mikebv

No, not at all... But when the tipping point came and guests galore took over replacing missing No1 riders... Thus destroying the credibility of the leagues... I would have expected those running the sport to take over their own destiny rather than let it be delivered by others..

Saturday tracks didn't lose their race night due to the GP's.. They chose to lose those race nights themselves... To accommodate riders who had their own agendas to meet... Riders who a few years later dropped the UK without a second glance.. Employees dictating opening hours.. Just like we still have today.... And it will never work...

The loss of weekend racing undoubtedly was a blow, but to not then do something about it was simply hari kiri.. It was the usual lack of clear, decisive, leadership, and instead, a cobbled together, make do and mend, halfway house, half arsed plan, of appeasement was delivered... (And continues to thlis day).. I truly believe many Promoters thought that the GP's were a 'fad' and that when it "inevitably disappeared" everything would go back to normal... What it should have done then, and subsequently many times since, is plough it's own furrow, and be in charge of it's own destiny.. Instead promoters have spent 20 years or so, bending over backwards to accommodate riders who have become friends rather than employees in a lot of cases, and changing fixtures all over the place to allow them to follow their own individual ambitions... It needed then (and still does today), some hard nosed business leadership that ensured tracks ran on the best nights to get their best crowd and their employees understood that they needed to be there... Or ultimately decide to ply their trade elsewhere.. I can imagine there are still some in UK Speedway who blame the GP's for its demise, even around 25 years after it was launched.. I dont imagine Polish Speedway hold the same views, nor Sweden.. Both if which have done "more than ok" in the "GP Years"...

Rather than learn to just gate and go, and do just enough to stay in front of faster and better riders on slick, tight, narrow tracks in the UK? Tracks that haven't evolved at any where near the same rate as the bikes now ridden have...? As lots of the top GP and Polish lLeague riders prove, long gone are the days of having to do many years riding in the UK as part of your "apprenticeship in Speedway"... If some of our lads can find that "Polish Speed" through getting the backing needed, and land very good contracts, then good luck to them....

Which is exactly why they are actively recruiting I would say... They will no doubt want to keep four Poles per team... Maybe some of our lads will suddenly find some Polish ancestors...?

After their last huge TV contract, Polish Speedway stated their plans to increase the amount of teams in the top leagues... So, presuming they are not going to decide to allow 90% of their riders to ride in both the top two divisions.. Nor allow 'guests' to destroy their leagues' credibility (as well as the huge TV deal, national sponsors who put in hundreds of thousands, and obviously decimate its fanbase).. You have to think that using "more foreign riders" may be part of their overall plan? However, if so, I can pretty much guarantee it will be controlled, and it wont be allowed to impact the flow of Polish talent coming through, as they know that a successful national team is paramount to keeping the sport in the wider general public eye...

I think the "Rising Star" moniker does them few favours.. It gives the impression that they will become top level riders.. When the actuality, based on history, is that most will never reach tier one HL status (unless of course it continues to be diluted and they may then get a chance).... At their age the truly World Class GB riders of the past 20 years or so, were beating the best in the world who were all riding in the UK at the time... Eg Screen, Loram, Louis, and Havelock, all of whom were well ahead of these lads at a similar age.. Bomber and Nicholls can be added to that list too a little more recent.. With Woffinden, Lambert and Bewley the three most recent examples of riders at a very young age beating some of the best in the world in their formative Speedway years.. These lads within the RS schemes are more likely to be 'solid' riders who take places in teams that previously would be taken by foreign journeymen I would suggest looking at their current level of performance.. And that's not a bad thing for the future of the sport at UK domestic level I would say..

And they all should invest in some track covers...

And Poland and Sweden coverage too... I have never watched so much Speedway as I have in the past 3 years or so.. Add in Denmark on a Wednesday and some weeks I can watch seven days of racing...

There isn't the riders these days to attract a big crowd when visiting your track, apart from maybe Jason Crump and Bjarne Pederson on his farewell tour, who, as you say, managed a 'decent crowd' at Berwick.. No disrespect but the 'big names' like Bomber, Rory and Scott visiting your track for the umpteenth time (and with guest bookings that could be just this season!), isn't going to have the turnstiles clicking too many extra times.. However lads of their level (and there are loads in tier 2) won't be "cheap" when you have to find that level of rider (maybe two of them or even three?), to compete, and you only get 600 or 700 or so crowd levels to pay them... I think the sport is now at a critical point where letting the clubs with money "do what they want" can only spell disaster for some others as they try and compete... Maybe these clubs who "can do what they want" should have to do it in tier one? And use their money to attract some GP riders in? At least then when visiting away tracks in tier one they may attract good crowds if they have world class riders...

100% However, the level of rider being used in the 2nd tier can only inflate the overall payroll costs for all the clubs.. And as Promoters see winning at home as fundamental to any survival, all then have to pay the "going rate" for that level of rider.. If one club has that level of rider (and some have three), then others need them too... And whilst some clubs can (and are allowed to), throw massive sums on a "hobby", with actually making money not being a priority, you can only cause an over heating of the payroll spend.. Which can only end badly for some...

Grasstrack riders riding in a Speedway stadium might work for you Barry... And it might also please all the people in your stadium watching it... And persuade them to come back the week later.. To watch more of the same and other various kinds of racing without Speedway bikes.. But thats "all" it will do.. (Apart from maybe also unearthing a Speedway rider or two as well)... It wont ever please those Speedway purists though... They only want to follow team racing, with two Seven man teams, (regardless of credibility or integrity in their make up), 4 laps and four riders per race, all races from the tapes, and 15 heats of Speedway.. Obviously those same Speedway purists though havent quite noticed all those people that used to stand near them at their tracks have disappeared over the past two decades, and are no longer actually in the stadiums anymore... Still these purists are probably right.. After all, if it ain't broken dont fix it..

No surprise really as he is riding against virtually all the same riders he rides against in tier one.. My point was he shouldnt be singled out given so many tier one riders are doing exactly the same..

And it would given them time to edit out all the delays between races too.. A much more snappy, fast paced programme..

For Batchelor read a great many more... Hence teams are struggling at the 2nd tier level due to the costs involved in paying many 1st tier heat leaders..

A very good idea... Best of both worlds, and could be done when there isnt a British rider racing in Poland that day... There must be one at least surely given so few do it? But aside from the day its ran, actually promoting the event would be a start in increasing attendance.. If even the Promoters don't feel it's important enough to do some promotion and marketing around it, and give it a very decent prize fund well into five figures, then you can't expect the fans (or even some riders), to see it as worth attending...

Definitely focused on his own individual achievements... Won't have gone down well this year, especially considering they weren't far off the play offs.. Max Fricke always comes across as giving 100% every time he rides so maybe a contender for Lindgrens place.. ?

If only we could get our Speedway as intense and as meaningful.. Or even half as much... Amazing atmosphere, great full on racing, and a fantastic finish to the season.. Let the play offs begin...

As if it wasnt tense enough..

Get a move on Nicki!!! Kenny B gutted... The last race of the league season decides who goes down.. Proper Speedway Nige...

Well done Kenny B.... Awesome ride.....

(G) had a bit of a hit and miss day....

And passing Pawlicki is sometimes an 'experience' I would suggest given he does like to pick one or two, (or even three), racing lines to keep you behind him..

Polish Speedway... Heat 11 tremendous.. Riders turning left, turning right and putting everything on the line for their team.. Every point contested...

Some "proper hard racing" on view.. Great to watch..