mikebv

I think it will need a period of sustained success to make the wider sporting media and sports' watching public to start to follow more closely.. Similar as to how the Sport was covered in the 70's due to consistent success, (and then got almost dropped like a stone when the Yanks and Danes took over).. And also similar to the way Carl Fogarty built up a WSB following over through several years of successive title wins.. With BSB getting more coverage and interest too, off the back of what he achieved at World Level.. Woffy, Lambert, Bewley and Ellis would be a fair team, as it currently stands, for the 2023 WTC, and as we have seen this year, next years team for the SON, whoever is picked, would be in with a decent chance of retaining the trophy.. Going head to head, every night you ride, against the top level, can only help...

They would still have the top four qualifying for the play offs...

A perfect move for Dan at this stage of his career.. Too many GB lads didnt make that risky jump into a more pressured environment and stagnated, when they could have maybe progressed up the Speedway ladder... The vast majority of races he is in now will have at least one top level rider up at the tapes with him which can only help improve his own performance... Missing the start and passing sometimes all three others in Sweden and Poland wont be as easy as he seems to find it in the UK so his gating will need to be consistently sharp which can only help him at World Individual and Team level... Hopefully he will appear in some individual events over here like the Peter Craven Memorial as he one rider that definitely is "worth the admission" to watch.... A big couple of years for Dan coming up I would think, let's hope it goes well for him as having a couple of successful young lads like Bewley and Lambert at World Class level can only help get the sport in the UK more publicity off the back of it..

Pre Covid in Sweden crowds were considerably larger than in the UK... Not Poland level obviously but a basic meeting would get 2000 or so... And, given they don't run Mickey Mouse rules, it means they do have some credibility and have a nationally recognised company sponsoring the league....

Wise words mate....

How do you know?

Michael Lee didn't take to it too well either in a Test Match v the USA I seem to remember...

Doesn't me... If they moved up they could only compete in the top tier by signing three decent heat leaders.. And by that I mean signing proven tier one riders... Rider like Steve Worrall, Danny King and Rory Schlien if he could be persuaded not to retire.. Oh! Hang on a minute......

The Grasstrack there? A very big and fast track... The type the French seem to like to ride in Speedway. Maybe that is where so many learn to ride a Grass/Speedway bike? .

I must admit, I do like that.. Gets the crowd going too when its one of the opposition doing it.. There is still a delaying the start rule so that can used by the ref if he feels someone is taking the 'Gerd Riss'... It was great to see and hear Ivan getting the bird off rival fans as he went into the tapes time after time, and then hear the cheers as he rolled back and the tapes went up with him last away Mind you, he was still leading most times by the third turn, lap one..

In a sport with so few teams, and with fixed race nights (so no clashes for the riders needed to compete), it does take something pretty special to still not have the league completed by the start of November... ..

Incredibly bad luck to get poor weather at the arse end of October in the UK... Unheard of as far as I can recall... Luckily Speedway is a sport that isnt too affected by rain....

And 'if' he has Bewley and Fricke in the same team with him the pressure will be off to a certain degree.. As well as providing him with a spur to measure improvement for himself... No way should a rider of Batchelor's capability be running such a low average, therefore he has to be worth a punt I would say...

Surely Batchelor will be considered by most teams? Just over a 5 point average... The NSS could be perfect for him as a home track to get back to somewhere like he was..

Then Sky came in a few years later and pumped many millions into the sport.... Providing thousands of hours of live prime time coverage to a sport bereft of such an opportunity to showcase itself.. You really couldn't fail to develop the sport successfully with such huge backing providing a gilt edged golden opportunity to do so could you?.... What a night by the way...

Will they need to take a Covid test to get back in? Is the IOW on "the list"...?

Poland have zero tolerance and dont seem to have many starting issues and races start promptly.. Start Marshall walks away, and if a rider moves back, then the ref tells him and he returns to move the rider forward.. The Final at Peterborough had some riders six inches from the tapes.. No need for so many extra Mickey Mouse rules to be added if they just implemented some rules that they have properly.. Although there would need a comms system from ref to start marshall like Poland have... Two plastic cups and a piece of string may work..?

I believe that isnt quite right anymore... I think we are the "bring a friend" sport now...

And also do a bit of testing of machinery in race conditions which may help him in Poland...

I think the kids like to go to other sports as other kids are there.... When my lad started to go to BV as a five year old there were around five other kids of the same (ish) age who all ran around in between heats together.. I would imagine standing around for a couple of hours when you are several decades younger than every one else there must be a bit boring and unappealing... T20 in particular targets families and does a very good job of doing it....

Correct... 12.minute...

And a next level that doesn't have the majority of riders that ride as heat leaders in the top tier... The level currently from step three to step two is too big, as basically in reality it's not far off going from step three to step one in one move... Having one or two experienced old heads from the tier above in most teams brought the riders on and gave them an idea of what the next level looked like... Now you can go from learning your craft, gradually improve and move up, and be facing riders who just represented Team Great Britain in a test match v Poland...

Good to see you back with us Geoff... Thought the Final had done you in you were so quiet.....

It's more amazing that the ONLY Speedway team in a conurbation of over 2.5 million is so little known..

Fixed nights just provide teams, who want to stay in certain divisions, with riders, otherwise they couldn't run because they dont have enough riders of the calibre that they need for the league that they want to race in.. And of course it now becomes a "must do" for the riders as their income stream will be getting delivered for several years now by having two jobs... Meaning the 2nd tier is virtually the same standard as the top one, and the NDL is miles away from the 2nd tier.. Nothing will change...