Sir Sidney

Who are 'this lot'? I'm not expecting a Plough Lane standard stadium. If anything comes of it then I'd expect a much more basic set up. The site exists and currently has motorsport on it and permission. I'd fully accept that the chances are less than 50%, but much better than zero

It's never the same two weeks running. I doubt it was rough on purpose

Dan T says it's mechanical

Livened up a bit now

I worked in Local Government where everyone was on fixed pay scales based on grading, so everyone knew what my salary was. I don't think the original question was about individual rider’s payments, but about averages. Not an unreasonable interest. I also think it would be of interest to know, roughly, what the costs of staging a meeting and running a club are. When Wimbledon was a PLC it published it's accounts - not at a level which allowed you to know how much individual riders earned, but it did show as far as I recall what the rider costs were for example. The published accounts for any club that is a limited company are available, but generally only the balance sheet not the income and expenditure account.

All relevant questions. To most supporters those figures are a mystery and so you have no idea of the likely break even figure for a club. I presume any prospective promoter would be provided with an outline estimate of the likely costs of both set up and ongoing costs. I believe the clubs pay their own riders for both home and away matches, and so have to cover the away matches from income generated by home matches. It's one of the reasons clubs can have a cash flow problem- if they have too many away matches without sufficient home matches.

Without knowing the underlying reason what makes you think BSPL had any option but to suspend Workington's licence?

Plough Lane closing had nothing to do with viability. The owners wanted to develop the site, and 600 flats in London was worth much more than rent from speedway and stock cars. It was lucrative enough for the owners to give AFC Wimbledon the land and £12m ( or £17m - I can't remember now ) towards the stadium build costs so that they could say to Merton Council that sports use was being maintained on the site

That's the spirit

You are.

It may have some legs. I heard the presentation at WSRA lunch. Worth reading the article I would think

I'm one of the ones who goes, so I hope you are right and crowd levels don't drop any further.

I suppose the other side to that is how many fewer will turn up to watch and how much revenue is lost as a result. I guess Nigel Tolley has done the calculations

Like you, I mainly use other stations. Of course, it's unlikely speedway would get a crowd that generates such queues, and, as you rightly point out, it's not a speedway thing. I went to the Champions Cup Rugby final at Cardiff last month. Again, queuing at the station was slow and disorganised. 5 minutes to get to the station, an hour in the queue.

I have been there plenty of times. If it is taking you 80 minutes to walk from the station to the stadium you are going the wrong way!

Would anyone be able to point me to any attendance stats for when the BLRC was staged at Hyde Road please? On the Belle Vue website it says the stadium capacity was 40,000 and, busy though it was in the years I attended I didn't think there was anything like that number present. Thanks

Yes it would be an eye opener to most. Massive housing development, Westfield shopping centre, bars and restaurants abound. A lot more attractive than it was pre Olympics. Most people would be leaving at the same time and heading to Stratford station. Very little chance of any trouble. Of course, a few in the know will opt for other stations and parking and might be well advised to avoid walking accross the dark park and to stay on the lit roads. All academic in any event because WBD will never risk promoting at the London stadium themselves, and the chanced of an independent promoter doing it must be slim

Not sure if it is etiquette to quote myself! However, last night the organisation was much, much better. Credit to Belle Vue management for listening and reacting. In the East stand there were double the amount of ticket checkers so everyone was in easily by start time. Food outlets were still busy but the queue moved quickly - it looked to me tgat they had lots cooking in readiness for orders coming in Extra bar facility added overnight. The PA was better, but still needs to be louder, and there will never be enough toilets - but queues manageable. For next time I hooe tgey will improve PA, get more food and drink outlets ( maybe get them in the Fan Zone and make that available during the meeting to East Stand ticket holders). Overall, a fabulous weekend with brilliant speedway.

I was in the East Stand. Whilst I don't wish to minimise the problems some people had, I suffered none of those. In early, fed and watered with no queue, used loos and went to seat. No problems. So many sporting events have issues with getting food and drink during the event, so that's not unique to Belle Vue. That said, Belle Vue need to ensure today that everyone gets in on time, and preferably the PA works. But far from a shambles from my point of view. Ask me again later to see if I have a different view after tonight

I can't think of much, if anything, that has improved since WBD took over. 'Made for TV' sums it up well.

The decline started way before the 80s. I started to go to Wimbledon in 1969 and the crowds, whilst large by today's standards, were way lower than for example the 50s

7 day suspension for non speedway injury or sickness? Will also miss Belle Vue on Monday

I agree. British Speedway just needs to decide what it is trying to be and who it is trying to attract, and then create and implement a plan to achieve that ( in fact, I'd almost guarantee that people with the skills to do so exist within the fan base and on this forum and would willingly help out). Now, as we know, the risk is that it alienates it's existing fan base in trying to attract and keep a new fan base - but those of us who have been watching since the 60s, 70s and 80s are drifting away or dying in any event.

I've pulled up my drawbridge and asked the guards to patrol the moat

I agree. The modern way of everything building to a final may create drama, but the best rider / team in a meeting or league does not necessarily win.