mikebv

The 'American model' is something that I have believed for years could be perfect for Speedway.. However,.. The NFL, NBA, NHL are ran independently with pretty much a 'rod of iron'.. Therefore all teams sign up knowing the rules are for the collective good not any individual.. Any team bleating and making threats of closure if they cannot get their own way doesnt get allowed to do what they want, but are given short shrift and faces the wrath of the lead body with real consequences.. Ironically in the worlds most regarded capitalist country their sports are run on almost socialist lines... The weakest can survive over there because they are still financially very solvent through the strength of the collective, and the equal financial rewards through the shared business plan... Imagine that happening in the BSPA?

Year and years and years of 'survival of the weakest' has helped deliver the current situation... With the ultimate irony being for even those 'successful' the costs involved in bringing that success can threaten their very existence.. And all to win something that no one outside a meagre following even recognise as an achievement... A very strange business plan indeed... Maybe less teams with the inevitable less team places could provide higher rider supply than demand and help clubs with what they have to pay out whilst providing more quality riders per team? Less actually may mean more with regards to Speedway?

Think the plan is to always get the 'bumper' meetings in on Good Friday and Easter Monday... The earlier the Easter, the more likely preparation gets impacted by poor weather.

Saw a couple of the lads practice today for a few minutes.... Cannot wait till tomorrow now!!!

I can only presume the only thing left for any 'green eyed monsters' to criticise is the sun might be too bright!!!

Pretty sure, given the size of the stadium, that after a few meetings you will have plenty of room in the 'standing area' to get out a fold away chair and watch the meeting sat on that.... With a tartan blanket across my knee, a flask of bovril in my plastic "gola" shoulder bag alongside my tupperware box of corned beef and beetroot butties, a new 'home made' programme board done for 2016 and 'robert' will indeed be my uncle... Now where have I put my denim sleeveless jacket, I must make sure that there is at least one space left on it to sew on my new Aces patch.... Happy days, roll on 2016....

If what is being described happens, it could look similar to the way cycle speedway is run... I.e. in cycle speedway, the Elite League team will have 'top riders' from various teams, who usually represent 'their own' clubs in various regional comps, taking to the track for them... In the regional comps, the EL team still put out a team of a lesser level of 'their own' riders.. The regional comps are the usual weekly matches with the EL running around once a month, with each team meeting home and away once... Might be an ideal solution for British Speedway to get the top riders back, create more 'local derbies', and equalise team strengths better for the non EL matches which would make up the majority of the seasons fixtures..? Throw in a national cup and/or a play off system for the 'bread and butter' league based on the top regional winners and you may have a decent, consistent, product to sell?

Looking at the 'banking' of the track with even the straights not being level, I am sure that the drainage system will be excellent... Especially considering that the 'centre green' is G4 so any large amount of water running on to it wont soak the same as natural grass.. How many meetings get called off due to damage done leading up to race day and then on the day itself you have 'perfect speedway weather'? Well hopefully that will be minimised massively and allied to this those 50/50 matches also go ahead more often than not meaning fans turn up rather than not risking their cash....

Who said it has ever started????

I think this rumour came about because a bspa forum attendee heard someone from KL say that they were "going for a Gerd Riss" !!!! I'll get me coat.....

Really? Airing your dirty laundry in public never makes for good PR does it? Bet the promoters are impressed...!😯

Maybe the 'right answer' should come from the BSPA via some detailed explanation of how the rules will work this year? Would save a lot of conjecture and misinformation... Just a thought...

Where's me popcorn?!!!! Going to be good this... Kids are off so need some fun..😁

Of course there will be some manipulation, it is Speedway after all mate! It would though provide supporters of a poorly performing team with some optimism that their season can still be turned around.. Far too many times a teams' season can be over by May with no realistic chance of the required level of improvement.. If the whole seven man average of the team with the highest figure at the time of the window is used, it would also help negate the big advantage teams can get by having the best reserves... As previously mentioned when Crumpy came back for a 'cameo' the fast hemorrhaging loss of fans stopped immediately with many returning.. Maybe more 'top riders' could do a similar few weeks rather than a full season.. Also let's be honest a poor team isn't good for either the team's business or the success of the wider league as a whole. My team have been poor for many years till last year and I am sure wouldn't have been a big draw card away from home resulting in a drop in attendances.. I know I have, on many occasions, looked at a poor opposition line up a day or two before the match and thought 'not going to bother' as you can foresee a one sided drubbing on the cards. Race nights, getting more top riders over etc etc can all be considered as a way of getting fans back.. Maybe just finding a system that keeps all the teams competitive from March to September will keep the stadiums fuller?

Great idea...😀😀

Wouldn't it have been simpler to just increase the number of allowed DU's to four per team..? If we took the top four from each PL team as being of a decent enough standard, then that would provide 52 riders.. The EL 8 teams would 'only' need 32 of them, thus leaving a further 20 to cover all the various absences.. Put in place that each EL team can have no more than one DU from any PL club, and that if one of the EL teams reserves are also PL then they cannot again have a DU from that team and surely it is workable? Even with any Aussie work permit restrictions their must be enough riders to provide easily 32 riders with plenty of 'spare' Having tried and tested riders rather than 'untried' riders surely has to be better? And it will also help re-assure suspicious fans who usually think (often with good reason) that many of the new rules brought in are done so with vested interest for an individual team at the forefront of it's integration, rather than the overall good of the sport..

Be interesting to see who the 'unheard of, untried, new to this country' No.8 and No9 are for Poole.. Two names I have heard being considered are Nicolai Pedersensson an up and coming young Dane, and Gregori Hancockski, an American buck of Polish descent so won't need a work permit... I am pretty sure neither have ridden over here before which means that the integrity of the new rule (should it officially actually exist obviously) will be as beyond reproach as so many other rules have been over the years..

Havent the 'top riders' ridden over here for most of the past 20 years and the crowd levels have been decimated in this time? I actually think that the way the league restricts teams in putting competitive sides together all season long has had far more impact on the ever dwindling attendances than possibly any other reason considered. (Apart from maybe an admission fee which reflects more the out of control operating cost levels rather than the sports standing in the consciousness of the wider sports watching public).. Look at these numbers.. 2011 58 - 22 2012 72 - 15 2013 56 - 30 2014 70 - 25 2015 65 - 27 These numbers are the points scored by the top and bottom teams at the end of the season (Brum has not been used for 2014 figures as they didnt complete their fixtures and BV who have been included in 2012's figures had two matches not raced) I can virtually guarantee that the teams bottom of the league each season, cut miles adrift, ended their home meetings with far less fans than they started the season with... I have mentioned elsewhere the year we brought Crump back, to do so we had to lose Risager as we would have been 'too strong'. He went to the team who were at that time 50 points in front of us!! Absolutely Crackers! The sport takes great lengths for everyone to start the season 'equal' yet every year there is a huge disparity between the top and bottom... The solution? Possibly with there being 28 matches, maybe after 10 and then 20, a 'transfer window' opens and all teams are then able to strengthen up to the team with the highest average? This may also help bring 'top riders' back as teams (like BV did with Crump) realise desperate measures are needed to appease discontented supporters who have voted with their feet, and the riders may see a shorter term contract as a possibility.. One thing is for sure, as we see year on year, teams getting hammered at home week in week out will be racing in front of an ever decreasing fan base.. Maybe working out how to lessen that all too familiar scenario would be more beneficial to the sport overall than a 'lets get Tai back and everything will be ok' plan? Competitive teams, all season through, may not attract any new fans, but I suggest it would help the clubs down the league in particular maintain most of its fan base which can only help the sports overall position. If it includes 'top riders' great, if it doesn't, so be it...

I think one thing overlooked is that most of 'the top boys' who have ridden in the pinnacle of the sport at GP level over the past few years, eg Holder, Zagar, AJ, Janowski, Doyle, NKI, Lindgren, Ward, Batchelor, Kildemand and Harris have all ridden regularly over here whilst the crowds have tumbled and, in the main, not missed many meetings even with the current schedule.. So much for the 'top riders' making a positive difference... And lets be honest, if what we are really talking about is getting Tai, Greg, Emil and NP back then surely they will all want to cover the meetings until Poland and the GP/Euros kick off and maybe some towards the end of the year if their Swedish and Polish teams dont make the play offs.. A fixed race night should help with the reduction of guests as the ever growing DU's should be more available.. As for bringing 'top riders' back? We'll see...

Maybe hold one in the conference suites at the new BV stadium the night before the opening meeting.. Bet they get 250 easy...

Could KL sign Iverson, he then say he won't ride and KL then get a guest facility for at least a month? Plenty of guests available with NKI's average..

Looking at the teams, I would suggest quite a few could be assisted by scheduling matches when their No1's are missing and try and use Holder, AJ, Zager and Doyle as guests...

And the wider picture is for the rest of the league.. We know injuries will happen so when it becomes reality who will replace the injured riders? Be interesting to see how the teams that don't race Saturday fair in filling their inevitable gaps, (or is it simply a Leicester problem).. And what money they all will be paying out for replacements.. Demand seems to be far outstripping supply even before a wheel is turned, and given the nature of the sport it will outstrip it much further as the season progresses.. I would imagine the riders know they hold most of the cards and will be negotiating accordingly.. Amazingly, a self inflicted issue by the promoters.

Would imagine it would be the same policy as always happens at every track since time immemorial... i.e. No refunds... Always worth a word with the promotion team though if already there or phone in to them if you didn't enter the track to see if you could get your money back.. Works very often to be fair as most promoters realise that you may not be able to make the journey again.. Presume it's the same at Poole or do they give full refunds for rain offs? Bet they also give everyone their accommodation and fuel cost too I would suspect...☺

Maybe wrong, but didn't Tai say that Monday was ideal as it meant he could do three days riding with Poland and Sweden either side and then have a good rest/prep time before a GP weekend or Poland on the following Sunday?? Be interesting to see what BV make of a race night during the week as they have definitely got a vision of Friday and Saturdays as their business plan given 'no school the next day' should help attract a younger fan base.. Is Poland's Friday TV match schedule the 'whole' seasons fixtures or will matches be added to as the season progresses similar to how Sky schedule their matches? Could be a bit messy for the EL if Fridays are now added to the 'off limits' list..