mikebv

And we keep getting told that "sponsors" pay for them.. So, what's the issue in keeping them? The reality is that there are various ways the top riders get money... Not all get 100% fully paid up for home and away meetings... Some part sponsor, part club payments... I presume the concern is that if "some stay" riding for just a few clubs, then the others won't have top riders as they cannot afford them., One thing is for sure though, if your business is struggling and you need to lower head count... Getting rid of your best people first is a hugely risky strategy....

Nicki P made it his MO to take contact and then slide serenely to the base of the fence... And then lie on the track for ten minutes whilst his mechanics checked his bike over in the pits...

Slough has gone very quiet.....😝

For a team that, after Sheffield lost Woffy, had, at least, a one point advantage in the averages, over the nearest team, they should walk the league.. Especially when you consider that the team building is based on 14 heats and they have Emil and Doyle in most H15's so, in reality, that one point advantage in averages is probably around three, given those two will "4-2" at worst, many H15's... All their riders were in the top two for their positions if you could cherry pick them, with several being the best for that riding number... The reduction for UK riders was used brilliantly by Chris Louis to get this septet together... Brennan was a main HL for Brum last year and rides now at the easier No3 position.. Their RS was considered the best.... Ellis and King have struggled sometimes at No3 but this year don't have that pressure... And, in Dan T, they have an excellent No6, with a great future in the sport... Add in a truly World Class spearhead and I thought no one could live with them... Still easily the team to best if all hit their straps but I would imagine there are some doubts creeping in...

Some time as a second string will help him I am sure... If his average will see that happen...? The issue is though that someone else will have to go to No 3, and they could struggle like Tom... Dan T is so key for the Witches, and that is a big responsibility for the young lad....

Other than gaining them an embarrassing result this evening... Well done KL... See. Strength in depth always works....

The engine room struggling again when Dan T isn't there to cover the shortfall...

Comparing injuries...

Does anyone know if Norick is riding for Poznan tonigjht? Has he been included iin their line up?

44-46 15 from the bottom four of the Aces... 31 from the top 3..

I see from the Polish threads that even the 2nd tier over there are now using Thursdays.... One this evening and one already planned for August... Good luck with putting "one league" together with any credibility given only Monday is the day no other country uses... PS. Good luck also to Ben this evening..😉

Next years plan will definitely be known... (You would hope)... With the play offs pretty much sorted (dont think they count average wise do they?), it would be an opportune time to prep for next season for those clubs...

My initial reaction was "one big league"... But, when you analyse how many riders will be needed I am not sure it could work... Even a 12 team league would need 60 riders, running on five per team.. And, if all the "top riders" went then that would leave around 70 required from the current set up... Is there 70 riders who want to race here, or good enough to race here if UK based? "One big league" would mean several meetings per week for some, and many overseas riders (even the journey men), wouldn't all sign up for that, thus meaning more riders required to replace them.. "One big league" seems to be the organic solution, but logistics would suggest it cannot happen..

I have always been surprised that Poland chose Friday, Saturday and Sunday for what is, after all, something part of the entertainment business.... Who would have thought that the weekend would attract the most attendees...? Same with the GP's .. Monday or Thursday for me should have been the call...

The sum of UK Speedways, fit for purpose in 2025, marketing campaign is.... "Bring a friend".....😁

In fairness... The promoters put demands on them to have the best kit... Which costs several thousands for two bikes minimum... To help them win something they shockingly then devalue by using such a ludicrous operating model.. An incredible business plan.. Personally, I think they should keep the top riders and reduce the "middle order" and the "RS"... As, the top riders must bring a few more in than would ordinarily go... As everyone knows, a struggling business needs to either increase turnover or reduce costs... Now, given increasing turnover seems to be a challenge, then cost reduction has to be the way forwards.. And the easiest and quickest way to do that is by reducing head count.. However, a business with seven employees wouldn't lose its top two people, as that would close the thing down... Instead it would make savings further down the line, and hope the top two would drive enough turnover... For me, five man teams, no make weights, all over 4.5 point average... That would release seven 3rd HLs/SS's immediately to potentially cover either as official "squad riders" or short tern replacements... With a six team top league, not a bad starting point to bring some desperately needed credibility..

I know most get covered their costs by other outside income than points money... Therefore, surely that should be "boom time" for the clubs shouldn't it? Big names, potentially no costs, so just sit back and watch those stands fill up... Kerching .. The reality of course is something different... NB And if sponsors do cover all the costs, I suppose the question must be.. Why is it around 20 to 25% more expensive to watch Speedway now than it was pre COVID in 2020? Maybe that is a bigger reason for the current crowd levels than the level of riders on show?

They have already had riding here, or brought in over the past two seasons... Woffy, Emil, Doyle, Bewley, Kurtz, Fricke, Holder, Lindgren, Holder, Janowski, MJJ,, Zagar, Kvech, Lidsey and B Cook... All either Ex World Champs, or GP winners, some being multiple GP winners, some are GP riders, others being well known names, or Polish top tier riders.. And most tracks have seen no increase in crowds, with some actually showing less... Yet their costs have increased by using these riders... How do you afford even more "top level riders?" so your crowds can magically grow?

I had a vision of someone reading out the statement at the monthly PZM meeting... And the reaction from all there being like that Smash advert from the 80's....

Leicester 6/1.... Worth a punt I think...

The crowds dropped in big numbers whilst the likes of Trick, Pedersen, Hancock, Crump, Adams, Loram, et al, all rode over here... The fact that most left when the Sky money ran out suggests that this was the only thing keeping them here... Meaning crowd numbers alone were not enough to pay them what they required... Therefore, their presence didn't deliver enough attendees to justify the outlay required without Sky money... The same has happened since the "top talent" has come back... Great to see them ride, but they are not, at most tracks, bringing extra fans in through the turnstiles... To the many millions around the country who have never heard of Speedway, Robert Lambert will mean as much to them as Simon Lambert..

Not many successful entities use an operating model that they used 50 years ago... With their reason for doing so being... "We did it 50 years ago"....

100% agree, however... UK Speedway has put themselves into such a position that they need these riders more than the riders need UK Speedway... There is simply no deterrent as UK Speedway cannot afford to have one...

That will certainly teach him.... And, be a lesson for anyone else who may think about doing something similar... I think we can all agree... This type of thing won't happen again...

The riding style of today gives little room to pass... They enter turns now pretty much sideways, whereas they used to go into them almost grass track like, with left foot forwards and then hooking the bike up when it hit the dirt... Meaning the rider behind had options... Now there is no dirt so riders can just fly into the dust knowing they won't get fired off anywhere, by hitting any grip... The tyres too are conducive to slick circuits whereas the hard compound ones used years ago were conducive to grippier circuits.. At a track like Sheffield, any rider going in to a bend sideways, and riding a two thirds track, will mean there is very little space outside him to go around, and with no grip on the kerb, it means little opportunity to pass, especially at the speed they go there.. Several tracks have widened their bends to give more entry and exit lines, and give riders behind potential room to go around opponents who have locked up, filling a large portion of the turn... The reality is with the modern riding style, the more circular, wider circuits provide the best racing, and converting a more oval, narrower one, into this design isn't easy... Sheffield actually has the shape, but probably needs at least three metre's taking off the inside given how the air fence has impacted the racing there...