mikebv

Another major issue the sport has... In business, being "Brand Damaging" is avoided st all costs... In UK Speedway, it could be argued that to damage its brand isimply isnt possible, given the way it is ran has delivered a very low bar... "Any Speedway is better than no Speedway" appears the only mantra, hence four guests and RR is "perfectly acceptable" in the eyes of those in charge.. With the untold damage done to the sport further down the line, never for a moment considered it appears.... "Saving from themselves" might also be a good mantra to follow, as well meaning amateurs do their level best, but never learn about best practice, and how to deliver it...

Gerry Facenna in the Star this week talks about how the racing is paramount to the sports future success... As it brings the punters back... Preparing tracks just to win, and not to provide entertainment, is something he simply doesn't agree with... He must come on here looking at the ideas he has to improve his business.......

Excellent piece in the Speedway Star about the Brum closure... Nigel Tolley has put in two thirds of a million during his tenure... An incredible amount and he deserves great thanks from everyone who were able to keep attending... Crowds of 500 were the main issue and he said it costs £12-13k a match to run a home meeting... And then had the away costs in top! He said that having more UK based riders was vital for the sport, given the cost of flights, hotels, etc... Exactly what's been written in the letters pages of the Star for about three decades, and on here for 15 years or so...!!! If only promoters had realised that...! BZ wanted £7.5k a meeting so didn't get signed... A good interview with Brian Buck too, another who deserves great thanks for playing a huge part in the resurrection of the sport in Birmingham.. Another excellent publication this week from the Star team...

Are you Shovvy in disguise? Are you Shovvy in disguise?

As I have mentioned before... Just ask TR and CO why don't they just use the Abbey given their low projected numbers... Car parking too shouldn't be an issue using their crowd projections... A perfect sized stadium has been built if those numbers are correct .. So just use it...

Over 20,000 in attendance. Tickets bought in March for an October meeting to ensure you got your usual seats.. One rider from every team ensured at least 16 teams had fans there, some in big numbers... Dozens of coaches from around the country .. 100's of bikes lined up in the KL car park (hardly see a biker at Speedway nowadays).. Red shale gleaming under the lights and a crackling atmosphere.. As the night porter said to Georgie Best in the Savoy, when he entered his room with Champagne,on ice, tenners strewn all over the bed from the casino, and his girlfriend, (Miss World, Mary Stavin), relaxing on the bed ready for an evening with the great man .. "Where did it all go wrong?" ..😁

The Fours were also amongst the best racing you could ever see... Each team seemed to have four top class international riders, with some having five, and some also having a "wunderkind" U21 rider at six in his first UK season... Many would be considered a GP level meeting today given the talent on show... Plus. Each event had three lots of away fans there in decent numbers, giving atmosphere and status to the events... Something sadly missing at many matches today due to a lack of away followers... Getting more U11's, and away fans into tracks should be the No1 priority of the sport.. The kids to get parents and guardians there, the away fans to add atmosphere... Give tickets away if needs be as a "loss leader"... Given so few attend now, the cost will be negligible...

BV v Wolves in the early 90's were some of the best meetings I have ever watched... Both Home and Away... Ott, The Moran's, Screen, Lyons, Ermolenko, The Karlssons, Correy Jones, etc... Brilliant racing, with many last heat deciders... Then air fences came in to narrow both tracks, and laydowns came in to put power down on the track differently...

I was thinking about the Pirates too...😁 Him and Leon Madsen at six and seven... ☺️ Payback for having to ride on a Thursday, a day when no one in Poole is allowed out... 😁

To the South West? 2.00 I would think....😁 A new regulation... The launch of the Polish RS Scheme in the UK..😁

Brandon wouldn't have served up a race like that... It was always a strange thing for me that what always looked a great shaped track, and always seemed so well prepared, offered up little in passing opportunities... A good many races were "close" but not many actually had too many passes.. Riders like Tatum, Smith and Havelock, who could gate well, and ride very fast when out in front, always seemed to do well at Coventry... Whereas riders like Loram and Screen often tended to have to fight for every single point, riding every inch of the track to often make zero impact on the rider in front.. The Overseas finals were also similar, some very close racing but not many of those races manifesting themselves into passing opportunities... Was it the camber that wasn't banked enough? As the bends seemed quite wide., Or maybe the level of dirt on the track? But it did often seem quite well covered.... The Sunday occasions were great though, especially when Havvy had a bad day and you were stood near the Bradford fans.... 😁

Blodorn at No6 too, he should end up close to a 4.5 average this season... Alternative yo-yo ing from Reserve to 2nd string should put his average up a decent amount... Magic on around 5.9 not a bad shout either for big home wins...

It was their own business decision and was almost heralded as being a great idea as it meant "weekly Speedway", which for so many (who don't have to actually fork out for weekly Speedway), seemed almost utopia at the time... The reality is that the "novelty" of their return has worn off as it always naturally does at every new track, and paying for sometimes two meetings a week, (more if fans go away too), will always be a challenge... Just the two leagues next year? 2nd and 3rd tier?

Maybe said rider has decided to not spend any more money on his UK kit until he gets paid?

Jaimon Lidsey.... Currently tied 9th in the averages with Danny King.... With a higher away average too...

I don't know who the announcer is.... But I do know who Matej Zagar is.... And he gave my lad his Sombrero at Sheffield when the Aces won the title.... He could be worth an Aces position next year.... Matej that is, not the announcer...

Last weeks Speedway Star showcased the book that has been published re the return of Oxford... With their return being labelled as a "good news" story for the sport... Sounds like a few big issues to be resolved...

Definitely not Moribund.... A-Haaaaaaaa!!!!

"If" that is fhte case ... Then just don't turn up.... And state why..... That way the fans will actually understand and more than likely be on your side.. Turning up and just going through the motions means fans will be cheesed off with you after having paid to watch you ride... And a ban won't make any difference to a rider if they are not getting paid anyway....

Lovely, edge of the seat, technical riding.... Exactly what the sport is about... Hope they meet in the final... And there is loads of technical riding for Kelvin to enthuse about...

Leicester have lost RR for Becker... With that, I had them favourites for the title... Without it, Ipswich or Sheffield will comfortably beat then over two legs..

And the fastest he has covered the ground....

Someone with a very high opinion of himself... But. Never backed up by results in any league he races in... The track always seems to be a problem rather than himself... Wherever he rides.. Yet doesn't seem to impact the great many who beat him regularly...

Are you mad?!!!!... If it ain't broken, there is simply no need to fix it....

I read that (right until the bottom line), thinking... "2026? Surely these are what the current regs are?"...