"I think a way in bringing speedway back to the public forefront, may be to try and get some events back onto terestrial television. By putting everything on Sky, it limits the viewing numbers and certainly restricts the enjoyment. If more people were exposed to the sport, then maybe more would want to attend meetings. It worked with me way back in the 19**'s....."

"Until the Promoters and others running Speedway admit that they don't understand the fans, the problems will continue to escalate.

Unlike football, many of the spectators are like me, I attend meetings three or four times a week. Simply holding meetings on one day a week would actually cause the crowds to diminish.

This week for example in eight days I would have seen Rye House at home three times (including conference league) and visited Poole and Arena Essex. Total cost including programmes £68.50. I would have had much enjoyment and entertainment, but unlike recent seasons I now actively pick my meetings, watching predominantly Rye House and then picking some attractive meetings. I envisage doing between 60-70 meetings this year as opposed to 80-90 in previous years.

Before you say I am not typical, I agree this point to a degree but I do see the same old faces at many meetings. This is a direct contrast to Football supporters. I would only pay to see my beloved West Ham. I have no interest in general football.

Now when comparing prices I saw 5 speedway meetings for £68.50 and on Saturday I will watch West Ham play for £49 including programme. To me speedway is good value but it is definitely getting more and more costly and the standard of the product, especially in the Elite League, is plunging.

So far this season I have seen three GP's at Cardiff, Copenhagen and Prague. The cost of Cardiff in my opinion is spiralling out of control. BSI continue to claim the attendances increase year on year but I'm not too sure. It's a fantastic product but too expensive. Less so than Formula one I agree but then Silverstone could probably sell out twice over so they can charge what they like.

As speedway fans ask yourself this...when was the last time Promoters asked you what you want? They are too busy inventing terms like 'Play the Joker'. Deciding what a great idea it is for a green helmet colour instead of white. Inventing the term 'aggregate point' instead of 'bonus point' and finally and most importantly allowing meetings such as Arena V Reading where there were more riders absent than actually at the meeting...Try selling that little beauty to new punters...Will they come back, of course not.

we as fans need to make our voices heard before it's too late, and by the way BSPA - 'hand offs' the Premier league, it's doing ok thank you!"

"I hope speedway does survive all this. I think the main problem is the cost of attending speedway and the poor facilities at some of the tracks for the average fan although the corporate fan is well catered for. I feel that the speedway tracks should be updated and have good outside seating where you can watch the racing in comfort and having a great view at the same time, that's probably why the Millenium Stadium has been so popular. I've been there and you just don't miss a thing, unlike going to some or perhaps all of the club tracks you just don't get this.

I feel that the entertainmemt is there, but I feel the tracks need to be updated and brought up to the 21st century. Football had to do this for their survival, remember the Bradford fire, Heysel and Hillsborough stadium disasters. Fortunately speedway hasn't experienced those problems, but I remember going to football matches in the 1970's and 1980's and the grounds were run down and in a poor state, the shed end at Chelsea didn't used to have toilets.

So I say, bring in some kind of tiered seating along the start/finish straight and the back straight and keep the pit bend terraces, this might help in bringing back the fans, and still charge £15 for Elite League speedway."

"I have been a stock car fan for some 35 years (a sport not always popular with speedway fans I admit) but I wholeheartedly agree with the comments of N Woods. In the past sports such as speedway and Stock Car racing were supported by travelling armies of fans who would follow their teams/drivers to whichever venue they were racing. I did so myself thinking nothing of doing 2/3 meetings a week during the season and knew some speedway friends who would follow their team all over the country. But sadly those days have long gone.

Both sports have forgotten that they were primarily aimed at the working man and even in this so called classless society not everyone is earning the sort of income which allows unlimited money to be spent on admission and travel costs. Entry prices for Stock cars are also £15 and with petrol it now costs me £60 for two of us to go to what was always regarded by us as a local track (Coventry). I can no longer afford to do the 50 meetings a season I did some 15 years ago - and the Stock car world is, like Speedway, asking why crowds are declining! I guess we are all in the same boat as well as racing at some of the same stadiums!"

"Could I just point out that at no time has there ever been any talks about Peterborough 'seeing the season through'. Peterborough, like every league club has been hit hard by the number of postponents due to the weather causing an obvious cash flow problem for all clubs."

"Although the cost of watching speedway has increased, I feel we're still getting value for money compared to football. We mustn't knock Sky tv, as without their coverage, where would the sport be now? As a Long Eaton supporter, I now have to travel to watch live speedway and perhaps only get to half a dozen meetings a season. I feel the sport needs promoting more. Most of my friends didn't know it was a TEAM sport, where you actually have a team to support, as in football, rather than individual riders as per Moto GP. We need to tell Joe Public this.

Also, changing the subject slightly, but still relating to cost. Has anyone considered the impact this government's road pricing policy may have on the sport? The riders will want paying more to cover their costs, and I certainly would think twice before leaping in the car and travelling to a meeting. I know that this is just the reaction the government want, but what about our sport?"

"I agree with Harry Ward 100%. Even though I was always devoted to my beloved Dons, I would go to speedway whenever, and wherever, I could. It was nothing unusual for me to take in three or for meetings a week, and I used to love the Bank Holidays when I could take in two or three a day. As Harry said, I would see the same people at all of them! As far as the cost, it can be prohibitive, but that is not the important thing; it really is about the quality of the product. There are a number of reasons why the sport isn't what it used to be, but that's the same with everything. The real problems are the silly rules and the lack of good racing. It wouldn't matter how cheap speedway is, if the quality of racing is not there, and the atmosphere and overall entertainment value is not there, the people won't go. We have to improve the product. "

"I would also like to add having recently visited Poole Speedway I was disgusted at the admission prices now. Not only is it 15 pounds entry for an adult, its 2 pound a programme and an extra quid just to park the car. As a single dad paying maintenance, mortgage etc etc how the hell can one afford to carry on paying all these over inflated prices? I don't even get a payrise each year and yet the cost of everything goes up. It means searching for alternative hobbies that are less costly for my son and I. Best wishes Poole for 2009. From a former Milton Keynes Knights fan. Rip the MK Knights."

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