mikebv

What you got away with donkeys years ago you cannot do know... The internet would literally rdicule and destroy the sport should there ever be mainstream coverage now... Years ago you turned up and only then found the best rider scheduled was missing, and a decent rider from another team had been booked to replace him.... Now, you know three days out, and many then go on line to either take the pee as to how a team can actually improve themselves, or simply many just dont turn up to watch something which now becomes contrived.. Not great in selling the event.. The sport was clearly built on ITV coverage of England's success at international level, which then led to domestic interest by fans who formed part of the literally millions who tuned regularly in to watch given only 3 channels existed.. The domestic racing basically piggy backed off the ITV International coverage.. The decline of the sport can be directly linked to the early 80's when the Danes and USA started to beat England on ITV regularly... With the fans then attending tracks to watch dozens of journeymen Scandinavians, Yanks and Aussies, rather than "local lads" which had been the norm.. There is a reason Poland won't use guests and that is their leagues will have the same lack of credibility that the UK ones do, meaning fans, sponsors and TV would turn the backs on it... Guests are clearly here to stay given the lack of riders, and followers paying in to afford a squad system, but, by using such a system each season and expecting the sport to have any credibility, is like Usain Bolt choosing to have worn a running vest with 2 stone lead weights added to it, and him expecting to have been an Olympic Champion....

And that goes back to the fundamental issue of the admission price being set too hight just to pay competitors to be fully professional... The sport also charges an admission fee that it feel reflects it's standing amongst its peer sports... The truth is, it is miles away from even Ice Hockey attendance wise.. Asking a couple to pay out well over fifty quid to watch 15 mins of action is truly a major ask, and a definite hard sell, even for a marketing professional let alone someone with a zero skill set in marketing and event promotions.. And throw in that ludicrous operating model whereby, should you actually get hooked on the sport, you can spend many hundreds of pounds in a season, and your reward is to see your best rider helping someone else on an ad-hoc basis which can help prevent his own, (and your), team from resching the play offs.. Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁

It's no surprise that those whose livelihood depends on speedway often produce the best teams... No "expensive hobby" for them...

Several million will be paid to riders this season across both pro leagues .. Who hardly anyone on their own street would recognise for most of them . Yet hardly one penny will be spent on some professionals generating an increase in crowd numbers and an awareness of the sport and it's riders .. Absolute madness.

In his interview he said that hardly anyone in Birmingham knows that speedway exists, and it's similar around the country... And I thought it was his, and his other promoters' job to ensure that wasn't the case..!!! They had ONE job....😁

And when someone says "the tracks sh*t", it will actually be true!!!😁

They could keep the centre green grass trimmed too by eating it... Phil Morris will have them at the NSS doing the GP track... Although they may struggle to nibble on the 4G...

Was that not one of them?...😄

Plenty of them for the top 3 teams, with so few decent teams in the league... If Ipswich hadn't had such injuries they would be paying 60 plus with bonus pretty much every match at home.... Sheffield too will "enjoy" paying out plenty for their home meetings...

Do you need to bring a watering can.??? I hope those photos were taken around 11am...😮

They certainly don't help themselves, (those who run this sport in the UK), do they? 🙁

These BHM tropical conditions..

Jensen was in front, hence his back wheel took Doyle's front, and Doyle had ran him very narrow down the straight, not on a "normal line".. By doing so, there was only going to be one result if Doyle didn't move out... I think he thought he could pin him on bends one and two but Jensen was too quick... Good, hard racing from both, but Doyle caused the stoppage by the line he took, and the fact he was behind when the contact took place..

Well done Leon Madsen...... Great to see some needle in Speedway...

Best wishes, again, to Jason.

He did ride very narrow down the home straight and Jensen was in front so to keep following that line was, sadly, only going to result in what happened...

Ouch... Let's hope Jason is ok....

And Hansen and Knudsen get top league places...

They won't need anyone now Jason is back will they?

Several riders have said it is "more fun"... Right up until they Foxtrot Oscar and leave during the season...

I notice in Poland that there isn't much of the opposing riders laughing and joking, stood together, in the pits... Losing seems to p1ss them off.... Edit. Madsen even knew the score in his interview...

Madsen a man possessed tonight... Loving every minute of it too looking at him....

The whistle's can't be far away...

Truly brilliant from Pawlicki... Locking up, and not drifting off the line, at that speed, took some real exceptional ability...

They sounded happy with his win....