moxey63

Don't talk to me about understanding the rules, still trying to fathom the man-o-man KOC heats. That was the closest novelty to having tiggy-hit in speedway.

In all my years watching live racing, not once did I need somebody standing at the side of me - whether in the grandstand or on the terrace - telling me exactly what I was seeing. Pearson, Tatum, Louis.. they don't bother me. The sport has far more serious things to address. These three aforementioned individuals, if rumours are correct, you won't have to put up with them any longer - not on SKY, anyway.

Posts that say the likes of oldace and myself shouldn't be able to have an opinion on the sport because we don't go and watch anymore, is like saying we shouldn't have an opinion on a news story... if we don't buy a paper. That we have watched the sport, shed many of our lifetime hours trudging up and down the roads to support our teams and favourites, that we still have a draw to these websites, doesn't that make us people that should be listened to. We are still clinging on. Alternatively, try discovering the problems with the sport that stopped the people from attending anymore... first, you will have to find the people that can't be arsed even diping into speedway forums, they became so brassed off. If there are three people on this site, no longer attend but post, then just where all the others? If a shop sold you shopped with every day sold you a dodgy pie and it put you off shopping there, you didn't report it, the store would have lost business. Though just one customer, how many others have been lost along the way... through various reasons. If the store didn't welcome feedback, thinking those who no longer shop with him must be odd, then he will one day go out of business. Speedway should be worried - not by the hangers on, who no longer go but still retain an interest - but by the masses that can't even be bothered to stick around, perhaps while there was still opportunity to fathom from them just why they jacked it. Some would take the likes of me and oldace up the nearest country lane, deadpan us with a spade, and then bury us somehere in the countryside. But the same people are posssibly having to pay extra to attend, to cover ones that no longer do so. As another season passes, another couple of digits go amiss from the terraces, If previous diehards are called whingers because they become disillusioned by certain things, and then they just vanish from the speedway supporting fraternity, and there's no one else to replace them, then one day the likes of Eastbourne - and their average gates of 770 - will also disappear, with the ex-speedway fan that used to help swell their support to double this figure... and for a meaningless open meet. Many Birmingham fans will feel slightly disilluisoned by last night's events and the thought they had just been the most consistent team all year, yet were elbowed off the silverware. Half a dozen people have given the thumbs up for the Play-Offs, but what about the ones who don't like them? My bet... they will gradually stop attending. The crowds will go up for the Finals, it's an event (or should be), but the bald terrace on regular matchnights tells me all is not well. Open discussion is healthy; hiding your views and thinking the sport is wonderful - it must be, because you still attend... it isn't the solution.

It will still be deemed as second best, winning the qualifying table, when the Play-Off Finals that teams have been chasing is in view. Giving a trophy for winning the qualifying table would be like receiving losers' medals in the FA Cup Final

I am sure some people actually think Play-Offs are good for speedway. Crowds do look quite impressive for the Play-Offs. But are these hiding the real problem, that figures for the actual league programme suffer because they aren't in fact worth that much - or perhaps not as important as they once were - in that a top four is all you need and, as Birmingham unfortunately discovered, who tops the table is irrelevant You can buy a chick drinks all night; don't mean she will leave on your arm once closing time chimes. The best looking guy will always appear.

The Play-Offs leave me feeling empty. They have robbed us of speedway longest-running competiton in the KOCup, largely because both Finals were played at roughly the same time and decided on aggregate. I prefer the whole-league-season scenario for the Championship race, matches were more important than the current crop, when you can jiggle a few results here and there and still clamber into the top four, have a bit of that stuff Popeye used to throw down his mouth, and then - surprise surprise, the weakling that we all thought was Tin-Tin's frail brother turns out to be the Poole Pirates, this time with a brand new team from the one we can remember from easter time.

It is true about having to get to an actual speedway meeting now and then, to make you realise what it's all about. A couple of weeks ago I went to the Buxton airfence meeting, all the old-timers riding, and the smell, the noise of the bikes made me realise there is nothing like the real thing. SKY ditching speedway might make stay-at-homes (like me) venture outdoors every now and again.

Would Tai, if nominated, be willing to fly back from his home in Australia? Even if he is nominated, turns up on invite, I'm not sure I'd want to sit through almost three hours of cack for what is almost a foregone conclusion result. I think I can remember what Tai looks like, thank you, and don’t really need a pan of a wobbly camera on his face. Remember sitting through countless shows in the past, not one mention of speedway. Even if Tai does get a mention, it’ll be like watercress on a salad plate. No point in it really.

Oh my god... people are really deluded. Tai Woffinden for BBC Sports Personality Of The Year? You having a laugh? Barry Briggs, so I am led to believe, was edged into runners-up spot by what some say was dubious tactics when the sport was massive during the 50s... and even England's Grand Slam winning team of 1980 failed to hit the spot when the show went out at Christmas later that year. Speedway is in a bad state at the moment and the broadcaster is spending a fleeting time interested in the sport right now. Tai Woffinden, likeable though he may well be, hasn't a chance. Now, did someone win Wimbledon (Tennis) who is actually British? Tai Woffinden, though having slightly more personality than Andy Murray, I don't think he has a chance...

Report here later in the day, perhaps... when the brain's had time to kick in. Isn't too difficult to undertstand, surely. You seem a bright sort... well, compared to the average Eddie fan.

Drove by the BBC studios this morning and feel the need to complain. That woman, who said there were plenty of fans outside, she simply doesn't know what she is on about. They weren't speedway fans gathered; they were Eddie Stobart number plate collectors who had heard about some new truck being given a female name live in the studio. Easy mistake to make... but Eddie fans' bobby hats are green, my love. My complaint made... must say I just have my biro and chequebook out now, ready for renewing my BBC licence. Well worth the near £150 they want... even if I won't watch anything else all year on either of their channels. I believe there were some red faces at the Beb not seen since darts player Jocky Wilson's fat-face was displayed on the background at Top Of The Pops in the 1980s when Dexy's Midnight Runners played their salute to Jackie Wilson! Apparently viewing figures doubled when it was announced Tai was on the couch, many only tuning in cos they thought it was that geezer who sang Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, mistaken for that other Australian in the news recently. SKY = 100s hours' Live coverage all year = get slated for it and their efforts. BBC = Tai on the couch = Dancing in the streets not seen since Eddie Stobart's new wagon was named.

I wouldn't own up to listening to those two. Anyone that laughs at their own jokes (as they do) is simply not worth the time. As for speedway races settled on the first turn... it's a lazy way of saying why you are not interested in something. They oft talk about cricket (or did, when Talksport was a station worthy of my earlugs (when they covered other subjects but sport, sport and sport)). Cricket is... well, it's credentials are lower than speedway in my opinion, but they like it... and so they talk about it. Thing is, speedway races are mainly settled on the first bend (more first lap) and we shouldn't really be offended by them saying that. Doesn't mean you can't have a decent race, which is close but the positions don't change. Come on, speedway fans, get a thicker skin. We know why we follow speedway... don't listen to those that don't, which is the reason they don't... People don't eat cabbage, because they don't have a taste for it. We are different. I watch speedway stil today, but I don't like it as much as I did. Tastes change. I once didn't like football... now I do. What difference would it make if Talksport covered speedway? We had Graham Stuart, ex-footballer, always on Soccer AM when he played. Where did that get us? Now he doesn't play, they aren't interested!

The Play-offs being on the same night is like being at one of those all-you-can-eat outlets, taking as much in before the feeling of fatigue, becoming bloated and then boredom wears in. There is only so much taste buds can take in at once.

I also thought the entertainemnt last night was average. Can't understand why SKY insists on building up to the Play-Offs and then cramming 30 races into one show for the two-legged semis. My old brain can't keep up with the dipping to and from each track and it is confusing me. Also think the Play-Offs have lost a little of their shine, teams and riders pretending they are really keen to win, Alun Rossiter hugging the camera and appearing to be one step away from taking his life as Swindon dip out. It's a game, man, an entertainment industry... but after 30 heats of mashed-up speedway last night, the only entertaining thought was the calling of my pillow. As for the crowd, I've seen better attendances at Belle Vue's chopper bike championship in the 1970s (a winter event staged on old grifter pushbikes in one of the suites at the old Belle Vue)

There's a Roy Cropper at every track? Sad as it is, they are the only men still attending. As for those who no longer go... they are at home watching the soaps!

Sorry, didn't know Re-Run Video, Clean Cut Sports or any other DVD company had the facilities to broadcast speedway on satelite TV, I was mistaken for thinking my channel said Motors TV.

It's like the accident book at work or school, it's there for a reason. Maybe even a cut or bruising caused by a speedway-related prang may have to be logged by someone, perhaps it's the job of the incident reporter.

I remember a report, from insurers at the time George Burrows, back in the 50s as to what injuries riders had claimed for during a 12 months period. In fact, I was only thinking of this yesterday while glancing the Speedway Star and noticing the amount of riders falling that were being published. Surely someone must keep figures of injuries etc.

This week gets worst... first Rolf Harris... now news Simon Wigg helped bring about the idea of the GD.

Wow! Forgot about that... and for 10 years' service to one club, about as rare as getting even one number on the lottery. Who was the last rider before Freddie? Perhaps the crowd should choose one rider to join them, help sway SKY that crowds are now increasing. May help them decide to continue screening..

Motors have done a few meetings of note in their time - teh Ice Speedway was terrible, hte ditor obviously got a new machine izmo for Cimbo - but they did a great job covering the Garry Stead and Sam Ermolenko meets, if my memory serves.

The thread's title had me thinking, that practically all of the teams nowadays resemble ones that could have been hawked out of the crowd on the night, with no regard to a continuity with their present club, the club's history, or whether they (the riders) will even be in the side next week, never mind next season. Speedway is like that weekly soccer match you used to have at school P.E. lesson, where two of the better footballers in the group were chosen to pick the players. The next week, the sides would be different. I know I'm a stuck record, but speedway nowadays is like the war years, I can imagine, where tracks didn't even know who'd be riding that night... until the competitors turned up. Speedway is very much like that. Another thread on this superb website asks a question about riders (who was the last one) that actually served 10 consecutive years with the club he was awarded a testimonial. That's another problem speedway needs to address... why give someone an award for serving 10 years in a sport? This is how far we can measure speedway short-termism. Surely, to help keep fans on the terraces, promotrers may want to think about awarding supporters with one after 10 years. Now that's an idea to discuss while supping tea, munching biscuits and cakey at the winter's conference.

Memories are all you'll have as well, the way speedway is going.

I am living in the real world. If you want a repeat of the main-course within a few minutes of gulping down the first, you have got to be able to afford it. Perhaps seeing a repeat of Heat 13 two races later is exciting for some, but it cuts down the anticipation of the big finale. Less is more. I read Swindon's plight in last week's Speedway Star, certain riders turning up with just one bike. My heart bleeds. Maybe the need to have a bike for each race, a helmet with each colour and expensive tool boxes they don't need, perhaps that's why speedway is relying on SKY's payday loan to help bail out tracks mid-season. Something is wrong, surely, when the men who a risking their necks aren't being rewarded. Cuts need to be made. If some will say the value is being cut and will stop attending, they should stop nagging ex-fans for no longer attending because they have already seen the future.

Depends on what you term value. You can see the same riders in Heats 13 that appear in the nominated race, and so that must thrust god knows how many hundreds onto the track's/team's wage-bill. Surely any extra races could be introduced using lower-order riders who warrant less bucks per point. Maybe that is too simple, especially at a time admission is going up, costs the same, and crowds are dipping, which means the ardent fans are forking out for their loyalty...