old bob at herne bay

Four green bottles hanging on the wall…….

What’s the current asking price for a “speedway club” ? There seem to be a few available at the moment….which must make it a buyers market

What’s the current asking price for a “speedway club” ? There seem to be a few available at the moment….

Some very insular narrow minded thinking from head in the sands speedway “supporters” . Reflects fully the attitude of most “promoters” You never know you might get visitors to the show from the museum…… cross promotion of the event by parking some speedway bikes outside on a riders van .. or offering some freebies of club mercndise outside to promote the event. Really needs some on in PR at the BSPL to get off their a*** and do some work. Frankly I don’t hold out much hope…. But speedway lumbers along slowly sinking

Used to enjoy trips to West Row back in the day when the track was pretty much an oval with no straights, and the track material seemed to consist of shale with lumps of old turnips added. Wooden board fence then. An air display on the Sunday afternoons was a regular occurrence by the USAF. The track rakers with their strong suffolk accents were good for a bit of banter between heats 🙂 and really didnt like the Hackney Kestrels beating their "boys"🙂

Only because he is allowed to ride for 2 teams in the UK !

Think you have that the wrong way round its the riders who demand that they need a van !

When's the AGM November 5th ? All around the bonfire 🔥🤣

Sorry speedwaysliders .... yeah I know it worked for 5 seasons with Roger Cearns and Len , but there was always the issue with the neighbour forcing a ridiculously early curfew, and the final straw was the rent increase. There's decent support for Sunday afternoon 3rd division fare at nearby Iwade for half a dozen meetings a year, but for regular evening speedway that has to start at 6.30 pm on a Monday (a reserved Premier League day ) ?? Needs someone fresh I will agree with you there 🙂

The sinking ship called the Premier League is heading for the rocks. Loss of UK venues has been a major factor in recent years. Their defunct club supporters have all probably been lost to the sport never to return. Established stadia with a speedway oval and capable of housing a few thousand patrons in reasonable comfort aren't out there. An ever ageing but dwindling nucleus of speedway supporters with fond memories of past glory still cling on to the wreckage in traditional speedway hotspots. Attempts to promote clubs from the Championship League have been tried and I cannot name one that has been successful ? Costs of operating on the Premier League (although a closely guarded secret) and the restrictive race nights of operation are certainly a major issue. The money for riders is in Poland nowadays, why any of them ride in the UK can only be for personal reasons, it cannot be for the money on offer. WHEN will the league decay into one league and a training Conference league ? The PL cannot hold out for much longer.

If Len Silver (bless him) couldnt make it work, then there's zero chance of any of these new "promoters" making it work at Central Park. As well as the exorbitant rent demands, never shook off the silly local resident who seemed to have the local council in her pocket re the noise of the speedway. Seems barking dogs are acceptable ??

Have to laugh ... " mainstream channels SKY, BT, TNT, Premier etc" Oh dear, remember the BBC and ITV ? They are the mainstream channels.

Good name for a speedway rider. Hope his bikes dont go Bang(s) Hugh Skidmore was the most appropriately named.

Are Sheffield running in 2026 ?

The Dean Machine makes a good point.Its on the riders. If they choose to take the chance of riding on Poland for 000s of zloty a point ... they take the risk of not getting paid and/or being instantly dropped if they don't score well. Not sure that Denmark or Sweden offer great paydays compared to the UK either ? For far too long the British promoters have been far too keen to sign up overseas riders in preference to supporting young home grown riders. This is now coming back to bite them on the bum . Already there is talk of signing the latest bunch of youngsters who appeared to show a turn of speed in the SoN. How about the CL limiting the number of overseas riders in each team in 2026 ? ? and using some of the NDL riders instead. Bet you there would be one or two promoters who would object and not agree ?

Poole in the CL !

Haha, well done Redka. 🙂 Shock of the season. :-0 But you know what I mean ..... Ippo to win the p.offs from the moment the season started. Only injury robbed them the year before. Poole almost wiped the board in the PL . Just ONE of the problems in British Speedway , predictability. Not helped with the boring boring every meeting run over 15 heats. No variation. WHY ?

Just the Premiership ? Poole were odds on to win everything in 2025 , and will do so again in 2026. with so few teams in the PL “over8 “ riders could be out of work 😂. Let’s face it an 8 point rider isn’t that great …. 4 second places every week and it’s an 8 point average . Hardly a “ heat leader” pProbaly a reflection that anyone with a decent bike and who can gate can beat anyone on the modern slick tracks

MikeBV, Its been said many times before bt the modern day "promoters" just want to win at all costs. They all forget that they are in the ENTERTAINMENT business. What is served up nowadays falls far short of acceptable entertainment.

With only a passing interest in speedway nowadays, I just read online that another season of slow decay had been completed. I took in the SoN online and frankly that reminded me of why I packed in attending speedway. What dross. I thought Polish tracks were maent to produce good racing ??? News of another club closing (Birmingham) and huge uncertainty over the future of another (Sheffield) There is an ever growing "ghost league" of defunct clubs, all with decaying tracks and with dreams of reopening, but none look even remotely likely for 2026. Patching up the situation will no doubt take place with tweaks to "points limits", but making a silk purse out of a sows ear will tax the bunch of speedway promoters even with thier best rose tinted specs. No idea what attendances were like in 2025 (its always been a closely guarded secret) but aside from a few historically well supported clubs would be surprised if anything but holding even was the norm. Fixtures becoming more irregular with gaps in the summer, then a mad scramble in early winter really cannot help. Some non P.off clubs finishing fixtures by late August doesnt help. Same old same old 15 heat format across all meetings. The ever decreasing band of ageing "hard core" supporters will probably be served up something for a few more seasons until the sports 100th anniversary in 2028, but i wouldn't hold my breath for any dramatic changes of direction ....... .

Guess the key decisions for 2026 will be taken at the sports AGM … whenever this will take place. Seems to be key issue over whether Sheffield has an owner……. Without that the PL is down to 5 teams. Never known it down to so few teams in the top tier. Go back in my memory to 1963 , when the old National League finally crumbled and in 1964 the all encompassing “British League” was formed. The sport is in a much poorer state than back then, with so many riders doubling up or doubling down, and so many stadia disappearing. any news of when the AGM is to take place…..I cannot see any info scouring the Internet ?

Honestly you couldnt make it up. Losingagainst a 6 man side. Middlo will be very unhappy. 🙂 Poole as I have previously said don't like a wet track. Just the double.

Wonder what the crowd will be like on a Friday? Even for a final meeting with a cup at stake, will be a useful indicator to the promotion of whether “ off night” racing is a viable business in Poole.

Wonder what the crowd will be like on a Friday? Even for a final meeting with a cup at stake, will be a useful indicator to the promotion of whether “ off night” racing is a viable business in Poole.

Redka clearly thrown in the towel on this one with R/R for Riss.