MajorMauger

Fair play to Tolley for putting huge amounts into bankroll speedway in Birmingham and also provide the few other tracks who make money another team to ride against thus helping to keep the League going. But one day he will tire of losing money at such an alarming rate so will get out and then who else would be prepared to take on the reins? Trouble is with speedway is the ageing fanbase, its an over 60's club and kids aren't interested or/and have no idea it exists. I suspect if you went into Ipswich Town Centre today with a clipboard and asked people who look like they are under 20 years old what is speedway a large percentage would have no idea and Ipswich is one of British speedways hotbeds and still get decent crowds. Birmingham is like London in that much of the population are ethnics who don't have any interest and likely don't know speedway exists while many of the original White British population have moved away from the City. London had speedway 5 nights a week in the immediate post war years which was before the ethnic migrations to this Country and as late as 1971 London had four speedway teams. Smaller Cities and Towns seem to fare better as knowledge of speedways existence is much more visible and is seen as part of the "fabric" of the area. - I think nowadays London could maybe support one speedway team but it would need a brave person prepared to sp*nk money at a level similar to Nigel Tolley in order to make it happen. The outside viewlines at Perry Bar aren't great but I suspect that more fans would put up with this if a successful promotion was in charge. And going with my instincts I'll be surprised if the Brummies 2024 are challenging to even get into the play off's. Many speedway fans have also been under the impression that the One stop shopping Centre wasn't available anymore for people going to speedway but its been mentioned on here in recent posts that is not technically the case if one knows the parking rules there. Surely the speedway promotion could make this clearer?

The biggest problem with Swaffham is that its too far away from Norwich and too close to King's Lynn in a rural area. Even the popular stock cars and bangers have struggled to make it pay there. I've always thought Swaffham raceways an Arena Essex clone apart from the old raceway Tavern that used to be on the 1st bend at Arena. Ronnie Russell looked at it years ago but I think the only way it would work is if a NL team was run from there in conjunction with King's Lynn.

Bradford Northern drew very big crowds for a couple of seasons but these soon tailed of after the novelty factor wore out. Biggest cock up in that part of the World where speedway was concerned was losing Halifax Dukes speedway at the Shay which was always well supported and I think would still get viable crowds in modern times. Yes shame this new track mentioned by Phil Morris didn't materialise, how close was this to actually happening?

A very brave move cause all the logic suggests its not viable. The only place that in my long time following British speedway where I've seen 2 seven man teams at one track work was when Cradley ran at Wolverhampton a few years ago and even this fell by the wayside eventually. This worked cause Cradley was an exceptionally well supported club. Even back in the glory days of the late 60's and early 70's Belle Vue and King's Lynn tried running two teams at the same track in the the top 2 Divisions (yes they were only 2 Divisions in them days before anyone mentions it!) and eventually moved the lower tiered team to another venue (Belle Vue Colts moved to Rochdale while King's Lynn Starlets moved to Boston!) cause fans chose watching the senior team over the before mentioned lower tiered team. Most people who follow speedway haven't got the disposable income to follow two teams. What will likely happen if one of the Oxford senior teams is having a mare is that supporters will probably do what Belle Vue and King's Lynn supporters did back in the 1968-1970 period and chose to only watch one team. I hope it works but speedways history, common sense and logic suggests not.

What a great innings, legacy, what a great life!

The 1992 Ipswich junior team that was probably the best team ever had Ben Howe, Laurence Hare, Savalas Clouting and Shaun Tacey as its most regular team members. Leigh Lanham didn't come on the scene until gone half way through the 1993 season! So you'd like to wipe Mildenhall Fen Tigers from the speedway map by disbanding the 3rd Division? The current BSPL cannot be trusted to create a new junior League set up, just look at the farce that was the Premiership Junior League of a couple of years back!

And this goes back to what I was saying before, the NDL has to remain one of the reasons being is that its the easiest way for new tracks to enter the league system.

Agree completely. I think the objection was cause they saw it as fans running "ghost" teams with no intention whatsoever of reopening a track in the teams area. I see where the authorities are coming from in that respect but when Rye House ran in the 1999 Conference League using Mildenhall and Eastbourne as home tracks the consortium doing it didn't reopen Hoddesdon the next year, Len Silver did. But if the 1999 consortium hadn't reopened at Mildenhall and Eastbourne would Len Silver have been motivated to reopen the track the following year? In this day and age of not enough tracks any possibility/spark or little acorn that may lead to a track reopening has to be encouraged or at worst not hindered and/or nipped in the bud.

In effect they did destroy it cause the Midland development League was running very well at the time. I agree with the sentiment that "ghost" teams aren't ideal but unfortunately in modern times British speedway is in no ideal state so if any "ghost" team can spark a possible reopening of a track in the "ghost" teams area in the same way that Rye House, Scunthorpe and Oxford reopened their own tracks after "ghost" teams using their name rode in meetings on other tracks then surely thats a good thing?

Kent got in a spot of bother with the BSPL cause the track they rent, Iwade tried to stage a NORA meeting which I believe had nothing to do with the Kent promotion. Therefore I hear they are looking towards the NORA set up next season and leaving the BSPL umbrella? Mildenhalls problem is that when a heavy grippy track surface occurs on their West Row track the inexperienced nature of most riders at NDL level who aren't used to grippy tracks means that crashes are inevitable. The last meeting against Leicester in the cup final was raced on a grippy surface cause of the time of the year. I commented at the meeting that had this been a higher League meeting most of the crashes wouldn't have happened and the more experienced riders would of relished the conditions. Like a previous poster hints upon, Mildenhalls track gets an unfair repututation because of the above reasons.

100% but another reason the BSPL destroyed it was because it was successful. The still born Premiership Junior League is still very painful to mention.

Fair enough iainb but you say that as a Leicester fan presumably? Ask Mildenhall fans about the virtues of the 3rd Division cause without the 3rd tier Mildenhall speedway wouldn't exist.

Agree with all of that but I'd be wary of retaining Hume cause like you say he doesn't look like he can improve further, I think cause he already over rides which accounts for his far too many falls and he hasn't the ability to ever be sustainable on technical tracks where you have to turn your bike harder in the corners. Rew considering he overcome a serious injury last winter, is very young, competed well in the SGP2 and it was his first ever season in the UK showed enough promise to suggest there's much more to come so is worth another chance next season. If Doyle and Sayfudinov both return then inevitably this will require low averaged riders at the bottom end which is likely to result in a long tail something which was the downfall this season.

I think the 1960's to early 80's British speedway set up of 13 heats with a 2nd half including novice races was a great set up cause many riders cut their teeth this way. I know that most of the crowd would leave but personally I found many ordinary matches were made more interesting by seeing local novices trying to make their way in the sport after the main event. With regards to the NDL, British speedways 3rd Division, it has to be retained because since its inception in 1994 it has been one of the best things to happen to the sport. Countless numbers of riders have learned their trade at this level in a proper League set up something they would have been ready for at a higher level. Also like in the case of Workingtons reopening this season this lower cost League has enabled new venues. reopened venues and current tracks struggling to make it pay in the higher professional Leagues pay a platform to operate in. - Would Workington Northside have gone straight into the Championship without the safety net of the NDL to run in before? Birmingham and Eastbourne in recent years needed to drop into the 3rd tier in order to keep running. The likes of Mildenhall, Stoke, Somerset, St Austell, Kent, Linlithgow, Rye House, Buxton, Carmarthen, Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Wimbledon, Arena Essex, Skegness, Weymouth and Berwick only opened or reopened because of the existence of the lower cost 3rd Division. Many of these tracks went onto move into the higher Leagues keeping team levels up to a sustainable level. Looking at all the above facts disbanding the 3rd Division, the NDL in its current guise would be a negative move cause the gentler introduction into the sport for new tracks and new riders would not be there which would seriously hinder future existence of the sport in the UK.

Where has it been said that Rye House is lost for good where speedways concerned? Harlow greyhound stadium has been investigated as a potential speedway venue more than once I believe but while the more suitable and nearby Rye House remains in its current guise then that remains the best bet to get speedway back in that part of the world. The current Rye House lease holders shenanighans over the last few years have only helped to strengthen the argument that the venue is best suited as a speedway track! Rye House only closed because it was a well supported Saturday night track that was forced to run midweek cause of the set racenights which cut their crowd levels to a third of what they were on Saturdays. Rye House if ran properly in the 2nd tier racing on a Saturday night would in my opinion be sufficiently supported and the current lack of a track near the "big smoke" would make it even more appealing. Also the generous planning restrictions means that the speedway operation could be subsidised by practise sessions/ amateur meetings and private track hire in a similar way to how Scunthorpe is. - Indeed it could serve as a National training centre for the South much like it used to do in the decades before they joined the 2nd Division in 1974. Brafired would make a good 3rd tier venue, it probably would need to start at that level to test whether it would be able to attract viable crowd levels. - Another good reason to retain the 3rd Division. But opening the venue in the top flight just to keep numbers up would be a very expensive foolhardy move I suspect cause the promotion would need crowds of 1000+ to make it viable in an area that hasn't staged speedway since the 1960's and not the far of Milton Keynes speedway struggled to get sustainable crowds during their 14 year existence in an era when the sport was better supported. Existing established tracks that have been operating for years struggle to get viable crowds.

Spedeworth need speedway at Foxhall to make the venue financially viable and I believe have a decent relationship with the MIldenhall speedway promotion at West Row Stadium which they either own or have the lease for. Brafield raceway was shaled over a few years back and staged speedway in the 50's and 60's. I always wondered why this venue was never opened up in the late 60's and early 70's when the success and viability of the new 2nd Division saw many would be (and already existing ) promotors look at all sorts of different venues and locations to run a 2nd tier team out of? Spedeworth are only tenants at Great Yarmouth but the owners aren't against speedway indeed they are the same family who owned it when speedway was staged there in the 40's - 60's and former Bloaters rider Billy Bales opened the new restaurant there about a decade ago. - That said the track would be extremely small and the speedway closed there in 1961 cause they could only get a viable crowd in the holiday period. Hednesford did stage a few open meetings and speedway practise sessions after the war so would it qualify as a new speedway venue? - Not far out of the Birmingham/Black Country conurbation speedway hotbed which is just about to lose another track in Wolves. Could this venue work as a speedway venue? I hope Phil Morris' words of hope about a new track bear fruition!

First League rides in 1970, last ones in 1994, a number 1 for many of them seasons, World number 2 in 1978! Gordon Kennett had one hell of a career so legendary status is very justified!

Absolutely shocking that Perry Bar Stadium should be demolished and turned into accomodation cause the Commonwealth games village is sitting empty when it was designed to utilised as permanent living quarters! But of course as we know money talks! As for Alexander stadium, it sounds like a long shot but surely Nigel Tolley is privy to more information than us keyboard warriors on here?!

My post only replicated my instant gut reaction after the incident! - I could be wrong but I've learnt over the years that your gut reaction is normally not far off the truth!

I thought the ref made the wrong decision in the King crash! Klindt was in front so was entitled to choose his racing line, King (fairplay for the effort) was trying to go through a gap that wasn't there!

Tru!(e) as many know who the money man is there who subsidises the club but still this helps Louis to run Ipswich speedway at a profit.

Though I suspect the profitable speedway clubs in the UK can be counted up on one hand.

I bet Chris Louis doesn't lose money running Ipswich! - He wouldn't do it if it lost money!

Which is why one shouldn't go overboard when criticising those that do! I haven't got a high opinion of Keith "Buster" Chapman (slimy second hand car salesman who tells a lot of lies springs to mind! ) as a person with good reason but he's put a lot of his money and time into speedway since he first bailed out King's Lynn 31 years ago in 1992 and he is a genuine speedway enthusiast. Most people on this forum wouldn't be able to do what he has done in speedway so while its looks like his time in the sport has run its course and hes made mistakes like anyone does he should be given credit for the positive things he's done in speedway, a sport which only an absolute diehard would invest money into!

Very true sadly! For a bloke who was one of the best on the planet in his prime, to now see him getting beaten by inexperienced reserves and has obviously lost his nerve is not nice to watch. It looks very possible that this might not be the last season at the Showground? - Fingers crossed!