SpeedwaySlider72

All riders who are good enough manage the next logical step into Championship racing without issue. The step to Premiership proved tougher for many, as well as many Premiership clubs showing no interest in British riders beyond the superstar youngsters, so a rising star system helped. There is not one NDL rider who is stuck at that level struggling to break into the Championship.

Well done to all the kids and to Iwade. A great day of racing.

How do you define improve? The sport is restructured into one league at a sustainable level and the clubs make money that can be reinvested into the sport - is that an improvement? Or The Premiership reaches further and strengthens the league but the crowds don't improve and the clubs lose even more money - is that an improvement?

If crowds were good enough to support having the top riders then why would the leagues have been watered down? Do you not think it was that even with 'top' riders they still didn't attract crowds big enough to sustain having them so the leagues had to be weakened to keep clubs alive? The quality of riders on show will have little impact on new fans as they won't know any of the top names anyway.

FIM should step in and ban riders in situations like this

That's the point. To be a fit for purpose entertainment package isn't going to come at £15 a pop. You could price speedway at £15 and still have a queue of current fans telling you it's a £10 sport. That's crazy talk. Every other sport has grown and admission prices have inflated massively yet speedway is left behind. A sport with many of the top 100 riders in the world on display but speedway fans say it's not worth the money. Speedway's greatest problem is being stuck in a bubble where people won't pay good money. The sport has to improve the product and get out into the wider market.

Using your stock cars as an example very many people pay £20 to watch "John down the road" race his stock car at Foxhall. Many more than pay £24 to watch Emil and co. Sometimes they will pay much more than £20 if it is dressed up a a 'world championship'. Most don't know what speedway is let alone the difference between John and Emil. The price isn't the issue, nor the riders on show. It's promotion and perceived value for money. Get them right and the rest takes care of itself.

Why does the price point have to be "around £15 to £20 max"? If anything the sport, especially the Premiership, has held prices too low over many years now. All subsidised by TV money instead of putting TV money to better use to promote and grow the sport. The Premiership right now is a £30 product minimum. Some of the best riders in the world going at it. Price it appropriately as the quality product that it is. Championship at £20+ could move towards £25. What can you get for £15 nowadays in live sport? British Speedway features some of the best speedway riders in the world, even the Championship is stacked with high quality international riders. Price it with enough margin to go out and sell the product properly. Dropping the price is a lazy way to get a crowd and doesn't work.

That's the problem. The sport will need to restructure to be viable to then be able to build going forward.

You must be intentionally looking to be provocative to ask this or not understand the current financial plight of the sport in Britain

is it because you are a negative naysayer?

It is the Speedway Control Bureau that dish out the facilities not BSPL

It may be the same for all 4 in race but only Leon had to go after every track grade so had it 5 times. You say it is hard to read the track after each grade and with the water going down it can be tricky for a rider so not enjoyable draw at all.

The main factor at Glasgow looks like the shape and width. It will always be difficult at Shielfield to replicate this

Fast times dont always mean a good track. Watching on BSN a lot of riders were getting an uncomfortable ride on both bends with the bikes lurching all over the place through ruts and bumps

Every major American sport?

They have probably all been asked if they are happy for Mildenhall to join and add another fixture by this point?

Nothing like a good dose of negativity in speedway! The Chancellor said this week that animals won’t stop building projects going forward 👍

Seems a good step forward. This looks like the start of the formal planning process. Exciting times for Swindon and speedway! Hope all Swindon fans back the project.

Doyley to ride in the Ben Fund meeting. Will b great to see him back racing and good on him supporting the very worthy cause.

Your assessment sounds bang on. If the fixture list was 2 home 2 away then fans would pick and choose leaving clubs with a hole in their pockets. The current set up is best of bad bunch but may be most sustainable and that is crucial.

This has been done for years in the Championship but the dates are then allowed to move too easily when rain offs happen

That’s an interesting view for him to take. He could maybe take the opportunity of the NDL to improve and then move up a league where he would have earned the right to be paid more!

Do you think all the current NDL teams breakeven or do you think some do it because it is right to provide a platform for riders to develop and see it as an investment worth making into the sport? Some may invest, others may trot out lame excuses.

Never any surprise in Poole not supporting youth development but happy to cherry pick the work of others.