Vince

Would perhaps be more accurate from a Promoters point of view! Firstly I do think that Promoters could make better use of the forum and on some things could be more open than they are. However I also believe that you don't have to read through too many topics to see why they don't take the forum seriously. As an example if you were the Leicester Promoter reading the never ending thread about his club can you honestly say that your lasting impression would be about the sensible comments and constructive criticism offered by the vast majority of posters? If it were me I very much doubt that I would be able to see much past the continued abuse and personal attacks of a very small minority. That minority of posters who fail to credit the BSPA (an organisation which is made up largely of businessmen who have been successful enough to be able invest heavily in a sport they are passionate about) with any sense whatever and are pretty vocal and often abusive in saying so cost this forum any credibility it might ever have within the sport. For sure there are things in Speedway and about the BSPA that drive me nuts and I would like to think I know ways in which they could be improved. However my ideas for Speedway are just that and should they succeed or fail they will not endanger my business and quite possibly risk my families financial security. With those things at risk I too might be reluctant to rock the boat too hard. I understand how the 'say it face to face' comment might appear threatening but equally if people only posted what they would be willing to say to the persons face perhaps their comments might earn some respect. There is no reason to be abusive about people from a position of anonymity and /or distance other than cowardice.

Apparently Tim wanted to have the pits on the centre green when he built Newport but wasn't allowed, whether that was disallowed by the council or SCB I don't know.

I think you are right and there are degrees of legality. Clearly the most harmless offences are those that may harm oneself (like taking Cannibis or speed for instance) and the most serious those which may cause harm or even death to others (like speeding for example). I won't criticise you for speeding as it is something I do often, I won't criticise Michael Lee for his drug taking either and I don't do drugs or believe cannibis should be made legal. However what he has been convicted off - forget all the over the top theories about who gets paid etc - is as near to a victimless crime as it gets. Certainly alcohol, cigarettes and road accidents claim far more lives than 'soft' drugs.

I reckon the Pope need look no further than the BSF when he wants to install a few new saints.

It was just a joke!!!!!!

Driving past a busy school at 9am at 29mph is legal but very likely wrong. Driving past the same school at 35 mph at 3am is illegal but is it really wrong? Just to stay on topic, It's a nothing story as far as I am concerned, had he been selling it at the local track it would have been about Speedway but it's not.

I don't think either of the spectators were offended by the team names

While I am dreaming! 5 years down the line and we have team building rules that allow clubs using riders bought in through their own Grasstrack and training system given a 1.5 point reduction. Clubs using riders developed through others system allowed a 1 point reduction after paying a transfer fee that is paid directly to the developing clubs training arm. Foreign licence holders never allowed to drop below their assessed average. The average 5000 crowd at Speedway getting 20 overtaking moves on a manicured track for their £10 admission fee and all completed in 90 minutes (OK I'm getting carried away now!!!)

You are dead right, whatever they do the BSPA never get any credit on here. Swindon under threat and they now have a local MP officially on side. MP's made aware of the sport from the positive side and in a position to be lobbied and lobby for the sport more effectively. I thought it was an excellent piece of work from those who made this possible and the first posts are all critical without giving a single, sensible, reason why it could be a bad move for Speedway. It's little wonder that the BSPA refuse to listen to what is said on this forum when it almost entirely biased against them. A speedway riding secretary to an MP must be a first as well!

http://speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.21544

I have a fair idea of how Grasstrack works but there are nowhere near the amount of meetings or opportunities to practice available to riders that there were in the past and without a doubt the sport is in danger of disappearing. T Why any youngster would even contemplate buying a Grasstrack bike these days is beyond me, for the same money they can buy a MX bike and choose from practicing or racing every weekend throughout the year without travelling more than an hour or so from home in most cases. This has also damaged Speedway as the two were always closely associated and in my day (many,many years ago) Grasstrack was THE route into Speedway. Imagine if, say, Swindon and Poole were to join forces and set up a Grasstrack club where the emphasis was on the Junior riders. Neither track has availability for youngsters to practice but between them they could probably rent fields inexpensively because they are bound to have some landowners or their associates as customers. The rest is relatively inexpensive to set up and the riders still pay entrance fees so the financial outlay could be kept low. If they ran half a dozen meetings during the season and the same number of practices off season perhaps it would be an incentive to get kids away from MX and onto Grasstrack. If they knew that their heroes (the Speedway riders) were going to be around to help them and they in return had access to the pits as mechanice a couple of times a year there is even more incentive. Throw in second half rides for the top 4 in each class and discounted entry for members and their families and it becomes an attractive proposition. Get Eastbourne and Lakeside to do the same thing and suddenly Grasstrack riders in the south can be on their bikes every other weekend and the sport is once again worthwhile doing. Roll it out across the country and in 3 or 4 years you have a thriving Grasstrack scene and a healthy supply of talented young riders who want to race Speedway........well it's a good dream!

I still believe that Grasstrack needs to be the route into Speedway for youngsters in this country. Both sports are dying at the moment but if Speedway clubs associated themselves with a local Grasstrack club, or even formed one it could really be of benefit. Not much point kids taking up Grasstrack at the moment because there are not many meetings within reasonable travelling distance and nowhere to practice. However with the requirements for a practice track being a field, some posts and some rope it is a much easier and cheaper way to get kids on bikes than a Speedway track. Get the riders from the Speedway club along to meetings to help the youngsters and give second half rides at the Speedway as the prize for getting to the finals, bring Grasstrack kids into the pits as mechanics at the Speedway and just maybe you will see kids wanting to ride Grasstrack and Speedway rather than MX. Ultimately the Speedway will benefit not only by an influx of possible new talent but by all those kids and parents turning up to watch their mates ride Speedway.

Gaming International tried very hard to come up with a scheme that was financially viable and allowed for a Speedway track. However Health and Safety issues made the scheme impossible so unfortunately and despite their best efforts they are unable to incorporate Speedway into the scheme!!!

Given that most training schools run for about 4 hours and cost about £40 (+ licence in many cases) with your own bike I thought the costs with all the equipment thrown in was very reasonable. It's a fact of life that it's not much good attracting kids to have a go at Speedway unless their parents are willing to find a good few quid to keep them going (notice 'find' not 'afford'!). It will certainly cost a lot more than that to run your own equipment.

The real difference between the Danes, Aussies etc and the Brits is that we only see the foreign riders that have already got the ability, finances and dedication to make the grade. For every one we do see there are dozens that have fallen by the wayside as far as reaching the top level of the sport. There isn't so much difference between the best of the British lads and the rest as far as ability and dedication. There is a difference in experience that makes a comparison between a 25 year old British lad and a 16 year old foreign lad who has been on a bike of one sort or another every day for years fairer than comparing riders of a similar age. The countries producing top World Championship contenders has always gone in cycles and seems likely to continue to do so One thing for sure is that people repeatedly spouting that Brtish lads don't work hard enough, aren't dedicated, have a bad attitude and so on is becoming infectious and if the same was done on this forum about any other nation the same people would be calling the posters 'little englanders' and so on. It is a massive generalisation that is unfair and in some cases untrue. The percentage of riders who aren't dedicated enough to make the top of the sport will be much the same for any nationality.

But the tracks have been so much better on Eurosport!!! Seriously it's a non argument - the Eurosport coverage of the GP's and World cup has been by far the best on British TV in 2013 and thats all that matters.

Whatever the problems associated with making bikes quieter the sport needs to find a way to live with it because in the future the noise limit is going to continue to reduce. Complaining about how it ruins things for spectators or how it makes the bikes more expensive or harder to ride is a waste of time. For every Speedway fan and rider there are dozens of people happy to jump on the noise nuisance bandwagon and try and put a stop to anything remotely noisy unless it is their own hobby. Perhaps this would be a good time to introduce a minimum stroke and or flywheel weight. Or the rev limiter, seems to have gone quiet on that one at the moment. Logic says that a longer stroke and lower revs will allow engines to be tuned for torque and make them easier to ride. Would increased piston speeds cause more problems with heat that have been associated with the new silencers? I don't know but it's possible that what is seemingly obvious may not be the answer after all.

Still 11am to 3pm

Not seen it mentioned on here that Rye House run practice sessions every Sunday (weather permitting, Saturdays in the winter). Speedway, Grasstrack and flattrack bikes all welcome, Speedway and Grasstrack bikes need to run the new type silencers. They also prefer Grass bikes to run a Speedway rear tyre. Andrew Silver is on hand for tuition if you want it and they have hire bikes available. Starts at 11am and runs until 3pm. I have been there quite a lot over the past year or so and there is a great, relaxed atmosphere and everybody always seems to get all the track time they can handle.

I think that the air fence could have a plastic layer attached to the bottom that then has shale heaped on it to stop it lifting. Then if it had proper kickboards attached there should never be a problem with riders going underneath, the kickboards would also prevent riders getting 'pulled in' to the fence and give them a chance of bouncing off and carrying on. I was at Rye House today and saw Adam Kirby go through the fence twice at speed, walk away and carry on riding. Had that been anywhere else, air fence or not, I very much doubt that he would have got away with the same thing. If they force Rye to install an air fence it will be criminal.

I can understand the logic of the perceived value of Speedway being around the £10 mark. However I am not sure that cutting costs drastically will save the sport either unless it is at the cost of a large number of current clubs. My worry is that just cutting wages will not see riders reducing what they spend on equipment as there will always be a few who can afford it and being racers the rest will try to keep up. More and more riders will be lost to the sport as there will be cheaper and less difficult ways to race a bike if you are paying to do it. There are already decent riders walking away from the sport because they can't afford it anymore. The only way I can see drastic cost cutting being effective is to bring in very strict rules on equipment, then that makes current stuff obsolete overnight and the legal gear will immediately start increasing in price so even that would be very difficult for riders. Difficult to see a way out so my guess is the sport will just stumble along 'as is' with periods of popularity now and again. Or it will become like most sports with a very few professionals riding at World Championship level and everybody else paying to ride on a Sunday, that will be the end of tracks anywhere near housing though.

Typical comment from somebody who has no idea of what it is to put every penny you can raise and give all your time to chasing a dream, sometimes it goes wrong and there is nothing left to keep going. Hopefully the lad can get back to a situation where he can afford to have another crack. In the meantime you get to stroll through life telling others how to do things.

To be fair Mick I see your posts in a different light to those of Robert 72. You make a point and reply to other posts on the subject where Robert 72 just says the same thing over and over again. I think the Newport situation is a fair comparison because it is a very similar situation where one or two people just go way over the top while the majority discuss the matter more responsibly. Possibly Plymouth is similar but I think the posts from Weymouth supporters were generally positive until very near the end. My point is that people should be careful what they wish for because what seems blindingly obvious to some as the way to success may not work after all.

The difference being that the Promoter has something to lose if fans stop going because of what he has done. You, on the other hand have nothing except having to travel an extra few miles to watch Speedway. I think everybody has the message that you don't like the track, undoubtedly your efforts to tell everybody so will have stopped a few people going to Leicester so you are not helping the situation in any way. I think your attitude is far more personal vendetta than constructive criticism. I saw the same with Newport on this forum, people who thought they were doing the right thing and making suggestions about how the club would definitely succeeed. They even got their wish in a roundabout way with a new promotion that took all their ideas on board, where are they now? You don't like the way Leicester Speedway is run, fine you told everybody now let the people who put the money up get on with it for good or bad.

If Speedway is a £10 sport and the price is what will attract new spectators why are NL meetings run in front of one man and his dog? They are often at least as entertaining as EL or PL meetings, have the same facilities and despite the wobblers tag given by some on here (presumably those who haven't been!) the standard is high enough for times to only be a second or so a lap off the pace of the higher leagues. Is anybody else having problems with this forum where the return key isn't starting a new line? Anyway I think costs have to be reduced, preferably by increasing the number of home grown riders but to ensure survival rather than decrease admission costs.