Sheffield V Northampton 11/06/26

[mikebv]

7 minutes ago, Rob B said:

When is the cut off? Last year playoffs had started that week. 
Ridiculous with so few teams

No TV schedule to work to so back to their old "we'll get there" ways...

Bonfire Night is a Thursday so we could have a "Bonfire Bonanza Play Off"..

Mind you, Xmas and New Year's Eve's are also on a Thursday...

 

[Hawk127]

9 minutes ago, mikebv said:

No TV schedule to work to so back to their old "we'll get there" ways...

Bonfire Night is a Thursday so we could have a "Bonfire Bonanza Play Off"..

Mind you, Xmas and New Year's Eve's are also on a Thursday...

 

What about next Thursday. Nothing else happening and think of the savings with a curtailed league programme. Just pull two names out of the hat and get on with it.
That will have as much credibility as seeing the campaign drag on for another four months with meetings interspersed by weather. It has become a fragmented programme with little to get excited about. A sad state of affairs.

If only those in charge took on board some of the feedback from the punters but alas the contempt shown towards the supporters in this country will back fire on in the short term and more tracks will close as the finances will not stack up and they have no chance of getting the lapsed supporters to return. Heads up arses and fingers in ears best describes those who oversee this once great sport.

[ouch]

45 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

Apart from the supporters of many years including those lapsed followers It is doubtful that anyone else cares about the facts and now the sport at its highest level in the UK is of little interest and is unlikely to survive many more seasons in its current form.
It needs to gamble on starting again with one league and riders who commit to the British league without fear or favour of overseas leagues. Poland pays top dollar and can dictate what the clubs riders do and that is understandable but in the UK that luxury does not exist so stop pretending and stop paying for the service of the European league riders who cannot/ will not commit 100% to UK speedway. That is fine and clubs in the UK just need to build teams without these guys. If the sport wants to have these riders grace tracks in the UK then hold an individual open tournament.
For the domestic scene build from the ground up, use a different business model, appeal to a new generation of supporters and make it more accessible to prospective riders by standardising the equipment and embrace modern technology and new formats. Make a meeting more than just a league meet of x number of heats. Have scratch races, the fastest one lap competition, head to head for golden helmet and handicap races. It needs something different and it can be so good but it does not always need the worlds best riders to produce good racing or exciting racing.
Can it happen, possibly, will it happen, unlikely given the management of the sport and the fickle supporters who believe the world revolves solely around league racing and then complain about the lack of a pipeline of new talent. Riders of all levels need track time and back in the day they got it with the second half of a meeting, now they are largely ignored by the mainstream clubs.

Create a league with mainly British lads, the younger the better to make a pipeline for the future. Maybe run on a weekend when families can attend and make it affordable for adults with kids free. That way we can finally push our sport forward without the need for the money grabbing big hitters in a league that everyone can get behind and see succeed. It cannot fail, and those that say it would only attract a few hundred need to realise where we are right now. You should be a promoter. 

https://britishspeedway.co.uk/25results/belle_vue_10.08.25_res2.pdf

[Hawk127]

8 minutes ago, ouch said:

Create a league with mainly British lads, the younger the better to make a pipeline for the future. Maybe run on a weekend when families can attend and make it affordable for adults with kids free. That way we can finally push our sport forward without the need for the money grabbing big hitters in a league that everyone can get behind and see succeed. It cannot fail, and those that say it would only attract a few hundred need to realise where we are right now. You should be a promoter. 

https://britishspeedway.co.uk/25results/belle_vue_10.08.25_res2.pdf

No not me but you have so many on here who share the views, Mike, Ian and many others who can offer so much more. I agree with all that you say and it needs to gather momentum to stop the sport falling off a cliff in the UK. I would rather watch seven riders trying their best than seven gate and go merchants. As I said standardised the machinery and if necessary grade it in formulas and the top riders can spend thousands chasing the crown while those emotionally involved in the sport ride to entertain and be competitive and gain experience whilst putting on a show for the punters. Short track riders do it and can put on a show. Perhaps ST should consider league racing. At least you would get regularly weekly meetings.

[1 valve]

1 hour ago, Hawk127 said:

Apart from the supporters of many years including those lapsed followers It is doubtful that anyone else cares about the facts and now the sport at its highest level in the UK is of little interest and is unlikely to survive many more seasons in its current form.
It needs to gamble on starting again with one league and riders who commit to the British league without fear or favour of overseas leagues. Poland pays top dollar and can dictate what the clubs riders do and that is understandable but in the UK that luxury does not exist so stop pretending and stop paying for the service of the European league riders who cannot/ will not commit 100% to UK speedway. That is fine and clubs in the UK just need to build teams without these guys. If the sport wants to have these riders grace tracks in the UK then hold an individual open tournament.
For the domestic scene build from the ground up, use a different business model, appeal to a new generation of supporters and make it more accessible to prospective riders by standardising the equipment and embrace modern technology and new formats. Make a meeting more than just a league meet of x number of heats. Have scratch races, the fastest one lap competition, head to head for golden helmet and handicap races. It needs something different and it can be so good but it does not always need the worlds best riders to produce good racing or exciting racing.
Can it happen, possibly, will it happen, unlikely given the management of the sport and the fickle supporters who believe the world revolves solely around league racing and then complain about the lack of a pipeline of new talent. Riders of all levels need track time and back in the day they got it with the second half of a meeting, now they are largely ignored by the mainstream clubs.

Here’s the problem with your suggestion. 
Developing young riders (good) at low cost (bad) simply means that once they become good enough, the big Polish money will attract them there leaving the UK to be nothing more than a source of talent. 
The answer for UK speedway? A feeder system based on a semi professional league providing a route to a limited number of full time professional teams/promotions. 
Could it happen? Yes . 
Will it happen? Only if a certain profile of promoters smell the roses and step aside.

[Hawk127]

4 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Here’s the problem with your suggestion. 
Developing young riders (good) at low cost (bad) simply means that once they become good enough, the big Polish money will attract them there leaving the UK to be nothing more than a source of talent. 
The answer for UK speedway? A feeder system based on a semi professional league providing a route to a limited number of full time professional teams/promotions. 
Could it happen? Yes . 
Will it happen? Only if a certain profile of promoters smell the roses and step aside.

If you look at the Polish scene then you will know that they have enough talent at all levels and really do not need to rely on a third rate provider such as the UK filling team spaces. Many other European based riders will fill those spots way ahead of U k riders simply because these youngster have a different mind set. One or two U K riders might make the grade but a pipeline of Dan Bewley’s (a rare and unique talent who never knows when he is beaten) is not going to happen so no fear of  riders en masse disappearing to Poland. Agree a feeder system is needed and long ago the UK sport had one but today’s promoters nether provide the opportunity or are of the right calibre to recognise what is needed to make a success of the sport.

[1 valve]

10 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

If you look at the Polish scene then you will know that they have enough talent at all levels and really do not need to rely on a third rate provider such as the UK filling team spaces. Many other European based riders will fill those spots way ahead of U k riders simply because these youngster have a different mind set. One or two U K riders might make the grade but a pipeline of Dan Bewley’s (a rare and unique talent who never knows when he is beaten) is not going to happen so no fear of  riders en masse disappearing to Poland. Agree a feeder system is needed and long ago the UK sport had one but today’s promoters nether provide the opportunity or are of the right calibre to recognise what is needed to make a success of the sport.

The various Polish leagues have many British, Australasian, Scandinavian, North American & Eastern bloc riders appearing every week. Nevertheless the organisers continue to create aspirational circumstances for their own nationals to aspire to albeit not many actually reach the top echelon. 
There are some Uk promoters who do recognise the value and benefit of developing home grown talent, Unfortunately the others do not know how to take advantage of such opportunities and they are more or less the same group who are involved in running the sport as a hobby.