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Osbourne must just be playing the long game on this. He’ll get his way eventually as long as the council are too stupid to realise what he’s doing. All he’s doing is slowly suffocating the appeal for the new stadium. Constant delays and changes to the plan means the space around the stadium is slowly being taken up by housing. As long as that keeps happening he’ll be happy. Keeping the existing stadium where it is and shortening the track means that if he is forced to have to create the new facility, it will be cheap to build and the building probably barely permenant if they are using these fabled prefab blocks. We could see action in the new stadium, but the likely problems with parking and probable complaints coming from the residents will make the stadium’s existence untenable. The facility will be closed and razzed for yet more houses, just what he wanted all along. I should imagine the inconvenience of going through with a half arsed stadium build will be small change compared to the income from eventually developing it for housing. For as long as the new plans for the site have gaping logical holes in them, this is what I think is happening. Osbourne is a complete snake, everyone should know that by now and not trust him as far as you can throw him. The BBC article on Torquay basically confirms it. Trouble is the plight of the robins isn’t a big enough story for the bbc or any national journalism, and the local paper and jounos such a saccharine bunch of press release re-hashers, that there’s no one about to do some proper investigitive journalism on it and ask some awkward questions.

Rider safety comes above all else and if that means sun delays then so be it, what the club can do is make sure that the rest of the evening flows as efficiently as possible and provide something to keep people entertained in the meantime. Anyway this morning's news is something positive and while only being part of the puzzle called success it's a step in the right direction. That's what the focus should be on today, we've had three months of negativity on here already.

DON'T agree ... better team riding under the conventional scoring system. Ridiculous to have race in which the winner is actually the loser... in my opinion.

as much as I like J Doyle I do think he is injury prone, if Jase can get a full season without any injuries, then he is hot favourite for W T No 2, i hope so because as Markyb has said "he is very loyal to these shores"

Good luck to steve lawson on taking over the track duties,hope it dont mean we have lost thomas armstrongs as sponsors .

Matt Ford will implement a minimum height requirement from September 1st in the best interests of the sport.

Wow there’s a suprise!

Hopefully he rams it in your faces like last time

I seem to remember Kenni has retired. Due to the fact that he was advised not ride again after his shooting accident.

that scoring system favours sitting in 2nd/3rd and blocking the 4th rider. BORING

One of the names along with Berry and Louis that I automatically associate with Ipswich.Sad news RIP

I think you’re missing the point. We’re not complaining at the propect of a new stadium. If it were clearly a legitimate venture , swindon fans and hopefully the town in general would be bouncing about with anticipation of it being completed. But there’s been so much smoke and mirrors over the last 12(?!) years of this supposed plan (of which remember, didn’t even include the new stadium at all at the start. Osbourne has clearly never had any interest in the stadium being there), you can’t see it ever being a realistic success. The revised plans should be bringing reassurance that this is all going ahead, however, the history of the project, Osbourne being the slimiest, slug of a man over many years now and numerous plot holes in the logic of how the site has been redeveloped, the plans just look like another delaying tactic to enable more land around the site to be swallowed up by houses. The actual plans for the stadium whilst looking nice and modern at a quick glance, are so light on detail and seemingly less than ideal for speedway, you can’t help but feel that even if the council force Osbourne into creating the stadium, it’s going to designed to fail, straight off the bat. A couple of years of complaints from residents and apathy from the public, Osbourne is left with exactly what he wanted in the first place. A stadium that no one really wants on a prime piece of land for house development.

The classic bit about Torquay is that why on earth would Osbourne want to be a football chairman ! he has little love for any sport at all ...how times can this bloke keep pulling the same strokes at every sports venture he is involved in ..but still no matter how many times he does it you still have people believing him when he puts out yet another false statement ...I find it completely amazing . And even worst you have people high up in Swindon having a go at any supporter whe dares to doubt Osborne Clark ! and even worst is how the local media have let him off lightly when they taking him to task and start asking questions ..

11) Newcastle.

Lets hope so, Dave

To be fair though I'd understand concerns after what happened last winter. However this seems to be something beyond Coventrys control, these things will happen when we are borrowing a stadium from another promotion.

LOL I almost added that they won't add any VFM but deleted it, think my next sentence was but they may if the riders are on it, but then thought oh nooooo, they don't want the riders winning, they want close racing, can't win really eh ...... It's this time of the year that I yearn for some speedway, I get a huge smile on my face just thinking about speedway racing, I'm not right I know. WE ALL KNOW (including Buster) things have gone awry lately but it doesn't take much to put things right, as fans we just need to have the will and the want to support the changes. You can't please everyone but if the majority are happy that's it basically .....

Maybe you should have looked on the morons who run Specsavers website then? Max has been showing in Rye House's team on the BSPA site since the day Rye House announced they had signed him.

Looking forward to seeing how this goes. Plus point has to be more nations involved and that although Poland will be favourites it's not a certainty.

I thought the article was excellent. It shows what a little digging can do, who has provided what information & how some of the things they claim may not be as it they seem. Put it this way if the speedway was making money then I would hate to guess what the stox made, You have seen pictures of the world final and even other meetings and the place is packed.

Strong side at home maybe but I think they will struggle away from home. I will be amazed if they make the play offs and are not fighting over the wooden spoon.

Very sad news. Remember Ron riding for Yarmouth against Norwich"B" in the first meeting I ever saw back in 1961.

Claes Nedermark or Lubos Tomicek!! You still got room on your sofa Tsunami?

Pretty sure that whoever is hosting would be straight through to the finals anyway. I doubt that there would have been any objections to a British pair in the final had it been staged at Belle Vue. In any case, be glad that there's only one Polish pair lol. To me this sounds like a way of keeping interest in some kind of team tournament alive, knowing that the Poles as a 4-some are now head and shoulders above anyone else's 4-man teams, and that there was the possibility of a dynasty growing that would sap the interest from other countries. With a pairs tournament, the likes of GB featuring Tai + 1, USA with Hancock + 1, Russia with Emil + 1, Australia with Doyle + 1 and other countries with one top flight rider (e.g. Vaculik, Zagar etc) plus one other, could be much more in the mix. OK, Poland are in the final, but I wouldn't take a Polish win for granted like I would if this was the old SWC. AND as a bonus to anyone thinking of going, the day after the final, it's Stal Gorzow v Falubaz Zielona Gora...so you can make one heck of a trip out of this.

You miss the point Trees. Sun delays affect paying fans, whilst Suggitt and Neville might be good for the riders (personally I'm yet to be convinced) they add not one iota to enriching the experience of paying customers. I know you do your very best to be positive about everything but there are things that need sorting. We all agree the sun being a natural phenomena is beyond the control of Buster, having an interval after a sun delay or starting late and then having a sun delay is not.

Listen to this lot and you'd think we had a sun delay every meeting ;P Good news about Paul Suggitt and Chris Neville? Robin Brundle is certainly bringing new initiatives to the club, let's give him our support, look forward and hope the good times will come .......

Good question but a better system to have 3-2-1 points. That stops one pair sitting 2nd / 3rd and then watching a boring heat with them blocking the weaker rider of the other pair. I hope Woffy rides on his home track with Cook. Lambert as reserve.

Welcome back KK, by far the best option given what points we had to "spend"

Well, the Speedway star was a good this week. I must say I always thought Peter Oakes was good but this was brilliant ! Puts a few questions out there and someone has given out far too much information, A good job that the committee seem to be on the ball and the hours of work behind the scenes are starting to come out. keep up the great work and I wouldn't be surprised if they have another ace or two to play yet.

You waited till later in life. You joined the forum and started p!ssing over us all. No offence Steve, the thought occurred and I couldn't resist it! (he'll get me back)

Nice to see KK fixed up, i hope he has a better season at Rye than he did with us last season. He certainly didn't seem himself..

Oh brill, if it’s GPS, at least we’ll know where we are.

Who is gonna be the first to post a pic of a Lynn Rider munching on a burger ?

Sad news Ron along with John Berry and the Louis family are all legends, Ipswich speedway running through there veins Ron was also a very good rider RIP.

Romford's pre war team were a nomadic team, just like Boston and the current cradley. It doesn't give the sport a lot of credibility allowing made up sides to enter league racing.

Ron was very instrumental in tutoring and nurturing 'Tiger' Louis and was paired with him in the early days when both rode for 'The Witches'. Apparently when John Berry was manager of England Ron was also involved but very much in the background. A great tactician when being Team Manager meant something.

Very sad news indeed. He and John Berry made a formidable pairing during the glory days of 'The Witches'. May he RIP and no doubt he and John will be meeting up again to relive past glories.

Just a thought. Kevin Wolbert and Ellis Perks would fit.

No chance. He will be a heat leader by the end of the season. No way would the powers that be ban an Aces heat leader from an end of season cup final.

That is a monster-ous suggestion!

Seriously this is ridiculous in a variety of sports. No one is forced to do there job as a ring girl, walk on darts girl or umbrella girl. If a lady wishes to do the job then why not let them earn some money. A couple of people who are offended, its probably no more than that, should be told to clear off and find offence elsewhere. Its getting to a time where no one can say anything about any subject in case it causes offence. .

Sorry my bad. Put this in the wrong forum. Thanks for spotting it!! Sorry did not mean to that.

But if the championship had implemented 2 reserves must be English it would surely help? It’s no good teams giving riders a few meetings then getting rid of them that’s not going to help them at all. You have people like Todd Kurtz and Mason Campton have they ever averaged more than 6 in the whole time they’ve been here? Joe Jacobs his average rises every season and Ellis Perks was outstanding for the best part of last season but both don’t have clubs why is that? You can’t say it’s because there not as good as the two aussies why not give Perks & jacobs half the chance both of the aussies have had.

You really are not getting it. Doyle is the World Champion and tops a good looking line up. This meeting is a fund raiser that needs to utilise all Marketing opportunities in order to maximise interest. No need for the negativity.

With Doylie, young Jack and big Jake in the side, I'm certainly a Rebel at heart this season. Hope to be able to make several visits while in Europe later in the year. Go for it, Rebels!

makes me laugh really if he doesn't do the meeting he gets slagged off of he does the meeting he gets slagged off by you lot who wont even put your leg over a bike. Jason over the last few years has turned himself about to improve as he has done, and he is quite a nice genuine person. perhaps if others had his drive and commitment speedway would be in a better place, Just has Ben Barker love him or loath him does the ben fund every year and is also great with fans especially kids so please leave these guys alone any who put their leg over a bike and entertain us support them and perhaps things can improve .

The great majority of riders racing in the UK are not earning big bucks in Poland and riding in the top league in Sweden. The UK is their only option to earn a living but Doyle is one of the few exceptions still prepared to commit to the UK when he can earn a very good living abroad, that's what you're missing. Most riders racing in the UK aren't in the GP's and most of those racing abroad who are in the GP's won't entertain racing in the UK but Doyle not only does but regards it as a priority, that's what you're missing. Doyle is the World Champion which makes him different to every other rider racing in the UK, that's what you're missing.

THIS thread has nothing to do with Doyle riding in the Ben meeting. I was impressed by his loyalty and commitment to British speedway and the fact that he happily tells others riders they should come here and it's not about the money. It is a huge asset to have the WC racing here. How many haver done that since 2010? Not many!

Can't believe this same stupid comment keeps coming up! How many times have we all debunked this nonsense? To repeat again. The average system offers 100 individual grades for every point of the average, and is as flexible as it can be! Using your daft grades, a rider with a 6.01 average is totally unemployable. Why would anyone want a 6.01 rider when they could use a 7.99 in the same place? Similarly, a 5.99 rider is in massive demand. He's much better value than a 4.01 rider in the same spot. So we have Mr 6.01 unemployable, and Mr 5.99 (who is of equal ability) in massive demand. There are 11 NL teams, and 77 places. There are only ever going to be 77 places, and bringing in a barmy system which would give totally unequal teams will not change that. Please can no one ever repeat this stupid idea ever again?

RIDING in the Ben Fund is only part of it. At Somerset on Friday he said quite plainly that he was always going to ride in the UK, it is foremost amongst his priorities, it isn't about the money, he genuinely feels that it helps him as a rider, he likes to keep busy, is always available to offer advice to his team-mates (should they want it, which isn't always the case) and has turned his life around. He also said that the injuries he sustained in Torun in 2016, including a collapsed lung, were identical to those of Lee Richardson when the talented young Englishman so tragically lost his life. Doyle could have too but, unlike Lee, he received treatment both at the stadium and in hospital far quicker. He is an impressive young man who could turn out to be one of speedway's best World Champion ambassadors, not least because he is not just prepared but determined to participate in British speedway. And hats off to Somerset who have made that possible and attracted new sponsors on the back of his signing.