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Its hard to knock him really. Shows hes a grafter. Plastering alone is a physically demanding job and riding in two leagues plus abroad , hes making a very decent living for himself.

Following the Bates announcement on Monday, it's clear that the Premiership can't continue to exist in its current form in 2027. In the past 18 months we've lost Oxford and Birmingham and it seems certain that Sheffield won't be back for another year. Decades of the sport's mismanagement has finally come to a head. Bending over backwards to comply with an agenda dictated by Poland has had its day. British speedway needs to set its own agenda and not kowtow to foreign stipulations. If it means saying a permanent goodbye to riders preferring to seek their fortunes elsewhere, so be it. For survival we need a single nationwide league of 12/14 teams of riders committed 100% to British racing between March and October. A 24/26 match league programme plus a further 8/10 matches in a split north-south KO cup competition will guarantee teams a weekly match programme (just as it used to be!) The loss of a few "fancy-Dan" racers to Poland will mean much more money available to the rest who wish to compete in the UK, and a sensible rider payment policy will provide ample earnings potential for riders over a guaranteed 36-match season. It now really is a battle for survival of the sport; was it Einstein who said that to go on doing the same things expecting different results is the definition of madness?

Up until a few years ago I never missed a meeting home or away,, now I hardly ever go,, once this year so far. I'm sure I will be the same next year. Same old teams every few weeks, racing more or less non existent, no real characters you look forward to seeing, presentation still the same as 50 years ago, just bored of it now. 25 quid to stand around getting bored doesn't do it for me

I think you're right. Speedway has bred a generation of riders who want to have their cake and eat it: they want to earn their bread and butter in the UK leagues and chase the Polish Zloty to put the jam on top. This forces the British promoters to dance to the Polish tune when trying to plan the home fixture list. This can't go on. We've blamed the promoters for years for the mess we're in, but nobody points the finger at the greedy riders whose jet-setting international ambitions leave the promoters tearing their hair out week after week to put on a do-able programme of racing. If British speedway is to survive, 2027 has to be the year when we revert to a single nationwide league (see my previous posting) and riders are forced to decide: either sign a contract to race exclusively for one of the 15 teams in a revived British speedway league, or clear off and ply their trade elsewhere. I reckon the promise of 36+ guaranteed matches per season without the need for expensive international travel - albeit in a slightly less competitive league - will be more than attractive to the vast majority of riders. For the rest we're probably better off without them. And for those people who always argue that there aren't sufficient riders around to run a 15-team league without doubling up, it may come as a surprise to learn that the list of registered riders on the BSL website runs to 249 names. It's time for speedway to bite the bullet or face the inevitable.

This is such an uplifting forum. When I’m feeling a bit down I love coming on here to read everyone’s cheery positive thoughts on the ol Speedway 😁

I'll still attend, probably until the bitter end, but I'll no longer be attending matches where a rider has decided that he'd rather be elsewhere. Dan Thompson did that when Lions visited Sheffield earlier in the year and I made my protest then by not attending. Injuries are part and parcel of the sport, but riders not showing for their clubs due to riding or being sat in the pits elsewhere is the final straw for me. The reasons why attendances are down are numerous and have all been discussed ad infinitum across this forum, so I'm not going to rehash them

Doesn't make you any less of an idiot.

Yep he is the blue print for any UK rider that realises they won't reach the gp aside from needing to work on his presentation skills when turning up for a meeting he has played the game like a finely tuned fiddle in both leagues in the UK.

Doesn't Lawson work as a plasterer as well? If so good on him for earning a living away from the sport. At least he isn't one of these teenager prima donnas who get everything top of the range and turn up and span yet do sod all on track.

Yep and you reap what you sow. Don’t start bemoaning that punters have walked when you failed to listen to feedback. All on here and probably some lapsed supporters would not want the sport to disappear altogether but those in charge are testing the loyalty and patience of supporters across the spectrum. They do not appeal to the younger generation and are ostracising the hard core fan base who have been so loyal over the years by failing to be proactive to arrest the situation and put the sport on a firmer footing. None so blind as those who do not want to see sums up the BSPL and club owners/promoters who believe everything in the garden is rosey. Dream on the bunch of custodians who supposedly have the best interest of sport at heart, they don’t and they are failing every supporter and worse still every aspiring rider who wants to succeed but is not given the breaks they need or deserve.

...More depressing than a Smiths album cover!

Don't be so mean Iain Kind Reageds Iain

Because it's 2026 and not 1986

Where do live mate?.. I'll be around about seven tomorrow...

That's a good quality reserve.

Until speedway has a credible product it will be difficult to get the tv coverage it needs. You won’t attract a decent sponsor until the tv deal is in place. we need two equal sized leagues with promotion and relegation so all meetings are relevant. Champions of the league decided by who tops the league and play offs for promotion and relegation. for this to truly work it must be run by a independent board with financial backing for the teams getting promoted to not only survive but to actually compete with the others

👋 Surely the likes of Dan Thompson can't make a living from watching Speedway sat in the pits in Poland? And he needs to remember that when signing his contracts.

Crowds will probably return for the pay offs (the effort matches)... and who can blame them? Where's the jeopardy in the rest of the league meetings when the top 4 in a league of 6 qualify🤷‍♂️ It's truly laughable! Although, perversely, the injury to Jack Holder has probably made Sheffield's season a bit more interesting with King's Lynn on their heels for the final pay off slot.

Does this mean you'll be leaving the forum? 🤞😉

Kennett guesting for Poole at Scunthorpe, at reserve

then in 2027 we can hope everyone limps through to 2028 and repeat

He is a true old National Leaguer in many ways - combined both and probably did / does pretty well out of it. Means he has an income out of season too.

He is actually, possibly, the perfect kind of rider the UK version of the sport needs.... A part time Speedway rider.. Six months work riding Speedway, 12 months doing some other job...

Doesn't Lawson work as a plasterer as well? If so good on him for earning a living away from the sport. At least he isn't one of these teenager prima donnas who get everything top of the range and turn up and span yet do sod all on track.

Wow!! Marketing....????? Who knew?????

LEICESTER: Ryan Douglas, Dan Thompson, Nick Morris R/R, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson. KING’S LYNN: Max Fricke, Jan Kvech, Ben Cook, Cooper Rushen, Chris Harris, Jordan Jenkins, Jody Scott.

You'll go where I tell us to go, sorry we

I'm going to Leicester though... how can we be at 2 different places at once?

Very good Mike, if only mind it was thus, mind you i'm doing some investment mentoring to my youngest son and his best friend for their A levels tomorrow. The drill for his friend is turn up tomorrow at 10 am in t shirt and shorts on we will do a couple of hours on asset allocation start the bbq at midday crack open a couple of beers and you will be home by 2pm. Before they both head off I will shatter the illusion that unless you get lucky and have a great idea your looking at 40 years of graft so enjoy today.

Agreed absolutely as you said trail out after a hard days graft, try and find a parking space, assuming there's three in the family attending £75 odd to get in plus food and drink on top or flop in the armchair cold beer on one side, trusty remote in the other and the mrs cooking a nice steak sandwich in the kitchen and £15 laid out.

Thanks for the advice. We will try…. Have an advert on local radio over an extended period of time. Have an advert in local newspapers over an extended period of time. Have an advertising board on some of the busiest roads in Manchester. Have posters in shops and businesses. Had out flyers in local shopping areas. Have a float or attend local fairs and carnivals. Attend local trade shows. Give out free tickets to schools and businesses. Take bikes and merchandise into schools to accompany the talk they deliver on the sport. Be featured on local tv news’s 4 or 5 times between March and October. Have a regular editorial in local papers. Form a tie up with local groups and offer free entry and supporters club membership. Attend (and win) local sports team of the year awards. Constant bombardment of social media posts across all the mayor platforms. Again!

Ultimately though, it all goes back to the lack of any major prestige, publicity and financial rewards for winning any of the competitions... If the "size of the prize" was massive, so would the crowds be... If winning really meant something, people would attend... The crowd numbers reflect the apathy that UK Speedway engenders by being so (almost), irrelevant within a sporting context... How do they get that major financial backing?.. With such poor "optics" across a breadth of issues, when looking into the sport from the outside, I am sure it must be truly difficult, if not maybe impossible, to deliver that game changing, fundamental to success, major backing...

exactly this, last year the top four were decided by May what was the point in waiting months for the play offs, it turned 75% of the season into dead rubber meetings.

Problem is, We won't just be waving goodbye to your GP riders, It's now riders like Dan Thompson and co as well. Think we're in a lot of trouble now tbh.

Does anyone know the cut the host club takes from the meetings?? Has to be 40/50% at least no?? What's the viewing numbers during live and replays?? It's possible more profit could be had with totally empty stadiums & streamed meetings only.

He’s not coming back from this one.Dug well deep.

Well you've set the trap, where is he

He didn’t you’re right, but he’s picked up form elsewhere in recent weeks and is riding very well. I guess availability was an issue and they thought with his good form, he was the best option available.

I can think of worse guests to go for actually - I've seen him lower the colours of Jason and Emil at Foxhall previously, if he gates he's often difficult to beat! I would counter argue that Sheffield never have a better chance to win with Klindt replacing Jack 😉

I have been a massive speedway fan for more years than I care to remember and would always defend the sport to the hilt but even I am now starting to have serious doubts. I subscribe to BSN and watched last night's BV versus Northampton fixture. Ended up watching to heat 10 and then found something else to do as I was literally bored to tears. Yes, the opposition were poor and BV are so good on their own track but as far as entertainment goes I'd give it no more than two out of ten. I also watched the GP at the weekend and found myself running on through each race after a couple of laps and this is something I would definitely not have done a couple of years ago. Anyway, back to our leagues. When I check the BSN schedule I have to confess that I am usually disappointed when the next fixture is a Premiership one. I just find most of them pretty tedious, same teams, same riders and run of the mill affairs. The Championship however, is a different kettle of fish. More teams etc and I just find the whole league more refreshing. Give me Plymouth versus Berwick or Oxford versus Edinburgh any day of the week compared to Sheffield versus Leicester or Kings Lynn versus Northampton. In summing up I genuinely hope that the BSPL find a way to make one league work next year with a much more varied fixture list. Belle Vue riding at Glasgow, Ipswich riding at Plymouth etc really does whet the appetite. Much better promotion of the sport is required and costs must be kept under control. If this means no more GP riders etc then so be it.

Sorry to interrupt but,...........nice to hear that Cairns had a good night for the Aces, 9+2 and voted on BSN as rider of the night.

Apparently clashes with some sort of football match on the telly.

Hadn’t yet returned to speedway in 2019, so missed this, but that’s ridiculous. Good to hear the person was banned. I don’t care if it’s a glass pint, a plastic tumbler or a toothpick; anti-social behaviour needs a hard line. The law of averages dictates a few idiots are inevitable amongst a crowd of thousands. During a meeting last season, I saw a grown man steal from the snack bar on the back straight at Ashfield. Ordered, took his food & drinks and walked straight out. The young boy behind the till was in shock, but what can you do? It’s also worth noting Ashfield is in one of the country’s most deprived areas, so again, the odd Neanderthal is almost unavoidable.

Great punting,going to have to go all in to get anywhere near you only bonus is I had a small bet on Thompsen to win at 20/1👍

Landshut have longer breaks than the 5 or 6 weeks between British Speedway meetings? 😂

I saw him at Scunny at weekend. I tried to take a photo, but my phone was stuck on zoom and I only got his arm

Yeah, do you think I really care what a criminal that is the lowest form of life thinks go fkn tell him that.

This toerag is not welcome anywhere lowest form of life, complete gutter dog! Havvy and Prawn wanna be associated to this?