50 years ago... With their reason for doing so being... "We did it 50 years ago"....

If I was Ben I would appeal the ban.

100% agree, however... UK Speedway has put themselves into such a position that they need these riders more than the riders need UK Speedway... There is simply no deterrent as UK Speedway cannot afford to have one...

28 day ban in sufficient punishment. Weak . Very Weak. If he is medically fit to race then he is medically fit to race anywher. (He would not be insured if he continued to race against medical advice) Should be given 7 days to race again in the UK for his contracted side. If he fails to do so , banned for the rest of the season in UK. This will prevent any other club signing him ( e.g. for the p.offs.) KL should be given a facility fo the rest of the season. If we have professional speedway in he UK they ought to start behaving like a professional governing body.

I totally agree that SJA is right to raise the issue that there will be creditors of the old trading company who will have lost out financially. I wonder if Comets fans who want to conveniently brush that under the carpet and move on would be as forgiving if they were owed money? Have a bit of sympathy for those who won't get a penny back of any monies they were owed. It's no wonder speedway in this country has reached a crisis point when so many questionable business practices are accepted as normal and acceptable!

In all honesty as much as I hate to say it…..I think it’s only a few years until it all packs up anyway. One league won’t do anything to increase crowd numbers & with out increasing the attendances the sport is doomed.