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I suppose I could of asked for more money but I didn’t really care, I just wanted to race speedway, the privilege of being part of a team was for me what speedway was all about, it always made me more determined to beat whoever it was if I knew they were on a good screw from their team, I think I was one of the lowest paid riders ever to race for 21 years but not only did I achieve my lifetime ambition I also did alright for myself so looking back what else could I ask for in life

In 2003 I did nearly 80 meetings with an average round trip of 400 miles per meeting, my van which I paid for was doing around 60-80k miles a year riding sometimes 4 times per week and washed and prepped my own bikes,,worked part time mechanic for Adam skornicki and sometimes washed Joe screens bikes and worked as a full time courier often delivering on way to meetings and sometimes after meetings and I did it for peanuts so forgive me if I have little sympathy for the likes of Jason Edward’s ,they don’t know they are born

And all so riders can double up.... A complete blight on the sport in the first place... And the reason some clubs cannot race at weekends even if they wanted to... An incredible situation to allow to have happened, especially given thousands of fans could see the issues years ago and openly said so, and often!!! Imagine running your whole operation around doubling up? Barmy. And it delivered exactly what it has ...

John Louis once told me that he gave up putting on second half "junior" races, because he was fed up with making phone calls, and the first questions was: "How much do you pay?" ... JL was 28 when he started riding speedway, and spent his first efforts just turning up and asking if he could get a ride, and still riding for nothing when he was asked back.

Not at Dan's level yet!!! Is what you mean... Who knows though.... Keep practicing and you never know.... Edit. I've just told my mate that Ouch was taking up Speedway and that he doesn't think he will be as good as Dan.. He said "Who the eff are Ouch and Dan, and what the eff is Speedway?".. See. Already you are at Dan's level...

Half the problem is riders trying to make a full time living out of the sport instead realising it's a paying hobby for the vast majority of them .

And the majority of the riders rocked up in the pits with 1 bike or 2 if they were lucky strapped to the back of a car, and if they had bike problems they'd fall back on the track spare to use, not like now where they all expect sponsored sign written vans with 3 or 4 bikes in the back.

Getting very fed up with this cloak and dagger situation with Northampton. I actually don’t care now if they are they running or not. Five or six teams in the league, still crap. Regardless of where they are in preparation, at least make some sort of announcement to generate a degree of interest. I set up as a consultant a few years ago and never thought to keep it a secret and not tell anyone. Would love to hear the business strategy (if they have one?) of those in charge.

Out of curiosity, I’ve checked to see if there is a Curling Forum…….and there is! Everyone seems to be very polite with nobody moaning about things like surfaces being too slick etc……Just one confused poster complaining that none of the posts have anything to do with hairdressing!

A baffling comment that Matt Ford made in his SS interview was that Poland could pay riders half of what they do and the riders would still be very well paid.... Thus, by paying riders less it would reduce the gap between the UK salary and Poland's... Therefore, making the UK salary more attractive to some riders... Maybe just paying riders what you can afford to pay them, is the more simpler idea? And, if they don't want to ride for that money, ask someone else who will....

Just imagining Drew Kemp competing and pulling up when behind pointing to a mechanical failure on his snowboard!

I sort of understand riders wanting bigger and bigger deals because unfortunately most come into the sport with the mentality of it’s my living and I don’t blame them for that, if anyone is at fault it’s the sport feeding that illusion to them but for me it wasn’t my living it was my dream and I lived it

You certainly gave 100% for Berwick,that’s all most fans wanted in them days.Nowadays 1 bad meeting and they want changes.

I once asked Mike Bowden at Plymouth why he booked me for so many meetings as I lived over 200 miles away, he said because 1 you always do well here and 2 when I phone you you never ask how much am I getting paid

As we all know there are no easy answers we are probably now at the stage of least worst choices, another big issue with doubling up is given the acute shortage of riders in the UK when someone like Lawson or Wright for example retire its not one but two teams that then have a problem of being a rider short for the next year.

Its not all down to the riders though. Promotors demand riders turn up with 2 x well maintained bikes. The turnaround time of fixtures and fragility of a modern bike compared a more durable older machine dictates that a third bike/spare is a practical option. Then theres milage picking Jason Edwards out as a standard british double upper (no offence meant) Jason has a 500 mile round trip to home meetings at Redcar. Multiply that by 10-15 depending on cup runs etc, then double it for away fixtures rough estimate 30k miles a year......who would be willing to put that on their own vehicle each year for no sensible offset against the depreciation

True but I don't remember there being doubling down then only up ,once a rider was past it in the old first division they dropped down to the old NL and had a couple years there before leaving the sport .

To be honest I’m not really bothered, I went to the IOW twice last year and will be going twice again this year, I raced for them for 2 years and was one of my favourite tracks to get too, I thought the ferry crossing was part of the fun

PREM 99.99 CHAMP 169.99 Both Combined 249.99

Never!!!!!!

Maybe if they had listened to Chris Louis who informed the BSPL four years ago that speedway was welcome at Northampton and would be a vital additional track. then we wouldn’t have this last minute rush to launch and the delay of fixtures etc.

I loved it a Berwick, the fans made me feel like it was my home and it felt like a big family, it was 550mile round trip for home meetings but worth every mile and days I’ll never forget

Many promoters from the 70's onwards made a lot of money from speedway. Very few, if any, put some of that money into the future of their clubs or British speedway in general...

Looks like Northamptons a dead duck by the stock car announcements online. Come on it was never realistic or sense just to rush a team into Brafield, just to "plaster over" the Premiership problem. With nothing firm on Ipswich its looking like "gruel around the top table in 2026". A Four Team Tournament is whats left it seems.

Once when my Star was late I asked whoever I spoke to (forget who), with toungue firmly in cheek "so as my copy hasn't arrived yet can you tell me what's happening in speedway right now ?" He answered "Well tell you what, last season Andrew Skeels (Star editor & Scunny fan) & I were on a Southern tour so took in a meeting at Plymouth & very much enjoyed the experience. More than decent crowd, plenty of youngsters, interval kid's race, good atmosphere, had us a great time & locals assured us the crowds pretty much did double when Scott Nicholls was signed. We'll defo be back"....

Traveling has always been a big demand on riders ,in the 70's we came back from Workington to Chester on a Friday night( after midnight ) in work Saturday till lunch time .Then we washed and prepared two bikes in the afternoon ready for Eastborne the next day .The rider did all the driving towing a two bike trailer and scored a paid max Friday and I think 13 from five on Sunday and he was back at work Monday morning as a panel beater . He was one of the NL all time greats IMO as well

Which makes the lack of "one league", due to the level of riders it would need, even more baffling... There won't be any other answer than to use NDL second strings, and even reserves, to fill spaces in just a few years, so why wait? At least, starting this season, give these riders plenty of rides... EVERY meeting should have some NDL level races for those who are not tier two ready currently... Instead we have... ?????????? As a joined up development programme...

Yeah Scotty,Harris,Troy.B, Lawson, King, Cook, Wright and Barker just off the top of my head are all late 30's or 40 plus, there's probably a few more ive missed and all.

You would have thought that, around at least, five years or so ago, "someone" would have noticed the ages of these lads who are now into their 30's and 40's, and thought... "Who will replace them?".... Obviously, around this time, "someone" also diluted the NDL level, and very few teams have ran a second team, or any meaningful NDL races during their meetings, possibly, due to riders no longer being assets? Meaning a team could train up a rider, financially support him, and then another team pays him more to join them.. A properly disjointed plan, which smacks of a lack of clear vision and leadership.... Which is really the ultimate issue for UK Speedway..

I rarely post on here now and it's ironic that one who has chosen to post on this particular thread used to continually trawl some of my posts that I had no option but to put him/her on "ignore" as it became tiresome and repetitive! Also there was another who frequents the forum regularly who spouts very bizarre rhetoric and opinions but I guess that's the nature of public forums and one must accept that if one wishes to participate in open discussion?

It was used as a development tool so riders could move up to see if they could compete, but with a safety net of being able to still ride in the 2nd tier if they were not of top tier level... Now it is the most important fundamental part of the operating model and business plan, even including which nights clubs have to race on... Incredible how it has been allowed to happen....

And we are running a fantastic opening night competition.... So to win it. Just answer this simple question... Does anyone know when it is??!!!!!

Planning to do a weekend away this season (Friday/Saturday), and watch a Plymouth meeting... Wouldn't have bothered on a Tuesday/Wednesday...

Saw that coming a mile away. Best start applying for loans now folks because I've got a feeling now they've got the exclusive it's going to be big bucks. I for one won't be paying for it if its big money, I'd sooner do without and just watch the GPs.

F'naaar, F'naaar!!!!

BSN have just announced a 3 year deal to stream championship and premiership speedway that's good news. prices out next week 😀 But after this winter exploits will speedway be still around in 3 years 🤔

It's gonna be more entertaining than Curling 😁

Maybe... You would also think that they would have been far more vocal in their pursuit of opening the track over the past few months.. It may not happen, but lots of updates would at least have put it into the consciousness of the local populace... With, maybe next year, it coming to fruition.. They are just absolutely "Barry White" at hype and marketing... And, having done it for a living, so much of it costs absolutely "eff all"... Especially even more so now that we live in a 24/7 social media age..

I am not sure the riders pay is the reason for the stadiums closing and there being no teams left. Most were kicked out because they weren't worth having there. Teams should have been smarter with their money about bought land/stadiums in the early sky years when they had money to burn. I still also think it should I have to one team per rider across all leagues (not just UK, but overall) and then introduced some continental meetings. This would have allowed all teams to race domestically on the weekends and allowed more room for TV deals and midweek racing against foreign clubs which would prevent against racing the same teams all the time.

Unless we get some rain offs in March and April, by May we will probably be out of BSN and KO Cup. I can see another short season looming.

That seems to sensible for Speedway.

I always felt Speedway should have officially marked his contribution in some way - unless I missed it?

... a cut back, reduced NDL!

I have watched Speedway in the USA .. Plymouth will seem like Pardubice!!!

You say it's incredible but we should've seen it coming a mile off. As said, Premiership teams can fill their 3-7 with decent riders who are subsidised by Championship clubs, and Championship clubs can get 1/5s who are subsidised by their Premiership club. Everyone* benefits at the same time as saving every club some cash. It's the sort of thing speedway promoters dream of. *aside from fans, who have to watch the sport slowly wain over years and years.

And all to try an win competitions with almost zero reward, and therefore, relevance... With their lack of jeopardy, consequence and authenticity, ensuring that the reward and relevance will always stay so small.... What a plan!!!!!

For me it doe's not matter if teams are completed with guests at this level so long as those doing the racing are getting track time & enjoying their racing. There are not enough clubs that offer any form of second half racing. Weather the public choose to stay behind after the main meeting or not is not important. When we were young & looking to be the next World Champion to travel to Milton Keynes Weymouth Reading Iwade or Eastbourne on a weekend just to get as many laps in as we could or until we ran out of fuel was what we did & never received a penny for it. The NJL is doing a fantastic job giving all these riders a chance on a race night & maybe one day one of them might be the next 6 time world Champion, everyone has to start somewhere!!!

Great piece from Tony McDonald this week in response to Matt Ford's comments the week before... Tony's views would be shared by the majority in here I would think... Also, Ben Findon mentions the timing of the fixture list and how it missed the Speedway Star deadline to be published last week.. He goes on to say how much the Speedway Star and Tracks need each other... The sport in the UK certainly does benefit from having such a professionally presented production covering it...

Or maybe a card telling you when the fixtures are... or even just whether your club is running or not 🤷‍♂️

I’m not stressed, Ian. I just don’t think we should normalise low standards. British speedway repeatedly forces its fans to accept the bare minimum as success. That mindset is contributing to the slow death of the sport we love. I’ve raised valid points around logistics, accommodation, hospitality, governance, etc. and those points don’t disappear because the inept BSPL have issued the fixtures over a month later than last season, despite the sport’s blatant decline.