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Lawson gets grief for either being late or just on time, and for bikes not being spotless.. Yet holds down a full time job and has a young family... When the sport was in its halcyon days the minority were full time professionals, with the majority seeing Speedway as a very decent second income, with many able to earn in one night of Speedway what they earned for a week in their "main job".. Nowadays we have reserves trying to be full time professionals... It's total madness from a business and operating plan perspective.. Especially as winning any of the comps has no real value or worth...

That really is the problem with speedway. It's not a business, it's a sporting activity. Certainly in the UK. The sooner speedway realises it is an amateur sport and stops pretending otherwise, maybe it will survive going into the future, in my opinion.

Redcar must have serious questions for their riders, they've just been beaten by what was virtually a three man Berwick team.

Back in the day riders turned up with bikes strapped to the boot of the car and poor Terry Stone regularly turned up at Rayleigh with dirty bikes seemingly having some sentimental value for the dirt of Bradford, Canterbury, Eastbourne etc. Eventually he took on board the point and eventually turned out for each meeting with spotless bikes, you could eat your dinner off the mudguards. Those were the days because as you said they rode in addition to the main job and it could earn them good additional money. For anyone old enough, after a meeting at Rayleigh the riders all met up at the Blinking Owl Cafe on the A127 and many a supporter joined them. It was a better time for the image of the sport and while the racing may not be as fast and furious as today, it was competitive and young riders were given chances that only today’s youngsters can dream about. Some made it others battled through but you got to see an aspiring young newcomer take on a heat leader and my abiding memory is Rayleigh versus Boston and Ivan Miller a grass track rider beating Arthur Price a heat leader for Boston. Compared to today’s homogenised offering the sport in those days offered opportunity and a chance for success on a level playing field with bikes that were basically the same and anyone old enough will remember riders winning a race on the ‘track spare’. It just would not happen today and more is the pity.

I go to watch my team ride speedway win or lose,have seen glory days and bad days ( 1980) but its my team would never not turn up and there are lots like me,perhaps just not enough .

So Rowe of Sheffield guests FOR Ipswich after guesting AGAINST them for Leicester in the previous meeting His performance in each meeting will potentially affect who makes the play offs and in which position (including his own team) Just as well it means the lesser part of feck all in the scheme of things

Depends on your definition of boring. Season after season of gate and go but some fireworks and a shiny trophy at the end of each season, or season after season of meetings with most meetings worthy of season finale standard? Your trophy cabinet might be bursting but your track is far from anything to be proud of. Success at the cost of the sports integrity.

Bomber has had so many brainwashed for years, as the ultimate team man and ride through fences for the fans, been making good money out of this persona for years, seems in his old age he’s forgot the camera and the fans could still see him. His statement just makes no sense when you watch the video, he’d of been better of making no statement at all just made himself look a bit silly.

Painful to see sides ravaged by injuries and absences, especially at this end of the season. Jason Edwards isn’t a number one and Dayle Wood isn’t a number four; he’s a reserve. If Morris is out too, then it’s verging on ‘what’s the point’ territory. I’ve no idea what the solution is. We have a key fixture against Poole tonight and we’ve got Anders Rowe who is highly probable to give us a Drew Kemp level of guest performance. Meanwhile, Poole are missing Rushen and no-one seems to know why. The losers are the fans and when that keeps happening, the sport is edges closer to somewhere we don’t want it to be.

Nothing wrong with the racing; hard but fair. Harris went over the top afterwards and should face consequences for it. It was described as 'loutish' earlier in the thread which feels bang on.

Barker busted a gut to try and get past Chris but its not his fault the track is so narrow, it makes it very easy to block, but the way Baker acted after is typical of the petulant attitude he has always had when he does not get his way. Bomber acted totally out of character so whatever Barker said to him, must have been out of order.

Christ no Bomber would mean the end of both leagues given the struggle for riders.

No, you only get banned for not turning up... Plus... Any ban for Bomber would mean about five teams short of a rider...

The positive social aspect of how the sport was, shouldn't ever be understated... Even into the mid 90's the BV riders would be in the bar having a drink and signing autographs with the many fans who stayed to have a beer... Supporters Clubs across the country arranged away meetings coaches and held regular social events through the season... The operating model was always "a bit Mickey Mouse" (but obviously nothing like today's Guestfest version), however, the social aspect of the sport kept people engaged and invested in the teams, so therefore they attended regularly... Teams who were, most weeks, your own riders, or riders doubling up who had been loaned out by your team to a Div 2 track for their development... Nowadays it looks like Teams are put together the night before, with anyone and everyone in the frame to ride for your club on a adhoc, horses for courses, basis.. And, some riders will leave the stadium almost before Heat 15 has started if they have a very early flight the next morning from an airport miles away from the track they have raced on... The whole thing needs urgent review and a complete overhaul and reset... Start UK Speedway again...

Far from it, Lynn and Ipswich are in a three way battle for 3rd and 4th with Sheffield. Plenty to race for last night! I suspect Poland's aim eventually for the real golden nuggets like the Young Danes, Poles and Cairns/Rushen would be for them to just ride for their Polish club and a league in their own country or Swden in the Poles case. And I suspect the once a week routine of Denmark and Sweden appeals more than the UK.

A 44-46 defeat would be far more exciting than a 60-30 win imo.

I think Flint has to be in after his British Final showing and score last night. I'd probably go Wright and Ellis as the other two. We are coming fourth whatever in all likelihood but its too early to be throwing youngsters in 'for the experience'.

Take the poker out yer a*se soft lad.

If only Chris Julian was around now

New date: 07/09/2026 with the other matches already postponed. Date chosen based on the fact that they know no rain is forecast for that Monday.

Track was slick but produced some great racing, Zach's passes on Batch in heat 13 and 15 were top drawer.

Think that was Lewis Bridger not Barker

Not sure if you saw this on big screen Thursday night so thought I'd share on here. Absolute legends and Doyley 😜

Who are they going to get in though ? the cupboard of anyone wanting to come to the UK is absolutely bare.

Maybe he asked to go in it so he could lower his average a bit in order to guest in the play offs!! I bet you see a totally different Max on Saturday.

What's the difference between Vatcher and Nicki? Take out the 3x World titles, 4x World Cups and countless individual achievements, there's very little in it.

Poole get biggest crowd in Champ, so they will do whatever gets people through the door. Who has the best track in the Champ? Worky? And their crowds are low. So you can have good racing but unless the team is winning, people will not go!

Well that was a cracking meeting, didn't really expect to win, but I will take that. Freddy was great, looked aggressive in his riding for a change, expensive night for him, heard he burnt 3 clutches. Kevin was annoyed at going through the tapes, it happens. Sam, what can I say, feel for the lad but he really has lost his way. Bomber and Leon fab, have got us out of a hole last 4 meetings. Thanks to Anders Rowe and Anze Grmek for guesting, done a fair job. For Poole, Cairns was very fast out the traps and I would have put him in heat 15, was impressed with Lightcap, very good points and exciting to watch. Hope the Poole fans have a pleasant journey home, managed to say hello to bluekevin at the end.

It's crazy that British Speedway thinks it is more credible to use guest riders rather than a genuine replacement for a rider with a season ending injury. Of course, the regulation was changed after Belle Vue did that ( when the regs allowed it - unintentionally or otherwise) to bring in Robert Lambert to replace the injured Max Fricke a few years ago.

Well this probably proves that you know nothing outside your Poole bubble as he's already taken 6 rides+ in a meeting 10 times this season across PL + CL. So I would think he would know a thing or 2 about the tyres...

Barker said there would no passing because track was slick, how wrong he was, passed Kerr in his first race then got passed by Kerr later in the same race. There was passing in most races.

59 actually, you seem to have misremembered!!

But not running when a World Cup of another sport is running 😄

He did not stamp on him you idiots stop chatting complete sh*t! I saw the whole thing I was at the meeting.

Plus the likes of Silver and Thomas, and probably more... These were "Promoters" who genuinely reflected the definition of the word... Rather than nowadays where "Owners" would be a much more suitable name.. The real "Promoters" knew that getting locals to attend regularly wasn't always the major priority, (if they did then great), instead fhey wanted volume every week, even if some fans only visited once... The logic being that that even that one visit meant that person knew that the sport existed, and keeping the team in the local public awareness meant more chance of more visits further down the line.. In short, the more who read about you, the more who know about you, and therefore, the more likely they are to take a look at what you do... Todays Social Media world would be seen as perfect by some of the "old school" operators of yesteryear.... (If they avoided getting banned!!!)...

Wrong again Nellie. Cami personally or through his company has been a sponsor in the past but never a major one

Too late to sign anyone as more than 75% of fixtures been completed

It’s not the amount of points scored that is the problem. It’s the late arrivals missing track walks and parades. Not going for victory laps when asked. Dirty bikes and twice just not turning up giving very little notice. Michael lee was more reliable.

Will need to be a fookin big bucket 🤣

To be fair to him, the No1 position at Ipswich hasn't been a big points contributor all season... And Lawson isn't really a No1 in the top tier, similar to how Tom Brennan also isn't... Juggling a full time job and starting your "other job" at various places around the country, at 730pm, must be a challenge from time to time...

Utter disgrace. Should have been sacked weeks ago.

There ara a number of joint supporters of Reds and Comets, a couple have expressed their disappointment with this decision to myself personally. It is a somewhat unfortunate switch when the World Cup can be watched on catch up or recorded by those able to watch it.

Good news John is still with us alive and well going to the odd meeting at Leicester. Yippee.

Think you need to worry more about your own club than ours.

No, he did not fall. He was excluded when Norick Blodorn fell, as there was a little bit of contact when Wright made an inside pass going into the third bend on lap one. Bit harsh to be excluded for that, but probably the right decision. Wright had failed to score a point in heat one, and after the exclusion in his secodn race, the Gorzow team manager substituted Wright in his other two rides. Tough on him, I'd say. He was certainly not outclassed in this competition.

He said give Reid the ride instead of Palovaara. That would have meant they still had the T/S available to give to Morris if still 6 behind later. Surely not hard to understand?

It’s also helped you quite a bit with the riders you have used covering for Bowes. Every team has been missing riders, it’s why it’s quite often a guest fest these days.

Excuse me!!!!

Since Doubling Up became the rule, rather than the exception, Guestfests have become the norm... When riders rode for one team only, and got injured, or were unwell, meaning they may be out of seven days or so, they had more time to be ready for their next meeting... Nowadays a rider injured on Monday can need a Guest replacement on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday... The lack of UK rider development, particularly in the 2nd tier as foreign journeymen after journeymen got brought in via a revolving door, has simply led to too few riders...