singy13

So we draw nearer to the 'big decision' regarding UK speedways future. Hopefully the right call is made to assist clubs long term involvement. I like a bit of nostalgia so I looked back at my first season of watching speedway. It was 1970 Workington Comets giving fantastic thrills via Bob (Mr. Excitement)Valentine and co. Do you know there were 19 teams in Division One and 17 teams in Division Two = 36 teams in that season? So each team with 7 riders times 36 = 252 riders...Yes I've been told some doubled up on previous posts I've made on this forum - but hey not a great many riders did that. Which makes it most likely 200 + riders made it a sport to be proud of and well loved by many fans.(Apparently the third most popular UK sport then). So nowadays the sport struggles along via 16 clubs, most riders using the doubling up farce - probably less than 100 riders entertaining us. I have no advice to give a cure all to keep UK speedway afloat other than I think one division needs to be given at least a fair trial???? Who knows, if successful, fans and riders may well flock back.

Surely it's gamble worth taking because the current rock bottom attendances need a major boost. I think those who watch speedway nowadays will stay loyal whatever. And the only way to attract the 50/50 followers back through the turnstiles is via a more varied fixture list. Meeting the same teams 4 or more times each season just breeds complacency. Not that the riders care, of course, but Joe Public needs more variety.!!!!

By using guests and riders doubling up?..........nah not good for a proper pro sport is it?

And in the none GP/Poland's supremacy days attendances would be double those.....more teams in each UK division made for greater 'spectator variety' - and the public and media outlets loved the sport. One bigger league for 2026 can recapture some lost support.

Yes that's what i was hinting at...fans will clearly support a winning team !!!!!!

One league or two that is the question? So you list a crop of 'top riders' who won't be able to ride in a one league system. And so many, too many, double up to make a living?...So the loss of those star performers will affect speedway attendances will it? I don't think it can do so as attendances are surely already dire. Let's have a guess at how many watch the current batch of stars i.e. GP level and "the so called lesser riders"....lose them all and attendances will plummet?..But come on how many teams get a decent crowd nowadays? So I think one league is the best format and hopefully the stars will re-consider deserting the UK and eventually return. Can anyone tell me approx attendances for each UK team - I bet not many attract 1000+???

I wouldn't say "rather than gate receipts" though because the wealthiest must surely be a fair combination of all income strings in their bows. Sponsors probably do rule though I admit. But full terraces are also good for gaining the sport points via strong media coverage - ha ha ha.

Does that imply that those two are the worst supported clubs?.................I THINK NOT!!!!!

So the Polish teams, 8 of them says the post, only have 7 home fixtures from let's say April to September (24 weeks)???? My calculation has them with 17 blank weeks during Summer. How do they survive that ?

Just been catching up on these posts. Where on earth have you got the 200 crowd figure from ? I'm a regular and haven't seen any crowds at Northside that poor. Show me proof that I need to go to specsavers.

Yes very unlikely is how it may well be..But I think east Boldon greyhound/speedway stadium is only 5/6 mile from the large catchment area of Tyneside so it's surely worth some wealthy promoter at least running the rule as to reviving speedway - maybe some already have of course?

Just before the 1970 season started when interviewed on Border TV Ian Thomas labelled Vic Lonsdale 'The King of crash',,,,,but soon the crowd got tired of Vic's low scoring and booed at the mention of his name, he was hopeless. Then yes Chris Blythe got that title - not exactly one to be proud of eh. (I think Chris passed away this year?) And yes two unlikely lads won that 'best pairs' - I was there watching it.

What about Odsal?

Yeah chunky mentioned him.....Taffy Owen did a bit of doubling up too.

Yeah good shout marra. Don't forget also Peter Collins and Alan Wilkinson at Belle Vue and Rochdale.....so yep doubling up was there but I think not liked by the fans. And that remains as an awfully unpopular speedway feature nowadays.

Please note Workington Town are also at home on Sunday, kick off 3 p.m...................It's an 80th Birthday celebration match for Town (1945-2025) and they are drumming up support for this special occasion. UTT and UTC....love them both.

You missed off the remainder of that sentence!

That's a good question. No supply but plenty of rider demand if new tracks did appear (and doubling up would probably prosper). There are training tracks ongoing I believe. So maybe a couple of years as now until expansions? I just think that 6 and 7 team leagues are not exciting the evermore dwindling support. And while I confess to not helping any positive outcome I like to post here to see if anyone can help the dying sport. So in my early years of becoming a speedway fan, 1970 and the rest of that decade, how was it that new tracks were sprouting like mushrooms and doubling up was not a feature. Yes guests and rider replacement for injury cover. So how did all the 'mushrooms' manage 7 riders - granted some were as wooffy would say "wobblers" but certainly in Division 2 they were mostly acceptable. Ian Thomas used to advertise someone in a Comets squad as 'the king of crash' - I'll not name him but the crowd eventually got fed up of his poor returns. Yet all of this kept us talking speedway, it was thrills, spills, and excitement.

Yeah suppose....but the shale is automatically thrown away from any pitch i.e. left to right.....then of course fans get hit, so programme boards at the ready....why is speedway so difficult to maintain.

Okay 1 down....400+ to go.

Sadly speedway keeps losing tracks and it's possibly the final countdown for the great sport. What occurs to me, rightly or otherwise, is that speedway is short of top promoters - guys with funds and ideas to introduce new parties to the ranks. I see there are over 400 non league soccer grounds in existence. Plus more rugby stadiums. So can't a wealthy promoter (if they exist of course) find at least 5/6 stadiums capable of joining the speedway world? Ok it would need soccer's permission to build a track around a pitch but why not? I mean for approx 30 years I enjoyed seeing the Comets race 398 yards around Derwent Park's rugby pitch with minimal problems and great speedway. Surely down South or in the Midlands some stadia exist awaiting a promoters call?

Major comment there bellevueace. It's most certainly a factor that alienates the non speedway fraternity. And despite my best efforts to persuade some folk to attend speedway it makes it so difficult to sell the sport. In the 1970's, my early start to speedway fixes, you wouldn't see any riders plying their trade with two teams (go on prove me wrong) in fact guests were minimal with R/R the injury option, mostly. I know riders need to make a living but sadly it has cost speedway big style and the future is grimmer than ever.

Ian Thomas was a top promoter of speedway. And presentation was a strong point of his. I'll always recall the 1970 season when packed crowds at Derwent Park saw and heard the Comets (and away 7) march from the pits to starting area with the track staff to the Radetzky March by Strauss...that tune is still my fave classical piece. The sometimes downside was when you only counted 6 Comets - Ian would explain Bob took a fall last night, at Sheffield, so R/R will operate (naff to hear this about Bob Valentine). Although sometimes riders had just arrived and missed the aforementioned march however made their heats. But most certainly great days to live on in the memory bank. UTC.

Absolutely correct IainB..I'm quite shocked that the Plymouth meeting survived with only two of their team available. It makes a mockery of speedway as a serious sport. I'm a rugby league fan of Workington Town, as well as the Comets, and I have always fought verbal differences with the fellow RL fans who ridicule speedway for so many reasons. One main weapon they'd use against me is the 'guest' system. For example Stoney guesting for a team challenging Comets for the title - how does that happen they ask. And it's so hard to convince non speedway folk it's acceptable (no it's not actually but hey ho) so at the next Town match I'll not supply them with Plymouth bullets to down me. Speedway is a great sport so badly organised.

You can tell the difference when a Northside meeting finishes and ones that did at Derwent Park. So now everyone heads for the various car parks, there's not many on foot. But at Derwent Park traffic was held up while pedestrians, lots of them in the good times, blocked the bridge exit for vehicles (apart from the those who went to the bar of course).And DP is only 150 yards from the railway station. Northside a longer trek but well worth the effort folks.