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The gaps between fixtures across both leagues is an absolute disgrace during summer months.

Sounds like a Swindon swiz to me... promise a track, get the stadium knocked down then pull the rug leaving Speedway high and dry!

Attended this meeting on Monday as my first visit to Northampton and to play devils advocate here I absolutely loved it from the first impression. One of the promoter’s out the front greeting supporters was a really classy touch and made a world of difference. I entered feeling already valued as a spectator. The food was of a decent quality. The drinks whilst on the penny side come with a nice souvenir Foxes cup which is a nice touch. Merch is of a decent quality and I understand they are constantly refreshing and adding to it. The team is obviously sub-par but they’ve not exactly been pushovers, they could have easily won this meeting if Batchelor (get rid btw) & Jeppesen showed up a bit earlier. A quality rider up top and a better effort from Jeppesen and this team will win its home meetings which is vital to keeping good crowd levels. Yes the track needs work; and it is always going to struggle after Stox & Bangers meetings but it isn’t far off being a good race track as was shown in the latter heats. This has made me a fan and is a better option to me as a Coventry fan than visiting and supporting Leicester. I will 100% be back. Well done Northampton.

Iain's comments were very fair I would suggest, and given his opinion is based on facts, very relevant, and should be seen as constructive, especially given so many tracks seem to have lost the Quality Control that Phil Morris brought in.. To be honest, he came in and made changes that were, for me, quite embarrassing in their basic nature... Why Promoters needed some Quality Control checklist which included starting meetings on time, having the centre green tidied with the sponsors prominent, and riders ready for the next race as soon as the last one ended, was as low level as it could be... Never mind "grabbing the low hanging fruit" he was picking it up off the floor!!! Yet, this season, without him, we are seeing some of the "old ways" coming back.. Given the nature of the sport, incidents can easily happen which elongate the evening, therefore, starting on time has to be a given to ensure punters get home at a reasonable time... A new venture in particular should strive for excellence in everything it does, and all adverse feedback is often what it needs for longer term growth..

I dont condone what jye did. He shouldnt have done it. But let's not go there with the minor angle. Play with the big boys. You get dealt with like a big boy.

I’m a neutral but love seeing the Scorpions proving everyone wrong, I’ve been enjoying their streams and it’s great to see the young British riders progressing. Good rides and scores again tonight for Luke Harrison, Nathan Ablitt and Ryan Ingram who some people said was the weakest 2 pointer in the league before the lad had even turned a wheel, proving again tonight how wrong people were.

Despite a very very good offer from "elsewhere" JJ chose to stick with the club where he has revived his career......

I can’t pretend to be impartial, bandits through and through. But other than being delighted with the result. Rushen is a serious talent, someone needs to help him cut the dirty riding out though. Clearly kicking other riders and in 15 he absolutely tried to bin PK mid bend. Someone with less experience may have been serious hurt. The kid has the talent to be the next British world champion but he needs to cut that crap out.

Glasgow and Edinburgh will have no such decisions to make.🤔😂

I joined in 2003. It was bunch of serious fans that debated issues with respect. We didn't always agree, but we developed our point of view without attacking the poster. I gained a lot of new friends back then, all over the UK and in OZ. We met at the British Final and Cardiff and some of them are friends to this day. I raced in Oz, twice, and met many forum friends there who I hold dear to this day. I've always been pleased to share views with other long standing fans and to learn from their experience. Not to mention having a good laugh along the way. This is a happy place for me (on the whole) and long may it be so. Thank you Phil for your foresight and inspiration, not to mention your continued support for this long standing home for British speedway debate.

why the criticism for a new venture in Northampton is beyond me....Lets look at some of the facts. The stadium is mainly built around cars, no cars equals no speedway, now if that means there are times when the track isn't up to it then that's the nature of the beast I'm afraid, far from ideal but unless you have a purpose built speedway facility then that's what the Foxes have too work with. The promoters were late to the party in terms of team building, it's not rocket science that the team isn't strong enough, take a look at the other side of the coin if the Foxes weren't in the league. Instead of fans getting on the backs of a new organisation who are willing to take a financial risk why not try and get behind them...then again if you listen to some on here speedway is already in the final throngs of existence and appear to thrive on that negative mentality.

Even the basics of conducting interviews in front of the sponsorship board has lapsed, saw an interview with Klindt on Fox's socials last week with tractors in the background... unless they've picked up a vintage tractor sponsorship recently it's to hell with the league sponsors, who needs 'em! You'll often see many riders when being interviewed go and reach for their cap first before doing so, it's the first thing on their mind, for many British promoters it doesn't even seem to be in their minds at all. It's pretty basic stuff really 🤷‍♂️

I hate to be critical of such a new venture, I really do, but there are some basics that need to be addressed and soon... The whole show seems a bit slap dash, they haven't yet once started on time! Craig Saul, as good and informative as he is at interviews etc. is no hype man! The team manager, the less said about him the better... but the track! The promotion may not be able to control many things, such as rider performances etc. but they can control the track and last night was the worst yet... yes there'll be the usual excuses, couldn't get on the track in time, the bowser broke down etc. but on each and every occasion it has been too dry and dusty to generate any grip for the riders and last night they had the added bonus of giant stones and rocks hitting them. BSN were towing the usual Speedway line last night in that we must be grateful that they have come to the tapes... NO! They are (or should be) a professional outfit operating in the top tier of British Speedway and what they're putting out, especially with the track, is just not up to muster and the "fans" are already voting with their feet.

Some riders come out of retirement to ride in benefit meetings. Craig doesn't have a team place. so fair play to him for honouring Jay's memory.

Should imagine the rule makers will be summoning Etheridge to explain himself. Throwing a punch at a minor carries a severe penalty.

Track was like a typical Glasgow lady, very wet and a little rough. Track was there to be attacked. A half hour delay and the meeting would of been complete

Blimey, a lot of witches fans really are glass half empty. They haven't lost that many this season and Lynn were due a good meeting. They said they'd had a word with all riders to improve there performance and it worked. Ipswich made starts but got passed. Tom went from first to last in heat 1. It happens and doesn't concern me at all, I'm glad to have a local team I can watch and see some good battles, there'll always be a winner and a loser, that's sport.

Nice to hear the so called big clubs can't always buy success by splashing the cash. Well done Berwick and jj

The Northampton track has been prepared in 4 different ways so far, 1st meeting it was prepped, but had 2 hours practice on it, so not much we can do after, that. 2nd meeting we were asked to make it grippy, we did and they didnt like it. Different again for the 3rd meeting, it was better! 4th meeting similar, not bad. 5th meeting not enough water in early enough admittedly, but could of been controlled. Starts have been Different every meeting, on request, It's all experimental, to try and find the best possible track. It will happen,

The Foxes have no divine right to exist and no right to expect fans to back them just because they are there. After many years without a team, I am happy to have one nearby but am long past falling for the "use it or lose it" argument. If a track is well run, even within the confines of British speedway's current overseers, it will attract a strong core audience. It was clear from the off that the team was not good enough. However, you can't just expect fans to pay £25 a go to support any old rubbish. The speed with which Belle Vue signed Doyle to replace Bewley showed that there was no need for the Foxes to feed off scraps (ironically), and more thought should have been put into an exciting, winning team, rather than a collection of veterans and two promising youngsters. We all know why the Foxes were created but that doesn't have to be the reason they exist. There's no point in being a team to make up the numbers to stop your league looking like an embarrassment if your makeweight isn't going to be able to stand on its own two feet. Home defeat after home defeat may inflate the points totals of the other five teams, but it will kill a promotion quicker than any late start, uneven track, or even bad chips (the chips are good, though). We're not halfway through the season yet so there is a chance to make this succeed. But it needs the full weight of the BSPL behind it. Or, if that is already happening, please stop because it's not working.

I am part of the track curator team at Northampton, i have sent ianb a msg to call me, I will give him all the true facts!! Regarding the track prep, ect, sponsor boards, but as of yet he has not called? I will give him time to respond, but clearly if he doesn't, then he really isn't interested in facts, then it will show he doesn't want the truth, just wants to have a dig at a brand new club, who's staff are going well above and beyond to try and make it a success.

Hard riding?..yes.....dirty riding?...not in a million years! Some of us who have seen more sunsets than we would like to admit, back in the day you would get 3 or 4 instances like this in one meeting, however if there was instance of dirty riding, it would certainly kick off either on the track or in the pits, or the victim would have a notepad in the tool box with the culprits name on it...then in twelve months time fans would think "jeez that was a bit uncalled for".

Think your a bit OTT regarding Rushen.

Always nice too see the Scottish clubs do well and I include Berwick’s performance also. Now I’ve got the Praise for the Monarchs off my chest I’m away for a lie down.

Give it a rest ffs. Plenty other threads to air your pathetic grievances.

Not just this thread, loves arguing with everyone apparently

Bangs gone. A swap for laguta at wroclaw obviously on the cards

Excellent Post... From exactly the type of person that Northampton need to 100% listen to... A keen, glad to have Speedway back on his doorstep, passionate fan... If the track was poor then the club tell everyone why, not via a PM to individuals, and, more importantly, what they will do to resolve the issue... Yours and Iain's feedback should be "Gold" to any new business wanting to succeed... I used to spend the first three months of any new store I opened receiving as much criticism as I could get, as I could then review it and, if accurate, make positive changes.. The danger is they go down the route of many others who simply haven't listened (refused to listen?) to an ever disenfranchised fanbase, a fanbase which many of still closely following the sport, and even attend individual and overseas meetings, but don't see UK Speedway as being relevant enough for them to attend.. One of the big advantages they have is to NOT do what so many others have done, and use the obvious mistakes of others to guide them in their decision making.. The whole "we should be glad Northampton exists" attitude is complete nonsense, as that is as low a level of expectation as it is conceivably possible to have, (and almost then gives justification for things not going to plan).. If the sport ever wants to be taken seriously then its the professionalism of it, and its off and on track infrastructure, which will determine its success, not whether it just exists.... Hope you and a seemingly decent number of others who attend can keep interested enough to make the season overall a success, and also keep constructively criticising where required.. They seem to have done a lot of things well to get themselves open, so now need that feedback from you and others to improve their "night at the Speedway".. Looking forward to going to watch the Aces there to tick another track off the list...

Well some of you don’t like football but many of us do. I attend over 40 Premier League games a season plus a dozen or so lower league matches, plus several non league fixtures. Next season it could possibly be over 50 top flight and European matches with trips to the continent. I love my speedway and football as do many, who also like their cricket. There’s no point saying speedway should run against England in a World Cup. Unless you want to commit financial suicide.

Mate, credit for messaging me with your number, although the message was a bit passive aggressive, so I will not be calling you, especially now you've made your private message public (classy), maybe I should make your mobile number public should others wish to call you? As far as I'm concerned you can save your breath, I've heard it all before, I've just been going to Speedway for far too long. There were obvious concerns with the track last night. Maybe you should share the "facts" with everybody, many people won't come on here to point out the obvious basics that need sorting, they will just stop going... but as usual it's my fault for pointing this stuff out and not the management's for getting the basics right. I went to Aldi last night to pick some coleslaw up... they didn't have any! Basic, coleslaw... I went to a different shop who did have some! I await the facts.

Especially changing Fixture to Semi Final of Cup. IMO they thought they would trounce Berwick in their Home Leg,but Lawson’s mystery injury threw a spanner in the works and it backfired on them.

Another cracking Vlog from Dan T.... You really see the unconventional lifestyle these lads lead.. And the costs involved, especially when your van blows up!!!. Interesting he mentioned the need to lose weight, especially for Poland.. He must weigh the size of one of my legs.. Just needs a season of no injuries and he could become a true top level rider, as he definitely has a capability level higher than most... If you haven't seen his Vlogs on YouTube yet, then give them a go... He did say others are now doing the same?... The more exposure for the sport the better....

If you show the first running of this heat you can see cooper clearly kicks his leg out to stop jye getting over him into the corner, before riding into the side of him and crashing the ref asked to see it a couple of time and maybe gave coopet the benefit of doubt in that one and maybe thought about that when making the decision about the rerun

I think Berwick should be kicked out of the competition for what Etheridge did In the first running he had another rider kick out at him In the second running he was taken wide and fell 50/50 incident But for Jye to get up and throw 7 or 8 punches at another rider was disgraceful…. Does he not know the other rider is only young?? How dare Jye be infuriated to this level If only Jye had walked over to Rushen and just slapped his shoulder then every speedway fan could have understood his frustration and nothing more would have been said ….. even Rushen would probably have laughed it off But what Jye did was nothing more than assault and really takes the shine off of the win …..

Looking at the heat 10 incident unless Cooper has eyes in the back of his head he can't possibly have known Etheridge was there, looks like Rushen moved out as Kerr went to the kerb just as Etheridge was attempting the outside run. Just one of those unfortunately. Certainly not a 'disgrace' and Cooper incredibly unfortunate to be chucked out. Etheridge made himself look a proper plank afterwards.

Says the fans that turn every Ipswich thread into a slagging anything to do with belle vue. Your obsessed mate

No just a case of the better team won on the night the same as last Saturday when Berwick beat Poole

First visit for me and I didn't like the look of the steel posts behind the fence which had foam blocks over the top of them. Did wonder how they got away with the Mildenhall debacle with the protection they were going to provide to their posts. But then I remembered - they needed another team in the Premiership.

Sounds like it.Just another rule make up on the back of day packet.Can see it being scrapped next season when everyone will probably have 2 rider over 8 at the end of this season.Then the sh*t will hit the fan.

They should have stuck with the proposed 3 team play off to make it a little bit more competitive. 1st straight through to Final. 2nd vs 3rd in SF.

Just out of interest, Ove, who is now 93 and no.1 on the list has just been for a motor bike ride, starting from his home in Tranås Sweden, first to Karlskrona for an overnight ferry to Gdynia Polen, made a short break in Mragowo, then to Kaunas and a night stay, next Vilnius and Riga, where he had planned to spend the night, but the forecast was for a bad rainstorm the next day so he carried on to Tallin. He then woke up to terrible rain and got to the ferry terminal very wet for the ferry to Stockholm He said afterwards, "After a most enjoyable trip I loved every minute on the bike. Now I am home and my wife Ioana is happy as she worries when I am away on my bike ride." Just to repeat - he is now 93 years old!

https://ipswichwitches.co/witches-season-ticket-holders-entered-into-free-draw-to-win-leicester-ko-cup-final-tickets/ This is something new, and again, I like it.

Thanks for the detailed honest resoonse.. All you need to do for next week is prepare a track that let's Brady Kurtz win his first four races from the back... And has him then just failing to pass Jaimon Lidsey on the line in Ht15, as Jaimon secures a 46-44 victory for the Foxes... Shouldn't be too difficult to do that should it??... We'll leave it with you...

Those within the Speedway Bubble are often a part of the problem... They become "Three Monkeys" like, and, worse, make excuses on behalf of those they volunteer for, or work alongside... I have been impressed with the Speedway Star over the last 12 months or so, as they have constructively challenged much of the nonsense those within "The Bubble" believe to be acceptable and fit for purpose.... From what you say, the danger is, (once again)... "Any Speedway, is better than nothing".... Which is then seen as acceptable, and almost a measure of success.. As we know, crowds have dropped significantly over the last two decades or so, on the back of that "Mission Statement"..

Fair play to Musielak there, rode his nuts off. Track very difficult to pass on but he made one, and nearly a couple of others.

I never watched one Scotland game with Steve Clarke in charge, he.would struggle to motivate an illegal migrant to apply for benefits such was his lack off motivational skills.

The intent was there thou, How many of the other riders have there leg like off the start?

Here’s the first running of heat ten last night. Cooper Rushen doesn’t kick Etheridge at all, just outgated him and Etheridge falls. All four back fair decision.

Good hard riding from young Cooper, Jye just couldn't find the outside gap he wanted. Throwing punches at a rider who was on his bike was disgraceful although it was a rubbish punch.

Well done to Berwick on a great all round team performance, they were much better than us and seemed to want it more, we were a little unlucky home and away with refereeing decisions going against us but overall we had no answers to a very good Berwick team. Good luck to them and hope they win the cup.