mikebv

And loads of them left at the same time too, queueing to go up the stairs to the exit.. Might as well just let everyone in given the lack of any stringent controls....

Only attend FIM events over here nowadays so, no, not really missing domestic UK Speedway in 'the flesh' as it were, but have/will missed/miss the SON, the World U21 and Cardiff.. Missing watching the domestic TV coverage though, (and Sweden), although the plethora of racing on YouTube have been great to watch and Poland is always worth watching..

Graham Drury in the Speedway Star (another excellent issue), talks about how he loved his time promoting in the NL, "riders just rode, no flights, accommodation, or transport requests". And when he rode 2nd Division how it was mainly 'part time' with riders having jobs, unlike today where so many have salary expectations to allow them to be 'pro' speedway riders in that league... So, we actually know 'what can work', and we also know 'what used to work' (pretty much the old 2nd Division NL).. Therefore that surely has to be the target to get back too? It does also make me wonder how much of my admission cost goes into the riders' own personal agendas through their salary from the clubs. By that I mean their own individual aspirations... I've said before, so much money comes into Speedway through fans attendance and individual sponsorship, yet so much of what gets paid out doesn't postively impact the domestic leagues in any way shape or form, but instead, goes to fund riders wanting to be full time pros and help support their own ambitions on the wider global individual stage.. No disrespect but any current GB rider winning the World Individual title won't put bums on seats over here every week. This was a pipe dream mantra from a long time ago, ie a belief a GB World Champ would be like finding The Holy Grail for the sport in the UK.. Havelock, Loram and Woffy (3 times) subsequently proved that wasn't correct. (Even when Tai rode here).. Therefore, the UK should just cut its cloth accordingly, putting the clubs first... In short, if charging £18 isn't bringing in enough punters through the doors as they tell you that you are too expensive, then listen to them and drop your prices... And if you can't drop your prices as you say your costs won't allow it, then reduce your costs so you can... I can guarantee that the many punters who no longer attend due to them not seeing £18-£20 as an acceptable or affordable price point, wont wake up one morning and suddenly then decide that it is and rock up in their droves.. And this absent, silent majority, are the ones that need 'listening' to..

To be fair, you could say that about most Sport's that have a "best league in the world" moniker attached to them, as it attracts, by definition, all the best overseas competitors.. The IPL in Cricket has many 'foreign superstars', The RFU Premiership has many 'foreign superstars' and the Premier League in Football has many of the teams where 'foreign superstars' outshine their domestic counterparts. . Considering it's 4/7ths Poland v 3/7ths The Rest of The World in a lot of the teams (we'll ignore Norway and Russian Poles), they don't do too bad..

Pawlicki, KK, Kolodzei, Hampel, and Protasiewicz have all been good enough to qualify for the GP's, with several winning GP's so shows just how strong the Polish system is to bring this many through to the top table. . GB would have loved to have had that level of rider (who may be 'club and journey men' now) over the years.. As would every other country in the world.. And of those five (as well as a few other 'club and journey men' listed) some would still be very worthy, and some at least challenging, for a top 3 place in many of the Premiership teams over here.. With Musielak to add to that from Div 2 and Miesiac too, who has become a genuine heat leader in Polands top league in the past two years..

Spot on.. Cinemas and Pizza Hut though won't be paying out £10k (and maybe much more) for two nights work to their employees... A £10 - £12 price point simply couldn't sustain that, however is probably the price point that reflects the sports standing, and its circa 15 mins of actual amount of on track entertainment time..

Polish teams have to have four Poles per team and not only easily comply but also have several replacements available to replace poor performers and injuries.. All of which will have been U21 at some stage... An U21 system that brought so many riders through to World Class level, and made them so dominant as a nation, that the FIM had to change the World Cup format to give the others a chance... Poland might only have had 3 Individual World Champs but as a nation have a strength in depth no other can compete with. . With much of that strength in depth starting as U21 reserves... Some, naturally will drop out by the way side, but many come through.. And to a very elite level..

Flowed a lot better Dave, and you sounded far more confident and informed, which isnt surprising considering the 'deep end' that you were thrown in at the weekend... Less long gaps between racing obviously helped too, there were certainly one or two unusually long ones at weekend that needed a considerable amount of 'dead air' filling, which can never be easy from someone else's feed I would think.. Good job fella, looking forward to next weekend. .

And Dan Bewley too.. Some are saying it's 'too early' for him... Absolute nonsense.. He is 21 and now needs to be challenging himself against the world's best if he is to make it to the top.. Which some seem to think he is capable of doing.. Poland will have ten 'Dan Bewleys' who will be miles in from of him when it comes to the experience of riding with, and against, top level riders.. He will actually be playing 'catch up' against other 21 year olds (and even younger) over there.. If he succeeds over there this season he will show he can develop to top level status, if he doesn't it will show he isn't of that level and will no doubt be replaced by another rider of potential.. It's good to see though that Lambert and Bewley are giving it a go as riding against the same riders over and over again in the UK, beating them every week, wont improve them and will actually stagnate their progress..

It's the level of intensity that stands out.. Over here, have a bad night in the Premiership and no need to worry as tomorrow you can ride for your other team in the Championship as a DU... Have another bad night and no need to worry as you can ride again for your Premiership team again later the same week (as no threats are out there to your team place).. And have another bad night and you can once again drop down to your other team, (once more with no threat to your place in that team)... Still once more have another bad night and no need to worry as you can pick up a guest booking before the week is out... Riding in Poland, where every race counts towards your career progression, must focus the mind and raise the levels of the riders accordingly... '"Want to earn the big money? Then show me you deserve to" is the mantra.. Because if you don't, you can 100% guarantee someone else will step in and do it.. No comfort zones in Polish Speedway, and that applies to lads of all ages..

Great race... You can only marvel at the level of ability needed to race at that standard, making split second decisions almost every corner... You would think there would be hardly anything riding on it given the score too, shows how intense (and important) it is over there.. Polish Speedway...

Didn't seem to go early there.. Perfect start. .

Be great to watch KK and Nicki P team ride... NP certainly likes to take the line of his own team mates doesnt he..? Also, I see the Poles have yet another U21 reserve who can beat some of the worlds best.. Fair old conveyor belt of talent..

And his reaction after the race too was an indicator of a high level of maturity... (Of course it may have helped that he won. .)

Without the crowd there definitely does need to be an injection of enthusiasm by the commentator to keep the races 'interesting' and that isn't his natural style. (Unlike some). It must though be very hard to have 'reading out tweets' as your default go to process to fill dead air and I think he does a fair old job overall given the logistics of following the racing like we do, via a screen.. Especially with so much of the dead air due to zero adverts,.. Presumably they do have them but all will be in Polish so they just show replays of races on the Premier feed?. And having watched plenty of NSPORT and Eleven Sports they do like a long advert break, (to pay for the racing coverage I would imagine).. Still, racing is back, and we get to watch the very best in the world, with the rest of the 'package' I am sure being tweaked as we go along, and even if it isn't, it is still great to have Speedway back.. Can't wait for the next installment tonight...

In heat two of the first match yesterday it certainly looked like their wasn't many medics around.. That lad in his first crash was lying there completely unattended for a long time and even then, the person who turned up first wasn't one of the medical team..

Bye Bye KK..... Prat...

One thing that is noticeable over the past few days of watching, is just how important that crowd participation is.. There has been some great racing from the likes of Woofy and Smarzlik which, with a big crowd in attendance, would have 'raised the roof' of the stadium.. However, with no one there to watch, even that incredible standard of racing can become a bit 'meh'.... Hopefully members of the BSPL are watching, and some of them may see the similarity between those swathes of empty seats on show and how many parts of their stadiums resemble the same when British Speedway is shown live.. Maybe, when racing and normality returns, they will do all they can, and use any means necessary, to pack out their stadiums when on live TV. Hopefully to paint the sport in a positive light to any watching non, or lapsed, speedway fans..

KK has always had a 'unique' way of team riding hasn't he?

Presume these long gaps between races are to give the crowd time to get plenty of food and drink? Seriously though, Dave G is doing a very good job at keeping things flowing but he could do with a co commentator to fill in some of the 'dead air' by discussing the racing.. Scott Nicholls would be worth a seat next to him.. Edit: Two meters apart obviously....

Rubbish that Zmarzlik isn't he?

A bit special is Zmarzlik isn't he? Wow..

Definitely seem to follow a certain blueprint. Three top riders and two of the best reserves that are available.. Works well doesn't it...

I reckon he would have won it if his bike had started..

Don't think you'll be coming on here as Klosok Fan...