RobMcCaffery

Where the hell is this rule that if you watch speedway on TV then you can't watch it live? Of course there isn't one and life is a damn sight more complex than option A - watch on TV - or B - Go to a match. And they try to claim that promoters are blinkered! I am happy to watch as much speedway as I can, either in person or on TV, because it's a sport that I love and have loved for nearly fifty years now. I have watched the sport live and on TV, and have helped to make it happen both live and on TV. In recent years ill-health has denied me the chance to watch live and TV has been a lifeline. Thankfully things are set to change for me next year and I will be able to get out to see meetings live. In the past I've watched live speedway seven nights/days a week and would now if I could. I can't but I don't see why I should be denied the chance to keep in touch via TV. Noggin's point about losing tracks is a very relevant one. In my case I lost my track 44 years ago! I find it deeply insulting that some simple-minded 'supporters' think that you can't watch on TV AND go to meetings live. Life isn't just made up of binary choices - one extreme or another! I'm sure I'm not the only person who loves to do both. It's simplistic, lazy and stupid thinking to 'think' that it has to be one or the other. You can give coherent, complete coverage of a 15 heat match easily in half an hour. No need for 'highlights' packages. Most sports that have lost TV coverage or have never had it are desperate to either get it back (ice hockey/basketball) or have been prepared to pay to get coverage started (netball). Only speedway could be so moronic to even think of turning TV away.

Old sets work fine with a Freeview set top box. Another myth to sell hardware, like Sky's attempt to hoodwink the public with the lie that after Digital Switchover Day if viewers didn't have Sky then their screens would go blank. They've always tried to tell the public that there's no real alternative to opening a financial vein to Sky and anything else is just too complicated to bother with. It's pretty hard to buy a modern TV set without a Freeview tuner built in. I expect the exceptions have Freesat installed instead. While old analogue TVs would now be generally old enough to have been replaced there is no reason at all why they can't still work with a set top box fitted. Indeed you could use a 1960s black and white TV as long as it had UHF on it. I even know of some who use old VHF 405 sets from the 60s and before to use digital boxes using a standards converter to change UHF to VHF. Lord knows why - presumably because it can be done! (You don't just get odd people in speedway - I remember a group of Linux devotees trying to install Linux on an X-Box (which is just a stripped down Windows pc) just to spite Microsoft)

It's just a branding of the standard digital terrestrial TV service, as opposed to cable or DTH satellite. Because Murdoch has such a hold on British commercial TV it was felt necessary to give it such a branding. Murdoch was trying to suggest that after the switch to digital you could only receive TV from his Sky (Fox) service. So, anyone receiving TV through a standard aerial/antenna can receive 'Freeview' but the number of channels you get depends on whether you're on one of the main transmitters or one of the local relays. You have to be receiving one of the main transmitters to get Freesports, and until recently only if you had an HD receiver. Unlike the States we fouled-up digital switchover totally by phasing it in around the country rather than nationally on one day as in the US. As a result the who;e subject and the multiple brandings are very confused. There's even 'Freesat' which is the DTH satellite service minus the pay-TV channels which is intended for those who can't or won't receive 'Freeview'. Murdoch's Sky is the main satellite service while BT use a mix of DTT and internet to deliver their rival service. The cable is virtually all Virgin Media, owned by Liberty Global.

Time to repeat my personal experience from years back, for the benefit of those who haven't heard it before. From 1984 to early 1986 I presented a weekly news review on the old Screen Sport TV channel which was transmitted about 5 pm on Saturday evenings. One of the areas that had a large cluster of towns carrying the service on cable was Kent so when I always finished the programme with a look at the week's fixtures (a personal choice to get the message out when viewers could watch the sport live for themselves), I always emphasised that there was a meeting at Canterbury at 7 pm. We had weekly speedway then. How quaint, eh? We received feedback that the then Canterbury promoter was objecting to our programme harming his crowds. How anyone could think half an hour of me talking to camera unscripted with a couple of interviews and a preview of a race from that week' recorded match was preferable to going to Kingsmead was way beyond me. After all this time you do hope that things have changed. Clearly not. Looking on thankfully from the sidelines now it does seem that speedway gets far better coverage than those running it deserve. Look at how shabbily the excellent BBC Radio WM service has been treated by certain tracks when they wanted to cover away matches. Yes, there is a local BBC that not only gives full match commentary when they can on Wolverhampton and Birmingham matches but are also keen to cover the away fixtures! Somehow they still bother although the service has been relegated to the BBC website only now. Re the 2017 BT coverage, I thought with the exception of the ill-advised coverage of the promotion/relegation matches the televised meetings managed to avoid most of the vices of the sport this year - mass rider absenteeism, multiple guests, rider walk-outs and races to just get 10 heats run and finish for the night. Perhaps the lack of clashing fixtures elsewhere on Mondays helped? Despite some dodgy camerawork the whole feel of BT's coverage felt a step up from Sky despite what appears to be a very limited budget. The role of Natalie Quirk in achieving this, along with Steve Brandon cannot be praised enough. If you just watched the BT coverage and ignored all other matches, speedway news and social media you'd think you were looking at a pretty healthy product. That was a pretty skilled job, climaxed by the ability to ignore the obvious yawning gaps in logic of the relegation play-off where true discretion was used in not saying why key parts of the Leicester team were missing ;-) I hope they're back next year.

It was closed for many years pending this complete rebuild. It looks like there's little of the old Speedway World Final stadium left.

The British speedway season runs from March 15th to October 31st. If certain tracks wish to close early and have their end of season booze-ups during the season then that is their choice, but they cannot dictate when others finish their fixtures providing they fall within those dates. Perhaps the greatest indicator of the present weakness of the sport here is that whereas in the past tracks staged as many meetings as possible through that period now the aim seems to be reversed, with it appears a record low being targetted next year if an 11 match home season is introduced in the Premiership. From over 30 to a dozen . That's how far speedway here really has fallen.

While I sympathise with Somerset here, the main track where I was involved over the years avoided such clashes by staging their event in November. But then, we weren't full of overseas riders who have better things to do in November. (Mind you, most seem to have better things to do between March and October). Where I do not sympathise is the comment that there are 'meaningless fixtures' taking place on Friday. All three are league matches and if they are now 'meaningless' then god help the sport. Okay the titles have been decided but that does not make completing the season 'meaningless'. - it's completing the season. Almost any other team sport I know would find it laughable that league seasons could not be completed. Only in speedway is it accepted, which is one more small reason why it lacks respect in the outside world. Okay, so if these three matches are 'meaningless' and should not be run, where exactly do we draw the line? Once it's mathematically impossible for a team to make the play-offs should they cancel all remaining fixtures since they are now 'meaningless'? During a meeting, once a side cannot mathematically win do we abandon the match and cancel the 'meaningless' heats? Do fans get refunds on their season tickets? 'Meaningless' is a stupid concept and is corrosive to the sport. It's only one small step for people to decide the whole sport is without meaning. Why can't we just enjoy speedway - and complete the season without these damaging comments? A speedway meeting is worth a thousand booze-ups

Well that Leicester City fan missed a decent night's speedway. I take it the Foxes' performance in that 'must win' match means they are now relegated. Funny sport football. I remember when it was all decided at the end of the season. Anyway, over five months before they can resume their casual support of the sport. BT did a great job of presenting these two extra matches - putting aside the illogicality of it all and just enjoying a couple of nights of speedway. More fool those too busy trying to prove how clever they were - and failing dismally. Can't wait for the next match. Just hope it's on BT. Would prefer to be at the tracks but we have to take what fate gives us. At least most of have a choice. Sadly not me. Always hated close seasons, especially now they've grown longer for most teams.

A must win football match in October? Really? There are at least 12 more Leicester City home fixtures between now and mid-March. There are 0 Lions fixtures. Of course it's your choice and obviously speedway's just a casual interest.

Sorry, I forgot to insert the words 'not' and 'dream on'.

Perhaps people who like speedway and enjoy a night out at their local track, especially when it's likely to be nearly six months before the next opportunity? (People who actually like speedway? No, it'll never catch on....)

Re Cook, there have been far, far too many short-term illnesses amongst riders, mostly linked to trips to Poland or scheduled trips to inconvenient fixtures. It is essential that the cases of those suffering are thoroughly investigated and that the safety of other riders is not compromised ;-) I've never known a sport with so many short-term illnesses or miracle recoveries. Is it something in the methanol? Congratulations to the BSPA for finally tackling this and hopefully improving the long-term health of their competitors.

All conversations drift away from the main topic sometimes so there's no need for that attitude. If there WAS any news on Swindon stadium it would certainly be here now. In future I will submit my posts to you for approval of course.

I think he meant Tom, don't you? Richie's role was rather minor.

Only Joe rode for Ellesmere Port - for just that final 1985 season. The Gunners had been closed for a few years prior to Mervyn Porter's brave attempt to re-establish the sport at Thornton Road but the crowds just weren't there, even with a championship-winning team. .

Sportowe Fakty are putting the boot further in with a short history of Polish scandal, going back to a dubious result that hurt Polonia Bydgoszcz - when they were the club of the police force. https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/715990/zuzlowa-korupcja-na-golasa-i-ze-strozami-prawa-przebranymi-za-kibicow I take it they're saving the full horror stories for the Hallowe'en edition....

Nothing ruins a conversation more than politics, religion........................ or discussion of Poole Speedway ;-)

Those who lecture or goad us on how wonderful Polish Speedway is might like to switch on Google Translate and read this. https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/715795/jest-pierwszy-zatrzymany-w-aferze-korupcyjnej-wydzial-do-walki-z-korupcja-przesl It reports that a 40 year-old man has been detained by police following allegations of strange proposals being received by Gdansk riders, notably Kacper Gomolski. Excess money in sport can so easily attract corruption. Let's hope this is either a mistake or an isolated story. If not.......

I suspect he's been in all night.... He must have got bored and switched accounts. Thanks to both sides for producing a fascinating and memorable final. I'm pleased that the table-toppers won the title but have to sympathise with Wolves' awful luck with injuries and being unable to deal with the problem due to past misdemeanours by others. Once more BT managed to show the sport in a far greater light than perhaps was true of what's been overall a pretty wretched season. Somehow British Speedway's managed to present itself very well for the televised meetings with thankfully the farces taking place well away from cameras, with minimal guests and no obvious rider tantrums. Perhaps it does show how the sport can still function reasonably well on a night when no other leagues or international competitions are being staged. I don't approve of the fixed night idea but it might be a sad necessity if we're going to make the rest of the sport here as professional as it has come across on BT. I'm sure a casual viewer would be shocked to know the full off-camera story of the 2017 British speedway season. Now, if we can get it right when the cameras are there we must surely be able to do the same when they're absent. There's still hope.

If you argue that an asset should not be considered a guest it would favour those teams with the greatest asset list. If say Harris were a Wolves asset but on loan to =Rye House this year he would still have been a guest irrespective of asset 'ownership'. To create a situation where Wolves could have brought in Woffinden you would really have to create a squad system - and I suspect that would cause utter chaos to police in Britain. In Poland riders are desperate to get in the teams and earn the big money so are prepared to wait as unused squad members. Would they wait to be called upon for pin money in Britain? Whatever the temptation of allowing Woffinden in you either have a guest or squad system. They are logically excusive. Although the Lindgren case is obviously genuine, given some of the 'convenient' injuries at play-off time in past seasons the situation could become chaotic if a team has a useful asset not riding, as we have seen very recently. Whether a rider is an asset or not, if he's in another team's declaration or not involved in the sport here he's still a guest. Sadly Wolves are the victims of rule-bending by other teams in the past. Okay one team.....

No it shows how much contempt there is for it and its obnoxious supporters.

I have read the whole thread and made many contributions. Unfortunately there's not enough hours in the day to study the overall contributions of most individual members. I was merely highlighting that it is easy to be cynical but far more important to have healthy scepticism. The GI/Stadia UK/ Bristol Stadium story needs pulling together by a proper team of investigative journalists. I have read with horror the naive acceptance of the many platitudes being issued by those involved in this story. You only have to look at the poor planning applications to ask whether they are a sign of incompetence or deliberate confusion and delaying tactics. Last time I looked at the proposed site I saw a large puddle and a shack. I take it this is a sign of the reported drainage problems. 'Due diligence' should have dealt with that at the outset of the scheme. It stinks.

It's a case of doing what Poland want and hope all will work out. Watch Poland add Fridays and possibly Wednesdays to their racing calendar once we implement this. Easy. You have the riders ride for the team you want to run in the Premiership next year Might be useful if someone forwards this to Go Speed.

Bristol Stadium (Knowle) Bristol Stadium (Eastville) Oxford (briefly in the late 1970s) Reading (Smallmead) Milton Keynes ...................... Swindon? Torquay United? Poole? It's healthy scepticism, not cynicism. Sometimes the alarm bells have to be sounded since these people seemingly rely on complacency and gullibility.

It's odd that the story claims the Italians won't let the cameras in but Sabmar will be transmitting delayed coverage at 10pm UK. It must have lost something in translation.