mikebv

And guesting has become the all too easy go to solution for missing riders... You don't need to develop riders to a certain level when you just share around the ones already riding at that level on an ad hoc basis... A "troupe" of usually the same riders earn more money, and clubs can even improve their teams by using them.. Everyone (short term at least), is happy... Long term? With Brexit also now also impacting visa's, a lot of challenges ahead as an ever ageing "mid level" rider base will inevitably one day wind down their careers..

More of a "D" shape with pretty short straights... A great race track until air fences, which narrowed it... I used to watch "reserve/juniors" level riders, absolutely fly around there on a Thursday evening, who then looked like complete and utter novices on the Friday at Kirky Lane with its tighter turns ..

UK Speedway does have a particular unique capability for shooting itself in the foot doesn't it? 😁 A fantastic adrenaline fuelled sport that gets undermined, (it appears at almost every turn), by some self inflicted Mickey Mouse nonsense delivered by the sports' custodians . Running qualifiers (that would still determine final positions as to who rides who), AFTER the Semi's have been completed? Tick... Running a play off semi final in Div 2 knowing riders would be eslewhere, so ending up with 3 guests for one team? Tick... Running a semi final of the flagship Div 1 competition 48 hours before the biggest meeting of the global Speedway season, knowing riders will be focusing on that major meeting? Tick.. The racing is, for me, as good as I have seen at any time in 55 years of watching... What a shame the nonsense around it undermines it so badly...

Bumper Crowds for the "War of the Roses"...

But to be fair.... They do it so well.... Mickey Mouse has nothing on them... The League Winners are already out of the competition that they just won!!

Can't blame the Ipswich riders for not giving it everything tonight, especially given they have much more important meetings ahead...... I am sure the Ipswich fans on here will 100% agree and support their riders... And I whole heartedly endorse none of them saying that any riders on show tonight are a disgrace to the sport for not giving their all... Well. The ones who actually turned up and were not "poorly" obviously..

Do they get to choose their opponents for the semis? Or is it just the fourth team?

Maybe Manchester City could get one of their (ahem), "sponsors" to put some money in??

It is sometimes a good thing that no one outside the "Speedway Bubble" takes it seriously isn't it? .. Screws up any chance of its growth and development, but at least it saves the embarrassment that scrutiny would bring...

Matt Ford was someone well ahead of the curve... He realised that he could run 2nd tier Speedway using around three quarters of 1st tier riders... Thus charging less for pretty much the same product... Yet, plenty seem to moan about him....??? Maybe more Matt Ford's and the sport would be far more pro active and successful?

To be fair.... In UK Speedway terms, it was a "big cake" and the person involved was the one who actually brokered the deal.. (When nobody else was able to have done so for years)... The fact they ended up just giving the "Sky Money" to their No1's, for a good many years, (who then all pretty much effed off to Poland when the Sky money went), really isn't his fault... The money should have been used as an investment in secured future growth... However. Being unable to look any further than the end of your nose can be a problem at times... And a lesson still not learned to this day it does often appear...

Fair point... They couldn't even keep to the RS "rules" could they?

Should have happened decades ago... S**t or get off the potty and let someone else have a go... One Brand to sell to the country... Just like the NFL, all merchandise revenue gets shared, (using one corporate Speedway GB brand but each clubs own emblem is used on their individual merch), and the worst team each season get first opportunity to improve the season after... All TV money shared equally.... Streaming money shared the same, unless you don't allow streaming... You buy the franchise and hopefully make some money... You would though need some "proper governance" and "quality control" from "someone" independent who controls things. . (Fireman Phil?)...

Fuel testers there tonight?

How to make a small fortune out of running a Speedway team? Start with a large one...

Figure of eight tracks? Riders being blind folded? Tandem bikes so both riders per team ride the same machine? No guests and a fit for purpose RR facility? The Play Offs take place only AFTER the Qualifiers have finished? Alright, I know some of you are already shaking their heads at my last two suggestions of the five, and think those two are so ludicrous that even the BSP would never implement such ideas..

Shaun Ryder seems happy with them though...

They could run the KO Cup during August...? Or maybe it would just be easier to not give such an early deadline?. Plan for the play offs after the GP's have finished, and no riders will have their World Championship positions to focus on, and provide plenty of time to complete the season.... It doesn't look "professional" no matter how some try and justify/excuse it that any sport is still running qualifiers (which would have impacted the final reckoning), when the finalists are already known...

He "cannot gate" seemingly was the reason given on here by Ipswich fans... Dan Bewley has the same problem apparently hence he could only match Kurtz's score, again, according to Ipswich fans.... They have both done so amazingly well therefore to be such high achievers in a sport where starting is absolutely paramount... Imagine how good they would be if they could start?😉 I presume Dan must have been really, really lucky in last years final to make so many starts and win so many races... 😁 Let's just hope Emil makes a swift and complete recovery...

With. The only known cure, I believe, is riding in a Polish Top Tier Final 2nd Leg....

Well... The riders do ride "for our entertainment" don't they? So economically viable...

Sheffield will be definitely up to win this... They would much prefer to race against the Aces in the Semi, rather than Leicester I would think... Basically, it could be "winner takes all" given the Aces are easily the worst team out of the four left.. I would imagine it will be a huge crowd in attendance, given so much is riding on it... Let's hope no injuries (or maybe sudden illnesses) results in any guests...

#prayforemil...

One "top league" with some rider control to ensure all competitive, (and guest free)... (Five riders per team if that is the only way of delivering it) And sell that to the wider media... And one "2nd tier" for those who cannot keep paying out money that they cannot sustain, but can be very, very useful in developing a conveyor belt of talent, whilst putting on an entertaining. night out for their punters, on a night their punters want to attend .. (In the 2nd tier using all the current make it up as you go along rules if needs be).. Sharing around the likes of Kurtz, Bewley, Doyle and Sayfutdinov, J and C Holder, and Max (and maybe others who wish to join in), would be a tremendous starter for ten for the top tier... Who knows, run the "flagship top tier" with credibility, so no Mickey Mouse rules, and you may get some sponsors from outside the speedway bubble who see it as a positive to their overall business model... Let's hope those in charge can see further than the end of their own nose.... What "is" clearly doesn't work, so let's hope and pray that the custodians of our sport can stop the current race to the bottom and innovatively grasp the opportunities that exist .

Just a fact re the NSS is't it. It just delivers great racing time and time again, at all levels from NDL to GP..... However, Leicester does seem to deliver some very good racing more often than it is given credit for.. It must have a very narrow sweet spot between being too wet and being too dry, as it often will be one or the other .. Somewhere "Goldilocks" in the middle however appears perfect, and that "slingshot" you can get from the banking out wide, can be very effective and deliver some very good races .. Best of Luck to the Lions in the Final, let's hope it's a closely congested two legs... With the Lions narrowly coming out on top.... (120-60)....!!!😉😁