singy13

Just noticed your emoji ha ha.

Probably one of the reasons they did close......too many freebies.

He was an original Comet in 1970. RIP Geoff.

And wasn't there usually a spare bike in the pits for any rider to jump on when his own machinery gave problems? I remember riders having there bike on a rack at rear of vehicle - some a bit worse for wear. I was watching a rider packing up one night, it was Terry Kelly as a Comet, and someone said what's all those holes in your car Tel?...he said oh that's caused by my passenger the 'rust rat'.......happy days indeed.

Good post. Comets two previous eras suffered low crowds. Perhaps it's worth noting the town has a population of less than 25,000 and it's supporting semi pro soccer and rugby league teams - all three teams struggle for fan dominance. I totally agree with your 'one British League' plan- it's got to happen asap.

Your last sentence could have hit the nail on the head - engine tuners are perhaps the big winners in the speedway dig for gold stakes. Mind I must repeat in the original post on this subject the book states NK as losing £100,000 through covid19 restrictions. But so yes that was his loss. So what were his actual full earnings for that period? I guess, just a guess, it must have been much much more? Still a decent wage for sure.

So it's seemingly a case of riders biting the hand that feeds them? If too many clubs close down the riders will have nowhere to practice an apparent senseless greed?

After last seasons effort to qualify in a play off berth the current team are nowhere near as solid. It's a well known fact that speedway followers like a winning team (all sports do I guess) - and as I've mentioned in previous posts fans can be fickle and find alternative ways to rid them of their cash. Workington supporters can be very loyal if the product is good - but oh boy they can be equally disloyal if results like tonight's farcical display continue. Twice speedway has folded in Workington because fans disappeared and caused promoters plenty of grief. I'm sure the current owners are well aware of the remedial work now required or Comets will struggle to avoid a hat-trick of the sort we all don't want.

Yeah I recall visiting Glasgow one sunny Sunday afternoon.....had a lovely dinner in pub next to track. We lost match, just, but think Stoney beat Les Collins for silver helmet.....might be wrong?(1999 was year).

And having suffered twice with my team from 'poor attendance' closures - it gets a bit alarming to read programme notes negatively, and rather scary in truth, saying "sponsors saved closure last year"......Hopefully a tactic to make fans rally round.

Ok............each team have 7 riders to pay. And NK says he lost £100,000 to Covid19 cutbacks.....Note he lost £100,000. He doesn't say how much he actually earned though, which I presume was much more than his loss?

But given the low crowds ( ok Poland the exception) how on earth can promoters hand out so much to satisfy the riders outlays? It just doesn't add up at all. I mean NK obviously earned much more than £100,000 as a norm........what about the other 6 team members earnings too.

Yes he certainly was.

Recently read a book about speedway - well to be more accurate it was about the 'covid 19' wrecked season. It's a great book called 'NO BREAKS' - A LOST SEASON IN BRITISH SPEEDWAY. The many stories about speedway's struggle in 2020 are captivating to say the least. However one story reflecting on a rider's financial woes had me shocked to say the least. The author seems to be friend of a rider, I wont say name but initials are NK - no not NKI. and this rider reckons his covid19 hit income was a disaster. I quote the author. "He tells me he reckons his income is down by a considerable amount, about £100,000 less than he'd have expected had the season gone normally". I mean blimey if he's down by £100,000 what on earth was his usual earnings? Not a GP regular either. So reading that I have now more than ever an inbuilt sympathy for the promoters of this steadily declining sport. Buy this book most will enjoy it.

Well you posted this sad news a few days before the club made a shock(?)announcement.....did no one believe your post? Whatever it's still sad to see another team bite the dust.....was it you who also mentioned Sheffield being dodgy? I know someone did.

While it has been often publicised about Brummies future being dodgy. I must have missed reading the bad news about Sheffield being in similar danger?........Hopefully both can continue for many years.

Must admit looking at you tube shots of recent Odsal stocks the terraces are not very well populated.

But that has been the norm for many years - the stocks, for some reason, usually have bigger crowds. I guess it's the car carnage that proves so popular - pile ups galore. I have been to a couple of those meetings at Hyde Rd and Carr Lane and at both, for the life of me, I couldn't fathom out the race leaders.......But of course 'one mans meat' etc etc....One thing that applies to both sports is they are very much ignored by the media - no results are broadcast at all.(anyone recall getting speedway scores regular via ceefax ?).

So that was presumably a bad start to the night by visiting captain ?

But surely he needs to earn a living from this sport ? So is there an underlying problem that the fans are unaware of? Mind he could of course on a fixed retainer for his bread and butter - if so then it needs looking at.

Yes why on earth do the promoters not go for the one division scenario? It would most certainly give the fixture list more variety, invigorate is a good word.. One drawback may be that riders not able to 'double-up' as some do now. But if the sport picks up, via increased attendances, then maybe the cash flow would increase accordingly and make doubling up a bad memory. Over to you anti one league experts for opinions.

Yes your closing sentence does make me feel as though maybe I shouldn't have mentioned any crowd level. But my input was rather induced after reading the programme notes in the edition we were given on Saturday..i.e. the Edinburgh prog. with Scunthorpe insert. And what caught my attention was the James Denham page. In particular the para at the bottom of page. I quote - "We are extremely grateful to everyone who supports the Comets - sponsors and fans - but last year we did struggle with crowds and without the help of sponsors we would not have been back this year". Blimey James that was a bit scary to read. I reckoned crowds were very good last year - maybe Plymouth being lowest? I think the fixtures with gaps etc. do affect regular attendees. Hopefully then sponsors continue to keep Comets flying high.

That was what we thought Geoff. It was a bit of a shock when we found ample room along the back straight fence, we turned up about 3:15 half expecting to struggle.. Not had such spaces before..

Yes some really close scraps, hard but fair stuff................... Don't know if anyone agrees with me - but I thought the attendance was quite poor.

Most Comets are lacking track time as you say...which is rather worrying regarding this weekend. But perhaps more scary is seeing the two who are regular racers for Belle Vue and the Brummies are not scoring well at all. Perhaps the top league is not really a good comparator but low scores prevail.