HGould

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. 12 Teams in the League Tuesday - Kent Wednesday - Poole / Brummies Friday - Edinburgh / Glasgow / Redcar / Scunthorpe / SOMERSET Saturday - Berwick / Eastbourne / Leicester Sunday - Newcastle So presumably the other 4 Friday Clubs take precedence over Somerset for CL Fixtures as they are changing dates?. Leaves most Friday's with 10 Teams therefore in action? You only need a few Friday rain-offs and it will be complete carnage. Would only also need one of the Teams not involved to refuse to release Guests and it would be a complete joke! As Workington / Lakeside found out the Chairman does not like to be left without Guest options. The fact this is a Management Committee Member Club really does not look good for the transparency of the Sport. Unless of course one of the other Friday Clubs are seeking to change their race night? Could Redcar move to Saturday or Sunday , could Glasgow move to Saturday or Sunday, especially as most foreigners won't be back so needed on the Continent Will have to wait for it to all come out in the wash!

Depends what the points limit is surely? Lots seem to think it's going to be slashed, some significantly. Len'll have lots of NDL riders to use who know the track very well and who'll be known to him. Just be a case of whatever he has to play with if points limit is a less than now. Unlikely to be like for like average wise therefore.

The M5 on a Friday night from Whitsun to August Bank Holiday.??. That'll go down like a lead balloon with some home Supporters I'd imagine and certainly from Away Fans like me who found Wednesday the quietest weeknight on M5. I wonder what Rob "there's too many Friday Clubs" Godfrey will have to say too? 4 Friday Clubs already - shades of 2018 when Lakeside were bankrupted by the Friday night issue.

I know Ellis has close links to the West Midlands. Uncle Dave was from Black Country and I saw Neil Evitts with Ellis a few times. Would seem like a perfect fit for Brummies to replace Garrity? I think a few will have heard about Leicester being late to pay a few riders at times in 2019. Ellis and Jack Thomas both went public and Stewart Dickson has acknowledged it to be true and fair do,s for that. May be Ellis wanted better deal as security but surely will be in demand from a number of CL clubs

I liked the old Perry Barr (now One Stop Shopping) because you could walk past Pits on way to Home Straight and watch all the bikes warm up. Like many Tracks the current PB is hidden but more down to lay out of a Dog Track and lack of access to large part of the venue. Most places you either can't see or can see from a distance. I don't think or can't remember anywhere better than Brandon, where provided you could arrive early enough you could get a great high vantage point and look down in to the Pits area. I used to like Halifax too, where you could see in and watch. Of the other tracks visited in last few years, Mildenhall, Eastbourne, Berwick are ones you can look in to if you stand adjacent and see what's happening during Racing and a few Tracks allow you in to view if you are there early enough. No excuse really for the purpose built more recent tracks like Belle Vue, Leicester and Somerset for hiding Pits largely away from fans.

Thank You

Not really up to speed with rules in L1 and L2 in Poland but seems may still be the main thing to watch in 2021 if not much action live in UK Could someone please explain how teams can be made up in the 2 leagues below the top one How many classed Foreigner / Overseas How many classed Polish Seniors How many classed Under 24 (Polish or Overseas) How many classed Polish Juniors are allowed in each match how many "overseas" in total do reserves have to be Polish juniors? How does the No 8 work, can it be anyone? Any confirmation would add to my understanding and enjoyment, it's all very confusing (I thought GB was!!) Thank You

interesting point about the "protected PL days". If Poland is going to dictate where Riders who are not Poles can and can't ride (e.g pick one other League only), shouldn't the Swedes and UK dictate that the only day they will protect is Tuesdays and basically open up PL to 6 days a week. Stuff the Poles. That could strengthen the PL immediately as some of the bigger CL Clubs might consider running PL on their preferred race nights. Poole / Leicester / Glasgow the most likely beneficiaries maybe?

Wouldn't it be the height of irony if UK via German Pfizer and its own Oxford and Cambridge led work had ample supplies of vaccine by May and the Poles were lagging behind and unable to keep up. How would that suit the bullies of Polish Speedway Federation. They need to realise they are part of a global sport and that other speedway countries may be behind in Speedway terms but light years ahead in other scientific areas.

I've rarely read anything so littered with inaccuracies and falsehoods. The one thing Polish Speedway always had was passionate fans. The one thing it didn't have in the 70s was money and financial clout. Quite the opposite, go and study Communism and the Fall of it in the Eastern bloc. There was no free Press, free Media, you'd struggle to find any Polish rider with anything but a factory Jawa and black leathers well in to the Briggo Manger Olsen era. When Zenon Plech was allowed to go on one of the Mauger Briggo Troupe Tours all he could take was his handlebars. If you are about 15 you might think Polish Speedway is the greatest thing on the planet. It may be now but that's a very modern phenomenon as the old timers before the end of the Communist era around 1990 and the dozens upon dozens of riders still owed fortunes by Polish Clubs up to the very recent past will testify...it was anything but the jewel in the crown. New Polish stadia to are a very modern phenomenon. Most are expensive returns paid for by local politicians keen to get reelected It's also the case in the UK that as many if not more speedway tracks were added to dog tracks, than the other way round and similarly most tracks round football or rugby pitches followed the ball sports. Purpose built stadia and those where speedway were there first is the exception over the past 50 years and not the rule.

All the pronouncements have been about same 1 to 7s. Would not put it past some to have been busy assembling new teams to reduced limits to suit themselves in the slightest. Don't have to be Einstein to work out which teams will be in on the secret. Lower team average would mean MORE riders out of a job, not less. A crazy prospect.

Totally agree. Pay rates in D1 and D2 (the tiers below) are a fraction of Extraleague (Top Tier) and chronic history of late and non payment. So do you have 4-5 rides a week in Polish D2 or probably 20 rides a week if doubling up UK and riding in Sweden or Denmark? Those in D1/D2 in Poland - especially D2 in Poland may be better off and certainly get more meetings and rides by doubling up in UK and riding in Sweden and likely get paid too.

All the BSPL are doing at the moment is planning for a near normal season. From that will come all kinds of contingencies that can be implemented. You seem to want to plan for nothing and then make it up as you go along Better to plan for everything and if you have to reduce you reduce. Your negativity is demoralising and planning for the best has built in contingency for the worst Planning for 100% allows contingency for 10%. You'd plan for 10% and pray come February that your doom laden hopes have come true. Sad..

A number of Overseas Riders live in the UK and spend winter here. A similar number have properties they own or rent and have European base in UK. Probably a few may decide not to ride in UK in 2021. Poland and Sweden now have Covid 19 outbreaks as bad as or worse than us so no safer. There is no indication of mass absentees, definitely not in the Championship as yet. Jason Doyle is definitely basing in UK to ride for Swindon. Generalisations don't reflect a lot of positive intent that is coming out of BSPL. I went to watch speedway in a safe environment with 400 others in September. If the Covid cycle is similar I Spring, who would deny all other tracks to open with measures in place and viable crowd limits especially if early vaccines are on stream for the most vulnerable.

https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.38468

Looks like things are progressing positively in the Championship https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.38468

Damned if they do, Damned if they don't on here! If they wait for Covid to go they'll wait until 2022 or 2023 and that would kill any Sport. Better to plan and announce as usual in hope something may be possible, than do nothing and then have to rush with accusations they haven't planned. A few teams got racing on with 400 to 500 allowed in September, if that's how speedway has to start up so be it. Something is better than nothing so may be for once stop moaning and whining and cut them some slack. I'm sure all Promoters and Clubs want to race so let's support speedway, why else are we here?

A few Clubs, Glasgow and Redcar from memory, seem to have confirmed same 1 to 7 as last year, Leicester have confirmed 6 of the 7. Do wonder if some Clubs are struggling to confirm riders and others may be waiting to see what others do?. Be good to hear some plans before Christmas.

Brummies made an announcement on the day that Garrity was arrested. They said they were aware of the matter and would be making no further comment. He is NOT a Brummies asset so it is surely up to his parent Club to comment whoever they are.

I would imagine most clubs will be desperate to retain Sponsors and Season Ticket Holders. Any negative actions such as delaying draft Fixtures could see them walking away for good.

I think what would boost all Speedway Fans and give us all hope would be a clear and early Fixture List. There seems to be some indication that March even April is too early to start but that should not stop any Clubs who can start in April and who have local permission doing so maybe with challenges and individuals the order of the day. If all Leagues then had a start date no later than 1 May and a Fixture List around that issued by New Year would give us all something to look forward to. Hope springs eternal ! Stating the blindingly obvious that any Fixture List will have to include "covid dependent" but rather that than wait and wait and wait like we did in 2020, and the gloom that brings..

Hopefully second peak will be over and things will have stabilised by Easter. Having been to an excellently staged and very well stewarded meeting at Plymouth in September and witnessed what can be done hopefully enough Clubs will get approval to do the same in the Spring. It's going to be a long and stressful winter though for many Sports including speedway.

Hard as an outsider to make sense of what's going on and gone on and Newcastle is a track I've always liked to visit mainly due to friendly fans and good banter. I wish everyone well but one question is this. On basis that those who ran last 3 tracks to liquidate (Rye House / Workington and Lakeside) losing their Promoters Licences, won't same fate befall Rob Grant.?? It would seem unfair if so as he has literally never promoted a Meeting due to Covid, but it does make Acesliders questions the more important. Hopefully Newcastle will be at tapes in 2021 and for many years after that.

wasn't he a late inclusion after tragic death of Danny??. Not surprising if a longer term option might now be looked at for 2021

Don't think that's fair or accurate. I've read on here and from various Clubs own comments that a PL home / away you can budget 15k and a CL home/away you can budget 10k. So, lets say a PL Club is getting a share of 50k - would cover 3 home and away, 100k would cover 6 home and away. Barely scratches the surface of a full season.