mikebv

The Bank Holiday crowds are often "bumper" around the country, however, getting these infrequent visitors to attend even semi regularly for the rest of the season always seems an impossibility... Maybe that could be due to the lack of promotion done on those days when you know you will get your largest crowds? Seems ridiculous that such a "captured market" isn't targeted with offers to repeat more often their "one or two visits a year"... These people actually know about Speedway so surely far easier to get them to attend more often, using targeted marketing, than attracting "newbies"..? As for Ipswich's "dream team", sadly it could be the wrong time, wrong place for it... In 1998, when they had an incredible team, all other tracks also had world class riders in their teams, which meant great racing and reasonably close meetings... Nowadays it isn't like that and those teams without genuine top talent will be found wanting, and won't be attracting too many of those extra Bank Holiday attendees when these teams turn up to ride away from home.. And, as has been seen in the past at some teams, being "too successful" can hurt your own crowds (and has even closed some tracks down), as fans know a play off place is a shoe in many weeks out.. One of the few meetings I will attend this year will be, at least one, of the Ipswich matches at the NSS, as they are clearly the best team in the league.. It's just a shame that the gap from them to the bottom team is so vast, and the way the sport is ran, that bottom team can do nothing more than paper over the cracks, rather than being able to fundamentally try and "start again"... Maybe after 6 matches ridden each, the top teams average should be used for everyone else to rebuild to it should they wish? They use a max average to work to at the start of the season, therefore, use a "rolling" one through the season.. After say 6 and then 12 matches completed each you could reset your team to the team with the highest average.. After 12, that's it, you run your last 12 matches with who you have.. For decades, the team(s) cut adrift at the bottom of the league after just a few matches, simply cannot make the required changes due having to replace pretty much like for like.. When, in reality, they really need to bring in much better riders than the ones they started the season with and who have put them so far adrift.. These clubs then see their own crowds dwindle and don't attract crowds away from home, neither being good for the sport as a whole.. Obviously to do this, the seven man teams will need to go to ensure replacements are available, (unless extra "decent talent" wants to ride over here), however, that seven man set up has been in place for decades, during which the sport has hemorrhaged fans, so maybe time for a change?

It seems to keep them going... And provides "subs on the bench" when injuries/clashes abroad occur... Survival for many teams globally is the objective rather than gaining any "tangible success"... With, for most leagues, that "tangible success", not resulting in any major financial returns, nor any major national publicity, (or even local publicity sometimes), to speak of...

There are always 2 point reserves to step in to replace him... And any other riders... And this, they know... No jeapordy, nor consequence for riders, given the paucity of replacements of a similar level.. Promoters know this, yet teams still set themselves up with seven riders each season......(?)

Promoters want home wins as that keeps their crowds... Entertainment is very much a secondary (if that high), factor...

Should have made it top 2 non GP riders.. One night each.. Keep more riders interested as they go into the semi final...

But... It is only a Play Off Qualifier, with a top 4 place pretty much assured this year given the Aces' usual home form as the dryer weather slickens the track and improves the racing and their passing of opponents.. The BH meetings generates good income and a win, no matter the scoreline, is a bonus...

Craig, once again, giving his critics a metaphorical kick in the bollox... "But he won't keep it up, Boo Hoo,I am right"...😁 Great to see the lad winning and enjoying his racing .. Shame the Aces didn't go for him but well done Oxford for giving him the chance . And he is riding only at reserve so 5 points a match is the only target, not 15... "See, I knew he couldn't keep up those big scores, I was right again"...😁 Hope he has a great season .

His lack of mixing it when riders are close has been mentioned now for around 12 months by many who have watched him ride .. If it is clear to fans, it will definitely be clear to himself and his team managers.. Maybe some time out to review what he wants to do is needed? Not a sport you can do "half hearted" given the obvious dangers... And can be very unforgiving... The teams he rides for are irrelevant against his own personal well being .

A big weekend for Kurtz with an excellent GP debut followed by a very important meeting in Poland for Wroclaw on the Sunday... All the 3 GP riders over the two meetings today had defeats to riders who you wouldn't expected.... The UK season starts in August so a long time to get things sorted... The Aces will finish either 2nd or 3rd so will face Sheffield regardless of which position is which... (And that is without making up the semis to suit financially)..😁

Quite devastating I know...... The Aces will bring their legend Robert Lambert back to replace Mulford come August... (If Sheffield don't nab him first)...

Poor from the top five of Sheffield... When your reserves outscore their opposite nunbers by ten, then you shouldn't get outscored by twelve as a top five collective..

Sweden used to pay "double ish" according to one international rider when interviewed five or so years ago, (he said he got around £6k), with Poland paying between five and even over ten times the UK depending on your level... The pull of Sweden was also you only had to ride on Tuesdays, and could travel via ferry with the machines from Poland after racing at weekend there.... The UK could mean Monday and Thursday in any given week, and needing to keep machinery over here... Sweden though, I believe, again though a more recent interview, is now more parity payers for most "decent riders", with only the top lads getting the bigger payouts... Again though, even for a "decent rider" it logistically can be far more appealing if they are Polish or Scandinavian based, rather than the more meetings they have over here, and the travel... The difference in standards of tracks too have also been mentioned by some riders, with Sweden having much more access to tracks and some top notch preparation machinery... Sweden definitely isn't the pull it once was though but still seems to have an advantage in the minds of the majority of European riders who race in Poland..

Plus some Polish contracts can carry very severe penalties for missing meetings due to injuries sustained elsewhere... They pay some huge six figure amounts up front before the season starts, so riders have to very carefully weigh up whether it is worth having to pay all that back should they get injured riding for just several grand a night elsewhere...

Fantastic season... Really enjoyed it.... Well done Bartek.... Six times the World Champ... The LGBTQ races were good...

And that other one they like to use.... "Why can't we ever just run the sport properly in this country?"

Well that's the World Championship finished...

A blow for Gusts... It's an ill wind and all that... I wonder weather he will be back...? Coukd be a breeze for Cookie...

Robert Lambert being interviewed speaking Polish....!! Impressive effort...

Seven teams is (at least), one too many if you can only get so many "World Stars" to ride over here... It was clear from the outset that Brum and Oxford were going to struggle... Birmingham should have rode 2nd tier on Mondays, with guests replacing any DU's having to prioritise the top tier on that night... (Let's face it, one more guest, even in every single meeting, wouldn't surprise anyone)... The "World Stars" don't seem to generate many extra punters when they visit, and even if they get "double digit crowd increases" on those nighs, it still means only 1000 punters or so can be bothered to turn up... It is truly baffling how UK Speedway is allowed to be ran...

Damn... I was hoping I might have got the call....

If they really want to develop the female side of the sport, they should provide a spot in each NDL team for a female rider... The top league gets hardly any coverage so whoever wins the NDL will get pretty much zero coverage... Might get some publicity week to week though...

Very true, but there are certain fundamental reasons for the continued success... The Poles ensure each rider, (whether good, bad or indifferent), belongs to one team only in each league, and doesnt get shared around on an adhoc basis and whim... Meaning each rider rides for "your team" which can then generate that ultra important sporting tribal following... When you attend a Polish meeting you are attending a proper, bona fide sporting contest, with consequence resulting from the outcome... The Poles will have seen what the UK did from the early 80's, when they ruled the roost, and won't make the same mistakes the promoters have done over here since... When you are sat in a 20,000 crowd in Poland a very high percentage of fans are under 40, never mind 60, with many "kids" in attendance... Keeping that atmosphere that gets created by a large crowd, is key to the continued growth of any sport... Hence the UK's downwords spiral in the last few decades, as many promoters allowed their crowds to drop by their actions....

Several riders over here in interviews have said how much "fun" it is to ride in the UK... And go on to explain that the reason being is there is far less/no pressure on them than riding in Poland.. Standing together in the pits with opponents watching the racing, has also been mentioned as something that highlights the lack of pressure and means the riders "enjoy" the evening.. I presume "less pressure" is also down to being pretty much *bomb proof" from losing your job, due to a lack of replacements, with many only getting their job in the first place as there was "no one else" at the time wanting to come over... (And even if you do get canned, invariably you get picked up by another even more desperate team very quickly, so the cycle just rinses and repeats).. Add in the guest system, which takes away any rider/club/fan affiliation, and you have pretty much a league set up for promoters to have an expensive hobby, and riders getting the chance to earn a few quid to justify their financial outlay... With the icing on the cake for riders, getting noticed by Polish promoters if they do well...

It's all ok... There will be a covenant stating sports must be held there... (And we all know how well that goes!!)....

But Zagar rode in official competitions... KO Cup and the Premiership.... If not eligible then his points should be removed.. (Not that it would make much difference) 😁