IainB

I hadn't been to Owlerton for many years but started going again occasionally when Leicester were the visitors, now they're in the same league. It seems to me that riders have to be a lot more extreme in their moves to get a passes done these days than the last time I went. Whether that's to do with the track, bikes or quality of rider I'm not sure but there were real heart stopping moments where riders seemed to have to risk everything to make a pass rather than just riding a faster line.

Soulsby will love that he's been mentioned on this forum lol

There's been a few mayor's receptions down the years for winning teams... not sure if anybody has received the freedom of a city?

Great idea!

I don't think it helps that they are situated quite low and far away from the track meaning that the air fence creates quite a shadow and when the riders go wide, as they tend to do on turns 3 and 4, they dissappear into this shadow making it quite difficult to pick them out, especially when wearing darker race suits caked in with dirt. I've mentioned it before but the sport should look at moving into the 21st century and fit led lights to the bikes. If Wiggy was still around he would have been all over led lights.

What struck me when attending Cardiff was that the demographic attending seemed to be a lot younger to that of a club league match and that was even after discounting the traveling Polish fans

WBD also did little to nothing to promote the event. Instead of throwing the doors open to Qualifying and holding it at Beer O'Clock on a Friday evening for office workers to attend before going home (similar to T20 cricket events) they decided to force punters to buy a programme to get in!

Didn't they do something similar in Riga (a couple of days before it was due to happen)?

If true, that is a shame... looks like we're stuck with "South Stand". "John Perrin Stand"?

That's only a suspicion though... there are football pitches situated over the back of the Speedway arena with floodlights on top of very large posts.

Mort got an MBE,I think... funny that, recognised by the late Queen but not by the club whose stadium he built, no, we'd rather call it the South Stand... in memory of that great direction! Why has Mort been cancelled?

It could explain why the ref had such a shocker in the semi!

For services to Polish Speedway?

They had a blank canvas with the track... buggered it up Now they've replaced the floodlights with lights that clearly aren't bright enough (or they are bright enough, just not enough of them in the right places). Admittedly they're so much better than the days of standard light bulbs, but in 2024 they should have been so much better than they are.

... at the Specsavers Arena 🥸

I missed that 2nd release... whichever way you look at it, it's a bit of a balls up, hope nobody had hotels booked etc. I was watching a Darts documentary the other night and back in the day of the BDO it reminded me so much of the Speedway setup, the guy running the operation seemed to be working out of a shop in the backstreets of nowheresville, reminded me of a certain somebody running Speedway from a Caravan in the back end of Lincolnshire!

Taken from the BSPL press release "However, an exciting addition to the Premiership KO Cup is the inclusion of Championship winners Poole along with all seven regular top-flight clubs." No mention of an "invitation" (although I am aware that the Poole press release did say "invitation") It's been quite the close season for a U-Turn: Cardiff, Boughen, Schlein and now this.

Well, as long as the riders are happy, bugger the fans that pay to watch and can't really see what's happening at the other end of the track!

Dan Thompsen & Jordan Jenkins the 6th & 7th riders selected, so assuming it's 7 man teams (arrgh!) It sounds like Simon Stead & Olly Allen have dropped DJ Woffy & Robert Lambert from the national side or they've refused to ride... that'd be quite a story in any other sport... 🤔

I was going to raise this... as 5 riders have already been named I would hope that Lambert and DJ Woffy will still make the team.

Are there not hundreds of unoccupied rooms just over the road from Perry Barr?

I don't know... but I would have thought the former

I'd have thought (hoped) that British licenced riders would have to ride in their national championship as a priority as every other nations riders do. Probably more to do with TV schedules

Commercial reasons? I won't be attending on a Monday, I thought it was a real success last year

As this league is still running the RS system he should definitely be included in that, I'm not sure Leicester is the right place for him though, based on previous performances and his starting ability. Having said that I'm looking forward to him upping his game and making me eat my words in 2025!