Arlington stadium

[Ray Stadia]

19 hours ago, tonyd said:

selling boxes of matches on a street corner is possibly a better business model than UK speedway at present 🤣

That really is the problem with speedway. It's not a business, it's a sporting activity. Certainly in the UK. The sooner speedway realises it is an amateur sport and stops pretending otherwise, maybe it will survive going into the future, in my opinion.

[mikebv]

11 hours ago, Ray Stadia said:

That really is the problem with speedway. It's not a business, it's a sporting activity. Certainly in the UK. The sooner speedway realises it is an amateur sport and stops pretending otherwise, maybe it will survive going into the future, in my opinion.

Lawson gets grief for either being late or just on time, and for bikes not being spotless..

Yet holds down a full time job and has a young family...

When the sport was in its halcyon days the minority were full time professionals, with the majority seeing Speedway as a very decent second income, with many able to earn in one night of Speedway what they earned for a week in their "main job"..

Nowadays we have reserves trying to be full time professionals...

It's total madness from a business and operating plan perspective..

Especially as winning any of the comps has no real value or worth...

Edited 8 hours ago by mikebv

[YeOldPitGate]

2 hours ago, mikebv said:

Lawson gets grief for either being late or just on time, and for bikes not being spotless..

Yet holds down a full time job and has a young family...

When the sport was in its halcyon days the minority were full time professionals, with the majority seeing Speedway as a very decent second income, with many able to earn in one night of Speedway what they earned for a week in their "main job"..

Nowadays we have reserves trying to be full time professionals...

It's total madness from a business and operating plan..

Especially as winning any of the comps has no real value or worth...

I remember 3-4 seasons back a picture of young Ashton Boughton with something like 6-7 bikes in the background ready for the season and this was a lad starting out who was at reserve.

[Neila]

58 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

I remember 3-4 seasons back a picture of young Ashton Boughton with something like 6-7 bikes in the background ready for the season and this was a lad starting out who was at reserve.

But he was a one off had a very wealthy family behind him, maybe not the 1st with family backing, 

[tyler42]

5 hours ago, Neila said:

But he was a one off had a very wealthy family behind him, maybe not the 1st with family backing, 

He's not a one off though is is, Hagon and the lad up your way Kyle Bickley. have and had workshops full of bikes

[Neila]

1 hour ago, tyler42 said:

He's not a one off though is is, Hagon and the lad up your way Kyle Bickley. have and had workshops full of bikes

I know that and cairns is another, but he seems to have a bit of talent to go with the expensive bikes 😜

[Hawk127]

11 hours ago, mikebv said:

Lawson gets grief for either being late or just on time, and for bikes not being spotless..

Yet holds down a full time job and has a young family...

When the sport was in its halcyon days the minority were full time professionals, with the majority seeing Speedway as a very decent second income, with many able to earn in one night of Speedway what they earned for a week in their "main job"..

Nowadays we have reserves trying to be full time professionals...

It's total madness from a business and operating plan perspective..

Especially as winning any of the comps has no real value or worth...

Back in the day riders turned up with bikes strapped to the boot of the car and poor Terry Stone regularly turned up at Rayleigh with dirty bikes  seemingly having some sentimental value for the dirt of Bradford, Canterbury, Eastbourne etc. Eventually he took on board the point and eventually turned out for each meeting with spotless bikes, you could eat your dinner off the mudguards. Those were the days because as you said they rode in addition to the main job and it could earn them good additional money. For anyone old enough, after a meeting at Rayleigh the riders all met up at the Blinking Owl Cafe on the A127 and many a supporter joined them. It was a better time for the image of the sport and while the racing may not be as fast and furious as today, it was competitive and young riders were given chances that only today’s youngsters can dream about. Some made it others battled through but you got to see an aspiring young newcomer take on a heat leader and my abiding memory is Rayleigh versus Boston and Ivan Miller a grass track rider beating Arthur Price a heat leader for Boston. Compared to today’s homogenised offering the sport in those days offered opportunity and a chance for success on a level playing field with bikes that were basically the same and anyone old enough will remember riders winning a race on the ‘track spare’. It just would not happen today and more is the pity.

[The White Knight]

46 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

Back in the day riders turned up with bikes strapped to the boot of the car and poor Terry Stone regularly turned up at Rayleigh with dirty bikes  seemingly having some sentimental value for the dirt of Bradford, Canterbury, Eastbourne etc. Eventually he took on board the point and eventually turned out for each meeting with spotless bikes, you could eat your dinner off the mudguards. Those were the days because as you said they rode in addition to the main job and it could earn them good additional money. For anyone old enough, after a meeting at Rayleigh the riders all met up at the Blinking Owl Cafe on the A127 and many a supporter joined them. It was a better time for the image of the sport and while the racing may not be as fast and furious as today, it was competitive and young riders were given chances that only today’s youngsters can dream about. Some made it others battled through but you got to see an aspiring young newcomer take on a heat leader and my abiding memory is Rayleigh versus Boston and Ivan Miller a grass track rider beating Arthur Price a heat leader for Boston. Compared to today’s homogenised offering the sport in those days offered opportunity and a chance for success on a level playing field with bikes that were basically the same and anyone old enough will remember riders winning a race on the ‘track spare’. It just would not happen today and more is the pity.

Best Post I've read today. 👍

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, Hawk127 said:

Back in the day riders turned up with bikes strapped to the boot of the car and poor Terry Stone regularly turned up at Rayleigh with dirty bikes  seemingly having some sentimental value for the dirt of Bradford, Canterbury, Eastbourne etc. Eventually he took on board the point and eventually turned out for each meeting with spotless bikes, you could eat your dinner off the mudguards. Those were the days because as you said they rode in addition to the main job and it could earn them good additional money. For anyone old enough, after a meeting at Rayleigh the riders all met up at the Blinking Owl Cafe on the A127 and many a supporter joined them. It was a better time for the image of the sport and while the racing may not be as fast and furious as today, it was competitive and young riders were given chances that only today’s youngsters can dream about. Some made it others battled through but you got to see an aspiring young newcomer take on a heat leader and my abiding memory is Rayleigh versus Boston and Ivan Miller a grass track rider beating Arthur Price a heat leader for Boston. Compared to today’s homogenised offering the sport in those days offered opportunity and a chance for success on a level playing field with bikes that were basically the same and anyone old enough will remember riders winning a race on the ‘track spare’. It just would not happen today and more is the pity.

The positive social aspect of how the sport was, shouldn't ever be understated...

Even into the mid 90's the BV riders would be in the bar having a drink and signing autographs with the many fans who stayed to have a beer...

Supporters Clubs across the country arranged away meetings coaches and held regular social events through the season...

The operating model was always "a bit Mickey Mouse" (but obviously nothing like today's Guestfest version), however, the social aspect of the sport kept people engaged and invested in the teams, so therefore they attended regularly...

Teams who were, most weeks, your own riders, or riders doubling up who had been loaned out by your team to a Div 2 track for their development...

Nowadays it looks like Teams are put together the night before, with anyone and everyone in the frame to ride for your club on a adhoc, horses for courses, basis..

And, some riders will leave the stadium almost before Heat 15 has started if they have a very early flight the next morning from an airport miles away from the track they have raced on...

The whole thing needs urgent review and a complete overhaul and reset...

Start UK Speedway again...

[norbold]

40 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Start UK Speedway again...

Well, the last time I looked you could still see the outline of the High Beech track, so maybe. Mind you, I think you may have to chop down a few trees first....