Sargent10

Max now lives in northwich, not far from Manchester airport

They won’t get a visa to enter the country in the first place unless they have a British team, therefore they will have to Poland or Sweden where they might struggle with their families for English language schools, it’s really that simple, nobody’s saying that they will not ride in Poland but lots of the Australian lads have families too consider

Personally I think that’s exactly correct, speedway season last approximately 6/7 months, April can be busy or quiet, September can be the same, so that’s 4/5 months probably busy, however, riders class themselves as professional self employed, I’m professional self employed building worker, now I’m not having a pop at any rider but I’m working all year round and have to so what is wrong with these guys having a 2nd job? Yes some weeks they might have a few meetings on, take holidays from other job, etc, most have a guy who is on the spanners being full time or near as, stop that and have him on a meeting basis, and do the bikes when you can, because that’s the only way this is going to work, years ago riders did it, roads were certainly not as good to travel on so riders spent longer getting there and back but still got up for work , it’s about wanting it or not and only they can decide, but working 5/6 months and trying to earn enough for 12 ain’t possible

Because they don’t want to lose money on additional meetings helping bringing British youngsters through unless those youngsters are prepared to pay for everything from racing here or abroad and then if the odd one suceeds they claim them and shower them with affection until they blow up and walk away and deny they ever existed! And that’s where the story ends

Crazy if you say that is true, we excepted what was offered because track time and team place was and is more important than trying to make money at this level, imho

Maybe not for established riders but believe me at the lower levels there is definitely a rate and most junior riders except those for gaining track time imho.

Riders at NDL level are given the points money and travelling expenses by the club, and it’s not very much at all, it’s about gaining track time on the first level of racing, believe me I personally don’t know of any rider making demands, unless they are extremely sought after for guesting, otherwise its a standard rate

Both lads have jobs and do speedway with help of their amazing parents and friends, they ain’t full time riders they combine both like most of the NDL, it’s bloody hard work and I know that personally because we’re doing it, not one rider expects anything except a fair crack and believe me or not if we all said stuff it some people on the forums would be even more stuffed because they wouldn’t have a platform to tell us what they thought of our concerns for our sport

Can you for a second get your head out of the sand please, if a rider turns up at any NDL team with one bike straight away he’s questioned where is your other bike, also where is your helper, and that is where it starts, the fantasy days of (for the love of it) faded away years ago and now it’s about being professional first and foremost and then o we’re doing this promoting youth and then if you don’t comply then we have to let you go, appreciate don’t make me laugh, and by the way it’s slightly more expensive than in 1970/80s

As a dad of a NDL rider who actually rode on Sunday conditions were not brilliant but because Redcar is such a good track it was rideable and racing was good imho, my biggest concern is what you pointed out, there is not a endless supply of riders at this level, no consistency with meetings is a massive concern because lads lose interest etc, hopefully they will look at this at the agm and realise it requires some serious thought

I have to agree, cooper rushden and cairns at reserve next season racing there are probably setting their careers back a good couple of years by which time europes best will have been racing on proper racetracks constantly learning their trade on a surface that gives plenty of opportunities to pass

I paid £15 for this tonight and it’s possible I’ve never felt so robbed in all my life watching speedway, and for middlo to say that was a great meeting tells everyone that the sport is now beyond saving if people like him are at the forefront of the sport, Poole fans need to stop buying their heads in the deep sand on the local beaches and realise they are killing the sport, try bringing anybody new to watch that and you have lost them straight away, I don’t care what the score was because I don’t support either team just enjoy my sport but if you want to be entertained do not step foot into Poole stadium because on this evidence you might have well throw your money into the harbour

Correct, however, they can do one of two things, cut their costs and except the gravy train is leaving the station or do like plenty of riders did in the past, get a proper job and then ride in the evening, Tom Owen ran and built up a huge business in the 70/s and rode virtually every night, John Jackson ran a garage etc,, they can work part time whatever it takes, if they don’t want to that’s their choice but let’s not make them out as martyrs, speedway is at a crossroads and decision makers have to realise if they make the wrong choice then all the riders will have to get a job soon because it will cease being a sport for entertainment quickly enough

Belle Vue are doing okay like Glasgow but let’s say 45 years ago when they were in the hey day of speedway, football was still attracting massive attendance numbers, what was the draw? It was cheap to watch, it was cheap too ride (if you wanted) it was fairly regular most weekends you’d be at home and probably somewhere away, fairly local indeed and because of that it was tribal so if you were in a group of friends and went to watch it was the craic giving opposite team some stick and usually good fun and friends followed it (like Poland now), fast forward to today, premier league, Monday or Thursday nights, work, school etc after school clubs, more expensive than imho it should be (but let’s park that) and hardly any local derby and kids just not interested in the sport unfortunately unless they are actually riding themselves, and there are less and less of them because of the cost

I’m not saying it’s not the same sport etc it’s about pulling power and usually it’s younger fans into the 20/30 year old, you quote football clubs average 10,000? Christ that’s a league one attendances, united have 75,000, city 55,000, they have world wide fan base and kids know the players, speedway in Britain is trying to complete locally with that and kids are going to follow their friends and want a footy shirt etc not a BV or whoever top, it’s just how it is, speedway can try everything it can but modern life has changed and speedway unfortunately has been left behind