MajorMauger

["BBuck"] There is no real animosity between Cradley and Birmingham supporters even though we are less than 10 miles apart, but there is the normal resentment at some levels (not connected with speedway) of a small town next door to a big City. "Birmingham Heathens" or "Cradley Brummies" would be a total non-starter. It would have to be Cradley Heath racing at Birmingham - like it or lump it. As a lifelong Birmingham supporter I fully appreciate that. This is not to suggest that such an arrangement wouldn't work. I think it would and although it isn't the solution that either set of fans really want, it would at least be a lifeline for both of us to hang on to, and perhaps eventually the time will come when we can shake hands, wish each other good luck, and go our separate ways as two distinct clubs again? To make this viable though, we would all of us have to accept it as a fait accompli and give it our support. Both sets of supporters have to give it their full backing and not take the view that "I'm not going to that place" or "I'm not supporting any team not wearing yellow and red." If too many take this attitude, then this will just lessen the long term chances of survival for both Birmingham and Cradley. If the combined attendances from Monmore and PerryBarr can be maintained, then speedway at Perry Barr would be a profitable undertaking. We need each other - and never more than we do at this moment, so please, please supporters of Cradley Heath and Birmingham - give it your backing if it does happen. The alternative is what we Birmingham folk suffered for 21 years, and you Cradley people for 15 years, so does anyone really want that to happen again just for the silly rivalry over a name? I hope not. 25yearfan As ever Mr Birmingham speedway, you speak a lot of sense! While the Phillips regime had a lot of faults, its fair to say that Birmingham speedway running at Perry Bar struggles to be viable even with a decent promotion. Tony Moles reluctance to finance a revival is firm evidence of this! Although all is not dead. - There maybe others interested in reopening the Brummies at Perry Bar though this would be unlikely. The most likely solution would be the Cradley Heath Heathens speedway team running at Perry Bar, Birmingham. This could work if done properly, which its fair to say, exactly what the current Heathens promotion have done during their successful spell at Monmore! Its a no brainer really, Birmingham have a decent stadium, hardcore support and decent track with no promotion, while Cradley have a successful promotion, support and team but no track! Cradley is under 10 miles from Perry Bar, so its nothing like Cradleys situation in 1996 when they raced at Stoke. Indeed I know that after Dudley Wood Satdium was lost in 1995, Perry Bar was a venue mentioned as a possible new home for Cradley! The teams name would have to stay "Cradley Heathens" but the operation would be Birmingham speedway hosting the Cradley Heathens. The Cradley racejacket could show some recognition of the Birmingham link by having a small red Brummies "B" incorporated into it and a red and yellow trim round it! Obviously in a perfect world both Cradley and Birmingham would be running in either the EL or PL in their own stadiums but that Eutopia is not where we are at present. Cradley running at Perry Bar would keep the hopes of both hopes of both club alive. I'm sure if Cradley eventually get planning permission for a stadium in their own Borough then they would go for it which would then leave Perry Bar free for a possible Birmingham Brummies revival? In terms of the 1996 "Scottish Monarchs" operation that ran out of Glasgows Shawfield stadium, yes it was a financial disaster but it kept both clubs hopes alive and in 1997 Glasgow Tigers returned to Shawfield and Edinburgh restarted at Armadale which ironically is twice as far from Edinburgh that Perry Bar is from Cradley Heath! Like I said before a complete no brainer cause it keeps both clubs chances of reopening alive and in the case of Perry Bar, the GRA are notorious for not being very speedway friendly so any lengthy period without speedway would very possibly make the GRA even less open to a speedway return.

Birmingham Wheels could still to this day be an excellent venue for NL racing and a National training centre!

Nonsense! The stadiums in the middle of an industrial estate! You can't even see any houses anywhere near the stadium! Sad indictment of our not so Great Britain!

Regular Friday nights! No substandard foriegners! If the above two factors are carried out then Peterborough speedway can be viable!

Sorry but too complicated which has been a problem of the rules and regs of British speedway for a long while now! I'd say a large % of people who go to speedway don't know and don't give diddy squat to the ruoes and regs and just go cause they want a night out at speedway! My proposal - 10 team Elite League. Ride each other once at home and once away. Plays off top 4. 3rd V 4th one of meeting. Winner of the above meeting to ride away at the 2nd placed side. Grand final - home and away V 1st placed team with the 1st placed team at home last. Amend the tactical ride rule. Teams can use the tactical rule ride for double points when 6 or more points down if the chosen rider is 15 yards back and its after heat 4. The rider used can be using his own ride or taking the ride of another rider. This can be used twice in a meeting between heats 5 and 15. Another tactical ride can be used when a teams 10 or more points down when a chosen rider of the line can replace another rider. Reserve tatcticals stay the same. Elite League cup to be ridden over two legs. If a tie is level after the 2nd leg then then sudden death applies. This is two riders from each team against each other. Whoever gets a heat advantage wins the tie. If the heats are still all square after 3 races then a sudden death run off between one chosen rider from each team will take place to determine the winner of the tie! Two 5 match test matches can arranged on Elite League tracks between Great Britain and two other Countries on Elite League tracks. This would give Elite tracks one more meeting each cause each EL track would have one test match. Two Polish, Danish, Swedish teams can be brought over at the start of the season to ride challenge matches at all EL tracks to give the track another meeting. Look how popular the King's Lynn V the Polish team was at the start of the season, I believe King's Lynns biggest crowd for a King's Lynn match! I'll get onto the PL and NL later!

Their has been many instances of NIMBY's ringing up to complaint about the noise from the speedway on a particular night when in fact there wasn't any! Most sad instance of "NIMBYism" is the one guy who raged a big campaign against the very popular Romford speedway in the early 1970's despite his son being a regular, succeeding in getting it shut down and then moving away from the area not long after. The Brooklands stadium where Romford raced was then demolished about 5-6 after speedway shut down! Sad and pathetic really cause if they looked at the bigger picture, they'd investigate how speedways run and respect the fact that an outlets is being created for people of all ages to indulge in a fully affiliated, controlled leisure outlet! Kent speedway at Central Park is in the middle of an industrial estate, not a housing estate. Its been a great success despite its odd midweek starting time! Allowed to grow and prosper it can be one of British speedway hotbeds which would greatly benefit the local area!

For a track that's situated in the middle of a large industrial estate, near a go kart track that runs 24/7 I believe, with a massive main stand that acts as a massive acoustic barrier with no houses in sight, its bewildering they have had such major issues about the noise! The fact that Kent get such good crowds when they run on such a non fan friendly racenight and time surely gives them great scope to try and make their business better. Surely the Council can see the speedway is good for the local area and one nights week speedway with about 15 minutes of noise isn't no inconvenience for anyone? Ideally a 7.15pm parade with the 1st race at 7.30pm with a time curfew at 10pm would suffice?

Mark Loram winning the title in 2000 would of been similar to someone like Chris Morton having everthing run right for him if the GP series had been around in the mid 70's to mid 80's! Simon Wigg was a terrific rider who if I believe had concentrated more on speedway than his 1st love grasstrack/longtrack for a little while may have been World Champion?

Peterborough looked a poor team at Ipswich last night carrying 4 riders! Hall looks like he's over the hill in speedway, Roynon looks like his injuries have caught up with him and the two foriegn reserves shouldn't be riding in the PL! Hope Peterborough can return next season on the much better Friday night raceday and a team worthy of the great venue!

Exactly Ray! I bet when a new track opens the majority of its support comes from people who didn't previously go to speedway or who at least were lapsed supporters! This season they are what 9 clubs in the NL plus Leicester in the Trophy. Its more than likely that not all of this seasons NL teams willline up again next season so any potential new track should be encouraged!

["Sotonian"] The move to a GP series removed the chance of fluky winners, rewarding consistency. What criteria do you consider necessary before a win is not classed as lucky? Mark Loram was without a doubt the most consistant rider in 2000, therefore deserved to be World champion that season but I still maintain he had everything run for him that year and his record in other seasons shows that he wasn't a regular serious contender for the World title!

Catch 22 situation with Len Silver! Yes its obvious he's now very blinkered, stubborn, doesn't delegate and will do what he think is right even though it quite often isn't! No one in British speedway knows more about our great sport than Len but it doesn't mean he's always right! Rye House speedway has been stale for a number of years now since the Tai Woffinden era and now needs a clear intent of trying to improve things (sign a decent team, try to encourage familes and youngsters along etc!) to try and turn things around! Hackney speedway in the early 80's under Len Silver went the same way, with Len plodding along and losing interest until he sold out in 1983 and Terry Russell revitalised the venue! Despite all of Len Silvers current failings at Rye House it has to be remembered that without Lens financial input and expertise, its likely Rye House wouldn't of reopened at their famous venue or at least been as successful. Rye House can be turned around if Len allows this but I just hope he doesn't take the "I'm God" stance of if I'm not running Rye House speedway then no one else will and shut down! Rye House has so much potential being not far out of the capital and very lenient planning consents regarding the amount of speedway that can take place there. EG, the lease could be taken on by the BSPA to serve as a training centre as well as running PL and NL teams out of the venue! Lets hope Rye House has a long term future in speedway!

Most of the riders mentioned were riders with the ability to win the world speedway championship but all had flaws which was why they didn't! Chris Morton - Great rider but never close to being world champion and I don't think he'd of been consistant enough in a GP series! Kenny Carter - definitely had the ability and desire but not the temperament, made bad choices of back up crew, had too many things going on in his head and his strong desire worked against him. He may have won the title if the GP series had been around in 81-85. Billy Sanders - Great rider who had the ability but very similar to Carter was too hot headed! Sigalos - Injury messed him up but had the ability but another negative factor against him was he was a wealthy man outside of speedway so this may have softened his desire which I think is a big reason why he drifted away from the sport in the mid 80's after the injuries. Dave Jessup - Had bad luck with engine failiures or was it bad maintainance? Like another poster says the year his King's Lynn teammate Michael Lee became World Champion, 1980, Jessup was more consistant over the season and would likely have won it if the GP system had been around then! Jack Parker won the unofficial world championship before it was became official in 1936 and went very close afterwards. The excellent natural talent that was Mark Loram in 2000 did it but apart from that win (which in my opinion was one of the luckiest wins in the history of the sport cause everything fell for him when he wasn't over dominant, what was it just one GP round win in 2000 when he became champion?)I'd probably say Jack Parker done more! Leigh Adams in the modern era was terrific but I feel didn't quite have enough of the ruthless desire to make it hhappen while someone like Pederson with less ability but more ruthlessness did! One, if not the greatest ever rider Ivan Mauger had less ability than all of these but his overall package of desire, stable lifestyle and professionalism was far superior!

Yes your right, the Exeter promotion led by Colin Hill took over the running of Milton Keynes speedway in the latter days. I believe Milton Keynes had to be sacrificed in order to keep Exeter going and the Exeter no1 Tony Olson was released to 1st Division Ipswich in another cost cutting exercise. Lets hope if a new track is built in Milton Keynes it is more successful and sustainable than the previous incarnation!

"daveallan81" "Tonight I can reveal to you that definite moves are afoot to bring speedway to Aberdeen next season with a number of open meetings. The persons responsible have already got a stadium which will be ideal for the sport and are currently trying to get planning permission." Dave Thomson (Glasgow programme editorial 27th May 1983) Sadly planning permission was not to be forthcoming and the Northern track lights of old Aberdeen remain darkened to this day. 25yearfan Isn't Aberdeen about 200 miles North of Edinburgh/ Glasgow? Would make such an exercise very unviable I suspect? Only way it would be viable would be to fly there and hope that enough of the locals would be interested in becoming regulars. Wonder of the proposed stadium for the speedway in Aberdeen is still standing! At Mildenhall today and Ipswich last night there was a scattering of fans wearing the latest and very snazzy Milton Keynes coats, and jumpers!

The poster has come up with valid points, just they aren't yours which is no doubt heavily influenced by your involvement with the well known guy who makes big statements about opening up tracks but apart from Wimbledon and Rye House which both needed bailing out by others who could actually do the job, hasn't come up with the goods including my old team Norwich a couple of years ago. Anyway like I said before, the guy in question wouldn't be allowed a licence anyway! I agree that if anyone listened to the realists and indeed your own sanity, no one would ever open speedway tracks given the perilous nature of speedway in this Country and the incredible amounts of red tape you have to get through when applying for planning permission, but it does happen every now and again and can be successfull. But to do so you you need incredibly deep pockets, good business skills, good people skills and not get carried away romancing about what you are going to do, all aspects your mate aparently struggles with. I lost my original team Norwich Stars 50 years ago this October so while I've heard it many times before about Norwich speedway reopening I kept an open mind about you mates plans 2-3 years back despite his poor record in the past but unfortunately my fears came true! As for Milton Keynes, its well known it struggled for crowds over 20 years at two different venues and it done extremely well to survive as long as it did. Like I said before Milton Keynes was a track and team that needed the 3rd Division forming 10 - 15 years earlier than it did the same as the likes of Workington, Barrow, Birmingham at the Wheels project, Ellesmere Port and the various training tracks of the 1980's like Iwade, Felton, Farringdon, and Matchams Park. Mildenhall and Stoke probably wouldn't have shut in the early 1990's if the 3rd Division had been around then as well! I really hope that we see another track built in Milton Keynes but the above factors need to be considered, though its not a dead cert that reopening tracks where the sport struggled in the past means they will struggle again. Mildenhall shut in 1989 and 1992 probably because of struggling to make 2nd tier racing viable. Now Mildenhall get decent crowds, levels that many higher League tracks would be envious off! Scunthorpe had a similar history to Milton Keynes when they ran from 1971-85 in that they always struggled for crowds at two different venues. But since reopening in 2005 under the very astute promotion of Rob Godfrey (nows there a proper promotor!) it has been viable due to the training schools, stock cars and tight budgeting plan used by Godfrey. Workington shut in 1981 due to poor crowds and then reopened in 1985 for open meetings but fared the same as 1981. Workington looked like a venue that would never see speedway ever again but fast forward to 1999 and the multi track promotor reopened and Workington was for a few years one of the best supported speedways in the Country and although crowds have gone down it is still a viable operation today! Good luck to the new track plans in Milton Keynes!

Hope this happens! BUT - We've heard this sort of big statement from the super keen (but often jumping the gun) Mr Laurence Rogers in the past at Swansea and Yarmouth in recent years! I also hope the prospective promotion doesn't include the infamous one who made big noises at Norwich a few years ago and isn't allowed a license, cause it won't happen? Milton Keynes were never well supported at the Groveway 1978 - 1988, then at Eldfield Park 1989 - 1992, in times when crowds were generally bigger than they are nowadays! Its one of them places that needed the cheaper 3rd Division level racing in order to be viable but unfortunately the Knights shut 2 years before the 3rd tiers creation in 1994! I think with a promotion with deep pockets and astute hard working management, Milton Keynes can be a viable 3rd Division outfit in time so lets hope we see a new track there! New tracks in areas that haven't had speedway for a while or ever bring fresh faces into the sport. Yes we have a shortage of riders and fans but its likely we could lose tracks currently involved this season so any new track should be encouraged!

I can see the advantages of regionalisation but as an Ipswich regular I enjoy the visits from the Northern tracks more than seeing some of the Southern teams twice/three times over! For instance one of the best meetings at Foxhall was the 45-45 draw against Glasgow. And I really hope we don't see Somerset again this year cause they are poor round Ipswich! For me I think we've got to go down the Swedish and Polish route of having half the meetings which prevents saturation! I thinks its no coincidence they get better crowds when they only ride other teams once at home and once away. The EL made a big mistake when they went back to twice at home and twice away this season cause that's too much and people start picking and choosing and many people can't afford to go every week. Mildenhall in the NL who get at least 500+ every meeting are the perfect example of less is better. They wouldn't get them crowds if they ran every week. We have got to follow the football route of one home match a fortnight, one away match a fortnight. The days when people would religiously go to speedway every week in large enough numbers has gone! Extra meetings could be generated by KO cup, challenge matches at the start of the season against foreign teams (look at the huge crowd at King's Lynn at the start of the season to see them ride against that Polish club side!)a proper World championship/British championship qualifying system like we used to have in the 1980's and a couple of test series against Poland, Sweden, Australia, Denmark etc.

Without the National League the likes of Mildenhall, Cradley, and Stoke would be defunct and Kent would likely under the draconian planning restrictions not have opened! In my opinion Scunthorpe this season is made up of an old guy at number 1 who'd be a reserve at most other tracks, a handful of young guys with a bit of potential who'd be reserves at other teams and the rest who nobody else would want in their team. Its applaudable what they are tyring to do but went way over the top in doing so! The likes of David Mason have a huge mass of speedway knowledge that can be passed onto youngsters. This is better than Scunthorpe where there is no one in the Stags team with that much experience. The National League/3rd Division has and always will be a League with conflicting interests. managed properly this can be just about sustainable but next season please no way too weak teams like Scunthorpe are this season!

Birminghams problems this season were more to do with inept owners rather than the Elite League itself. Birmingham with its high rental and not huge hardcore support will always be highly vunerable in the hands of incapable owners regardless of the League they are in! The EL hasn't been truly that since the first two years of its inception! It should be 6 man teams mainly filled by the cream of World speedway and should only be once at home and once away! Its no coincidence that the better attended Swedish and Polish Leagues run half the fixtures we do over here. People get tired of seeing the same old teams over and over, many others can't afford to go most of the meetings so this results in many potential customers picking and choosing. We only need one home meeting a fortnight just like the much more popular football has been for years. Less fixtures would mean the season could start later in April cause afterall speedways a summer sport and many people don't go when its too cold. I don't think one set day for EL matches would work in this Country cause most teams don't own there stadium and midweek fixtures don't attract the crowds like Fridays and Saturdays. Note that Belle Vue intend to move to Friday nights when/if they get there new stadium. Less fixtures would enable British speedway to maintain its current multi night meetings! Teams complaining about a lack of home fixtures could also run teams in the NL, King's Lynn and Coventry already do while Belle Vue intend to in their new stadium and Lakeside are considering it. Wolves at Monmore Green are different in that they share there track with Cradley who could realistically also sustain EL racing there. Other tracks like Eastbourne and Birmingham who struggle with crowds would probably be happy with a less congested fixture list and wouldn't be interested in the NL. Test matches against the likes of Poland, Australia, Denmark and Sweden could be restarted on EL tracks to give them more fixtures. Individuals and most shared events could also be staged on EL tracks to give them more home fixtures. Teams from Poland, Denmark and Sweden could come over at the start of the season to ride challenge matches at EL tracks. Look at the huge crowd at King's Lynn at the start of the season to watch the Polish team. Challenge matches against teams you will be facing in the League aren't very apetising. The 6 man teams should be filled by the Worlds Elite and British riders. The 2 reserves will be British only, the requirement being a PL average of 6+whos never averaged over 6 in the EL before. One other British doubling up rider could ride in the main body of the team but would require a PL average of 8 or over in the PL. No foriegners could double up. (A similar fast track system to that used in this seasons EL could be implemented in the more suitable PL with the requirement being a NL average of 6+.) A better run less congested EL would attract more fans, sponsors and more interest from SKY and other TV companies. More finance would enable the League to be truly Elite attracting the worlds best riders and would enable test matches to be viable again and would enable the clubs to run National teams and put more into training young British riders. Very true but I look forward to the visit of the Northern tracks to Ipswich more than what I do the more local teams cause you know you'll probably only see them once a season. I also enjoyed the one big League set up of 1995-96 but many of the former 2nd Division teams didn't! Like another poster indicates, it easy to say the BSPA don't do this and don't do that but as we've seen on this thread everyone has their own ideas and I firmly believe that while British speedway can be more sustainable than it currently it, it will always be vunerable and that has nearly always been the case since I first went in the 1950's!

No Stan I don't know all the facts, but surely all Birmingham speedway fans whether they are nice people or not all want the same thing which is the reopening of Birmingham Brummies speedway next season? I spectate at Ipswich more than anywhere else and like many Ipswich regulars I'm not a fan of the Louis' but they've been running Ipswich speedway continuously since 1989 and I doubt if anyone else could do any better, so I'm not loud in criticism of them! All personal feelings should be put aside is what I'm preaching!

That's exactly what I done quite a while ago now! If the racing at King's Lynn was on a par with what it used to produce in the 70's and 80's I would go to more than a few meetings there! I respect Buster Chapman and no I'm not in dispute with him or have a grudge like another poster suggests! Ipswich produces better racing than King's Lynn nowadays something you'd of never said years ago and you can take your own food in there!

I'm very calm thank you!............dear!!!!!! Glad to hear its only on SWC, still very very wrong though! While Buster Chapman deserves every piece of credit for what he's done at King's Lynn, the place is far from the being as heavenly as some make out particularly the very over rated racing!

That's terrible! Blatant commercialism! Another reason not to go to King's Lynn speedway!