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Post by schumi on Aug 7, 2007 20:39:08 GMT
Fuck it. Steve Turner, you're my flapperjack nomination for comments made this evening. Sure that'll give the spies something to report back.
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Post by admin on Aug 7, 2007 20:48:21 GMT
Damn, I forgot to nominate my Flapperjack of the week. Well....it has to be Rosco....with very good reason....because he's Rosco! Cased closed. The reason is obvious: the little bugger didn't give us entertainment by demanding that Ht 7 be awarded last night. Come on Rosco, its your sacred duty to give the television public a good laugh by complaining to the referee when you're on Sky.
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Post by admin on Aug 7, 2007 20:48:43 GMT
Fuck it. Steve Turner, you're my flapperjack nomination for comments made this evening. Sure that'll give the spies something to report back. What's he said now?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2007 20:52:32 GMT
Fuck it. Steve Turner, you're my flapperjack nomination for comments made this evening. Sure that'll give the spies something to report back. What's he said now? Yep, come on Schumi, spill the beans.........
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2007 21:18:52 GMT
Spies?
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Post by Genghis on Aug 7, 2007 21:46:17 GMT
I'd like to nominate the Swindon fans on the BSF who get massively touchy every time an Oxford fan dares to post on a Swindon thread, automatically assume that the Oxford fans are taking digs at them (instead of realising it's a general dig aimed at the whole of the Elite League), and then gang up in a pack mentality. In fact, I'm sure a couple of the people I'm talking about are on this forum somewhere I don't give a shit about all this Oxford vs Swindon stuff, it's hardly revelant when one team's in the Elite League and the other is in the Conference League. However, some of the Swindon fans seem to be carrying about half the potato field on their shoulders. All the best Rob
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 6:49:40 GMT
Fuck it. Steve Turner, you're my flapperjack nomination for comments made this evening. Sure that'll give the spies something to report back. Oh come on, you know it'll get back. That's half the fun of it. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 7:03:15 GMT
I'd like to nominate the Swindon fans on the BSF who get massively touchy every time an Oxford fan dares to post on a Swindon thread, automatically assume that the Oxford fans are taking digs at them (instead of realising it's a general dig aimed at the whole of the Elite League), and then gang up in a pack mentality. In fact, I'm sure a couple of the people I'm talking about are on this forum somewhere I don't give a shit about all this Oxford vs Swindon stuff, it's hardly revelant when one team's in the Elite League and the other is in the Conference League. However, some of the Swindon fans seem to be carrying about half the potato field on their shoulders. All the best Rob I KNEW this was going to be here! Come off it Rob. You've been "dishing it out" for years at Swindon fans about all sorts of things. Surely you can see why people are suspicious of your motives. If you came back from an Oxford match that you thought was fantastic and a Swindon fan posted it was a pile of shit, what would you do? Dish it out, by all means, but take it back too.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 7:35:24 GMT
I'd like to nominate the Swindon fans on the BSF who get massively touchy every time an Oxford fan dares to post on a Swindon thread, automatically assume that the Oxford fans are taking digs at them (instead of realising it's a general dig aimed at the whole of the Elite League), and then gang up in a pack mentality. They're just getting over-excited because they think they might win the league for the first time since 1967. This said, the depressing thing about speedway is that those fans having a good season always seem to think everything in the garden is rosy, whilst those trying to consider the bigger picture are accused of jealously.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 7:50:53 GMT
Or - the depressing thing about speedway is that those fans having a bad season always seem to think that the sport is to blame, whilst those trying to look at the positive aspects are accused of arrogance for daring to enjoy it. Christ, if I didn't like speedway I wouldn't go. It's happened before. Might happen again one day.
I fucking hate it when people go on about Swindon supporters not seeing some sort of bigger picture just because of having a positive outlook on the sport. Look back over the years at stuff I've said. I have always looked at positive aspects of the sport. In previous years, when Swindon supporters have been having a right old moan about the side (not, I hasten to add, the state of the sport. Swindon supporters have always blames the management in their whinges), I've always tried to put a positive slant on things in my replies.
It's how I am. I'm a relatively optimistic type. Keeps me happy, it does.
EDIT - As this is a nomination topic, I'll nominate all the people who think that the opinions of Swindon, Poole and Coventry fans are invalid just because they are the teams in the top 3. Can't see it winning though!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 8:51:06 GMT
Young Sedgy's a top sport - could be riding full on this season, if he gets off his Bum!
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Post by Genghis on Aug 8, 2007 8:51:40 GMT
Grachan,
Firstly mate - no-one has accused you of arrogance.
I appreciate your "positive outlook", in fact most of the time I am quite optimistic - however any optimism I had regarding the Elite League has simply run out.
Let's get one thing straight - what happened to Oxford this year was 90% down to he-who-cannot-be-named and only 10% down to the league structure.
But having seen Oxford pull out of the Elite League, and taken one step back to look at the rest of the league, the picture isn't pretty. Apart from 4 clubs (Poole, Coventry, Swindon and possibly Wolves), the rest have to be losing money. And that's not healthy and not sustainable.
And I simply don't think Elite League speedway is value for money. £15 for 15 races. The other leagues are cheaper, and you have riders battling for every point, whereas in the Elite League they hold position to a certain extent so that they don't get injured for their precious Swedish or Polish fixtures.
But my positive outlook has returned to an extent - as Oxford are doing very nicely in the Conference League, with crowds on the rise in a league with much lower rider costs. And we ARE genuinely getting superb racing - I'm not making that up. I'm far more positive now than I was in April or May - during which time I was worried stiff.
But I still worry about what's going to happen to top-flight speedway in this country and the repurcussions it will have for all clubs, not just the top flight ones, in this country.
Have a good one at Swindon this season, but please be aware of the problems surrounding the EL, even if Swindon are alright at the moment.
All the best Rob
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 9:23:09 GMT
Order, order, let the honourable gentleman reply. Oxford & Swindon eh you can't beat beat a bit of local rivalry shit can you. fog ps I hate fucking Swindon, fucking stupid roundabout in fact getting back to the thread, I nominate the queer fuckwit who a) designed it b) allowed it
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 9:38:17 GMT
Apart from 4 clubs (Poole, Coventry, Swindon and possibly Wolves), the rest have to be losing money. I suspect things aren't so healthy with those teams as people imagine. Coventry probably do okay because they own the stadium as well, but Poole and Wolves don't and must be paying a fair whack for rent. When I looked at Poole's public accounts, they actually recorded a big loss in 2004, and only a tiny profit in 2005. Swindon is also propped-up by TR isn't it, so even with the better crowds this season, I suspect subsidies have been needed to keep them in the BEL in the past 2 or 3 years. But I still worry about what's going to happen to top-flight speedway in this country It's finished. If not this year, when Terry Russell gets bored with propping the whole thing-up. It's obvious the BEL can't sustain the current level of costs. Fans can stick their heads in the sand and pretend we need to keep the top riders to make things work, but the simple fact is we have them now and the fans have still haemorraged away. Speedway is a working class sport without the patronage of cricket and rugby, and needs to almost go back to basics and try to build again from the grassroots level on the basis of being a cheap and cheerful form of entertainment.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2007 10:38:29 GMT
Rob,
I know we're in danger of going well off topic here, so I'll make this my last one. Maybe it deserves a thread of its own.
I am fully aware that there are problems in the EL this year. The points limit was too high, but that only really became apparent when riders started jumping ship. The structure itself - I see no problem with that. I think this year there were problems with a few dubious promotions.
Costs escalated, and from what I hear that was down to one promoter in particular upping his own costs beyond what he could afford and forcing other clubs to do the same to retain riders.
Last year was a good year al round, and I suspect next year will be too. I think the level has to be retained - ie GP riders. They just need to get the points limit right - maybe 40/41 - to allow for lower teams to keep up.
I'm not so sure fans are heamorraging away. By all accounts crowds at Ipswich, Reading and Belle Vue have all risen in the recent past. The Belle Vue rise is an interesing one, as it came with big a promotion push and a lower admission cost, which they have decided to keep going for the rest of August.
It shows there is a potential there to attract fans. If speedway goes back to grassroots level then I feel it would be the end of the sport in this country. It needs positive promotion, not dragging further and further down every time there are problems.
PS - the magic roundabout in Swindon is a work of genius!
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