Sings4Speedway

What the heck! Any details of the dispute been released? and what does Hopwood have to do to retain a team place?

Very true however unlike football speedway is on its knees and has to consider any option to retain visitors be they first timers or regular. What was your opinion regarding the likelihood of returning to said football grounds with the rank facilities?

If its not Wolves i will eat a Coventry cheeseburger....all of it! Jason Pipe it is then!

All very valid points. What would the possibility be of charging the full rate upon entry and then receiving a £3 discount on the next meeting if spectators choose to leave before the NL meeting starts? Don't know how easy that would be to administer but would keep the PL only fans attending and i suspect several will stay on to watch an extra match as its only £3......?

Given the price per unit its a big gamble for many riders to order one. As shown so far by the Bomber/Lingren comparison its clear these engines can work extremely well when they are set up correctly/they suit the riders style. However if every rider had one the know how on getting them set up and working to their optimum would eventually become common knowledge (to exeryone except Bomber) and then they would end up being cracked open and fiddled with. Exactly the same thing happened when the 250cc Jawa was first launched and many times before. In my opinion the only way to reduce the monies spent on tuning is reduce the funds riders have available to do it.

Whoever takes over i hope they continue to run the club within its means. Any clubs recording a break even figure have done extremely well so showing a profit is hugely commendable. As exposed time and time again clubs who over stretch themselves and go under and we all know how difficult it is to resurrect a team. I do have sympathy for the long suffering Redcar fans but i would much rather have a team to support (however rubbish) than no team at all.

I believe he is talking about Stoke which is somewhere in between grasstrack & speedway/ Agreed. Im not sure i have been to a grasstrack this season that hasn't had better facilities than many clubs including reasonable toliets, a working PA system and food that you would want to eat. As some may state it might no bother them individually if the sport is to continue the families, wives, partners etc need to buy into the idea and let it become a way of life. Much in the same way that i wouldn't attend drag racing regularly for example if they only served quorn salad, insisted you sit on small wooden stools and had to listen to nordic death metal between each race.

From a personal point of view i would travel to the showground much more often if it was double headers for £18? Obviously people have differing views of differing leagues and that has been well documented many times but i would consider £3 for an additional 15 heats a bargain!

What the reaction like to the prospect of an additional NL team for next season?

Its not unreasonable to think a top PL rider will get around 400 points a season including bonus points. Whilst there are some on £100+ per point most are not however £50 per point would give 20k and most are going to be well north of that. There is the dreaded expenses to deduct but when you consider tyres, fuel (bike & van), kevlars are covered it leave bike maintenance to be covered from wages/any additional sponsorship. Obviously there are plenty of other permutations to the above as its a very basic model (and ignoring out of season wages earnt) but i see very few PL riders struggling yet all too often many are still happy to wave the begging bowl about.

I echo every sentiment regarding the amazing texters & updates. I don't think its too far to say they are doing more than any other group to continually promote & maintain interest to UK speedway fans and for that i can only salute the exception efforts of all involved.

Independent music for me is a definite no. Been to local grasstracks where it was tried, played music when results were being read out and worse when riders were prone injured on the track. Toilets especially the ladies need to be addressed. Food? Give the public the chance to have lunch/dinner at venues rather than grab a quick bite on a wobbly plastic chair? For me a big way of gaining younger attention is merchandising especially in a professional current way. More importantly make it affordable. Football easily associates teams via expensive replica kits and its a multi million pound business. Speedway shifts a few scarfs & hats that an individual keeps a lifetime so hardly a recurring sales model. Produce good affordable speedway merchandise either generic or club specific to create an identity. Give away some kind of collector memorabilia to kids each meeting? Meet & greet with a different rider each week at the turn styles? None of the above are the finite answer but speedway has fallen a long way and needs to climb back up step by step.

Still time for that yet. Wouldnt surprise me to see the track reserve get a run out!

At a guess i suspect the groups will look similar to below. I actually think its a lot more open with Cradley, Eastbourne, Belle Vue, Kent & Rye House in with a good shout. There will be the odd big heat that could swing it and no room for mechanical gremlins that can dog meetings at this time of year. GROUP A: CRADLEY: Ashley Morris & Max Clegg. EASTBOURNE: Adam Ellis & Jake Knight. ISLE OF WIGHT: Mark Baseby & James Cockle. KING'S LYNN: Tom Stokes & Nathan Greaves. Kinsley & Hampshire MILDENHALL: Jon Armstrong & Danny Halsey. GROUP B: BELLE VUE: Matt Williamson & Dan Bewley. Payne BIRMINGHAM: Danyon Hume Bacon & Darryl Ritchings. KENT: James Shanes & Danny Ayres. Bowen RYE HOUSE: Ben Morley & Robert Branford. STOKE: Ben Wilson & Danny Phillips.

The problem with the current rules is a number 8 can only take the RR rides. So as you said it would require both Luke & Charley at reserve with Tom @ 8 to avoid a dragged out meeting.

First and foremost for 2017 Plymouth need to be sustainable whatever level they run at. A team and running costs need to be built around the lower realistic attendance figures not the optimistic higher numbers. It will probably take several seasons for the club to re-establish the trust of riders & supporters regarding the financial stability and needs to be viewed as a long term project not a season to season plan. There will be hard times ahead and most likely some poor seasons but fingers crossed that can continue to regrow themselves into a sustainable force.

Buxton 2017 - a northern flavour to cut travelling expenses & more than capable of getting near the play offs...... 1. Compton 8.95 2. Terry-Daly 4.57 3. Shuttleworth 6.55 4. Hopwood 5.93 5. Ritchings 7.14 6. Basford 3.37 7. Ruddick 3.10 Total 39.61

I think a lot of people have a soft spot for Buxton and wish every success for them. The efforts that the few put in are mighty and the resilience mightier still especially after such a trying year. Bad luck affects all sides in the sport although some attract/assist it more than others. My views on the effect Pipe has had on Buxton speedway may not be so complimentary but i for one would love to see the Hitmen have a successful season next year and for many years to come.

Quite possibly or his Dad cannot get the time away from work? I rate Harris over Powell anyway in terms of riding ability and nothing to do with his hilarious attempts to lay on the track and get and all 4 back

Sadly it looks like Kent are going out with a whimper rather than a fight? Hopwood is a decent guest but not a match winner like Danny. Clifton has had a disappointing season in my opinion and not being able to keep Thomas in a reserve berth has sunk the Kings season. As for Eastie they have the right to use & name whoever they like at reserve however Harris was fit enough to ride 2 classes at a grasstrack last weekend so cannot be suffering too badly!

Whilst there are obvious some stumbling blocks surrounding the signing of riders to Buxton (Location, facilities, finances etc) they are in essence a NL team and there are riders up and down the country looking / hoping for team places. I have no doubt it is possible to build a solid mid table team at Buxton and not that many years ago they were league winners. What has and will continue to hurt the club is the constant chopping & changing of riders, the old mates of Pipe's being signed and so on. If finances are tight then a look at local talent and keeping them happy has to be they way forward and is what has worked for the club in the past but the number of retired or want away riders this season has to cast huge clouds over future years...

I really hope so but i fear there might not be one. As for who will be in it? Same as this years side as the promotion have very little knowledge of who is progressing up to NL level hence the super long tail that the Raiders have suffered this year which in turn has done little for the image of the NL, the attendances & ultimately the potential for a team next season.......

Whats up with Slugger Chessell? Seems to have been mysteriously absent over the past few weeks? Would like to see Cradley keep this interesting but i think the 2 Toms and 2 Jacks will have enough to put this tie out of reach.

Below is a rough list of clubs from last year & the riders (with familiar names) who competed in most matches. Would make very interesting reading to see if any riders got near the completion rate of last season? (Yes there were a max of 18 matches per club last year vs 12 this season) but with last years mark of 9 matches for 50% completion vs 6 for this year it would be interesting to see how they stack up...... BELLE VUE David Holt 12 Andy Mellish 13 Sam Darroch 9 BUXTON Jack P Blackburn 8 Stephen Whitehouse 8 David Morgan 6 Sam Woolley 5 COVENTRY Kyle Roberts 10 Mitchell Beckett 8 Conor Dwyer 6 Robert Parker 6 KING'S LYNN Jack Thomas 9 Layne Cupitt 8 Ryan Kinsley 6 Josh Bailey 5 LONG EATON Lee Geary 12 Layne Cupitt 8 Robert Parker 6 Alex Wilson 4 MILTON KEYNES Rob Watts 15 Jeremy Pestell 8 Connor King 7 Robert Parker 7 PETERBOROUGH Danyon Hume 8 Alex Wilson 8 Ben Basford 7 Stephen Whitehouse 4 SCUNTHORPE Luke Whitehead 16 Stephen Whitehouse 14 Jamie Halder 9 Sam Chapman 8 STOKE Connor Fletcher 8 Sam Ward 6 Chris Bambury 4 WOLVERHAMPTON Sam Wright 11 Connor Fletcher 10 Mitchell Beckett 7 Adam Sheppard 6

With the introduction of the "squad system" this year and despite the reduced number of matches it is still disappointing that from the potential 12 matches available to riders it sad that from the "deserving" list Cov have 2 riders with 4 appearances & Buxton have 2 riders with only 3. That said hats off to Messers Beckett & Wright for completing 8 each meetings for their respective teams so all is not lost. Will have to look for the great posting from Mimmo last year as im certain riders were more consistently riding for one club than they have this season......