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quite agree, i think it is essential that when a speedway club holds a public meeting for supporters that everything is kept secret,we dont want every tom,dick or harry in the area hearing about poole speedway

Dan Bewley had his first practice today on a 125cc at Steve Lawson's track.

No they want to give Ipswich half a chance

Obviously plenty left in the Ipswich budget. Still doesn't mean he isn't grossly overpaid. Plus the Witches were desperate for a big name rider in the side or risked fans not turning up. Harris would need to end the season on a 10 plus average to make himself considered good value.

cant advise you on the direction , but come up the night before and place a towel a parking space of your choice !

Quite agree dont want to many queuing to get in and filling up the car park

Strange you say that, in the village where I live , I noticed this morning, on the way to the local shop, there were no less then 6 bill boards advertising STOCK CAR racing from the same AFA. yet you never see one for the Speedway. I hate Stock Cars with a vengeance, but I couldn't help but notice the Adverts..

As opposed to all seven looking a complete shambles from the get go? Some people still live in the past and that’s part of the problem Speedway has these days. I suggest everyone takes a look at the link to the Look East programme posted on the Ipswich thread. Ipswich look like a professional outfit of a professional sport, exactly the way it SHOULD be, instead of people harking on about the good old days of the 70’s when riders had individual identity with race bibs and numbers made out of gaffer tape that was half falling off. As I said, people need to stop living in the past.

Hawks Kestrels 1. Barry Thomas 1. Barry Thomas 2. Bo Petersen 2. Andy Galvin 3. Bengt Jansson 3. Mark Loram 4. Dave Morton 4. Paul Whittaker 5. Zenon Plech 5. Alan Mogridge 6. Finn Thomsen 6. Steve Schofield 7. Garry Middleton 7. Trevor Banks

Or is it something to do with the relationship between Chris Louis and Tungate?

Pretty straightforward I’d say, he had a budget for each track and a need to get punters through the door so each team needs to be competitive. Ipswich look stronger with Harris in for Tungate without the other stuff rumoured to be in play.

I used to think that was great until I got to my 60th birthday and can now do it for free!

This changing of the track could be the best news the fans have had for along while it is quite exciting really.The track might take a while to develope but hopefully we will get better racing than we have been served up recently the widening of the straights should help anormously.

To be fair in type you cant tell if there was a breath in the middle to separate them

That's why I posted the link to the Youtube channel - good advert for Redcar speedway and the quality of racing. Keep checking as more videos are being added this week I believe.

So we start our season against what looks a very strong Wolverhampton side in a challenge/charity match. With funds also being raised for cancer research on the evening.

1st of the new season Saturday`s training match Torun v Ostrow

Its been a long long closed season for Ipswich fans Looking forward to a first visit to Leicester on a mini Massif road trip Up the Witches!

You may be right, I was just going on the configuration and positions of the existing ones around the rest of the track

After a long, long winter break, our annual speedway fix is just days away. i wish all riders, from all the Championship teams, a safe seasons riding. There will be some great meetings this season, ( as there always is), we supporters appreciate what risks you take to entertain us. Oh, and one further wish, Redcar Bears to do," a Workington 2018", and do the treble. COME ON !!!!

Gordon was the star of the last ever appearance of speedway bikes at Wimbledon making the tarmac look as if it was a shale track on the bends. The video is on YouTube

Legends to reunite - https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17516790.oxford-speedway-legends-to-reunite-at-anniversary-meet/

That sounds brilliant Joe, I'll certainly be in touch very soon.

Maybe they were offered a bit more as the team sponsor at the time was willing/looking to assist to get riders signed up, then Buster didnt like it so put his foot down and by upsetting Ged he had upset the team sponsor as well, Ged left and the team sponsor followed so the team became over budget due to the loss of the extra cash Maybe Just Maybe Maybe Andersen and Cook didnt want to go to Ipswich but wanted to ride at Peterborough

I think we have long reached the point where we have to stop pandering to the regulars....they are a ever decreasing band will not provide a sustainable future. We all know a pub that had a hardcore of old men who didn't like the jukebox or loud music and has closed its doors. That's where league speedway finds itself now, serving pints to the same hardcore with no new punters coming through the door.

3 riders at Peterborough were offered no1 money (Harris , Andersen and Cook) by Ged. At no time did Buster agree to this which led to Peterborough being over budget. Ipswich had room left in their budget for a rider on No1 money. Maybe all 3 were asked to move and Harris agreed to as he would be on same deal. The other 2 took a possible decrease to allow Tungate (who would never be at Ipswich for various reasons) to sign...... Maybe Allegedly

True but they are still in their infancy with respect to speedway. If they were being made for specific riders rather than just a one size fits all then they could be a little more tailored.

I’m not disputing budgets. More if Buster deemed Harris over priced ( compared to say Tungate) then it suggests he would be over priced at another of his Promotions ( Ipswich). Buster is not one with a reputation of over paying for anyone/thing. So it might be suggested that either Harris revised his needs to get a team place or Ipswich couldn’t find a 7 point ( come the season end) on sensible money

Mind you, I've got the Heat times as well if you're desperate!

Yes i was there, but im not putting anything on here..

Haha, I believe the saying is...….. Don't believe everything you read in the papers. I think there is some reverse engineering going on

5pm

A brave but imo, true assessment of many of the sports problems in a nutshell. Need to look forward not backwards. And in modern society a team of different colours schemes but matching bibs looks a mess and a bit amateurish to everyone except the purists.

Spot on Steve sorted my progs out and in 1976 ( i remember spill now with Kilb, Brian got injured he was awarded a point in heat 4 .Swindon won 47-31 Ashby 12max. Gordon 14. 1978 Mastrup debut 0 knew there was guests Nigel Couzens 5 John Barker 4 for White City Swindon 36- White City 42 Kennett a 12 point max great days.

have to say im hugely in favour of this an have made similar suggestions in the past. I see the future of the sport as more of a travelling show rather than a weekly team sport. As you said various classes / formulas all run on the same day. Grasstracks can draw strong crowds with a lesser standard product. Make it a full festival of shale based sport but as the most suited Speedway would finally be the headline act.

they have moved the track the width of the old track about 30 feet ? just shows how desperate they are to fit as many rabbit hutches in as possible , this is just a guess from an old cynic ,but I sincerely hope I'm wrong , smaller track, Portakabin stadium , lifespan of 5 years , while they work on closing it and building more rabbit hutches over it. more than likely already have a plan for Stadium Avenue drawn up ,

I think you know the answer. My suggestions are quick wins that could be done to improve the current product. But I am glad you ask about daytime meetings. My longer term strategy would be much more radical and explore the collaboration of speedway with other track sports - sidecars, short track, stock cars, go karts, greyhounds for a really full family experience and deliver a full value day out to attact a bigger footprint of people, for a longer time and to broaden appeal to sponsors. What’s your big idea?

I can remember Steen Mastrup making his debut against the White City i think ? and if i remember rightly Brian Clark rode for the City that night.?

the point g13webb was trying to make was you have to LOOK for any news. You are only going to do that if you are interested. Promoters need to get out there and put speedway in the face of the unconverted if the sport is to survive.

Ah thats reminded me of the time where when trying to leave a busy stadium that Sal picked his line of traffic only to find others going past him either side Yes he literally couldnt pass a parked car

Well, I must admit I never thought I would see work on the track. I thought it was a gonner. What is the smaller track used for?

1971 Gordon Kennett stalking John Louis and eventually forcing his way up the inside. 1973 Neil Middleditch passing Arthur Price on the last bend to win the match 40-38 against Boston 1974 Martin Yeates breaking the Arlington track record in Heat 2 the reserves race. 1978 John Barker the Eagles number 7 winning Heat 8 against the Newcastle Tactical Substitutes Tom Owen and Graeme Stapleton All time favourites were the second half finals in 1971 and 1972 which usually featured Malc Ballard, Gordon and Dave Kennett, Roger Johns and occasionally an opposition heat leader. They were like stock cars on bikes. I don't think the Kennetts and Ballard liked each other much.

Wot! No Savalas Clouting?

Adams has 9 titles, 2 at Coventry, 2 at Cradley and 5 at Wolves.

far too simple . are you forgetting this is speedway we are talking about . some people will take every opportunity to cheat or use their position for spite , even when they have moved on having used the league as a stepping stone .

ah "the peckham spring" appears again in wiltshire

How professional do the witches look in them suits ,first class ,love the clubs attitude,not like some

Someone has to be bottom Of course a team towards the top will be more attractive than one lower down due to it being natural to want to link to success and greater TV exposure etc I stand by the claim that higher profile sponsors would expect that type of professional set up rather than a rag bag of different coloured suits and bibs with different sized and style detachable numbers etc

As well as Somerset and the Championship clubs who didnt bother.

The point is that should ( some say when ) support for speedway dwindles further at Saddlebow Rd, Mr Chapamn has a ready-made well-established tenant sport for his stadium.