mikebv

Wroclaw is a great race track every other Sunday... When Phil and the GP/SWC team get there they work their magic... And it becomes crap.... Why is Phil directing the track prep anyway? Let the Wroclaw lads do it, like they do every fortnight...

Because they are useless..... It is Eurosport...

Nicki will be stood in front of a mirror giving himself a bollocking.... . .

Rio Ferdinand went shopping..

There seems to not be any need to even break even for many... Writing it off as part of a wider umbrella business seems to be quite the norm.. The biggest thing I find baffling is that some will lose six figure sums trying to win something that their very own operating model condemns to being pretty much irrelevant... Maybe pooling such huge investment into the collective greater good would see them all prosper? Trying to out do each other to win something so few care about, and spending well over a million collectively to do it, is an incredible plan.. That level of huge yearly collective investment should see the sport move forward season on season, not regress.. Rinsing and repeating, and lurching from one "most important AGM ever" to the next "most important AGM ever", 12 months later, surely must, (by definition of always using that phrase as they seem to always do), eventually have them thinking " we need another plan"...

That would be where the sponsors and TV money kick in to help... If you are paying out around £14k, and taking in £18k, then a couple of grand of TV money and sponsors money on top must cover most bills surely? Sponsors need to sponsor clubs not their own personal favourites.. That alone would help the overall well being of the sport..

There will have to be a "top league" I would say due to some teams being not able to run in anything other than a "paid amateur" status, and some teams running "second teams".. As has been seen, (and many predicted), bringing back world class stars had a "novelty impact" to crowds but didn't massively change them, therefore it is a pipe dream to expect their presence long term to be beneficial.. And, if sponsors are willing to bank roll these riders, then they would be better off bankrolling lower admission costs.. Cloth needs to be cut accordingly, and, if not enough riders, then have less places per team... With each team riding at their "natural level" based on crowd levels, not based on "this is what I want to do this year, and maybe next year I will change my mind"... As all that does is say to the fans "these championships mean nothing even to us who run them"... (Hence such a ludicrously contrived operating model exists which just compounds the lack of taking it seriously)... You cannot shop in Harrods every week with an Aldi budget...

Six man teams... 8 teams in the flagship top league.. No makeweights in the teams.. So. No one under a 4.5 average.. Use a 12 heat formula.. All pairs race against each other over fhe first nine.. Next three are lowest scorers to highest.. 72 points up for grabs, at an average of £100 Meaning just over £14k to find for two meetings home and away, (plus (cough) VAT).. Charge £15 to get in, to offset some of the cost of living crisis.. Whiich will hopefully make it affordable to your total fanbase, which is probably around, at least, double who actually attend regularly.. (Bank Holidays and Play Offs being an example of what the potential level of followers are out there each week).. 1200 pays £18k, plus any sponsorship on top.. If you can pay more than an average £100 a point due to better crowds than 1200, then do so pro rata. As if the riders are bringin the crowds in then share the extra around.. Run a 2nd half junior event on a pretty much "pay to play" (at best), expenses paid "free" practice to pad the evening out.. Or have a specifily sponsored prize for the top four from each team "rider of the night".. Or maybe just make the 12 heats last longer with better entertainment fan engagement and interaction in between heats, (competitios, prizes etc).. Always wondered why clubs don't raffle off season tickets, or even half year, 'x" numher of matches "season tickets" as the season moves on.. £15 in, £3 a prog, and £2'in the raffle. Hand a twenty over in cash (kerching).. I would suggest most in a 1200 crowd would pay a couple of quid to win a season ticket. And, very importantly, ride on whatever night you want that brings in the most punters.. And, probably most importantly, run your competition with credibility, integrity and, therefore, kudos in winning... Because if you fans don't believe it is tsken seriously, then, as we see today, they won't attend in enough numbers..

Dan at reserve and "parachute" him in when we see which gates are proving the best..

Who prepares Bomber's bikes? And is he friendly with anyone in Sheffield? He could use his long track engine... Won a long track meeting in Poland this year..

To be fair to Ellis, he has never consistently shown capability at this level.. And the racing will be ruthless on Saturday which again will be something he isnt accustomed to.. The 4th pick was always going to be the weakest link, regardless of who it was.. But, I would have gone for Wright simply due to aggression and attitude.. Let's hope Adam has a better evening on Saturday...

Can we bring a reserve out for tape offences? If so, might be worth a couple?

The Gordeevs..?.

Could have put him out now.. The other 3 would win the meeting regardless of what he scored.. No disrespect to Ellis, but it simply would have made sense for Brennan to have a race and get into the competition...

Ohhhhhhhh! Sheffield friends!!!!!! (One for the Inbetweeners fans there)...

Charles Wrigjht... Would have moved out to block both Swedes in the last two races... No prisoners...

Kelvin... The racing has been crap mate... Once again those involved who run the big FIM meetings balls the track up... It is what they so successfully do...

Good tactical ride there from Adam.. Stopping the tactical ride opportunity.......

It is Eurosport....

Fair play to Phil and the team... To consistently take so many excellent tracks and completely balls them up in the SGP and SWC takes some doing.. And as for the TV coverage? Well. It is Europsort.... Clicky off.....

Let's be honest, they shouldnt have any issues completing the play off qualifiers given the fact that the sport allows any number of random riders to make up two, seven man teams... As long as you can get 14 lads in the same stadium in the sane night, then job done... Two captains selected, then they turn around whilst the clerk of the course gives out a number to the other 12 lads who are all liined up against the pits wall.. The captains then take it in turns to pick six numbers... Sorted...

Blindfold the riders... And, like "It"s a knockout" used to do, have a buxom wench, dressed as a milking maid, stood at each bend screaming "Left, Left, Left" as they scream past... Could be an absolute ratings winner... Probably wouldn't have Stuart Hall doing the commentary though...

You could easily redistribute the money without any impact to the riders.. If £10k a night is the "going rate" then just divide it up between the riders at their going rate.. The message for the public is "can't you earn a lot of money riding Speedway, it must be more popular than I thought"... A bit of FOMO never went amiss....

Make the top league the flagship, and make it worth being in, and winning. Redirect some of the tens of hundreds of thousands of pounds currently paid to riders into prize money, which you can then use to market the sport via advertising hype.. If every top league team (seven of them), has an average wage bill of circa £200k then advertise the lesgue as having £1.4M prize money.. Make the teams genuinely competitive with team numbers reflecting the talent pool numbers. Six or Five man teams, and even Four Team tournaments, if it delivers quality, integrity and credibility. Development opportunities should be tier 2 and 3, not tier 1.. Collectively advertise the sport generically rather than all having their own local plan as the only plan. The TV money was tangible additional money so this should be used to market the sport. The Sky money just got used to pay top riders who rode in front of ever dwindling crowd numbers and many cleared off as soon as the money stopoed. They shouldn't let the same thing happen again.. In short. You can never hope to succeed with such a contrived, nonsense operating model being allowed to happen, time and time and time again, ultimately, ludicrously, destroying their very own competitions by their very own hands..

And most sports with TV coverage have prospered.. Speedway hasn't... And why? You simply can not sell a team sport concept in such a contrived nonsense way, and expect success.. And that is even to some of your most ardent followers, never mind those watching at home who you potentialy hope would become interested in what your are "selling".. Too far gone now sadly, and anyway, the skill set clearly doesnt exist to give it the radical overhaul that should have happened post Covid.. A glorious "free hit" not taken up... A great sport to watch, but packaged so badly in the UK, it is laughable...