chunky

Spot on. Yes, it is nice to have to have "superstars", and they obviously draw the crowds. However, these days - certainly in the UK - the cannot draw sufficient crowds to warrant their inclusion. How many times has it been said on here that speedway is "four blokes racing motorbikes"? However much some don't want to believe it, that is true; it is not about ONE "superstar" showing up. It saddens me to hear those who say, "To me, it's all about the top guys. Second strings and reserves aren't important, and neither are the lower divisions." The top boys only represent - and have historically only represented - the top 5% or so of the sport. We can lose the top 5% - and of course, we pretty much have done - and the sport will survive. Lose the other 95%, and we are done... Whether we like it or not, speedway can be very exciting and entertaining WITHOUT that 5%, but the important thing is that we run a sensible and VIABLE sport. Steve

I have said before that when Tai is on form - whether it is cruising at the front, or fighting his way through the field - I don't think I have seen ANYBODY looking as good on a bike. It really does look like he is riding on rails. As far as being used to promote British speedway, I really don't think that has been done since the days of the early 50's when speedway was visible in day-to-day advertising. Thing is, while they can promote a rider (or riders) to push British speedway, I don't think it is the responsibility of the authorities to do that. Okay, the World Cup is going on right now, and the country is going crazy because England actually have a chance - however minimal you may feel - of achieving something. Having said that, the FA is not pushing Harry Kane. Nor have you seen the governing bodies of other sports using Carl Fogarty, Ian Botham, Linford Christie etc to promote their respective sports. The role of a governing body is to govern, although those in speedway seem to have problems simply doing that... Steve

As I said a couple of weeks ago, perhaps we should have 10 or 15 races before the actual meeting starts! You just need a few heats to get the track sorted. Steve

Inside gate working well! Can't wait to see Cook in red... Steve

There are many outlets today for individuals and organizations to air their views, particularly via social media and fora such as the BSF. We also see regular comments regarding the "right" to say what you want, that "free speech" is absolute. Unfortunately, that is NOT correct. The origins of "free speech", particularly in the Western world, stem from the fact that comments and views regarding authorities and authority figures (most notably national governments) can be made without fear of reprisal and prosecution. HOWEVER, please be aware that the concept of "free speech" is not absolute. There are laws regarding slander, libel, and defamation of character, and - in these troubled times - HATE SPEECH. In other words, you do NOT have the right to make false, accusatory, and hateful / bigoted statements, either verbally or in writing. No, I am not aiming this at any individuals in particular, or any posts in particular, but I just wish to remind you all that not everything you believe to be a "right" is indeed a right. Steve

Following on from my earlier post, I would just like to elaborate a little. There ARE a number of posters on here who make intelligent and balanced posts, but they too are often shot down because someone didn't didn't agree with them; that is where the problem lay. Now, with reference to Phil's comment about Polish speedway benefiting from clubs being in towns where speedway is the major attraction; the fact remains that they are "in town". I have said before that in Britain, speedway grew as a "city-centre sport". Because of a number of factors - in particular, the Great British NIMBY - we have been forced into rural areas, where people aren't exposed to speedway. Of course, we have always had rural tracks, but look at it now. Not one track in London. During my lifetime, we have lost Norwich, Exeter, Bradford, Cradley, Bristol, Hull etc... These were all in urban areas, and easily accessible. Not only were they accessible, they were VISIBLE to anyone who passed by the place! To me, it is incredible - and incredibly sad - that the vast majority of people now have never even heard of speedway, let alone know what it is. Back in the day, as popular as speedway was, we still attracted a very small percentage of the population - but nearly everybody knew what it was! We used to complain when people said they didn't go because speedway was "first out of the gate wins". Today, it's a struggle to find somebody who knows we have a ruddy gate! I know we all feel that the modern sport is "watered down". Yes, I used to love seeing the big stars, but you know what? It is speedway RACING, and as long as there was some decent racing, I was happy. Steve

I still don't understand all the "experts" on here who claim to have THE solution to British speedway's problems. There is no SINGLE cause, and there is no SINGLE solution. As far as fans wanting a fixed race night - which again, they wanted largely because it suited THEM - I was always against the idea. My main concerns were that : 1) The lost revenue because of the large number of fans who travelled as neutrals to meetings several times a week. 2) Because of the majority of clubs not owning their own stadium, it was always going to be difficult for some to fall in line. 3) The switch from being a weekend track to a midweek one was ALWAYS going to be a financial disaster for certain clubs. Again, the post above suggesting that speedway is a "£10 sport" is way off the mark. I - and others - have repeatedly stated that, while the cost MAY be prohibitive for some (particularly those with families), that is a relatively minor issue. The REAL issue here is the quality of product, and yes, that does include the value for money. The thing to remember is that IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW CHEAP A PRODUCT IS, IF THE PRODUCT ISN'T GOOD PEOPLE WON'T GO!. The comments posted on other threads reiterate the facts about tracks opening the season with a meeting free of charge; very few - if any - new fans would return the following week, EVEN IF IT WAS FREE. It hurts me to see Rye folding, as it was one of those tracks I would often visit as a neutral. As has been mentioned, moving away from Sunday was never going to solve anything. As was said elsewhere, speedway doesn't seem to catch the imagination of the British public these days, and nobody seems to be able to come up with a solution for that. Don't worry, I have no idea either... The thing is, everybody wants to blame everybody else, but then, lack of accountability is commonplace these days. Of course, the authorities have a lot to answer for, and the promoters themselves must shoulder a lot of the blame. Not that I have any personal knowledge, but to see that so many promoters seem to think "everything is rosy" is astounding. I do feel for them as most are gambling with their own money, but that should be more incentive for them to get their houses in order. The riders too could help. Yes, they DO deserve good pay, but I am tired of hearing how they "put their lives on the line for OUR benefit". It is their chosen job, and I understand why they ride abroad to make more money, and NOBODY should criticise them for wanting to do the best for themselves and their families. However, as is frequently stated, it seems like every rider - however mediocre - seems to believe that they have the "right" to be a full-time speedway rider. If the money is physically not there, then don't expect to get everything you want! If you need to get another job, oh well... Now, the fans... Yes, the fans believe they know everything, but it is incredible how many THINK that they have a solution, yet don't even consider the practicality and viability of their ideas. In many cases, they don't look at the big picture, just what suits THEM, or THEIR TEAM. Sometimes - a lot of the time, actually - a seemingly nonsensical idea is dismissed when the reality is that discussion of the basic idea can actually be fruitful. I am heavily involved in sports administration, and I am used to hearing crazy stuff that the so-called experts demand. However, I study the overall concept, and see if it can actually be modified in order to improve matters. The problem with British speedway is that nobody - fans, riders, or authorities - are willing to engage in sensible discussion. Everything - as is often seen on the BSF - just descends into totally useless dismissal, accusations and name-calling. I love the sport, and I hate to see what is happening... Steve

I was on that coach! Only time I ever went to Hull... Midweek tracks were always difficult, although I was a regular on the coaches to the British Final. Steve

Tell you what, they should just make it 3 for first, and no other points! GB would have won that way, and the strategy in the final would have been justified! Steve

I do have a good memory, but it's a lot easier than that! We all know about the Speedway Researcher website, but for things like things, Brian Collins' International Speedway site is also incredible. For those who aren't familiar with the site, it is based on official international competitions, which includes Test Matches! Steve

Probably the 4th Test in 1967, which the Poles won 55-53. Eric Boocock scored an 18 point max, Pogo was joint top scorer for Poland with 14 (as was Toni Woryna), and Migos picked up 6+4 from the reserve berth. Steve

There have always been idiots on here, and idiotic posts. However, this one thread probably has claim to the top 10 - at least - dumbest posts of all time... Steve

At least that would have been something in OUR control, and not relying on someone/something else... Steve

Why rely on "ifs" ("had Lambert...)??? Had Laguta tripped and broken his leg on the way to the toilet before the final, it would have been a very different race! Have I ever ridden a speedway bike! NO! Have I taken part in competitive sport? YES - at the highest level! On many occasions. I have NEVER approached any event - or single match - with the idea that, "I'm not going to win, so I won't even try from the start. I will just wait and see if my opponent slips up..." I can't believe ANYONE would find that concept acceptable, no matter how much better - or indeed, how much worse - your opponent(s) is/are. When you know what you have to do in order to win, you choose the best option FROM THE START Steve

So why did we even go out on track? Tai and Robert could just have said "Well done, lads", shook hands, and saved methanol and tyres... Come to think of it, why did we even compete? We could have just stayed home as you don't think we should have even tried to win... Steve

Let's look at it a little closer - and this is in no way any attempt to discredit Peter Collins... It was mentioned that the England team of Collins' day was much stronger, but that is only a very small part of it. Yes, to win three successive team golds was a great achievement, and to score three maximums even greater - particularly in three different countries. However, look at the opposition... In those three finals, GB/England would have probably won the golds WITHOUT PC in the team - certainly in '74 and '75. How many riders of a comparable standard did PC have to face in those meetings? ONE - Michanek. Maybe you could add Sjosten in '74... So, as great a rider as PC was, and as many medals as he won, I really don't think that these events carry any weight as far as using them to substantiate his claims as the GOAT against riders like Craven and Woffinden. Also, as far as the one-offs against GP's as far as difficulty is irrelevant, as although one bad ride could cost you, the exact same situation applied to everybody else in each respective championship. Every year, the World Final was allegedly "devalued" because of riders who didn't make it to the final. And stating that you can get away with bad meetings in the GP's doesn't necessarily hold any water, because everybody is riding under the same rules. If, at the end of the season, the GP's are decided by, say, 20 points or less, that is ONE meeting. In 2000, Rickardsson had ONE bad meeting, and he finished third, seven points behind Loram. In 1996, Nielsen had a bad meeting, and lost the title by two points. Yes, one bad meeting can certainly cost you. Still, it is the same for everyone, so there is no advantage or disadvantage for anyone. What it comes down to is the fact that you can't say that one-off World Finals were easier or more difficult than the GP's, as they are very different systems. Particularly in the 1980' s, all you had to do was finish in the Top 8, Top 10, or even Top 11 of World Championship meetings to qualify for the next round! Four or five average performances, and one good night, and hey, you could be World Champ! Steve

Nobody said there was a Friday race-off. The name (official and published name) of the Belle Vue meeting was "Race-off 2". What you call "race-off heats" were called "knockouts". Steve

Yeah, just slowed up a little, and kept him outside, but MJJ managed to keep the speed and get his wheels in line. Steve

That's good! Steve

We can probably get it because it isn't being shown on TV where we are. Steve

It's on from the speedway gp website, but probably isn't available in the UK. Steve

Lindgren going for a gap? Nooooooooo... Steve

I agree. Funnily enough, years ago I actually came up with a format for three man teams, with teams riding as pairs. I'll see if I can dig it out... Steve

Maybe they won't, but Smolinski could crush a few dreams! Steve

Okay, what I am loving is not only how Lambert is gating, but how he is being so ruthless on the white line, and is really clamping down on anyone trying to come up the inside. Steve