Leaderboard

Just block him Mike and ignore him - he's the current BSF moron and not worth wasting time on. Hope you're both OK

The four named riders are 23, 22, 21 and 21. None should be without a team place. Keleher, Ben Cook and Kye Thomson have done nothing to give them a prior claim.

If we assume that say twenty cars with blue badge holders stop attending, and I'm sure it will be a lot more than that, there's usually a minimum of two people in each vehicle, that takes it up to forty paying customers, and let's assume they are all concession customers, that the club will lose throughout the season. At the moment, assuming they don't make the play-off's, they have sixteen home fixtures planned. Based on the 2019 admission price of £16 (they haven't disclosed the 2020 prices on their website, other than for season tickets) that equates to £10,240. All twenty cars pay £1 to park which equals £320, and lets presume that 50% of them buy a programme at £3 peer head, which comes out at £960. That means in 2020, the club are going to lose in the region of £11,520. Can they really afford to do?

It just seems as if we're existing to serve Poland and Sweden, there are very few Southern Hemisphere riders going straight into their leagues without first using this place as a stepping stone. Who pays their air fares if they come here and later in the season join a continental club? Obviously a club shouldn't have to guarantee places to riders who it doesn't think are worthy of them but at the same time it's madness to deny British riders racing at some level, do the Poles do that with their lower order riders?

I'm delighted to see that Team GB are sponsored by Europe’s leading wheelchair accessible vehicle supplier. Good to see that at national level disabled drivers aren't forgotten........ Here's the link to today's press release - Team GB

Honestly Ruff has hit the nail on the head... Tractor tyre is only the half of it... You could park the front wheel of your Harley in there!!! (right up to the forks)... Regards THJ

I would have liked to have seen the BSPA insist that all teams have at least 1 'young' Brit at reserve. There are enough to go round! Maybe the BSPA could have funded each riders performance, which would make it more appealing to each promoter? Poole's job isn't to develop British talent, it's to put a team together that brings in the fans, which in turn increases income and sustainability. (IMO)

Shame that ignores still open on the main page but it does remind me of something: Del Trotter - Can you smell that? What is that? Sheep is it? It's cows? No, no, I know what it is. It's bullsh*t!

I think Hume is the oldest at 23 and he’s been held back through injury. Greaves has the most experience but he’s only 21! Bowtell is 22 and Kinsley 21. Surely Greaves would have been better for Poole and GB speedway than 27 year old Keleher or Ben Cook who has shown no form whatsoever? Madness.

The problem is two of the Australians get a chance to further there career in the reserve berth that is never right in my opinion.Hume before his injuries at Ipswich was averaging 5.80 at home and just under four he was at the level of Connor Mountain.His average of 3.19 is to high for anyone to take a chance at the moment that is the injustice of it all these guys come in on a four.

Danyon Hume and Ryan Kinsley.

Nathan Greaves

I can't actually believe he is allowed to post such things, he should be banned.

Additionally there's no mention of measures that they took to deal with the issues raised, in fact they didn't with any recognised communication to those affected. Clearly they've dug a hole, unprecedented against their supporters by the club in it's 50 years, and then continued digging rather than see commonsense and do the right thing within the family sport that they claim to be a member of. How much effect this will have in the time the club has left at the EoES I don't know but the club, it's sponsors and associates need to be viewed in a different light now and this action must not be forgotten.

Absolutely, it’s long overdue. Riders like Hume and Greaves shouldn’t be without team spots while there are Aussies at number seven in some teams IMO. But you are right, teams build as strong as they can and have no obligation to develop Brits while it’s not in the rules.

What a heartless person you are. My wife, as I've said before, is in an advanced stage of cancer for both lungs, breast and hip, which means she can only do short walks at a time without resting, which rules us out of ever going to Peterborough again. I personally find your comments most hurtful, and hope for your sake that you never find yourself in the position that we are in, then you won't be so cocky with your insulting statements, so please, for the sake of all those whose lives are being torn apart, stop it now.

Doyle from the outset was way above the new Aussies in the CL. He was never a 4 point CL rider like Josh MacDonald! Didn’t he top the IOW averages and then go straight into the Poole team as a 5 point EL rider? Happy for Aussies (and all foreigners) to come over on minimum 5 point averages. 4 is too low and hampers the development of young Brits.

Uber would not be able to get closer than the new disabled parking area and might not be allowed that close.With the rough ground pushing a wheelchair will be hard work for a young, fit person and if the person doing the pushing is elderly then it would be impossible for them. Mobility scooters are very expensive and would they be able to be parked in a secure area? People are only miserable because they find that the new rules are going to make it difficult for them to enjoy their racing. Why is it safe for pedestrians to mix with cars in the main car park but not inside the speedway arena? If a Blue Badge holder does not obey the instructions of the staff or drives in a dangerous manner then I would back the promotion in saying that the person concerned would no longer be allowed to use the old parking area. It must be possible to manage the situation so the disabled are able to enjoy their speedway without the long walk that is currently proposed.

Only way British riders will get more opportunities is if they get average reductions compared to their foreign counterparts as the current trend is to gamble on the unknown rather than help develop our own.

How many have been at the top of the sport? World number 3 , dominated the Polish and UK leagues for a couple of seasons and id say is pretty exciting to watch and has been right back from his Newport days.

Actually the Messiah is an apt name for the freak considering he faked his own death on the reading forum years ago ....it's the second coming ..sorry third comi.......sorry fourth.......and on and on and on.......

How does Zeleher and Cook come in on a four yet Hume who had two seasons riddled with injury is saddled with a 3.19 average.He should of had a reduction and this rule could be put in place to help all Brits, speedway is a wonderful sport but some of the rules are a joke.Adam Roynon another example Neil Watson comes up with all those permutations about what average he would come in on he should come in on a two no ifs no but's .The rules in speedway seem to be more important than making sure the clubs put on a decent show for the public making sure the fans go home feeling they have had a good night out.Looking at these Aussies if Josh Pickering who i like and rate has been over here four/ five seasons??? can average only 6.98 i can't see those Aussies averaging six.Zeleher could be the exception i do like him but to average over six is a big ask Poole i believe will have to make changes at some stage.

Agree with that and if they increased Brit reduction to 5% or more for U21's in both Leagues PL/CL it would encourage more Clubs to develop Home talent. Also agree that in the real world Promoters have to pick 1-7 to win matches, matches and not win friends and most Speedway Club supporters would view success as more important than development.

Rye has always been a Saturday track to me. Certain days work best for certain clubs and this is 1 of those situations. Countless times we've been wondering what to do on a Saturday, then checked the fixtures and drove an hour to catch a meeting. Would imagine I'm not the only 1 who's done this. I didn't catch 1 Rye meeting once they changed race nights!! Clubs rely on a hardcore fan base and "floating" fans to survive. Mildenhall for example are in a similar situation with people wanting something to do on a Sunday afternoon and we get fans from other local tracks visiting.

I will admit to my ignorance here as I’ve never heard of Birkenmouse and couldn’t find anything about him. My view is Freddie is limited. He might find his height is against him. And we all know that 15 year old protégés often fall by the wayside. Like Arthur Sissis or Josh Auty. But, at least we have several riders coming through - the Thompsons, the McGurks, Jordan Pailin, Drew Kemp, Leon Flint, Tom Brennan, Jason Edwards, Jordan Jenkins, Anders Rowe. Plus Dan Bewley of course. Shame Poole weren’t in a position to invest in the future of GB

Someone on Twitter seems to think that the current arrangements are the new arrangements so even if they do use social media then they're hard of thinking. The first meeting at 2pm Sunday should give a false impression as you suggest (usually always the best attended unless the club has success later in the season) but then they get to the bread and butter when their fanbase probably takes a consistent hit. As Mick bratley said in his final blog "People 'in the know' within the entertainment industry suggest that all Speedway clubs will lose 8% of their core support every year, through a variety of differing reasons." (And he won the EL) so we've consciously chosen to increase that percentage from the off by alienating our disabled fans and their associates..

You ain't seen me on a cycle speedway bike either

Probably not the right section for this topic, but as it's so popular/current and as not to dominate Poole's thread ? : ) Should we be listing riders that 'we' as fans feel deserve a Championship Team Place and the BSPA should be supporting ? There are a few obvious choices and I'll start it off with Alfie Bowtell !

The away season ticket discount, and the 10 home meeting ticket are both ideas I ve read online and have fed back to Graham Darling, so hopefully both schemes will be used at Kent.

Yes, he did: four!

I thought that it is now the law that all businesses have to have suitable access for disabled people, so are the promoters of Peterborough breaking any access law. ????

Maybe Aussie four pointers should be limited to one per team? Poole have three! If no foreigner came in below 5, our NL riders would stand a better chance of progression without the need to make one per team compulsory.

I experienced this at the Great Dorset Steam Fair with my Father-in-law (BB holder). The disabled parking was about 100m from the entrance but the ground was a field which had been ploughed with just the straw remaining from the crop which had grown there. Although he can walk a short distance, being totally deaf rough ground made this impossible. I took a wheelchair but pushing this up and down the 8 inch furrows was awful. Once at the entrance it was a further 200m to the activity ring, across smoother ground but still a crop field. There was no to/fro buggies or the like provided and we've not been back since, so I do understand the situation. Specifics may work best, rather than general 'this is bad' arguments and those affected could contact the club and enquire further on provisions for them to visit the speedway, citing their specific difficulties and what impact the change will have on them. Reasonable adjustments/exceptions are always possible surely?

Of course that would be Rye House Group's choice (or BMR if they're still managing the place). You would want to think that a public speedway meeting would be the most lucrative option but as Ray points out, in one case you're paying the talent, in the other, they're paying you. Take out all the extra costs of organising a public meeting under SCB regulations and with BSPA fees to be paid and you start to realise why it's more tempting to just run private events. I'd expect Rye House Group's choice would be for all three events to be held, including flat track, hence the suggested Friday alternative. It would not be first choice, but what if it were the only choice? Would you prefer the prospective promoters to give up?

He should be sought out and crucified considering he's the 'messiah' ....form an orderly queue baggsy I supply the hammer

Mildenhall have brilliant crowds considering they are stuck way out in the countryside and the track can be a bit rough sometimes

Young decent Brits should have been used not Aussies,,,Shamefull the way British speedway is being run these days....

As a kid i thought he was a right nutter, but looking back now, i reckon he was a just great wind up merchant.

The difference between the BBC and Peterborough Speedway:The BBC has suspended the closure of its Red Button text service after protests, a day before it was due to have started being phased out.The news comes days after a petition, organised by the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK), was handed in to the BBC and Downing Street.The service was due to have been closed over the next few weeks.BBC director general Tony Hall said he would examine the concerns and make "a fresh decision" in the spring.The NFBUK called the news "fantastic" and said it was looking forward to working with Mr Collins, the BBC and the British Deaf Association "for a better resolution".Its petition expressed concerns that the removal of the service would "leave many people, who are already vulnerable, further isolated and marginalised from society". In a letter to Damian Collins MP, Lord Hall said the BBC had heard from organisations, MPs and members of the public about its decision to phase out the service."People have expressed their concern that the closure of Red Button text service could negatively affect elderly people and people with disabilities," the letter read."These are issues which I feels [sic] deserve to be explored in more depth... so we have decided to suspend its closure pending further work in that area."Lord Hall said the service would continue "as close as possible to its current state for the time being".His pledge was echoed by Matthew Postgate, the BBC's chief technology and product officer, who said the corporation would "listen carefully and with an open mind to the views which have been expressed".

Surely Speedway would bring more revenue than flat track or speedway practice on a Saturday afternoon do. I think it’s very important to do what will bring the most fans into the stadium and therefore the most revenue. By all means look to see what has happened in the past and use it as a barometer but the 70s and 80s are far too long ago to be of any significance as to what would be a successful business model in 2020. The sport is nowhere near as popular as it was then for one. The lesson to be learned, and heeded, is the one that killed the club most recently. Saturday is the best night to draw a crowd and don’t race any higher than the second tier. Weeknights are a turn off for many prospective fans, as is afternoon racing.

If they opened it up to anyone it would get abused and crowds would go down. It’s aimed at those who are too far away to attend to still watch their side and away fans who can’t make the journey but can still cheer on their side also. for example if it was open to locals then why go and pay £17 when you could watch it at home for £10 the club would be doing themselves out of money.

http://berwickrangers.com/fans-pack-out-jb-lounge-for-open-meeting/?fbclid=IwAR21CwWy7cKd5AGCvCi-8XDJhwhh9uMDe7QWFjA5rdLmAcLEy_0_nw8RvUk Good write up from the very professional first BRFC open forum under the new board. The Bandits will have a seat at the table on the board for the proposed "Berwick Sports Foundation" which I believe will operate Shielfield Park rather than current leaseholders BRFC SC in order to be eligible for government funding, if all goes to plan.

Very surprised that Kennedy doesn’t have Team this year.

Ridiculous comment.former world no3, current GP rider, former fan favourite and locally based !

Adam was mechanicing for a Ipswich rider last season at the Abbey and he looked fit.He said he was waiting for the all clear and he wanted to ride again a real nice bloke good luck to him whatever he does.

Rye House used to run plenty of practice sessions to 'come and impress' when the team places were already signed and not announced.

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain release their own report stating 1,000 dogs died in a single year, including 242 put down trackside and 324 which were put down because they could not be rehomed. This is only dogs which "retire" it doesn't include those which were being trained but were not considered suitable. A report compiled for the Irish Greyhound Board concluded that on average 5,987 dogs were culled (slide 26) each year as they "failed to produce qualifying times" (2,673); "failure to produce desired entry level times" (1,989) and an "unacceptable decline in performance" (1,326). Why would the greyhound governing bodies spread such lies about their own sports?

Allen could easily put 1 1/2 points on his average as he was held back by the shoulder injury he sustained 1/2 way through the season, establishing him as our no1. Auty could put another 1/2 on his average but hope it keeps him at no5 as that his where he is best. Both Tero & TJ should improve their averages due to being back at the EWR. Ayres has matured a little more now & is not reckless. What you saw at the British Final(& still on YouTube) was a rider that wanted to win a heat, wanted to beat a top guy in Harris, was riding mid track just in the deep stuff but on the last lap on bends 3 & 4, just carried to much speed & went into the deeper stuff. That was not reckless but a bit of bottle. Any one else would have, probably, decked it. Lambert & Palin could both improve, maybe only by about 1/2 point depending on where they ride in the team.

Not at 10am when I wrote it! As I said, it’s only my opinion

It was the 1965 final. I have a note in my programme that says, "Meeting started 8.35. Rain started 8.36" and then another note at the end that says "Meeting finished 11:10".