cowboy cookie returns?

I'm not there but looking at the updates Heeps looks woeful again.

Even with a strong winning team it's very hard to justify £20 admission especially given the state of UK speedway. Bringing in Doyle I can understand the signing of Riss and the resigning King & starke. Possibly even Rowe however Heeps should have been nowhere near the Ipswich team this season.

The second tier has been the cannon fodder trying to keep the top tier alive for at least 30 years.

It's a very brave move putting the admission up to £20.00 at the same time as a massive rise in household bills In my eyes £20 takes it above a price point that offers anything like value for money. I suppose we'll see though. Also another year with no bank holiday fixtures. Not having these must be a financial hit as they regularly brought the best gates of the season.

The issue really is value for money. Sadly at £20 it isn't any longer value for money. Something I never thought I'd say but pound for pound a match at Portman road offers far better VFM.

£20 that is madness!

£20 really that's is crackers. Keeps me at home.

Riding in the British final

I can & will still be able to attend it's just I choose not too. I went to my first football match for 15 years the other week & will certainly attend another before my next speedway match.

The whole sport has gone not only backwards over the past 5 years but actually into free fall.

Is it cheating or tactical awareness?

Totally agree the sport needs to move towards one rider one club. That would allow for some form of European club championship to be set up. To allow that to happen then a massive drive on rider development is needed not only here but thought out all the current speedway nations. My other thought which I think has been over looked is the part & influence the new rights holder of the world championship will have. They are certainly looking to grow the sport not only in its current marketplaces but also outside of these. They need strong & professional domestic set ups for that to happen. Currently not too many of those around. Any thing that moves all league speedway towards the Polish model has got to be a good thing!!

Some form of squad system coming into play & not the doubling up model we currently have.

I really wanted to try the burger but that was away doubling up somewhere, the hot dog wasn't available so fried chicken was guesting!

This Ipswich 1 to 7 doesn't look to bad now that the majority of the rest of the teams have been confirmed. That coupled with this is clearly a team that both wanted to be here & is also a team the manager wanted to work with is massive in terms of motivation. The jury is out but I suspect just like 2019 we'll surprise a few.

They should be yes. However they are running a model with the type of rules that mean they struggle to attract anything other than the ever decreasing hardcore fan base.

And they also only finished outside the top six twice in that period too when on average the top flight had 16-18 teams. So not to shabby with a promotion that wanted to use their own riders.

Lucky over a 13 year period that's some doing! As for winning the league 3 times and 4 knock out cups I think it was.

In the old NL of the 80s each team had a junior side. In times of injury rider replacement or promotion of a junior to the starting 7 was used. In the event of more than one rider being injured then a member of the junior side and rider replacement was used. Unfortunately because the sport can't run and govern it's self in a professional manner that system was never built on. In the short term yes using unattached riders or rider replacement must be the way to go. Would it massively affect attendance levels? I don't think it would it's down to the hardcore like yourself who will turn up whatever. Borrowing riders from other teams in the form of the guest system to keep teams strong has done far more to damage & reduced attendances far more than having a junior in the team ever would.

Very true, what about this. A newbie goes to Oxford as they have just reopened. Away on a business trip hears about Belle Vue so pops along only to find one of Oxford's riders lining up for the opposition in the top division then on their way home stops of at Birmingham to find the same Oxford rider guesting for Birmingham. Then nips to Ipswich to see that same rider guesting for Ipswich against Belle Vue. You couldn't make it up!!! Welcome to the professional British speedway leagues

The alternative is for the powers that be to come up with something credible, something that they have failed to do for decades. However there was a time in national League speedway where guests were not allowed, so it can be done.

Oh defending a rule once again that does loads of damage to the sport!

To be honest a rider only doing home meetings wouldn't be the most ridiculous thing about UK speedway!

With the rumour mill suggesting a UK return for Woffinden shame we didn't dig deep and make him a offer in place of Batchelor

A member of the green party looking out for the interests of motor sport wonders never cease!