waytogo28

So, will enlightenment reach the promoters this week? Time to hold your breath and hope it seems. Cross your fingers too or even pray as I do.

I bet you're right. Those currently "in charge" rate it as a £20 sport - with a better class of younger supporters. Quite how they get those hordes of people with money to spend, no one within the BSPA knows. As a masterplan, well it's almost time to write to Santa.

My hope pre-AGM is that some, many, all promoters have read this thread if nothing else on here. I do not expect them to comment but I pray that they have read fans feedback. They are so fortunate to have it on hand, free of charge. We will see if they want to improve the UK sport or their own clubs winning chances.

That really is true. Only vastly better marketing, different marketing is going to make any difference as is making the product in the stadium far better and more attractive to watch than it comes across at the moment. Relying on Twitter and Facebook is not going to work, Speedway GB has 25.000 followers that needs at least two more zeros to have much effect.

I hope that the AGM does not take too much notice of the opinions of Bomber Harris. If that is how the majority of British riders feel then speedway has no chance of rebuilding itself. "Can't go on" without doubling up. "Not worth the risk" without doubling up. Bomber is a terrific speedway racer but outside of his own backyard no-one in the outside world has heard of him and many of the 25,000 UK fans of speedway do not want doubling up. He needs to talk to more of them. If there were 250,000 UK fans prepared to pay to get in and were baying for Chris Harris then he might get the rewards he deserves for his racing skills. What he did or didn't do at school is not the responsibility of supporters and he needs to really think about the day which comes to all riders ( except it seems Greg Hancock ) when they have to retire ( or want to retire or no-one wants to employ them ) life after speedway for all riders needs careful preparation and thinking about at a deep personal level.

So be it if we are stuck with fixed race nights - likely Monday. If it also turns out that supporters don't want meetings on Mondays, the BSPA and clubs will have a clear, definite answer. No Thank You. Promoters can then decide on what is really their lowest crowd numbers that are viable or go on the hunt for more sponsors prepared to run in front of sub 1,000 or even sub 500 crowds ( at whatever level ).

Only way forward. The same old, same old, league structure with a handful of "the top boys" popping up here there and merrily everywhere in team winning photos is doomed to crumble further. Managed decline continues.

Likely to be able to score about the same as Simon Lambert, even at 59. One good gate in four ( or five ) and Bingo a very similar average. Coax Michael Lee back and you have a good basis for a team at Championship level.

Even with the headline in this week's Speedway Star " Listen to fans" ( Thank You Neil Machin ) I wonder how many of the other promoters gathered around the table will heed his call? Of course, they all should put the fan's views reasonably high up on the Agenda, as crowds continue to dwindle. The best suggestion is for Promoters like Neil to persuade the others to get their heads around the concept that feedback does not mean the same as complaints. Fans collectively also want speedway in the UK to be an attractive, well presented, exciting motorcycle racing sport that they can continue to offer their support to and spread the word to other would-be fans knowing that that is what they are going to see on a consistent basis. Fingers crossed hey!

Accolades galore to go along with the gongs. Many Congratulations Workington Comets riders. promotion and fans. You definitely deserve it!

Yes, you could but I think what you mean is that my ( and others ) views about "how speedway is organised" are merely different to yours. I have no intention of arguing about it and I realise that you have a much more intimate knowledge of how it has been organised in the past. However it is clear that much of how that was done has turned out badly for speedway in the UK,

Because the field is not far from the main road.

Another nail in the coffin of UK speedway, that quite a lot of people prefer to ignore. Including the majority of the BSPA who believe things can go on and on as they are now. The closure this winter of three or four clubs, as seems likely, may make them wake up and smell the coffee that their valuable assets ( as they see them ) are almost worthless. Any clubs that are "saved" will be by fan coalitions and they need to understand that their financial input is really a gift to eke out nostalgic daydreams.

Now, all we need to hear is RG will follow KC in standing down - Let it be confirmed as the first bit of good news for UK speedway. No eulogies needed, please. However if as is forecast there is little or no change in how UK speedway is to be structured, little progress will be made.

The only chance some tracks have of finding a buyer is a Big Lottery Winner who is already an addicted fan locally and who wants to throw their money away. No sensible investor - outside of speedway - would contemplate burning their fingers with a speedway club.

And what turned out to be misplaced optimism too. I truly fear that we are in for much of the same in 2019. It seems as if there is to be little change, certainly no radical root and branch change that the sport in the UK needs. The same people will be in charge making the same ill-informed and parochial decisions.

It looks as if the BSPA are about to go for the "safe" option. Change nothing and hope that not too many are disappointed and walk away. Managed decline continuing?

Mr May wants to imagine the world of speedway before the internet when unhappy/ disappointed/disillusioned supporters got together in pubs and clubs and workplaces ( even on street corners ) and aired almost the same kind of criticism/complaints at riders and promoters. Of course "back in the day" there were not so many reasons for complaints to be tossed about! But people are no different now than then and harsh things were said ( as now ). And supporters were still "mushrooms" then ( kept in the dark and covered in bullrubbish ). That is the nature of sport and it's fans, Mr May. Nothing has changed.

I agree with that assessment. Not all riders are capable of going on & on at the top level as Greg Hancock has done ( who years ago re-structured his riding schedule ) and perhaps Niels needs to consider doing this quite seriously. His injury has dogged him this year, of that there is no doubt but now with the GPs and Poland , Sweden, Denmark - is England just too much? Only he will know. The Denmark fixed night debacle this year cannot be repeated in 2019 surely? It seemed to be a little-known hurdle which burst into a major fixture problem.

The last two years and the lack of more than a race or two per match at King's Lynn with good racing has killed off my interest in watching speedway in the flesh ( I am unable to watch anywhere other than at King's Lynn ) but I have discovered that speedway racing is alive alive well in Poland, the GPs and sometimes in Sweden too. The only place I have seen more than a couple of exciting races in a match in the UK is at the NSS ( on TV ). The tapes to flag processions ( after the 2nd bend ) at Saddlebow Rd really have made me rarely look forward to thinking I might go to a match there. Throw in the dreadful doubleheaders ( against the same opposition ) and my desire was quenched. Buster controls KLS and how it is run and seemingly still dominates UK speedway. So, Yes! it's about time he realised, fans want excitement, not this follow the leader rubbish.

If there is any truth in that rumour then they are "cut your nose off to spite your face" people and not taking a very kind approach to existing Bears fans ( unless they wish to carry on running it at Redcar ).

I have nothing against doubleheaders, only when it is a match against the same team twice on the night. That is a complete turn-off for me.

Yes, same old , same old BSPA blind belief that " all will be well". Oh Well what will be will be.

Isn't it SO exciting, all that uncertainty? Especially as the final may need to be held over until the start of the 2019 season and that will make a thrilling start to the new season. Fans need to applaud the BSPA for such innovative thinking in order to keep things at boiling point until the very end of the season. Or perhaps even, beyond? See how spin works!

They do not read them, or listen to the ideas and quite honestly prefer not to have them, seeing only negative criticism in feedback.