old bob at herne bay

Sorry Rich but in my experience of Grass Track meetings from some years ago, the top riders just took the mickey out of the qualifying heats, playing the system by taking it easy in the qualifying heats. There was no point in them racing flat out until the last races of the meetings. Seems its still the same. The SGP seem also to be following the same route.

Agree with midland red. A rider finishing 10th in the scorechart after his scheduled rides (scoring say just 6 points) could win the SGP by 2 good wins in the last chance qualifier and the final. How ridiculous is that ? Maybe they should copy the Formula 1 circus and introduce different grades of tyre , soft , medium and hard, that have to be used in at least one race each. Grasstrack meetings used to have this silly idea effectively devaluing the qualifying heats, with canny top riders deliberately taking their time saving their motors until the "last chance" and the final 🙂 Winner takes all.

Ah yes just like me riding my Motorcycle on the motorway at 70 mph in the rain. Done that more than a few times. With al the technology riders now have , dirt deflectors, tear offs, roller film visors surprised that " visibility" is still an issue to call off a meeting. Track was waterlogged would do me ... unless Belle Vue circuit has suddenly sprouted a roof it gets waterlogged like any other shale surface.

Oh by the way, Poole have Cooper ready to race

Serious thought needs to given to the team building rules in 2026, as the team strengths in PL 2025 are so unequal. With so few teams you would imagine it wouldn’t be difficult to grade riders and share them around equally? Admittedly in this sport injury is an ever present risk, but some of the starting line ups looked under strength from the opening parade.

So BelleVue, Ipswich Leicester and Sheffield in the Play offs. When does the KO Cup continue?

Pantomime season. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

Glad that a speedway track remains operational in the South East of England, but the "eagles" !! OMG. 😞 Thought that the BSPA had consigned the Iwade Track to life imprisonment for running NORA meetings ? Some technicality about insurance. Have the NORA riders been given a pardon to allow them to ride in both leagues ? Arch enemy Norris as co promoter !!!!!!! Sounds more like the Eastbourne "Crusaders" invading Kent. If there is mention of a Dugard in the mix, that will put the tin lid on it. 😞

Ford's are running a "nice little earner" down at Wimborne road on Wednesday nights with maestro Muddleditch as TM in the 2nd division. Why risk moving up, running another team in the 3rd division, either or both?? As for attracting new riders, Ford's owe a great deal to Middledutch and his workshops and accommodation at Baillie House. Many a young Australian has lodged there on arrival from down under. I am sure Billy Cains will be made very welcome and given a great deal of advice.

Bit of stretch to compare Amsterdam with Manchester. Admitted both cities have trams ... but there the similarity ends.

So about 30% capacity if your guess is correct:- Principality stadium capacity :- 73,931 Spectators all seated. Overall (Seated) 73,931 Spectators Upper Tier 35,151 Spectators Level 6 Middle Tier 15,626 Spectators Levels 4 & 5 Lower Tier 23,154 Spectators

Arnieg , Thank you. Most interesting.

Not too many seats at the Belle Vue Stadium ... so I guess get your order in quick is a good reason to book in advance. Having a double header must reduce staging costs dramatically - keep all the riders officials and broadcast facilities in situ for the weekend. Must be hoping for 2 near capacity crowds at a raceway that holds an estimated 10,000. In the mystery world of speedway we never ever are told of attendances, EXCEPT when the promoter closes down and quotes poor attendances. Somehow the accounts of speedway never seem to attract the attention of hte Inland Revenue, unlike every penny I have earnt.

Dwindling number of UK tracks= fewer UK speedway supporters. So many supporters “lost “ by track closures in vast swathes of England. Some retain an interest to follow the sport on social media and TV , but travelling hundreds of miles year after year to shell out hundreds of pounds for tix and hotels to watch riders who mean diddly squat to them ? Not likely. Still if EVERY Belle Vue supporter turned up to support Danny Beaulieu …guess that might be 1000 … So deluded ace Belle………seems WBD confirm that they have record numbers viewing on platforms …….rather confirms my belief that fans are not willing / able to travel to these events in the UK . 50,000 attendance in Poland was stated. No mention offs of attendance in Caerdydd . 5.000 maybe?

Dwindling number of UK tracks= fewer UK speedway supporters. So many supporters “lost “ by track closures in vast swathes of England. Some retain an interest to follow the sport on social media and TV , but travelling hundreds of miles year after year to shell out hundreds of pounds for tix and hotels to watch riders who mean diddly squat to them ? Not likely. Still if EVERY Belle Vue supporter turned up to support Danny Beaulieu …guess that might be 1000 …

So crowd capacity at Belle Vue raceway is 7000? Surprised it is so many having seen it on the TV

What’s the crowd capacity of the Belle Vue stadium ? 5,000 ?

Manchester Airport much easier from Poland than Cardiff Airport. That’s where most of the fans come from. The few British fans are all Northern/Midlands based so easier travel. Cardiff was an odd choice, no speedway in the country, and very few decent speedway riders , unless you go back to the Williams brothers ! Oh and Phil Morris 🙂 Thought Danny Bewdley came from Cumbrian tbh?

No surprise about Cardiff IMO . Held on a dodgy made up track, in a difficult to reach location. Overpriced admission and outrageous catering charges. Extortionate hotel prices. Good riddance to the “principality” stadium. Even the circus appear to be on its a**e giving 2 rounds to Belle Vue. A track with limited spectator accommodation around the track. Weather permitting should be 2 home rounds for Bewdley to win. £25 a ticket sounds about right, maybe an extra fiver for a stand seat. Merry Christmas

Answering the original question..... Extremely disappointing. No news at all about the reopening of Swindon,Coventry, Wolverhampton, Arena Essex(Lakeside), Rye House. No news on wheher Eastbourne will be allowed to race at Iwade. Pretty much a year of the "status quo" with some statistical attendance gains around the online audiences. I guess in British Speedway terms that is a success rather than another club closing. Maybe that's the way forward, like the dog tracks that just run meetings for the online audiences ? The gimmick of Poole entering the premiership kockup will be a laugh, especially if, with their cherry picked gusts, they make it to the next rounds. Their "select" team will challenge the rule book on "cup tied" riders. The thought of "Poole" riders racing for the opposition in the kockup might lead to a conflict of interests. If Matt has a big enough chequebook he could win the kockup at the first attempt ?

Sounds like a bit of reach “fixing” going on there Steve re Boughen. Does he know Lawson ? wonder if there is any intent from Ford’s to move Pool into the “top tier” to maybe keep their team together. Other than reckless and hagon they surely have a ready built. “top tier” side. ? The main problem as regs stand would seem to be race night . The finances would be interesting. Would they attract any more fans to watch “ top tier” sport? Their riders would need to find new double down clubs to ride for in the CL and would demand higher wages. Admission charges would increase and may affect crowds. personally think Ford’s have more business sense…. So Pool will win the treble next season ….. don’t see much opposition tbh. Merry Christmas everybody.

This from BSN's Preview on their website >>>> "POOLE boss Neil Middleditch believes it’s “dangerous” to take anything for granted ahead of their Cab Direct Championship KO Cup decider. The Pirates lead by a whopping 24 points after their 57-33 win at Oxford in the first leg and it would take something outrageous to stop them completing the clean sweep of trophies at Wimborne Road tonight, live on BSN. It would be the first treble since Workington’s success of 2018 but Middlo refuses to get carried away..." What a silly old S*D you are Mr. Muddledutch !

A gale of gusts for Oxford, must be some sort of record 5 gusts and 2 Oxford riders ? If it were Kings Lynn , think a postponement would be demanded by Buster as unable to field a competitive side. Will they present Pool the KO Cup trophy before the meeting, or at the end in the cold early winter air? Young lad Fooord should be presented with the cup for his outstanding contribution to Pool's victory in both the p.off and kockup finals. ko'd both Oxford reserves , and an tremendous score last week against the 2 gust reserve replacements. Sadly injuries have wrecked the p.off final and kockup entertainment value this season. A fixture for the home fans to savour and guess attendance will be just Pool supporters.

"although, as I’ve said before, hopefully he’s turned a corner now." Lets hope so - speedway is full of corners .

You know when a sport is dying when you can charge what you like to attend and the crowds more or less remain ever dwindling. If they halved the price doubt it would make much difference to attandances. Most of the posters on here for example would pay £50 a ticket to see there league team race. Always 15 heats 4 riders 4 laps per race clutch start in an anticlockwise direction. Tractor racing every 4 heats. oh yawn and so it trundles along until the p.offs when all of a sudden lots of people turn up and get excited. 2 meetings in a season. The "product" is stale, little or no innovation. Individual SGP events charge a fortune but people pay and they attract a huge crowd. ENTERTAINMENT. Even cricket with its T20 games has a family atmosphere with kids getting 4 and 6 cards to wave during the game, and firworks dotted around the grounds gaoing off at regular intervals. Traditionals cringe .... but this has saved cricket from the dustbin.