Hawk127

Speedway in years gone by had personalities and rivalries and these characters and behaviours have long since been banned by the the current establishment. Take a look through the history of the local derbies and for example the shenanigans that took place between Rayleigh, Eastbourne and Canterbury and then throw in the big fuel debate between Rayleigh and Eastbourne, leaping Len entertaining from the Centre Green, Johnnie Hoskins, Dave Lanning kicking verbal wotsit out of each other plus the Romford Bombers in the Essex Gold cup and speedway had a great mix of rivalry with some entertainment thrown into the mix. The same scenario applied to other teams around the country. You had riders who were personalities with the likes of Arthur Price, the Kennett brothers, Ted Hubbard, Brian Foote, Lou Swanson, Peter Moore, and these were in the lower divisions. Move up a league and you had the greats such as Olsen, Mauger, Briggs, etc to name but a few. In the second division added those at number six and seven who were invariably ex grass track and starting off were probably the equivalent standard of riders plying their trade at the IOW and Mildenhall. The sport was entertaining albeit the racing was no more spectacular but these were guys using effectively standard bikes or the track spare who honed their riding skills. Now you have a sanitised watered down form of entertainment that is no longer a raw sport where you support the guy next door who was giving it a go. Today you have the gate and go merchant who throws more money at the equipment then that are likely to earn hence the need for sponsors and treats the punter with contempt, most have zero in terms of personality, little in the way of team rivalry and the belief that as a sport it owes them a living. Professional some may be but as entertainers few make the grade until you move down to the third tier where the riders are willing to give it a go irrespective of the conditions and most of them do it because they want to prove themselves and enjoy riding. Without sponsors those in the upper echelons cannot make a living and is financially unviable hence the sport is now at a crossroads in this country. The third tier will be here long after some of the others have fallen by the wayside.

Interesting comment from Jason Crump during an interview about a possible return to Ipswich in 2021. He will not sign until he knows what the league structure will be and he fears a few clubs will not survive to run next year and I guess with CL in the know, I suspect they already have an idea as to who will not make it to the tapes. Maybe with fewer clubs and more riders than places available, every party involved in the sport will have their hand forced into doing something markedly different. We will have to wait and see but one thing is for sure it will never be as it was in 2019. A new era and enforced changes are probably on the cards which is no bad thing but to keep more tracks running, those that cannot afford league speedway ought to be allowed to go back to the old open licence which would allow them to run individual meets just as Rye House used to before the rockets moved in in the early 70’s. Time will tell.

That may or may not be true but it was also a different time. Neither Poole Speedway or the owners are responsible for the pandemic, the actions of those who run greyhound racing or the local plan. I suspect that many clubs are possibly under the cosh as we live in different times and different priorities and who knows what will be left of the world of U.K. speedway. One thing you may well find is that most Redcar fans could do without your sort of support. You are not a true speedway follower but I guess you have something that you get off on but let us know when you next visit the southern part of the U.K. and those tracks that are left, many will be more than happy to put you right and god help you if you turn up at Poole and are bold enough to make yourself known.

Its an amateur sport they are watching which does not count so anything goes and it is probably no more than four or five extended families from the same street added to which you have an amateur running the stadium. Then you have a government which does not know Norfolk exists and is under the radar and when Corona virus found out what this part of the world is like, it turned tail and headed for the Midlands. Hope that helps.

Quite a few meetings are a mix of stox, bangers, mini rods etc. If you consider that each racer probably brings the family along and then the rivalry that exists between drivers and teams and this often does boil over and the fact that in most cases they knock seven shades of sh.. out of each other on the track and you get three or four hours of entertainment some of which is fast and furious and in other races it is stop the competition at a cost that is accessible to most who want to have a go and with kids who love the crashes etc it becomes all round entertainment from the youngest to the oldest and I suspect an aggression outlet for most who watch. In many ways why is WWE so successful and think about the parallels. I do not pretend to understand it but having watched the original early versions at Rayleigh back in the early 70’s with races held after the speedway meeting when the only way to stop a race was to turn the stadium lights out, it has certainly stood the test of time. Why, I simply do not know but most speedway teams would die to get the crowds that turn up at Ipswich. Perhaps speedway forgot the important word - entertainment.

It may not completely stop the decline but if those in charge had the opportunity and the balls to hold their nerve, they would start addressing some issues including standardising the machines for league racing in this country. All rides have a choice as to where they ply their trade. In the U.K. we have nothing to gain by paying top dollar. A number of options are available to have standard bikes and if you get away from the expensive machinery you then are not held to ransom by riders over money. Riders to be classified according to their average and then impose a fixed fee per point and start with bonus paid for team riding a partner home. Review the average every two months. Until you get a grip with the variable costs of rider pay rates (fixed costs I would class as stadia, medical, insurance, track staff, referees etc all of which are probably standard and non-negotiable’ ) they are on a hiding to nothing. Control this cost and it might allow the promoter to fund the promotional side and perhaps offer incentives to the paying customer. The club owners may be to blame for many of the failings but the riders are a huge expense and this will remain out of control as long as the riders go for more and more expensive equipment. If you cannot get around a track on a standard machine and use your track craft and skills to win races rather then being a throttle merchant, then perhaps they should look for another job.

It would seem that the BSPA are not united in trying to get the sport on. It is like individual having franchises defending their corner and that will not work. You only have to watch CL from Ipswich on BBC East last week when speedway cannot run but Spedeworth can put on a meet and even with the restrictions, the attendance that you can se on recordings on YouTube of the event was probably better than speedway get. Those who control speedway have not gone beyond the call of duty for a variety of reasons. Some tracks who share facilities are unlikely to get the green light particularly where greyhound racing is involved but with a number of operators outside those constraints surely the controllers could have come up with a plan to get some format of racing on and with the right promotion it may well have kept the sport in the forefront of entertainment when all others around are not making it happen. No wonder things are floundering.

They did, I think it was Blackbird Road Leicester but not sure it really made any difference. Speedway is not a factor nor is most sport apart from say the likes of F1and Hamilton who has made a fortune from all the WASP support and now feels the need to make a stand without donating financially to the cause. It makes no difference, those who support these actions have an agenda that is so insular they will never accept the wider view. So many down trodden members of society and those that are suffering in huge numbers from a range of abuses be these racial or religious or sex or disability can garnish the support of BLM and few stand up for them in the way that the hard done by BLM movement claim is their position. The BLM is but a pimple on the arse of the world yet gains publicity from the dregs of the media who give credence to this while ignoring, not least on a numbers basis, those who are are abused and suffering in far greater numbers. The BLM movement fail to look outside the box and cannot see what is happening in the real world and yet the media across the spectrum gives them airtime. Why do they deserve it above all the other causes?

Instead of saying BLM and those endorsing the cause by taking the knee (which may have had a double meaning back in the 70’s and 80’s particularly if you were North or South of the border) why don’t those aggrieved and in particular those supporting BLM say ‘why don’t we all try and get along together’ rather than break it down to colour and race and create friction. Many people are tired of every Tom, Dick,Harry and whatever you wish to call those classed as black, Asian, South American, etc. who simply object to anyone that does not agree with the BLM or similar point of view. Through history groups be they religious, colour or otherwise have come in for criticism, derision, the butt of jokes etc. and in some cases certain people need to be held to account, but has it not gone too far? To read that someone complained about a 1967 episode of the BBC Radio programme ‘Around the The Horne’ being repeated on 4 xtra and the corporation apologised says it all about the society we live in. Those who complain, get a life, those who have views, speak out without violence and those who disagree respectfully object and move on. Everyone has a right to an opinion, not just the BLM movement or any other movement. If you want to live in a sanitised state, move to China, they have ways of dealing with Muslims and others and do not tolerate any nonsense. Where do the BLM supporters sit on this issue?

At Ipswich it is far moe popular than speedway. For the most popular meetings such as the speed weekend or the Bonfire Bonanza it is completely full. On one occasion that I went to the firework event you needed to get to the stadium at least two hours before to get a decent spot. Take a look on YouTube at some of the meetings at Foxhall. Other meetings such as the one in December the crowds are nowhere near as good

Seems that the confusion has arisen as to who said what with regards to bangers versus speedway at Ipswich. Chris Louis has given his view and the head of Spedeworth stated in a radio interview on BBC Radio Suffolk that oval racing such as that taking place at Ipswich involves drivers who pay to participate and do not get paid by the promoter. CL questions this but as of yesterday that is the way it is. Foxhall will see racing with fans through the gate for the oval four wheeled motor sport. Speedway might run in October but my reading of the article in the EADT is that it is a governing body decision insofar as it relates to league racing meant no league meetings at Foxhall. The fickle supporters would probably not turn out for an individual event so the promoters are between an rock and a hard place. Everything is either in the press or can be heard and no it is not made up.

For those doubters who think I made it up. Taken from the Spedeworth website not five minutes ago Plus listen to the interview that Chris Louis gave on the topic

To add to the confusion stock car and banger racing goes ahead at Ipswich with fans allowed in because both are classed as amateur sports. Are you any safer in the stadia because they are not professional paid sports people. You could not make it up.

I do agree with the sentiment. What I cannot get is the mix messages. Today through until the 23rd masks are not necessary and all the data shows that cases etc are at a low yet come the 24th masks are necessary to go into shops. I can however go to a pub, restaurant, lido or theatre but cannot stand outside in the fresh air with a mask and watch sport be it Speedway or any other sport. Amateurs can go ahead but professionals are prohibited from working. Poland and Sweden can run but the U.K. cannot. Boris and the government have totally lost the plot and frankly it is time that the majority of law abiding citizens told these amateurs to f... off. They have cocked up the pandemic, the Brexit negotiations and left the country with a huge financial debt. Thankfully the 60 and 70 year olds are not to blame this time it is the morons and younger generation who lack any business acumen added to which you have the career politicians who have never held down a job in the real world and have mortgaged the economy up to the hilt. All those who bang on about government financial help, where is it suppose to come from, someone will have to pick up the tab. You rep what you sow.

Slightly off the main thrust but went to Tesco this afternoon and it has become a free for all. No following arrows up and down aisles, two metres distancing being totally ignored with people thinking life is normal. No queuing for the check out yet the checkout staff appear unhappy about how all the precautionary measures have been dropped apart from the screens. Well done Tesco, you seemingly know better that all the experts and as long as people keep coming in and you maintain market share sod your social responsibility. Says it all about where society is on the pandemic and profit means more than anything else.

Almost as good as the real thing, some great racing and legends. The return leg should be a cracker. Thanks to everyone involved in putting this together. For those who have not watched it give it a try. You become engrossed and feel part of it. Looking forward to the next meeting. This could be a good winter filler as well.

Maybe in days gone by when you had experience business people in parliament rather than career politicians things would have be managed differently but I wholeheartedly agree that mob rule has taken over and i doubt even our esteemed ministers know how to deal with this except to say it is not on but have no substance when it comes to dealing with issues except to create a debt mountain. Funny how through years of austerity no money could be found but like the irresponsible credit card user it has become spend spend spend and when interest rates rise over the next ten twenty or thirty years generations to come will bemoan the actions of the 2020 elected government and failure to do the basics when it comes to project planning. Glad I will not be around to witness the sorry state they will find themselves in.

Agree and the government will sacrifice everything to kick start the economy so do not expect anything to alter now. Next weekend will be hell as the irresponsible one’s party like nothing matters and the stretched police are suppose to sort out the mess that Boris and co have created. The only way to deal with the chaos that will ensue is bring in the army. That will not happen and we are in for a summer of social unrest and then the bite on the bum will be a severe spike in September or October and lock down leading up to Christmas. You will then know who to thank. Millennials and the followers of BLM and those who simply could not give a toss will be guilty and yet no one will do anything. Anarchy will reign and the civilised members of society will suffer. Let’s hope that all who ignore the rules sod off abroad for their holidays and show what rubbishe society the U K has become.

You would never see any of today’s high fliers take to the track in those conditions. In those days riders just got on with it and in doing so showed some respect to the paying punter. These days they are over rated and over paid thanks to Poland and most have no respect for anyone but themselves. Add to this the fact that the cost of participating as a rider forces most would be riders out of the sport and with fewer riders/countries competing then all you highly paid individuals will suddenly find no one can afford to play with the few elitists who think they are Gods gift to speedway. Make it cheaper to enter and participate as a rider with standardised equipment and stop the nonsense of needing three or four bikes. Those who want to be like formula one drivers, stick to GPS and keep out of league speedway.

I agree with this except that if you have riders chasing the ‘ holy grail’ spending thousands on equipment, it will not change. Why not have standard bikes and then those with the skill can hone their craft and they will be competitive and rise to the top. At the moment it is a case of who can throw the most dollar, pound, euro etc at equipment to simply buy a few seconds edge. That is not what the sport should be about. A level playing field with standard affordable equipment Hence a lower cost that may encourage younger riders might just allow a few newbies to think it is worth a go. As it stands, price wise it is an elitist sport for those with the best sponsors who have questionable skills and are generally the gate and go merchant whereas what it really needs is the rider who can control the machine, cope with track conditions and is in control. Few of today’s riders fall into the latter category. Get back to basics and the sport may have a chance. Again just an opinion but the reality Speedway U.K. is dire and someone needs to the balls to stop the rot. Those who moan that it is the promoter’s whose money is at risk and not those on this forum does not wash. If you are a business person get real. Piss or get off the pot. Stop whinging and if you are throwing money away then get out as you simply cannot make it pay. Riders, promoters and sponsors are so far apart it is never going to be a viable media spectacular.

Price it low and pile it high. That is almost what they do in Poland albeit the stadia etc are better underwritten with commitment from the local authority. Are the current crop of ride s still expecting top dollar given where the rest of the U.K. work force stand and the fact that Poland has lowered its rates. Someone who owns the track should experiment and as a one off see what happens when you charge £5 per adult and £1 per child. Find 14 riders prepared to ride for a lower points money but with a chance to share in the takings over a certain level once the basic costs are covered. Unless you try you will never know and it could get new supporters if it works. Just and thought and standing by to be shot down in flames.

I know this is not normal times but without the enthusiastic Polish supporters and the atmosphere this is not really any better than U.K. speedway. Go back to the 70s and early 80s speedway in the U.K. it was OK because of the crowds but the racing was not always that good. It shows that the sport needs the right mix. Polish speedway would fall flat if this went on for too long but that is not the case. At best this is an experiment not to be repeated

What was wrong with the heat 2 start?

OK Thanks

Watching on the internet, does the Gorzow meeting following on from this afternoons meeting?