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Is it only me that feels a tad sympathetic towards Plymouth? They sign a 7 MSN team and through no fault of their own the number 1 is injured pre season. As a result of moving to Saturday race night there are few, if any, suitable replacements. I wonder if it would have been easier to get a replacement for Tuesdays? They do a load of work on the track, and are met with a very wet winter, meaning, perhaps unsurprisingly, it hasn't dried out in time. Who'd be a promoter in a sport that is not a great money earner if not a loss maker?

There was not many positives to take from that performance was there. Berwick moved out from the white line where the Comets riders bar Vissing were not interested in going out there. Heat 3 mind needs noted Comets on a 5-1 and stopped because Berwick rider had not cleared the track, staning on fate one !!!! He should have been fined for that.

If Workington are relying on the present day Cook and Batchelor then it’s going to be a very long and hard season for them.

I shall be buying the stream tonight. I live in Ipswich so there is no chance of me going to watch live but it will help swell Berwicks coffers by purchasing the stream. Every club should do a streaming service.

Really..I would like to think that most speedway fans turn up to watch good speedway and not fret whether they have guests or not and aren’t really talking about the championship being left behind..just enjoy the entertainment that’s on offer and try to be happy

Also good to see their NJL team wearing the same team suits really smart looking suits too

Newcastle’s track is smoother than this, awful.

Poor from Kemp just leaving his bike on track

I admit when we started the track work back in October, we had some nice weather and we were cracking on with everything nicely, then the weather changed and we've had to endure the wettest winter for 250years apparently. Definitely effected moral, then losing nico through no fault of our own was very disappointing however we have stuck to it and I reckon it will pay off in the long run. We might not be fancied for any success, but we won't stop trying.

https://x.com/glasgowtigers/status/1774024585924563210?s=20 Looks a bit better in reality thankfully!

After all the negativity he got on here, he deserves his plaudits.

Health and safety has now got to stupid levels of stupid. So for that reason it was probably H&S.

Transponders are only 99.9 percent perfect.

Rained pretty much every day for a week. The track was in good condition considering the battering it’s taken

there will be a lot buying the stream from workington who could not afford or have the time to travel 200 people streaming is good revenue for the club and money they wouldn't have got otherwise from travelling fans. I'd have been looking at £80 fuel plus admission so most away meetings would cost over £100. A lot of money for a speedway meeting

He comes across as a really likeable guy. was joking with the track staff before meeting.

The haters said he wouldn't get near to scoring 4 and first meeting too. So I would say that is a win. Only going to get better when used to the track imo.

It's the fruits of the nice Mr Russell's labours in playing the viability card and stepping aside to leave a clearer path. Removal of the covenant leaves the greyhound position in their own gift and leaves them able to cease them and leave the stadium to rot until the council relent - which they will.

Links for Edward Jancarz Memoriał: http://kergel.ucoz.lv/index/live_stream_2/0-12 https://vk.com/wall524629028_43 https://vk.com/video524629028_456239281 https://vk.com/wall-19139906_185026

What happens when you have two seven man teams, not even using RR, and there's a four-man pile up in Heats 1 or 2? It's then five a side.... And if they are using RR it then becomes four a side (exactly as it would with six man teams).. However, as four man pile ups occur once every Preston Guild, the vast majority of meetings would never be impacted.. And if it does then "tough luck, but guess what? That is sport"... And, if you run six man (I mean rider teams, sorry Celina) you would then have "subs on the bench" to come in and not need RR in the first place.. The issue facing the sport is too few riders being available at the right ability level that Div 2 want to race at... Div 1 are "just about" getting away with it by having only seven teams in the league.. Any more and they would struggle too...

Everybody's got a great plan, a superb solution. Until they get punched in the nose. What happens when you have two six-man teams, each using r/r, and there's a four-man pile-up in Heats 1 or 2?

Yes. It wasn’t a good look for us. Very rare indeed. the start Marshall’s were standing in as our normal ones were away regarding the track. And this is a massive bug bare of mine and this is my opinion why a lot of riders never make the step up from NL to premiership. that track was absolutely spot on yesterday despite all the rain we had. The premiership boys would have loved that. but because the youth system and NL give all these youngsters tracks like motorways they don’t know how to ride when there is a bit of grip. they then have to learn how to ride with grip in competitive action thus knocking there confidence and eventually being lost to the sport. so I dont like doing this but I blame the riders for not having the skill to race and not the track itself.

This didn't age well :-)

With a fit for purpose RR facility another to add to the solution.

Very disappointing travelling 180 miles for a rain off which was ultimately caused by a heavy shower about 30 minutes before start time. The second shower which came after 6-30pm only lasted a few minutes and made very little difference. These are my personal observations and thoughts : Hard to understand why the track was watered with dark clouds approaching. The PA system wasn't functioning properly so nobody had a clue what was happening, we just stood around cold in excess of 70 minutes after the advertised start time before people started walking toward the exit. Not a great advert for Rob who was just saying in the Speedway Star how they are trying to raise the profile of the sport. The track staff did a good job with the track to the point were I believed the track would come to the riders after 3 or 4 heats if racing had got underway. It was observed that the drain on the 1st bend was higher than the track, this contributed to the large puddle of water that formed there. We appreciated getting a refund quickly. It was made known to us at this time that the riders wanted to give it a go but the referee ultimately called it off.

I think Poole should have given Perry a 4th ride, surely it's more important to give him track time than to win by 32 points instead of say 30?

Agree.It was a bad decision.

It was hardly causing an obstruction,it would be no different to a rider having an EF and touring round the inside of the track.No idea why the ref stopped the race.Poor Decision.IMO.

Kemp never moved from the start off gate one,how many times do riders stop and sit on the kerb,stop one u stop them all,but worse was not seeing batch won his race when everyone on back straight saw he had won.

Worrying…

The amount of guests pale into comparison with the number that double up and I think the latter is far more detrimental to the way the sport looks to outsiders.

Just received an email confirming the stream will be available to buy after the meeting. very prompt response, well impressed

Nah. He don't like the place. He only set a new track record in his first ever race there.

Great start for Poole. Oxford may as well use the next three BSN matches to make sure they're ready for the league. But hopefully they don't work it out before we meet them in the KO Cup.

Well that turned out to be an interesting night. I left home ( about 10 mins from the track) at about 6.30. It had been a glorious day, none of the predicted showers had appeared thus far. A minute or so into the journey, the rain started to spot on the windscreen. Looking at the sky, most of it was clear, but off to the south the sky looked black and was slowly approaching. Within seconds it was torrential, ever the optimist, I continued on, there was always the chance the rain could miss, and sure enough by the time I passed the Riverside stadium I was in clear skies and the road was bone dry, although off to the right there was a clear dividing line between clear sky and torrential rain. As I got nearer to the Ecco arena, I started to see all the cars parked on the main road, and then I realised it was a Bank holiday weekend. Fridays on a bank holiday weekend. can be chaotic, especially if there are other events taking place at Moto X or Kart tracks as well. With yesterday also being a bank holiday as , it was even worse, most of the car park was taken up by large vans & motor homes etc. Being of limited mobility, parking on the main road is not an option, so I made my way to the car park entrance, and was informed that parking was limited, but there might be an odd space. I made my way through the car park just as the rain was reaching the arena, by the time I found a parking spot the rain had got heavier. Not wishing to get wet I decided to wait in the car in the hope the rain would pass over quickly. It didn’t pass over quickly, it got worse. I could see that everyone in the stadium had made their way to any available cover. I sat in the car waiting more in hope than anything else. Eventually, it dawned on me, the chances of the meeting taking place was fast diminishing so I decided to cut my losses and go home. When I got home just after 7.30 I checked the updates site to see the meeting start had been put back to 8.00pm, followed by a further update a few minutes later to say the meeting was Off. Decision vindicated. Normally, when I go to the Speedway, the wife and daughter settle down and watch a movie, so yesterday I had the double whammy of not getting to meet up with two friends who only get to Redcar a few times a year, and having to put up watching the last hour of a s*** movie called Black Adam, so not a “Good” Friday for me. The trials and tribulations of being a speedway fan, eh. but I still love the sport.

Here is the statement The owners of the Blunsdon venue have been quiet since April last year, but broke their silence to provide a statement offering 'clarification' during an extraordinary meeting held by St Andrews Parish Council, prompted by the latest planning application. The statement, spanning two A4 pages, said: "We wish to be absolutely clear that the request currently under consideration by the council does not seek to remove the planning conditions which mandate the completion of the stadium complex. "We understand the council's planning portal refers to the "deletion of speedway and greyhound racing requirements* - however, and importantly. our request seeks to remove the existing covenant that requires 'continuous operation of speedway and greyhound racing throughout the period of the milestones'. "This request is made because it is no longer relevant given that speedway racing ceased at the site several years ago." It is reiterated that Gaming International is asking for an updated milestone programme, deletion of the ultimate longstop, deletion of the speedway and greyhound racing covenant, and an updated land ownership position. It adds: "The Deed of Variation request ultimately serves to update the current project timeline, update the details of the site owner, and reflect the fact that • motorsports racing has now permanently ended at the site. The statement then says that the borough council granting this changes will allow them to move forward with the next steps of the new stadium build. "A revised S106 agreement will, in fact, ensure the delivery and implementation of milestones 11 to 15 and secure a pathway to the sustainable regeneration of the site. This includes finishing the acoustic fencing, demolishing the old site, adding a new car park, landscaping and handing over a new youth training facility. "We understand the widespread interest in the future of the site and regret any confusion around the purpose of the Deed of Variation request," it adds. The extraordinary meeting concluded with St Andrews Parish Council choosing to oppose the planning application.

That oxford 3-4 pairing has crap season written all over it, one a complete homer and the other a good young rider but going to be under the cosh v good heatleaders 3 times a match

Enjoy. We got home about half 10 from scunny last night. Shame we can't make today but will be streaming it. UTC

I've got photos of the statement. Too big to upload here though.

Beautiful start to Saturday, sunny and not a cloud in the sky.

Looks like the Ox were Cooked and roasted. Masters hasn't got dialled in yet. Shame the Poirates are not in Premier, not the same without them and Swindon in top league.

Good post. I did feel for Rob and the team because it was such an unfortunate time to pour with rain on the season opener. He was indeed very proactive with track work and gave it his best shot. If that track had been at a more prestige event then it is my view the meeting would have taken place. You sum up well were things need to be improved from the point of view of the paying public. I feel that the crowd have the expectation of a call off decision in the circumstances experienced nowadays so either the referee has to be stronger in getting the meeting going or the decision not to race taken quicker. It was a hard call but with everyone already there I think the riders should have given it a go, the track would have only improved.

Ok, can't do anything about a heavy downpour that was forecast on several weather apps. The promotor was straight out after the rain stopped, actually driving the tanker sucking the water off, so he was being very proactive in trying to get the meeting on. If the call had gone out for 20 odd volunteers to help sweep off the rain water, I am sure they would have helped. Even our number 7 , young Harrison , was keen to sweep the start finishing area! What was a major failing, was keeping the crowd informed and entertained. Just playing the same tape over and over was plain lazy ( All aboard, all aboard...!) What is the point having an announcer in the box if they are unable to communicate with the crowd. Why no rider interviews to break the boredom- new team members, new female etc? From the demeanour of the team manager and Worky captain, on their track walk after sterling remedial work, it was obvious they had no desire to ride. Don't know what Babs Horley was saying to the riders, but personally I have seen worse tracks raced upon? The second shower sealed the event end and finally a decision was forced. To cap it all , the farce to get tickets stamped/ refunds needs to be addressed. Surely someone could direct the crowd to what was happening , which side to queue, what procedures etc. Maybe the tickets should be date stamped as they are being sold on entering the stadium, just a thought? I only had to travel 5 miles home, but did wish the Workington fan parked next to me, a safe journey home for his wasted time and money. As others have said not a good opener, we must do better all round.

6 man teams instead of 7 - that is the first solution

Agree this isn’t to damn our sport but it’s pointing out the obvious which need addressing, how can a club that has a promoter in such a position operate that way! ? No miles or loss of money will ever stop me attending speedway and I’m fully aware this isn’t the norm! Let’s get things run like a professional sport and do better then this !

Absolutely spot on! Not only is he the promoter part of the BSPA, he runs the whole 5h1t show, is it any wonder the sport is in the state it's in? There should be some kind of time window in place to run meetings, much like they have in F1, to stop all of the faffing and dithering. It's the same today as it was 40 odd years ago when I first started attending.

I’m more annoyed what it does to the “general “ speedway fans it looks horrendous and like I said although it’s disappointing surely communication with the fans will help a bad situation. He’s my gun shot my foot !

Chances of the meeting going ahead with cook and batchelor present was always going to be slim. track staff did a excellent job but another shower made the decision. At least everyone goes home fit and well.

Try running Poland with a guest system... The sport ends over there right there and then.. We "need" guests due to the way the teams are set up... For example, less riders per team would mean a surplus of riders to use to replace missing riders.. Put simply, if you haven't enough of a certain level of rider, then don't organise the sport meaning that you need so many... Guests are just an easy cop out, rather than having to find a way of running a team sport "properly".. No matter how it gets "sold", having Bomber, for example, riding for all and sundry, does nothing but devalue and erode the credibility of any competition that he does it in.. If someone like Pawlicki did it in Poland, then the fans, the national company sponsors and the prime time TV coverage (that gets sold to the highest bidder), would disappear in an instant.. It can be truly great to watch Speedway in the UK, but, until it can be taken seriously as a "proper team sport", by fans, media and investors alike, it can never deliver its true (untapped), potential... I think Phil Morris is savvy enough to realise this...

should go towards a basic literacy programme