Sargent10

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

I got to the point, in Poland I said it’s tribal like football in Britain it’s simple, speedway has ceased being that way for years, less people of the age who would actually want to wear team shirts or something associated with a certain team, scarves used to be more common in the 70/s and eighties but certainly not now, times have changed and demand has changed, fact of life

Ffs, I wish everyone would stop comparing British speedway with Poland, completely different animal, in Poland speedway is virtually the national sport, said it so many times how many other sports in Poland have any sort of history/following? Speedway is tribal over there like football here, so merchandising is big business and they buy the shirts etc and follow their team, that finished years ago in British speedway, probably around the time of the premier league starting and coverage of football increasing, one notable aspect of this happened this last couple of weeks, Lublin having to restructure themselves because council grants which most teams receive are being cut because there local football club is doing well and maybe that’s a sign of things changing.

Personally I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, no one is coming out of this mess with any credibility, firstly the club (Kent) must have known something , Vinny situation and realised how to spin it to get coops in, Vinny for the obvious but he’s like lots of young riders relying heavily on others to get him there so presumably things happen and was stuff, bspl and bspa, when they make decisions like this they just don’t seem to realise how it looks in the eyes of people looking at speedway as a professional sport, the referee, he’s obviously not double checked it the day before after coops was announced, but finally it is the fans who suffer, Birmingham on the day had to field a team that was half full of lads who were genuinely happy to ride and do their best and yet they still had to have R/R for a rider?? What the fans really want is 7 riders each team, possibly balanced but 7 v 7, this is the start point for most teams and not premier league, god sake just let kids race and get on with it, embarrassing day on top of other days

I wonder who that NDL rider is!!😀

Plymouth would be mad to move up and does anyone actually know for certain what will happen with Sheffield, all sorts of things are being said ranging from complete shutdown to Nigel Tolley coming in but dropping down into championship to not risking his own money anymore, it seems as usual that it’s a mess and the fans are yet again left in the dark, something has to change and if it is one league without gp riders then so be it but at least it’s regular meetings and variety instead of stop start season and usual suspects at the top

Afternoon John it’s Billy’s dad, absolutely gutted for you guys especially sonny, I remember us all having dinner together in Edinburgh couple of years back after a youth meeting and we all said at the time about the costs of the game and we all said then it would kill it, it’s all well certain individuals spending whatever they want and good luck to them, however we said who the hell are they going to race against if they price out the majority!! I don’t know how much I spend and have spent and I really don’t want to know and we like you are at the same end of the ladder (or was), but if we can’t afford it next year we know that is it, I like you will certainly not bankrupt us for speedway. Sending you all best wishes 👍

Last time I went to Poole my lad and I who’s now a rider himself went to watch Poole against Belle Vue and magic was in the Poole team and track wasn’t great, seen plenty of times on tv since but it is really a shocking sight, still bumpy as hell in turn one and so slick it is embarrassing, watching it must be hard

That’s not going to happen because he might tell them a few things that they don’t want to hear!

My post was on youth level speedway not premiership speedway!!! I made my point that they (muppets) not Birmingham fans general posters, you should read the post correctly, however, so what if every other club folded in the midlands that doesn’t give Birmingham the divine right to expect other supporters to attend does it?? He incidentally put on coaches for wolves fans when they shut but nobody used them! Get your facts straight before posting

Laurence Rodgers gets some shameful treatment on this forum from complete and utter muppets, some of whom are supposed to be speedway fans and incredibly Birmingham fans, not one of whom has actually played any part of bringing anything to the table in regards to introducing a single rider into the sport (probably), gave any encouragement to the same as making a point of chatting with juniors before meetings asking if they require any assistance in the sport, (if so they are hiding behind a keyboard which is even worse) personally I have had dealings with Laurence for a great many years and his encouragement and support is beyond any other promotion, he’s always been very supportive to all the juniors and young riders and always keeps in touch regarding the next meeting, how many clubs are actually doing that?? And to think all clubs are still required to do something to promote junior level, he’s doing it every week not just once. Remember once it’s gone it’s permanent and then you have nothing to moan about, however, judging by some he is getting the blame for that also! Shameless

So to clarify, you come on speedway thread, about in your opinion a shambles of a event and tell everyone that they should attend BSB or something like that, saying how it’s done so much better and haven’t even been yourself??? Behave, like your previous comment embarrassed for you,

Why would they want to attend any your obvious favourite events? They were just there to watch speedway, Cardiff was a shambles for years and all this fanny about the experience, do me a favour, a joke of a fan zone so far away from stadium you needed new shoes after walking there, couple of street sellers and pubs (which every city has) so what, the GP is 2/3 hours long not all day and certainly apart from this particular time not a weekend, I suggest if you are not happy with what the majority enjoyed last night walk away, tap your keyboard and see how happy that makes you. Embarrassing post

As much as I agree with your statement about pre season predictions and lack of interest on social media etc, these leagues are designed for young lads and maybe girls to enter a competitive league and build on their experience, virtually all the teams are doing a great job having rookies in their teams and first and foremost that should be welcomed, whoever wins or finishes bottom should not be the aim.

I was talking about the fact that they want riders to travel north and it’s a long way to lots of them and they are rushed on at the end of a meeting that has meandered on in a time constrait which is ridiculous and everyone knows it and if it’s too late they just say sorry but it’s off, and that’s happened plenty (Berwick twice in our case) in one month and it’s 4.5 hours and 300 miles home without the journey up, anyway you reap what you sow and it’s going over old ground which I’m sure nobody is interested in

Looking at youth get together at northside it seems strange clubs have difficulty getting 125cc riders to turn up judging by the number of youngsters, however, parents are the drivers, mechanics and everything else and as much as clubs treat them with contempt the parents will select what meetings they attend and the league system will suffer, only way to improve things is for clubs to stop burying their heads in the sand

Extremely poor taste comment, good lad is Ben and he will be okay imho

Really good idea, keeps the team on track, gauge crowd levels and potential for seeing how team members pull together, before entering league next year

Agree with that mate big time but haven’t we slightly missed the point that for some it’s still a part time job so too speak? So yeah championship level and above where the lads it’s there job, however we class that, below that level you’re hoping to get lads who might have full time jobs to comply with all the regulations that top tier riders have to deal with and then travel and ride for peanuts and be happy to try and as you said progress up, um as KK said I’m not sure but let’s see

I truly believe all the lads we know have always been wanting to progress otherwise there wouldn’t be a youth series, it’s after that it’s just more difficult I think, seeing both sides of the arguments lads say dad we will get through it and be great other lads have said o stuff it can’t be arsed with it anymore and good lads at that, lads that wanted to progress even further but were fed up with things around the sport, that’s more the point I’m making, we should be trying to make it work for everyone rather than a limited few otherwise we all know what outcome will come