mikebv

Rain off time...? It says he isn't available due to a rearranged fixture in Poland... Surely that means the UK have priority? Isn't that a 28 day ban if he doesn't ride over here?

They do... And sometimes it's even been down to it raining...

The extension lead wasn't long enough...

Have you seen Man Citys figures at the 'Emptihad'? Even during lockdown they announced 60,000 each week.. Even when they were away...

With Mickey Mouse as its jockey..

What happened to the plan for track covers? Didn't Berwick use them quite successfully on several occasions? There are still a great many meetings called off due to 'damage done' well in advance of tapes up time, with the day/night of the meeting completely clear of rain... Wouldn't using the TV money now provided to buy covers be a good way of improving the long term success of the sport? TV companies pay a lot of set up money out to show live sport so would much prefer a higher chance of it taking place I would think. (Especially when covering such sports that can be rain impacted).. Covers may help gain further contracts as well as providing "unsure" fans with more confidence to attend... The last TV contracts didn't appear to produce any tangible lasting improvements to the sport so maybe this one can?

Premier 1 showing it..

But that is 100% the frustrating issue... It clearly isnt an 'impossible situation' to run the sport properly.. Running with three riders you 100% know will be missing is 'self inflicted' nonsense.. As is every meeting they run on nights which mean guests when the FIM already have a meeting in place.. And invariably on 'FIM nights' the missing riders are the better ones who, by definition of being at that qualifier or final, should have been one of the 'main fan attractions' at the league meeting.. The promoters will no doubt argue when in their own 'echo chambers', that... "No one in the stadiums complain about the make up of the teams". And that may be 100% factual, however.. Its the 80% empty terracing at the vast majority of tracks that they should "listen" to.. That "deafening silence" from those who still keep a keen interest in the sport, but are no longer prepared to pay out their hard earned to UK Speedway, is the 'noise' they should be listening to and learning from.. As has already been mentioned, this year was always going to have some 'travel chaos', (you didnt need some superhuman psychic skills to predict that)... So therefore why run with their usual operating model when it was so obvious huge logistical challenges would exist? Why still run with 7 man teams? Why still run with a plethora of overseas riders? And, if running a wider NDL league as they have planned, why not instead do a combined level league using an amalgam of British based Championship/NDL level riders, rather than run the two leagues seperate, (which no doubt will result in even more fixture clashes where riders have to be in 'two places at once').. Not 'impossible situations' at all... Just more of the same self inflicted nonsense which has gone on well before the pandemic, and no doubt, will continue a long time after..

I can't obviously speak for the person concerned but I would be surprised if it was... Because, over the years, my team (or should I say my 'select'), have lost ( and won) in such contrived circumstances, and therefore, the outcome of the meeting didn't matter enough to be disappointed (or pleased).. And when followers of a team sport have an attitude of '"the result doesn't really matter" due to way the teams are contrived, then it really can't be a good thing...

At UK level I don't think it is even supposed to be that anymore.. Lets be honest, this season the promoters can hide behind the pandemic and the fans will cut them lots of slack given how long they have been without speedway.. The reality of course is that much of what will happen this season will have happened pandemic or not.. As that is simply the way they choose to run things..

Certainly seems to have worked for Leicester if the attendances quoted on their thread are accurate.. ie drop down, stop paying out for GP riders and stop having to ride mid week to accommodate them. Net result? Larger crowds at weekends watching (due to the amount of DU's), a great many of exactly the same riders they would have seen riding anyway if they had stayed at the 'top level'..

And then reinstated every year since then... And then removed sometime every year since then.... And then reinstated again.. And then removed again.. Etc etc etc . All in the interest of Speedway obviously...

Agree there... However someone who was once deemed a 'gating tart', and nothing more, has developed into a much more forceful rider over the past few years.. The play off final at BV a few years ago a case in point when he and Lindgren came together.. The Kenny of earlier in his career wouldnt have got involved in that I would think.. Maybe this year he has had the 'Polish persuasion' to buck his ideas up..

Gets a bad press for his passing does Bjerre... The last few years have seen him venture much wider and pass a fair few opponents... Saw him at the NSS regularly go round the opposition riders...

Presume helmets don't count, only front wheels?

It's also noticeable that Jack Holder is now 'nearly there' when it comes to the very close contact stuff where blinking first loses you the race... I think that this year will see him outgrow the UK League, and move on to racing full time just against the very best.. Dropping back a level each week doesn't help as it doesn't provide a true picture of progression, or where you truly are in the pecking order... As you say Dan Bewley is in a similar position I would think.. And as daft as it may sound... Nearly there but with still a long way to go, given the huge level of performances, consistently delivered, that the very top riders can achieve...

Good meeting that.. Lambert again showing his progression to the very top level.. Be good for the young UK lads to watch him and how much you need that 'forceful' style of riding at the very top level to be successful.. You cant wait for mistakes in Poland to pass, or hope the track has an outside line to help you.. As the very top riders show, sometimes you have to force the issue at the highest level..

100%.. And gone are the days of No1's picking their own gate, and if on gate 4 nowadays, then their opposite number can pretty much screw up their whole race at the first turn, given there is a far narrower difference in level between No1 riders to second strings now... In years gone by a poor first couple of turns could see the No1 rider finding himself at the back however he could, on many occasions, comfortably pass both his second string and the opposition's to finish second.. Not as easy nowadays given the No1 invariably isnt a 10/11 point average man..

They weren't all going to get round there..

I would bet if they all got a £10,000 per match fine for running with guests, or an equal fine for putting out a weakend team due to missing riders, then they would "find a way" to run every meeting without guests and with teams of a sufficient standard.. Either through a common sense approach to fixture planning, a fit for purpose rider replacement facility, or even have less team places up for grabs so it creates surplus across the two top leagues to replace injured or underperforming riders.. Let's face it, it is just "easier" to use guests isnt it? And that is why daft fixture clashes will not even be seen an issue.. And also why a truly exciting sport will never reach its wider potential in this country, as, sadly it cant be taken seriously..

I remember that... I think though that it is now banned as part of the Covid regulations.. Boris got wind of it and issued strict instructions to the local council that KL must never use it whilst the pandemic is on.. The last thing you need is 1300 KL fans shouting at the top of their voices and jumping up and down to this magnificent 'war cry' potentially spreading the virus.. In fact, it was so good, even the away fans will start joining in..... I saw the footage because my then 16 year old lad came flying down the stairs with his phone in his hand saying "You've got to see this!".. At then end of it, he just said laughing.. "And WE go to Speedway"....

It is barmy isnt it? A sport whose leagues run with so little credibility and kudos, actually plan in to make it even less credible and give it even less kudos in winning.. And if anyone says "shortened season due to covid" then why run junior teams if fitting in first team meetings would be an issue this season.. Or.. Plenty of double headers with the junior team could have been replaced with two teams from their own league visiting.. What you often get when these meetings are planned in is "Team A" wanting the match on due to a 'weaker' "Team B", and "Team B" agreeing to it because they have lined up a track specialist ringer which actually can improve their chances. "Please take us seriously"...

Yes, and quite rightly too... As it's their job, and their job alone, to make the sport look bad...

One of Len Silvers targets seems to always have been to try and do everything to have 'weekly speedway'... Which has no doubt helped him when deciding to call off meetings, as he knows there is (usually), "always next week". Meaning dissapointed fans won't have to wait long to be back at the stadium, and he won't be 'peeing off' his customers by putting on either a very poor meeting or calling one off after it has started... For many other tracks it may be their only meeting for a month so try everything they know to get 'dodgy weather' meetings on, with often the obvious disastrous consequences for the entertainment value provided and dissatisfaction to their 'customers'... Fair play to the guy, his longevity in the sport suggests that he more than "knows his stuff"...

Take it Troy isnt on your Xmas card list then?