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You might well have a point. But, given the choice, give me Barry Bishop over Rob Godfrey any day. There's simply no comparison.

First of all, apologies for the thread nap and the fact that I might repeat myself from earlier posts. I have now had the opportunity to read Jim Lawrence's statement in Speedy Star. It appears to me that he talks a lot but says little - indeed, its a bit of a case of 'the lady doth protest too much, methinks'. Regarding the four points about riders, it is perfectly reasonable that SCB insurance is not valid at NORA meetings; riders should indeed take alternative cover (NORA offer such cover); it is debatable whether SRBF funds would not be made available although if that is the case riders only need to be aware of it; and maybe a rider should indeed ask the BSPL for permission to ride in NORA meetings. On the latter point, though, the question that Lawrence won't want to answer is whether a promoter has the right to refuse permission, because he doesn't under restraint of trade case law. As Lawrence himself says ' we can't (ban a rider) even if we wanted to'. To my mind, that makes the need to request permission pretty superfluous. The particular case Wattleworth v Goodwood (2004) quoted by Lawrence is of relevance here but I do not believe that the SCB would be called to account in the event of an accident even if they had licensed the track. That's simply because they licensed it for SCB events, nothing else. What the case law states is : 'The court held that the duty of the governing body was to ensure that the track licensed for racing was reasonably safe and that appropriate protocols for ensuring this safety had been followed by a reasonable and competent inspection'. The critical words here are 'governing body'. In a NORA meeting the governing body would be NORA. I fail to appreciate how the SCB might be liable in such circumstances or even that they would be part of any litigation. Clearly, they cannot in anyway held be responsible for a meeting that takes place outside their control, and to suggest that they would seems, to me, daft. The critical difference between the established case law and the NORA league is that alternative governing body exists (ie NORA); that wasn't the case in the circumstances of Wattleworth v Goodwood. What is absolutely clear - and Lawrence admits this - is that NORA meetings have been held at Scunthorpe and Redcar in the past. As an explanation for the apparent inconsistency between those meetings and the proposed NORA league, he states: 'we unknowingly ran the gauntlet ....and we got away with it and nothing happened'. I'll let you decide whether that is untrue because if it isn't he is grossly incompetent and certainly not fit to be the chairman of the SCB given the potential consequences he has himself stated. As to officials, track staff etc Isle of Wight don't seem to have had any difficulty with that issue. Why would anyone else ? Lawrence is apparently at pains ('racking his brains') to find a solution. In effect, he is desperately trying to find a way that an alternative league can use his (SCB's) tracks.To me, that's a bit like Sainsbury doing everything they can to allow Morrisons to sell their goods in Sainsbury's shops and, as such, I believe it to be entirely untrue. What is far more likely to be the case is that in actual fact he is doing precisely the opposite : doing everything he can to prevent that happening. One of the difficulties he faces is that he represents the BSPL here, because the SCB are anything but an independent body (how can they be when two members are BSPL promoters ?) and we are all aware of the standards of integrity that apply to them. Lawrence's comment that we would leave 'as friends' is utterly false; ask Isle of Wight whether they regard the BSPL as such. I suspect that it is possible that this matter will go to litigation, but I further suspect that the SCB will back out before it does because I really don't see that they have a case.

Jeeez they’ve secured the stand out performer for the last 5 years or more of British Speedway in Jason Doyle, Kenyan Rew who was highly sort after and I think will end up with over a 6pt average at least as he is that good…. And potentially pulled a blinder in getting Emil…. But you want them to push the boat out? Most people would give their right arm to have those 3 names on the team sheet. You could have the final 4 as 4 clones of Travis McGowan and I’d still be demanding they take my money now to see the other 3 on a regular basis!

I could'nt have put it better myself HT and this paragraph "Lawrence is apparently at pains ('racking his brains') to find a solution. In effect, he is desperately trying to find a way that an alternative league can use his (SCB's) tracks.To me, that's a bit like Sainsbury doing everything they can to allow Morrisons to sell their goods in Sainsbury's shops and, as such, I believe it to be entirely untrue. What is far more likely to be the case is that in actual fact he is doing precisely the opposite : doing everything he can to prevent that happening. " sums up what I feel the SCB are indeed trying to do, which is to stop Nora in it's infancy.

Well done Jane Stevenson. Cycle speedway is real good exercise for young ones plus team building etc, and all done in good fresh open air. I never got down to Wednesfield track, but Roger Ellis was very good and now a legend.

You've been told wrong then but I'm just a darts player anyway

I wouldn't call you selfish, but probably unrealistic and almost impossible to please

This is getting as bad as the masked singer....... and some of the guessing is just as bonkers

Fair enough. I would say then that the regulation regarding the air fence installation were sub par, because if the bike hitting the air fence first means it can lift like that and the rider hits a solid concrete wall then it’s not really doing it’s job.

Local MP Jane Stevenson was raising the issue of funding for grass root sports and congratulated Wednesfield Cycle Speedway Club for celebrating 60 years of existence. She must be a bit of a fan I think.

Even the riders know it.

I think its different, at least at the moment. Back in the 1960's what you had was a completely separate league with a significant number of teams operating from their own stadiums. Here, you have just 4 teams, only one of which has its own track (two share with SCB clubs). Still, it is something for the SCB to be concerned about because it could snowball (hence their attitude). What is undoubtedly true is that this situation is of the BSPL's own making, resulting from their own selfishness and incompetence.

Well we're all here so I'd hazard people care still

Back in the day we had tracks on every bit of waste ground in workington,even had one back of steve lawsons house,the numbers we painted on the walls down on the walls of chapel bank steel works are still their 53 years later.

The management didn’t have a choice. Friday isn’t a designated Premiership fixture day. If Ipswich were in the Championship I’m sure the Good Friday fixture would return.

that wasn't necessarily the case though ...

Call me selfish,,, but I'm all about the winning

We are not riders but this is a forum for opinions so Dave Jones and myself are giving our opinion. As I was there I feel entitled to my opinion.

All of the news coming from this venture is fabulous for the sport, the custodians of the sport need to recognise this and propel Workington as an example and maintain a position that encourages investment in the sport. To mire this club with the usual political self serving bollox will deter anyone from investing in this sport forever. BSPL this is your opportunity to nurture and promote investment in the sport, burn it and you have fukt Speedway forever

He was the most talented/ best rider on show that night.. Ex World Champ. All the Poole team rode it. Be honest, he was sitting on the wrong side of the pits, and spat his dummy out when he got the chance. He didn't want to be there, and would of rode the same track that night if he was in the Poole team. What he should of done is show Poole they were wrong to dump him over his average and do the best he could to repay Buster's faith in him and giving him a job.

Wolverhampton Cycle Speedway Club just got a mention in the House of Commons from local MP!!

Well.... Once upon a time not so very long ago grumpy Scrooge McBuster had a little disagreement with big bad Mr Holder Snr Many days and many nights passed and each one Scrooge McBuster marked on his calender vowing to one take revenge Then one cold dark February night his chance came " shove it right up ya Holder , you will not go to the pussycat ball" he said The end

Not been checking in much.... What happened with Holder?

There must have been hundreds of tracks made up just like that around the country, providing hours and hours of fun. I started racing on a quick made up track in Partington in the Manchester cycle speedway winter league 1963-64, a very cold winter as well. Then, for the 1964 summer league I signed for Belle Vue Gladiators in the very competitive Manchester League.. We raced on the BV speedway car park opposite the pits entrance. Full car park Saturday evenings, a quickly marked out cycle speedway tack on part of it Sunday afternoons. Wonderful. For 1965 (until I finished), I was with Wilmslow Hammers. That was a proper permanent track, again in the Manchester League. Derek Garnet and Vic Hinchcliffe both rode for Offerton Devils and were two of the very best riders in the country. Great days.

And it also made one million percent clear in the article that "all riders are self employed" so cannot be stopped riding where they like... Which opens a can of worms re the asset system I would suggest... Can you be "self employed" but "owned by somebody?"..

Does anybody care anymore? Seems to me that between the two warring parties they have totally screwed the future of Panthers .

Done many laps round there. It's looking very smart...

My favourite individual meeting. Loved it as a youngster and still do to this day. Someone mentioned that Louis said at the supporters club AGM that it’s been pencilled in this year and he’ll try to get it sorted, but no promises.

Somersham track is looked after by Great Blakenham as a second track, it hosts racing 4 times a year.

Oxforf used to have two...Horspath (still in existence) and Headley "Hawks" close to Oxford City's ground.

I'd rather not have a team at all.

Probably a full house on a one off, half to cheer him, half to stone him I suppose....

Or Janowski or Woffinden, or Dudek, or Laguta, or Sayfutdinov, or Vaculick, or Tom, or Dick, or Harry.

It’s pedersen and Andersen. Trust me and flappy !

Most plan, I would think, to run at an "affordable loss/tax reduction on a wider business", therefore running "below break even" is almost "par for the course" for many.. Workington's issue was four fold... The actual size of the home wins... Too many "unexpected" away wins, and, again, some by wide margins... A change of race nights so "guests" were available for everyone else who ran Friday's... And too many consecutive meetings, too close together, at the end of the season, meaning, even though they were often semi finals and finals, fans picked and chose which ones to attend due to cost.. I do hope Ipswich can get Emil over, and I am sure all will have been costed and funded as Chris Louis seems quite a switched on promoter... Emil will definitely put a fair few extra hundred bums on seats at the away tracks, (first visit anyway), and, hopefully, will put Ipswich high up the table all season , thus keeping their punters interested enough to keep turning up at their own track after the initial "novelty value" has subsided...

Lindgren is the man, that's what I have been told.

The play offs are for the clubs as well and if the league title wasn't on the line less fans would turn up. It is a money spinner and will remain because the clubs can't afford it not to stay.

Don't think Roynon chose to go to Poole at the 11th hour, unless the 11th hour was before the end of the 2022 season.

There was nothing wrong with the track at Coventry when he had his big crash in 2013, the cause was a coming together with Darcy, nothing to do with the track

Hopefully this is the last day before the final two are revealed.

The playoffs are purely for the tv. League champions should be decided on the full league program and the playoffs should be a separate end of season competition. That way the best team would win the league.

On a completely different level it reminds me of the early 90's in the darts world where the old fashioned BDO saw a breakaway of the PDC. All it took was a handful of the top players to agree to move and the rest is history. I've followed speedway for around 20 years now and each year the incompetence shown by the SCB / BSPL is shameful. Year after year the establishment of promoters that hold the cards look after themselves without a care for the wider sport. Now despite NORA actually displaying a will to move the sport forwards, which is what is needed for it to survive, the SCB would rather sabotage all of their attempts than perhaps sit around the table and look to collaborate. That tells you they are only interested in their own gains. I for one really hope that NORA continues to develop their product and attract bigger names to their product and maybe just maybe British Speedway will do a darts and transform the sport to something that can't not just survive but thrive.

Did you think that there would be a future after 2023 (which was also once in doubt let's not forget)? Unless the EoES is available in 2024 then I think that we're screwed regardless.

Congreave has British patriality, and (allegedly) so does Dayle Wood. (and Luke Killeen etc) They come in the same as any other British rider on 3.00, unless they have ridden in a National state championship in which case they come in on 4.50 But that's the same as it's always been. Nothing to do with the new rule this year opening the league up to Commonwealth riders.

The signing of Emil will add the fans that who had fallen out of love with the sport and wouldn't have been there otherwise. Cant see any newbies being attracted because of him. However the buzz from the signing could inject some much needed feel good factor. Crowds of 3000 are attainable imo week in week out with a winning team.

This is the frustrating thing with Ipswich, they have for years had the best crowds but the Louis' always play safe & won't do anything that could destabilise the club financially, working well within their means. I remember figures of 6500-7000 being quoted for good Friday afternoon meetings in the early mid 90s. Currently Ipswich also show what can be done a very professional out look with a good handle on social media with a sponsor who is passionate, shame some of that can't run of on UK speedway in general.

That'll soon clear all of the pre-season negativity and the never ending administrative shenanigans.

To answer Klindt's question: he's been around long enough to know better: Season tickets (and we're not talking big numbers) are generally bought by supporters who will be going anyway, regardless of the final team. You get hassle free entry, parking and programme. 2023 is expected to be the last opportunity to sample the sport at the majestic EoES. Peterborough fans don't (or shouldn't if they've been around long enough) expect, since Rathbone left in recent times, customer orientated efficient administration & communications - it's British Speedway after all! (there may be good reasons in this case?) Thank you

The new management whether owners or promoters have lost all credibility over this massive cock up where once again fans treated with contempt

Better rider than singer !