mikebv

You can actually imagine that some Promoters will see Newcastle going as an opportunity to sign a few more riders... And then also have a few "spares" for injury cover or poor performance... All to win competitions that they undermine to a point of being virtually meaningless by the very operating model that they produce... I would suggest that the only success in Speedway is by working together, deliver every team that starts a season ends it too, and comes back to the tapes next year...

They haven't noticed the demise of a good many over the past two decades it would appear.. And if they have, it hasn't prompted them to look at making the radical, fundamental changes the sport needs.. The best they could come up with this year is packing a load of Div 1 heat leaders into the 2nd Div.... Whilst allowing a huge imbalance of that resource from team to team... A marvellous plan... A master stroke.... Best wishes to Rob Grant and Newcastle Speedway, dealt an appalling hand by others, it would appear, so no failure attached to their collective efforts I would suggest..

It is a strange conundrum with both Worrall's.. It seems that every season for a long time "something happens" to them and at the end of the year it is generally decreed that "we have to bring them in as they are on a bargain average, and they are much better than that"... And then by the end of the next season it was proved crystal clear, once again, that they weren't...

Several riders I have spoken with in the past said usually they agreed a "fixed fee" of '£X' when guesting, with a '£'s per point' figure also agreed for every point they scored past a pre agreed amount... A basic for them as well as an incentive to do well..

Well Lawson made a huge difference didn't he? Good job Morris didn't ride as they would have got three or four more... Dan Bewley v The Opposition... Becoming a bit of common theme that isn't it? Seems to score circa 35%, and more, of the points each match... Good job they have got him... As they cannot rely on anyone else...

And given the best reserve and the lowest second string are pretty similar, maybe no guest for him at all? Two rides for the second string, and two for No7.. And a No8 from the league below to replace the No7..? Two rides for No6 and two for No8.. And if two riders missing then only a guest if injury related, not fixture clashes, as that is avoidable.. In fact, maybe dont run any meeting that two riders from one team will be missing? Rearrange it... So many convoluted nonsense regulations have to get brought in due to a lack of strong leadership that prevents the need for them in the first place...

All those regulations needed... When just one was required... "You can't sign a rider that isnt available (if fit), for all your matches"..

It was quoted that 6 away matches would have cost them £25k to £35k... Meaning not much less than £6k needed per match. That's £12k plus the VAT to pay seven riders for two matches from your home income. (£14.4k or so?) And that's before you pay the rent and ancillary meeting costs.. What would that be in total? £17k or so? £18k? For the 2nd Division of a sport with such a small following that is a lot of outgoings.. No wonder not many make money..

If you have seven riders and two have an off night you are struggling.. Because that's sport.. Being allowed to bring in competitors from other teams on a "ringer" basis has no place in a proper sport...

They know best.... Thought that this was blatantly obvious to everyone as it can clearly be seen by the uber successful sport we have today that they run...

?? They pretty much all double up and guest as much as is humanely possible to get as many rides as they can...

Cut off from all communications...

Full of f***in salt if I directed like this one tonight...

Did they not check these camera positions..? Too near the track and too high..? Either way they dont dip down enough.. A mobile phone would have given better coverage... The director obviously hasnt a clue that most races have one rider "foxtrot oscar" into the distance, with the other three then making "the race".. Salt mines surely for this guy...

I can only presume the director hasnt done Speedway before. And the camera on bend 4 doesnt go down low enough to cover the outside.. And the berk doesnt use the camera across the track that does show the bend..

This director is crap.

Director obviously thinks its 3 lap races...

Re your last paragraph... What was the qualification criteria for the Rising Star again? Lucky for one rider and track in particular wasnt it? Just "snuck in" on almost every measure..

But ultimately, it's the stupid rules dreamt up that means Promoters panic, knowing that one or two clubs have a clear advantage due to splashing the cash to the best riders, meaning therefore, that they will possibly get a fair few home hammerings which could destroy their business as fans stay away.. Therefore, due to the money paid out by certain clubs, any riders the "lesser clubs" want then come with a similar expectation of money and as demand comfortably exceeds supply, they get it... I watched a Div 2 match the other week where six of the heat leaders on show should really have been across three 2nd div teams not two, (and maybe, given the current issues facing so many teams) all six should probably have all been shared one each across six teams).... So many Div One heat leaders DU as we are told they need to earn the money to keep riding, therefore let's accept that as a given fact, but then share them out across all the 2nd Division teams evenly.. If that means some rider control to be set up, then so be it... As. If they need to ride in both leagues to earn the cash they surely wont turn an opportunity to DU, regardless of where it is...

So its coming down then..? Great news...

I think you are correct.. Instead of seeing those on here as people who are actually bothered enough to still follow the sport, and (hopefully) constructively criticise and offer feedback.. The outlook of many on here might be those of a "minority", however that's because you never hear any more from the huge amount of ex fans who share/shared exactly the same views but no longer even care enough to provide any more feedback.. I would suggest there are literally tens of thousands more of these people (who still regard themselves as fans of the sport), NOT attending any meeting this week... A significantly much higher number indeed than the number who will attend.. Why that will be the case should be the most pressing concern for the Promoters...

And all to try and win competitions rendered pretty much meaningless by their very own operational model and their actions... The saying often used for this kind of ludicrous situation is... "You really couldn't make this s**t up could you?'... Well, unfortunately for British Speedway, someone actually must have... And, incredibly, others then agreed with them....

Agree 100%.. But I bet their remuneration package doesnt reflect their level against riders 20 years ago.. It will only reflect their position now against all those below them..

Was never going to happen.. The council were not going to close down a multi million pound tax payer funded facility that they had just opened..

Surely there has to come a time when Promoters take a step back, put their own egos away, and realise that what they are doing simply doesnt work? Its clear that "Championship Lite/NDL Plus" is the (maximum) level for so many.. Not "Premiership Lite".. If your crowd is less than 1000 why would you be paying Premiership Heat Leaders? Premiership Heat Leaders dont forget whose very presence has delivered that less than 1000 crowd!! The sport is now down to the die hards, with the vast majority of whom willing to watch anything served up and packaged as "Team Speedway" (as is proved by their regular attendance even after well over a decade of contrived output), therefore why spend hundreds of thousands in delivering it?. For me, the sport (all sports), need a standard bearer to aspire to, so maybe you could get 8 teams to be the pinnacle with 5 man teams. Meaning the best 40 riders ride in that league.. The rest then race in an 11 team "Championship Lite/NDL Plus" level, with the best riders providing injury cover to the top league by being affiliated to the teams there.. Meaning no guests in the top league!! Grade the top 40 riders, A to E and set a mean average based on their total points divided by 40. This will then ensure no team with money can get the best rider from every grade.. Put simply, your crowd level should deliver the level you race at, not the ego of the Promoter..