oldswindonsupporter

Then the sport's governing body (whatever or whoever that might be really needs to grasp the nettle and sort out quite how to make the sport affordable - it is no good chasing a dream if you can not afford it! Be interesting to see what would happen if the TV contract which ends this year is not renewed quite how drastic the trimming of the product might have to undergo, fixed costs or not. Currently there isn't the money to spend on ferrying riders here there and everywhere, forget the riders deserve everything comment, they do, but, not at a price whereby there is ultimately no product.

And that may be is the real problem, no good sticking your head in the sand, if the market will only pay / support £10 then the cost of the product needs to be trimmed, that is basic business logic! If speedway wants to survive, it has to cut costs as there isn't the appetite to pay for it at current prices. I went to Somerset last Tuesday purely and simply as it was an attractive meeting at an affordable price, £20 for two. The normal £30 is something that I'd think twice at especially when you also have to factor in the other costs as well, parking, fuel, programme, eats, drinks.

Tonight's meeting has been postponed.

Again for the record, I have not been to the Abbey for several years now, hence the "old" in the name! Agree both locations are cold unless you are sheltered from the wind, even in the height of summer! However, I'm not comparing like for like, just stating my view, regardless of the origins of the place and what they have done in that time period. I've certainly seen crap racing at both locations during my time. Hopefully that will not be the case tonight!

It was a tongue in cheek posting however, the reasons citied in jest may also be just reasons that need to be overcome in order for the sport to move forward and attract new support! In my opinion viewing at the OTA is poor compared to some tracks unless you brave the elements off the Bristol Channel and stand on the banking on the back straight / 3rd and 4th bends, otherwise too flat! For the record, I'm actually planning to be at the meeting subject to a favourable weather report later!

Now let me see, save myself £20 admission, no fuel costs, no food or drink costs, stay in the warm and potentially dry, no chances with the track after the rain, a far better view of the racing! How's that for starters!

Just bought tickets - from the speedwaygp.com site, just click through or try this http://speedwaygp.seetickets.com/event/2014-british-fim-speedway-grand-prix/millennium-stadium/713930

That's as may be, but if Swindon do not own him, it can't be considered a done deal as they no right to loan him out. He is still a Glasgow asset until should time money changes hands or any other agreement is made.

Not really, currently he is a Glasgow asset as no money has changed hands. Now, if another club wants to buy him and pay the fee, that club may decide to loan him elsewhere or even might want him to ride for them, so if P'boro were to buy him, that might mean a no to a loan to Somerset, or any other club. Of course Somerset could always buy him!

It sure is useless!

Joe Screen according to twitter!

Nick has been signed by Swindon - http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/speedway/10068534.Robins_swoop_for_Morris_on_permanent_deal/

George and I ventured down the M5 for our second visit in two weeks, first impressions, far bigger crowd than for the Glasgow match, the attractiveness of the opposition or recent events or last match scenario, take your pcik! Entertaining meeting, some hard and close racing, Newcastle always seemed to have the upper hand, Plymouth let down by the reserves, paid 8 for Plymouth, paid 21 for Newcastle, and to some extent CG but not for the want of trying, a normal score from him and it might well have been a different result. Bizzare heat 2, Claes Nedermark wide bend 4 last lap whilst Holder on inside, Holder crosses track tot the outside and nearly lost it crossing the line, Claus up the inside for the win. Anderson off 15m, closed the gap on Starke but couldn't find a way through! Heat 9, Lindgren ef whilst leading, pushed home for the point. Strange decision in Ht 12, Anderson down, Lemon just after, think they must have clashed slightly but Anderson was behind at the time, this on bend 2 not 1 as per the updates, all 4 back for the re-run! Possible mistake made by dropping Ben Reade in Ht 9, that meant he had to have his third ride in Ht14 when the Devils needed not to concede a heat advantage or at worst a 2 - 4 but with Holder and Reade in it, cue the expected 1 - 5, match won! Robson and Fisher close race in Ht 13 resulting in Robson up the inside on the home straight, didn't leave Fisher any room, rightly excluded. Very close Ht 15, Barker covering Fisher against Robson who very nearly got past off the last bend, blanket over all three time for the four laps. Once again, good quality racing, very enjoyable evening. Lets hope the new consortium get the necessary permissions, would be a shame for this venue to disappear.

Those were the days, when throttle control and the ability to ride a bike rather than go full pelt and hang on was the way to ride speedway!

If Josh is not overly happy riding at Ashfield, why then did he agree to come back? I for one fully expected him to kick on from 2011 and be challenging for top slot alongside Joe, which sadly hasn't happended.

Have to say didn't expect too much from Worky before the match started but we went away, Worky really had the stuffing knocked out of them Tero into the fence in heat 5 and withdrawing meant that the R/R rides were left to the two reserves, Johnson obviously not up to PL standard and Morris. Morris top scorer with Bach, 9+1 against 9. Engine failure for Bach when on a six point win, Lawson puncture when on a six pointer. Newman knocked off Morris in heat 2, it seemed he had the speed whereas Morris slowed down in the corner- clash, Newman rightly excluded, perhaps he should have chosen a different line but he didn't, easy with hindsight. The big problem with last night was the time to run it, 2hr 20 min for 15 minutes of racing! Thankfully we didn't have an interval but where was the interest in speeding things along? So many people complaining, aside from the delays for injuries, lack of prompt two minutes, riders taking the pi** at the start with all this getting ready, what happended to respect for the start marshall not that he showed much interest in sorting the riders out. Needs to be far slicker in my opinion, and they wonder why crowds go down! Oh the racing, some top drawer passes on the outside, not too bad a meeting racing wise but ruined by being so drawn out.

Anderson was well on the money after his 1st two rides, looked the better of the two reserves by a country mile for sure, Ben ought to be in the other and replace Holder with someone who can score points in the top five. Gathercole rode well and in some ways is the victim of being in the shadow of the top two. As to the goings on etc, no idea as a first time visitor, would I return, most definetly! This is a venue that needs to grow bit by bit and not get itself into financial trouble after moving up a league, however, the money that Barker and Fisher demand, I hope it doesn't bankrupt the club.

Heats: 1. Barker, Kurtz, Screen, Campton R 2. Wright, Holder, Sitera, Anderson R - Tigers gated on a 5 -1 3. Gathercole, Grajczonek, Campton R/R, Reade R - how Gathercole squeezed up the inside of Josh on the 3rd / 4th bend I don't know! 4. Fisher, Grieves, Sitera, Anderson 5. Screen, Gathercole, Campton, Holder - Reade excluded 2 mins 6. Re-Run Barker, Grieves, Wright - Kurtz excluded after falling 2nd bend 7. Fisher, Grajczonek, Wright R/R, Holder 8. Campton, Anderson, Sitera, Kurtz R - forceful / determined ride by Campton to hit the front bend 3 9. Grieves, Gathercole, Wright, Reade 10. Barker, Kurtz, Grajczonek, Sitera R/R - race of the night, the two devils either side of Josh on home off 4th bend 11. Re-Run Screen, Fisher, Campton - RR for Anderson in place of Holder, fell 3rd bend 1st lap, Fisher down as well and Campton layed down to avoid Fisher 12. Gathercole, Anderson, Wright, Grajczonek - why oh why didn't Wright let Grajczonek past here, held him up, no need to race your partner! 13. Barker, Fisher, Screen, Grieves 14. Grajczonek R/R, Anderson RR for Holder, Wright RR for Sitera, Reade 15. Barker, Fisher, Grieves, Screen R - Screen retired 3rd bend, caught foot in a hole, Grieves comfortably in 2nd until last alp 3rd bend, ef Barker awarded man of the match

Individual Scores Ben Barker 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 15 Todd Kurtz 21, EX (F), R, 21 = 42 Cory Gathercole 3, 2, 2, 3 = 10 Ben Reade R, EX (2), 0, 0 = 0 Ryan Fisher 3, 3, 2, 21, 21 = 122 James Holder 2, 0, 0 = 2 Jake Anderson R, 0, 2, EX (F), 21, 2 = 61 Joe Screen 1, 3, 3, 1, R = 8 Mason Campton R, 11, 1, 3, 1 = 61 Josh Grajczonek 2, 2, 0, 1, 3 = 8 Henning Bager R/R 11, 11, 0, 3 = 52 James Grieves 2, 2, 3, 0, 0 = 7 Charles Wright 3, 11, 11, 1, 1, 1 = 82 Filip Sitera 1, 11, 1, 0 = 31

First time visit to the SBA and have to say, what a nice little set up, for sure there needs to be some more facilities but those can follow, meeting run at a slick paceuntil ht 12 when we had an interval - not quite sure why, no entertainment, no draw made, no interviews on the mic, in fact pointless apart from the track grading which happened after hts 4, 8 and 12. And then we have Mike Bowden on the mic to thank the referee for speeding things along on a night when the temperatures fell away and we didn't want to be standing around in the cold for longer than necessary, bizzare! Anyways, onto the racing, well, Ben Barker sure is dialled in here, won 3 races easily from the gate and when he didn't, by the end of the 1st lap from 3rd to 1st in a terrific ht 10 and by the back straight in the other. Why he is in the Premier that's another story...however, no team man on last nights evidence, cue ht 15, Plymouth need a 5 - 1 for the three points, Ben sailed off into the sun leaving Ryan to try and overcome Grievesy, if he had looked he would have seen the situation and could have helped his partner but no, more interested in himself from that display. However, all turned out right in the end as Grievesy had ef going into 3rd bend on last lap when comfortably in 2nd and with that Glasgow left empty handed, thought they deserved a point for their efforts. Heat details later. Entertaining meeting and definetly well be going back!

Potentially the first visit to Plymouth on Friday, no problems in getting to the track but where do you park / is the car parking? A

Holiday Inn in Cardiff town centre and the Holiday Inn in Cardiff Bay do not have any rooms for June 1st, quelle surprise! Rooms at the Holiday Inn Express Newport from £56 though!

For tickets http://speedwaygp.seetickets.com/Tour/2013-BRITISH-FIM-SPEEDWAY-GRAND-PRIX

How about 29th June, given that the Danish GP is the 1st, one of the Polish rounds in on the 15th.... So as all matches are off tonight when will it be announced, anyone know?

If it is June 1st, then one has to question the wisdom of this date as that week is Whitsun week, bank holiday on Monday May 27th, schools off that week therefore people normally would be looking to be away for the week!