Leaderboard

Its not often I start a thread - particularly after race day - but this match deserves one. I suspect I am not alone in thinking that this would be one sided but it was, in fact, anything but and I think the final score slightly flatters the Colts. It was, in fact, a splendid meeting. Nip and tuck most of the way and with some excellent racing thrown in, the highlight was perhaps a superb maximum from Jordan Palin. Aged just 15, he never really looked like being beaten and how vital his contribution was is shown by the fact that Plymouth's top 5 outscored the Belle Vue's top 5. A word, too, for Ben Rathbone, who also put in an excellent performance and jumped up from what looked like a horrible crash in heat 14. Big credit to the Gladiators. I thought they'd get humped but they really attacked the track, particularly Richard Andrews. His last bend drive to split Leon Flint & Kyle Bickley in heat 15 would have graced any Aces meeting. At just £10 - cheapest speedway in Britain - this was excellent value and a major advert for in NL speedway. If any Aces (or other) fans haven't tried the Colts, give them a go.

Or just that the new averages dont come in till the 1st june

I have

Soon to be followed by a commode.

Cannot believe some on here can say it isn't strictly bullying as it was a private WhatsApp group, sorry but it is bullying and it is unacceptable. I'd tend to agree with the posts above that it's a lot of sad, old men who have had it their own way for too long and now they have a bit of competition. However, and having said all that, if Taylor is getting a leg up because of his dad and Pearson then it's not right. Pearson seems to be slowly taking over all speedway media recently, including these "special" programmes we get for the shared events. I did note in the recent SoN programme that Pearson had something to do with the company that makes them. These jobs for the boys are the kind of crap that speedway could do without, and just carries on from the Terry Russell days. We'll never get fair media now we'll just get whatever Pearson wants. Whatever the truth is, bullying of a 17 year old child is pathetic, but perhaps not unexpected from some of those involved.

My son started getting a lot of online grief when he started out. I used to defend him all the time until he asked me to step back and let him prove himself. Going public in a blaze of publicity isn’t always the best solution

Brilliant meeting. My girlfriend who isn't normally into speedway was really excited. Not seen her get that excited before.

I was appalled to learn of some disgusting behaviour of a group of speedway photographers against a 17yr old kid. At Glasgow we have a young man learning his trade and producing some fantastic stuff. He has been subject to an appalling bullying campaign by jealous photographers who are subjecting him to a hate campaign. They were recently busted by someone who screen shotted their WhatsApp group. The guys in question are the Leicester photographer, the Edinburgh photographer and 2 from Belle Vue. I appalled to say that 2 from Glasgow are also involved. i understand that this is being investigated by the BSPA. Personally I will no longer be purchasing any pictures from these guys until I see a public apology. i suggest you do too.

Previously immaculately turned out Poole team look a bunch of scruffs without team race suits

Still 20 meetings, I believe.

What and risk a months ban for withholding his services. I know he's young but I think he is grown up enough to understand the situation. He will want to improve his bank balance on Monday and try his best. Not worth doing any other really.

Great to read it was a good meeting. Peterborough is one of the best race tracks in the UK so I’m not surprised.

A fantastic performance from Jordan who looks to have a fantastic future in the sport. Ben Rathbone is showing promise with two good home performances and I am sure there will be improvement during the season I thought Ben Wilson looked like going through the card until Kyle lowered his flag in heat 13. A most enjoyable meeting....

What’s been put online was screenshots of a private watts app conversation. I think the person who made it public is the one stirring things up. Im sure everyone on here has texted / said stuff that could be frowned upon if made public. Maybe there’s more to this than meets the eye ?

Yes. Can’t comment if you don’t go. (Bar a meeting on TV). 2nd time to Pboro. Racing was great. Did the right thing waiting to track grade.

The problem is, the average age of the speedway fan will dictate if the stand remains open. A seat is the minimum requirement for the majority.

Maybe. But we were told that there were how ever many tonnes of new material going on the track in March, and then by Hans how amazing it was to ride at P&P. Then after a few meetings of inside line speedway we were told that as the weeks passed they would develop the racing lines and hey presto a few meetings in we have people coming in here saying last night was the best meeting they’d seen there for years. Sometimes two steps forward require one back first and perhaps those in charge knew what they were going after all. The next few matches will provide the proof of the pudding one suspects.

Such sad news for a talented young rider who was starting to get noticed , very best wishes to Tom for a speedy recovery

Glasgow by about 10 we’re not very good at the moment.

I doubt that it's a surprise to any long term Panther fans that Chapman isn't making anything if true. The EoES and speedway sucks cash, always has, always will. No way could they close the grandstand and I doubt the EoES would let them charge extra after nearly 50 years, plus it would be difficul to administer and almost impossible to police. Added to that, they'd lose more fans than any charge would make up for IMO.

It looked a decent crowd for a thursday night. A fabulous meeting tonight. Well run, hard fought with some fantastic racing. It shows what can be done when all the ingredients come together, speedway at its best!

You forgot about how easy it is for Edinburgh fans to climb the perimeter wall at Armadale. The steward's always catch them though, grabbing them by the scruff and telling them to get back in until it is finished.

Cracking meeting and well done to both teams. Poole deserved a point. The big difference tonight was that the tractor did not come out until after heat 10 when the interval was. This enabled an outside line where you could race. Great performance from Charles Wright again tonight. Worrell was the main culprit for Poole as he was poor.Tonight is what I go to speedway for....excellent.

THE following statement has been issued by Eastbourne Speedway: As supporters and all speedway fans and well-wishers will be aware, Tom suffered a bad accident in heat 12 of the meeting at Eastbourne against Glasgow last Saturday (May 18). Following admittance to Hastings Conquest Hospital on Saturday evening, Tom was assessed and diagnosed with a broken leg in three places to his tibia and fibula. An operation to pin and plate the breaks was planned for Monday. However, on that day, Tom showed signs of breathing difficulties which meant that the planned operation had to be delayed and these symptoms worsened on Tuesday. Following a full consultation with the family, Tom was placed on to a ventilator and an induced coma on Tuesday to both give his lungs chance to recover and to ease his distress. On Wednesday, the specialists were confident that this had worked well enough to allow them to undertake the important operation on Tom’s leg and this has now been completed and the leg pinned and plated. As of this lunchtime (Thursday, May 23) the surgeons are "very happy" with the outcome of that operation. Tom remains on a ventilator and the plan is to bring him round sometime later today so that further assessment can be made. The diagnosis is that the impact of the crash has caused some damage to Tom's lungs that can be fully assessed once he wakes, and now that the vital operation on his broken leg has been successfully completed. The family are very grateful and overwhelmed by all the messages of support at this very difficult time and have apologised for not responding to many of them at this stage. They have also asked that all messages are passed on via the club at this stage and Eastbourne Speedway will of course pass those on for you. The club will only comment when authorised by Tom's family. We send them collectively, individually and on behalf of everyone all our love and support. Eastbourne Fineprint Eagles will be holding a "bucket collection" for Tom at the meeting against Berwick on Saturday and there will be big GET WELL cards for supporters to sign. So as to not inundate the family, if you wish to bring your own Get Well cards for us to pass on, we would be delighted to do so. Tom is very much an integral part of the Eastbourne family and we hope that you will all come along and show your love and support on Saturday, so that we can all collect together to support a very special person and family.

He’s a nice kid. Always pleasant when I see him. If these other photographers are jealous of him and his work perhaps they need to give it up. They have accused him of not originating his own work saying it’s his fathers! They’ve developed their own hashtag on twitter #amow (all my own work) as a bitchy dig at the kid. These ‘men’ by the way are 50+ years old! Times change and move on - Speedway Photographry has too and it’s about the youth. The old guys need to go off and do something else if they can’t hack it. I just hope this bullying doesn’t have any adverse effects on the boy. As a pensioner myself I love to see youth prosper and wish him all the best.

Taylor is producing some cracking shots and has the support of many riders. Some of these older photographers just don't like a young gun stepping on their patch.

Unbelievable!

He certainly used the same ploy at Romford. I can still remember the pain i felt getting filled in by his back wheel at Brooklands. That low concrete wall offered very little protection for those of us silly enough to stand near it.

Two narrow defeats to arguably the best teams in the league isnt desperate just shows Eastbourne arent quite strong enough. It wont be that way every week.

until it turned off its ice cream chimes ... aye , Northside is short on shale i see !

Don't normally agree with you but...

No use setting a rabbit running jenga there's no grass left for it to eat !!

C,mon the moanarchs !......... lol. .............

what a nugget that Godfrey is . i hope jedd screws him over after being shown the door by one of the poorest , if not THE poorest promoter in the last few seasons . tell him where to stick it Jedd !

I have been impressed with some of his photographs. I have no idea if you have to be 18 to get a pass but it would seem odd if that is true when you can race when as young as 15. Equally, I can understand older photographers feeling aggrieved if they feel that a competitor is getting an unfair advantage because of his connections. However, you don't deal with that by bullying the person concerned. You deal with it by taking the matter up with those you feel are allowing what you perceive to be unfair competition.

Believe a routine ploy by Ivan Mauger when he was at at Exeter

Historically Peterborough have never had good crowds on a midweek race night, so yesterday wasn't too bad. Everyone wants more, it's just human nature!

And to be fair to him. Last time he rode at Peterborough he got paid 10 I think ? He obviously likes it there

Or he could be grown up about it and score some points to earn some money, get some confidence and perhaps put himself in the shop window.

So Simmons, who deliberately chucked races when riding for Swindon so he could drop down a league, lost respect for Rickardsson over his first bend manouvre in the Grand Prix? I know which one I have more respect for.

One of those 'expert opinions' ? Did he say it was all rubbish then? Bit like the 'expert opinions' that state a rider would never deliberately go out to hurt another rider, then a rider comes out in his autobiography or article and states he once went out to put someone in the fence and teach him a lesson......

I'm in no Buster fan club. I guess the "crap" dirt wasn't the problem then

Cheers, shame Hans didn't have a Danish commitment!

Yep especially as its the Championship Play Off final on Monday with 30k fans going down to Wembley also. Its a real shame for me to see the crowds we have had. It cant be helped with side that was built and the start to the season we had. However the management have acted and improved the side and I genuinely thought we would have had a decent crowd last night. Sadly theres one sport that rules and it seems when that season ends its only when others get a look in.

Can you tell Bellego that, he is number 4 and hasn't been doing well.

There may never have been any integrity among those who have run speedway since 1928 ( or 1923 - see even the birth of the sport is lost in the mists of time ). If there ever was it's a small minority for sure. Most have been wannabe Arthur Daleys.

Saw some great meetings there ,tragic really.

Honestly The money KD spent on setting up that track it's effing criminal... and tragic... #absolutelygutted.... Regards THJ

I totally agree. He must be doing something right if he’s scaring them! I do hope the promoters at Leicester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belle Vue take action here. Bullying cannot be tolerated in our sport in any level.

Reading Racers legend and ace tuner retired yesterday- 2 days after his 64th birthday. Happy retirement Jan.