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I'm far too busy between races trying to find suitable stones to put under one side of the folding chair to stop it wobbling, rearranging the blanket so it doesn't keep sliding off my knee and trying to get the top back on my flask, never mind trying to remember where I put the sugar.

There's the answer to dwindling crowds and the lost generation of fans, a lending library at every track. Not only would the crowds soon be flooding back but they would have to come back for the following meeting to return their books. Genius.

Didn't think it would take you long to have another grumble.

Very pleased tonight. Deal done with MF. Only 4 meetings left available to sponsor and guess what I've got - last season's champions in August!!

You happy with the 5 currently selected then? A total crock of poop being put together and clearly built on the cheap

And the rider in second place, behind his partner, will be paid for the bonus point, but it will not be used for his official average making him a bigger bargain on the lower average.

Sam will be ok, says he could race in 2 weeks if necessary so 2 months is no problem

There is absolutely nothing that says Layne cannot be a good speedway rider and a music star however In My Opinion to succeed at something and to truly reach your full potential takes dedication and full commitment. Even at solely NL level riders need to find 1/2 days a week to work on bikes, plus hold down a job and include some level of fitness regime all of which prove very time consuming but are required if a rider wishes to achieve their potential. As for annoying you that's your concern. This is a forum for opinions, often peppered with rumours, insider information and gossip. It's certainly not to be taken too seriously or forming personal vendetta's.

I think it's agreed on here that one area which needs addressing is the "spectator experience" An observation from an old-timer who remembers better days, which on its own may sound trivial, but identifies a part of the reduction in the "spectator experience" - and it may not be correct at some tracks, I can only speak of the late, lamented Brandon In the "good old days", for each race, four well-turned out track staff members, dressed in a top and beret/cap of the four helmet colours, would each wheel out a bike onto the track - there would stand the four machines, ready for action Then the four riders, helmeted and ready to race, would walk from the pits onto the track - entry of the gladiators - and mount their bikes The clerk of the course would then indicate that the track staff would push the riders away for their journey to the start line All this would take a couple of minutes, perhaps longer, but was all taking place in the view of the spectators - they would see the bikes, the riders, the preparation - during this time, and be able to cheer their individual favourites (or the opposite!) The race if not stopped would last some few seconds over a minute, and it was usual for the riders - perhaps all four - to complete another lap, whether a lap of honour or just a "warm-down" So there was "spectator experience" of around five minutes for each heat throughout the meeting In more recent times - certainly after the introduction of greyhound racing caused a relocation of the pits gate - riders would appear on track on their bikes heading to the start, pushed off by their mechanics from inside the pits like the GPs (out of view of the crowd) So the "spectator experience" was diminished I said it sounded trivial, I know there was a reason at Brandon with pits gate moved, but it's the kind of minutiae which Charles Ochiltree as promoter would look upon as very important, and the riders too had a part to play by not disappearing off-track asap at race end I discount the trend for copious "gardening" by riders at the tapes - I don't see that as anything other than a pain in the backside of many spectators who see it as a delay, not a build up, to the racing Do today's promoters even consider such matters to be important?

Not rude at all. Don’t mind telling you how much it cost. Wasn’t aware sponsorship costs were a closely guarded secret.

In those days WK it was all about being entertained you are right now it bloody annoys me when people say you have to have riders who can only improve what about riders who give there all and entertain.Winning is not everything try to win but not at any cost winning is not everything there can only be one winner.What would you rather WK ? be entertained have a good night out with friends and win nothing or watch a team that wins every week but the entertainment value is non existent.

Only cos Baldyman started it up again and woke him and Stevebrum up!

Id call it common sense - thats why only a few manage it

Proctor should 5.5 (7.15÷1.3) from his Championship average as he didnt have a Premiership place TJ is different as he achieved a Premiership average and so his Championship figure is irrelevant

This team does not look inspiring up to now, hope Iversen is back.

I think someone isn't using their loaf!!

I just hope that they manage to schedule the meetings with less gaps than last year, and that clubs are forced to run cancelled meetings or comps like the KOC by certain dates so that there is not the usual last min panic in September with multiple meetings in one week.

But because we are leaving the eu the price of bread went up 60p in that week so you lost money as well as having no bread for a week

short on dough then

Aah you should have bought the loaf!! I could have sent you a box of matches.....!!

Crikey, you really don't want to be there do you................

10k well spent well done to Mason is this finally the year he kicks on.

My grammar was everywhere too! So no worries!!!

That team with Nilsson at 5 looks much better than the rumoured 7 we will end up with. A lot depends on the new Dane, if he turns out to be a revelation we could be laughing, but I highly doubt that will happen.

Bringing through some youth then lol

In those days, the Promoters realised that the Supporters were there to be entertained - and that was all part of it. Like burning Johnnie Hoskins' Hat. All part of the fun. Apart from the actual racing, there is little else for Supporters to watch these days - apart from the Tractor.

A very sad video. Its just a matter of time before its another housing estate. I first went to Speedway at the Norwich Firs stadium in 1963, and at the end of 1964 I was devastated to see the same thing happen there, so I know how Coventry supporters must feel. My heart goes out to you all, and lets hope you have better luck finding a new home for the Bees, than we did in Norwich.

I hope you are because if they have left less than four for the final rider that makes Proctor an even worse signing. Surely TJ's Prem average is an attained one rather than a calculation?

Would rather MPT

Nice of you to share their names... I looked from FIM website and my email, the two places that they should be in when any announcement is made. I’ll be thinking of you Doug during the next litre of Sangria while sitting here on the beach...

The rule kus not illegal unless and until it is tested in the courts. The general opinion is that it very likely would be deemed illegal but as long as both sides consent to the situation there is no problem. It seems to me therefore, that the real issue therefore is whether anyone is prepared to invest the time and money fighting such a case.

How can you fine someone for not complying with an illegal rule

Maybe Layne will practice his singing while he is working on his bike

Can’t see us wanting your two Poles!!!

Gutted for Sam. Let's hope the surgery allows him enough recovery time to star the new season. Not a great way to start the year for him. Quick recovery Sam!

Shouldn't that be the fiddle? :-)

Good 1.) My old man taking me to Wembley and West ham for league racing on a regular basis. 2.) My four all time speedway heroes. Olle nygren, Ronnie Moore, Christer lofqvist & Tommy Jansson. 3.) Speedway every night of the week in the south east 4.) England v USA at Wimbledon in 1980. My best ever meeting. 5.) Seeing peter Collins and Chris Morton win the world pairs final at Lonigo in 1984. Bad 1.) Tommy Jansson's death in 1976. The last of my speedway heroes. 2.) The demise of speedway in London. 3.) Being present at three fatal speedway crashes. 4.) The closure of wimbledon speedway twice in 1991 & 2005. 5.) The immnent demolition of Wimbledon stadium. The flame will finally go out for my beloved Dons.

Let me guess the order the remaining riders will be 'revealed' Cook ,Fricke ,Bewley ,our new reserve ( Etheridge ? ) And Last but not least ,our new Polish youngster Damian Drodz !!! , bet none of you saw that coming eh?

Where are you getting the fine dining bit from Steve? So far they've not told us a thing. For all we know it could be fish and chips with James Shanes!

If these charges are introduced , I could offer, at very reasonable prices a "smuggle your stuff in service" (four course meals excepted)

Don't know what will happen,but Championship clubs should not be affected by Premiership deciding to let Swindon do as they please.

If a track has to go to Swindon on a Thursday and they have riders that also have a Championship meeting that night, surely the Premiership clubs have to get priority otherwise this is a big advantage for Swindon facing depleted teams

The bottom line for a lot of fans is that they would like to see their team win silverware. I don’t think it really matters to them where the riders come from. The promoters look at the points limit and what they can afford after the conference. Edinburgh’s promotion has always tried to build a team around riders who will progress and increase their average. Guys like Perks and Jacobs are unlikely to increase their averages and some positively struggle around Armadale. Why should the Edinburgh promotion give a place to a British rider who struggles at the track and may or may not be asking them to break their budget just to sign them because they are British. Edinburgh are a track who usually stick by their riders for the season and give them a chance, unlike others who when things are going wrong after a few meetings make changes. For that they should be commended instead of fans of other clubs coming on here and having a pop at their team building. Why did Ipswich or Lakeside for example not sign the riders mentioned. it appears that some folk just want to come on here and have a go at Edinburgh.

SCB, even taking your view, don't forget that many pensioners paid into the system and paid the full admission price at speedway throughout their working lives and subsidised whatever benefits you think they now receive for those who were pensioners when they were younger. You can argue about statistics as to which group was relatively better off 10,15 or 20 years ago but the fact is that few, if any of those who are now pensioners begrudged the older generation a few "perks" when they were working. We thought they had worked hard all their lives and deserved a few benefits in their later years. However, put all that aside. The fact is that many commercial organisations offer discounts to many different sections of the community because they see it as sound commercial sense to do so. Teachers, civil servants, members of certain organisations. people who buy certain brands of products, are all offered discounts ranging from buying insurance, to holidays, to purchasing many different types of goods and for entertainment and leisure activities. There's nothing altruistic in offering pensioners these same discounts. It is done for exactly the same reasons as for any other group, because businesses think it commercially advantageous for them to do it. Much as it may grieve you I suspect that as a group we will be offered even more discounts because we shall be even more attractive to businesses as there will be more of us because we are living longer.

In one sentence you claim that you don't call people names, & then you call Rob an idiot. Priceless !!!

SCB's thin veneer of intelligence is once more stripped away by his rancid and repugnant ageism. It's a familiar argument - "I know a pensioner who's well-off so every one of them must be." It's as intellectually and morally bankrupt as "All these foreigners are taking our jobs". I do wonder if he's got a problem with his parents or other elderly relatives, given the sick bitterness and prejudice he continually shows to the elderly. In another recent thread he came up with what were superficially intelligent comments about the way forward but which were invalidated by his comment "Stop pandering to the old, they'll be dead soon", or words to that effect. I'll leave you to consider for a moment just how repugnant that is. Don't be taken in by someone who is obsessed withe speedway rule book and averages. It doesn't make them intelligent, merely fixated. I had to correct him ages ago when he was spouting this regulation and that to point out that he was completely ignoring the key part of the rule book, the supplementary regulations which are issued during a season and regularly amend those rules., I remember SCB complaining about the car park at a certain track on the basis that it was damaging his very expensive car. Lovely chap. I'd park mine outside ;-) If people were singled out for such abuse on the grounds of race, gender or sexuality they would be rightly condemned by most reasonable people in society and in many cases prosecuted. So why is ageism allowed? Speedway may have an age profile that could do with reducing. The SCB's of this world would achieve that by making the sport hostile to the elderly and forcing them out on the basis that the young and 'cool' (i.e. his own perception of himself) are put off by the sight of geriatrics viciously sitting down because they can't stand up for two hours and callously drinking hot drinks from a flask because they know that the stuff on sale at the track is awful quality and overpriced. Shame on them! It's not the elderly that are the problem, it's the shallow, ignorant outlook of certain people at the other end of the age spectrum. Still, there's one consolation, given the modern trend to despise the old by the time he gets to be in that age group life's going to be pretty appalling for him. Yes I have attacked the poster, and I have not one iota of apology for doing this. I've posted some strong views on here over the years but they have all been based on a deep love of and concern for the sport, and not my ego. I had my brief spell in the spotlight and I can tell you I am much, much happier sitting quietly in the shadows now. When I see SCB's posts I see raw ego. I worked with a few TV technicians like him in the past and you would sometimes get those who developed appalling arrogance through working in the industry. I thought I'd seen the worst.......until now. I remember years back Sittingbourne getting their only away Conference League win at Newport. Almost everyone on the BSF were congratulating the then Crusaders on finally getting a win. One kid wasn't though. He went through every decision made in the match, every pass and incident, desperately trying to prove that the Kent side hadn't deserved their win. Ever since then I've been waiting for SCB to grow up. Seems like I've got a longer to go. Still, I'll probably be dead first, eh? Rob McCaffery - aged 60 and expecting the basic state pension only, if that when I can finally afford to retire. You see, instead of building up a career I spent too much time with speedway. I'm now partially disabled so have to have a seat at a track even if it's a folding one which SCB so despises. After 46 years of course I don't deserve a small concession on the admission in my advancing old age.....It would be nice to be able to enjoy the sport in my final years without having to put up with prejudice from this shallow clown.

Here you go again SCB. You really must be a very bitter person. You are right when you say that a hell of a lot of Pensioners are well of, some of them very well off. However the obverse is also true. There are also a hell of a lot of Pensioners who are not very well off, are indeed very, very poor. Some can afford Speedway every week, but others will inevitably not be able to, and it seems that you want to make them even worse off. I doubt if there are many very well off Pensioners who attend Speedway that often so you are actually having a go at the poorer ones. Shame on you!!! You are either very bitter, very jealous or very selfish or maybe a combination of all three. Shame on you!!!

There is no crossover between speedway and the bikes you can ride on the road, unlike MotoGP, WSB and even motocross.

I take it all back then - Klindt is a great signing then

You'e a proper fan Win,Lose or draw cheer your team on. You had enough seasons without a team. Cherish it now they'e back