Star Lady

Not sure how this would work. Some fans ideas are as off the wall as the BSPA

It does make you wonder what their mentality is. The number of times I've seen riders vans with International Speedway Rider sign written on it. Who the hell cares really except themselves on an ego trip. It's a bit of a reflection of the attitude of the times IMO. Youngsters want to be the best at things (nowt wrong with that) but don't seem to want to put in the hard work that's the foundation for success. On the subject of engines, I had a conversation with Buster Chapman many years ago and he said he would like all promoters to own a stable of engines and maintain them with riders drawing lots for them before the meeting. That IMO would slash costs immensely and possibly improve the racing quality. I've not spoken to him recently about it so he may well have changed his views. It would mean quite an initial outlay by promoters but think of the costs that could be cut. There would be no suspicion of illegal engines either. Cloud cuckoo land probably like many good ideas that are just too difficult to put into practice

I don't think the state of the stadiums has that much effect to be honest. Yes clean toilets should be a must. As should a safe environment, not crumbling terraces. However some of my favourite venues are those that have grass banks, where in good weather you can sit on a blanket and have a picnic and enjoy the sun. You can wander round and talk to folk, some of whom you know and some you don't. Terracing is fine but not as nice as grass to sit on or look at. I hate being confined to a seat in a stand. You are stuck next to someone you possibly can't abide or someone who smells and cannot escape without a fuss. Half the fun of an away match is a wander round the terracing/grass banks trying to spot people you may not have seen for years or watching the racing from a different viewpoint. Stadiums like Cardiff have their place but in all honesty I'm far happier on the back straight grass at Peterborough or Stoke. Maybe I'm just strange The sport needs to attract newcomers, of that there is no question but I doubt many will be tempted by a sparkly new stadium whilst the same old farcical rubbish is shown on TV. Once that is sorted out may be the time to reconstruct or build. Buster Chapman has turned what was more or less a ploughed field with terraces into a great smart, stadium with seating, accessible safe terracing, clean toilets and all that goes with it . Apart from the WTC round I doubt the attendances are any higher that they were before he started, probably less.

This has nothing to do with how well or otherwise the club you support did but how the sport as a whole did in 2014. Injuries - bad - could it have anything to do with the silencers as many have suggested, if so at least that can and should be sorted. Fixture List - bad - stop go, no consistency at all. Big gap in the summer months. Easily sorted, just need some thought and co-operation. Get it out early to avoid foreign fixture clashes. Track prep - some good, some dire and some in between - at the very least each track should have the equipment, materials and knowledgeable personnel to provide a safe, reasonable track. Any that on more than 2 non weather affected occasions do not comly should be fined and if no improvement demoted. Referees - some good, some bad and some in between. Ms Turnbull showed how a meeting could and IMHO should be run. I got the impression at the back end of the season an edict had gone out about riders returning to the pits unneccessarily so maybe someone listened to the fans (has to happen sometime). Long may they listen and act. Basically we want consistency. Rain-offs - never good. I've long advocated that the final decision should be taken by he REFEREE (not a meeting steward) after consultation with all 14 riders. That should be done by secret ballot. Quite simply each rider is given a piece of paper they put a cross for continue or stop. Ref adds them up and vote can and should be made public. No names should ever be given. It's the rider's lives on the line and they IMO should have the final say with no pressure put on them. Fans might not like the decisions at times but that's tough. Guests - never good. They have always been a necessary evil for the near 50 years I've followed speedway and in the case of a No 1 rider, I think clubs should have that option. However I've long advocated that each EL club should have a tie up with 1 or 2 PL (depending on numbers in each league), PL in turn with NL clubs and except for No 1s use those associated clubs riders. It may take some working out and a certain amount of co-operation but it would solve the "select" sides we've seen in 2014. Play Offs. Never been a fan, so yes I'm biased. I see no reason why the league winners cannot be crowned as such and then the top 4 teams compete in a comp the same as the play offs to be crowned Supreme Champions (or any name a potential sponsor might come up with). Encouraging British Talent - some good, some not so good. The under 16s from what I saw was a great success and shoulc be applauded and supported in future seasons. The Fast Track system had some success. Without it I'm not convinced the likes of Kerr, Newman, Garrity and some others would have improved as fast as they have and certainly wouldn't have gained the EL experience they have. For others, who I will not name, it was maybe a step too far which hopefully will not have knocked their confidence too much. The system needs tweaking but it has to remain in some form or other IMO. Not impressed either with the regs that denied a young Brit, Robert Lambert, the chance to double up when quite a few foreigners of the same and at times lower standard were given that chance. That has to change. Change the rules so that they favour British riders above foreigners. All the other leagues do it, let's copy them. Communication - mostly poor. Clubs not releasing details of away fixures, not giving riding orders or even telling fans that a rider will be missing. need to show fans some respect, give them the information. I doubt very much more than 4-5 fans will print their own progs and not buy one. Rider Loyalty - some good some bad. I get really annoyed by what I call the journeyman riders, who fly in ride, collect their money and fly out again then the following season go to another club cos they pay more (well that's how it seems to me). Maybe some kind of system should be introduced which gives an average reduction for each years service to a club. I know it would be complicated but as it stands now kids especially build up a following for a rider and then the following year that rider disappears and rides for a different club. Sky - difficult one this. Yes TV coverage is good. I don't know enough about the financial details to know if it's good for clubs, but have to assume it is, if not why do a deal. What hasn't been good is the influence that Sky has had over the way the sport is run. Double points thingy - I've never liked but that's an old issue, Play-offs - see above. The main problem for me is that they dictate the timing of the meetings. It was made so obvious this week when the semi was not shown as a live prog, and the bad weather was incoming that the sport can and did get a meeting run to it's conclusion. A day later, same situation, bad weather incoming at more or less the same time and Sky prevaricated, showed unnecessary VT, had unneccesary interviews etc result a meeting curtailed unfinished when it could quite easily have run it's full course. That is not good for the sport. So speedway has to decide IMHO whether the sport or Sky are the most important. I'm not sure if Sky had any influence in the result stand after 10 heats or not, but that sucks as well. Nothing wrong with going to Heat 12 and in any 2 legged comp i.e play offs, KO cup if the first leg is curtailed the second leg should be over the same number of heats. That's quite a diatribe from me, but it's from the heart. I used to love this sport, gradually that love has changed to like, after this season I really ain't bothered too much one way or another and that saddens me cos I know how wonderful 4 riders going for it hell for leather over 4 laps can be one of the best sights there is. I wonder what everyone else thinks about 2014, and PLEASE PLEASE don't let any discussion descend into a bullying, slanging match based on club loyalties. The sport is too important for that. Save that for other threads.

Signed. Good luck. Pity you can't find some endangered newts or something on the site.

That's what alcohol does - affects the judgement.

They expect exactly what they get and then pay lip service by apologising. It makes good TV and they know it.

So I'd take that to infer that they would be in favour of a ban. Or would I be wrong

Which is the opposite to the majority of views on here. Probably why it's best to let the authorities decide. Has anyone done a poll of the other GP riders? Now that would be interesting. Feel free to borrow my idea Mr R

According to Sky Sports tweets the final is next Friday and the following Monday. First leg at Coventry.

Judging from debates re other GP problems it won't be BSI that lose money. As I understand it they sell the rights to local promoters. I'm sure someone will tell me if this isn't the case

I have no particular problem with Australia holding a GP or even the final GP. My problem is the date. The 24th is a week before the end of the British season. This affects BRITISH fans who for the most part have supported the riders through the early part of their careers and those riders will no be unavailable to British speedway for approx. 2 weeks at the end of the season. It may well affect Poland and Sweden as well. Probably Czecho too. Therefore it's European fans of speedway, not necessarily GP fans that will suffer. It's all very well folk saying bring the play offs forward. Why the hell should we have to simply to suit a private company that wants to make a profit. Speedway has run from March to October for as long as I've been attending in the mid 60s and probably before that to. I see no reason for it to change. I doubt non GP riders will appreciate their season being curtailed either as it reduces their chances to earn money.

Definitely SL I have great sympathy for Trees' viewpoint, but I don't always agree with the way she expresses it I've never liked the Bloody Stupid Play Offs any more than I like the stupid dingly dangly tablecloth double points nonsense. It never ceases to amaze me that folk who say they love speedway are so happy to curtail the season simply to allow for the play offs which, let's face it, were brought in simply to please Sky. If I still loved speedway I'd be bloody furious that the season was being shortened .

Like you I wasn't there but if the facts are as reported, I too am surprised that a foray onto the terraces is not deemed more serious. I appreciate the age of the offender, but as you say it's a dangerous precedent. Even a 28 day, even 14 day, ban would be acceptable in my eyes, just to mark the difference between the playing field and the pit area (where only authorised folk are allowed) and the terraces (where the general public are) as it were.

So all the tweets and photos from riders showing their equipment packed and ready to go a week before shipping were wrong then? That's why I said first week in October, bikes etc don't get packed overnight. Credit us with some intelligence. As for best bikes - that's a matter of opinion. I've seen riders quoted as saying they are bringing their GP bikes to GB cos they are better and conversely Bomber took his EL bikes to a GB. I would apologise for saying something negative about all this but I won't cos I can be objective. It's great for BSI and possibly all 16 riders, they get a nice break in Oz after the European season, but for the vast majority of British and possibly other European fans it's not good.

So any riders in GP will have best equipment packed up by first week in October. So stuff the EL play offs. Not sure which annoys me most to be honest - BSI or the play offs!

Maybe someone should ask the question of the BSPA before Thursday

If that is the case, and I would prefer to see a link to the rules I don't expect much work to be done to the Poole track I've now checked the rulebook and it seems it's the responsibility of the staging promotion to arrange a new date if they cannot do that the BSPA MC takes over and from the wording it looks like it can be done on another track. To be honest last night speedway didn't just shoot itself in the foot, it shot it's bloody foot off. My biggest bugbear, cos I expect shenanigans from Poole, was the lack of a prearranged rain off date. In my experience all finals, individuals etc have a rain off date. Do Sky/BSPA etc expect a tropical heatwave in October?

Not that we will get any answers! Why was there no pre arranged rain off night for last nights semis? Why are there only one set of covers? Why was the start area not protected at Swindon? Why does "the biggest club in British speedway" not have the facilities nor the materials to sort out a safe track? And now the biggie What happens if the track is unfit on Thursday and no other date can be found?

Came to that conclusion some time ago. He has no manners, attempts to stir up trouble and has a massive chip on his shoulder.

Boring in the extreme. That's what happens when the gaters outnumber the racers. Nicki had a quiet night and boy did it show. At least Holder and AJ tried to relieve the boredom. That along with the Hancock love in meant one of the worst offerings for long time.

Maybe it will have caused him to have better hydration cos he couldn't afford beer

My personal opinion is the help is out there if Darcy or anyone else chooses to use it. If folk don't want help you can't force them to take it. As for his punishment, that should be left to the authorities. However I'm a firm believer in justice should not only be done but should be seen to be done so my opinion is that he should not be given a wild card for 2015 GPs, if his ban doesn't allow him into the qualifiers and he keeps his nose clean until the Challenge in 2015 give him a wild card for that. If he further offends throw the book at him.

Bit in bold is precisely why his transgression should be punished. These young fans look up to him, quite rightly for his on track skills, and if they see he "gets away with it" they will question why follow rules, they'll say Darcy didn't and he is OK. Rules, even tho some seem stupid and OTT, are there for a reason. This rule is there for rider safety. Until it's changed all riders should respect it.

More likely someone advising Darcy Ward complained.