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Starman, I love Led Zeppelin.... they’re great, probably the best band ever. But even I, as a rabid fan admit that they’ve released some lemons in their time. As much as I love them, if I’m honest, I know in my heart of hearts not everything they do is the mutts nuts. Even gods muck it up from time to time we appreciate you’re a Poole fan, but your constant leaping to defend Matt at every opportunity is a bit over the top. Dont take everything about Poole that you might not understand of disagree with as a personal insult, look at it with an open mind and see that from time to time, even Led Ford can get it wrong.

I agree that the fiasco of overwatering the 3rd bend and no information given was unacceptable. We were watching the riders standing about at first bend and then a couple of them went over to 3rd bend to inspect the track and no announcement was made for 20 minutes. And why so much water was put down when in fact it was raining at the time is just plain madness. Other than that it was a good meeting with some good racing. Shame that there were not more people to see it, no wonder there are rumours of riders not getting paid, I can't see how Laura can pay them if that is the normal crowd level and that was with about 100 Glasgow fans. I fear for the future of Workington speedway, Laura has put everything into saving it but she needs more to people to come through the door or some big support from sponsorship. We know how that feels at Glasgow, yes we are getting slagged as the millionaires but before the Faccennas took over we were concerned every season if we would be running the next. I sincerely hope the Comets can survive.

You missed out this bit "Apologies for not being able to keep you informed, I'm only allowed to give out some information on the instruction of the Referee but you could see what I could see, that water from the bowser had dropped onto the track we were working on it, it's not hard" Now if that's insulting please accept my apologies that wasn't the intention but to get some of the verbals I did was uncalled for, I don't make the decisions, never the less I'm pleased you came and as you are well aware last night my presentation was not up to the usual standard, sorry.

I am praying for it to happen. Poland get a 5-1 in every heat. Then in the final against GB, the Poles gate again and disappear into the dust by a whole straight, only for one of then to have an ef on the last bend. Woffinden and Cook poodle past him waiving to lift the title. The commentators go mad with Pearson shouting Woffy woffy woffy! And that will be the end of this crap competition.

ASSETS are a nonsense. Unless a rider is under contract he should be free to go wherever he pleases. Works everywhere else.

Matt: “Lovely salad nicoise, Mike, but I’m looking for a bit of inspiration: Auty, Starke, Klindt, Baran .... which team would you pick?” Starman: “Swindon”.

The problem is new people have been tried several times ........ and they fail miserably because of lack of knowledge of the sport. It’s a total embarrassment. only this season Eurosport started their Polish coverage with a ‘new’ commentator who lasted a couple of weeks because his commentary was beyond shocking and clueless. Thankfully Dave Goddard is now doing it who is a speedway fan. speedway fans commentating is the only credible way. Im not ashamed to admit I’m a fan of Nigel and Kelvin and find their excitement and exuberance exciting and sums up our sport perfectly. Also what I’ve found in speedway is that fans like to moan about everything and anything. If there is a better commentator(s) out there put their names forward to BT as that’s the only way of making changes happen. our sport is too niche for any recognised commentator to do a credible job, facts that have been proven by those who have tried and failed. long like our current commentary team, and that includes Dave Goddard on other channels.

Sometimes it might be best to simply not post at all Starman. There is no possible sensible defence of what Ford is complaining about here so best to simply remain quiet.

The constant Pearson / Tatum criticism on here is so boring. Get a life and think of another subject to moan about ladies and gents.

So, he's allegedly not being paid by Worky but you want the club to fine him from the money that they owe him?

The two day World final was an embsrassment, although having it in Holland probably didn't help. Last night's meeting was not good. It was supposed to be a pairs event, but where was the team riding? Whatever happened to thr great USA team racing style? Hancock racing off into the distance while his partner got passed by all and sundry cost USA a place in the final. Did anyone really care about the World Pairs in the past? It was always the poor relation of the World Team Cup and the individual championship, and still is. If they are having the World Cup every 2 years, with this as a filler, then fine. But if this is replacing it then it is a disastrous decision.

Just wanted everyone to know that Jane, Gerald’s wife, has informed me that StarFever passed away yesterday morning. Such sad news about a fellow Stars fan, I stood on the 1st/2nd bend with them for years without really knowing one another, then met him and Jane and shared memories, like you do and of course remained speedway buddies from then on. He loved the sport, was a knowledgable guy, straight talking on here and even after he suffered a stroke a few years back, Jane still brought him along to watch the Stars. RIP Gerald

Glyn can do a job, he doesn't turn bad overnight, maybe the problem here is the equipment at his disposal and the amount of time the Poole track has been neglected.

You can't always make excuses Phil.....The last time I was there was just after a GP and it looked like they had brought a few garden sheds from B+Q to use as official offices for some of the officials!!People knew what the place was like as it must have been inspected and anyway has by the time of this meeting been used often enough now.And given the likely poor crowd in attendance the tv feed is going to be very important as more are going to watch on tv,so at the very least you have to get that right!!!! But no,along with all the other problems it is known that tv are also going to have a hard time doing the job right Honestly,is it not time to give up or say,we basically have no choice,this is as good as it is going to get.Nobody else wants to host the meetings.........

You have to feel for the Panthers, after signing Kennett just at the right time (fitting snuggly to fill the 42.50 limit),,, then being undone by the lads injury.

I fear you misunderstand the principle and practice of team declarations. I can assure you however that there is not a ‘fast one’ here (except the riders involved.....).

It’s funny because most Newcastle fans think things are all rosy with Lindgren because they turn up at Brough most Sunday’s and watch him stroll in and get double figures but if they actually went to any away meetings they would realise that he is ABSOLUTELY useless at most away tracks and puts 0 effort in, I know he had an ef or whatever but he’s the same every single time he comes here.

Whether it was just my ears that deceived me I dont know but I'm pretty sure I heard Dave mumbling the words, he was only "allowed" to announce so much with regards to on track events, how you interpret that is entirely your choice!!

Speedway and commentary is a strange one. More often than not there's not much to comment on as we see 4 strung out rider's 'playing follow the leader.' I believe Nigel and Kelvin do a terrific job, yes they can be ott but what is there to talk about. Even during the breaks when they go back to Nicholls and Quirk, I find that very boring. Tend to just repeat all that's already been said. 3 hours to waffle over 23 minutes of racing isn't an easy task.

Whilst we are obviously grateful to Laura and her team for providing us with a team to watch, they really need to sharpen up on the promotion side of things. The official website is still always days behind. Just looking at it now they are 'looking forward to Lakeside tonight'. Did we ever get a full report from our victories at Peterborough and Glasgow, or are we still waiting for 'more to follow'. I don't live in West Cumbria so don't know how last nights meeting was publicised, if at all. For me it was a big meeting due to the fact that it gave us a great opportunity to progress in the cup, we haven't ridden at home for ages, and Glasgow would be seeking revenge for that big defeat and bringing with them a good number of supporters. Yet if I didn't read this message board I would hardly know there was a meeting on at all save for a standard picture on the Comets website saying 'next home meeting'. At the risk of having my head chopped off for sticking it just above the parapet, I just get the impression from our (albeit very few meetings this year) that we are all simply going through the motions so far this season, and that is not what I want to feel like when visiting DP. I want to see/hear a bit of a buzz, a bit of excitement, a bit of enthusiasm. It is a 2 way thing I know, but it has to start at the top, working its way through the riders and us, the supporters. I hate rumours, (as most of them turn out to be complete bo****ks) but the best way to stop them is to be open and to have a constant dialogue with those who have a vested interest. This is plainly not happening at present and has manifested itself quite often in the past few days resulting in things like who was our team manager at Lakeside, why are certain riders not appearing to be giving 100%, not keeping us informed last night with what was going on with the track......I could go on. I love my speedway and will be down at DP whenever I can this season, but others may need a bit more encouragement. Are they getting that?

Think we will pass on that one

Matt has had quite a few "very embarrassing moments" in recent years. At the end of the day the buck stops with him. Employ the wrong track guy, it's Matt's fault. Employ the wrong rider's, it's Matt's fault etc etc. As much as he cries foul the blame is with him. Maybe he needs to take a long hard look at himself and realise the way he treats his employee's needs to change and show some honesty to his customers. He's now reaping the rewards of historical behaviours.

These days I think it is easier to find a new commentator than a new fan,so.....,,,,

Rather than jump in and talk replacements etc ....Best wishes to Edward speedy recovery

It is a bloody big difference.Someone can win a final,but the rider with the most points wins in the end and that is how it was in the SWC as well.This new innovative comp is just rubbish.Plenty said it before a wheel was turned and after a few wheels it looks even worse that some thought

Busy weekend so had to watch this on delay tonight and for once I really do wish I hadn't bothered. The line about adding to the variety of teams and giving those a chance who couldn't raise a full four man team. Well, several 'teams' tonight couldn't raise two competitive riders. It was a night of nostalgia, but not of the pleasant kind, watching Germany capitalising on home advantage on a crap track in a poor stadium. It was so reminiscent of Norden in 1983, but for some reason we have to do our bit to prop up German speedway by allocating meetings to their inadequate tracks. Oh yes, another bit of nostalgia, 'Pocking Hell'. Oh for the good old World Team Cup, whatever happened to it? Then next week, more nostalgia with a two day final. Oh the triumph of Amsterdam in 1987! Some learn from mistakes. The FIM just plough on, propping up the backwoods of speedway while letting major nations go to pot (Poland excepted) as a result. The tail has wagged the dog at the FIM for decades. Back in the 70s the World Championship qualifying system was rigged to favour the east Europeans with the result being endless Pole, Russian and Czech no-hopers occupying the bottom of the scorechart. Nothing changes - the minor nations had too much say then and do have now, although who is major and who is minor has changed. We didn't need to change to a poor race format to get the Latvian upset last year and I very much doubt whether we'll see any this year, apart from pious comments about "wonderful to see the minor nations competing", - but are they? Will they? They're in the meeting and while some had one good, competitive rider overall they were just making up the numbers. The only surprises tonight were how poor the Latvians were after last year's success and even with home advantage, how many the Germans scored. The track looked inconsistent and was catching too many quality riders out. There was nothing on the outside line with the little racing on offer giving 'kerb crawling' a bad name.... The delays at the end were unacceptable but the least acceptable aspect of the whole TV 'extravaganza' was the commentary over heat 21. Declaring both teams out so definitively was sloppy commentating and well below the normal or required standard. I'm sure both they and their producer will know as well. Surely someone on the production team can monitor the scores and tell the commentary team when they're wrong? I know back in the early days of Sky coverage the late Bryn Williams was on hand to advise Tony Millard if necessary. Like someone else said, it made even One Sport's pairs events look good and I never thought I'd ever say that! Let's hope for better on Tuesday, and that we aren't bored rigid by 42 qualifying heats to see who makes it to a final where it's not about winning, just not finishing last. Good luck, explaining that to those casual viewers that are so carefully cared for in the commentary! Pairs events just do not suit knock-out systems. I was going to say winner takes all but, well, er.....can you hype "second and third TAKE ALL". I fear we will find out all too soon. It's okay having semis and finals for events like the Championship Pairs at Somerset - that's a fun night out before Cardiff. This isn't, and certainly "Raceoff 1" was far from amusing, unless you were a drunk German.......

spoke to some permanent stadium employees today who confirmed there was no rain at the stadium all day and that bends 1 and 2 had puddles of water early am but instead of brushing off the water the track was bladed then rolled so 1st 2 bends were hard on top but mush underneath,nothing to do with rain on the day or high tides!! i was informed that the track curator was sacked that day as i posted on the day.i was told that people were still being turned away at 7.30 would have been a bumper much needed crowd.Matt was heard saying it was his most embarrassing moment in speedway,i feel for any speedway promoter that suffers such a hit through no fault of their own,i understand extensive work is planned for next week and im sure all genuine speedway fans hope its successful

Speedway just showing once again how Amateur it really is. Any nation that doesnt have 3 riders present shouldn't be there

Yes i agree to moan about assets like Hans riding elsewhere when he could have used them its his own fault for not using them. Crazy not using Hans.

Best wishes to Scorpions asset Alex Davies who was involved in a grasstrack crash abroad and has got several injuries and in an induced coma

I think it now forms part of the 'bond' to compete so is encouraged... I seem to remember the 'bond' used to be a cash figure but I presume as less money is made then the cash available to stump up this money goes down as well.... Whatever the asset system actually is, I think legally it looks a bit dodgy.. 'Owning' self employed workers, and then taking money off someone else to allow them to work for that third party, certainly doesn't appear something employment law would advocate I would think...

He does that cos he's on his own and can't have a chat with a co-commentator. I've heard him get confused plenty of times with riders and the Swedish rules. Read through the threads on this forum as he is always asking questions. No commentator is perfect, happens in all sports.. I wish people would realise they are human.

What are his favorite tracks?

That’s the problem. No strategy. Every year rules are made on the hoof. Whatever happened to the draft reserves or the two Brits rule, both uncharacteristically sensible.

I can respect others opinions regarding style, if you don't like their style that's fair enough, not everybody likes the same thing. What I don't respect is people calling for people to be sacked because of a simple mistake

He hasn't been seen since he was outed as a sex pest!!!

Surely whoever dreamed this up needs to be shot. They get rid of the dreaded joker, but come up with something more pathetic. Two day final that comes down to one race and as you say, if the team with the most points over the two days have a mishap in the final, the other team ride round waving to the crowd and take gold.

We all make mistakes and as long as we learn from them that's good, to say huge commentary gaffe is just as ridiculous, I only pointed out your typo to illustrate how easy it is to make a mistake, nobody died, it's probably an indication of the interest in the speedway that was on offer that there's all this hysteria of a small gaffe. He made a mistake and acknowledged it, he'll make more mistakes as will we all, for people to suggest he should lose his job over it is just sick (and not good sick)

It seems like the track guy shouldn't be made a scapegoat though. He does at least two other tracks which don't seem to have dodgy call offs, seems like the track needs completely re doing and better equipment. Hopefully he'll invest into the track a bit more now.

No as it's reverting back to as you were , and many teams have done this over a period of several years.

No teams can use R/R to cover for a rider that has never actually made his debut but they will be able to use R/R for Grondal when team is re-declared to it's former declaration , using the term sacked doesn't come into it , he has been replaced through injury. Asking Godfrey for advice ?. I don't think we will bother going down that avenue

Perhaps if you don't use an asset for a set period, they become free agents again.

Sad state of affairs at our speedway venue at the moment

Yet another match lost by our underperforming 1 and 5. As for the fiasco with the third bend overwatering, it's no wonder we are losing fans. Which other sporting event would leave the public sitting for 20 minutes in silence without the slightest indication of what the problem was. I know they can only announce so much but anything would be better then nothing. The sport gets more unprofessional every week.

Good of the Stoke Clerk of the Course to explain the reason behind the new signing. Could he also explain why the match was "postponed anyway" Why are Stoke allowed to continually postpone matches on nice dry nights for no apparent reason? I can see a backlog happening again at the end of October in bad weather.

As for Mr klint looking left and right to wave an opposition rider through in more than one heat is taking the p*** , but all sorts of rumours going round, understand riders need the money!!! but fans are spending well earned money to be entertained, wonder if any quotes are coming through from the promotion ? Another 3 weeks to next home meeting

It’s so contrived when a team could go unbeaten on Friday and Saturday and be top scorers by 20 points or even more ahead of second place and still not be the champions.

Team Riding is almost non existent nowadays. Though there is a British rider who is very good at it when required. The much maligned Ben Barker

I think they should be considering a change to teams of 4 plus 1 under 21 rider next year...maybe only have 4 Nations per meeting to keep the standard up! They could call it the World Cup or something like that. This was a terrible idea, badly implemented. It needs to be shelved after this year.

Absolute rubbishe camera work and direction