mikebv

And are obviously of a higher standard.. (Than themselves in the Championship)...

One out of two ain't bad..... For Eurosport anyway..

Some nice fixture congestion in Poland due to all that inclement weather that they have had, that they all could foresee days in front.. Hopefully, (now crowds will be allowed in) the weather coincidentally picks up over there...

A (quite literally) ever growing problem....

Sky started off with 3 hours initially didn't they but went to two as they struggled to fill the time, and the fans moaned it took too long to complete the meetings when they were at the track.. Maybe if Eurosport have screens at the tracks, so those there can watch the interviews and analysis between races it would help...? I remember the 3 hour Sky matches and they did drag, so much so I eventually didn't bother attending them.. And lots of empty spaces doesn't look good when trying to sell the sport... It does look like there has been some thought and planning gone into their production so let's hope it proves a catalyst for better times for the sport..

No wonder it says sold out.. You have ordered them all... Let's hope they dont take twenty grand off your card... Edit. On the plus side you will be able to stand or sit where you want with no social distancing issues..

Do they still only use one side? If so, the inside will be very restricted and the outside given its relative small space from top step to bottom wont be allowed to hold too many I would think.. Maybe not ever 1000 at a reduced capacity in total?

Fair call... if the current crop of riders per team are getting the same money as previous teams which included GP riders then that would be ridiculous.. It will cost me and my student lad £37 to stand and watch the Aces if we go along this year... If we could get in for say £25 then there would be several more visits than there would be at £37, giving the Aces more money overall... Surprised they have gone for increases considering the team levels and TV money...

Its good for a TV match.... The first few weeks should see 'house full' signs at most tracks I would think given the reduction in capacity.. Lets hope it's not just a 'dead cat bounce' and can be built on... Shouting about the meetings being 'full houses' may be something worth considering? Doesnt need the details, just the headlines... Might stimulate a bit of interest from those locally who 'used to go'....

Presume Pepe must keep his place due to bringing in the big Pental team sponsorship? Cant be down to his riding over the past few years...

You always read and hear that preparing a Speedway track is so difficult... That looks piss easy to me....

Belle Vue have... 37 quid for me and my 18 year old student lad to stand.... Ouch.... Looks like Eurosport coverage for me....

And many last year wouldnt have actually lost money... Or at least will have lost a lot less than usual... With the vastly reduced level on show it surely can't cost the same? (And if it does then they are crackers to pay lesser riders the same money, but "you never know"!! And even with the capacity reductions, most will comfortably be able to get their usual average crowd in I would think so no loss of revenue there for many.. Given the health concerns of re joining 'society' for many of their demographic fan base, not sure a price increase is wise to be honest.. Edit: and this year they get TV money too...

Seem to be lots of postponed matches in the Polish leagues this year so far... (Nothing to do with no/reduced crowds and the hope that full crowds can enter later in the season I am sure).. In the SS, Oliver Berntzon mentions that this 'slow start' to the season means he has a good many meetings condensed into a relatively short period of time, meaning he is having to stay in Poland to ensure he will be available for them all.. He also said that they were racing three meetings in five days in the coming weeks to catch up... I think the BSPL might need to keep Monday's Eurosport fixture the only meeting to be ran that day if the same thing will apply to the rest of the riders...

All the major supermarkets stock it so maybe worth request to stock it (if it doesn't), if you use any of the 'big four'... The SS is on sale at my local Tesco by 8am every Thursday every week, no problem...

Maybe it won't be only the fans wearing masks..

I believe the company is called "Pie-ky and Chips".....

Have they finished putting that roof on yet?

RIP Jon Cook.. Condolences, and best wishes to all his family and friends..

Mickey Mouse events? A few seasons ago the Premier League Play Off Final (the flagship event of the whole UK Speedway season) was set to have two riders guesting who were actually going to 'swap' teams after the first leg... Meaning each would ride for BOTH teams... Whatever the IOW do in the coming season I would suggest that they would be very hard pushed to be more 'Mickey Mouse' than that. .. In fact, I would think even Disney would struggle to be so... Best of luck to the IOW this season...

Pretty much the Speedway business model up until around five years or so ago when I suppose it eventually dawned that it doesn't work.. For far too long it was "we have lost 'x' amount of fans due to the last inflation busting increase so increase admission by another inflation busting 'y' amount"... Whilst all the time not spotting that the annual reduction in fans was destroying the atmosphere, whilst at the same time the inflation busting price hikes were peeing off their most ardent loyalist fans,... A 'lose/lose'.....

I would think that given the plans the IOW have for the season they will need maybe a pool of 35 or so riders to allow their team and the visiting teams to remain 'fresh', and not have the same lads riding each time... And around 15 or so of these lads will be around NL heat leader level if their points limit is used... These 15 lads alone could easily be filling 30 spaces in the 2nd and 3rd tiers, so 'if' (and for me it is unlikely, but as you allude to, "you never know with the BSPL"), any bans are threatened, they could easily stand together and say "we are doing it", and they would have to be given permission I would suggest given their huge collective impact to the two leagues mentioned.. Getting competitive teams out every meeting during the pandemic will be enough of a challenge to the three leagues I would imagine, so any ban threat (particularly to the level of rider that is so fundamental to two leagues), would hardly be made coming from any position of strength.. Hopefully the IOW can just get on with the task of providing 'Shale Sport' entertainment, in their customary pro active style, without any nonsense getting in the way...

And should the BSPL ever actually ban any riders for riding at the IOW, then who would ride for the teams in their leagues? Most riders seem to have two teams as it is, so banning any of them would create some big holes to be filled.. And as the IOW seem to be trying to run their 'Speedw', (er I mean 'Shale Sport" Meetings) at a level more akin to the 'old' NL strength it will therefore include a number of 'decent level riders', which would mean a fair few NDL heat leaders and Championship Reserves would need finding to replace them from a pool of lesser talent.. To be honest. I can't really see the BSPL being too bothered what happens on the island, (hope so anyway), and if they are, they really need to focus on the much more important matters.. Such as promoting their sport aggressively as we leave the various lockdown rules behind..

I believe the breakaway league was having to be called "The Kicking An Air Filled Spherical Object Around A Desgnated Marked Out Field European Super League"...

Best of both worlds.. TV crowds are always down (ex play offs), so even a limited capacity shouldn't impact those who attend regardless of TV coverage too much, meaning most of them can still attend I would think.. And the rest can watch on TV..