Hawk127

Harsh on Keynan but that’s racing.

Anyone who has access to Facebook take a look at Ipswich stadium and it is packed to the gunnels. Crowds that speedway can only dream of but hopefully a GP at Ipswich and let’s hope BelleVue can stage one and generate a good deal of interest for the sport in the UK. Until then take a look at tonight’s match in Poland to remember/realise how good it can be.

What more could you ask for but some of the best riders entertaining you on a Saturday night. Takes me back to the days at Rayleigh on a Saturday night and Len Silver putting on a meeting that was guaranteed to entertain and waiting for the results to come in from the likes of Coventry, Canterbury etc. Tonight’s Polish meeting is top draw and sad that we have now reached the end of the season. Another days racing tomorrow and again thanks to the guys who help give us this insight to European speedway

As an aside to all the tribal discussion, just seen the World Championship banger meeting starting today at 4pm at Ipswich is sold out and the only way to watch the meeting is on Spedeworth TV. I guess the stadium holds circa 10k and if Spedeworth can organise an event like this then no reason why Mayfield cannot fill the stadium for the GP.

A decent meeting and the last four heats had some of the best racing. Well done to Leon Madsen. These individual meetings in Europe bring out the best in the riders and I only wish we had more individual meets in the UK with some real prize for being the winner. Dream on as far as that is concerned and thanks for the links for this and all the seasons meetings we are indebted to Racers & Royals and Stewmac for the valuable contributions that they make which enable many to watch European speedway. Cheers guys.

Yes that was it and unfortunately I witnessed that one standing on bend 2. Getting old so the memory is not what it was but that was one of the worse crashes I have witnessed and the silence while they attended to Mark was awful.

Did they also run one from Felixstowe or am I imagining that?

I think you might find that the local residents behind the pits area of the stadium and East Suffolk council who are very strict objecting to music and bars added to which the curfew which in itself is amusing. The bikes can race but I believe they cannot use the tannoy system to announce results. Years back the meeting overran and while they raced to the end of the meeting no announcements. It is amusing though that the bikes noise lasts minutes whereas a stock/banger meeting races go on relentlessly for several hours(with short breaks to clear the track) but it always seems that the complaints are about speedway. The plus points are the planned changes to the stands and track and historically the fact that the speed weekends have regularly attracted thousands of supporters, so a GP can easily be accommodated albeit hotels may be an issue for overseas travellers as most are in the centre of Ipswich and i don’t believe that they have direct public transport links to the stadium so that is something that needs to be considered for punters staying in the town centre or arriving at Ipswich Station. I believe that it can be a decent venue for a GP and those who have a downer on Ipswich holding the event should wait and see. Don’t base views on what has been, RC has ambitions and he has a point to prove so let’s give him and his team a chance. Remember he only rents the stadium from Spedeworth and if he has convinced them to make the changes then don’t under estimate what can/will be done.

That was a decent meeting this evening and thanks to all the riders who made it worth watching and thanks to the guys who provide the links so that we can watch some of the best speedway available in Europe. Onward to next weekend.

Most can argue on here the rights and wrongs as to ability of each team competing in this league and the Aces have been smart so you cannot knock what they have done but each team can only perform against who turns up on race day. Ipswich failed to use home advantage and that sums up the position. I really do not believe that the majority of Ipswich supporters have an axe to grind and accept that this season has been a make do and hopefully every team and possibly a few more can re-group for next year. The Aces have been smart and deserve a crack at winning the title and most on here look forward to a competitive final and a safe outcome for the riders who go all out to entertain.

Pretty tame affair from a t v presentation aspect and those on the terraces look like they are attending a wake compared to the enthusiasm and gusto of a Polish meeting. This type of presentation confirms why, apart from Poland, the sport should not be shown live. This is not going to attract punters.

God help the sport if they think Ipswich is a venue that should hold a round of the GP. Ideas above their station comes to mind. Speedway has lost its way if those in charge seriously think that Foxhall Heath is a creditable venue for the sports premier event. Stranger things have happened.

This is a far cry of how things use to end and it is a shame for those who turned out tonight for the last meeting of the season. The Aces have also been short changed as the second leg is a non event and if it were possible it would better to save money all around by not running it and the Aces await the opposition from the other leg. Why waste money on opening up the stadium to run a meeting which has nothing riding on it and will no doubt cost the club money.

The Aces deserve the win, the Witches are a shadow of what they used to be and this is not what the play offs were meant to be about, the climax to an exciting campaign of racing but not what you have on show today. No wonder the punters have left in droves and thankfully terrestrial t v is not showing this live or otherwise. Excuses will be forthcoming but frankly memories of what use to be far outweigh what is served up now with a piss poor league and too many outside factors influencing the quality of league racing. It is not entertainment it is an endurance test.

Does it matter given they are the best available and Joe Public ha not got a clue as to the standard and hierarchy in the sport in the UK. Speedway in the UK does not and cannot compete with any other league in Europe but those viewers who tuned in and looked at the event found something different but they have not got a clue as to who the riders were and at this stage it is all about attracting punters. You could have conference league riders but it is all about four riders on bikes with no brakes going head to head on powerful machines that would scare the sh.t. From the average bike rider. if packaged in the right format viewers will follow. Trouble is the presentation needs honing to sell it as a great form of entertainment and not chase the idea that it should be shown live as spectacle. Live televised meetings are the achilles heal of speedway and no sensible promoter would suggest that the live meeting are the answer. Any punter who attends a live meeting recognises that t v transmissions are a disaster and the armchair audience simply accept what is served up which compared to the Polish t v offering is in the UK rubbish