Halifaxtiger

I certainly don't think that the strength of the comments made by the individual concerned was justified but, to me, you have to look not just at those comments but the person making them. What he is is so rabidly and viciously biased against Stoke Speedway that, again to me, his remarks count for very little. Lets face it, f Stoke swept the board in the NL, won all the awards available regarding the track, announced a huge stadium development, a massive sponsorship and their elevation to the EL, he still wouldn't have a good thing to say about them. True, there maybe some who aren't aware just how big an axe he has to grind but anyone who reads a Stoke thread or knows about NL speedway almost certainly will. When my old mate Vog is critical of any aspect of Stoke Speedway the promotion should listen and, if possible, respond. He's a passionate fan without an agenda and just wants the best for his team. Comments by Mr Newsman, however, can be ignored, ridiculed or laughed at for the subjective spite that they are. I am not sure what I am taking for granted but I fully take (and agree with) your point about supporting the team and not the management. I certainly wouldn't go to Mildenhall, for example, if my choice was based solely upon my view of the promotion. I don't agree totally about just having a club that runs because that takes away the responsibility of the promotion to do their best to ensure that the track is a success. All too readily in British Speedway, promotions have an arrogant and contemptuous 'take what you are given and be grateful' attitude towards paying spectators and that's not on - speedway is not just entertainment, its a business and, as in all businesses, those running it should make every effort to attract paying customers and I am not convinced - and I have many examples of this - that they all do. I would say Stoke have been guilty of that in the past but the past is just that - the past. It is very pleasing to read Malcolm's comments about the track and their attempts to tackle it because Loomer Road can be one of the best in the country. Throw in a good team - and they are dark horses for me - and you have the ingredients for a very successful season indeed. Leicester, however, is an example of a promotion not just disagreeing with the overwhelming opinion of spectators that there is a problem with the track but refusing to accept that the problem exists at all. That, to me, is a one way ticket to disaster and should the track close it would be totally unreasonable to point fingers at those who have stopped or refused to attend whilst absolving the promotion of any responsibility at all.

And yet is the promotion that put that team out and, according to what I am told, the track at the meeting at Loomer Road the other week was much improved. Lets cut them a bit of slack. I have been pretty critical of Stoke but if they turn things around a bit I'll certainly give credit where credit is due and its a pity that others can't do the same. I am actually quite looking forward to getting down there at some point. I think what people have to realise is that the level at what a team races is dictated largely by the gates they attract. I doubt if there has been a team that has dropped down a level that hasn't had to, so Stoke's move to the NL was almost certainly forced upon them by circumstances. While I can understand people not attending if they have an issue with the promotion, I really don't know why some will not go simply because the speedway is at NL rather than PL level. NL speedway is just as good as PL and, on many occasions, a lot better.

There was certainly a serious hole on the first bend and ones on the second and third bends too, I think. The only thing is I didn't think it affected the quality of the racing too much - that's definitely one of the best meetings I have seen this season. One think I didn't mention was the quality of the presentation. Graham Hambly has always been one of the more professional announcers (apart that slip in heat 4 when he outraged everyone) but I thought the chap on the centre green was also pretty good although his choice of music - 'What shall we do with a drunken sailor ?' - might not be to everyone's taste. I have little time for mascots but at least Neville the Devil gets involved. The sight of him riding round on a Chopper with a big flag on the back during the parade lap brought a smile even to my taciturn features. What with the excellent presentation, the kids all getting involved, the big effort by the promotion to attract fans and some very good entertainment Plymouth deserve to succeed. Fingers crossed they do.

A little less than that maybe but a lot more than 300. A bit down on normal, I am told. I am not an Eastbourne fan but would agree with much of what you have said. I thought the track was slick but it didn't cause any of the falls and was much improved on two weeks ago - compared to some I have seen, it wasn't a bad meeting and it was way better than the Wolverhampton one. I didn't think Uncle Bob graded the track much (if any) more than any other track curator I have seen this season. I also totally agree about the rules - not allowing a facility for Anderson is just plain daft. The only thing is if Eastbourne had cancelled the match and held it when Coventry had a full team they would have saved themselves a load of flak, got a bigger gate, paid out less to their riders and probably still won by 8 points or more. If any damage was done by holding it last night, it was to Eastbourne's bank account. On a final note, if Pirate Nick reads this Steven101 needs some help sacrificing goats, mate.

I thought that meeting was better than the one against Wolverhampton two weeks ago. At least there was some racing and passing tonight.

I think you are right with that. Opening meetings usually attract a few more after the winter break but drop away because of just how cold it can be. They then increase a bit a few weeks later. Talking at Plymouth last night, there were a few that hadn't been because previous weeks the weather had been freezing and I know its something Somerset suffer from.

They have been inconsistent - you only have to look at Rasmus Jensen's scores to see that - but I think they are improving. Simota will benefit from riding at no 2 and having the pressure of a heat leader role taken off him, Roynon hopefully will get some confidence back (good from the starts last night but hesitant after that) and Benko will be way better than Webster, who wasn't just poor but looked out of control. Whatever the case, I think there will be some top quality entertainment at SBA this season. If you haven't been, my advice is to give it a try because it is one of the best racing tracks in the country

I could be very sarcastic here but won't. Yes, I did. He did fine and will give you the top end power you have been lacking. You have to remember that that was King's first visit to SBA, Barker has ridden it for 3 seasons. Barker got the jump on him from the tapes in all three races (there were some real elbows at the start of heat 13) and King couldn't catch him. The one who caused Barker most problems was Robson. He beat him in heat 10 and was all over him in heat 15, a cracker of a race.

Cracking meeting I'd forgotten just what a superb race track SBA is and the amazing first corners that are produced by that short run from the tapes. Those who say that they don't like Plymouth because of its size have surely never been. Brilliant to see a big crowd after recent troubles, they ran out of programmes and the start had to be delayed to get everyone in. Fair result in the end with Newcastle getting a point.

I am going to this one on Monday, and there are a few reasons for that: The weather forecast is (at the moment) good, that at Wolverhampton is dreadful; Belle Vue is too close to home; The track at Kent is terrible; I think since Cook and Douglas took over Lakeside is a decent racing track; King's Lynn are very attractive visitors; Its entirely possible both teams will be at full strength; With a bit of luck I'll get to have another chat with my texting partner Bryn Williams; and finally: There's absolutely no comparison between watching speedway on the box and being there.

The BSF is anything but bankrupt because it remains completely out of the control of speedway promotions, with people able to be strongly critical without being hounded out of club pages or forums by officials unable to stomach or conclusively rebut justifiable comment. There is absolutely no reason why you couldn't put the E mail response on here, you just choose not to - and, being uncharacteristically cynical, I think that the reason for refusal is nonsense, suspecting its more a case of being running scared about the responses you will get. I say again - the BSF does have a problem with personal abuse, trolls and wind up merchants but if the alternative is official forums where criticism is not permitted and the only posters are apologists or promotion stooges give me the BSF any time.

I certainly didn't tear you to shreds and its a pity that others have resorted to abuse. I merely questioned your opinion and that's precisely what a forum is for. As I said, its up to you what you do with your money but I just do not accept this 'use it or lose it' argument because it totally absolves the promotion of any responsibility to actually attract people by putting on a good show. It means that they can run meetings like that shambles on Monday and still expect people to turn up, and that's not on. I'd say it is beholden on a promotion to put on something that people want to see or at least to give it their best shot. If they don't and punters get crap racing, stupidly drawn out meetings and little or no value for money and subsequently the track closes it would be nothing less than ridiculous to say that that is solely the fans fault. This thread is full of absolutely justifiable and entirely reasonable (if very strong) critical comment, so the feedback is there. If Kent Kings refuse to acknowledge, answer or respond to it (and their press officer has said that that is precisely what they will do), more fool them.

I think you're right, it does come with the territory (Peterborough, believe me, was just the main course for me after the starter at Kent on Monday). But it bloody well shouldn't do and just accepting the situation is simply more likely to encourage such behaviour in the future. You are also right that I (and others) will not get our time or money back. But having lost that time and money, aren't why entitled to a reasonable explanation as to why that was the case so that we can determine whether we want to use more time and money in the future ? Not doing so leads to speculation and the suspicion that the promotion are at least partly at fault and, from that, that they are unreliable and that this will happen again. From Mitch's comments, Edinburgh's real problem is that they don't really know why. I can see their point and, indeed, agree with it. At the end of the day, in such circumstances most people appreciate honesty and building up a reputation for that will do no harm whatsoever. The truth here will come out and if this is down to Peterborough they are going to look like clowns no matter what. Better to be a honest clown than a deceitful one, I'd say. Is it ? Didn't Peterborough have a meeting abandoned the other week because of light failure and isn't this virtually the same promotion that were responsible for the appalling shambles at the ELRC, where they allowed people to pay to come in in the full knowledge that the curator had said that the track wasn't rideable ? I make that 3 incidents in about 8 weeks. Mildenhall was a one off on Sunday. In the absence of the trackman they sodded the track up and there was a delay while it dried out. Kevin Jolly admitted responsibility immediately and apologised. Because of the difference in reaction, Mildenhall will continue to get my money, Peterborough won't. I would say its one of the best but who's to say when he spends his £50 to get there next time the same thing (or something similar) won't happen again ? On an occasion like that, its not the best race track but a dead loss and a waste of money.

Its not a question of 'getting excited'. Its a question of fans who have paid out money both to travel and/or to stay over getting a better reason for cancellation than 'a health and safety issue'. That's patronising, avoids the issue of who is precisely responsible for the call off and, yet again, treats speedway fans as a cross between imbeciles and children. Almost inevitably, there is the suspicion that the Peterborough promotion have made some sort of balls up that they don't want everyone to know about and, following on from the appalling ELRC call off , getting a reputation for slackness and incompetence.

I am not sure you are totally right.............but you're definitely not completely wrong. You did manage the impossible - putting a on my face

is it definitely the showground that have called it off ? I stayed over another night to go to this match and am not impressed in the slightest. What really sticks in my crawl is this 'due to a health and safety issue' rubbish. No explanations, no clarification, no specific reason, nothing. That's simply not good enough. Coming hard on the heels of that fiasco at Kent yesterday I am genuinely wondering why I bother.

'There are none so blind as those who do not wish to see'. The advantage of that is that if there is a problem you simply do not recognise its existence (and hence refuse to do anything about it) however obvious it might be to everyone else. In my experience, its something that happens all too regularly in speedway. I have no issue with engaging with other fans but my point here is that you seem to believe that there was nothing wrong with the track on Saturday. There most certainly was and I think that is reflected not just in my view but those of others. I think your understanding of grading is right - the intention is to restore the track to a fair, consistent and smooth surface. The thing is I am not sure that is what Bob Dugard actually achieves and you will find that his use of the tractor has attracted considerable comment on the pages of this forum in the past.

My understanding is that the referee was hampered by the very poor organisation - and that is something I can readily believe. My concern was over the ambulance being able to access the track - as has been said, if that was not possible the meeting should have been abandoned - but apparently the blue gates on the second turn could be opened for that purpose. It is a matter of individual choice, but if meetings are as poor as that I know where they will go - and it won't be Kent Speedway. I am a big NL fan but a three hour meeting, a shocking track and dreadful organisation would make me think twice about going again. Even if you do intend to keep going every week, you should still be concerned what matches like that will do to your fan base. Then you are missing the opportunity to give reasonable explanation for that farce yesterday and respond to the strong, almost unanimous but totally fair (and completely decent) criticism stated here. Some of us are not on facebook and regard official pages or forums with a degree of contempt where criticism of the club (however valid) is scarcely tolerated and people who are critical find themselves shown the door very quickly. Give me an 'unregulated' forum (with all its wind up merchants, trolls and verbal thugs) over one that is controlled by people with links to the promotion any day. The really sad bit is the criticism of the promotion has meant that there has been little said about the performance of the riders. Morley was never really troubled and Kingston and Coles were impressive, the way young Connor held his line to beat Lambert especially so.

I hate to say it, but that is just about bang on.

At the risk of being insulting, you must be one of those who are blind because they do not wish to see. It was there, no question - I was standing on the third bend. I am actually not sure what Bob Dugard does although whatever it is it seems to me that it has no beneficial effect on the surface. What I do know is in all my travels I have never seen anyone grade the track 3 times after the first 4 heats (unless it is a total mess to begin with). No-one could get near him - or anyone else who gated - because you couldn't pass, and a slick line had developed - it was the blue one. The track was awful which, as I say, is a shame. Eastbourne used to a very good racers track and I don't see why it can't be again.

That's very fair comment They did grade to start , though, and I wondered why they stopped.

I'd say that the blue line on the third turn that appeared after about heat 9 implies that it was.

Difficult to argue with a single word of that We were questioning why the track was watered but not graded.

That really is good news Fingers crossed it stays that way - if it does, I am sure I will see you there. I can imagine one or two are choking on their own venom with that comment....................

In my experience, what riders like to race on and what produces good racing are very frequently two entirely different things - I have heard some say how much they like Leicester, for example. I doubt if the huge blue line on turn three (and I suspect there was one on turn one) bothered the riders but it killed stone dead the possibility of an entertaining meeting. One of British Speedways most serious problems is that tracks are often prepared for riders (who are paid employees) rather than spectators (who are paying customers). In what other business would paid employees needs come before those of paying customers ? I wouldn't disagree with your second bend comment at all but I think that is from the gate. True, there is skill on those two bends but to me racing starts on bend 3, lap 1.