mikebv

Pity they seem to keep using one of Baldrick's cunning plans...

Barry and Chris... i have a very simple outlook on "feedback" based on decades of being in the retail business, and it's this... If you ever get criticised by anyone who has a track record of success in your field, then listen to them and respect their opinion... If they don't have a record of success in your field then their opinion of you is utterly worthless...

And you still have missing riders on fixed race nights who are allowed fo give meetings a miss to race in Poland the night after, so what is really the purpose of them..? And plenty of guest riders already this year so you might as well just have a free for all and race when you feel your best crowds will come, select teams v select teams.. Won't be any different than any other year in that regard, but at least now they could use 'Covid' as an excuse..

I would suggest the "no refund" policy is definitely one that is hurting some tracks... Some I notice are doing full refunds so maybe all should just come out and say that full refunds will be given if the match doesnt take place, rather than "use your ticket for another match"... Away fans in particular may not be able to get to a restaging and it seems daft (and no doubt worrying), to have tickets available when capacity is so reduced and not do everything you can to get whatever the maximum is, into the stadium.. Any barriers to getting customers to give you their money are never a good thing..

Any information on why phones couldn't have been used to book tickets? Or were they? Surely people are able to ring up, use their card to buy, and either have them sent to their home, or the barcode sent to their phone? Or even pick them up on the night..? There is a though a myth that 50 somethings dont use computers. Most of us are extremely computer and internet savvy.. Especially when the wife suddenly walks in to the room..

Recently I have been watching far more on YouTube than ordinary TV and have come across lots of Sunday League and Non League teams filming themselves and putting out 20 to 30 min shows featuring their games.. SE Dons in London (Grass roots Sunday League), have built up a huge following (and therefore money), on YouTube, with literally hundreds of thousands of followers.. The basic premise is around five to ten mins of players and club officials arriving and a quick discussion with them about the game, how they have been etc, and a quick talk with some of the fans watching, then they show the managers team talk before the highlights of the first half.. Managers half time talk again then the highlights of the second half, with the managers post match team talk to finish.. All done in circa 25 mins with no longer than five mins tops on any actual segment.. SE Dons actually now have players included in mainstream TV on Soccer AM such is there 'fame' and do exhibition fund raising matches around the country.. They have also had over 3000 people watching them in a final.. They sell their merchandise at the same time (10,000 shirts sold!), and have several companies advertising with them, and do product endorsements. (Energy drinks etc).. And they are not alone as many other clubs do the same but maybe to not that level yet, but you can clearly see they are working on it.. Therefore. What is stopping Speedway clubs doing the same? Most 'yoofs' dont watch a full programme of anything these days so highlights and showing the characters of the individuals appeals to them, and the cameras that are used are certainly not SKY level but comfortably deliver in HD what is required. (Some coverage is even done by phone).. I was suggested it by the algorithm that is used on sites like YouTube due to me watching lots of football at grass roots and pro level on there.. A Speedway club would, you would think, get included within the 'motorsport' algorithm which could suggest watching to F1, MotoGP, MX and Superbike followers etc.. The coverage is making 'celebrities' out of these grass root playing lads in a key demographic, (my lad knows all their names and capabilities), so why can't Speedway try and do the same? Advertising on Facebook or Twitter to those who already know about you wont stimulate any extra interest.. There are literally millions out there using platforms like YouTube daily so surely clubs should try and get themselves noticed on it..? Cherry pick the best races to show, hopefully have a touch of controversy to cover, and get the personalities of the lads out there.. We live in a world of "bite size" information which is used to attract a public with an ever diminishing attention span given so much is 'out there' to watch.. A huge untapped market for Speedway clubs, especially with algorithms including local town names.. The more who watch you, the higher you appear on the suggested names using the predicted text, which can only generate some curious interest from those 'local people' watching who maybe dont know about you, or even prick interest from those who do know about you or even used to go...

Great idea... Contact him and tell him that you will pay the large fine that comes with the rule breaking when he does it.... And then also purchase the defunct promotion rights off him at his asking price...

Ask them to ride for free... Then see how many 'ride for our entertainment'..... Every current and ex rider I have ever spoken with talk about a) the money, b) the adrenaline rush, and c, (some not all) the (ahem) 'fringe benefits' of being a Speedway rider.. (more a 70's and 80's thing I think)..

You would need five man teams and it maybe could work? Four riders over three points and one lower than a three point rider.. Grade the four A to D and use an overall mean team average of all of the riders, so one side can't hoover up the best rider in each grade.. Race every team home and away = 34 matches. Split the 18 teams into two Conferences based on geography and ride home and away against all teams in your Conference... Meaning another 16 matches in total... 50 matches per rider, not including play offs, where the top four from each Conference can go into home and away play offs to determine the two 'Conference Champs', who then go forward to the Grand Final.. Meaning 56 meetings per rider if reaching the final.. 72 riders needed over 3 points and 18 needed below 3... Not checked how many there are this year who would fulfill that criteria but maybe workable..?

Indeed, it is a mystery... Agatha Christieesque....

But winning the league gets you half a page coverage in a local newspaper, (just below the the local darts and crib league results), and maybe a nice buffet with the mayor of the town.... Couldn't let that go.....

Now THAT would pack 'em in.....

What year's 'old May Premiership' average.....?

So you take a 'Plymouth Select' winning as in some way shape or form actually credible in the context of a professional sports league? Of course it isn"t. It's completely contrived.. However, it did make for a seemingly competitive match and (more importantly), a good nights entertainment for the fans.. As it does (and will continue to do so), for many teams, many times a season, when "Select sides" are put together (by often using track specialist ringers)... Most tracks now are down to their very die hard following, hence not many close due to having "poor teams"... Therefore, for many in attendance, the value for money of what they watch, rather than the result, is the key determinant of whether they return or not.. And as is clear, even those who follow teams down at the bottom, still attend in sufficient numbers...

Your last line is exactly why it isn't worth getting so worked up about.. It really doesn't matter who wins given how the teams are put together so just enjoy the racing... By the comments from those there, the racing was good, and the crowd decent, which hopefully will encourage many to attend again.. Four riders of similar ability, banging handlebars and racing closely for four laps (regardless of any passing or not), is still a spectacle to behold and will always possess that 'Wow Factor'... It's largely irrelevant what the score is, or indeed who prevails in the end.. Just enjoy the racing..

The rate that the riders are coming off their bikes, there will be plenty of 'dodgy bendy frames' available..

I think some councils see sporting events as a risk due to the possibility of the fans getting excited and shouting, which can then transmit the virus into the air... Obviously it would appear that a fair few councils haven't ever been to watch the Speedway served up at some of their local tracks.... Edit: Just had a brain wave actually.... The clubs could invite the local council leaders to a meeting and let them observe it... At the end of it the promoter could then say.... "See? No one shouted. No one cheered. And no one even moved their camping chair by so much as even one millimetre. In fact, the only time the crowd got excited was when we announced that the Bovril in the catering van was ready and that they could come and fill their flasks".... No masks the week after guaranteed..

Not just me who saw the certain irony then....

Well that blue groove certainly keeps shale off the dog track....

When I used to attend Monmore regularly to watch the Aces, and some weeks as a neutral when the Aces didn't have a match on, during the nineties, the track was always very grippy on the outside from around mid track, and made for some excellent racing... I think two fundamental things have changed since then.. One is the second turn fence being reshaped which pretty much lost the outside run on that turn, and two is the fact the modern bikes don't handle the deeper conditions well... In the last 20 years or so, the best meetings.have been when Monmore has been wet, which is similar to how Kirky Lane went, a track not to much different in shape.. Usually meaning the dirt is scraped off and riders don't ride full on gas and don't then have to pull sudden full lockers, which can spit them off around such a tight track, or snap chains.. As you say Doc Bridgett was a key factor, but for me, the standard of rider is too.. Josh Bates last night for example was taking about four goes at each bend to try and get round, and some of the lower orders of both teams seemed to be concentrating more on staying on rather than racing... Which will never deliver any entertainment, and provide what we had, which was lots of very strung out races... When the heat leaders rode against each other the racing improved but when any track goes from blue groove to grip within a few feet, it must very difficult to focus on much more than completing races, rather than actually racing, even for the better lads.. And given the way modern machinery seems to have to be ridden 'full gas' it must be very difficult for any track staff to prepare such a tight circuit with exactly the correct amount of grip to provide close racing without providing additional risks to the riders too... Edit: It did amuse me seeing critical comments from a Poole fan... At least the lads at Monmore last night didn't have to decide if they had to 'double' or 'triple' any 'whoops' on the back straight ....

Nasty...... Hope Adam is ok.... Must be a nightmare riding a track so poor and inconsistent.... Blue groove into loads of grip... Two weeks ago we saw some great Speedway at the NSS... Tonight as different as can be....

Then say "no, I can't do that now as I need to speak with my rider"....

Nice blue groove appearing..... Must be fun going from that to dust and then back to blue groove... Remember though, to be a World Champion you need to ride in the UK to learn all these type of tracks as part of your education ... Used to be a decent track in the 90's but I presume now bikes have moved on that shape of track simply doesn't deliver anymore... NB And Adams then? What an Ambassador for the Sport... Edit Poor track and even worse camera work....

And if the riders were NDL heat leaders then the Championship would be 'Donald Ducked' too... Which is strangely synergetic given the 'Mickey Mouse' aspect of how this sport can often be ran...

Those ever changing camera angles send you dizzy.....