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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.

A great event BUT why hold it at a track that is known for its lack of parking problems. I bet if anyone gets a parking ticket from the shopping center car park due to an over run meeting Leicester Speedway will not pay it. Come- on MR Godfrey get a grip and get this meeting to a track that has better parking !!!

I was briefly involved in a serious attempt to relaunch the Rockets last year. The situation is far more optimistic than people might think. We had agreement to run at one point before a change of mind by BMR. Looking on now from the sidelines and having seen the demolition work at the stadium I suspect once the work is completed that speedway will be back. It's far too easy to spread doom and gloom on this forum, often based on honest opinion but lacking in direct knowledge or involvement. If you do have such knowledge then I will bow to it. If not, it does no good to spread despair at the situation. I'd say it all depends on the exit of BMR from the stadium and the kart people wanting to put their new asset to its most logical use.. Now, back to matters Kentish.

Geoff always confuses me,,, as his name normally belongs to older people,,, but he acts and talks and gets excited like an 8 year old. Very confusing

Another good showing for 2020 panther Rohan Tungate today

Blimey can't we get rid of this Poole rubbish... Go away and leave us, we have enough on our plate. Brady Kurtz riding for Belle Vue is of very little interest here.

The Fours were staged at Leicester in 2011. Were there any problems then? I know it wasn't the day after Cardiff but the pit area and parking restrictions haven't changed.

I wonder how accurate these reports are when it says half a lap with a puncture and the fastest time of the evening and in the last heat as well

His best bikes are already on their way to the UK

I am going to Cardiff. I love the fours. I'm fairly local to Leicester. But this decision seems to make very little sense to me. Running the fours anywhere on the Cardiff Sunday, with the possible exception of Somerset, seems slightly odd to me. Logistically, for the fans, how does this make sense.? Is the supporters coach from say Eastbourne, going to return home a day late, via Leicester? Why destroy the concept of the "fours weekend" by combining it with the GP weekend. And the hosting track. So Peterborough is not available (?). But even though it's convenient for me, Leicester would seem to have some severe limitations. Car parking for the fans is an issue. I got caught out at the Ben meeting last year. The supermarket parking we use every week has a strict 4 hour limit. And let''s not have any more discussion about the legality of the imposition of fines. If you get a parking fine, do you really want to challenge it or risk ignoring it? The car park is "policed" by comparing video images of you entering and leaving. If you can't leave because everyone else is at the same time, that's cuts no ice. I know. So you can't park there for the fours. You will not get out of the car park within the four hour limit unless you leave the meeting early. I don't know much about the accommodation of riders vans and pit space but I suspect that they will both be tight. And despite my misgivings, should this meeting be heavily supported, will the stadium house that many supporters comfortably?

in the process of booking fri night accommodation for the pairs,if the fours was on a sunday at peterborough different w/end, would have done that as well but not all the same w/end

John sampford was Kent’s team manager for the 1st and I think 2nd season before Chris Hunt took over. He has spent his time since then as Len’s chauffeur going to almost every away match, so I think he is pretty clued up on all things Kent.

There is a 4 hour time limit with the shopping centre car park, so depending on the format and any possible delays, it could get very tight time wise. Also the shopping centre will be open on a Sunday afternoon, so there will be fewer spaces than normal for a Saturday night meeting. An alternative would be to use the Boston Road industrial estate on the opposite side of the road to the shopping centre.

I appreciate the kind words! I know there must still be a few that are missing, and I am always checking. I can't take all the credit, though, as there are a number of individuals from around the world who have contributed, including yourself.

Also the last time I was there the Little portable bar on the 3rd & 4th ( wonder if it's still there ran out of beer & there was.only 3 of us using it... so how will they cope with a load of hungover thirsty speedway fans north of Manchester

But he was never Russian, just as Jimmy McMillan was never English

Skorja and Smetana both start on 5 point averages for Newcastle.

I did see Philip Lageder (Austria) listed as riding on a Swiss Licence. Could that be it?

Without looking up all the numbers, if Holder + Covatti fits, then I'm guessing you could have Iversen + Covatti/Nicholls? TBH, and I know this will hurt a few, I'd probably have Tungate + Covatti/Nicholls rather than Holder. Holder is just too much of a risk for me. Better pray for a dry spring/summer/autumn.

When they raced at Old Meadowbank they raced on Saturdays.

In this day and age, if it can't be recycled, it shouldn't be made.