old bob at herne bay

Hackney Hawk, Like you I have endured experiences with rude and arrogant modern day "promoters" that made me wonder why I bother. Nil entertainment.... endless delays.... shabby stadium facilities and never even the decency of a reply to any letter sent. Some 3 seasons ago I gave up attending. My grandfather first watched speedway at Crystal Palace in the the early 1930's ... sadly I have ended the family tradition. Still take the Speedway Star and Classic Speedway magazine ... still watch speedway on TV , but you will never get me to visit another UK speedway track. I have great memories and prefer to keep them as great memories. Sadly from my personal band of speedway "diehard" supporter friends, many of them have passed away, and must be watching their speedway from afar.

With 90% of revenue throught the turnstiles and 80% of the clubs total income spent on riders wages, UK speedway was in a complete financial mess before COVID19. Like so many high street businesses this pandemic has just highlighted the problems. Ian Jordon hit the nail on the head when he said that 30 -40% of his crowd were uncertain that they would turn up this season. Not running league speedway must have been a cut your losses strategy.

Think you meant realistic Mr McCaffery .....let’s not kid ourselves that someone is going to invest money into Brandon Stadium to run speedway at a loss each and every week? Have you read this weeks Speedway Star page 2? Just about puts the tin lid on the Rockets . The new owner doesn’t want his new gym getting “all grimed up” from the bikes.

Surely will become another housing estate .... mega millions to be made .☹️

Yes Arthur it was ... I used to buy my Star from him every week at Hackney .. a real character, he would walk around the track in a white coat with armfuls of Stars and Mails ... must have been a nice little earner in those days

The late Ivan Mauger always maintained that Speedway was a sport ridden by professionals and managed by amateurs. Seems stock cars is the complete opposite from what I am reading on here.

So an envelope to Scott Nichols riding for the Leicester Hunters and an envelope for Danny King for the Scunthorpe Saints ......should attract a crowd...... ACU referee required ? Medical Cover? Will the riders licences be valid for them to ride in these “amateur” meetings ?

Wow......“Scunthorpe Amateur Select vs Leicester Amateur Select” A fixture to savour...... will it be run over two legs home and away to add to the excitement ?

Some rather strange comments on here..... transferring blame to “The Government” As though it would be any different if we had some other bunch in “The Government” ?? Most of British Speedway’s problems date back pre Covid World War, this war has just highlighted their perilous state. Sounds like the moans and groans after a meeting has been rained off after a cloudburst , and you stand around for an hour with false hopes that miracously the track will dry out. We are told that the meeting is definitely ON ON ON ......and then suddenly it’s OFF.

Just think..... every season every UK club promoter announces that they have made a “ loss” running speedway . Sums of “ five figures” or “six figures” are bandied about. So no meetings run this season, no riders wages, no fees for referees, no fees for medical cover. Paid staff at most tracks are probably one or two, the rest casual employees and/or volunteers. Are the losses incurred any higher or lower than they normally generate running a league programme? Biggest issue IMO is whether owners of the stadia used by Speedway are still in business next year?

What's the point of this thread? Trying to find a way of seeing some amateur riders have a "skid" at a local training track with a few dozen spectators ? and paying for the privilege? Assume medical cover will have to be provided ? Who will do this in the current situation? A lot of money will have to be spent to get the spartan facilities at most tracks to be Covid 19 compliant for what might be a handful of loss making meetings . Who is going to bother ? No crowds until October therefore no speedway in 2020 is the Speedway GB statement.

GB Speedway Season 2020 is cancelled. (Speedway GB website) Never thought any differently... let’s all stay safe , hope we can all get vaccinated by Spring 2021 and see Speedway Come next year.

I am cheered by reading hte news in this weeks Speedway Star that sepctators are going to be allowed into speedway stadiums in Sweden. The enterprising Swedish promoters have declared that their track restaurants will be open for business and will take bookings for meals to allow spectators to watch the racing. This must be the way forward that the British PRomoters were waiting for ... open up your trackside restaurants, start taking bookings and start racing. Ah hang on ....... just thought you cannot see the racing from the "restaurant" behind the pits at Eastbounre, nor from the "restaurant" under the grandstand at Sittingbourne. How are other UK tracks fixed for a trackside dining experience?

Ah good to see .... Pratt an ex rider has been around the sport for a good few years ...... I bet he is one step ahead of the rest of the other promoters .. and has suggested to the landlords of the showground that he will be getting brakes fitted to all the Peterborough riders bikes to minimise risks

This from the British Speedway website dated July 10 .... (with my bold and underline) "Members of the British Speedway Promoters Ltd have, in the last two weeks, been working on how our sport can work safely for competitors, officials and spectators alike. We believe the biggest risk to riders is the natural danger element of racing motorbikes with no brakes." I am sorry, but with that type of attitiude , I really do not see speedway starting this year. What are they saying ... speedway is a dangerous sport anyway so we don't need to do anything ????

Attended a motorcycle auto jumble at the South of England Showground at Ardingly this weekend. There were several hundred people in attendance.... mostly motorcyclists like me .... so few of the 4 wheeler crowd. well organised with Marshall’s all wearing masks directing you to well speed parking spaces..... many of the stall holders had free hand sanitiser and disposable gloves available. Stalls were all spaced well apart ....toilet facilities were spacious with a Marshall ensuring no crowds of people. Facilities were regularly cleaned and were well supplied with hand soap and hand wash basins. Most people were wearing face masks when near the sales pitches. So these events can take place.... but how many speedway venues have facilities or space similar to a county showground? Most of the grubby toilet facilities at speedway stadia are so cramped and poorly maintained they were un hygienic pre Covid..... you were lucky to have a light bulb in the loo at Lakeside speedway.

Pray tell me who does Keir Starmer ride for? Looks very well dressed rider ... collar and tie. Maybe he is on of the management team at Peterborough Panters .

Rules for recreational cricket limit the total number of people involved in each match to 30 maximum - with all sorts of rules to keep players distanced. So no crowds of spectators allowed which is still the issue that will stop UK speedway running again thisseason.

Promoters with more of an idea .....lmao Desperate to be proved right ...... lmao You have cheered me up. Lets just wait and see.

Reading the details of the medical professions reluctance to clear such places as theatres and live music venues to resume, it appears that a noisy environment encourages people to shout and raise thier voices and increase the risk of spitting virus particles into the atmosphere. All spectator sports encourage the crowd to produce an "atmosphere" and shouting and cheering your team. Based on that I really don't see spectator sport reopening soon.

Premiership Football grounds hold 60,000 and running with 0 I think Silverstone holds 120,000 will be running with 0 for Formula 1. A few open meetings ??? what's the point ??? Long overdue for the BSPA to make a decision and focus on 2021

Skidder1 - agreed - and the ekstraliga contracts currently prohibit riders signed up in Poland leaving. So there will have to be re allocation of riders ..,adjustment of points limits and some agreement on use of guests/loan replacement riders to get any 2020 uk league programme going. With co operation and common sense from the promoters ......... OH DEAR I think have may have scuppered UK speedway 2020.

A UK league with no GP riders may be forced upon UK speedway sooner rather than later IF and only IF they ever manage to get UK league speedway running this season. Some recalcualtions of teams strengths will be required .... but it would certainly enable some clubs to cut their riders wages bill considerably in what MIGHT be a shortened 2020 season. Who are we talking about Doyle, Lambert, Niels Kristen Iversen. Wouldnt be missed IMO .

Very good article in the Star by Ove. He omits the contribution of Norwich team mechanic Les Mullins who looked after the Norwich “track spare” that Ove rode with great success. Highlights the issue of too much money being invested in equipment by riders at all levels ... how any young lad can afford to start in UK speedway even at NL level beats me. The beginning of riders treating the sport as a business began with the late Ivan Mauger, with bikes mechanics and equipment scattered all over Europe. Many others followed his “professional” approach. Maybe now is the time to look at introducing rules to reduce riders costs of participating in the sport. .

So Speedtiger you have read the Glasgow Promotion's explanation of why they made their decision ? Putting aside your clear dislike of the Glasgow promotion .... none of their reasons apply to other UK speedway clubs? ? ? Funny old game this speedway "promoting" lark in the UK .... every season every promoter moans and groans about the large losses they have made and now we see all but one of them queueing up "in hope" to presumably add to their losses by running a very short season with every likelihood of reduced attendances than those in 2019. Who's kidding who ?