What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
Speedway programmes provide an intrinsic link to the observable action and, unlike many other professional sports, they enshrine a detailed and contemporaneous record of the event. But to the well-informed fan, contemporary publications are more than just a racecard. They are an anthology of data, drama, and disclosure. Furthermore, the reach extends to a record … Read more
Manchester – at least in my personal experience – has a reliability and permanency of one facet: rain. And I wasn’t to be disappointed during the qualifying rounds and the Under-21 final of this year’s Speedway of Nations tournament held at the National Speedway Stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester. Thankfully, the proceedings brightened up for … Read more
The stag do – or as our friends across the pond would call it, the bachelor party – can be traced back to ancient Sparta (circa 404 B.C.) where soldiers would hold a celebration for a groom the night before his wedding. This masculine meet sought to bid a final salute to singledom whilst preparing … Read more
© Ian Kirke 2024 & all images. @ianjkirke
Drawing a parallel between speedway and professional football is perhaps a less than perfect comparison when it comes to renumeration. The latter contains multiple examples of lucrative, often eye-watering contracts, which dominate the sports pages. As an example, in January 2018 Mesut Özil signed a three year contract with Arsenal worth around £55.9 million, including … Read more
When the call is made how could I refuse? UK Football Fans urgently needed to represent their teams in Major TV Broadcaster commercial campaign! The pitch: I’ve been a Notts fan since I was 10 years old – so 51 years of pain! I am a season ticket holder facing a 5-hour round trip for … Read more
Join one of the most decorated national speedway champions as he reflects upon his roller-coaster life, often on two wheels, but more so as an ordinary human being trying to make sense of it all. The urge to share his life story, or more accurately a work in progress, stems from one simple question – … Read more
The 2024 Speedway World Championship hits the shale later this month, with series one of an eleven round tournament being held at Donji Kraljevec in Croatia (27th April). 15 racers, led by current Polish world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, will contest the Grand Prix series that will again be hosted at several major European cities, including … Read more
The 2024 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership media campaign burst into life at the National Speedway Stadium, Belle Vue, Manchester, on 20th March, where CEO, Phil Morris, choreographed an ambitious fiesta of fascinating interviews for the press and TV, alongside team building events for the magnificent turn out of riders and management. As the press conference … Read more
The 2024 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership media campaign burst into life at the National Speedway Stadium, Belle Vue, Manchester, last Wednesday (20th March), where CEO, Phil Morris, choreographed an ambitious fiesta of fascinating interviews for the press and TV, alongside team building events for the magnificent turn out of riders and management. As the press … Read more