Hawk127

It should be a way forward and it might take some investment but hell, give it a go and with that set up, you would have weekly speedway throughout the season. It really needs something different and if you are a speedway fan and not just a team supporter you would not object to a track share on this basis. Not a BS idea at all. The sport needs riders competing at all levels to re establish itself and start out on that journey of getting to the level that the Poles aspire to and U K riders should be aiming for and eventually becoming a force in the international stage at every level.

Unfortunately today’s clubs are made up of individual riders who have little concept of team representation but ride simply to make a living from whoever opens the wallet and squanders cash on some mercenary gate and go merchants. Speedway in the UK should stop pretending to be a team sport, it made up of individuals seeking a living and it will never go back to the halcyon days of a team sport. Birmingham played its part but alas it got swallowed up in the shambles that is today portrayed a league of teams which is a joke. Birmingham and its backers gave it the best they could but were never going to be a success in the contrived farce that is league racing in this country. Birmingham, hold your head up as a contributor, you did make a difference.

Agree. Unfortunately not a winning night for the Brummies and a sad night for UK speedway. Where does it go from here, who knows but Birmingham, thank you for your contribution to speedway in the UK over the years and the memories with the likes of Arthur Browning etc and many a good meeting at Rayleigh pre 73. Let’s hope someone somewhere can revive the sport in the Midlands.

It is a shame that in the UK we do not have this conveyor belt of talent. I appreciate that in Poland the opportunities and track availability is different but surely the UK can harness talent if they make full use of the tracks available and if necessary impose second halves on all clubs so that youngster in the UK get track time. The youngster are competitive and the racing can often be better than a league match as they are riding for themselves and ride to win at all costs. You only have to watch some the heats today and heat 19 would be an example of giving everything to win. The sport has a future in the UK but it is going to take someone special to get round the intransigence of the current custodians of the sport.

Some decent racing and the future certainly looks good for one or of these lads. A pity that speedway fans don’t come out to watch meetings like these, they are the future of the sport.

Bank holiday Monday meetings were always packed Rayleigh with speedway in the morning and Stock cars in the afternoon where Chick Woodroff was the promoter. One particular speedway meeting always sticks and it was Rayleigh versus Boston. I cannot remember which race but the Boston heat leader Arthur Price was out and Rayleigh had one Ivan Miller who I believe started off on grass track. On the final lap Miller who had come from the back passed Price to win. Price was not a happy chap. Some of the best meetings involved the local derbies with the likes of Romford, Crayford, Canterbury Eastbourne and Ipswich. Packed stadia and leaping uncle Len and terrific rivalry and atmosphere.

I meant leagues plural. Sorry

OK my error. Thanks. Still he is competing in the best league in Europe. It would be good to see some of these guys over in the UK but I suspect that will never happen now.

Well he has some future. The Poles seem to be able to generate some competitive youngsters but I guess it is in the the Polish DNA and a taxi driver in Krakow recently explained why the poles are so good. If only other countries could match the practices adopted in Poland which really does deserve the title of number one place to ride.

I really would like speedway fans in the UK to support individual meetings and not just league racing. In years gone by sport in this country had some fantastic individual events which took pride of place in the speedway calendar and many being sponsored by major companies yet to today nothing other than a few events using second strings. Shame the sport cannot recreate the halcyon days of the individual meeting such as the Pride of Anglia, the 16 Lapper and many more held at Wolves, Wimbledon and other tracks around the UK. I am sure many on the forum can add more meetings to the list that have long since been confined to history. Just as well Poland have not abandoned the concept.

That might explain one or two things. Thanks.

Another win for Tom, riding like a demon possessed.

Week done Tom Brennan, great ride

Parnitsky seems a handy rider. I must admit I have not taken a lot of notice in the past. Who does he ride for in Poland?

Yep, you are right and all the riders are over extending themselves because of the demands to make a living out of a sport that does not compete in financial reward terms with many other two wheeled sports. League racing in numerous countries and the GPs plus other individual meets and flying around Europe must take its toll on riders. The sports authorities need to take a step back in terms of expectations and need re evaluate the product in order to sell it to the highest bidder which in turn rewards the riders. As it stands the racing and entertainment value declines and that loses its appeal as the season drags on. For the UK it cannot compete because of the restrictions brought about by Brexit so the way the sports runs in this country has to be a different business model to the rest of Europe. Whether anyone is listening or cares is open for debate

Emil did well to hang on but pity the other riders cannot be bothered to recognise the fact.

Absolute capitulation by the away team who are just not at the races. What has gone so wrong with the top riders who are being beaten by the end of bend two.

You need riders like Pedersen to liven it up and ittakes you back to the days of villains in UK speedway and Drabik really needs to get into the GPs as he takes no prisoners.

Drabik riding like a man possessed. Strange fella but good rider and rarely gives up. Good on the guy.

I think the problem is that the machinery has outgrown the tracks so I agree with your comments. I don’t know what Plymouth is like but if you have a rider like Scott on your books he will dial in to conditions and be a joy to watch. Even at his age his commitment is top drawer and any team/supporter will find him the ultimate professional. When and where possible I would go to any meeting where Scot is riding because he will always give 110%. I was lucky enough to to see him ride for Ipswich and in my eyes he has always been a class act.

The criticism of the track may well be valid but some level of criticism must lay with the riders who on today’s machine can rarely adapt to different track conditions and it makes the racing boring because of the set up and the general lack of rider skills with most on gate and go bikes but little track craft. Give the riders four track spares and ask them to race and then you will separate the men from the boys. Until you have an affordable level playing field races will be strung out because riders have simply lost the art/skill of riding to the conditions rather than the set ups.

Supporter levels seem poor at all the meetings on show. Sad about the decline but perhaps the sport needs to adopt a less is more with fewer meetings with the top riders and to make it attractive you should have one off events with the cream of the sport. It seems that the business model outside Poland is unsustainable and time to let the Poles lead the way in domestic league speedway paying top dollar with other countries ploughing their own furrow to develop the sport for the future and competing at just international level with test matches etc.

14 points up at one point and possibly drifting away. Hope they can hold on or is it the usual Bellevue voodoo.

Instead of speculation perhaps the authorities should canvas those riders who are prepared to commit to riding in the UK first and foremost and calculate how many riders are available to ride every week on a race night that suits a UK club, not Poland or any other European league fixture list. Reward those riders who are willing to make a go of it in the UK by guaranteeing x number of meetings based on the commitment to ride. On the basis of the foregoing, determine the make up of teams, be it five, six or seven riders per team. Then look at whether it works on one home and away or two home and away or a mix with 4TT plus league racing. Also have a Season long individual UK championship with rounds held at every track and a grand finale at say Bellevue one year then Glasgow the Poole etc, share it around. The idea is build for the future on what you know you have not the uncertainty that prevails today where it is a case of finger in the air and hope. True speedway followers will be happy with competitive racing week in week out, others who crave the worlds top riders will follow them through the many individual tournaments be it a GP or Euro championship or Poland where in the case of the latter money seems no object when it comes to enticing the top riders. Speedway UK cannot compete with any European racing partly because of Brexit but also it races on a night when riders can earn some pocket money here because no other league is daft enough to pick Monday as a race night and I suspect that most who ride in Poland etc do not keep the best equipment in the UK so you are probably not seeing the riders at their most competitive. Unfortunately all those on here who could make up a committee that could give some direction and work with the promoters to get the sport back to where it should be would be largely ignored yet they are the same people who week in week out put money into the clubs by crossing the threshold of the turnstiles and helping keep the sport going. A message to those in charge, engage with your punters.

I think you are being a tad cynical, everyone knows on sits on the top table that the presentation is fit for purpose why else would it continue if it wasn’t? On the other hand it could do with a tweak or two, black leathers to start with and possibly use of the latest Jap engines and introduction of a track spare (and that is not the person running the shop) and of course 13 heats to save on costs. Maybe introduce a rule that allows only Aussie, South African and Scottish riders to compete in the league. Those changes would fix it for sure.