Fortythirtyeight

Something doesn’t add up here. Let Smetana go and sign a much lesser average Brit but then say you've applied for the right to employ foreigners which will take a few weeks ....so why not wait for approval and keep Smetana ? Diamonds were already 2 points under the limit so now it’s 5 points under. Unless the rumour of lowered team points limit is actually true? As the rules haven't changed, as yet, Vissing doesn’t need a visa.

As Glasgow started world war 3 to get Fridays ( “ We are running Fridays or we will sue ) I can’t see them changing now. Godfrey did the same ( “ I’m running Fridays or I close “ ) Redcar probably can’t do regular Sundays because of the closeness of Newcastle and the car park is shared with the other race track ( plus shared staff, crowd etc ). Would make no sense whatsoever to let Somerset run on a Friday. But the mafia will do what suits them and sod the rest, as Workington found out to their cost.

They don’t pay points money or travel in BSPA meetings, it’s a set price for finishing positions.

You have your very biased opinion , I have my open opinion. I DO agree it’s on its arse, but it’s only the true fans keeping some clubs going.

When have I ever stated NL racing is better ? I was making the point that racing can be just as good at an amateur meeting as an Elite meeting, you clearly don't agree , but as some one who attends all levels ( and in different countries ) I’m not snobbish enough to think that a top name produces better RACING . Watch some youth meetings , you will see good RACING. I obviously don’t agree with your statements, as a former Comets fan who attends different tracks I regularly meet many fans from tracks not competing at the venue ( Sheffield fans at Redcar, Berwick fans at Newcastle, Glasgow fans at Edinburgh ) and they are there to see the RACING, not the names and wage packets . without “ True speedway fans “ there’d be very very few clubs left.

Clubs move leagues for business reasons. Somerset, Peterborough, Leicester all found they got the same crowd for Elite as they did for championship matches but the wages were a lot less , and often, the fans preferred the standard of championship RACING. Ive seen fantastic RACES at amateur meetings , just because someone gets paid more doesn’t mean it produces better racing.

So why do neutral fans go to other tracks ? ( Newcastle fans go to Redcar every week for example ) why go to individual meetings ? why go to GP’s? to watch RACING!.

I disagree. Ive seen some excellent NL matches and dire ‘ Elite ‘ league matches, same goes for quite a few G.P.’S even at Cardiff. I’ve also witnessed larger crowds at championship clubs than Belle Vue , Leicester ( elite days ) and P’ Bro so your statement doesn’t hold water.

Somerset signed Jason Doyle , a World Champion, and their crowd went up exactly zero %. True speedway fans go to watch RACING not individuals. You could argue that racing should take place if a lesser rider tries to beat a ‘ star ‘ but the names don’t mean a thing, it’s the quality of the racing that counts. A winning team also helps.

Cleveland Park Stadium was underneath the A19 ‘ flyover ‘ southbound slip road to the A66 East. if you were on the A1 it’s no wonder you didn’t find it. The site is now a college and because of the sport covenant on the original site they also built a 5-a- side Football multi pitch, that’s how councils get around such clauses.

Whilst you two have your disagreements , the current regulations do allow for mixed cubic capacity teams although not in the same races. The current Northern Junior league runs separate classes in the same team and in previous years at amateur level, different classes have competed within the same team, so it is not a new idea, although one I believe should be encouraged to give clubs incentive to find new youngsters to bring into the sport.

I think Mr. Ringitsneck’s point has been lost although I don’t necessarily agree with the way he puts things across. It was stated by Godfrey these matches were to help the kids upto NDL level get some race time. This appears to have not been quite accurate as it’s now being run as a normal meeting with riders getting paid and a paying crowd. That’s fine, that’s what it is. The helping the kids is the misleading part , Carter and Lambert ( not yet announced to the public ) are certainly not kids , but let’s be happy that some kids are getting race time and some very desperate fans are getting to watch some form of racing.

Mr. Jorgensen is more than a capable role model. A gentleman around the fans and a fine rider, I detect a slight biase in a Newcastle fans comment. If research is carried out I think Pienpeesman may also find that more southern based juniors travel north to ride due to the number of events taking place at northern tracks such as Scunthorpe and Redcar and during the season you will have seen a number of ‘ southerners ‘ riding in the Northern Junior League.

4 rounds? Conspiracy theory time! we've had Scunthorpe, we now have Leicester , I’m going for Somerset and Kings Lynn. I hope the kids get to ride at Belle Vue but Redcar is the only other track that’s open so why hasn’t one been arranged there? Scunthorpe and Redcar announced their amateur meetings weeks ago and yet the first 2 rounds clash with Redcars events ( not Scunthorpe’s?) so why can’t the powers that be on the top table even sort a calendar out with only 5 tracks running so that there are no clashes ? Surely the more the kids get to ride the better? The kids love Belle Vue and Redcar , two of the best race tracks in this country. Yes, I’m biased. I’m from the north west have a chip on my shoulder about Workington and dislike the way the sport is being run , like most of us!

It’s perhaps a good move that you don’t sign for your local club as the pressure can ruin any potential rider. The connection with Pipe certainly does him no favours particularly at Redcar but it shouldn’t hold him back in the long term. There is no denying the kid has talent and good equipment but he lacks mechanical knowledge and desperately needs guidance in that area. I’m not sure he’ll learn anything special from ex diamonds or even current Bears as like many, he hates the Newcastle track but perhaps if he wants to get tattooed he can learn something from Kerr.

Not until you get rid of the ‘ top table ‘ of individuals who run clubs of their own , it needs an independent , non biased chair ( which it hasn’t had for years ) .

“ Fans will flood in “ ? Really ??? they never have before to watch amateur racing or the youth rounds for that matter and , in my humble opinion, you shouldn’t have to pay to watch amateurs. No one has at previous meetings. Voluntary donations , yes, that’s fine but the competitors are paying to ride so the club is covering its costs and more.

Maybe? , but until something is officially announced we can all speculate as much as we like and as you've started the ball rolling....

Plenty of gossip about this subject at the weekend but I think it’s all just talk at the moment. Some clubs may look to run something behind closed doors but can’t see enough interest to form any sort of league. Scunthorpe did used to run an amateur series of challenges for all levels against Kings Lynn and Stoke a few seasons back. Maybe it could just be those tracks holding regular training sessions are looking to do something, Scunthorpe, Kings Lynn, Redcar, Leicester ? it would bring a bit of revenue in if the competitors are paying to ride as is the norm at amateur level.

A bit strong but I see your point and think you won’t be far off the mark. It would make no sense to have a British Championship when the riders have had little to no racing.

It’s good business sense not to put funds into something that the private sector provide .

Mark Courtney lives in Poland , spanner’s for Max Fricke over there.

Bob Watts lived near Exeter , rode for Teesside.

But he's not a promoter and it will be the same promoters who have governed the sport for the last few years who will be running it again whenever we start up. The few ' new ones ' messers Jensen ( Rye House ) Morgan ( Workington ) Rathbone ( Peterborough ), Phillips ( Newcastle ) , and Kay ( Redcar ) all of whom had ' new ideas ' didn't hang around long for various reasons and all had issues of some sort with the sports governors , it appeared, and with only one of the young Courtney's left at Berwick and Smith / Lemon at Belle Vue to bring fresh ideas to the table you have got to wonder where the change of direction will come from. We can hope for a miracle but then we are all waiting for another major one to get us out of the current situation and they don't come around that often.

Here's some reasons why speedway should not run , particularly behind closed doors. We are supposed to be avoiding putting any excess pressure on our NHS. Most tracks medical cover are usually NHS employees ( Doctors and paramedics ) doing a second job for extra money. They should not be asked to cover ANY form of Motorsport events whilst we are in the current pandemic situation. Sports injuries are classed as ' self inflicted ' by the NHS for a reason, let's not add to their stress. Money : no crowd means no income. One track I know of needs to find in excess of £35,000 annually just to keep the stadium running even without holding an event with rent, bills and maintenance costs . Then you need to find riders wages which are usually covered by turnstyle income, no crowd equals yet another financial loss. Sponsors want coverage, they get it via programme adverts, mentions on the track announcements and rider sponsorships, they won't be getting that sort of coverage with no crowd as there will be none of that. Most large sponsorship deals are paid in instalments. I doubt most clubs have been able to gather in their full quota of sponsors money. The majority of speedway crowds are elderly. They are the most vulnerable and should not be expected to attend any event whilst the threat of Covid is still around. They are also the least likely to have access to watch ' streamed ' speedway meetings or pay to watch such an event. Travel. Putting on events means adding to traffic on the roads again putting added pressure on our NHS with the increased possibility of traffic accidents. About 25-35% of riders are currently out of the country so are faced with not only the travelling issue they then face added lockdown isolation periods . I could add more but I think I've said enough. In my opinion NO SPORT should take place till this is all over even if that means we lose clubs through it then sorry but lives are more important than entertainment.