mikebv

Lot's of people on here with (quite rightly) a very negative opinion on the events of last night... However as I was watching events unfold I couldn't escape the thoughts that this kind of thing is now simply 'par for the course' with regards to how the sport is run.. I didn't even feel sympathy for those few who did attend because my thought was 'are you mad?' How common place nowadays is 'lets get to ht 10 and call it off' and yet people still incredibly attend a speedway match after a day of rain, with a further forecast of rain...!? As I say, par for the course now that the sport (in this country) lets the paying customer down time after time... Amazed it still has any semblance of a customer base to be honest, it's almost like the fans who still regularly go have become 'immune' to the nonsense..

It's Havvys ball and he has taken it home........ Its the Monty Pythons Flying Circus British Speedway Elite League... Der der, der der, der der, der,der, dee dum dee diddly Deeeee.. The sport is deceased, the only reason it is upright is because someone has nailed its feet to the perch!!! A wakey, wakeyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!! Last one out, turn the lights out... Mickey Mouse has just got himself another BSPA watch......

Where's Elsie???? Part timer........!!!!!

Just like 'track specialist' guest riders turning up to replace injured riders in possession of a sick note written by Dr Zhivago....

Maybe just changing rider replacement rules would be the simplest way? No1_missing then the second and third heat leaders can take two of his rides each? (Or anyone the manager sees fit can take a Max of two each)? Eg No Zagar then Nicholls and Cook could take two more rides each. Use his 'tyre' too... For riders missing down the order then the one above can take one ride (as currently) but the other three can be taken by the two riders below the missing rider, eg Nichols missing, then Zagar takes one, Cook takes two and Fricke takes the other.. Lots of riders have taken seven rides during a meeting down the years so not a new invention.. Maybe six rider teams would also help? Keep two FSR's and it would mean only four other riders needed. This would mean some riders with no team place who could then be on stand by to replace either injuries or out of form riders (just like 'normal sports')...!!!!

and that sounds like a great afternoon of entertainment... however, in the context of what is supposed to be a professional team sport which names a 'Champion' every year, it is a farce... maybe the simple answer is to dispense with team speedway altogether and just run individual events or maybe run the sport like Rugby Union used to be, ie no league table just 'head to head' battles through the season... if you want to run the sport as a league, with winners at the end of the season, then there has to be integrity within the process that gets you to that final position.. currently british speedway does not provide that, but needs to quickly if it isnt to alienate even more of its ever dwindling fanbase

Both being shown on 'quest'.... They will be on sometime in between some fishing and showing you how to build a fence...

Yesssssssss! Get in there.... Great result for the Belle Vue Wolves/Kings/Bears/Tigers/Aces.,. (Apologies if I have missed anyone) Going to get our new name on a scarf.... It'll need to be 24 ft long!!!!! Well done to British Speedway and in particular, thanks to Lakeside for providing us with the opportunity to cherry pick our team tonight.. So, so proud.... Everybody now "Give us a W, Give us an O, Give us an L (this may take a while to finish).....

And don't forget, spending hours pouring over riders' averages to find who has the best scores around the circuit you are at, so you can beat the other team in asking him to guest...!!!!

Promoters and fans want two diametrical things from a night at the speedway.. Fans want entertainment, promoters want a home win regardless of what standard of racing is on offer.. Hence, a 'win at all costs/lets mess about with rules every week to gain an advantage/put meetings on when the opposition don't have half their team available/cancel a meeting if you feel you may lose it/hey we know its mickey mouse but who really cares' attitude is what passes for an 'operational plan' in the sport, and is widely used and accepted by virtually all... The promoters see a 'home win' as vital to 'survival', note not 'growth', but 'survival' hence they build teams to win at their own track, and as hardly anyone goes away anymore who cares what is served up away from their own patch? What is incredible is that the sport has become nothing more than six months of 'select teams' racing against each other night in, night out over the length and breadth of the country ad nauseum, yet the promoters still seem to take the sport and the position of 'League Winners' seriously... Honestly, who cares who wins when virtually every team helps the winners to the title by providing them with riders through the year. My 'team' are at Lakeside tonight for a farce masquerading as a professional sporting competition. Who cares what the final score is as it is not Belle Vue there! The sport needs a 100% fundamental change of approach with a real clear vision delivered by dynamic radical leadership.... And now we find one promoter who finally may have spotted 'one or two flaws in the cunning plan'.... Heaven help us....

And they only drink for our entertainment!!!!! Cannot believe 'ahh but this is speedway' wasnt the defences (literally) 'get out of jail free' card.....

Cheers for the info, thought I might have missed some details in the midst of time!! A mate of mine told me today it was a Berwick match the Aces missed due to the end of season get together...(?) Just blatantly refused to go as their 'pee up' was I believe the night before so JP felt that they would run the risk of riding whilst still 'under the influence'... And we wouldn't want anyone to do that would we??

didnt 'Belle Vue' do that against, I think, Eastbourne once? Or maybe six and RR....? my memory might be playing tricks but didnt they have the end of season party or something so John Perrin basically said his team wasnt riding so a complete team of non BV riders were put together...?

and the most incredible thing is that the mainstream national media dont seem to take this sport seriously..... cannot think why......

How much to get in? Looks great value for money.... Come on the 'NL/PL/EL Globetrotters'... Maybe these lads could 'tour the nation' visiting each track in turn? They would pack em in I tell you, pack em in!!! As a fan you have to laugh or you would cry wouldnt you? We actually follow a sport that actively supports such occurrences to take place and see it as 'perfectly normal'.. Setting off now so I beat the queues....

Good to see Kyle Howarth continue his progression... No BS or hype has been built around him, no 'look at me I should ride for Team GB' bollox comes out of his mouth... He just seems to turn up and do his job more often than not, and do it well.. I hope he keeps the 'level headed' progression going as we could have a very steady international rider in a few years.. As for last night? Reduced admission and an actively promoted meeting delivers a big crowd which serves up the desired image for the sport to the watching wider sporting public... Who'd have thought that would work?

Seems to be still some people struggling with the concept of the rules regarding the 'right to work in the UK'... So I will try and make it simple.. If any of my 20 plus employees who require a 'visa' to 'live and work in the UK' are found by any of the relevant govt. agencies to be found working for me outside their agreed criteria, I can face a fine of £20k per employee and a possible jail sentence and they get sent 'home' as they no longer have the 'right to live and work in the UK'... It is MY responsibility to seek out the details from the govt. agencies re the criteria under which they can work for me and MY responsibility to ensure they do not move one iota away from that agreed criteria... No one else is responsible, just ME... Ignorance, as always, is no defence....

What was it? "Find some sand, then dig a big hole, one big enough to fit the whole of your head in it, put your head into the hole and then never, ever, pull your head out of it again".... "Should you ever by mistake raise your head out of the hole, just utter these words".. " Arrrrrhhhhh, but this is speedway mate"... "This is the 'catch all/get out of jail card' which can be used to explain any situation away" Always seems to work doesn't it???

I actually don't blame Poole... The rules are there to be abused... Firstly, it is the responsibility of those in charge to ensure that the rules are 'water tight' and secondly they then need to take effective action (up to and including disciplinary action) if the rules are blatantly abused.. Speedway has no independent body/person in charge so neither will/can ever happen.. And on this nonsense will go... And on the attendance's will continue to dwindle.... And on will continue British Speedway's 'Mickey Mouse' reputation..

The minority I would imagine... And that is what renders the winning of the title a complete 'non event'... Who can take seriously a competition that is so open to manipulation (incredibly in the main due to its own rules!) and sees a weekly series of basically 'select teams' riding against each other use to define the competitions 'champions'... I would suggest that in the past 10 years, more people have stopped going to watch speedway in this country than currently attend... Cannot think why that is...!!!!?

It's a sorry state of affairs isnt it when a rider like Proctor is prevented from riding over here when he is desperate to do so, and a rider who can simply come and ride over here, as and when it pleases, decides not to bother.. And once again those that run the sport will bury their heads in the sand so there will be no action taken against the rider and the 'nonsense' will continue....... "There's nothing to see here, can everyone please move along to the next debacle".....

it is amazing (if it is the case) that both team and rider didnt clearly understand the position.... as someone who deals with border agencies, they are very pro active in providing advice and (when asked),make it crystal clear as to the current status re anyone who is on a 'right to work permit'... as individual circumstances often change you do need to review each case constantly (I sign off each individual once a month) just to ensure that I dont get fined for employing someone who isnt allowed here anymore and they clearly understand their current status and what any future impacts holds for them.. sadly "I didnt know, I wasnt informed correctly" doesnt cut any mustard with Border Agencies as the onus is clearly on the 'employer/sponsor and employee' to ensure all is correct... lets hope that all others now are clear as to where they currently sit in the process... it certainly looks like a learning curve for the promoters, and they look like they need to get up to speed a lot quicker than they are... maybe when you run a sport with the ongoing "ahhh, but this is speedway" as your usual mantra when you constantly make up rules as you go along, it then actually takes some getting used to when no room is allowed for such nonsense?? I have my own employment law expert for my company, does the BSPA not have the same as a collective?

Go on Rory!!!! " A true Brit with true grit"!!!!!

Those who wish for the 'halcyon days' of the 60's and 70's have today had their wish granted.... We are nicking Australasians again to ride for us!!!!!

I think EVERY meeting has Rory down to ride (just in case)... Whoever wins the title the BSPA must ensure that Rory gets a winners medal... (And maybe a runners up one too)!!!!!!