YeOldPitGate

20 users at best where dying out at a faster rate than the tracks.

Don't give them ideas

That's Fox's big problem three riders who at different times won't fancy it so the odds are every match you are going to have one or two of them getting 0-3 when which makes it incredibly difficult to get a result. At the end of the day we know they were left with the absolute scraps, but Kye Thompson has been outstanding and Iverson despite his years always puts a shift in so at least they aren't getting battered every week.

What does the crowd look like ? according to Speedway updates the local morgue is busier on Christmas day

Can someone check the pit gate.

Personal opinion Kevin Brice to the first bend he was unbeatable exiting the first bend he was terrible.

Agreed you would think that would be part of their plan when they took over, how much can Ipswich stadium hold ? I can remember going on bank hol mondays in the late 90's when Lynn were visiting and they would regularly get north of 5k turn up.

Fair point despite what a few Witches fan's have been saying I don't think their 1-7 is that bad it's pretty solid throughout , if they can get Bangs going he's the key, all be it he's been poor so far, yes Kennet wasn't the greatest message of ambition to send out either, its a real shame they couldn't get Throssell over the line.

Thanks Mike but I was thinking more if he made himself available to come back now, why as others have suggested Ipswich didn't push to get him back given how much he's loved in Suffolk.

I'm not privey to any inside info but I thought Ipswich were profitable last year and backed by a wealthy sponsor ,given no Emil to fund this year I would have thought if they wanted Doyle back in theory if crowd numbers have held up and main sponsors are still there they could have afforded him without breaking the bank ? what am I missing ?

I think most cities are an avoid these days my nearest big city Norwich is a shadow of what it was 20 plus years ago, maybe Cambridge, Oxford, Bath and City of London but most others I can't say I'm in a hurry to go to.

Quite possibly and you also have less experienced riders on uber powerful bikes, I've never been a fan of the old swearer but can't deny his grit and determination even prior to that awful last big crash he was no longer at the very top table. Equally when riding for Sheffield he could beat 99% of the UK riders in his sleep like he was going round the track in an arm chair with a cigar on the go. He probably is the kind of fella if given total power could make a go of turning the sport round but equally you could see him getting frustrated very early doors with the current caretakers letting out a war cry of two words beginning with f and followed by c and walking out the door.

I was there also for that one also Roger 16 years old, 41 years ago jeez great atmosphere with the Gunderson v Neilson rivalry at its peak and Sudden Sam nearly nicking the title, Bradford was a good track I also went the year Per Jonson won it and I remember him using the banking to sweep past Jimmy Nilson on the run in to the line. I do remember walking to the stadium though even then you had to be on your toes I can't imagine the place is much better these days. Seems like a lifetime ago now but truly great times.

Here you go probably when the sport was near its peak how it missed Bruce

Now your talking General the old british finals at Coventry what a great day out 10k plus would turn up, you had Silver, Havelock, Wigg, Tatum, Morton and loads more in with a shout of winning brilliant days. I was 16-19 when I used too go with my best friend and his dad, my mates old man was an utter loon behind the wheel and I always remember the carnage of getting out of the car park after the meeting when he would be doing his biscuit and battling for every inch of space spare heading to the gap out of the field with 5,000 other cars.

My god is it any wonder that no one (other than the Fords) can make a quid out of the sport how are you expected to hold onto a fan base with a month and half between home match's.

what do you think killed it then ? my thoughts are crowds never came back post covid and the night Bewley won it the track was beyond terrible.

I know the sport is in serious straiths in the UK but is that really correct ?

20-25k might come but that would still be half of what Cardiff was getting near its peak from what Mike has said it seems to me the current business model is go for a much smaller crowd of 5-6k over two nights but apply the maximum soak you can get away with when it comes to prices.

Thanks a long way off the mid 40's of ten plus years back sadly ,lord knows how the sport is to be saved in the UK if it even can be now. I sure don't know the answers its just tragic to see what can be such a brilliant sport absolutely bottom the pile as far as fanbase, sponsors and media interest goes. Its probably going to have to totally collapse and maybe an Eddie Hearn type figure might emerge to try and restart it but I can't help feeling team speedway will be finished in 5-10 years time and individual meetings will just be held ad-hoc round the UK.

Wouldn't be a bad swap if they would come back over.

Spot on

Usual thing though taking the lazy route out on a rider who is nearly forty and hasn't ridden for years due to a bad injury whilst I hope he does well I can't see Eddie putting one extra body on the gate. At the same time you had a load of semi decent youngsters up at Glasgow for a gp round wouldn't it have been worth a trip up to see if you could bag one of them who might generate a bit of interest as an up and coming talent around the local area.

Always respect your views Mike as you have said previously there are ten's of thousands of lapsed fans of which I am one. I used to live near Lynn so in my late teens I could drive to Saddlebow in ten minutes and then be in the stadium, now I live about an hour and quarter drive away so roughly two and half hour round trip on a school night. I should be able to semi retire at sixty in three years time so might go a few times then but its the usual things that put me off, £25 (I'm guessing to get in now), track seems to have a bad rep these days against mid 80's early 90's when it produced great racing, plus likely guest fest and r/r as well throw on top probably £20 for fuel and another £20 for a dubious burger and a flat pint and your looking at getting on for a £75-£80 verses staying in and watching something of choice on 100 plus Sky channels. Its ever tougher for the sport to attract peoples dollar not just speedway but pubs and nightclubs decimated over the last 20-25 years and look like they are never coming back sadly. As I say to my to lads "in my day you had to go out and find a woman none of this online stuff, my generation had to take ---- off to the face" but great time also pre-mobiles and internet. Its a shame as the last four races of the world cup held in Poland when Poland just beat the UK were some of the best racing I've seen for years so it shows the sport can still be every bit as good as it was in the 80's and 90's.

What is the crowd for both night though Mike ? I'm all for anything that drags the sport up by its bootstraps but pre-covid the british round used to pull in north of 40k I'm guessing belle vue will be somewhere between 6-10k each night which is half that old number.