mikebv

Torun doing well.... Lambert and Holder certainly becoming influential at this level...

They also sell a TOTALLY different product to the fans that allows them to buy into it emotionally.. And that is fundamentally the most important thing you need to follow any team in a team sport... Chalk and Cheese when you compare the two countries... So much so, it is hardly worth being compared as being one and the same.. Always struck me the same as the BDO and the PDC in darts, same "sport", but were two World's apart... And inevitably one went by the wayside whilst one prospered, ticking the boxes of its fan base's and viewers expectations..

Dont get there too soon, or you may end up riding.....

For me... Six man teams... 9 heats where all pairs race against each other.. Heats 10/11/12 is lowest to highest point scorers at that stage.. Then 13/14 two nominated heats.. 14 heats with 8 riders having 5 rides and 4 having four... 2 x HL's, 2 x SS's and 2 x "Juniors" similar to how Poland do it.. Top league have the best ranked "juniors".. 2nd league have the next level "up and coming juniors".. Two leagues based on attendances, not "it is better for us to ride in this one".. Doubling up probably needed until development delivers enough riders (maybe one Div 1 HL per 2nd Div team?) but also clubs get to ride on their best night to get a crowd, and only ride on an off night when on TV.... Eg Poole should ride in Div 1 now but on a Wednesday... Seems barmy that riders can dictate that a team that would enhance the product overall have to drop a Div to ensure these riders can earn money in Denmark... 14 heats saves points money too so pass a 1/15th saving to the fans via admission, (over a quid at all Div 1 and 2 tracks)... And deliver a better RR process to reduce/eradicate guests, (it isnt too difficult to come up with one), so hopefully engage the many thousands who no longer attend regularly but closely follow the sport.. Or possibly just carry on as normal... .

Once more... It all goes back, like so much does, to no independent regulatory body or person standing over the sport, with real consequence for contravention of the rules and regulations not being followed... Nothing will change as it is just too easy to keep the same system, and carry on meandering along fire fighting (quite literally at one track!) as each new self inflicted issue surfaces... In short. A free for all for riders and promoters works well for both.. Does absolutely nothing for the sport in terms of credibility and integrity, which ultimately means no major sponsor or media coverage, but all the stakeholders seem happy with what they have got, and those who attend each week endorse what is provided by their continued attendance... Therefore.. Everybody Wins....

It is interesting reading the many wide and varied ideas as to how the UK can put a team system together that offers up a credible offering.. Rider numbers in teams, team strengths, team numbers in leagues, how many teams per meeting, who should be eligible to ride over here, races per meeting, and probably more ideas on top of those.. Some you look at and thing "maybe could work", some you look at and think "no chance".. Bottom line is "no chance" is the view that will be taken by those who run the sport for any of the ideas mentioned.. The majority of whom are quite happy with the current model as it is "easy" to run, (and if on occasion it isnt "easy" then just make something up in the "interests of the sport").. And the riders will be quite happy too as each meeting gets arranged around their own personal circumstances and they get to ride as many times as they want for any of the teams, as long as their average allows over here, whilst in many cases earning money elsewhere in Europe and also being able to pursue their own individual ambitions.. For the promoters and riders it is a perfect system.. So why would they change it?

What? No Kings Lynn riders? I get the Stars have a meeting but surely a couple could have been made available to help out Sheffield and Wolves again.. ...

4TT's were always the best to watch given the level of rider.. Unfortunately running a 20 heat 4TT could mean 120 points worth of points money to be paid out, rather than the 90 currently.. And say a team averages 40 points over four legs that would be 160 points worth of money to find from your one home leg... The traditional 16 heat formula would mean 96 points worth of money but again a 30 point average would deliver 120 points worth of money to find over four legs .. When some struggle to pay circa 90 now it would be a big ask... Personally I think it could have been done a decade or so ago, as fans still travelled to away matches, and having three sets of away fans may have mad it viable.. Not sure it would be affordable now, given hardly anyone has an away following of note...

With a No1 missing, just let the other 2 HL's take all his rides up to a max of seven per rider.. That way they can take 2 each of his rides, take their four, and still do Ht 15.. The manager may choose to not do that and instead let any rider in form do the same...

When top riders rode in teams and often scored 30% to 40% of a teams score, and more sometimes, with many running 10 point plus averages, with few bonus points included, and often took five rides a match away from home as a Tac Sub, you could maybe make an argument they needed replacing with a rider of similar talent... Especially in the days of 13 Heats and 40 points won you a match, one world class rider could contribute you 15 so was vital to the team.. Nowadays with much less of a difference in the top fives you could easily deliver a fit for purpose RR faciltly to reduce guests numbers.. If you wanted to obviously...

Spot on... And remember, even in the "halcyon days" when the tracks were often rammed with spectators, most tracks only had two or three fully professional riders... And that was only in the top league... One or two "superstars" and another "potential superstar/wunderkind" was what only the very top clubs mainly had... The rest of the riders making up the teams had "day jobs" and were very pleased to earn quite a bit more than a weeks pay from that job in just one night riding Speedway... Ride 20 times a month and you could have half a years salary every 30 days or so.. Do that from March to October and then work through the winter, or go on tour to Austalia if you were a full time pro, and a very, very good living could be had... Now we have "professionals" barely out of school, who cannot even hold down a place in the Championship, needing paying to fund their dreams... What a ridiculous system to have designed...

For me... As I say, for the promoters it is a hobby and fair play to them as without them there isn't any UK Speedway.. However, the reason there isnt any big money in the sport from sponsors or TV is all down to their own leadership of the sport through their own designed operating model... Ironically, by their actions, they both laudiblly keep the sport going, whilst at the same time, are gradually, slowly eroding it away... An excellent product to sell though, as is shown when this country hosts FIM events, with the large crowd numbers who attend these events showing that there is still a fair old market out there for Speedway when done "properly".. Sadly domestic Speedway is surrounded by a poor infrastructure which ultimately dissauades thousands of followers of the sport from attending it on a regular basis.. Who knows, should the promoters ever decide to run it "properly" it may entice the many thousands back who currently follow the sport closely via other media, but choose to stay away from paying money to watch it live domestically... The honest truth though is I fear we will never find that out..

It is ran as a hobby by promoters... Who build ambigous rules as all can then benefit from them whenever they may need them.. The main purpose of UK Speedway is to provide riders with rides so they can justify their outlay on kit, and hopefully, earn enough to work six months of the year and not have to work the other six... The secondary purpose is to give promoters a sense of achievement when their teams win competitions of minimal kudos, recognition and financial value. With the lack of recognition all directly down to the ludicrous operating model that they personally design and follow.. However, it is still a very good night out on certain tracks, with the right personnel on view... Just enjoy the racing and dont take it seriously in any way shape or form from a "team sport" perspective..

Exactly why it is best not to take it seriously and just watch the racing... It won't ever move on to become "mainstream" as it is so severely restricted by its operating model, which will always dissuade any major sponsors or media to get involved.. But it still can be a very decent night out if you take it at face value as being nothing much more than somewhat of a contrived, but entertaining and exciting, proposition..

But he hasnt been protected in the top 5 and been there now for a couple of months.. Therefore, only fair he gets treated the same as anyone else... As long as the rules are clear, which incredibly for Speedway in the UK they appear to be, and all tracks get the same treatment, then that is what should count...

Because? He is a rider in the main body of the team who got there on merit without any "special heats" to ride in, so his average has been earned.. Same as any other rider who had done the same this season by moving out of the reserve berth, therefore surely exactly the same rules apply re R/R...

All spend thousands on kit and tuning at the behest of the promoters, so have to earn thousands from those promoters to cover the outlay.. And all this is done to try and win competitions rendered pretty much irrelevant by the rules and regs implemented by the very same promoters.. Work that one out...

2 lap races....? .

"To you"... "To me"... "To me"... "To you".... Etc. Etc. Etc. Barry and Paul were/are Rotherham boys too, so not far away..

Maybe to give Blodorn more Monmore track time?

And why not? They may need a guest in the play offs so it could keep his season going... And guesting in play offs can bring a higher premium given the clubs willingness to offer a larger incentive than a normal meeting... Given the whole season uses guests ad nauseam, who have all subsequently influenced the current table by doing so, it really is almost disingenuous of fans to complain towards the end of the season how these guests then shape the finish of it... A bit late in the day for fans to question the credibility of a system that doesnt have any, after spending months being quite accepting of it... I am sure Bomber will be keeping his bikes in good condition and his phone in his hand at all times...

Would be fantastic to get them both.. Sam could then carry out an insightful interview with both Woffingham and Beeley during the meeting..

Is it still on? Waiting for heat 11 finally beat me.... Even seeing and hearing from the Aces new signing Norick Blumrick couldn't see me through.... I wonder if the Aces have cheated by signing young Master Blumrick after the transfer deadline?

But whilst they are at the Speedway they are not using their own lighting and heating at home, so saving money... UK Speedway ahead of the curve.....

Who is Norick Blumrick?