macky

Speedway possibly needs go the same way as cricket. Look how the hundred has attracted huge crowds due to a different approach with the format with world class players performing every match. The cricket purists said it wouldn't work and have been proved wrong. Perhaps a similar thing should be tried and with a little thought and proper promotion you never know.

I started going to Speedway in 1967 and went every week from 1968 onwards to Canterbury, Reading, Oxford, Eastbourne,Arena/Lakeside but stopped going after Poole decided to buy their way to the top every year. I firmly blame Matt Foord for the decline of speedway over the last few years. Also the other promoters for allowing all of the underhand shenanigans once the play offs started. Grand prix riders signed to replace second strings, Chris Harris riding in more play off matches than any other rider. This destroyed the remaining credibility of speedway. I'm afraid that it will not regain credibility back in the near future unless there are huge changes. I do not believe the general public will ever accept speedway all the time riders ride for two or sometimes three different teams, this just does not compute with any possible newcomer.

Sometimes you remember the stupid things that happen, as a Canterbury supporter four very stupid memories come back. when the supporters on the coach had a whip round to buy Mike Ferreria from Coatbridge so he could ride that night. The time the coach driver was declared as our number 8 at Berwick so we didn't get a fine for not having enough riders, An injured Bob Spelta shouting abuse at fellow Ausies at Crayford and a Crayford supporter telling him he should try riding if he thought he could do better, with Bob pointing out he got ten points last time he was there. But the highlight must be the time Barry Thomas started his bike in the back of the coach full of supporters while on the motorway on the way to an away match. Frightened the life out of everyone including the driver. Good times.

Sometimes you remember the stupid things that happen, as a Canterbury supporter four very stupid memories come back. when the supporters on the coach had a whip round to buy Mike Ferreria from Coatbridge so he could ride that night. The time the coach driver was declared as our number 8 at Berwick so we didn't get a fine for not having enough riders, An injured Bob Spelta shouting abuse at fellow Ausies at Crayford and a Crayford supporter telling him he should try riding if he thought he could do better, with Bob pointing out he got ten points last time he was there. But the highlight must be the time Barry Thomas started his bike in the back of the coach full of supporters while on the motorway on the way to an away match. Frightened the life out of everyone including the driver. Good times.

On the same subject I have just purchased a pile of old speedway stars from an antique shop ranging from 1967 - 1969 and the memories they bought back are brilliant. I found the the report for the very first speedway meeting I went too. Wimbledon v Swindon, where a Swindon side with Briggs, Broadbanks, Ashby and Kilby won. From that moment I was hooked. After that meeting we went to Wimbledon regularly until 1968 when Canterbury started. There is report of a meeting at Canterbury against the best of the league with 9,000 watching. The reports of all the meetings make good reading with all the star names of the era riding every week,(all for one team) Briggs,Mauger,Boocock,Ashby,Wilson, Betts, and a couple of promising new comers, Olsen and Michanek (I wonder what happened to them?) the list goes on and on with all the new riders in the new second division. If only we could return to those days.....

I have said this before but will repeat what I see as one of the main issues. I started going to speedway in 1967, Wimbledon v Swindon and would travel from Canterbury to Wimbledon and Hackney weekly. When Canterbury started I went to every home match and the majority of away matches. When Canterbury closed I would go to Coventry, Oxford,Eastbourne or Reading at least one meeting a week just to get my speedway fix. When Lakeside moved up a league I went there every week also most of their away matches. (Didn't go before as I did not like a track with no fence) This all finished when Poole started their win at all costs regardless of the harm it caused speedway. Sign GP riders and drop regular riders when they reached the play offs each year. The final straw came when they called off a meeting against Lakeside who they had lost against three weeks earlier because Chris Holder was injured. I had booked a day off work for this meeting upsetting my work mate who also wanted the day off. Then the farce at Belle Vue when they needed to win by six points, this they managed as the meeting was called off the moment they went six in front. I stopped going to Speedway from that moment, not even going to Sittingbourne when they started. Speedway is a brilliant sport when the teams are equal and riders only ride for one team apart from the juniors. I suspect the answer is two leagues. Division one and up and comers league with these riders being able to ride as reserves or replacements in division one. NO guest riders in either league. Pay riders what the promotion can afford and if that means less foreign/GP riders so be it. I would rather see a match with six or seven equal riders rather than one or two top riders winning every race.

I cannot see this set up working at all. Are the Eastbourne supporters going to travel 60-90 minutes to see their team and are the Kent/Canterbury/Sittingbourne supporters going to support their arch enemy Eastbourne as their team. It is going to need a lot of work and promoting. It does mean there is speedway in Kent but I suspect not for a full season.

Testomonial's should only be for loyalty to one club and not riding for ten years for various clubs. I remember Dave Mullet getting two at Reading and as far as I'm aware he is the only rider to achieve two for the same club

I, like a lot of supporters stopped going to live matches several years ago. I started going to speedway in 1964 when we would travel from Canterbury to Wimbledon. I then supported Canterbury missing only a handful of matches and going to the majority of the away matches. When Canterbury closed I would travel to Reading,Coventry,Oxford,Eastbourne and Ipswich. When Arena Essex moved up I went to all of their meetings but lost interest when Poole called off a meeting due to Chris Holder being injured, I had booked a day off to go as Arena had won there a couple of weeks earlier. Then the shambles of a meeting at Belle Vue where Tony Steel allowed Poole to get the six points ahead then called the meeting off as unsafe,it should never have even started. With all the grand prix riders suddenly turning up for play off meetings it made a farce of the whole league programme.This started a few years ago with Linback and Hancock among the first. I said farewell after all this and I cannot see a return soon. The powers to be who allowed all of this are to blame for the state of british speedway and everyone knows the main culprits.