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And Cradley rode at Stoke in the top league... And Coventry rode at Leicester in the NL It does take itself very seriously doesn't it? Pity it's operating model doesn't do the same.. Lets face it, loads of meetings will take place next year with 'select' sides, particularly at NL level as the higher leagues get priority, so does it really matter what the body colour says? Letting developing riders have more rides has to be nothing but a good thing surely? And if you can keep an old name in the public eye then so much the better for anyone's future quest in trying to find a permanent home you would think..

Yet again its just short sighted from the BSPA. The NL is dangling by a thread and with Plymouth likely to attempt a step up again next season, Kent to discover how viable two side are and standalone teams like IOW & Mildenhall to find out how workable a reduced fixture list is things are far from certain. To then prevent the possibility of Reading, Exeter or any other nomad team that has the funding from joining the league when clubs are folding far faster than they are opening is yet another showing of ineptitude by the powers that be.

All teams using a historic name have to prove each season that they are actively trying to resurrect the team with their own track. We at Reading are indeed trying. We have recently stated that we are in talks with a land owner about whether a track is feasible on their land. This is obviously the first step on a very long road. The ruling that prevents us from racing in the NDL is that nobody can promote in the top 3 leagues unless they have their own track. Reference Cradley, I think when they first started using Monmore, the fact that CVS was a promoter of both was seen as acceptable. It seems that now Cradley have ceased to operate the BSPA have decided they dont want the same situation again. That's fine, they're in charge, they make the rules and we accept that. We just thought we may be able to help when it looked like the NDL may collapse through lack of numbers. Thankfully the league has survived anyway.

Doesn't matter.... it's not our choice to who rides and when they offically announced is it? We won't know that "Rider A" or "Rider B" fitted perfectly into the points limit but "A" wanted £300 a point and £2000 start money. Whereas "B" will never ride for the club again after past issues. We won't know that "Rider C" could only do half a season We won't know that "Rider D" has a lower average but fits into the team as is well liked by the club and gets on well with his team mates. What we will know is that 7 riders have eventually been selected to be a 2020 Witch for the right reasons for the club.

I was saddened and heartbroken to read that an attempt from Reading to run at NDL level from the Swindon stadium was shot down by the bspa before it got off the ground due to something as stupid as the team name. If the side was to be entered it had to be under the Swindon banner and not Reading which would defeat the object for this bunch of supporters whos continued aim is to see a Reading team on track. Surely if the funding was there and the agreement of the Swindon promotion in place what is the issue? With the NDL enjoying far from prosperous times at present the blocking of this side and effectively any attempts from Exeter in future seasons surely the bspa is poisoning the sport from within? Would certainly be interesting to know who decided against this and why they think it is a positive move for Speedway?

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I like to say I am surprised with this but with the BSPA nothing surprises me. Just echo comments above really, crazy a league that is struggling for numbers and should be welcoming clubs have blocked this. If anything having sides like Reading in the league can only be positive for the club as they have the name out there and also if they get good crowds it gives the team weight about trying to find their own track nearer home.

I would have thought that a league with the word development in it's title, would welcome any opportunity for more youngsters to enter the sport. And retaining a homeless fan base, albeit a small one, is surely desirable.

Would it have been any different to Cradley over the last 10 years? Stupid decision.

Hopefully late again. Can't see why people want to be standing there in mid March when it's freezing cold and then have loads of blank weeks in the summer.

It'll roughly be for entry / ticket fees alone around the £150 range then & that's with the cheaper ticket for Cardiff then the hotel & refreshment costs on top c'mon bspa that's a bad move !!

There are a few on here now thinking 'why is Baldy bringing me into it'

I'd say Buttons isnt too far out. At worst you would describe his numbers as on the optimistic side but they are certainly not woefully inaccurate Many times people forget what wide open space Foxhall is and just how many it holds (capacity over 12,000). Even when the attendance looks sparse it would be more than many clubs would get when packed out

Sorry to bang on about this but I've been discussing this with my other half. The more we talked, the less I can understand the thinking that went into this policy. Despite the many and various bad opinions of the ruling body, often voiced at length on here, I do try, at least, to have some empathy for it's position. But sorry, on this occasion, I have not the first idea of the logic behind this crazy stance by those in charge. If the promoters, collectively, are trying to destroy racing in the third tier, this is a good first step.

You don't need to book. Just mention Agincourt.

Peterborough 4’ s has always been a great day out and brilliant racing,so let’s change it.!!!!!!

Glad someone else can see the same issue as me? Plus the pit area mac as you and me well know

NKI is tall too, not sure height is the key ingredient.

Doesn't seem to be anyone on here who thinks it a good call, makes you wonder how the decision could have been made in the first place by people who should be able to see this can only harm speedway in the 3rd tier.

Sorry to quote my own post, but there are two threads discussing this.

Been to leicester twice and have yet to see a pass on track think again mr godfrey send it back to peterboro!

Well that’s confirmed it! Chris Holder has signed for Ipswich. Good signing. Just need Geoff to say the Ipswich team is crap and will finish bottom, and the Ipswich fans can then confidently look forward to another title push.

They are actively looking. There have been a few positive noises, but of course that is a long way from actually opening a new track.

Look at British touring teams in Australia. Often labelled England, despite featuring Ken McKinlay and in some series the label changed from test match to test match. So they were described as British Lions in tests 1,2,5 & 7, English Lions in tests 4 & 6 and England in test 3.

Whoever thought this up needs sacking! I'm a speedway fan, reasonably well off and Somerset / Cardiff was OK for me as I'd do both meetings from Midlands as 2 separate trips to avoid stupid Hotel Rates in Cardiff. Lots of fans do Somerset and Cardiff as a round trip, stay over and its the annual pilgrimage to the mecca of the sport at Cardiff. This adds on for many an extra night and extra meeting and for those up North/Scotland and down South a very late return home Sunday night / Monday early hours. I won't do all 3 in 3 days. I'll go to Cardiff, go home and then a short trek over to Leicester. Why not 4's at Peterborough where set up and racing last season was "off the scale" superb meeting, not that Pairs wasn't too but that place is not capable of handling big crowds (Somerset). Leicester is a lovely set up but naff track, limited parking and from what I have heard Pits are very small and not a lot of space. Why couldn't we have 4's at Peterborough in May, 4's at Somerset in July, and CLRC at Sheffield in September??

No thanks

My suggestion for caption " will Panthers ever win another meeting"

My postman is very disappointed. For years, he thought I was the recipient of some very dodgy material as it was sent in a “brown plain wrapper”. Now he realises it’s just Speedway porn

Polywrap is used for lots of applications, from direct mail pieces to magazines and catalogues, and for keeping weekend newspapers and their supplements together. Every week, in fact, millions of polywrapped items make their way into the hands of consumers and businesses. And there’s good reason for that, polywrap is light, strong and weather resistant, making it extremely effective at the task it is required to fulfil. It is also, despite perceptions to the contrary, recyclable. “Polywrap is LDPE [low-density polyethylene] and as such is one of the most easily recyclable materials on the market. The trouble is local authorities don’t want to take it back because it’s so light,” explains Malcolm Atkinson, managing director at Hereford-based flexible films extruder and printer Alfaplas. Unfortunately, the UK’s frankly dysfunctional recycling systems doesn’t help. As the BBC recently reported, across the UK there are 39 different sets of rules in force for plastics recycling. In the absence of a national standard, no wonder end-users are confused about what to do with their polywrap-type waste.

If you say so, are you a regular?? The figures have been quoted in the local press down the years for various meetings, when the crowds been big and low, having been at virtually every home meeting for almost 30 years now I’d say I have a pretty good grasp of the numbers. from the start of last season being back in the top flight I’d argue there was 2-300 more on the terraces right from the start, from a handful of meetings into the season that had increased further due the success the team was having on track, in addition to this rather than typical one or maybe two of the sponsor boxes being in use 3 or 4 were used pretty much every meeting, will all of them full for the playoffs, we consistently had 1300-1500 in the championship peaking at close to 3000 in championship playoff meetings, so I don’t think my estimations are far out at all all the best

Fingers crossed one of Iversen, Bjerre or Kasprzak

Tungate and Hans is so obvious it’s ridiculous, so 2 positions left....

False Dawn, no one can view it for you, but I am sure that you would not be disappointed here in Kent. The third bend camber is one that has been a bother and last season was flattened out a bit so was less likely to draw riders into the fence if they went in wide. Some of the issues with the track arise from the morning running of the dogs which precludes any work until after 2pm.

Disappointing to see some of the top Aussies such as Doyley and Batch, Josh G, Schleiny, Morra, Heeps, Allen, not in. Adams always showed and won many titles.

Is it that rough over there that you can even pre book fights

We will be back in the Premiership next season no worries. You may not like Kurtz so much after a few meetings! Your right he has always enjoyed riding at Peterborough and Swindon!

Leicester struggle with 14 riders and their vans god knows how they will accommodate 40

There is an unsubstantiated rumour that Panthers bosses have placed large orders for fiddles and fire lighting equipment.

Totals after 2 of the 4 rounds(courtesy of Speedway updates) Fricke 37 Tungate 31 Lidsey 31 Kurtz 25 C Holder 25 J Holder 25 Masters 21 Pickering 16 Douglas 13 Z Cook 12 Stewart 11 Sedgman 9 Medson 9 B Cook 7 Morrison 4 Keleher 0 Knowles 0

Ipswich get at least 1500 as a minimum I’d say and most meetings last season were 2000-2500+

Haven’t “misinterpreted” a thing cocker.

Seemingly it's Brian Porteous

The rule should be reconsidered then.

Crazy idea to put the fours at Leicester, not enough parking also where would they put all the bikes in the pits ? On top of the cost to the fans over the weekend. Think some will give the pair's a miss or Leicester?

Brian Collins said much the same to me, you should give yourself a fright sometimes.

So some fans will have to find serious pocket money to be able to go to the Pairs, then Cardiff, then Leicester for the Fours in 3 days. Can't even imagine the costs if thinking of doing Swindon on the Thursday.

Bueherb777 I understand your thinking and though the bends have the width it is more a case of the straights being rather on the narrow side that I perceive to be the bigger issue. As for carrying more speed, the more experienced riders know how to set things up to accommodate the track peculiarities. I think that times will not be substantially different and that track record will take some knocking back. Luke has ridden the perfect line around that raceway without worrying it. Personally, when it was announced I disbelieved it and still do today. Whatever, it will remain as the NL track record and for the purists a new one will be accredited to the Championship.

Danny Ayres been back on a bike at scunny today.. word from the guy himself 'I feel like I've never been off one'

Auty's only good around Scunny... seems to be rather disappointing everywhere else