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I think people should think twice about looking for someone to blame and remember the support that local businesses have given to the club over the years, and the fact that when we are looking to return in 2020 we will be looking to them again to help get us up and running again. Never bite the hand that feeds you

The problem is that you need to use it or run the risk of losing it - that's the standard line. It is actions like this that drive more fans away from a sport that is "dying on its @rse". So rather than encourage new fans they p!ss off existing fans - not a great business model

Just like the press releases from both Ipswich and Peterborough when he’d taken over both clubs. Think we know the game now. It’s sh!t, but we know the game. Going to be very interesting to see what the crowd levels are at the start, and throughout next season at both clubs Has all the makings of being disastrous this.

Better sorted before you put out a press release with your team for the coming season I think. Cowboy operations and communications will fail irrespective of the timing. We've had plenty of experience of that.

What a mess this is turning out to be. You have the Official Peterborough Speedway website advertising 2019 Season Tickets with it's full team of 7 riders advertised. Anyone buying these can do so by BACS to a Lloyds bank account or by cheque, to a Middlesborough address for the Peterborough Speedway Office, payable to Peterborough Panthers Speedway. You have a newly incorporated company, on the 16th November 2018, called Peterborough Speedway Limited with Keith & Cheryl Chapman as the only Directors, with a Downham Market, Norfolk address. Finally you have a changed team line up from that advertised to tempt you to buy a season ticket. I find that no better than internet scams where the advertised products don't turn into reality. Somewhere along the line someone must be the guilty party in this. So for those wanting to cancel their season ticket for a refund, which company refunds the money? Is it Peterborough Panthers Speedway or Peterborough Speedway Limited? I know that I wouldn't buy a season ticket from most of the promotions that are now running speedway

It no longer feels like "our" club, just "his" , if you are inclined to go along and pay your money to him, he will take it, I love the sport but don't feel at the moment inclined to hand over my hard earnt to Mr Chapman, I will make my mind up over the coming weeks.

What has changed is that Chapman has got his grubby hands on three clubs now in a league of seven, and i want no part of it ...

Ged has sold out and his sidekick Neil has also been silenced otherwise they may have made it known and the supporters have been sold out by this total farce , which I find dishonest and corrupt and I understand how you are feeling as well as most other Panthers fans will also. Promoters all over the country are wondering why supporters are dwindling away, well this is a perfect example why, but they will carry on just the same, expect you to turn up and pay your entrance fee as if nothing is wrong, then when they count the gate receipts, they will be pleading for fans to come and support as they are losing money .Laying everything at the door of the fans and not a thought about previous actions they have made having anything to do with this.

We may never know.. I think Buster thinks he is doing the best to keep the Prem going. He has laid lots of money on the line (no one else would) when speedway in the UK is on it's @rse. He has taken a big risk. Do people really think he has bought Ippo and Boro to make himself thousands when no one else can..?? We don't know anything about the deals in place or budgets etc, so I think people should cut him a bit of slack for now.

That's a matter of opinion ..a lot of people at the time thought it was ..and in time they were shown to be correct

I think you are partly right but many loyal supporters who are not forum members will turn up. Sad that single handedly and in such a short space of time he has managed to be so devisive and brought the sport into such disrepute yet being in charge he really could not give a fig. Lies, misleading stories, no public denials and staff silenced would appear to sum up his style. Sadly he appears to be less than a professional businessman and he lacks man management skills and his public persona does not endear anyone to him or his cause, look back at his interviews on TV. Unfortunately it is his money and he is calling the tune and the only way to get back at people like this is hit them in the pocket. That means boycotting meetings. Who is really going to do that? Supporters have a choice and can make stand but will they do it. Add to the unhealthy situation of one company owning three teams in one league in one part of the country and that is bad news for the future of the sport in this region. Add to this the monopoly known as the BSPA which needs breaking up and/or given a bloody nose says it all about the sad state the sport is in and the dire situation that speedway in East Anglia faces. Fans of all three clubs must be wondering what they have done to deserve the current situation.

Harris said on his Fakebook 'I will not be making any further comments at this time..' This whole saga looks like it's been organised and scripted by one person ...

Erm, let me get this right...you are digging out quotes from 16 years ago to revive a long-gone discussion? I've heard of quiet Sundays, but this is something else!

sad state of affairs sport on its knees is harris that greedy ? why didn"t buster but in when harris signing was made public is lambert on the same money as harris ? is there a set pay rate for peterboro ipswich king"s lynn do other teams pay more ? i hope speedway can turn the corner but this was one big kick in the teeth for the sport can you think man utd have signed messi but a couple of weeks before saying no he costs to much

Nice bonus to have the Bordernapolis included in the season ticket price. Promotion should be congratulated on that. They could easily have taken the "not our fault" attitude to fans losing a couple of fixtures from the ticket.

I'm sure there is medication available for that

Be careful what you wish for! There are thousands of Coventry, Workington, Rye House etc, fans who wish that this rider switching saga was all they had to worry about at this time.

The racing isn’t better, it’s just as good. A good speedway race is a good speedway race irregardless of what year or era it was. Its the million dollar question why stadiums aren’t packed out anymore, and there are probably as many reasons why. Speedway just loss mass appeal and its shot itself in the foot repeatedly for years since trying to find the answers.

That's the way..... We don't know the teams or the facts yet. We might never know all the facts, but surely as a "speedway fan" a King's Lynn one at that, you would be happy if all 3 clubs had good season and attracted enough fans to go again in 2020. As with all the clubs in the UK. " Says something when a Lynn fan would rather see Busters clubs all fail, because you don't like the bloke !! You would rather Ippo and Boro had crap seasons which will result in bad crowds and the clubs in problems ?? As a Lynn and a speedway fan, I would rather both Ippo and the Panthers finish above Lynn if it was a toss up between that and them finishing bottom, with no fans left... and we loose another club. If you hate Buster that much that you want all 3 clubs to fail this season, then I suggest, well I won't, but are you really a speedway fan or just someone who has a problem.

Tungate to Panthers, Harris to Ipswich on Chapman's orders is the rumour that appears to be the loudest.

More likely embargoed from comment I would think

As a witches supporter, I'm still in shock re buster buying the club, and in view the team Peterborough announced it had signed, I felt that our problems signing and announcing our team was because obviously Peterborough's budget was greater than ours. Now though I really feel for you all ( can't believe I'm saying that tbh) having your Hope's dashed after the feel good factor of you "knowing" your team. You have to wonder if our problem's signing and announcing our last 2 riders is similar.

And as the tail-lights of the last vehicle to leave the stadium carpark disappeared into the darkness after the meeting we had the announcement that it wasn't going to be a farewell after all.

And stop all the infighting!

Problem is as you say you heard a rumour.Unfortunately rumours escalate on here 10 fold.Sometimes rumours are best kept a secret until the truth is known.There is always people that like to spread things about even if they know they are untrue.

Signing a rider +6 weeks ago, promoting a ‘marquee signing’, selling season tickets, then release the rider in order to cut costs. That’s a Pi$$ poor business model.

That's what the cat said.

Probably stronger as there's no way in a million years Harris keeps that average up. The way all this has been handled is wrong but we may very well come out of it stronger on the track anyway.

It was Adrian Smith, CEO at Belle Vue, who came up with the idea of the National Supporters Group and put it forward at the AGM, I think with the support of Peter Adams. Adrian has only been involved in Speedway for two seasons and can always be found on the terraces during meetings talking to fans. He is always willing to listen to what they have to say and to explain his own views. He shouldn't be tarred with the same brush as some of the longer standing members of the BSPA. It's got to be an idea worth trying. Maybe the BSPA still won't listen but if the fans representatives put forward well thought through, sensible and practical proposals, they just might.

Is he transforming into a "Forum Fanny" ?

I am measured.I always think I make a point,rather than some irrational abuse.And if I have something to say to one of your posts,I do and will in future,don’t worry about that You do seem to have jumped in without thinking again,though,as gustix seems to have agreed with the point made by Grachan

The fact is Grachan proved the point to be true.He was a fan who wrote in and they used his pieces and it seems without accreditation they made him the Reading correspondent!!!Fact

The Mail was inferior. If it wasn't it would still be here

Main points from Fans Forum - very well attended by supporters, riders, sponsors and volunteers: Wightlink continue and expand sponsorship. Admission prices (including season tickets) held at 2018 levels Press and practice date to be advised once Eastbourne fixtures known. First meeting Thursday 11 April - Vince Mapley Memorial Trophy Second meeting Tuesday 16 April described as a ‘special’ meeting for which Thursday 18 April is reserved should the Tuesday be rained off. Details very soon. Wizards will continue in 2019 in the SDL. Plenty of other open discussion on various matters including the NL AGM outcome and implications, ongoing financial stability, award spin-off’s, sponsorship, My First Skid, social media and profile.

International Meeting, Weißenbach, Austria, 20.1.19 Luca Bauer (D) (3 3 3 3 3) 15 3 18 1. Jasper Iwema (NL) (3 2 3 3 2) 13 2 15 2. Markus Jell (D) (3 3 2 3 3) 14 1 15 3. Günther Bauer (D) (3 3 3 2 1) 12 0 12 4. Charly Ebner (A) (2 3 3 3 0) 11 11 5. Simon Reitsma (NL) (2 2 2 1 2) 9 9 6. Josef Kreuzberger (A) (1 2 2 2 1) 8 8 7. Marc Geyer (D) (1 0 2 1 3) 7 7 8. Franz Mayerbüchler (D) (2 2 1 M 2) 7 7 9. Niek Schaap (NL) (1 1 1 0 3) 6 6 10. Sebastian Gegenbauer (D) (2 1 1 2 0) 6 6 11. David Lizak (CzR) (0 1 0 1 2) 5 5 12. Jiri Wildt (CzR) (0 1 1 1 1) 4 4 13. Philip Lageder (A) (0 F 0 1 1) 2 2 14. Martin Behal (CzR) (1 M 0 0 0) 1 1 15. Kevin Arzl (A) (0 0 R 0 0) 0 0 16. FINAL: L. Bauer, Iwema, Jell, G. Bauer Cracking meeting to watch, and all the results from Baansportfansite.nl in real time (from whom these results came)

The fact that it wasn't addressed straight away would suggest that money is a red herring unless rumours of other similar issues come true.

It certainly must be Mike, just look how it has flourished since the begining of the 2000's Certainly feels like 2019 has started off worse than last year. With Chapman now having 3 clubs he can p!$s off at least 42% of the leagues supporters, maybe ' you reap what you sow ' will be coming home to roost, sooner than later, with his people skills!

In Peterboroughs case anyone running it has to use it, as stop and it gone for good but sticking two fingers up to the ones who are required to keep the use going is sheer madness especially after investing money in it, Up until a few days ago many were looking forward to or thinking of returning to attending meetings now it looks like its another nail is being hammered in.

True. The problem being of course that the situation was always going to be a dogs' dinner and nobody is surprised. As we know, there will be no transparency or effective communications around this that the paying public will believe, so rather than put it right it'll no doubt be some sort of fudge and kicking the can down the road which is very topical at the moment.

Whenever I've watched Bomber he's always given 110%, and I've seen him loads. Think in reality Ipswich are never gonna win the Premiership title, just glad we have got speedway in Ipswich and hope for an entertaining team

Moving on, news issued a couple of days back by the promotion: "We can confirm that the 2019 season at Shielfield Park will kick off with Press & Practice evening on Friday the 29th of March at 6pm but the real fun begins 24 hours later! Competitive action gets underway with the 2019 Bordernapolis event on Saturday the 30th of March at 7pm! Due to the devastating news that the Workington Comets are unable to take their place in the SGB Championship division in 2019, Bandits management have agreed that the Bordernapolis event will now be included in your 15 match season pass alongside scheduled Championship, KO Cup and Championship Shield matches. Everyone at Berwick Bandits Speedway Club sends their condolences to all involved at Workington Comets Speedway Club. Workington’s unfortunate situation brings home the very real challenges the sport is facing to survive and sustain in the current climate. We hope to one day renew our border rivalry with the 2018 SGB treble Champions but for now all thoughts are with the Promotion, Management, Riders, Mechanics, Fans and sponsors. There has never been a more important time to back your local Speedway club!"

Good silencer as well.

Maybe they will save the ink and, use up some of the lead in their pencils they need to get rid of

Perhaps he's got more sense than money. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.

You worry about the future when such clubs as Reading, Belle Vue (Hyde Road), Oxford, Cradley and Coventry lost to the sport. They all won titles in the 1980s. The sport isn't too big to lose. Bradford shut, months after winning the title in 1997. The sport now hangs by a thread. Lesser clubs are pulling down shutters one last time. The sport is being run under the BSPA umbrella but each member goes off in their own direction to run their respective club. They have no real power, as each venue is owned by someone else who may take a stash of cash for redevelopment. The sport lost its chance to own each and every stadium, it lots the chance to cement the sport by at least owning the tracks they race on. That is the problem. When the future rests in the hands of others and is not controlled by the sport, the future looks cloudy.

It’s not a given you have to have two but bikes however with the large amount of traveling involved it is a nightmare to get somewhere and the bike don’t run properly . We always warm both bikes up before we go anywhere to make sure ther ok and have had instances of one playing up and not being right once we get to the track. Try telling an 8 to 12 year old he can’t ride after 4 hours in the van and another 4 to get back. The cost wouldn’t be reduced massively with one bike as in our case our set up has been over a four year period and the figure I quote is running cost for the year and dosent allow for any initial purchase cost of the bikes over the time. Would say our cost is mid range for a top level junior some will spend more some less but not by huge amounts. thanks for the good wishes it’s all up to him he has the backing and talent but only time will tell if he has the desire and ambition. Regardless of what happens we have made some brilliant memories

Typical just like Adolf Hitler , gets in his bunker when the flak is flying.

Back then there were characters in the sport and they were allowed to show it. I remember Simmo having a right go at someone (forget who) by the pit gate after a race because he took the mick . We all loved to hate Olle Nygren (until he became one of ours of course). The banter when Tipswich turned up and the riders played up to the crowd (Shane Parker was a master at it). Sadly the powers that be have stifled all of that. I'm not advocating full blown fights between riders but spats that get the crowd going and involved all added to the atmosphere. If a rider tried anything like it nowadays they would be landed with a fine of a few hundred quid.

Back in the early days at Lynn the racing was always enjoyable. We never won much, but we could just about hold our own at home. The average gate was around 5K and the atmosphere was amazing. I agree there were some processional races and some were well spaced out, but most races would have a angle to then that made them important. Our strength was usually our heat leaders, who would have to pull the rabbit out of the bag to attain a win. But it was so important not to lose... After the meeting the environment moved to the bars where riders mixed with fans drinking way into the night... How things have changed..... Back then the sport was priced at a cost the fans could afford, the VFM was never questioned, and it was always night out at a weekend . For our sport to stand any sort of chance of surviving, we have to re-create along those lines. ( minus the late drinking)