IainB

Underpants!

I honestly don't want to be negative but prior to the interval as a spectacle of speedway I thought it was total rubbish, with the exception of heat 2. A lot of riders were struggling to stay on their machines, with the entry to turn 1 and 3 being most problematical. There was another race as well, 2 races in 1, with about 100 yards between them, other than that a lot of the races had the riders really strung out. From the interval onwards I thought it was excellent speedway and you won't see a better race than heat 13 anywhere. I think a lot of punters will go home remembering those last few races.

Email sent!

There seemed as many Brummie fans there last night at BP as when I went to PB the other week to watch the re-opening Redcar match. It wasn't great to watch a number of the Birmingham riders unable/unwilling to do 4 laps, a number of them were struggling to ride the track (as were most pre interval) but you're not going to learn how to ride a track parked up on the centre green. Somebody that was having a go was James Shanes, didn't get the points his efforts deserved... what an all action style he has! I noticed this too, also Bomber seems to be "experimenting" with a different kind of engine at the moment, I'm guessing it's a Godden as it doesn't look like a GM or GTR, it's let him down a few times for Peterborough.

That would be a surprise move, do they do that with anything else do you know? I don't even know if Eurosport Events do anything else, or is Speedway their first venture?

Right, positive comments only... erm... Heats 13, 14 & 15, more of that please! Heat 13 especially, proper Speedway! It was the best race I've seen anywhere this season! Also Jason Edwards was very good entertainment value.

Paris Olympics, I forgot to put that sorry, hopefully as they're running the gp's then they'll Arrange them around it

I seem to remember a few years back (probably 10 to 15) there used to be a Polish merchandiser who was there at some of the bigger events, Brighton meeting and collector fayres etc. I wonder what their story was. I guess he was trying to cash in on some of the Polish riders appearances in the British League. I seem to remember he had some nice looking stuff

You can kiss goodbye to watching any live GP coverage in 2024 on Eurosport... better be prepared to buy the Eurosport Player if you want to see them

I've seen photographers flashes set riders into the tapes a few times

The sun's trying to put an appearance in now

Cool and breezy, forecast has changed to no rain now... we'll see

It'd be interesting to know what the Eastbourne and Plymouth stuff is actually like in reality. Like I've said in the Leicester thread, good luck to you and your business, but what's in it for the clubs? As some seem to think it's better for them to do it in house while others sub it out. Is it down numbers through the turnstiles? If you produce a pair of Leicester Lions underpants (Scott Nicholls shirt style) you can put my name down for a pair, cotton boxer shorts please

Yes, ultimately I suppose it boils down to how many punters are actually coming through the doors, which unfortunately is nowhere near as many a there used to be. But some clubs do do their own merchandise or appear to anyway, I assume there are no other companies like yours that handle multiple clubs merchandise.

Yes, it's been tough times and my own business has also suffered due to covid. I totally appreciate everything you say and the difficulties, even without covid. But from what you're saying though it doesn't seem to me that the club have been able to "cash in" on merchandise sales which was my original point. And looking at it from a clubs promotional point of view I'm not sure what the incentive is for clubs to sell merchandise, Birmingham & Ipswich, for example, don't even appear to have links on their website to your website to purchase merchandise.

Hi Johnny, thank you so much for coming on here and joining the discussion. I'm glad to hear that merchandise has been produced (and sold). I'll admit that as there was no speedway last season I've probably missed out on this, though I will say the clothing hasn't been terribly visible on the terraces, perhaps I need to open my eyes a bit more. I really hope you've done well from merchandise sales, and I genuinely mean that, and while I hope you're doing well as a business I'll be honest in saying that I do hope the club has also seen the benefits of championship branded merchandise? All the best Iain

Yeah Tai controversially got excluded in a GP a few years back (Torun I think, when the title was boiling down) after they'd brought the rule in, in Poland.

Sunny at the moment... showers predicted this afternoon

I've paid at the turnstile using CC, there was a 50p charge though

is the Golden tyre (whatever that was) now a thing of the past now Hancock has retired?

I quite like it when a rider is pointing inwards, shows aggressive intent. Is it a rule that the rider has to be straight at the start? It may well be in Poland, I don't know but you often see the start marshal applying this same ruling (?) in GP's also

Another "average" performance from Fred last night, just like his whole season has been so far

How has Chuganob got wild card's for these 2 GP's (assuming he's riding tonight) is it the PZM that has selected him? Is it because he's the best up and coming "Pole"? Surely when he hits 24 he'll turn into a Russian again. Why aren't they backing their own talent?

Quite right... give 'em a metal star badge and a gun, that'd get the riders to the tapes!

The only trouble with that is people can be a bit funny about where they watch their Speedway from, I know I am, when at the NSS I always prefer to stand in the south stand at the back in the middle, can't be doing with all that sitting down nonsense (). Whenever I go to any track I always go and watch from "my spot" 1. I hate to rain on your parade but doubling up ain't disappearing anytime soon because the powers that be have run the sport down to such a state that it's not operable without it, not for a few years anyway until some of the kids come through to sufficient age/standard. If there's not enough riders for 2 leagues there definitely aren't going to be enough for 1. You're right though the sport has got to move away from this model. 2. Totally agree, there's too many scenarios, I can never remember whether it's 6 points, more than 6 point or less than 6 points... and Speedway the only sport where a draw is not a draw, try explaining that to a noob. 3. No, 15 heats for me all day long... AND a full second half. 4. I quite like to hear from the riders as opposed to tractor racing, happy birthday messages, presenters inanely prattling on about nothing having one sided "conversations" with the fans. There shouldn't be need really other than to give a result or the line-up to a race. 5. Agreed Of course you do... I was forgetting that you're a promotion that is actually switched on to what your punters want and willing to move into the 21st century. Keep up the good work!