mikebv

And given the rules this year, could maybe all end up at reserve during the next six months!!!!!

Shame.... Got to be a 'classic' somewhere before the season finishes....

Could we have Holder guesting for Charles Wright?

Because it was live on Sky? Because Leicester's team had just lost the last two matches? Because Leicester's team is widely regarded as the worst in the League? Because Leicester's reputation for poor quality racing goes before it? Because the weather was a bit ropey around Leicester and Speedway has a novel way of not giving it's customers their money back if the meeting doesn't go ahead or only partially gets completed? Because maybe even a tenner is seen by many as 'too much'?

Good points... As it appears ad nauseum, everyone says the meetings we remember most fondly are the ones with the big crowd in attendance and the subsequent atmosphere it brought, which ultimately made the racing seem better.. Yet the sport sets itself up with admission fees that by their very level will far too often, preclude the possibility of a 'big crowd' watching it... As has been shown on many occasions at various tracks.. Let people in for free = A massive crowd attends (so it shows the support for the Sport is still out there locally and nationally).. Let people in for a tenner = A much bigger crowd than normal attends (so it shows that the 'price point' is significantly important to the fans of the Sport) Let people in for Circa £17 = We get what we have today (so it shows the support don't see this as a value for money price point and as the admission fee grows the crowd levels drop).. A big crowd engenders atmosphere which by definition lends itself to people returning to sample 'more of the same'. Thus a 'virtuous circle' gets created... A small crowd engenders zero atmosphere which by definition lends itself to people not returning to sample 'more of the same'. Thus a 'vicious circle' gets created.. A 'vicious circle' that Speedway has been in for the past 20 years or so... Maybe though, it is happy with what it has? ie fewer fans but more sponsors covering rider costs? It certainly means less focus on the need to Promote the sport as most sponsors seem to be fans themselves, with many seemingly in it just for the 'kudos' rather than having a specific product to sell locally off the back of their sponsorship, thus meaning crowd levels won't necessarily need to be part of any marketing plan for them... Maybe it is just us who feel more need to attend and the Promoter's are quite content with what they have? Certainly 20 years of not reversing the trend of diminishing crowds would suggest that they are...?

We had four 'ringers' when we won at Lakeside last year! GP challenge and PL meetings clashed I think... Those points ultimately put us in the play offs.... Part of me wanted AJ to ride in the Final as he was great for us in the Semi but winning with him would have been a bit of a farce, so even though he probably would have done better than Zagar did over the two legs of the Final, at least it was the BV team that rode...

For a good few, four riders, clutch start, no brakes, no gears, no fear etc etc is enough... For them, it will never be boring.. Sadly not enough anymore it would appear share the same enthusiasm... Those happy with watching any four riders ride round will always have that 'functional loyalty' to the sport... Unfortunately trying to get what is essentially an individual sport into a team dynamic means it often struggles to get enough fans to buy into their local team, and bring with them the 'emotional loyalty' that would make the largest difference to its fanbase.. The irony is that in clubs' quest to 'win at home' and 'everyone be equal' to maintain its following, it then uses various 'ludicrous' scenarios such as literally sharing riders around under some contrived average limit... Why have emotional loyalty for a team that can technically be made up of anyone at anytime depending on circumstances? Watching a team made up of riders 'not yours' would I would suggest make the result irrelevant for most fair minded sports fans.. Maybe even boring to watch when the results ultimately don't really matter...?

Natalie used to be centre green presenter at BV so knows her stuff...

Thank goodness for 'supplementary regulations' eh? Where would the sport be without them...?

Part of me actually thinks that arranging meetings where you can get a better rider in as a guest is now actually a 'tactic'.. And all the while the sport's credibility decreases bit by bit by more 'self inflicted' nonsense that any other 'professional' sport would find laughable... Never actually learn these promoters do they?... Edit : Thought guests were only for the Number One this year? Summers is there isn't he?

I believe in League Two next season, if a team is losing by three goals then they can request another set of double sized goalposts get brought on for the team leading to have to put their goalie in... The losing side will only be able to request this between the 20th and 70th minutes though...😁

I think that was the original interpretation from the initial announcement.... Tier one riders could swap I believe was the thought... Looks like it has changed.. Mind you, it is only 08.35 as I type so maybe it will change again by the time match starts this evening....

I think that given the way crowd levels are going we cannot be too far away from having a 'register' taken at each match to confirm our attendance, like we had at school.., So yes potentially you could be banned as when you answer to your name with "here Sir" they will send you home knowing you shouldn't be there... Be warned though, anyone who should have attended, and didn't for whatever reason, eg looked at the 48 hour weather forceast and decided to 'wag it', will need a note from their parent or guardian at the next meeting explaining their absence... eg "Dear Sir, Michael didn't attend the match between Leicester and Swindon because......." I'll let you fill the rest in.....😀

Unless of course his PL average is used ... (Again)!

Bit early in the evening for me.... Not getting the snacks and Stella out till 8ish so nicely warmed up for the boxing... Can you save it till later fellas?

I did, but only because it was there... I still attended the matches I was always going to frequent, to watch MY team, but watched many a match with two other teams that I had no affinity with, with a glass of something in the comfort of my armchair... Made a few quid too!!! Shame it isn't on anymore.... Speedway in this country now is pretty much down to the 'die hards'... Let's face it, if we have accepted the 'Barry White' that has masqueraded as a 'professional sport' over the past 20 years or so then quite frankly nothing is going to stop us attending in the future... Having a Speedway meeting on Periscope will for me, not prevent those 'die hards' from attending, nor will it bring in any extra punters having caught a glimpse of the sport.... I would suggest more of a threat to the crowd levels is the recent penchant for calling off meetings several days in advance seemingly on nothing more than someone observing 'Incey Wincey' building her web anti clockwise... Even the 'die hards' may decide to say 'sod it' a lot more regularly if that continues.. Maybe the BSPA should consider sorting that out as a priority rather than spending their time worrying about someone filming a Speedway race from a phone...?

Be interesting what formula they come up with next season given the amount of experienced and not so experienced riders who will potentially be generating averages which reflect more being at reserve for a spell rather than their 'true' capability level... Might need Stephen Hawking to get involved!!!!

Always been the way, hence certain teams would pay big money for the next foreign 'four point superstar' off the rank.. He would, as expected, put a couple points on his average from the reserve berth and be replaced by a 'genuine' six point man who had dropped his average by a tenth or two... This merry go round would then continue all season with the team having a high scoring reserve... Rolling averages took the edge off it, and the new reserve process stopped it by only having Brits allowed to ride there... Now that has changed, off we go again....

Sniffer dogs on the coaches and cars going into Stoke and Buxton? Maybe they will allow you to attend the postponed rain offs though as a gesture of goodwill...!!

The setting Sun would have been an issue...!!! Probably best it was called off...

Just say No!.... I have been there my friend.... I too read the Star one year after many years of abstinence from the sport.. Its professional appearance, in depth articles and comprehensive coverage of all the track's led me to believe that Speedway was again the thing for me and with the magazine appearing so professional surely the sport must be ran the same way too.. Sadly, it was not to be.... However by then it was too late... I had once again succumbed to the inevitable frustration, let down and disappointment, once more never able to confess to even my family and dearest friends that I partake of Speedway now and again... Its so bad now I spend most of my time typing Bollox on Speedway websites rather than having the life that normal people aspire to.... Save yourself, my friend,.. Save yourself...

To assist the promoter of Leicester, I have postponed my trip to his track tomorrow just in case it rains anywhere in the vicinity of the Leicester area... Hope it helps....

Given so many fans complain about the length of meetings (specifically the time it takes between races), using this app could certainly help appease that complaint as well as adding to the overall experience... Maybe not showing the racing due to contract stipulations, but maybe just filming the pits? Possibly even interviews from riders around track conditions, how their night is going, what they feel about the current score (if you can find one who knows obviously!) and maybe mechanics too could get asked as they are changing parts of the bike why such decisions have been made. Managers also could be asked about tactical changes, their thoughts on the match thus far etc etc.. Would certainly enhance the engagement of the crowd I would suggest and certainly beats listening to some drivel between races from the centre green about "its Betty's 80th Birthday and her favourite rider is Ove Fundin" or listening to a K-Tel Hits of the 70's CD... Maybe even get the team doing the meeting DVD (if applicable) to do the filming so the sound and vision is good and they maybe will get a spin off by being able to plug their products to a 'live' audience watching in the stadium.... BV for example, has WIFI so everyone theoretically could access it during a meeting there even if they haven't got t'internet on their own phone. (Subject to a meeting ever taking place there obviously)!!

Remember this is a sport that banned a radio station from doing live commentary as people were supposedly preferring to stay at home and LISTEN to Speedway rather than WATCH it.....! Embracing visual technology may take some time.....!

And they share marketing too so all get an equal share of the merchandise pie.....! Imagine our Speedway promoters all working together in close harmonious existence for the overall growth and betterment of the sport? Laughing as I type....!