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So after 4 seasons as a Director & Shareholder that's my time with Birmingham Speedway at an end. An eventful, at times stressful, at times farcical and at times enjoyable experience! A huge thanks to the small but loyal Brummie fanbase that put up with season after season of under performing teams, you deserved better! Full credit and my upmost respect to Nigel Tolley, he wasn't far short with the figures he quoted in the recent speedway star interview with what he invested in the club (there was also a six figure investment from other shareholders during the period I must add). Nigel is as mad as a (top) hatter, but I really like the guy. My only criticism of him (and he knows this, I told him enough times) is that he allowed himself to be influenced by others who failed to deliver for the club! Seeing the day to day finances and operations of the a Championship and then Premiership club is a real eye opener, so a massive thanks to Financial Director Tracey Smith, who somehow managed to juggle the finances to keep everyone happy (most of the time) a truly lovely lady, she has been the glue in a massively disjointed operation, which would have fallen apart without her. Some priceless moments over the 4 years on the management zoom meetings / race nights - I could write a book! You also learn a lot about riders, some smashing chaps around Paco Castagna (legend) Freddie Lindgren, Tobi M, Leon Flint, Sam Hagon, Jason Edwards, Thompson twins all really good guys! No comment about some mind Made some great friends, I will miss Guesty, Dave Rowe, Pete & Dan Ballinger, Chris Adams, the guys and girls from the supporters club and fellow shareholders Steven, Jake and Vic. Such a shame that Birmingham Speedway is no more, but without Nigel it wouldn't have got into 2023 let alone 2025 and for that alone he deserves the respect of those who knock him! Give us a B.....! Cheers Paul

Unlucky Aces, started decent and thought we were in for a long night but we turned it round after heat 8 and kept the foot down to get the job done. Tough conditions for both riders early on and not as big crowd as I expect but weather might had played a part. I want to mention this though… my Polish mother in law came over and she has a close friend who was diagnosed with cancer recently, and she has an operation next month. Her favourite rider is Bewley so today after the meeting we waitied to see if he would give us a minute of his time. He was very polite and listened to the story of her friend, he put his bags down and wrote a message out directed to her, wishing her all the best and signing it. For me, it’s something he didn’t have to do especially after that meeting and not the best performance but he was still willing to be a kind human to help another out and make her day. I wished him all the best for the weekend and off he went, sometimes you can get caught up in the racing but these guys are just humans like us and whether Ipswich won or lost tonight I would remember that gesture of kindness over speedway. Good luck Saturday Dan B.

And you're a fine example of somebody who loves to attend speedway meetings in person right? Shame you said the exact opposite three months ago....

They could go for a high winds setup with their bikes 🤔

If i want to go to a meeting I go to the venue. What about those that are unable to attend a meeting for family or medical reasons? Nobody is asking you to spend any money on a "cheap and nasty production". I'm not aware that there are any available, anyway. You sound like a very bitter person who doesn't really like Speedway at all. But sensible people regard BSN as a superb service, which provides people with the opportunity to watch the sport they love.

Thank goodness Howarth let Kemp win that one... or Kemp may have pulled up at the back 😁

You mean Glasgow spend money on dirt,equipment, facilities for the riders instead of trips to Vegas, big win bonuses for only the 1st match of the season against Glasgow. Are the financial reasons that bad you cant afford some dirt, diesel to run more than one tractor and get your track man an extra pair of hands ?! As for affording Nagel ,what exactly you talking about? The no sign on fee, uses club bike/and club mechanic (who only charges fuel and food), the fact he showed interest in coming to Glasgow after the SGP2 before Glasgow even approached him And your knowledge of the Workington situation isnt even worth commenting on, other than if you think you know half a story take it as you know hee haw. As for the ref's decisions, is what it is, after 15 heats Poole won, no complaints here, thats sports. But there is absolutely no excuse to scrape the track bare on every grade. Tracks come alive after heat 7, Wimborne becames a soulless dirt track after heat 7. If you have a win at all costs attitude then fair play thats your call, but lets stop the BS denial of what you do to achieve that win, and the impact that has for fan entertainment and the core fundamental of bikes riding on dirt. Ironically your team building would still be as strong as they are now with a home track prepared and graded to actually race on,only difference is fans would see what speedway should look like on a regualr basis and not just a handful of heats here and there.

Ace rode brilliant on the night and has ben the last few weeks. To get his confidence back up to the level it is has been very much a work in progress type of situation. Its still on going but we are certainly getting there. Jody had passed Nagel in Heat 6 on the line and then been all over the back of Dan Thompson in heat 9. I did deliberate over the change in heat 12 but decided in my mind that Jody was very capable of beating Perry or Hodder and deserved another go at Thompson. I agree Ace deserved more rides but I didn't feel anyone warranted being taken out of a ride. Tate led heat 14 with Ace until a mistake out of bend 4 saw him nearly run into the back of Ace and ultimately cost him 3rd place when Hodder past him. If that hadn't happened Im pretty sure they would have gotten the 3-3 that looked on the cards. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and afterwards its easy to say I should have done this or should have done that, however its a big balancing act about juggling with riders confidence while getting what I feel is the best results for the team. Hope that answers your questions Gav

Starting with your English teacher?

What is this problem that some people have with Simon lambert? Simon is still a very good rider and still a big influence in the pits with his wealth of experience and still gives 100% on the track.He has,and still is,a loyal servant to the club,a rider who gives 100% regardless who he rides for so instead of getting on his back,be grateful for a rider who bleeds Scunthorpe scorpions!

He also said we had a chance of winning the league

UK speedway was never ran professionally & the great chance of creating a future was blown when the Sky money was wasted. The fact that the poles have a product that attracts huge crowds, investment form business & more than one tv company broadcasting the league live is down to their hard work & running the sport professionally.

Oh get over yourself- the attitude of an handful of Ipswich fans on this form has been pathetic over last couple of years- constantly hounded about our track, fans and riders and giving a dig at every opportunity even when their teams aren't involved in it. Do I think most fans want to see Sheffield open? Absolutely. but with way the club has been lambasted by some i also feel there's some that would relish seeing the demise of the club i support. I'll leave it there. If people agree or disagree I don't care anymore. Outside speedway I'm a Wednesday fan so seeing both clubs you support potentially go to the wall is pretty draining.

I'm fed up with people picking on Tatum. He does a good job and is enjoyable to listen to, get off his back!

If the fixtures throughout the season were better organised, rather than having gaps of three or four weeks between fixtures, it wouldn't happen. But it happens year after year and they never learn from it, which, for me, is total incompetence.

1. Leagues to be run on the Danish system of 5 rider teams with maximum of 1 GP rider per team. 2. Each team to name a squad of 6/7 riders. 3. Teams to run on their preferred night and if rider/riders are unavailable, National League riders to be drafted in. 3a. No guests under any circumstances, redeclarations allowed once per month. 4. North League; Belle Vue, Sheffield, Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Redcar and Workington. South League: Poole, Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Leicester, Oxford, Plymouth and Scunthorpe. 5. Teams having National League teams to stage meetings after main meeting with same format as Danish system. 6. Teams not having National League teams to stage second half with minimum of 6 heats. 7. North and South winners and second places to meet in semi finals and final. 8. League cup to consist of all teams and drawn in first round with 1 from North and 1 from South. Overall winners of each match through to quarter final with team losing with highest aggregate score to go through also. This is all fantasy, but something needs to be done now. Everyone to look at the big brighter future and get over themselves.

i daresay Lambert has done much more for the sport in this country than your stupid comments every week.

Agree but perhaps giving the punter what they want with a weekend race night does possibly reduce the odds of losing so much money. Speedway use to be a good weekend sport but alas circumstances dictate that it is not possible albeit NDL teams seem to cope. This is possibly why a rethink is necessary and perhaps go backwards first in order to progress. I would rather go to a Saturday evening meeting or a Sunday afternoon meeting than go mid week. Thursday is OK but after that having been brought up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday meets I would not bother with any weekday/ mid week racing. Just my view and others may feel different but promoters should race on nights which give them a best chance of a return on the asset/investment.

Don't think his list about who he does or doesn't like? It's about his experience at the Club? ( i could be wrong) To leave people off is a polite way of saying what all Brummie fans with half a brain know already! H Man has closed his chapter with dignity!

But as has been pointed out every time you mention it, other people have experienced exactly the same at other tracks. It's not just a Sheffield thing - every team has dick heads !!

Taking half a meeting to adapt to track conditions isnt acceptable at the business end of the season. Did the Glasgow riders mis-judge the track walk, did they ask for it to be ultra slick, did they even know what they were getting beforehand? Whatever it was it can't happen again, we have some hefty points deficits to claw back in our next two home meetings. Its all very well bringing in Andy Meredith to boost our GP or SGP2 chances next season but if it is affecting our core product its a no for me. Lets prep the track to suit our riders wherever possible, its brings the best out in them and allows the racers to shine.

Harris is a great rider and servant to British speedway. I was there with 40,000 other when Bomber won the 2007 Cardiff GP. What a ride! He has been great and rarely injured. He was talking about retiring several years ago. Glad he didn’t. Needs a huge testimonial meeting when he does hang up his Kevlars.

I don't know but they're keen as mustard 😁

I call him the Goat not just because how many titles he has won but because his ability on a speedway bike, it is far in excess of any rider now or historically, he is an out and out racer and he has provided some of the best 4th to first moves of the last few years, his ability to read a situation and react is matched by nobody, he never jumps the start, he never has mechanical issues his discipline and his will to win are are a hard act to follow, statistically he isn’t there yet but he is 30 and 6 times winner, 8 medals in 9 years 6 gold, that is the Goat

Why do they let Morris f#ck up the track every 4 heats.Itsmust be frustrating for the riders in the 1st race after Noah has done his work.

Speedways greatest ever rider

That's crap , don't let 2 people put you of doing what you obviously love there's more of us on here who really appreciate the time and effort the volunteers do texting and updating hope you enjoyed your visit to Berwick 2 or 3 weeks ago.

... and all on the back of an army of volunteers that move heaven and earth each week to enable tracks to stage meetings and riders to earn money.

Lots of failing businesses bring in a troubleshooter to assess their business model, operating model, and customer service plan... If such a person were asked to come in I am sure they would suggest the following.... * Open your doors when your customers want you to open, not when your employees tell you they can work... * Stop opening your doors knowing you havent enough staff, meaning you end up borrowing employees from your competition, which isn't a good look... * Set a payroll budget and stick to it, and ensure your marketing budget is sufficient to generate the required interest and population reach. Don't overpay employees to the detriment of the marketing budget... * Collectively market the business nationally and target families with young kids with all season round offers, given you are in the entertainment business... * Take every opportunity when on TV to make your premises look full, and make it somewhere those watching at home would want to visit... * Ensure what you are delivering to your customers has credibility, integrity, and is done at a competitive price point that accurately reflects the quality of what you provide, not what you think you actually provide... * Have a customer focused refund system should you not he able to provide the required service on any given night, especially to those who have travelled from further afield to attend your establishment... * Have clear, unambiguous Quality Control measures in place that all must follow to ensure the brand is never damaged. As you are only as strong as your weakest link... * And. As you are only as strong as your weakest link, ensure all work for the overall good of the business, and never in isolation.. I am sure there are plenty of other suggestions too...

What a meeting Thursday could have been, a fifteen heat shootout for the league title. Instead, we go into play-offs that could see a team that finished mid-table, win the title...

I'm sorry but how can it be right that a rider finishing 3rd after 20 races with 11 points can not only lose out to a lower points scorer in LCQ1... but to rub salt into the wounds also LCQ2... what a Mickey Mouse sport this has become

I was very, very lucky to grow up watching Peter Collins.... And BZ is the closest to him from the back that I have seen... They both pass/passed riders almost in slow motion given they are/were several moves ahead.... You simply cannot take a line to block him, as he has already decided where you will go, and he will go... Genius on a Speedway bike.. And, fair play to Brady for keeping it close, given the talent BZ possesses...

Spot on comment about there being an appetite for Speedway... At the NSS there have been two good crowds this year, yesterday and the PCMM... One being ran on a BHM and the other being ran early in the season with a top class field.. If those who attended, me included, saw enough in the product to attend more regularly then 2000 plus crowds would be the norm... Running on a normal Monday simply restricts crowds, weekend is "leisure time".. Running several meetings as "meaningless", as the play off positions are set in stone from May, simply restricts crowds... And running meetings when you know (well in advance) that riders will be missing, but happily replacing them with competitor's employees, simply restricts crowds.. It costs me over fifty quid for me and my lad as he works PT and has much better things to spend his money on, meaning we attend three, maybe four times a season.. Get it down to thirty quid for us both and it would easily be double figure attendance for us both... Personally, given the Mickey Mouse operating model, neither of us care who wins (like many others who sporadically attend), as the credibility of the competitions is almost zero, but we do love watching the racing at the NSS as it can be breathtaking... As you say, that disconnect needs to be sorted... They could start by running meetings on the best night for the fans to attend in the highest numbers.. Run with less riders per team to make supply exceed demand for adhoc and longer term replacements, which then brings credibility.... And set an admission fee that reflects the standing of the sport in the UK, and the 15 mins or so of entertainment that is actually on offer... The core product is still very watchable, the nonsense surrounding it doesn't do it any favours...

Fricke is a class act in this country

Would take Morris back at Berwick on his average,owes the Club for giving him his chance to come back.That means nothing nowadays though,£££ matters.

He will be on the cash only turnstile !!

But the season isn’t “Over” is it? 🙄 Couldn’t have said that better myself. This sport collectively attracts the most miserable buggers on earth unfortunately. Whinge after whinge after whinge. Speedway in Britain has always had a finishing date of October 31st. There’s plenty of time to fit in any remaining fixtures. We at Ipswich used to run fixtures right up until Halloween in the not too distant past, with people dressing up in Halloween costumes and prizes awarded to the best outfit!

I do feel some people are going a bit overboard on the cancelations, especially in the PL. The season does not finish until the end of October, so there's still around 6 weeks to run 4 matches. The alternative is to finish up by the end of August... and people would be complaining about that. I think it's more imperative that clubs invest in track covers more than ever, with riders not wanting to ride at the slightest site of a wet track these days, track covers would certainly allow many of the fixtures to take place when there's been the 4 o'clock shower that leaves a track saturated and the sun is out at start time. The CL on the other hand, that does seem to be a bit more shambolic with all of their competitions still having a long way to run.

A simple rule !!! If riders are tied after 20 heats it goes to wins, 2nds and 3rd’s - if that cannot split them then the fastest time set by each rider is the determining factor. It shouldn’t be but it is. All because they couldn’t work out who beat who in the 4 rider tie in Cardiff in 2024.

Only rider who deserves a wild card is laguta who was robbed of defending his title by the woke tossers that are the FIM

After the complaints about Kurtz and Bewley on Thursday night, it was good to see Fricke and Holder on Saturday prioritising their Prem SF commitments 😉

As you have no idea whats going on between the two clubs and the riders availability , or even if its Poole who cant fit it in, I think your comment is pathetic.

And right there is why I will always want zmarzlik over Kurtz to be world champion, zmarzlik would never of put a ride in like that, he would of busted a gut even for a single point, Kurtz didnt try

I would wear the chocolate hat!

Is it me or is there a deafening silence from AceBelle

Glasgow supporters go to see good racing and I doubt if anyone will be abusing Poole riders win lose or draw.

You guys do a fantastic job that many people appreciate .

He is using a local NL riders equipment only thing that’s different is he has had a drive belt system fitted to the bikes to keep them like his Danish bikes

When the sport was "successful" it had only the top riders as fully pro... The rest rode part time for very, very decent money when compared to their other job... With second strings earning more in one night than they earned in a week in their "main job"... Now we have pro juniors.... But we also have crowds one tenth of the days of when the sport was successful... And we also have promoters quite happy to indulge Poland and have their leagues lack credibility due to playing second fiddle to them.. We also have promoters happy to indulge riders when it comes to their own individual ambitions by simply running a meeting anyway and borrowing from elsewhere when these riders are unavailable... They even sign riders from Denmark who cannot race on Wednesdays..... For me, all the things many of us have regularly said as being ridiculous on here, have been allowed to actually become part of the fabric of the operating model, so I truly cannot see a way out in all honesty... It has been a slow inexorable death by a thousand (self inflicted) cuts... Three times major radical changes should have been made... 1. When the GP's started to impact domestic Speedway... 2. When Poland started to impact domestic Speedway... The sport should have built its own destiny, instead it fudged and appeased other organisations and riders, meaning the fans got pi$$ed off watching guestfesf after guestfest and voted with their feet... And the third time? Covid... What a chance for a reset, thousands of die hards and thousands of even more lapsed fans eager for the sport to start up again... And what did we get? Well, the current situation clearly shows the answer ..