moxey63

I thought they were £25 at first. My mistake.

What about an extra point, say, for a team that takes to the track with at least two of its own riders in the line-up.

Cheeky blighters... riders wanting an income from speedway! That's where we are going wrong. They want an income from speedway, but turn up noses at Elite League, when it suits, saying they have too much on. The sport would be a whole lot better, attract men who actually wish to race for the love of it, if the flitters were cut right back and they were allowed to concentrate on what they most care about - themselves. If Sweden and Poland suddenly cut back on employing overseas men, the same men that constantly turn up their noses at the mere whiff of British racing, a country that helped make many of them, they would come creeping back, tail between the legs. Time for Britain to grab things by the scruff of the neck, and begin to get radical.

Gee, they were only £25 a few years back... no wonder property prices have gone sky high.

Enough bricks were sold, from what I can gather, to allow the small group of Belle Vue fans to get together each summer and construct their own Barbecue.

Didn't mean to offend. I am surprised crowds have increased at any track, but take your word for it. You attend and I don't. As for an attractive team being the reason, I therefore suggest Belle Vue would easily fill the 6000 stadium... if crowds are good now, as you infer they are, for a team that's bottom of the pile again. Imagine the uproar if you were watching a mid-table squad. A few on here bought Lego at Christmas, if that counts.

I think people are under the illusion that, give a speedway a brand new stadium and... crowds will forever fill it. But they won't be filling it to watch the type of antics British Speedway has been handing out over the years and are still doing. First of all the product has to find some form of concrete base before we start getting chatty about building this and building that. Most clubs have trouble preparing their tracks from one week to the next, some even after five months of close season. Most are having trouble fielding a team of their own riders. Belle Vue's new stadium is good news... if it comes off. But, the way support is growing increasingly frustrated with what they are being served, it may as well be built on quicksand. Get the product right, at least begin making plans for repairing the slow puncture in the speedway inner tube and worry about brand new stadiums... when we are more confident of actually having a sport to play an active part.

Pie in the sky dreams, for a promised stadium that'll soon have no fans to frequent it. All that money spent on roofing etc... but, still, they'll be able to save some, on having no need for turnstiles.

Knew it wouldn't be long. When it took over coverage, Eurosport was praised as speedway's saviour. Some bleated it was much better camera-work than than the countless hours SKY had given over the years. SKY was dead - finished - capput. Eurosport was our new friend, we would share our picnics. Yet, now, when examined a little more in detail and with the passing of time, the channel all over the place. Suppose it has much in common with speedway, both are well suited.

Good man. Least you know the true meaning of speedway racing, which doesn't have to be in the plushest of stadia, as long as the men give it a good go and provide entertainment. It ain't always how a lady looks you know, her personality will be the main thing in the end. Remember watching one dvd of Milton Keynes against Stoke, think Wally Loak, and he was stood in the crowd filming... and you could actually hear the anger in their voices when the referee cocked up on a few decisions that went against the home team. Bread and butter speedway doesn't need superstars.

Spot on, falcace... as always. No wonder those on the Belle Vue Unofficial site used to say we were the same people!

Understandable. They could lower the asking price, sell more, and make people more aware of their sponsors in the programme.

What would save money - regionalisation with teams having to travel twice to away tracks, or one league where teams travel to each track the once? As I have said before, less is more. Keep visits down to a minimum and it takes away familiarity, fans will not choose to miss a team that may come just the once, for example. A team that comes twice is less appealing, especially when it's within eeks of each other.

I have always thought a programme is a vital part of the night's entertainment. But, now some are as expensive as the Speedway Star magazine etc and perhaps efforts should be made to reduce the prices and even banish the efforts of trying to rival speedway programmes with Premier soccer ones. I think a racecard should be sold. I know some will say the programme is a vital part of clubs' income, but it could be so easily putting off a family from attending. Five programmes is a lot to shell out for, especially when it's only the racecard that people want. On top of five admission prices etc. How many people put the importance of purchasing a programme into the full night's entertainment and cannot justify the full price. As I say, some fans will say that a programme is important for the club, finances etc. It is over-priced usually, so therefore must be ripping off the fan. If fans say they cannot/will not pay the money tracks charge now, how can they justify saying a programme is much needed income? I am going throught the 1984 Speedway Stars right now, in fact, to compile a yearbook for that season. In a column in that very special mag, "Whisperit" has a dig about a certain British League track (Poole) having no number one rider (Michael Lee, on another of his awol) but at least can boast to having (tongue in cheek) the Best Programme In The League! I think it was an effort to show how some speedways focused on the wrong things....

Agree with you, Mixy... My bellyache has long been the multi-league riders etc. and the other things you mentioned, so we are in agreement. What I would prefer, though, is for speedway to try and become more sensible (if you know what I mean) and do away with things, that'd make a non-speedway fan question.

Oh my god... I don't follow any of the sports you have mentioned, cos they aren't credible. At this rate... I ain't gonna be following speedway if it is bracketed with that lot. Where's my coat...

ColinMills How correct you are - it is not a credible sport anymore. I contributed a piece to The Speedway Memories book and explained this. Once you don't believe something, you cannot trusting what you see. To me, anyway, there is too much sort of foreplay before we have a rush for the main piece of silverware. It's like, a team can get it wrong so many times during the first quarter of a season and yet still be crowned Play-Off winners. It's like that TV show from the 70s, Runaround, hosted by Mike Reid, in which kids were asked a question, positioned themselves in a line that contained one of, say, three answers (which wasn't important)... but were then given a proper opportunity to jump into a queue on the sound of a buzzer in which they thought contained the correct answer. It is all about timing.. and dare I say, diddling a few things. When you start asking whether a point was dropped on purpose, for future chances of glory, it's the Santa Claus effect. Sorry, I don't believe in the product... speedway, that is.

You have to admire Poole. They once went bust but used the lower league to help get themselves fit for top-flight speedway. They have acted like any business would who wishes to be successful, and hence have played to some healthy crowds over recent years. Now, if the whole of speedway displayed themselves in the same way, this Saturday morning may not seem as bleak for the sport. Poole should be the template - they faced going bust, set up a great team in the lower league with less operating costs, found a bunch of their own riders, then set about running a professional show and are now the brunt of many a fan whose tracks are less driven.

Speedway fans are the most loyal sports fans. They get more kicks than an old dog and still go back for more. They defend speedway to the hilt, but then something begins to click and wears them out. As a contributor the the BV prog, I didn't pay to get in to watch my speedway. But, the warning for promoters...II had stopped attending even though it was costing me not a two-bob note. A fan of 30 years had lost his love of the sport. I even told the programme bloke, that I wouldn't be going for the remainder of the season but would still write the piece and see how I felt the following season. I told him I was disillusioned. I didn't attend the opening few matches but still posted my copy. My not attending meant another two - who used to pay - also stopped attending. One was my brother - a fan since 1980 - the other was a neighbour, a returnee in 1993 and rarely missed a match. John44's post is excellent. You have to think a lot of the crowd may have gone... because groups have stopped attending as a night out. Like myself and John44 - one or two decided to stop going, and so the remainder decided that was it.. Sadly - haven't missed going one bit. Speedway has noticed my absence, as I didn't pay... but how long can it shrug its shoulders at other diehards choosing to walk the plank? Last year I really enjoyed my Buxton trip - the first meeting in seven years - and understand why speedway is special But I don't see me going every week I think you can go out of habit, fans frightened to miss a match because their run will end and they can't say they've not missed a match since.... My brother was the same. Before turning into an ex-attendee, he had missed one match since 1989, missing that because of a mistake. One match missed at Kirkmanshulme Lane in almost 20 years.. and he gave it up as well, had been wanting to for years but was afraid it would spoil the groups involvement. Like me, he was mostly disillusion by the rules etc, not the racing. I am truly in the belief, that It is only a matter of time before the next fans ponder on whether to join me, OldAce and Johnn 44 as fans that used to attend, thought it was for life, stopped going... and haven't missed it one jot. It is a sad state of affairs.

Hans Andersen probably wouldn't give up his other commitments to race over here... and over here only. But that is where the freedom of employment would come in - foreigners would be offered places,and it would be upto them whether to take them or not. Any Dane or Swede, for example, that doesn't accept Britain, well... doesn't it give chances to Brits further down? Aren't fans sometimes heard complaining about the lack of Brit opportunities and the amount of foreign riders over here. Airfares reduced, fans perhaps latching on that it's local riders riding for local teams. I know a bit simple.. but these are all only ideas. As for Test Matches... I think they have lived their day. However, who'd have ever thought talent shows, Strictly Come Dancing etc, would ever be so popular again on TV? Everything comes round again. Never say never.

I agree mostly, by all means allow the GP riders in who are prepared to put in a shift, and any rider - Hans Andersen was mentioned - demanding more money because of his demand, surely a cap depending on averages could be conceived. It is good, putting all the ideas up for discussion, the pro's and con's, but unless promoters are in... then we are just idling in deckchair talk.

It is basically about housekeeping. Do you go into debt and buy the latest tech stuff or get by on tried and trusted items, and wait to be able to afford the hi-end stuff, which will come down in price along the way and be more attainable - or your own finances will be healthier when he time comes. You can spend big on the main men and hope the fans return - or budget for what you can really manage on. Make it a five year plan, just to get speedway's economy back to a stable footing. As Falcace mentioned, each track could put on an old-style individual if wished. Imagine it, Grand Prix stars being invited to take part in various meetings. It'll be like a crowd for the Play-Offs. This way, riders like Tai won't have to race all the time over here. Give the fans a sprinkling of the top lads once in a while.

True. Only the promoters know the true figures, the main ones - just what their incomings and outgoings are. I feel, Tai deserves all the money he can earn, where he can earn it, but I'm not bothered about that. I am concerned with speedway's future, especially over here. With highly-paid tuners etc, all those crash helmets for every colour, professionally printed names on junior riders' vans, probably with two brand new bikes being transported.... it proves too much money's flitted away somewhere. Just going through some old magazines, and I came across a story... Billy Barrett, a young Aussie, had just purchased a set of Bruce Penhall's old leathers to use. There was none of this "I've gotta look good, gotta hold my head up with the youngees, the social media generation". Barrett knew he had to earn money before it could be spent. If there is too much money going out of the sport, it means the riders are having to ask for more from promoters, therefore the fans will have to shell out. I read Jon Armstrong's piece in the Star recently, a rider I recall coming on to the scene in the early-90s. He was using an old banger van to get about and a motor over 10 years old for his speedway career! He had blown away the thoughts of being World Champion years ago and probably getting more enjoyment out of the sport now than ever. Armstong is more of a pattern we should adjust to, I feel, not riders who are immediately handing a dollop of what they've earned over to some tuner etc. Domestic speedway isn't a place for all the razz. Leave that for International racing, where the big sponsors are. League speedway can exist on a shoestring. It has to.

I believe Tai Woffinden's exhaustion and call for a reduction in EL fixtures is only as a result of his travelling from Poland and Sweden. There is no evidence he feels as tired on his journey - from Britain - to those two leagues. Therefore, perhaps an idea to help Tai and those fellow riders who can't stand the rough, bumpy and dangerous road surfaces from their European jaunts to British exploits, is whether they would have any objection to Britain completely making redundant any rider who finds (or has found) these journeys too much in recent years - but may (just may) rethink their ideas and become interested again, if those journeys aren't as many and don't get in the way of their other employment. In a way, Tai and his fellow stars are telling us something we already know - British racing is too much for them and they could do without it. To me anyway, that signifies that perhaps they aren't really enjoying their racing over here and, to be brutal, Britain is just a pain in the arse for them and they are too tired to race, anyway, when they get here. Therefore the actual ingredients of speedway racing, becomes speedway tootling. Tai and his circus of star men believe they are above British racing. It has sunk, not just in fans' opinion, but in the actual star riders we are supposed to support. If riders like Tai are lethargic towards British League, can you really question the fans' passion who hand over a good percentage of their weekly incomes to expect a bit of loyalty? To me, it is something they agreed to in the off-season but becomes a pain in the rear when real interests start from spring onwards. Nobody has the real answers to British speedway's dilemma. You either bow to Tai's plea and cut back on the amount of fixtures; or make do without the so-called big names and take it from there, What is there to lose. Isn't paying riders who earn less, less of a gamble than paying top earners, if the difference in gates isn't that much difference? I haven't the answer. I doubt the promoters do. But it looks set for another winter of wait and see.

OldAce, I recall the abuse (nothing bad) we got back from fans, just for having a say on what we were watching drift down the pan. Some Belle Vue fans didn't like it. It was like telling your best mate that he is being cheated on - you were giving them the truth but they couldn't see it or simply chose not to. They would rather de-friend you and pretend everything's alright. You, like me, didn't go off speedway overnight... even if you have now. You were just worn down by it. Some will say now... but why are you on here? Maybe for old time's sake, I'd reply. I used to watch the crowd at Belle Vue, notice the excitement gleaned from people who you knew were witnessing speedway for the first time. I used to feel proud, a sport was discovered by someone and given the same thrill as I had enjoyed. I felt vindicated in following a little-known motorcycle sport. Where did it go so wrong? I doubt i'll ever be encouraged back as a regular. It is just frustrating, so many others are now feeling the same. The product is still thrilling, on its day, and needs a complete overhaul of everything that has been patched up with tape for many years, just to get by for the new season. It is the short term-ism that I could give anymore of my already shortening years to. The thing is, OldAce, people who no longer attend aren't classed as important.. why they don't go, what made them stop going? I always check on negative reviews before the lavish praise. Perhaps speedway promoters should adhere to this method.