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Green light given, so first home meeting will be on Thursday. Hope it’s a massive success for all involved

I was a Somerset Rebels fan throughout their existence (plus a speedway fan before too) and like so many around the country lost my local team to support. Post covid I made the odd trip down to Plymouth as I thought this would be better than nothing and the kids still loved going, now we are getting down there as often as we can and have made the 160 odd mile round trip for all three meetings this season. The improvements the promotion have make are amazing over the years and the track is wider and although not much passing last night the opportunities are there to explore much more than they were 5/6 years back. I have never watched a BSN stream from Plymouth as I prefer to be there and am lucky enough to be able to do that regularly. My 18 year old daughter is now part of the previously mentioned Plymouth Media team which has really stepped up in the past two seasons with Andy Hague and Sam Whitfield leading the way on this giving the youngsters a chance to deliver this as they now do. We even had to with for my daughter to interview Garry May afterwards before we could leave for home last night. Yes the air bags do take a while to swop out but it needs to happen for rider safety. Mark Phillips, the Promoter/owner/track curator amongst many other roles he undertakes, was front and centre getting this sorted again last night. With the first one complete I spotted him putting his 'Promoters' tie back on after completing the task! Rob Doran (clerk of the course) actually was interviewed and explained the issues they to deal with in making the changes. Both times the air bags were popped were straight after track grades and watering so the track dried out during the delays meaning it needed more work. soon after. Ok it took a while but it happens sometimes at speedway, will it stop me going again? - definitely not! I got home at 11.35pm but was in work at 6.50am to do an 11 hour shift in the pro shop at the golf club. The golf club members know I'm more likely to know the speedway results around the country than who won the latest professional golf tournament! My sister, brother in law and niece all came along to the Coliseum for the first time last night and my niece is already asking when she can go again. I know a lot of you moan about the kids race but it is brilliant to see so many wanting to take part each week. I was stood near Scott and Danny at the pit gate whilst waiting for my son and niece to return and overheard them saying how good it is to see so many out there. Long may it continue and maybe one week the dog will follow the whole track rather than cutting across the top bend! I enjoyed last night, as did those with me, and the atmosphere is growing meeting by meeting down in Devon. See you all you Gladiators again in a couple of weeks when Scunny are down.

Are you being serious here? I can’t tell. “Michael Oliver isn’t sure it’s a penalty at Old Trafford, VAR video angle is inconclusive after reviewing the screen and no penalty given.” Hang on, Dave from the 2nd row of the Stretford end has a good angle on his iPhone, he’s going to send it to the referee on WhatsApp.” Announcement pending.. “After video review on Dave’s iPhone a Penalty is awarded for a foul on Manchester United’s number 9”.

Speedway Forum, with all due respect a lot of dinosaurs , like all social media, full of negativity. I wasn't at Plymouth last night, I never watch BSN, I am occasional Speedway attender these days. I went to Plymouth earlier in the eason VIBRANT . PACKED , FULL OF NEW FANS... Now go and take a look at Plymouth Gladiators Social Media. Excellent non Speedway Fans media Team started last season, combined with and overseen by the always excellent Andy Hague. Bumper Crowd again last night Did they moan about "no passing" "long air fence delays" " three hours to finish a meeting" "queues to get in"?? Well if the did nO ONE seems to have moaned "Brilliant" "Exciting" "First Time i'll be back" "Great Atmosphere" "Fantastic spectacle" "Great night thanks to the electrician who found my childs earbud under the NHS Stand" Massive positivit from NEW fans, returning fans , curious to have a look at what its all about fans. No extinction level event in Devon Dinosaurs face extinction. Plymouth, as i've banged on about for 12 months , bucking the trend , MAKING EACH RACE NIGHT A ONE OFF EVENT! The Score doesn't matter The Delays don't matter It's like a one off Concert / Theatre / Circus / type Event. Speedway as E N T E R T A I N M E N T not as a Sport! Gloaters can gloat, moaners can moan, Plymouth seem to have found a magic elexir! (No disrespect meant to any poster, just trying to open up minds !)

Been asked to post this by Greg Blair Hello everyone, Greg Blair here I’ve not got an account on this forum as I don’t usually come on this page but it’s been brought to my attention I’ve been getting some heat on it, just want to clear this up. I didn’t go up to the box to show the ref any footage, I’m often up in the box changing batteries or getting coffee and sometimes just making sure everything is running well, Steve the announcer is a good friend of mine and I went up when I heard the ref was away to view the footage in the commentary box just to ask him what was going on so I could relay any info I had. All in all I had no influence on what the ref did, I’ve seen decisions reversed before so it wasn’t anything new! Of course I’m going to get comments about my performances at Berwick or on BSN and it even made me laugh that this person said I wasn’t a very good rider. Hey I had a go and I loved racing bikes (not being very good at it) I love what I do in speedway, I’m happy to entertain and get a laugh but honestly if you want to have a go I welcome you to try it. Things happen in the moment, I’m passionate about my sport and Berwick speedway which I hold very close to my heart, I won’t say sorry for my passion! The only time I’ll ever say sorry is if I offend someone and in this case I haven’t so I’m blowing everyone who dislikes me kisses and the ones who do support me you’re getting bigger kisses! Enjoy your speedway folks x PS if you want to come and chat to me in person you can usually find me in the black and gold ... that's if you’re comfortable having a dig at me without hiding behind the username

i prefer to just go and enjoy the racing which is absolutely fantastic at Glasgow. If we win something then its a bonus but the whole package at Glasgow entertainment and viewing wise is first class , there are some minor irritants that others have highlighted but nothing to tarnish the standard of the racing.

He's only gone and bloody done it... and well done to him for speaking out... he's not telling us anything we don't already know that the BSPL chairman is rotten to the core (Quelle surprise) and desperately needs replacing, it's just a shame that it's taken this to get any rider to speak out about it... and the mind boggles as to the other goings on that we have never heard about... the BSPL makes Fifa look like the Salvation Army!

Erm...there fact that there are kids at these meetings that see riders as role models? Hardly setting a great example. Throw the book at both of them instead of trying to glorify this sickening behaviour

They'll be warmly welcomed alongside all of the other crap tracks 👍🏻😂

There was certainly plenty of "incident" last night to keep folk interested even if the "racing" (passing) wasn't up to much. If it hadn't had taken them around 20 minutes per pop to replace the airbags there was nothing much else to complain about... they're certainly not going to get a job in an F1 pit crew with the amount of time it took them to replace the bags, they really need to be addressing that, I remember seeing the Birmingham track staff replacing an airbag in a matter of minutes a couple of years back, literally 2 or 3 minutes! Proving that it can be done. When you've had a 20 minute delay to replace an airbag, a 52 second race and then follow that up with a 10 minute track grade it's not really "fan friendly". Due to the tight, confined nature of the Plymouth track they really need to get on top of this issue.

Well I was really impressed. A great crowd, all the facilities you need and the track looks a good shape and size with plenty of room on the banked bends. The track was a bit slick tonight and gate 4 was an advantage but I’m sure they’ll improve the track preparation as the season progresses. Great to see the riders going full tilt with no concerns and also good to see the crowd react so well to any Foxes heat wins. Looks like plenty of home support and not just folk there for the event which augurs well.

At the end of it all, I`m just delighted that Berwick are continuing their fine tradition of having a centre green presenter who think and believe that they are the star of the show and see the racing as an annoying interruption to their pearls of wisdom.

Yes, he does, I visited him last week with three friends. When you get to the front door you have to lean across some stretched elastic to press the door bell. As the door opens, the elastic shoots up you walk under it and he welcomes you inside. Unfortunately we all tried to get through the door at the same time and fell over. He sent us back out again for another go.

Poor kid should never have been signed. I do hope his confidence isn’t completely shattered.

Fantastic meeting today, just shows what a fab racetrack it is. Unbelievable compared to what was dished up yesterday Healthy crowd, great racing, loads of passing, a freshly cut centre green, what’s not to like 😂

Not sure if Cami moaned but the kids running in the kids race did say it was a bit on the slick side and were concerned about a couple off ruts on the second bend

It will when prepared properly, it's far too slick tonight but there's been some decent stuff never the less. There's no "trick" bends, it's a perfect size and a pretty good shape with proper speedway shale too.

Will Cairns in the BSN booth after winning heat two: ”Aiming for a maximum tonight”. Next two races: 0,0.😂

Who is the ref? How on earth can you exclude Bowes for taking avoiding action, Kerr wasn’t even under power.

Connor is now awake in hospital

"Technical" tracks, if you don't mind....

Investigation underway for who was impersonating Mitch Cluff today.

Surely the result doesn't matter as long as the racing was exciting?😉 Whether it was or wasn't I bet the large crowd will be back for the next home meeting. Well done Plymouth.....

Sadly, these kind of meetings show how little the competitions mean in the eyes of the promoters... Why run such meetings knowing FIM meetings are taking place? By definition the riders missing will be the "better ones" too.... If an independent body existed then this meeting wouldn't have happened or RR would have been the only facility... If the riders qualify then there will be even more clashes .. The UK has to stop "making up Speedway" as it does it no favours... There will be, I am sure, promoters out there wondering again how the local ice hockey team can get double their crowds.. And a if a track needs to bring in an overseas rider due to not having enough UK riders of the required level, then that is squarely down to their lack of focus on UK rider development over the past few decades... The vicious circle will continue unless UK rider development becomes the No1 priority for tier two in particular.... You need fans to take the sport seriously if you want it to be successful... I presume those who run it as a hobby don't feel the need to run it that way...

Thoughts on last night... Had to queue to get into the car park, but I think I arrived just at the time when the main car park became full and they had to open the mahoosive overflow car park. Gaining entry to the stadium was a bit of a shambles, after watching the video earlier in the afternoon where it said the e-ticket gates were situated on the left side of the turnstiles, when I approached all punters were being funnelled in through the same cordoned area, a lot were just ignoring this and just heading to the e-ticket gate and nipping under the rope, which I also did (shame on me) but because everybody was being funneled in the same way there was actually nobody using the credit card turnstile and there were another 2 cash turnstiles open to the left of the e-ticket gate, again with nobody queuing! Teething troubles I know but a bit of forethought could have been used. It took an age to get through with my e-ticket as well, not sure if there was a problem with the system as nobody seemed to be gaining entry for around 5 minutes. Surprised to see the grandstand actually on the back straight when I entered. I then had the decision of where to stand, it was a choice between backstraight/turn 2 with a very bright sun shining directly in my eyes or turn 1, 3 or home straight. I plumped for the home straight but it was difficult to see with the perimeter catch fencing in place, especially with the sun shining on it, this ceased to be an issue when the sun set and the excellent lights took effect. Early on gate 4 seemed to be a huge advantage but the track does show promise, as I've said earlier when it's prepared better, it was far too dry and looked a bit choppy in places, there weren't really any (successful) big blasts around the outside but some good tussles with riders easing their opponents off the line on the inside coming out of the bends. It reminded me a lot of King's Lynn with the stand, the grey fencing, the concrete infield and Buster milling about. There did seem to be a lack of sponsorship, the team, as far as I am aware are not sponsored and there were no sponsor signs on any of the fence panels, even the league sponsorship banners were non-existent. Presentation was a bit subdued, Dave Rowe in the box and Craig Saul on the roving mic, they're both good at what they do in their own style but there was no real hype going on, no come on get behind your team, no real hyping of the riders, just the usual reading out of the heat runners and a few interviews all interspersed with music from the 80's and 90's... all very Speedway 😁 Getting out wasn't as smooth as it should have been either as we seemed to have to exit the same way we got in through the turnstiles, all of which weren't open, there didn't seem to be a big gate to let punters out and by the smell of the bogs just in front of the turnstiles, they were struggling to deal with the crowd as well 💩👃. I thought stadia had to have proper exit routes in case of the need for evacuation 🤷‍♂️ Then getting out of the car park took a while, which was to be expected with a large crowd but they did have some folk marshaling the traffic, so it wasn't quite a free for all. That's the trouble when everybody leaves at the same time though, if more tracks did what Leicester do and interview the riders in turn after every match it gives the chance for those that want to leave straight away to do so, while others not so much in a rush are still engaged, especially important I would have thought with a new team that should be trying to build a bond with their new fanbase. Didn't see the Premiership CEO in attendance or the Chairman of the BSPL, not to say they weren't there, I just didn't see them. All in all it was an entertaining evening and once the small teething issues have been addressed it should sit very nicely alongside the other clubs in the PL. I'll certainly be returning whenever the Lions aren't riding as it's a pretty easy 1 hour trip down the motorway for me 👍

Baldy, even if all the above does come to pass -- and I truly hope it does -- there will be posts from idiots, nit-picking over the smallest of gripes, rather than praising the success..........

It says on the clubs official site that nils is awaiting medical clearance to fly as he has been sidelined by a punctured lung. think it’s unfair to question his commitment under these circumstances. Article also says if he gets the all clear, he hopes to be riding in both of Mondays matches personally, I am glad he is doing some meetings to get sharp snd , match fit

Wrong call imo, Joe started the season well, Gilkes hasn’t really impressed much when he’s not watching from the sidelines and I’m sure it’ll be a matter of time before he’s back on them.

What on earth is wrong with you?

It’s a face fits selection for Cairns. As there’s a couple of under 21 boys that are much better than he is.

Why no Dan Thompson in the team or at 5 instead of cairns, who imo hasn't moved forward as much as the hype he had

the truth hurts dont it tinker

Know lack of confidence tonight 10+1 😁

In fairness.... Dave does have an iPhone 17.... With "ultra zoom"..... Considering it is UK Speedway I am quite impressed that phone footage was used ... I see the sport more in line to use a "sketch artist" like they use in Crown Courts for the TV News... "Give us half and hour and I will have it drawn up. What colour was Cookie again?"...

You are aware of the state of British Speedway, right? Lol

Great post,anyone who judges a speedway match by the number of passes is clearly deluded.

So pleased a decent crowd turned up to see that! Now that is proper Speedway! Great racing from both sides, whether Berwick fans admit it or not it’s irrelevant that was what we all go to see. We’re lucky to have that as our home track. Well done the Comets and thanks to the guests, the Comets won and Speedway won today.

From Ben Barker Firstly, I want to make it absolutely clear that I have no problem with the Speedway Control Bureau and Auto Cycle Union. They have done nothing untoward. In the close season, the riders were told they had to pay an extra £28 for their ACU licence. That was, we were told, to cover for an extra insurance policy. From the research I have done, this is what I believe has happened. When that was suggested by the ACU, BSPL chairman Rob Godfrey decided the riders don’t need to be insured by the clubs. Therefore it saved the clubs a load of money per season. I’m not sure of the exact amount, but around £4,000 per club. When this issue was first raised by me at Poole on Good Friday, Mr Godfrey stated in Speedway Star on April 11 that “Ben Barker has caused a panic for nothing. The insurance policy has not been withdrawn, it has been replaced”. Subsequently, it’s been clear that ACU insurance was inferior to the old Race Insurance. This had led to the clubs covering their own riders to quell any fears, Ipswich and Redcar have announced this publicly, while a couple of other clubs have done so privately. Just over a week ago, the BSPL issued a new insurance policy which is inferior to the previous Race Insurance we had with the BSPL. The old cover for an injured rider was £225 a week, 14-day excess period and up to 52 weeks of payments. The new cover is now £150 a week, 14-day excess period and only up to 26 weeks of payments. It is nowhere near good enough to what we had previously. But it was a clear admission of wrongdoing by the BSPL that they had to re-issue a new insurance despite claiming I had caused “panic for nothing”. That wasn’t true. There has been no apology or explanation to how the season was started with riders not having appropriate insurance. Four riders were injured during that period; Niels-Kristian Iversen, Charles Wright, Tobias Thomsen and Vinnie Foord. That is clear negligence from the BSPL. That needs to be explained and who made those decisions which have cost the injured riders dearly. We need transparency about the people who made the decisions and whether we need changes in the people running the BSPL. Someone has to take responsibility for the mistakes that have been made. This is such a serious issue. The riders’ welfare has been overlooked in a terrible way. There are even more serious issues regarding this insurance issue. I will go into them at a later point. If it get 1000 likes 500 shares ill give a £50 voucher of the winners choice

You are so far off the mark with this statement it beggars belief,stinks of envy of a club on the up in these challenging times rather than a club in decline like the majority of teams,crowds and positivity. Plymouth bucking the trend long may it continue.

Great race and great confrontation! Didn't see a huge amount wrong with Howarth's move, it was hard but didn't look dirty from that angle.

Congratulations to Northampton on a smooth and successful opening night - I'm glad I made the effort to check it out An easy 2hour(ish) journey from Ipswich, simple to find and pretty well organised parking A good location to take advantage of those supporters sadly missing their own teams A great turnout (3-4k?) Lots of 'neutrals' but hopefully a good number will become regulars Track very slick with any outside dirt pretty much unusable particularly on 1&2 where the significant descent negates the camber A number of decent battles without oodles of passing. The general buzz of a bigger crowd meant these probably came across better than had it been an empty stadium (take note promoters - atmosphere is a big factor in perception) I can certainly see that there should be an improvement in the racing with some relatively straight forward adjustments to prep Gate 4 was a huge advantage , with gate 1 a graveyard - a couple of clever/experienced first bends off the less favoured gates made the difference in the Witches favour - Score totals 1) 13+2 2) 21+6 3) 22+2 4) 34+2 Decided to make a dash for it during lap 4 of heat 15 to ensure our exit was possible in decent time Generally a very positive evening for the sport

Best of luck to Paul Hunsdon and Northampton Speedway this evening. Hope you get a great crowd and racing.

So it will be 396 metres for Dan Bewley then! 😜

In my experience, on many social media websites, the "Happy Clappers" are often those within the "bubble" of whatever the business, or entity that the Social Media account is discussing.. Maybe doing some volunteering, or are related to someone running the enterprise... And, quite often, not having to pay out any money to use the business they defend... I've said before. When I ran Supermarkets in towns and cities across the country, getting on the towns social media was "Gold" given the brutal nature of the feedback given by those who would never speak the same to your face... Getting told your crap, publicly, isn't the greatest feeling in the world, however, when they tell you why you were crap, and, even better, give you potential answers to resolve the issue, then, just by listening to, and engaging with, your customers, you cannot fail... Getting told your great by "Happy Clappers" around you, clearly has no merit, or use, at all... Any business desperately needs, for growth, people to tell them what they don't want to hear...

Cammy is a tactical mastermind and he's playing 4D chess. Rest assured the Tigers will comfortably win tonight and his genius will finally be recognised.

Good idea will pass this never thought off before notion to the recruitment team. Always the ever helpful Edinburgh fan that you are that never and I mean never comes across as bitter.

i agree, if people who were there enjoyed their evening, thats excellent.

Didn't know that Plymouth and Workington tracks were this close to each other 😜🤣🔵⚪️ What do you think @lewy🤣

More passes in the first seven heats tonight than in the whole of last season at Wimborne Road.