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Chapman only did what he did because he hasn't the wit or wisdom to carry out the root and branch restructuring the sport desperately needed, instead he's enabled the many times failed premiership model to carry on for a little longer until it goes t!ts up again. Have said before I think this will put the long term future of Ipswich (and Peterborough) in serious jeopardy. No one was looking long term when this ridiculous deal was made.

"Ben also needs to realise that he has the potential to be a professional speedway rider and that's a very different animal to being a star in a League where half your opponents struggle to stay on, get their bikes to do four laps and in some cases can barely skid a bike. I've seen him have some terrific rides at this and Elite level so the talent is there. I don't think the NL comfort zone is doing him any good" The above is a quote by Eastbourne's Jon Cook. Delightful to see what he really thinks of the National League, a league that Eastbourne have just moved out of and that featured a lakeside team not so long ago. Nobody claims that NL riders are the finished article but i personally find the above comments incredibly rude towards everyone who competes in and follows the NL. Here's my quote back "You can stick your opinions and any club you have anything to do with now or in the future where it doesn't shine as you won't be getting one penny from me."

As I’ve said before he’s in it to make money and therefore home defeats and struggling teams won’t work. Wins and Play Off qualification will. To that end I’m not sure why he wouldn’t treat all three the same. Agree about him being incapable of reforming our sport but it’s the same for pretty much all of the current promoters. It needs a completely fresh approach but anyone who has tried that in recent times has been forced out by the old boys club.

A sensible rule book, properly policed and fairly applied would be a start and would give the sport credibility. For those who don't remember it was one of Chapman's promises when he took office. Many might think it is an easily achievable objective that wouldn't cost very much, if anything. For reasons I can't fathom, we are still waiting.

Dropping himself can be nothing other than withdrawing his services. What else can withdrawing services be?

IMO Chapman is a clueless numpty. He couldn’t run a bath! He’s been chairman of the BSPA and overseen the biggest decline in British Speedway in recent years. Chapman and his useless sidekick are arrogant and don’t listen or understand the fans and are totally incapable of improving the sport. If you ignore your customers, they will eventually ignore you. Speedway and loyal fans deserves better!

Good meeting tonight, close throughout. Ben Wilson was in a class of his own including a superb win off 15 metres. Luckily the island avoided the monsoons on the mainland.

How many fishing rods to you go through in a season , just asking like.

Distraction from the poor state of the track.

I didnt go, but so good to read good reports from the meeting. Two evenly matched sides going for it, makes for a good night out. Well done both teams.

As said many times before Speedway isn't comparable to most sports. The action time vs cost is getting out of hand in some places. Sister sports like grasstrack are usually under £15 and for 40+ races, Stocks and bangers again far more races for the entry fee's. The fact is that the sport currently is competing with other amateur ventures but attempting to charge professional prices.

I know there are still those who long for the "good old days" of the World Finals, but I'm pleased to see so many of you making several trips a year around Europe for the GP's. Of course, a lot of you make the most of it, and take in other meetings while you are there, which is fantastic. I am jealous of you all, and I really wish I'd had those opportunities while I was still in the UK. Of course, Eastern Europe opening up was a great thing - particularly for speedway fans - and travel is so much easier and cheaper now. Just wish I could join you, but maybe someday... Steve

More exciting racing might save the sport imo (real or contrived). Every fan loves close racing/passing/team riding, it's what gets fans excited and talking about the sport away from the track. It's also something no fan can make happen, it's down to the promoters and riders ....

Cook has always been an unpleasant character. So it's never surprising whenever it inevitably surfaces in public. Pity that he is garnering such bad PR for Eastbourne now, though.

if anyone knew Morleys ability and limitations it should be Cook, had him for years after all at Lakeside. Not sure what his gripe with National League is either he did manage Lakeside in National League didn't he?, must think its beneath him.

Where does he think riders like Morley,Wood, etc get enough money to keep their machines in tip top condition? I think that type of statement brings the sport into disrepute. I hope some sort of apology is issued or some punishment dished out to him. Disgraceful.

Not at all bud i know you have well balanced opinions the majority of the time.

I don't often agree with Sings, but on this subject he is 100% right. Jon Cook should be ashamed of himself for this insult.

This might come as a surprise but i agree with you i places. However its not just the NL where the standard is too spread out, the Championship also has 2 point riders out on track with 8/9/10 point averaged riders. The whole system needs a shake up to make an actual race to include all 4 riders and not two races in one. Im sure there will be a statto somewhere who can compare number of fallers? Yes there is the element of learning in the NL which can cause crashes by misadventure but that also adds to the unpredictable nature of it and is more entertaining than from the gate racing that can often pepper the updates of the higher leagues. My big issue is the slating of the league rather than the riders. A promoter can have his opinion on performances just like any other poster on here but to make broad sweeping unjustified statements is nothing short of Jon Cooks ignorance and rudeness.

100% correct. I've made a similar case on the forum before for a festival-style model offering much better value to the whole family. Sadly, sensible voices like this get drowned out by a dying generation of hard core followers who get their knickers in a twist over trivialities like doubling up. The sport in Britain needs revolution not evolution.

My only disappointment is that i can only like the above once. Ive thought very similar for a long time and buried somewhere is an equivalent post. Qualifying rounds, differing levels, handicap races, sidecars whatever it takes make it razzle dazzle. Look at the X games and arena cross. They pack huge stadia and in reality is no more thrilling than speedway. 4 riders could go round a 100 meter circular track and make it entertaining if the abilities and bikes were matched. Bring back the pantomime villains, arm waving and just entertainment. If newbies go and think its alright they won't come back, if they attend and leave thinking its amazing they will return and will bring others.

Spot on... Should just sell the spectacle... Which currently gets completely diluted by trying to shoe horn it into a team concept... (A very, very inadequate, and nowhere near fit for purpose team concept which does the actual spectacle absolutely no favours).. Running once a month at the NSS for example, at weekends, with circa 40 races on show of differing levels eg kids to juniors to experts, (maybe a 'Festival Of Speedway' over two days?), in competitions with some authenticity, would generate pretty decent crowds I would think.. Ran once a month, with credibility, and properly marketed in the weeks leading up to it, with circa four thousand in attendance, would deliver a much better impression of the sport and enhance its brand far more to help it's long term sustainability than running contrived meetings, four times a month on a Monday or a Thursday, with a thousand at each meeting.. Run one 'biggie' individual during the season, and bang in a couple of Test Matches, and maybe it could kick start a renaissance of the sport in this country.. There definitely is still a fairly large following out there for Speedway, its just not being engaged by the current way it is ran.. So find an operating model that does..

enjoyable match but got v cold and dusty later on. Couple of unforced errors did for the warriors in 12 and 14, wood well clear in 13 and Stoneman fell, Wilson won re run too. Plymouths team are well suited to smallbrook tho, they rode well

Wake up you've drifted off again!

Make sure you don`t tell them that the race last`s a minute.

Good win for plymouth 42-48!

100%... If it wasn't, more people would go.. People often come on here and compare prices to football and say that speedways prices are on a par with the lower leagues.. The huge difference of course is that football has a brand identity and is recognised by the wider public.. Speedway has no sutch brand recognition so any non speedway aware man my age, with a 16 yr old son like I have, is hardly likely to see a £25 admission for them both as something that would entice him to give it a go.. Those who run the sport may see their pricing structure as reasonable, justified and value for money, and have a million perfectly valid reasons why it is what it is, however, that is irrelevant, as its the amount of customers who purchase your product which validates the pricing structure.. Or not as it would appear in the case of speedway,. NB it was cheaper for me and my lad to watch the SoN on a Saturday night at the NSS than an Aces match on a Thursday there.. The SoN was a sell out.... "Quelle surprise!" as Dimitri Berge may say...

Oops, that's right MPT at 5 . Thanks for putting me right

They're all worried now, the mighty Robins have struck fear into them from 6th in the table...

Nail IN Head better...

Nothing against it in the rules so I suggest you chill

this i totally agree with, but the opportunity has flown

You can not turn the clock back, sadly I think it’s too late...the opportunities to restructure the sport have long gone. Speedway is in an uncontrolled tail spin and I believe it is beyond recovery. The sport is bust and there’s not a silver bullet that will save it. The people in charge are totally incompetent. TV money should have been used to promote and build the sport and not greedily pocketed by self serving TR or squandered on unsustainable rider pay. TV money will never return.

Think John cooks comments are just ridiculous. The NL is a great product. Let’s be honest John cook knows nothing about speedway as he couldn’t keep up with paying his NL riders last when they was in the NL, so god knows how he keeps up with paying the Eastbourne riders. As for the opponents staying on there bikes well stop lowering the points limit so much and forcing riders to ride above there means. Speedway is a progression sport, so if you dropping the team limit so much there is not point in haveing an MDL/SDL. I find NL good racing. But my personal opinion is that unfortunately this year the NL is a glorified MDL and it’s hard to sell a product like that and get the punters in. But that’s just my opinion. Id like to find out what everyone’s else’s opinion is...........

Not sure why anyone would be surprised at this kind of stuff coming out of Mr Cook’s gob.

Indeed, any two day event or even a 2 or 3 hour event with the name "Speedwinks~ or "Tiddlyway" would incur the wrath of the Top of the Toppermost ( Mssrs Chapman & Godfrey ). Never mind filming it or broadcasting it in any shape or form. I suspect all participating riders would also get banned.

Certainly doesn't sound like his comments are in the best interests of speedway to me? I certainly hope he issue a full and grovelling apology soon otherwise a suitable punishment would be to travel to every NL track (at his own expense) and apologies on the centre green .

Looking at the quote over a few times, it was as you say a harsh but fair point aimed at the rider's mentioned, and a stupid and unnecessary line about the NL standard, which we know over the last 4/5 years hasn't generally been the case. It does look to me it may have been part of the 'rant' to give Wood and Morley a kick up the a***, but in what seems to be his usual way, not well thought out, be nice if he clarified it was that in the next programme but unlikely to happen, especially if he really believes that. I do think him being there is part of the long term project, be a shame if you don't attend whilst he's they're, especially if our ex NL riders do turn it around.

Would think so especially with Paco moving up and Ash Morris dropping in at reserve, he must be looking forward to getting a bucket load of points.

Beating the dreadful weather was a bonus as well.

Pre season for me Swindon were 2nd favourites behind Wolves Between Wolves issues with injuries and Swindons changes I think the Robins are now in pole position Any Witches win in this one will be a great achievement and a real boost. If we slip to a defeat (whilst disappointing) it shouldnt be seen as anything more negative I still think the lads can take this despite the challenges

Or just practising, unless Plymouth or Somerset signed him for that challenge? It's a possibility Edit: In fact yes, I've just seen this, the teams for today's challenge at Somerset... Looks an interesting meeting TeamsSOMERSET: 1 Todd Kurtz (Capt) 2 Nicolas Vicentin 3 Anders Rowe 4 Luke Harris 5 Henry Atkins 6 Zack Cook 7 Saul BulleyPLYMOUTH: 1 Ben Barker 2 Adam Extance 3 Ben Wilson 4 Richard Andrews (Capt) 5 Danny Ayres 6 Jamie Bursill 7 Adam Sheppard

Ah! Innovation - the great missing ingredient essential to the possibility of UK professional speedway avoiding extinction! The un-joined up thinking of the BSPA is eager to stamp out innovative ideas wherever they rear their ugly heads. Luddites they remain.

Except Tipu rides IN Finland every chance he gets.

nigel pearson does a darn good job trying to promote our sport at every opportunity

There was a time when I went to Speedway 4 or 5 times a week. No longer, certainly age is catching up on me but mostly I am just losing interest.

It would have been better had Laguta not got so close to his own riders back wheel.It would have been much easier to miss the back wheel than having to control the bike after having hit Lampart's back wheel.There then wouldn't have been the injury.

I find it odd that Witches fans are moaning about Bomber yet are flying high in the league. You should be very happy!

Surprised your's isn't David Speight x20

You pretty much stole my post, almost word for word what I was going to add. I will add that I belive this was all stared by Martin and Connor and NL. There was a renewed enthusiasm and a new 'feel' to the club and a team winning silverwear rather than being also rans. Then add to the mix Ian Jordan, Jon Cook, Championshil Speedway and an all british team with the ever populat Georgie and Tom. Mix it all together and you have a pretty good recipe. Apart for the painful 1point home losses, it all been pretty good apart from Toms injury!!! Its a very good time to be an Eagles fan at the moment