GWC

There was a time when riders available following an unfortunate team loss would be allocated to the weaker teams. It would keep the league competitive but alas the sport has chosen a different and more destructive route now.

It won’t support the level of racing currently but it would support a lower level. The stadium is set up for speedway so negligible start up costs just run at NL and go from there.

Yes and the majority of riders in the BL had come through from the NL and become stars. Unfotunutely at this time teams like Cradley threw huge somes of money at their team and got team strengths increased and started the demise. As someone mentioned it didn’t see crowds increase and cost clubs a fortune. Rye House for example lost half their championship winning team when most of their riders moved up. It was a given in those days that riders from the NL would progress but I’m pretty sure the majority still had full time jobs as well as ride speedway.

He should have got out when there was real value in the club and sport. Unfortunutely it’s a few years too late from his own perspective and highlights the criticism the man attracts - he appears to me over the years to be a promoter in a committee of one - what’s best for Matt Ford. I would love it if he came up with a plan to put the sport right but alas I cannot see him wanting to take that stance. There are many promoters you can say are stick in the mud and maybe have brought the sport to the presipece but I am sure it’s those promoters who will stick it out and bring about a change however bad it looks initially.

The decline in those days would be say 5000 less attending each meeting than last season. Crowds were still huge but entrance was cheap and the government took 50% in entertainment tax - the real killer then.

Well he might have as Barry Ivan and a few others who rode Saturdays would then ride long track in Germany on Sundays and travel was alot harder then. The differenc was you had far greater number of UK meetings, Barry and Ivan would be riding sometimes 3 times a week.

Tell me why the asset system is good for UK speedway please?

Good luck on finding a replacement but it just shows how the sport is going with the loss of one rider affecting 2 teams.

Don’t do season tickets and the company that brought all that earth in can take it back !

Regroup in the NL and go back to Saturdays. The club has rider development at its heart and in its history.

Let’s see what response the bspa come up with for the future. If they vote for ‘more of the same’ then I agree the sport is finished. They have it in their remit to reorganise league racing and if that means combining the leagues reducing team strength and changing race format then so be it but do something as I don’t want to be told it’s gone as we couldn’t get all promoters to agree and supporters didn’t like the loss of ‘big stars’.

Most of the harm had already been done by his predecessors - no future planning and expecting riders to appear out of thin air. He’s just overseeing the sport and unable to give any leadership when other promoters want their own way. Complete disaster I’m afraid for Rye House and their promotion must take a lot of the blame for taking the club up a league.

I think it is more to do with Sky restructuring their sports schedule and broadcasting. Falling revenue is another contributor.

Remember Dan McCormack and Cradley who got their way and with no points limit. Built a team of all stars and went unbeaten one season. Great if you supported Cradley but other clubs suffered as no competition - Cradley win everything. Probably started the decline.

Agreed Steve it’s like a lot of sports now kept going by the grey pound.

I bet Coventry still lost money on the deal knowing what that little guy wants to ride.

Mildenhall is or was a fast full throttle track and has produced terrific racing don’t recall it being tricky. Eastbourne is difficult for inexperienced riders as they have to turn sharply and keep the gas on otherwise they wobble or fall. The grippy conditions also have an effect and you tend to get strung out races unfortunately.

If you supported Rye House as I have since 1974 then losing your best riders was a common occurrence. Crowds held up because there was always a new rider coming through, part of supporting a lower tier club was that you expected the better to move on up in the sport. Somehow this hasn’t applied to the majority of mid tier clubs and we are in the mess we have now. People are getting wise to the fact that the top tier of the sport is actually the mid tier with riders in different order. To introduce some credibility into the sport this rider sharing cannot continue and Premier clubs won’t be signing overseas riders any time soon so the alternative is obvious.

Also since the crash of 2008 it has been noticeable that austerity has been one of the causes of decline.

And don’t Denmark ride on a Wednesday??

Of course he has but he should have gone to Belle Vue as Poole seem to be a ‘get a score or your out’ sort of place I’m afraid.

No an article in the speedway star recently referenced her dedication to the sport and the financial commitment she had made and continued to make.

Due to your promoter pumping in a small fortune to keep it going.

Going fishing?

Love the way Poole supporters are lining up their next signing from the Rye team! Never mind won’t be long before they are in a league of their own.