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Thoroughly enjoyed the evening with Nicki Pedersen comes across as a nice bloke off track. I think everybody there can’t wait for the season to start now. Told some good stories and said he can’t wait to get started. Well done Nicki and thanks for giving your time up to come across from Denmark to meet the fans.

Due to new Health and Safety restrictions we've just made up for 2020 I'm afraid that nobody is allowed to discuss the team until all 7 riders have signed and been announced.

True there for me also Gem, and i'm not one who personally would be affected by the access issues. Hearing of @Mimmo and his wife and them being cut off from speedway due to this stupidity has really really p.ssed me off. I'm doing some digging.

In my opinion it’ll be Chris holder, he’s had trouble with the authorities in the last couple of years regarding visas and they all just want to have that visa absolutely guaranteed before they release the news he’s our 7th and final team rider, if this comes to fruition I’ll be happy with the team and think we’ll be right in there amongst them

It's quite clear. The freehold track and the land surrounding is owned by the Lee Valley Park Authority. A lease was granted to a company called Carter & Bailey Ltd many years ago. They were originally the greyhound and speedway promoters, sub-letting the latter to Len Silver in 1974 (there may have been earlier short-term sub-lets). Carter & Bailey was later run by Eddie Leslie who installed Stock Car Racing after the Rockets folded in 1994. Len then acquired Carter & Bailey to gain control of the speedway, selling on to BMR. More recently officials of the kart racing business became the directors of Carter & Bailey. BMR were hied on a one year deal to manage the stadium. Thus the control of the speedway stadium rests with the kart people who are renovating the stadium. I hope this clarifies the situation.

This is called working with rather than against the media.

Ah, so that's the reason. I thought the standard of this topic had improved recently, but i hadn't worked out why.

Maybe Swindon will give us a rider this year.

Somebody's read their Speedway Star already!!!

How do you get Peterborough 4th, they only have 4 riders signed.

As we're having a bit of a lull in the silly season, I thought I'd relive a few memories. Soldier Boy was Ray Wilson's number one supporter at Blackbird Road Leicester in my memory in the early 70's. Indeed I think he used to follow Ray everywhere including guest appearances for other clubs. He was famous (infamous) and used to stand right by the starting gate at Blackbird Road. He regularly had very vocal exchanges with opposing fans. I have a vague recollection that he switched his support to Ole Olsen at some point in time (Ray Wilson retired or moved to Birmingham?). But I don't remember what became of him (if I ever knew). Any memories?

Well if it is him that could be interesting with Sheffield meetings andNicki, there not exactly mates.

Tim Hunt was one of the dirtiest riders i have seen along with Preben Eriksen.

Wasn't that a double header and Wiggy I think got injured during the first match. Mr Evitts guested for those Mighty Fine Cheetahs in the 2nd match. When he and Rasser were due to ride in one race. Rasser just rode through the tapes and replaced by a reserve. When interviewed Rasser said something alonv thd lines of he wouldn't ride in the same race as that B'stard

LET'S hope it is not the final SGP of 2022... hardly the venue to crown the World Champion

All the disbelief.....why wouldant it be holder.... Hes not a gp rider..... He is well sponsored by the main sponsor.... And if the visa stuff doesn't get sorted they have another rider there waiting Which I think you would be more than happy with.....

Exactly, it's a drive in two countries.

If you start watching the recording about 20 minutes after the start time, fast forward through the adverts (and any other bits that don't take your fancy) you should find yourself watching in real time at about the end of the meeting. No avoiding the result, no adverts. Simples.

Disaster in trying to get a team going again and to provide spots for the riders without a team? Like him or not he kept Mildenhall alive. If he can do the same with Rye then happy days.

Animals eat other animals. It's natural and it's called the food chain - we just happen to be at the top of the food chain. Should we try to stop owls eating mice, lions eating antelopes etc? If birds and other little creatures didn't eat insects (they are God's creatures too), there'd be much less healthy grain for the vegans to eat.

So it looks as though we should see the lads doing some laps on the 1st April at CP not Iwade this year. Brilliant.

Remember when Garry Middleton invited him onto the centre green at Cowley so as to continue with a "discussion" that had got rather heated! Didn't he end up winning the lottery or something? Last rider I knew who vented his support was Neil Evitts (?)

BSPA statement http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.37867 This bears out exactly what I understood to be the case when the Jim Mead consortium was bidding to promote there. They point out that the stadium is being redeveloped so logically it is best to wait until it is ready. Regarding forms there are several that are requested, including proof of an agreement with the landlords and a safety certificate. I believe there may be a requirement for proof of financial status. It is very reassuring to see the BSPA state that the door is open and that no mention of past debts is made. The last thing the situation needs is an entry barrier. Whether it is Kevin Jolly, Steve Ribbons or anyone else reviving the place is irrelevant providing they are competent. The fine promises made by BMR were wafer thin. There is obviously a need to ensure that history is not repeated. All Rye House fans can now breathe a sigh of relief. At this time you couldn't wish for mose. Thank you BSPA for confirming exactly where we are.

Great rider. I would say they all( Case excluded) had a period when they were arguably the best rider in the world , Sid. Grosskreutz retired and came back a few times, so his career was longer than most. Not sure what happened there, but I was answering a question from Sid, which seems to have disappeared !!!!

I certainly remember his appearances at Hyde Road back in the day. Stood by the gate there too. Always good banter with fans.

Maybe we need to know all the facts before making our own judgements! Who owns (or has control of) what. Most of us are aware that BMR paid some rather silly guarantees, the sport could do with some wage controls like the Rugby Union. On the face of it to have Rye House up & running ASAP should only be a positive for our sport.

Now you know how the rest of speedway feels all the time

Wealdstone is correct in that staying quiet and waiting to see is not an option because everybody knows the outcome of that strategy. Relevant communication has often been lacking since Rathbone and Watson left. I wasn't their greatest fan, but then again it's bloody hard to get me on your side anyway, but you can't knock the good job that they did with their passion for the club and fans, disabled or not. This action would never have happened under their watch and it's just a shame that Rathbone offloaded the club as he did. Given the way that this was introduced without communication and the reasons as given allegedly debunked then I'm not sure where the management can go with any explanation anyway (would love to see full facts and circumstances), hence their silence and hoping that it will go away as you indicate might be a way forward. I appreciate that disabled access needs to be managed and I think, as with most such systems, that some people gained access when they shouldn't (I guess that's why after the Frost era of massive internal car park Horton made BB holders show their photo side to parking staff? Neil can confirm?) so get a better system in place, don't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

This is what it's like when Starry and Steve Shovlar stop posting (sorry, post less). The Poole thread just gets hijacked by all and sundry.

any idea what teams forum I am on seemingly not

And no matter what, the fans will be supportive, I can can guarantee whatever his form at the start of the season there will be no negativity for Tom ( or Drew or Jason come to that) throughout the year.

If the reason it was done is Geographic then all the rest of the ties should be changed to be consistent. look at Glasgow they have to go to Somerset, thats not just a wee drive in the country.

Waiting to see is to acknowledge that it will happen.

It's not only sad Gemini, it's out and out disgraceful, and pure discrimination against disabled people. As I've already posted, if this decision isn't overturned, then EVERYBODY must be banned from taking their vehicles into the Showground, which includes promoters, team managers, track staff, bar staff, track shop staff, stewards, absolutely EVERYBODY.

Will Rowe be in the top five? i think Stoneman ( who i like exciting) is one of the weaker reserves i cannot see him averaging three points away from home

There was a train into Manchester at 2140. When I've used the train I've had to miss heat 15 on more than one occasion. However, it's easy enough to get into town on a bus and there are trains to Sheffield until pretty late. 2355 ish.

so why bother with a draw in the first place?

Often over before 21.15 but not always. 10 minutes from the stadium to the station might be pushing it but depends how young and fit you are.

Is it available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland then?

I now wonder if Gino is an option, he has confirmed he has a visa and can come over this season now - would arrive on a 4.00

I hope I do after being a fan for coming up 50 years and directly involved in two bids to revive Rye House. Sadly last year's wasn't successful. I leave it to others to make silly speculations. I don't hide behind a false name so I put what remains of my reputation behind what I post ;-) If what I post is wrong then I am misinformed. It happens, but what I post is what I genuinely know is true, or is an honest deduction from what's in the public domain. It's interesting to see the debt has been raised to Jolly when I was assured that the bid I was briefly involved in last year that the BSPA were happy to receive an application without any requirement to pay others' debts. It's funny., if a business goes bust and another takes over its operations it normally has no liability for the previous business's debts. If this was a case of BMR walking away from their debts only to form a 'phoenix' company to carry on, debtless I could understand but not when it's a new business. I wonder if the BSPA simply use it to deter applications that they don't like the look of? I expect there to be a queue to promote there IF, and IF the kart business rebuild the place rather than just demolish it. Forget BMR. There is nothing that can be done to rewrite history this time and speedway has to move on. Soon we could see a modern stadium, available to stage speedway, within easy access of millions of people including the nation's capital with good road access, to Hoddesdon at least and a direct frequent rail service to central London. Isn't that exactly what the sport in London is crying out for? It would be insane to block it over debts that no sensible business would accept responsibility for? I can't see speedway ever recovering BMR's debt, yet who really is being punished here? Certainly not BMR. Prospective promtions, yes. But in the twisted short-sightedness of speedway there is one apparently forgoten group that suffers the most. THE FANS. Speedway owes those people, not just of Rye House but all of the lost London area tracks one last place to enjoy their sport. Until someone wins Euromillions,there is only one place. Rye House.

As a follow up, acouple of days later, Grosskreutz's motorcycle suppliers wanted to celebrate the Golden helmet win and new track record with a rather unfortunate advert. A drawing of a bike and underneath in big bold letters... 76 Dead

I respect your support for all things Poole - but you need to accept other opinions before you respond. Just talk (or don’t) rather than force yours so aggressively. You should be positive after what you have been through.

Very true but unfortunately you start it most of the time

I've just watched this 5 times and in my opinion as an ex rider Phil didn't deliberately fence him, Phil hit a rut and straightened up but also David locked up and cut back to the line it was just an unfortunate incident

Are you suggesting the ancient Egyptians had a flutter on trap 6? Greyhounds weren't bred for racing, they are hunting dogs. If you want a slightly different perspective on the treatment of racing greyhounds, I would suggest the following: Spend about 30 seconds researching the subject. Find someone who owns a pet greyhound (ex racer or otherwise) and spend a few hours with the dog. A more gentle creature does not exist on God's Earth.

Think it would get more press of Auty wasnt such a d**k himself

I was at that one...was sat in the main stand with a couple of hundred others when he smashed into the marshall. Got a right rollicking from Drury. Never liked the young sulky sod since then.

Auty's move taking Rob Mear off in the British Final wasn't much better. I don't know if Auty is an intentionally dirty rider though, he just rides like a nutter and is as much danger to himself as anybody else.

it was - however boxing day, which was when this post was written, wasnt as good as ive been sat on a coach most of the day travelling down to adelaide!