SPEEDY69

A speed gun situated at the end of a straight on a track would be an interesting addition to speedway, a bit like they have for skiers. Not all the time as it would get boring but now and then. Surely can't be that hard? Big screen at the track I think would have the biggest opportunity to improve fans interaction but a speed gun could help.

You're right, some riders do earn a lot of money and there does seem to be loads who don't need to work at another job over the winter any more - good luck to them, it's not their fault is it.

Interesting. I wonder where Swindon and Berwick feature in this speed list (of course average speed doesn't mean the highest peak speed i.e. at the end of the straight)?

Nope, riders will then look to make two livings

I hope they are both told to 'do one', from all tracks. A business has to budget realistically.

I think the Ltd company idea is a good one. It could mean that losses across clubs could be absorbed against profit to reduce tax bills even further, I'm no expert but could clubs become franchisees of the BSPA? I really hope we see the end of PL number 1s in the Championship.

The pits were visible at Odsal I seem to remember - needed binoculars if you were any distance away of course. I expect the old H&S would create hurdles most couldn't be bothered to overcome. They would need cover - it's ok for fans to get wet but not riders! Much better to get views from the pits onto a big screen I think to help make it more interactive.

What attracted me to and kept me interested in speedway was following my team. I have very little interest, if any, in individual meetings. The erosion of the team aspect in the UK has withered my interest. As I've said many times before, some existing fans may want to tinker around with the product but I think it far more important that thought is given to improving the night out - then it becomes less important how many overtakes there were. If people go away having had a good time then they will return. I liked KTs idea of using interactive aspects - playing to peoples' obsession (particularly the younger ones) with mobile phones/technology. Standing out in the cold/wet is unpleasant, standing around watching a tractor or listening to 70s music is also not engaging. There could be other things on the terraces to do e.g. video games, bike simulators, bouncy castles/bungees, party events hosting, free wifi, a big screen - none of these are messing about with the racing but just trying to modernise the experience. If you then added characters for your team, with nicknames etc. as they do in other sports this could also add some atmosphere - this does need promoters to stop 'pass the rider' games and loyalty can be achieved if handled consistently. We'll always have the memories I suppose.

We stayed at a small mountainside lodge in Lasko, was a great weekend and the GP only 40 minutes drive from there down one road.

3 GPs in Poland again and still they can't find a World Champion, will one of them do it next year?

Oh dear. Poole's title now.

Unfortunately he failed to get through the qualifiers, then got a wild card to the challenge final and failed to get into the top three. Zagar doesn't deserve a wildcard and I wouldn't have had Vaculik either. Id'd have had Dudek, Smektala, Pedersen and Madsen

Yep, doesn't work for me either.

I always wonder how Oxford and Cambridge always seem to make the final of the Boat Race.

Great thanks, can now look to organise ourselves. Pity they can't put that on their website.

He only had one more meeting for Ipswich at home to Berwick, so not missing a lot for them - I thinks it's all so that BV can strengthen.

I smell a rat here and suspect it was not his sole decision - will this enable Belle Vue to strengthen for the playoffs??

Is it? Where?

Agree. An emotive subject definitely and one which turns my stomach. In my view there is a difference between fantasist's and people who directly attack others - the internet would not have taken off so well without porn leading the way back then. Several people in speedway have been caught abusing drugs - the source and carriage/supply of these commodities causes all sorts of suffering, abuse and death but nobody seems to take the indirect effects into account when idolising people like Dudek or others. I've always thought our penalties are wrong - those who nick a few quid/commit fraud where only money is lost should not receive prison sentences (if any at all) longer than those who attack/murder other people. They should be hit financially for as long as it take to get the money back, which may be all their life. This man is obviously mentally unwell and the 'punishment/treatment' should reflect that, prison is not the answer without addressing that.

Who says they have to come with someone else?

There are lots of people who've been once or twice and never again - the ones that I know was because it was boring for them or their children or nowhere to go to get out of the wind or nothing to do most of the time as it's only 15mins of entertainment. When the racing is also bad then that makes it even worse but look at other sports - when they're dull people still have a good time socialising and doing other things. All speedway offers is people standing around writing in programmes......

Not really, because I think format is only important to current fans.

I don't know, I quite enjoyed it. In any case, I think the main problem in attracting/keeping fans is not the format of the actual heats but the experience of the evening - at most tracks nothing to keep you or your family entertained before/between or after racing, or dry and warm. There's usually plenty of space - make use of it. Format only matters to those who are already fans.

It was also awful for my only visit for the Sheffield meeting on 15th July but I put that down as a one-off, as were a couple of Belle Vue visits - perhaps I'm a jinx!

Really, I don't remember that and have been going since 1978 - they've always had to alternate gates for each side 1/3 or 2/4?