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PRESS RELEASE (Taken Off Facebook): The Inspiration and determination of the late Dave Tattum breathes vital life into Diamonds' future Newcastle Speedway owner and promoter, Rob Grant, was shedding more than a few tears on Sunday, along with hundreds of other Diamonds' fans who were attending the final farewell of the club, but in honour of the memory of his former co-promoter, Dave Tattum, who tragically passed away at the weekend following an arduous and lengthy battle with illness, the Geordie former racer feels it would be grossly disrespectful to walk away and allow the club to close right now. An emotional Grant said last night: "Since Sunday's amazing meeting, which was charged heavy with emotion, I've done nothing but sit back and think, and talk with my family about the past and the future, and it seems totally disloyal to Dave's memory that I walk away at this stage and potentially shut the Diamonds forever under our promotion's name. "Dave Tattum spent most of his last months teaching me in depth, with all the information and skills I'd need for running a speedway club, and all that while he was fighting for his health under very difficult circumstances, but as my great friend, he dedicated his time to me and Newcastle Speedway, and that is why I cannot walk away from this great club. I cannot do that with Dave, his efforts and, his belief uppermost in my mind. "No concrete offer has come forward, but we've been looking at my other two businesses and looked hard and deep into things, and I will not walk away, and I will keep Newcastle running in 2022 for the memory and influence of Dave Tattum. We do have new backing and I've learned a lot in the last 18 months which will only benefit the future of the club. Also, I have sent in an application for a new co-promoter to join me, and he's a businessman, who will be a very familiar face to the Brough Park faithful, and obviously knows this club inside out. "The loyalty shown to us proves people of this City and beyond, love this club and desperately want it to continue, and the love poured out over the weekend has been an important factor in this decision and we have to repay that huge level of loyalty. "This time, however, will be starting preparation for 2022 on a level playing field with the rest of the teams, and won't be playing catch-up in the team building stakes, which will, at least mean, we'll have a decent chance of challenging for much better league place that this 2021 season, which is now well behind us." The Newcastle Speedway press office will be keeping a close eye on this story, and will report all developments as it happens, but above all else, the important news today is the Diamonds will come to the tapes in 2022 and powered by the memory of the late Dave Tattum.

Riders like Grobauer shouldn’t be given the time of day in British Speedway unless he is available for all the fixtures,this is a joke,who is going to pay good money to see a guest filled team with 2nd strings.

6:15pm on Sunday. That genuinely was one of the best speedway meetings I have ever had the pleasure of calling. Full credit to the referee for whizzing it through to beat the rain, the riders for an incredible show, the fans for creating an amazing atmosphere, and thanks everyone for watching. A draw was certainly a fitting result - tonight, the sport of Speedway was the winner.

Lol Birmingham fan complaining about track conditions. Very definition of irony

They do need someone to save them from themselves at times I feel.. I look at them sometimes like I would an "addict" as they often show some similar traits of the addicts I have had contact with.. ie A great desire for their fix (in this case Speedway and owning a team).. A belief that what they do and how they run the sport is "acceptable" although deep down many will know it isn't... A belief that they can make slight changes to improve their situation, but actually avoid ever solving any of the fundamental root causes that brings them so many issues.. A failure to seek, and then take, advice as to what is going wrong as the truth may be too hard to handle.. Keeping everything about them almost a secret and never letting anyone "from outside" in close.. And a justifying of their adhoc decision making to try and correct their latest self inflicted setbacks, rather than not inflict the setback on themselves in the first place.. With "Just making it through" seeming to be a clear sum of their ambition.. And just like addicts everywhere they will spend fortunes, yet have very little to show for it.... And by that in UK Speedway terms it means hardly anything in the way of national (and even local) cut through and recognition, and no major sponsor to lessen the money they put in as individuals.. . Therefore you would think that they would at least seek some feedback and maybe do some information gathering as to why so few now attend compared to even ten or twenty years ago wouldnt you..? The key for me as to who can help them are the many tens of thousands who sit at home each week and no longer pay their money into the sport in the UK... Even more people than the ones who actually attend I would suggest.. Yet these people will still follow the results closely, and attend SON's, GP's, FIM meetings etc in the UK, and have a huge love of the sport. (And even travel abroad to watch league speedway)... They just cant justify paying the kind of sums now expected to be paid to attend UK Speedway for the contrived output that is on offer.. Which is a shame, as the raw material of the product itself is fantastic... It's just how it is packaged in the UK that lets it down, and dissuades so many from purchasing... With huge irony the Promoters are both the saviour and the destroyer of the sport in the UK, so maybe opening up to their fanbase (both those who still do and those who no longer attend) and accepting at face value what they are being told could be just what they need to help them move forward... A great many love the sport and would be delighted to see UK Speedway flourish because, ultimately, everyone is on the same side.... As, if the sport disappears in the UK, (as it's current annual run rate of tracks closing suggests it eventually will), then we all lose..

Well that's saved me booking a room at the South Gosforth Club and an awful lot of fans having to put their hands in their pockets... Thanks to all those who offered to help and it still may be worth having those discussions... Brilliant news and let's see where we go with it from here... always said the best bloke was in the job... Regards THJ

Tbh, don't know what there is to complain about. Free speedway from your bedroom window, sounds good to me!!

I honestly don't understand the Woffy bashing. He's still way clear of Bewley & Lambert. Madness to suggest otherwise. Absolutely loved Bewley's 'Wall of Death'. Brilliant

THJ, still think it's worth having a meeting to see if some sort of fan funding would help and in what form would be best.

If it's a bit wet as well he'll throw the pram!

BSPL seemingly doing all they can to get the p.off final to be on TV at the “National Speedway Stadium” that much over hyped racetrack in Manchester.

Let's hope we get even a half of last Sunday's crowds in 2022 after all they came out in there numbers to prove that speedway is wanted on Tyneside

Hope it's good news. Keeping fingers crossed for you all

Taken off Facebook: Important Press Release regarding the future of Newcastle Speedway will be released later this evening.

Just shows the punters are expected to believe any old cr*p

Yes and the top 4 can race for the ko cup or craven shield.

Hasn't grobauer scored a whole lot of 0s anyway recently? So what's the difference?

Neither, it's bitter

I only paid £20 at Newcastle for their double header vs Poole & Plymouth. Leicester is my local track but certainly won't be going to this double header. WTF, £25/£26 for the final regular league meeting & a NDL meeting against ermmm Kent, that's a reet big smack in the gonads for the loyal support shown by the Lions fans. Think this one will be appearing in Rip-Off Britain! Very very disappointed in the Lions promotion!

Proper speedway, Nige! How the sport should be done. Bewley riding the air fence

As everyone else above has said, a brilliant meeting from start to finish. Bit bemused at the snidey comments towards Woffy though. I'm no real fan of his but he is still truly world class often enough to fully deserve his new 3 year deal with Sparta, and I doubt there is a better all round team performer than him anywhere. His team riding and track awareness remains head and shoulders above any other current on track racer.

A speedway fixture in front of a full house with plenty of atmosphere and chanting crowds. This is how it should be done BSPL please take note

I found myself at the Edinburgh Kent match recently (don't ask). There was some weather concerns but they managed a 74 minute meeting, including 4 lots of track grading! I ended up in a bar in Glasgow at 21:20 with my head spinning and that was before a pint or three.

So do we have to call you Co promoter or is it someone else lol

Think he means if we lose to Leicester on Sunday we will finish 3rd and Scunthorpe will be 6th and would rather face Glasgow in the quarters. Well I think that’s what he meant.

Definitely not true. Run by QTV who do a number of the Scottish TV clubs channels. 4/5 cameras I believe, Michael Max and Stephen craigan do good job on Comms. Interviews from the pits. Better than Eurosport coverage IMO. Had couple of issues with sound occasionally and WiFi at stadium went out one night but that's been only issues I can remember

Sounds OK to me

Absurd.

There would need to be some sort of grading if rising stars if all teams are going to have two, particularly if a couple of teams join the Prem to make it eight sides. For example Pailin, Mountain, Hume, Brennan, Flint, Rowe and Kemp to be shared out a d then another batch of rising stars to be chosen as number sevens such as Thompson twins, Bickley, Gilkes, Bailey, Edwards, Jenkins etc.

Brilliant post.

Tbh, I don't see the point of demolishing a perfectly good stand, I get replacing the back one to accommodate new one with ref box etc as start line moving, more facilities the better.

I definitely think KierStarmerFan should do that.

I don't see why Lions fans should be penalised because the stadium has been silent on at least 3 race nights during the summer...

Whatever the result, Scorpions will still end up higher than Plymouth yet again!!!

Heat 11 - think Danny King has been taking lessons from Bomber

Does it really matter. Speedway has no credibility as a professional sport.

Time to revert to league toppers at the end of the season crowned champions. Old argument but any hint of credibility the playoffs had (if they ever did) has gone totally now. Not a case of 'who dares wins' now, as 'who cares wins'.

I am the happiest bloke in the world right now After a long hard depressing week of 13 hour shift work, after the emotion of last Sunday, this has been the best bit of news ever!! I WILL be digging my hands right into my pockets in support of Rob Grant next season, so there BETTER be an Edinburgh style fan club for us to put that money in to... The most important thing now is we need a BIG team line up... Think Max, Connor and Adam need to be snapped up NOW, before anyone else gets them... Then build from there, I can't wait

3rd v 6th

Maybe so but if we are to be saved i think this man will be the person behind it ......... or maybe not lets see .

My nickname at school as i was a Fungi to be with

They have both ridden in the UK already, maybe Gleb Chugunov who sounds more like a character in the Ivor the Engine books

Riders like for example Tom Brennan , Anders Rowe , Drew Kemp, Leon Flint , have gained alot of experience now in representing GB in various meetings and some even ride overseas for teams ,they are capable of holding down a 1-5 position especially in the championship so maybe give them another season in the premiership as a RS but not the CL assuming theres a premiership and championship, maybe an age limit needs introducing across the board to stop Bates turning up covered in anti wrinkle cream

Yes he has, although against Newcastle (Wednesday) all seven clicked for once. Would have been good to see a fired up seven Brummie regulars. Drew is a good choice but doesn’t carry Paco’s passion.

Tweet from local MP Justin Tomlinson " we believe it is the start of the stadium works"..bloody hope so

This is becoming stressfull.

I,ve never agreed with playoffs if you finish top you win the league simple as that.

Possibly in future years (if there are indeed any future years for speedway) we could simplify the process of the play offs. Rather than waiting until the 'magical cut off date' is reached in September, the 'hastily organised meeting of promoters' should be held immediately the two teams who can't make the play-offs are known (Ipswich/Kings Lynn this season which has been known for weeks). Then simply use mileage between tracks to set up the semi finals rather than faffing about for weeks to see the finishing order. This means the play offs could be in August with better weather, bigger crowds. Scrap any fixtures unridden, saving promoters ££££'s. Could be a winner for everyone. Today's announcement is just another reason why no one outside of the sport shows any interest in it. The one 'sport' that genuinely makes it up as it goes along, year after year after year!

Would love to hear how you would have planned the fixtures for the Kent Royals ? Or would you not have had the Royals in your plans at all ? Sensible, but the club would not have produced Jake Mulford, and now, Vinnie Foord. But I suppose both of these kids would have waited for 2022 ? Oh, yes, and Spooner has suddenly taken a turn for the better too. Or maybe you hadn't noticed. Oh, I forgot Danny Gilkes. Where did he spring from ?

I surprised nobody had thought to combine the PLRC & CLRC using (where possible) all teams No1’s as a one-off for this season Possible line up:- Dan Bewley - Belle Vue Danny King - Ipswich Richard Lawson - King’s Lynn Michael Palm Toft - Peterborough Jack Holder - Sheffield Sam Masters - Wolverhampton N Busk Jakobsen - Berwick Chris Harris - Birmingham Richard Worrell - Edinburgh Craig Cook - Glasgow Scott Nicholls - Kent Nick Morris - Leicester Rory Schlein - Poole Bjarne Pedersen - Plymouth Charles Wright - Redcar Adam Ellis - Scunthorpe You would have a Rider’s Championship where all teams (& supporters of those teams) would have a representative. Riders would be in team body colours of the team they are representing. The fans from all teams would have a reason to attend, the CLRC at Sheffield is always well attended, combine that with supporters from Premier League teams and hold it at the National Stadium, it would have the makings for a bumper crowd, ideally on a Saturday Night/Sunday Afternoon (if Pos). The only team to miss-out would be Newcastle, by virtue of their Number 1 having the lowest average.