Fortythirtyeight

So Bears already missing two riders and isn’t Wright due in Poland on Sunday ? Let’s hope he’s got travel arrangements nailed down.

Don’t know why any TV company would want to cover British Speedway at present , same teams playing each other on a four week rota. , same riders appearing for different teams , if the weather allows for it and then a ‘crowd’ of 60+ year olds who struggle to raise an atmosphere ……and I’m one of them !

So now we have at least two ‘reserves’ riding in what used to be regarded as the top individual event of the championship season, how far has this sport fallen !

So the dates are published. At REDCAR on TUESDAY 22nd Sept At Poole on WEDNESDAY 23rd. Personally I don’t understand Redcar wanting to run a cup final on an off night and a Tuesday at that but at least it’s getting completed before the snow comes.

You take Poole and Glasgow out of the championship and probably Workington , then there is no championship. Those that remain simply wont be able to make it pay.

There’s only you thinking they do ! Whilst I accept Glasgow are well known to pay above the norm in the championship, possibly to compensate their location , the rest pay what they can afford that’s why they are still running. Premiership is a small fish and that’s why Poole , Glasgow etc prefer championship as they keep their preferred race night and get double the fixtures.

In your head perhaps. Those riders who currently ride for Friday tracks appear very happy to do so , possibly because they know these tracks pay their riders on time. Look what Charles Wright did this season ( injury aside ) he chose Championship and Poland and turned down a place in the Premiership.

Your assuming the ‘better’ riders in the Championship actually ride for points money these days as I’m led to believe , despite the chairman’s claims that guarantee’s are banned, that more ‘top’ riders are on them now than last year. From the riders I assist they tell me most heat leaders in the championship are on some form of guarantee, wether that be fully or partially and our imports have to be due to the stipulation on their visas. Don't most of our championship riders ride in the Polish 2nd tier? So does the rule affect them ? Ill believe a TV deal when I see it .

You seem to not understand ‘ ex riders ‘, they are ‘ex’ because they have had enough of restrictive rules , every increasing costs and less and less chances to ride. The NDL is struggling and probably won’t complete its fixtures with rumour having it the chair ( bless him ) wants it done away with. A few years back the NJL ran an individual series at all the competing tracks, the NJL riders championship, perhaps that is the way forward .

Digital programme ! Have you seen the average age of a speedway fan ?

Since when has speedway taken roadworks, or even the fans, into consideration ?

On average only 50% of the crowd buy a programme, this year less fans are travelling because of fuel prices and idiotic arrangement of speedway fixtures. Clubs don’t want to be left with unsold programmes.

Or the fact there isn’t enough females racing in this country to fill a team, or in this case, a race !

Decent enough meeting on an initially very wet track so gating all important early on. For once the Bears were reasonably consistent throughout with Klindt and Scott outstanding backed up by Edwards ( one spectacular round the fence overtake ) and Allen, even Lambert scored every ride. Glasgow looked too strong on paper but that’s not how matches are won , Harris a bit off, Kemp not reliable but Rowe was good. Thought Pedersen was good, when he gated, Battye could have been the match winner but for a silly last bend fall and an incompetent team manager under using him. Strange comments from the departing promoter J.Swales “ this could be the last meeting “……is he not confident at Berwick ! Bears need a reset for 2027 so is the rumoured new co-promoter, as Mrs Swales is staying in post, one of the many ex promoters who are at Redcar most weeks ?…..messers English, Duffill, Kay, Rathbone or even CVS ??? With there being already a co-promoter in sponsor K.Miller how does this all work ? Going to be an interesting winter for Bears fans.

Firstly…..is it on ? 4 pm and I need to set off at 5pm if its going ahead, any local weather update ?

Total speculation then.

Inconsistent Bears are blowing it again, Bandits top end seeing them home.

You really need to read a fixture list, Redcar aren’t at home for another week

Article in the S/Star suggests it will take 5 to 10 years and half a million pounds to get the stadium up and running again 🫨 Wow!

Did 3 leagues last season but according to the article in S/S that left him too tired and with a young son , and no doubt being owed money by Oxford , he settled on 2 clubs this season Landshut have got to the Polish play offs without him so they have ‘ loaned ‘ him out for the play offs ( relegation ) in the top league.

You’re obviously not a Bears fan.

Lost count of how many times the Bears have looked comfortable for a win only to collapse towards the end. Allen, Edwards, Mulford just too inconsistent and Lambert a total non contributor again. Scott has to be ‘ Bear of the year ‘ and Pijper has had a good season, keep them and Wright but move the others on for 2027.

Didn’t think British Speedway could get any lower but it just did. No one believes that Kennet really wants to ride in the NDL for £10 a point, it’s just a move so he can guest elsewhere, we all know where , no doubt the ‘ Young Stars ‘ team manager , who loves a bit of publicity, will be ecstatic he can put Lambert and Kennet out in heats 13 & 15.

We all wonder what we can do to stop our sport disappearing but it just keeps on imploding from within, take this weekends NDL matches for an example. Jake Mulford, a Redcar Bear rode at Redcar the previous week for Kings Lynn, his NDL side but last Saturday he rode at Redcar again this time for Buxton against the Tigers. Then the very next day he rode for Kings Lynn against Buxton at Buxton. Same fixtures, Nathan Ablitt rode for the Tigers against Buxton but the following day rode for Buxton against Kings Lynn. Steen Pijper rode in the same matches, for the Tigers against Buxton but then for Kings Lynn against Buxton. Getting the picture ? Add in a lad, Booth, number 8 for Tigers v Buxton then at Buxton for Kings Lynn. Now try explain this to anyone you are trying to get to come to speedway matches with you…. I know there’s a shortage, I know it’s only NDL and I get the reasons why this happens but…..it isn’t helping attracting a new, younger crowd.

Question marks about not just Sheffield, add in Workington ( could go NDL, if there is one ) Oxford ( they needed financial assistance ) and rumours of some discontent at Redcar ( track staff ? and we know a good track man is as rare as a Poole home defeat ! ) Having seen dwindling attendances at Berwick, Workington and Redcar throughout this season it’s difficult times for the sport with patchy fixture lists, shortage of riders , no major tv coverage and no league sponsors , it all adds up to alarm bells and none of us have confidence in the current leadership of the sport that they have the capability or the will to turn things around. So ONE league called the PREMIERSHIP to keep Mr.Lemon happy 😆