Hawk127

I just think it is so sad that the sport is where it is given the money that came into from Sky and many individual broadcasters across television and radio pushing the sport for what seems to have been to no avail. We once had regular weekly meetings throughout the season and characters both at rider level and promoter level. Now you have a bunch of wimps who seem to have little idea on what makes a good night out and pander to the participants who dictate the business model and that makes you wonder why many continue to run the teams. I am saddened that most promoters cannot spell entertainment let alone know how to provide it. Maybe the last page of this week’s speedway star is the answer, non league speedway which is covering IOW, Kent/Lydd and the Rockets where entertainment is foremost amongst those running these meetings. You cannot blame today’s riders who earn a good living in Poland, why would they jeopardise that for five races in the UK once a week with piss poor crowds, little atmosphere and third world stadia. I do not know the answer but carrying on as is cannot solve the fundamental issues drag the sport out of the self inflicted nadir.

Watching this reminds me of what it was like a good few years back at Ipswich watching Jarek and co plough their trade around Foxhall on. Thursday evening. How the tables have turned and it will be many years before the sport in this country can rekindle what it was let alone compete head to head with Poland and attract riders who are generally locked in to unforgiving contracts. Surely it is time to re set the clock, stop trying what U K speedway cannot do and for a short time become insular, rebuild league racing and have the odd international meeting to test the competitiveness of the home grown riders and when the time is right go head to head with the Poles or whoever. For now stop trying to pretend the UK version can match the Poles, it cannot it is now light years behind and with the BSPA having capitulated so much on race nights, what is really left.

My money would be on Jarek or Patrik to step in to the breach. The Louis family have always had a good rapport with the Polish riders and even though one or two dubious decisions in the past have left the Witches wanting the good have outweighed the bad. Even Drabik would not be that bad but whoever they get, they will not emulate Doyle so it is a case of who will be the most solid middle order reliable rider to fill part of the gap.

By no means an expert but it was a dubious decision. Agree that if Emil had kept going the fence was going to get hit a lot harder. Unlike Emil to be so vociferous in responding to the decision and if at fault he is the sort of rider to admit he got it wrong. Onward and upward, still good to see top class speedway and Eurosport’s presentation of British speedway is so far behind the standard of Canal+ and alway great to see Mr Gollob on hand to voice some semblance of reason. Roll on to the next televised meetings from Poland.

What a result for the depleted Witches. Great effort by the guests and the stalwarts of the Witches side with Emil being sublime and now we can look forward to Thursday with a little more optimism.

Look at positively, if Emil has six rides and wins all six that is 18, Scott throws in a couple of wins and two seconds that gives Ipswich 28 so if the other four can score 10 between them that gives you 38 and a fighting chance in the second leg or maybe I am being just too optimistic. Good luck to the riders and hopefully no more injuries, ailments or any other mishaps.

He probably believes he has nothing to prove and that is admirable but if that is the case step aside and let someone else have a chance to reach the top. The sport needs new blood at this level and the format probably needs a radical change to secure the supporter following going forward.

Do the British riders have the ruthless streak in them to tackle the best riders in the world which unfortunately generally means the counterpart Polish riders. It is a difficult call but Tai is ducking out, Robert has the ability but seems to fear pushing that extract mile and Dan has his demons and who can blame him for a cautious approach, it can be a short career if you get it wrong too often. Look at Jason Doyle, at the top of his game and progress cut short. Not sure what the answer is but unless some Polish riders defect to these shores, the chances of British rider topping the podium come the end of the season is unlikely. We live in hope.

Wrong type of rain and the ones that Buster uses have more holes than a sieve hence you are spot on. Roll on getting back to bags of sawdust and Jap engines. The sport might just catch on.

Shows what you can do to get a meeting on and finished in no time. Well done to all concerned and surely the way forward, fast sport with superbly quick process. Racing might not be top notch but they got the meeting on.

What about Jarek helping out. He still seems capable.

Huge thanks to Scott for a sterling performance. Wish he could come back home to the Witches. Good performance to all the guys excluding one unmentionable. On to Birmingham and Fast Freddie.

Guess he realised he needed his bus fare home.

Let the reserves take his rides and earn start money if they still pay that!!

Good to see a Troy putting in a positively strong performance. What a waste of space this guy is and you can only think that as a guest he was the cheapest option. Any second string from the lower league would have been a better. At least they would have gained some experience rather than let a has been top up his retirement fund. It beggars belief that Troy was chosen as a guest.

Is he gambling on the presumption that the sport needs KL more than the AFA needs speedway so any challenge is worth a go. I feel for the KL supporters who have experienced some recent rotten seasons and whether the rumour about 2025 has any truth is open to question but he may just be thinking that enough is enough. The only way I can see the sport surviving is to ditch any cooperation with our European counterparts and allow those clubs who want to run, to do so on days that suit the business with riders who want to ride first and foremost for British club and make this the foundation for rebuilding the sport in this country. Until then the sport is on a hiding to nothing and a pale shadow of what it use to be no that long ago when you had regular weekly meetings throughout the season.

Absolutely but what a star Emil is and gives it 110%. With the missing riders it would have been another win but does it really matter, Birmingham did what they needed to do and can only race what is in front of them. Well done Brummies and look forward to see Freddie racing in your colours.

So far BGT has the edge when it comes to entertainment. Kokoon and the jumping bag seems to be performing better than this meeting. Oh well back to a recording of the sewing bee.

Unfortunately it is boring. You could get away with the poor racing if you had a crowd like you have in Poland which would create some atmosphere but counting nails in B & Q would be more entertaining and having the monotone commentary trying to make watching paint dry sound interesting sums up why the sport is like it is in the UK

Well done to the Witches. Fingers crossed for Doyle. Thanks to KL for making it a decent meet. Onwards and upwards for both East Anglian teams and hopefully both come to the tapes in 2025.

Shame because when at Ipswich he tended to attack the track and was reasonably competitive. I know Ipswich had some dire riders and Hampel was one of the best but Gollob was worth the entrance money alone every week. Those were the days.

Dan and Tai setting themselves up for the GP. Well done to both teams and it would be good to see some of the second strings try out the British tracks. It would take you back to the days when the likes of Ipswich tried a few, some succeeded others were dire. Oh to see Jarek grace the U K scene. Whatever happened to Swirdeski?

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Emil is such a genuine guy and you have to have some sympathy for his position. They let tennis players compete in international competitions so why discriminate in speedway. Something is not right and riders like Emil add value to the competition and put bums on seats.

Well done Dan, really deserved and hopefully more to come from this talented rider who seems to have the right attitude. Congratulations to the witches on the result.