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Dodgy Speedway Promotions- never.!!!!!. Hope it all works out ok for Rob Grant and Newcastle though.

The carb was too big because they used an outdated tool to measure it. And I didnt mean the machine examiner.

Then we need to tighten the rules. Miss a meeting where you're scheduled to appear where random testing takes place and you have 72 hours to present yourself for testing. Miss the test and you're automatically suspended pending further investigations. Can we, in any way, turn a blind eye to the possibility that a small minority of riders are endangering their peers due to drug or alcohol abuse?

Honestly Spot on and couldn't agree more with everything you have stated... However as it's under new management now you should reconsider your self imposed exile and give it another go... after all you did enjoy your speedway to be fair.... Also you are not the first one to say now the old guard has gone they were prepared to give Rob Grant a second chance... Regards THJ

Sad, very sad.. but not surprising!! I walked away about 4/5 years ago after going for best part of 35 years home and away. Some on here called me worse than sh!te. Whenever i spoke up as a fan you were told how marvelous they are and how grateful we should be.. It was like the freemasons and a them and us set up, had various conversations with promoters and it was obvious the fans were taken for granted and i seen it with my own eyes!! Those that were in the clique were so far up each others ar5es yet were treat like royalty by most. “idiot the fans” was one promoters response to it being pointed out that it was freezing cold and kids were standing around still waiting for a meeting to start 25mins after it was meant to, the charging for the car park that is free at any other time at Brough also rankled, as did the freeloading through the pit gate for mates of the clique. They just expected the merry band of loyal fans to Comply..If they have sold a business and hidden debt from the buyer then the deserve everything they get. Its sheer arrogance and incompetence... and dont even mention the control they wanted over the supporters club a few years ago!! Good luck Rob, you will need it and it will be interesting to hear and see if the usual hangers on have the Bollox to comment? As they certainly had the bollox to defend them whenever i piped up in the past.

It will be very interesting how many hangers on will go when they have to pay to get in .

Certainly will.

Depends which reports you've read, GB Speedway sponsor the Daily Star led with a Speedway Star Garrity etc. etc. headline

Garrity was a drug user from a troubled background, doesn’t excuse his behaviour and justice has been done but he WAS a talented speedway rider and was regularly targeted by testers at meetingS having been regularly ‘ randomly selected ‘ ( by opposition promoters) and he passed every time. There have been a number of riders who were informed of the testers presence and were promptly ‘ injured ‘ or broke down en route, I recall a certain Sheffield rider doing a u turn in a club car park having been told of their presence and the excuse given for his absence was given as ‘ he fell down the stairs at home ‘. Didn’t wash with the fans who saw him in his sponsored van hastily exiting the stadium car park. Not the only one over the last few seasons.

I used to go to Sheffield speedway and watched Arnie entertain he was a great rider it was sad to hear of his death and after being in such a dangerous sport I was very lucky as some years ago I bought an old grass track bike, did it up and the engine got a new big end fitted,on the con rod was A Haley in permanent Marker on the crank case was stamped the initials DH so if any body has any info I would be grateful I would also be pleased to give anybody any info I can . Regards Steve Exley

Could be painful in the back end if a term at BIG hoos in Durham is on the horizon...

Honestly You couldn't make this up.... NEWSPEED 2003 LTD the company behind your beloved Speedway team Newcastle Diamonds are going into Liquidation Yep that's right liquidation; I bet when Rob Grant bought out the club from the old promotion he didn't reckon on this "Pan of Pony" As a sponsor I have had the heads up and I was asked what I wanted to do with regard to my sponsorship monies I have paid and I have (of course) just asked to "let it ride" for the next season we run as Rob has apparently started a new company called Newcastle Diamonds Limited... I would assume this offer will be the same for season ticket holders who will be offered either their cash back as a refund or given the opportunity to let them role over for the next full season we have; with not only the new promotion but a whole new company. More on this later... It is the Liquidators duty and role to look after creditors of the old business and a report will be going into the London Gazette (I think its called) which identifies the company and the reasons as to why they have been liquidated' and what happens next. Now I cant go into to much detail yet as everyone is being diplomatic and not giving much away when I have asked for further information and there are of course the "Libel Laws" to consider; however it would appear that in the operating and day to day running of the club it was brought to Rob's attention that there was a bit of an anomaly (so to speak) in the previous accounts and HMRC wanted a word. When this "anomaly" was explained to the new owner he had no other option but to fold the old business to protect himself and his good name; however I am expecting certain people to be interviewed from our friends at HMRC and possibly under caution... You can see the NEWSPEED 2003 LTD accounts on line on the Companies House web site... I am certainly not a happy chappie for various reasons but I bet Rob Grant is bouncing... So remember the old tag line and in "whom" we were asked to put our trust in... looks like they have left an absolute mess financially. But never mind I have the fullest confidence in Rob and his team to pull this around but after all the rhetoric from the previous promotion it certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouth that's for sure... and especially after I was called worse than a pick-pocket by one or two of them and their cronies only for 1. to be not only proved right to what I was saying but 2. totally exonerated after pumping thousands into their pockets when I thought I was helping the club it looks like I have been funding other things not always speedway related. What a shower I for one am totally behind Grant and his new regime; its a breath of fresh air compared to the previous lot... Its maybe a good thing that swear words aren't allowed on here as the whole post would have been redacted... Once again it looks like I am the harbinger of doom and gloom however its isn't that bad for the club as a whole as Rob Grant is doing an awful lot of positive work behind the scenes.. "What for" I am not sure but fair play to the new promotion for sticking with it as they could have just pulled up sticks and walked away cutting their losses... Regards THJ

I wonder if Jason had contact with Jerran Hart yet inside .

The nature of addiction eh? If we understood that, we could save many (famous sportspeople or not).

Dave I wouldn't say fall more like let down by certain people.. which cost the supporters club a fair bit of money ! As when the fixtures for Newcastle united were announced in the CHAMPIONSHIP & the 1st game was v Fulham we were let down by certain people & probably about a dozen of them at the time & then me jim julie & the rest of the committee thought well what's the point of carrying on.. so we decided to carry on for another few months but with other things like health & work commitments it was decided to call it a day & we did put appeals out for new members to take it on but there was not 1 person came forward.. which was a shame as me & jim were prepared to help them on there way

The fall of the Supporters `Club was when I left, having spent three years doing what I had to do to help the club out, and no-one was particularly keen to keep it going.

To be fair Dave the supporters club did some sterling work but what caused their demise? Pulling up trees one minute then gone... from the outside looking in; it looked like someone was working agianst them... which was a shame... Regards THJ

Dave I could argue that one mind because I put more than that into the Air Fence fund and that's not including the junk I bought at Auction and Raffle nights... but never mind... and George was trying to manipulate things behind the scenes with his band of little secret (squirrel) service of sycophants and cronies... Arson has some valid points IMHO... Regards THJ

It was wound up and stopped trading in 2003 and the final winding up hearing didn't take place until 2010... and without delving into the thing fully it's not unusual for these things to take a long time to conclude... A company who owed me an awful lot of cash went pop on the 7th of November 2010 and their affairs weren't wound up until the 28th of January 2019... it's just the process... Regards THJ

i played snooker in a local league for our club . i had a mate who alway wanted to go on last so he could have a few beers . i asked him why he wanted to be last on . his reply was that the beer helped him with his nerves and he became a more confident player . it calmed him dow and did not have any shakes with nerves and played like a pro . i think i might try it when i am driving . it works for others ! ! !

Magic.

Why wouldn't the commentators be Nigel and Kelvin? They are both self-employed freelancers.

It was JBJ just not in 2007, more likely 2006 when he scored 10 in a Panthers win at Wimborne Road.

I recall Barry Briggs writing in the 70s that there was a growth in riders taking drugs. Society has seen the use of drugs mushroom since then.

Trapping gloves at the ready

It may not have happened yet but it will and when it does go you will find it in The (London) Gazette and the link is below https://www.thegazette.co.uk/ Oh and since you asked I have been back on myself to The (London) Gazette site and found no other than the following on the link posted below on the 5th October 2010 which would have been the last time NEWSPEED LIMITED were wound up and NEWSPEED 2003 LIMITED rose out of the ashes I would imagine... but never mind here is your starter for 10 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-59566-1217074 I am guessing there will be a press release very soon as it must be imminent... just keep watching your local media channels and as sure as I am a fat lad something will break very soon... Honest... Regards THJ By lad that Screm was quick off the mark Jesus... LOL

Press Release Speedway Liquidation Newspeed 2003 Limited, the company behind the Newcastle Speedway team, is to go into Liquidation. The Liquidator, Greg Whitehead of Northpoint Insolvency Practitioners, commented ‘the combined impact of Covid and historical HMRC liabilities has led the current director to place the Company into Liquidation. Rob Grant, who is the current sole Director of the Company having been appointed last in 2019 added: ‘Liabilities arising from an HMRC investigation, covering the period before I became a Director, mean that there is no alternative but to wind the company up, but it is hopeful that speedway in the area will continue through a new company. ' It is every intention the new company will honour the benefits of season tickets already purchased aswell as any sponsorship.' End 27 October 2020

Good luck to Rob Grant with this situation , does not look good for the future especially with the Covid virus and having to find a new track !!

Thats if he rides over here next year after his success this season in Poland. He may decide like Lambert and few others that he doesn't need the UK.

Aye, best take your own soap, on a rope incase ye drop it!!!

Been a few near misses.. But also a good many 'no where nears'... A shame this season didnt happen as with Lidsey at reserve it could have been a title winning year.. I bet he gets a re-assessed 7 point average next year now!!

Honestly Not only dodgy but sanctimonious to boot preaching about the morals and ethics on the wrong doings of Workington... Looks like them chickens have come home to roost... big style... Regards THJ

Well with the country being in a hole financially due to Covid and the government being strapped for cash... The HMRC will be looking for as much as they can get... Also did you know the HMRC can charge interest on monies owed... So I would suggest if NEWSPEED 2003 LTD are being investigated by the HMRC for anomalies going back to 2013 there could be a fair amount of interest to be added... You never know Garritty could be getting a cell mate for Easter whose also interested in Speedway... or will the Prison Warder be giving his ex promoting partner bed and breakfast for a few month? Now that woukd be funny... LOL what's that saying again... he who laughs last laughs longest... ho ho ho... only 60 days to Christmas... But genuinely Rob Grant is the guy I feel sorry for... bought the thing in good faith and told all the bills were settled and there was nothing else to pay out then all these things start coming out the woodwork like riders not paid and still owed wages from the previous season... BSPA bills not paid and potentially a whopping HMRC bill including an investigation and now he is having to buy back all the plant and assets off the liquidator so he can run the new business... the old promotion have alot of questions to answer and where we aa fans never got a straight reply to any question and looked down upon when they run the spot they will have to answer the HMRC questions... or it will be Go To Jail Go directly to Jail. Do not pass GO, do not collect £200 Regards THJ

Same with darts. It doesn't make you more "accurate", but once you get that supreme confidence, and removes EVERY doubt in your head, it does - as you say - lead to an accelerated level of performance.

or a gap that was not even there !

You've answered your own question. If you took a drug that made you more relaxed you would be more likely to go for the ever decreasing gap.

I got an email about renewing my BT TV deal. Checking the new packages on offer, there was no mention of Eurosport.

Love a bit of honesty, however painful it might be for some.

Yes. I should have thought about them , especially as I’ve read Kelly’s biography. I suppose that sort of answers my question. Who was the rider Kelly Shared a flat with, who was on the way down when Kelly was on the way up ? I think it was Chris Pusey. It seems he was off his head with booze all the time, and was supposed to have been a bad influence on Kelly. As if... Both Morans seem to have wasted both their talent and their lives with the stuff though. It seems Michael Lee was not exactly a stranger to it either.

His career highlight was a race on the TV when he beat Doyle, the reality is Doyle barely bothered his arse because he wanted to race tomorrow and could see Garrity racing like a complete rocket in front on him. An absolute arse of a boy on a speedway bike.

As recorded above he has had to undergo a "Random" drug test more often than most. Now whilst I will never defend an offence that is proven I don't believe he was using any form of drug whilst he was racing. I will agree that he is hyper & over active giving the impression that he might be a user but his tests have been clear & he was never the only one tested but he was the one most often chosen at "Random". Given the results I will happily say he is not a drug user & lets be fair he is not on trial for drug related offences.

A couple of years ago I happened across a model car racing circuit in West Vale near Halifax and, lo and behold, 'the smell' was immediately apparent. Therefore the cars presumably use Castrol R which means an obvious thing to do would be to watch speedway on your tablet whilst in attendance at one of these model car tracks!

But what a way to win one!! I can still see Bobby and Jason going around turns one and two and realising both had a lead over Henka and PK as they went down the back straight.. Then the longest approximate minute of my life followed.. The track grader picking up the Wolves fallers bike (Wainwright?), gifted us the 5-0 which gave us a chance after being eight down with just a few races left.. 27 years ago....? Wow... What a night..

Jesper B Jensen, 11th July 2007

I occasionally worked for WADA/UKAD in other sports and if Garrity was down to participate in a meeting then failed to show he should have been banned until he undertook a test or supplied a medical certificate. If a rider refused to undertake a test he would be automatically excluded from the meeting and all future meeting until he did take one. Testing can take place in-competition at events or at training/practice events or even at a rider's home with no advance notice given with elite/professional sportsmen usually having to give a copy of their diary and schedule to their sporting authorities so their whereabouts is known. I concur testing all riders for substance abuse would only be a good thing but sadly on-site testing is not always 100% accurate and false readings can occur asa result of taking prescribed or over the counter medication as happened with a well known rider a few years ago

Can't say i agree with you about him going a long way in speedway. His attitude left a lot to be desired. How many times did he 'breakdown' on way to tracks in the north? Often he would turn up with his machines and kevlars still caked in dirt from the previous meetings. He wanted it easy and was nt, in my opinion, willing to put in the work and dedication required to make a success of it.

As an add on to the 1977 Belle Vue - Ipswich clashes, Tony Davey scored 0 from 4 in the first match and a 12 point maximum in the next!

Yes. But to be fair to BSI they have taken the Speedway GP series forward. I don't think any fair-minded person would question that. Cardiff, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Sydney, Stockholm and the like have been a big step forward from the model they inherited of Coventry, Landshut and Linkoping.etc. It's not all been a gold-plated success, granted. But the ambition and vision have put the World Championship in a better place than it was 20 years ago. That said, it has stalled in recent years - I never got any sense that IMG treated BSI anything other than a tennant in their offices - and the time is right for someone with a truly international reach to have a crack.

Just premiership and championship... BT will still cover GPs and SON

I knew Arnie for a while in the mid 90's. I was working away from home in Morley, near Leeds. One lunchtime I was talking to the landlord of a pub about speedway when this chap came up to me. He said, "If you want to know about speedway you should speak to that bloke there". I didn't recognise "that bloke" but his mate introduced me. It was Arnie. By coincidence I had seen Arnie a few weeks before at Sheffield speedway. A couple of the current team had persuaded him to do a few laps after the meeting. Not the "Golden Greats" performance you might have expected and he was embarrassed when I said I had witnessed his performance. But we swapped stories and became firm friends. He didn't drive and when I offered to take him to Sheffield with me the next Thursday, he jumped at the chance. Actually he was very beholding to me for taking him which was no imposition at all. I welcomed his company on my usual trip to Owlerton. Anyway we travelled together and much to my surprise he got me in for free as a VIP guest. What that meant was that Annie went to the bar and held court while I went to the terraces and watched the racing. No problem, we both went home happy. This continued for several weeks. Circumstances changed, and we lost touch. The next time I looked him up I found he had died and I was sad. A racer from back in the day. Contemporary with the likes of Nigel Boocock who was an early hero of mine and a character who knew the sport from the inside. I'm glad I knew him, even if it was for a short while.