albyhere

Top signing. I'm delighted and I'll be back on Sunday. I wonder what 'state' Dakota North will be in to race. What ?

Loyalty issues ? I am nearer 69 than I like to think . Been a Tigers fan since they started, literally, in the 40's. Off and on to be sure due to circumstances, geography etc. Loyalty issues you say ? Aye right .

I have the dubious pleasure of living halfway between Ashfield and Armadiddle. I have ALWAYS supported the Glasgow Tigers. However I now find my wee brain is trying to tell me something. Namely, I am a speedway fan first and foremost. Should I now go East and watch one of the most exciting teams in the league with two of my favourite riders, Cookie and Theo, and some of the best looking young talent in the business? Or wait and see if Tigers can get their thing together ( I haven't been for several weeks now.? ) I am confused. I have form on this, having been brought up to support Glasgow Rangers, then with maturity, I switched to the far superior footballing side, Glasgow Celtic. For the same simple reason, I loved the game and hated the negative, survival football, get the points and stuff the football attitude of Rangers. It's still the same. I never thought I'd say this but I am genuinely torn now. Go East old man ? Or stick ? Answers on a used £10.

Regarding the issue here of which day/night to race I feel a need to express concern about Friday nights. Or any night for that matter. I have stated in the past a preference for night racing as there is something about racing under the floodlights. However, I have been thinking about an issue which keeps popping into my noggin and it's this. Friday nights ? In Possil ? Really ? Normally I wouldn't go anywhere near that place of an evening, but Friday nights ? It worries me. I wouldn't be at all comfortable with it, or feel safe. So much so I have decided that I won't be going back to the speedway ( as stated earlier I am pissed off with it at the mo' and withholding my dosh ) though I may turn up on Sunday. But Friday nights ? Sorry. Count me out.

Good post Diamonds Ram and welcome to the crazy but brilliant world of speedway. I'll tell you something, I've been watching the sport, on and off, for several decades now. I distinctly remember the joy of it when I was a kid and later an adult also. I knew nothing about who did what and how or indeed why. It's only when I began to get masses of info, via the internet, about this and that, rules and regulations, that it actually spoiled things for me. My tip would be to just turn up, enjoy the spectacle, the noise, the atmosphere and the crowds and forget about the infernal details. In this case, ignorance really is bliss.

Now then. After two weeks ago, when I walked out after heat 6 due yet again, to another interminable ambulance visit of poor young HH, I was in two minds whether I would be back. What with that, which I will always maintain is WAY too long, and the poor showing on track, I was fed up with it. The signing of Andre might just swing things for me though. He is a class act, stylish and hard as they come. I always liked his style. Then another new face tomorrow? Hmm. Decisions. Decisions.

I went today but left after Harley's crash. What was it? Heat 6 or 7 ? Why leave ? An old old song now. We were treated to half an hour of waiting till the medics were finished doing whatever it is they were doing with Harley, only to be told we'd need then to wait till another ambulance turned up to take him to hospital to see what damage was done. So we're talking 40/45 minutes......of nothing. I walked out and I might not go back again. I've had a go at this before and got hammered with ridiculous comments like, 'are you saying we don't treat injured riders ?' Or 'how would you like to lie dying etc etc ?' Bollocks. I maintain there is NO need for such lengthy delays. Are we, the people paying for this sport, to be treated with such disdain that nobody cares what we do, while some doctor/medic sits with an injured rider in an ambulance with a broken finger or whatever? Picture this. In football, you will have a resident doctor at the game. ONE doctor. When he's needed, the game does NOT stop till he figures out what's what with the player. It carries on. Besides, can anyone see 20/30,000 people sitting twiddling their thumbs for 40 odd minutes doing nothing? Aye right. But we're meant to just stand about looking as if we're really not bothered. Well guess what...we are. Stuff this elf'n'safety, political correctness cobblers and let the racing continue. If by some fluke another injury happens, is it really beyond the capability of the medics to deal with it? This could kill the sport dead if it's not dealt with.

I had a premonition about this happening. Honest.Saw it coming a mile away. What with my grass needing cut, the cup final on the box and my oh so reliable premonitions, I decided to give this a bye. Glad I did now. Also too as well even , laugh if you will, ( which means you will ) but with all that " bring a friend " stuff being shoved doon oor throats, I honestly felt if I walked in on ma tod, as per usual, wi' nae 'friends,' I'd be shunned. Sent to the back straight. Not trying hard enough. Honest it was getting on my wick. I've said this before, it's up to the suppliers of entertainment to provide sufficient 'said entertainment' to attract large crowds. Not expect existing fans to pester their nearest and dearest to come along with them. Get the product right and the crowds will come. About the team. Changes we say. Indeed. Changes. But who? There ain't any left that I can see. Personally I am pissed off that Vissing was going abegging at the start of the season and we let our biggest rivals snap him up. Hindsight is a wonderful gift but I was dead against so many untried young lads in the team. Then I thought they might come good, now I feel I was right in the first place. The odds against getting three or four rookies to gell in their first season in the Premier was cloud cuckoo land stuff. I'm afraid we're stuffed for this season and we'll just have to cheer the guys we have to better things, but please, enough of this begging to 'bring a friend' stuff.

Have to agree about the super piece of PR from Berwick's promotion. What I would love to see now is another Sky meeting, between my own club, the incomparable Glasgow Tigers and Berwick, or if not them, then the other, not quite so good Scottish team, the Monarchs. The match was great to watch and I just know if our lot got together then it would make for some brilliant TV. Both Berwick and our new promoters are doing sterling work in trying to make speedway meetings more attractive, and we too get regular newsletters along the same lines trying to instill some real passion and interest in our sport, and our Tigers. So well done both of them, they richly deserve any and all benefits that come their way. Now, who do we contact to get Sky further up the A1 ?

For a young guy to do that at the start of his career, whether on his own, or other's instructions, will stick to him now for good....like mud. Nasty. Not something we want in speedway. He should be hauled up in front of the beaks....whoever the beaks are.

Was that it? Seriously? Yes I am absolutely delighted that wee Joe wants to become a Tiger, great news but come on. We were given the big build up and frankly that was just a bit of a con. If the new promotion wants to keep us onside they need to not get into the habit of taking liberties. As for the match, apart from that sensational first race from big Joe, it was actually back to boring processions, unless big Joe or little Joe or James were racing. I said before the season I thought the tactic of these young Aussies was a huge risk, then I changed my mind. Now I'm again not so sure. As for that stuff about bringing a friend, we've been having this drummed into us since the season started. It's getting a bit tedious now. Yes, we know, we get it, we need more people in the gates, but surely the onus for that is down to the promotion, not the hard pressed fans. I reckon if we could have got anyone to come we would have done it by now. My missus flatly refuses to come back to speedway, and she's getting pissed off at me for asking every week, and to be honest I am too asking her and anyone else I can think of..Enough already. The end product is what attracts the crowds, not the fans pestering folks who aren't interested. A new tactic is needed.

I confess to having grave doubts about the new promotion's tactic of using so many young riders before the season started, However I see now, they were right and I was wrong. I am hugely impressed with what I've seen so far from all three of them and am convinced we have some real stars in the making here. Also I can't come on here without expressing something akin to astonishment at the level of racing now. It is quite simply stupendous. Some of the best passes I have ever witnessed in recent weeks. Fabulous speedway. A treat to watch and my heart's in my mouth at times, when before it used to be my fist to hide my yawning. Don't know what they have to that track but my God it works. Hearty congratulations all round.

I've been watching Mitch since he cam over with Josh G. I felt after a couple of seasons he had declared his potential, ie, he can ride a bike, fast, but he gets intimidated by other, more forceful riders around him. If speedway were a time trial sport he'd do very well. I felt the Glasgow promotion gave him far too much leeway in the hope he'd come good, but he never did, and to be perfectly blunt, unless and until he grows a pair, this will remain his lot in the sport. I read here he wasn't even here last year but I distinctly remember seeing him in the crowd at Glasgow ( where he's very popular with a lot of fans.) He was as I recall wearing a weird hair cut, with pink highlights. Honest. I feel for the guy cos he really is a good young bloke and he deserves to succeed, but can one change one's nature ? Hmmmmm.

I have not posted on here for yonks ( whatever they are ) but I felt a word needs said about young Mr. Garrity. I was gutted for the lad over his British Final. I am one of the old school who doesn't like one wee bit this business of semi-finals, then finals, in big meetings. The boy went through the card undefeated. In the good old days, that would have made him the Under 21 British Champion. In my book, sorry to Mr. Branford, who has done brilliantly, but it's how I feel. This whole carry on was brought about, like so many things, to try and make TV more exciting. I just don't like it....and never will. To win five races, then have to run the risk of what actually happened in the final, where other riders possibly haven't won a single race, and lose, is to me just plain wrong. I await all round condemnation.