flagrag

All I can really say as the last two posters have put there has been a huge change at Sky sports in management style and securing content rights and keeping the Safari products which is the big aports eg Premiership, Champions league This new style will possibly not help Speedway but do want to add the door is definitely not closed yet. Speedway does have one or two benefit over the greyhounds is that it can be replayed two or three times to fill schedules. Also there is good resale of the coverage to help with production costs with I believe live coverage going to Poland,Australia and South Africa. I fully agree that the bspa first choice should be to stick with Sky but don't be greedy if that deal falls through and BT sport offer an alternative deal.

If no deal can be agreed with Sky for 2014 British Speedway I would be very surprised if BT Sport did not come in with an offer it may be very low offer just to try their hand or even on a we will pay the production costs and give TV exposure to club sponsors but not pay anything for the rights. Which I could not see the Elite league operating on that basis as the clubs need their share of media rights income. I do know there is one large well known brand who are interested in sponsoring a club for a large amount and even possibly sponsoring the league if on TV. They dont care about corporate boxs,letting staff in or fringe benefits they just want to see their logo on tv on a regular basis. Although Speedway does not always attract the marketing groups that may be desired by some it does have niche markets to appeal to. As well as filling BT's summer schedule it would also increase subscriber numbers for them which they have got to do especially the 3 play business which in simple terms is getting the phone and broadband business off Virgin media and Sky. i agree they have set some strong contarcting terms for the football and Rugby but Speedway would likely be produced by their internal production teams like Sky do currently. BT's Speedway production costs would likely be 10-15k a week cheaper than Sky as they do not physically have to pay for their broadcast circuits on the fibre network or switching via BT tower even more saving from the more remote tracks that require Sat uplink tracks as little costs as they do not have to pay for any bandwith as all leased whether they use it or not. Just as a side note had a quick look at the Sky internal figures for Mondays play off and they were very good including a very high number of people watching time shifted e.g On Sky + also good number who watched via Sky Go and Sky catch up on HD boxes

As I have said before nothing has been decided for definite on Sky sports coverage of Speedway in 2014 but there will need to be some changes. Lets wait and see if these happen and then decisions can be made. My understanding on British Eurosport coverage of BBL Basketball will be on the same basis of Sky's deal with Netball Superleague the league association like BSPA pay Televideo to produce coverage and provide all OB facilities then SKy just pay a fixed price per programme. If there was to be any new broadcast partner for British Speedway it is likely to be BT sport who are keen to help fill their midweek summer schedule Speedway fits ideal if the price is right

I don't think that will be it at Leicester this year I heard that there will be possibly 3 challenge matches coming subject to teams confirming rider availability including some elite league opposition , There is also the Midland development final and Midland 4s so good chance may be 5 more meetings for season ticket holders.

My understanding is that Eklof could not return this year for a full season due to him already signing to ride in Sweden on Tuesdays and Thursdays which would have meant him being missing for all the Thurs away matches. This is tr same reason why other Tracks have not taken up the option of signing him. I do feel sorry for Sargeant but don't think the door is closed on a return to Leicester in the future as showed a lot of promise needs be a bit quicker out of the gate. Simon Nielsen returning is just a case of his average fitting and in hope that he can score points at Leicester to make reserve berth stronger.

Team was to be redeclared today the last changes permitted this season hence why Leicester and Somerset have made changes today .

I think you will find it will have more Scandinavian feel to the team

The door at Leicester has opened again more team changes ahead this time due to injuries. The fans will be welcoming back some familiar faces subject to team being approved by bspa I do wonder if a couple of weeks too late

With Chris Holder guaranteed a wild card selection for 2014 I wonder whether Chris Harris will accept the chance to ride in the NZ GP with all the expense and travel involved ? As Chris Holder has openly said he expects to miss this and possibly 1 or 2 more

The figure I quoted was the rough cost I had been told of and that was just for one meeting a week. I agree that sort of rent is totally unaffordable and out of context but that is DH point it is his toy and does not want anybody else to play with it. So with all the bad feeling and upset there is a section of fans some who attend others that don't due to variety of issues with the current promotor. These people would like him to go but quite obviously he does not wish to do so his only option is to make the rental of the stadium so costly it is not viable for investment. He knows that he will only get a fair market value for the promoting rights before the bspa step in and say stop trying to rip off buyers as the club has little rider asset base , as not in their interest to see new owners pay way over the top for the rights and will not want to lose a club with Leicesters support and stadium. Any new promotion would also need to have a licensed promotor as buddy/baby sitter for the first season unless they kept Alan Jones involved which in my mind would be a brilliant idea as a true fan with good principles. So unless there is a businessman out there looking to lose or right off money from other areas there is little chance of new promotion at Leicester. I would have a guess that DH would look at offers of around 1million to take it totally off his hands taking into consideration the stadium and the future use of land for sub letting and development

There is a couple of interested parties in buying the promoting rights and speedway side of Leicester but in the current fiancial climate do not want to take on the whole complex which is quite reasonable as would be huge investment. If these persons could just buy the rights and then pay Hemsley stadium rent like most clubs do I believe that there is decent money to be made at Leicester with the correct people involved and promotion of the club. The problem with this proposal is the amount that DH would want to rent the stadium weekly in excess of 8k a week just to open the gates then you would have the refs fees,paramedics,ambulance and officials fees that is before you pay a rider

As far as I know there is no tv coverage of the GP challenge as no broadcaster is prepared to cover the production costs on their own just a shame that the Polish and Danish broadcasters could not agree to joint fund it together. Then possibly Eurosport may have been interested in showing it.

The delay after the sun had set I believe was due to it being the official interval. I am sure myself and others in the queue for food and drinks were glad that they did wait to start again.

I have a feeling that may have been Kaukos last match this season as already pulled out of Redcar on Thursday and expect team change to replace him so that he can get fit again as his injured knee is clearly causing him problems still and then dislocates his shoulder again. The next question is do you use a point from Edberg average to sign a better replacement for Kauko or keep using guests for Alex and replace Kauko up to his average. I know others were asking about Mr Darcy he was not there last night so may have been something in last weeks reports of promotion fall outs.

Well Mick if the reports and stories from Leicester on Saturday are right nothing more wilm be seen through Dave Darcy's eyes as he is no longer involved with the club after falling out with Mr Hemsley, He will go back just to being a supporter and sponsor. There was also rumblings of other officials not being happy the way that they are getting spoken to

I think the problem with Branford at the min is confidence maybe it's the track or other things. There was rumours going round on Sun that was his last match for Leicester hence why no team kevlars the name I heard as replacement was Sargeant or Lewis Rose we shall have to see.

It was the rider himself who said that he was in the meeting on Saturday so he must have got the info from FIM or DMU as Leicester have been granted a guest facility to replace him at Rye House. Sounds like plans may have changed unless another rider is missing through injury ?

There was some questions over a work permit but the UK border agency have let him in the country to ride last week so he may already have one. The question is what his average would be and who he would replace

I hear Lasse Bjerre confirmed as wildcard at Berwick so will just be him or a Brit as well ?

I understand that Sweden have to qualify but not GB as all teams that reach race off are straight in the following year.

I made a rare visit to Rye House last night as a nice evening , What happened was that 2 county ambulances were called at the same time to take both riders off to hospital one arrived very quickly but as the ambulance service had been advised that multiple casualties from a motorbike accident including one with possible internal bleeding and pelvic/thigh injuries. The hospital sent a urgent care doctor to the track who then took control of the situation and gave Rose morphine and put him on a drip he then said that he was not prepared to wait for 2nd ambulance so track ambulance had to take him also the suspected injuries would mean extra caution over any speedbumps or potholesThis is all fact as came from a track official. I was very pleased to see that both riders did not receive any broken bones in the crash. Onto the meeting Somerset did so well to get a point and Nick Morris looked very good, Rye should have let them get back into it. On a side note I am sorry to say the Fish and chips is nowhere near as good as previously with frozen chips and suspect fish as well. I can understand the reasoning for this when a meeting gets rained off the club then get lots of waste with fish and potatoes

The impression I was given was that the pavilion would be built on some of the land in front of the ticket office with a bar area,function room,changing rooms and offices. They also said would be more car parking as well with the current area as overflow

The earth mounds that are being around the stadium I am told is being done for 3 main reasons them being the earth will be built up to create the track in a bowl which should help with the noise complaints as all noise should then just rise directly up and not out via fences. 2nd the land by the ticket office will be the club house and pavilion with the new toilets and office built this year having the foundations to build on top of. 3. Yes the club do make money with having this earth but also required for reason 1. I asked the question as was worried about the looks and that was the answer I got so at present will see if do as they say. I know they have been having problem with the council with officials there on Saturday looking at noise and other bits I heard were even saying about music being too loud and no hot water in toilets

I have heard that there has been talks today with Nemo to try and clear the air with the riders and try get hm onside. Hopefully it went well and he can call the others to get the team back on track.

I think Saturdays revolt to Hemsley was the final straw in long running lack of respect for him as he goes about things all the wrong way. Why is he allowing his wife to do the team talk and pick riders for heat 15, him coming into pits home and away pushing his nose in about setups when he has little knowledge. He also did a lot of damage the way he was at Nemos meeting why was his own promotor no where to be seen until it was time to collect bar takings. He was open to fans that he wasn't happy with the meeting as he wasn't making the money that day. He even tried to charge Kauko for volunteers who steward the stadium and other non paid officials.