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This is a pet hate of mine and I don't know if it is the same at every track, but why can't supporters wait 2 minutes to applaud their team on their lap of honour. The riders put their butts on the line to provide us with entertainment surely the least we can do is hang back and show them that we appreciate their efforts.

And you had true team sport rivalry when Wolves came to the Aces and vice versa.. Proper 'your team' v 'their team' rivalry.. We were Moran(s), Screen, Ott, Lyons, Schott etc etc They were Ermolenko(s), Correy, Jones, Karlsson(s) etc etc.. Teams who were easily identifiable and synonymous by their riders.. Riders who were easily identifiable and synonymous by their teams.. Oxford were Nielsen, Wigg, Cox etc. Cov were Tatum, Knudsen, Miller etc. Cradley were Hancock, Hamill, Cross etc etc etc.. All ran on a Friday at BV, a good night to attract a crowd, (and maybe most importantly if you want 'atmosphere', away fans too).. And ran 9 times out of 10 with the riders who should have been there actually turning up.. No changing around year on year the core of each team to appease the weakest links.. No riders missing due to having to attend the 'Azerbaijan Open'... And, no cobbled together "Roll up, Roll up, For One Night Only Folks!" random septet of ringers.. Just 'your team' v 'their team'.. And do you know what? In the main. It seemed to work quite well too.. Who'd have thought that? Amazing!

He was indeed at speedway last night I saw a hand shake between him and Steve. IMO... issue closed!!

Again this is totally untrue. The Campain Group have no moles on the Forum. We are happy to post under our own names. Unlike yourself.

Exactly, if clubs have been dictated to as to when to race their home fixtures, surely the away teams need to be told when they must race unless they have a compelling reason not to. We need all teams to compromise for the sport as a whole , not one or two teams selfishly looking out for themselves only. Is that too much to ask, recent history tells us it is unfortunately.

Correct and the 2 outstanding fixtures yet to be re-arranged should be the first 2 to be told, yes I mean Sheffield and Scunthorpe. As members of the Management Committee they should assist Workington by declaring their intention to support the difficult circumstances the Comets face and get their team's arses up to Derwent Park smartish!

The scoreline maybe does not reflect it, but there was some good racing tonight, mainly from the Comets it has to be said with some great passes and determined riding by Rene, Dan and Razzer. Nicolai got his maximum, but everyone chipped in and Kyle looked on the pace and will be in the points soon I am sure. Apart from Summers the Bandits were very poor but I am sure they will be a different proposition tomorrow/today. Should be a good meeting.

In that case Greg should bow out too because I really can't stand mr double face.

Nicholls wearing a Pirates shirt on BT Sport tonight!

To get to 1st?

Every club wants what's best for them. The BSPA should really be separate from each club. Speedway needs a body to run it with a firm grip and without any one individual with a stake in any one club, for the best interests of the sport. What is the point in having a super strong team if the weakest loses support and then closes? Now it seems the poor Poole fans are unhappy because they are now having a mediocre season. Bet the crowds have dropped too. But they didn't worry when the weak were struggling. Back in 1987 and 1988, I recall Coventry even threatening to pull-out because they were forced to lose one or two of their riders from their rip-roaring title-winning seasons. Threats like that really do not help. It's petulant and should be met with a fine. Promoters forever bleating about poor support and facing closure doesn't add to fans' confidence either. I remember John Perrin always saying Belle Vue's future was in doubt if crowds didn't improve, or his rows with the greyhound owners met a fragile point. I worried at first but then it happened so much, I wasn't really bothered in the end. What good does it do other than to suggest to the few remaining diehards who bother to listen, that either to bring a friend or your admission are going up next year? They may start even thinking of finding something else to do, promoters always crying wolf. It is no good and straight away must put sponsors off, the media. If Coventry can go, Wimbledon and Oxford too, all regarded as established clubs, then the sport really is built on sand. As a supporter, I really started to believe that it was a bit pointless ploughing all your sweat and passion into a team if it wasn't going to exist the next week or month. Just ask a Rye House fan right now. I ask sometimes why someone risks buying a season ticket in today's speedway world.

As far as I can see, that's just one Friday. In addition, my suspicion is that Peterborough's difficulties with stadium availability are far worse than those of either Lakeside or Workington. Having said that, to tell a club that its arranged fixtures must change half way through the season when they have been agreed is farcical. Word I got was that there was no issue until a certain club lost a couple of riders to injury and couldn't get guests which, frankly, makes sense. I think it was clear from the outset that rider availability could be a problem if all the teams in the league were riding on one night (in which case one or two should have been refused permission to do so) but it seems that this decision has been dictated by self interest (there's a surprise ). What makes the situation even worse is I have also heard that teams have refused to come next week and on 27/28 July. In the circumstances, they shouldn't have a choice.

If it is possible then start the first meeting at 1400, then have a big screen for the world cup and the second meeting after the football finishes.

Must of been dreaming in 1999 and 2000 seasons, because I’m sure I saw Scott Nicholls riding for Poole in those two years.........

Well done boys what a result !! But that has to be one of the most boring places to watch Speedway , think there was 1 pass possibly 2 all night ..gate and go fest the racing was crap thank god we don’t have to watch that week in week out, and if you take out the Worky fans tonight that was a poor crowd

SIMON!! now I've got it. The guy who, posting under another forum name , was put in his place very firmly by Jeff Davies right here on the BSF. He disappeared very quickly after that, gone for good we all thought. But no he was here all along posting under one of his other forum names, surprise surprise. It explains his attitude towards the Save Coventry Group as he is a confirmed "grudge carrier" . The guy is a loose cannon , can fall out with his own shadow, & gives me the impression that he has a mental disorder. It explains so much about what's been going on recently.

There's 150 riders on the 2016 end of season list so that's plenty. One league with no double uppers is feasible.

Having seen some of the cards you've played in the last couple of days it's very obvious you have an intense dislike for everything that the save coventry group are trying to achieve. i can' t imagine any genuine supporter from wherever would do anything but applaud their efforts in gaining the support they have obtained in trying to reach their objective. Whatever the final outcome they will be respected and thanked by the huge majority of decent people who appreciate the time and energy that they are putting in. However it's blatantly obvious from the content of your posts that you have a major issue with anything they do, an attitude I would suggest that could only come from someone who's only desire is to see them fail, and you are so keen to protect Horton at every opportunity it's obvious that you have a connection.. In conclusion a few of my thoughts for you just so you don't forget--- As a speedway promoter Mick Horton is unfit for purpose.He has systematically destroyed the bees reputation since taking over the club, and now plays it out at the lowest level in front of one man & his dog some 20 odd miles away ( that' s when he can be bothered to open the gates). He lied to and exploited his fan base throughout his time at brandon, and no doubt continues to do so today. The fans have made it very clear they want nothing more to do with him , he is an habitual failure where running speedway is concerned and from my perspective if he went out of business tomorrow it wouldn't be any loss to anyone around speedway in general and Coventry in particular. It certainly wouldn't harm anything else that is going on presently . Perhaps you would like to have a little choke on that.

You’re kidding, yes? A four team tournament league? What idiot thought up that? I most certainly wouldn’t be bothered to watch that.

The ideal scenario for those who want one big league in 2019, the sixty four thousand dollar question is which will be the next club to be exited. Lakeside or Peterborough? What about that club miles from anywhere in Berwick where the new promotion have sunk their heart, souls and money into saving the sport on Tweedside? It could be any other club but one thing's for sure there are more casualties to come.

It can't be his fault entirely. Even if the idea to change was his - which is possible, if not likely - he can't carry it through on his own. Others must have supported it, so they are equally culpable. In addition, lets not forget that Workington have been struggling to survive for a number of seasons. Even if fixtures hadn't been changed, there's no guarantee that they would come to the tapes in 2019. Having said that, this ridiculous and selfish action unquestionably makes things more difficult for Laura Morgan. I know how much she cares about Workington Speedway but there will be limits. This could help push her towards thinking she really has had enough

I've always felt that the owners of these abandoned buildings and sites should be made by the local authorities to keep them in a decent condition instead of allowing them to crumble into a state of disrepair and end up where demolition is the only option

It seems that when the sport of speedway throws up more than competent people within it, who can carry it forward, they are always lost to it. Or sometimes driven out or forced out leaving staid administrators who like the idea that it's alright as it is. Tinkering every year with how it's run but with no thought that re-structuring is required. Yes I know they are the money men but their dollop of dosh coming in from speedway has evaporated and for most of them it must now be a drain on their resources.

Lot of dust to start with but after a few heats watering got rid of most of it. Usual very decent Derwent Park meeting, my highlight Bewley's last to first in one lap in heat 14. Berwick were poor and Workington will face much tougher tests but take nothing away from the Comets, they were impressive. All done in just over 90 minutes. Anyone missing the interval ?

Went down in a tight first turn in Ht3 but did walk back to the pits, seemed to have arm or shoulder injury, hopefully none to serious.

I'm sure the powers that be are hatching a fiendish plot as we speak

It was probably the nearest he could get from his local Charity Shop.

7th of April 2019.. The Boat Race.. Oxford v Cambridge... (Again).. Dont plan in any Speedway just in case...

PC is still the finest exponent of 'pure' Speedway racing on a bike I have ever had the privilege to see Moxey.. (Which is saying something given the truly exceptional talents that I have been lucky to see over 48 years watching the Sport).. I've said before on this forum that when 'domestic speedway' was going well so much of it was based on the likes of PC, John Louis, Mike Lee, Dave Jessup, Malc Simmons, Martin Ashby, Gordon Kennett, etc etc etc, being beamed into literally millions of homes regularly on a Saturday afternoon often delivering success to a sporting success starved nation.. There were only three channels and Speedway had fantastic coverage on one of them... PC truly was the figurehead as he had the 'X factor' but more importantly, England was hugely successful and the domestic Leagues benefited on the back of it.. Belle Vue rode in front of thousands not just because they were Belle Vue but because they had the likes of PC and Mort who many recognised from World Of Sport ripping up tracks around the World riding for England.. Then along came the promotion by the British Speedway Promoters of the Danes, the Yanks and the Swedes.. When Cricket in this Country, and Rugby in this Country, realised that a National Team delivering success would enormously benefit their domestic Leagues, they implemented central contracts to ensure that the best players were well trained and physically looked after.. They realised that a successful National Team would bring crowds in domestically far in excess of what would be delivered by 'Essex' or 'Saracens' doing well domestically in their respective sports.. British Speedway on the other hand thought promoting the Danes, Yanks and Swedes was a great idea.. That for me was where it started to all go wrong.. And the Sport hasn't recovered since..

Where as Poole are looking to sackloads for not scoring

No, I’m not remotely important in the grand scheme of things. And I’d rather be deluded than many of the characteristics exhibited by the postings under both your current and former aliases.

That’s an unpleasant response to a genuine offer by one of the nicest and most knowledgable people in speedway.

Meeting for Poole rescheduled till sept 5th I know I’m sponsoring it hope we are World Cup winners by then

Probably on riders wages!

what a complete load of old cobblers.. You are losing the plot. If you are trying to bully me off this forum you are wasting your time. I've seen plenty of others conduct themselves as you do, particularly when there is a controversial topic on the go.Posters of your ilk are so predictable in the way they handle criticism that they give themselves away very quickly... Anyhow if you feel the need to reply with more of your garbage carry on ,I can deal with it.

Peterborough official Neil Watson commented on their 2018-thread on this forum that the final weekend to count towards the play-offs is Sat-8th/Sun-9th September so that's 9 weeks beyond this weekend for the Thursday tracks and 8 weeks for the rest who won't be using the Cardiff-GP weekend. After last night's meetings, the remaining home Championship meetings are ... Peterborough, Glasgow - 4 each Lakeside, Berwick, Newcastle, Sheffield, Scunthorpe, Redcar - 5 each Ipswich - 7 (but that includes hosting Redcar on the Thursday before the Cardiff-GP) Workington, Edinburgh - both 8 So it's only the Comets & Monarchs seriously jammed up against the cut-off deadline unless the Witches suffer a bundle of rainoffs with the rest comfortably on schedule.

The average age of the fans, will kill speedway in the end.

Annoyed me for year's this end of meeting exodus. Just find it so disrespectful that 300/400 people can't hang fire for five minutes, with so little speedway action to watch thesedays what's the rush?

Can ride the fixtures at Foxhall as we are unlikely to need the dates

being the best run club is irrelevant really - many of their decisions and actions were detrimental to the league - we need the best run league not club, set up to accommodate ALL clubs at an appropriate level. IMO this is an opening salvo to ensure he gets whats best for Poole, which is understandable, but a wider view needed.

Depends on the question??

I think you are hearing exactly the same as me. It seems that the number of clubs in the planned league is less than that currently in existence so a few have to go, which suggests to me that the annulment of racing licences is less motivated by a determination that speedway clubs pay their debts (which has scarcely been a major issue in the past) than ensuring that future plans can be realised. I have heard that the promoter of one of the clubs you have mentioned (and it doesn't take the genius of an Einstein to work out which one) is about as popular as a lion at a zebra birthday party. He'd be the one to get hit, but they'd have to find a reason for it.

Well said... it annoys the life out of me!

Belle Vue paid all their debts, late but in agreement with the riders. The stand off with the council was then spun as a debt issue?especially once Buster thought he could take over. The irony is the new lot paid the lower level of running fees as set out by the original promotion. How the sport could do with those two now, instead we have Buster.

The BSPA is a misnomer. Yes, it is an association but of the loosest kind. It has little overall interest in the sport as a whole, it purports to represent British Speedway but does little to concern itself with how the entire sport is run. As "custodians" of the sport in Great Britain ( well England and Scotland ) it has failed in many ways as when it had the opportunity with Wimbledon in 2002. That should have been developed as the then Jewel in the Crown - a presence in the capital to "show off" with. We now have such a facility at the NSS but with little to thank the BSPA for about its creation. The sport is now too weak across the country to make good use of what is today's Jewel in the Crown. At least on a Monday! And thereby hangs a tale.

The most memorable matches I can remember were when Wolves brought a decent-sized crowd (glory seekers) with them to Belle Vue in the mid-90s. It created some great banter, Belle Vue fans who had stood for years at the side of one another without speaking a word were, for one night only, found out they spoke the same language. Fans do create a better spectacle.

Not sure throwing the blame in the direction of BMR is wholly fair, although some of the decisions made were poor to say the least, the moto cross track is an example. Only one year ago we were all enjoying big crowds there.........on a Saturday night. Wednesday racing has crucified us, and no mistake, and with no vote at the agm, it does not seem as though BMR had much choice. Yes, in hindsight, second division speedway suited us more, but at least the owners had some ambition, all those talking fondly about Len, and calling for his return are conveniently forgetting the last few seasons of going through the motions, the dreadful teams, and the crowds leaving in droves, remember the "if you dont like it, dont bother coming" quote of his ? I, like many, are devastated by this, but if lessons can be learned, and sustainable speedway can be brought back..........on a SATURDAY night, i will be back like a shot.

Complete sense I was highly criticised for saying exactly this halfway through the first BMR season. Yes Len Silver had some faults show me someone who hasn’t. He had a great love and imensece knowledge for not only the sport but Rye House too. BMR have proved that the grass is not always greener. Just surprising that so many were taken in by BMR. Easy to blame the BSPA but the reality is BMR got rid of the long bar, they made spectating worse, they made the wrong decision regarding what league to run in for all the wrong readons. They accepted midweek racing and put out a sub standard team. The punters voted with their feet because of those decisions not as the result of the Annual conference

Not having regular racing each weekend is a massive issue. Makes a mockery of starting our league the third week in March when we could have started over a month later. Last year we had A and B fixtures against each team but the problem on top of too many meetings was you could already see long before the A fixtures were completed who were the strugglers and who were top end material. This year its not enough meetings as well as a poorly planned fixture list for some clubs like Workington. Sometimes wish the clubs in our league would form a breakaway and take control of their own management rather than play second fiddle to the alleged Premiership.

Traditional race card for 2018 Swedish GP:- https://www.keepandshare.com/doc16/21129/gp-2018-4-pdf-39k?da=y