Hawk127

If you look at the Spedeworth fixture list a fair few Thursdays have been available and I know the restrictions posed by East Suffolk council dictate the frequency of meetings but go back a few years and speedway was run on almost every week, so most excuses are just that.

Time to reinvent the sport and build around what is available if the sport wants to survive. BSPL inactivity has allowed the likes of Poland to take a commanding lead and you really wonder what the hierarchy are thinking.

Have to reluctantly agree. And they expect punters to pay to watch this. It never use to be this bad at Foxhall and having avidly supported the Witches since the early 90’s having lost Rayleigh in 73 and intermittently gone to Rye House in the intervening period as well as Kings Lynn and Mildenhall it is sad to see how bad Ipswich has become. Oh well always next season and hopefully Mildenhall can make a come back.

Whose fault is that. You have so many blank dates on a Thursday because the sport has capitulated to Poland and riders who seem to be dictating far more than is healthy for a minor sport.

Watching on Eurosport and the picture is breaking up sums up the rubbishe state of the sport, no wonder it is not taken seriously and even having a 1/2 in the GP in Cardiff the media is not interested. Sums up the position of the sport and who in there right mind would want to get involved in this mickey mouse presentation or put serious money into speedway. You faff about having to follow it on Discovery+ and most discerning follows simply cannot be bothered to hunt down the televised coverage. BSPL seemingly do not have a brain when it comes to the most sensible media exposure.

It’s why I stopped going to meetings a good while back. First you had six riders and Mr R/R and now you have a sad imitation of what use to be such a good evenings entertainment and the club owners think this is acceptable. CL use to command respective but now he has joined the ranks of BP and dear old Godfrey.

Absolutely agree. British speedway at its best if you believe the morons who run it. You really wonder why those in charge think that this is a spectacle, it is crap and when you look at Poland and the crowd, the atmosphere and even if the racing is not good the rest makes up for it. Dan Bewley is in town and a depleted crowd says it all. It is an embarrassment.

Basso really is taking the p… Add to this the fact that Poland are calling the tune and British speedway is being shoehorned into oblivion it is time that all the powers that be called a halt and stared dictating the terms for riding in the UK. Put your bloody thinking caps on and come up with a formula that works for fans and riders who are available to commit to a weekly meet in this country on days that suit the tracks from a business perspective. If the promoters cannot do this simple task then time to close up shop. BSPL get a grip. You have screwed the sport now it is pay back time. Ditch Eurosport because the casual channel hopper is not going to pick up on this and is certainly not going to faff about with anything other than a main stream channel. Discovery+ is on the peripheral of the average viewers engagement and does nothing for the sport. Might just as well watch the reliable Kergel on the internet but the rest is justification for a sport in decline with only the nerds hoping to find it on TV.

Belle Vue would be good for a second GP in the UK but given the state of UK speedway is it any wonder why anywhere in the U K can justify holding this event. Cardiff and Wales have been supportive of the sport and it should not be under-estimated the contribution Wales has made to the UK GP speedway. It is not a disgrace it is simply economics and whoever the piper is they call the tune. You also have not picked up that speedway is a second rate sport that does not deserve the exposure that the Cardiff Millennium stadium gives speedway. Face it, speedway is on its knees and the majority of the UK does not know it even exists and could not give a toss whether it is held at Cardiff, BelleVue or the IOW.

Tom is on the pace and should be pleased with his efforts. With experience he will be another Brit to look out for at this level in the future

Ipswich have three home meetings and one away and with decent guests they could expect to pick up at least two wins so maybe fourth is a little pessimistic. Notwithstanding it is going to be close this year and hopefully we get to see some of the best racing without further injuries. Whether another campaign in 2025 is feasible with seven man teams is debatable. Given the Polish scene and the pressure on riders to compete or suffer substantial financial penalties which in itself is detrimental to other European leagues it might well be time to start all over in the UK and try something different. Too few riders chasing too many empty spots is not going to work long term when Poland are calling the tune.

It may well be that the Foxhall hierarchy have lined up an adequate guest for the play offs and as long as Emil is back I do not see that it matters how they finish as they are capable of putting up a good show at any of the other top three contenders, although it would be nice to have an easier passage but this UK speedway with rules made up as it goes along and no one is taking into account an Ipswich or KL scenario with riders injured or unavailable or withholding services and managers failing to act in the best interest of the sport. Screw the punter and let’s race based on the lowest common denominator just about sums up the folks who run the sport in this country. Is it any wonder no one takes speedway seriously and with so few riders available or coming up through the ranks, it is on a a self inflicted hiding to oblivion.

Unfortunately the Polish scene knocks spots off the UK presentation and any rider worth his salt would rather ride in front of a packed crowd with an atmosphere that is second to none compared to the sparse speedway support that turns up at a UK stadia. Those that ride in Poland and frequent UK teams/tracks are simply topping up the pension. If you are a regular who watches on Kergel then you will understand the phrase chalk and cheese when watch weekend racing from Poland versus what is served up from the UK Clubs. The UK broadcaster cannot ever offer a comparable form of entertainment no matter who are the commentators and if they had any sense they would quietly part the sport in some dark corner and leave it to BSN to show the best bits from the lower leagues.

Phil Morris explanation regarding rider replacement and guests is just putting a plaster over the real problems with speedway in this country. If the rules had allowed for signings for injured riders things might be different, but no, the powers that be went for the broad brush approach. His excuses for where the sport is because of rider shortage is not acceptable and since when have those in charge given a second thought to Joe Public. He is talking as much horse s..t as the BSPL.

That is how to run a domestic championship with riders who are committed. Well done to all the riders.

Good to see Jarek riding so well, oh how good it would be to see him grace Foxhall again. He served the witches well.

If only we could replicate the crowd, enthusiasm and racing on a a Saturday night. Long gone are those days sadly and Poland shows the way so UK speedway should stop pretending and plough its own furrow. It is not and never will be a match for the presentation that takes place in Poland. Those Iin charge need to bite the bullet and start from scratch and let the promotional professionals in Poland get on with it. Eurosport and the set up no longer cuts it and if only a UK channel would carry English commentary on these live matches then it might just generate some interest in this country. Until then we can only watch the demise of the sport in the UK

Ellis riding well today in Poland. Long may it continue.

It does not take much to seek four or six volunteers to act as rakers even if you have to let them in for free, rider safety is paramount, so I am not sure what the issue is with finding some willing hands to help out. It never use to be a problem but perhaps health and safety has reared its head. No matter, Emil and Chris live to fight another day and between them are probably two of the best entertainers on the British track scene giving it everything to win and entertain us mere mortals in the stands.

Just watched the replay thanks to Steve and bloody hell. Prayers for both riders. One of those events you really do not what to see. Fingers crossed for both and I know riders are hardy guys but that is off the scale.

You have to question whether some of the tracks are suitable for today’s bikes or should the sport in the UK take a look at what is safe and suitable in terms of machinery for the available tracks. It is clearly not one size fits all and bikes that ride well on the big tracks in Poland are probably not suitable for the technical UK tracks which then begs the question, is it time that the machinery was standardised so that it is rider skill and not power of a bike that makes a good rider.

It might not have been pretty but they got the meeting on, if it had been in the UK it would never have happened. I remember evenings like this meeting when Ipswich rode every Thursday but now the witches and the league is a pale shadow of what use to be. It has almost reached its nadir when teams cannot put on a meeting because you do not have enough riders due of commitments elsewhere and falling numbers taking up the sport. The writing is on the wall.

Texter on updates seem to think it was the way the track was with the dirt piled too high which could be down to grading but I guess they are not expert on these matters. Fingers crossed for the riders.

Let’s hope they are alright. No one wants a meeting to end like that.

Zmarzlik makes it look so easy and With Fast Freddie alongside the result was never in doubt. Oh to have this sort of Friday racing in the UK. We use to but those days have long gone unfortunately. What a start to your weekend. Reminds me of the days of going to Hackney. Not quite the same number on the terraces.