Halifaxtiger

Doing the updates last night, I commented to Youngy that aside from the referee's box and the catch fence Eastbourne doesn't seem to have changed at all since I went there in the early 1980's (the parade music is the same, too). I stand to be corrected, but the track seems to be the same size as well. It used to be a very good racing circuit in the days of Kennett and Moran (and I have seen some decent racing more recently) and if it is the same size I don't see why it can't be now. One thing I meant to mention was that I was very impressed with Kevin Coombs again. Definitely one of the best in the business.

We had a few complaints a week or so ago that teams were winning because of the strength of their heat leaders. No doubt someone will refer to second strings next. Matches have in the past often been won and loss by reserves, this season is no different. Good to see Max Clegg get a few points I am sure that we all aware that one of the prime (if not the prime) motivations for the draft was to cut the wage bill but I am starting to appreciate it. I have seen Stef beat several top 5 riders and last night at Eastbourne Lewis Blackbird got heat 13 in with Pedersen,Skornicki & Woffinden. He came last but he certainly wasn't disgraced.

You clearly weren't there. He won two races near the end and was clearly giving it his best in at least one other. I didn't have a good view, but I thought he was unlucky to get excluded in the first heat. Beaten off the starts time after time and on a gaters paradise of a track they never had a prayer of getting back into it. Just after, actually. I don't think I have ever seen a trackman grade the track three times after the first four heats. What's worse, it doesn't actually seem to do anything. Bob Dugard is a good trackman and I have seen some cracking races at Eastbourne in the past. Tonight, though, it was rubbish.

Very entertaining meeting despite the score line. Ipswich were awful.............but don't take any credit away from Somerset, they were pretty much flawless. Best performance I have ever seen from Starke, and very impressed with young Kurtz as well. Big thanks to Pirate Nick

Looking forward to this one. Leaving now,should just make the start.

With friends like you lot.............. By the way, WK, don't humour that one. One minute all batting eyelashes and Miss Jean Brodie accent, the next breathing fire and spitting venom..

Speaking solely for myself, I agree. I would certainly go to both when I am on a southern tour but can usually only do one (Somerset this Friday) although I try to fix it that I attend when they race against each other. They are 100 miles or so apart, though so I don't see too many of the locals taking in both meetings. It used to be worse as Weymouth rode on Fridays too !

At the end of the day, speedway is an entertainment business. It is for the promotion to put out a product that paying customers want and, if they don't, then if the business fails its at least partly their fault. Speedway, in my experience, doesn't attract the level of loyalty that (for example) football does. Having said that, I think you are wrong about what the promotion at Plymouth has (or hasn't) done. Everyone wanted Barker: you got him. There were loud complaints about Lemon being re-signed and Jensen left out; that was reversed. Katajisto has been a huge success and Newman was just starting to put it all together. Reade has been disappointing but I don't blame the promotion giving him another shot, and Benko was worth more than he got at Scunthorpe. You have , in my opinion, one of the best racing tracks in the country down there with a terrific little stadium (again, largely down to the current promotion) with some of the best viewing around. It would be fair to suggest that the team hasn't performed as expected, so I think that on the whole the promotion deserve to be cut a bit of slack. Finally, I am wondering just what you want. 10 points down against Somerset to 10 points up with some top racing thrown in, apparently. To me, it doesn't get better than that..............unless all you are bothered about is the team winning and not really interested in how they do it.

I am a big fan of Vince's posts normally, but here I agree with you. I haven't seen any difference whatsoever - and from comments made, neither has anyone else.

I don't think that's true. What would make my mind up for me was whether I liked it, not whether it was popular with others.

I think this is a very fair post but I am not sure I agree with all of it. I certainly think the point about Leicester's track has been made over and over again but, let's face it, its not just Robert and Volty, its virtually everyone. True, it does become repetitive but the alternative is that no-one says anything, and clearly to me that is the less preferable option. I am not sure about childish but desperate is about right. Desperate to see things improve. You yourself want that; is it more likely to happen if you make noise about it or not ? I am also not sure about Robert but Volty strikes me as a passionate Leicester fan who is upset and frustrated that the team he loves are slowly going down hill as a result of a promoter who apparently thinks that tracks like Scunthorpe are boring and is glad that he doesn't have one like it. That, to me, is the view of someone who doesn't live on this planet. In the end, though, you're right in that it comes down to individual choice and what you do with your money. Isn't it a shame, though, that with the quality of the stadium that you have at BP you have a track that is putting literally hundreds off attending and a promoter who not only refuses to make changes but refuses to even admit they are necessary ? I thought AF's comment was hilarious but the break in is anything but. In truth, it should have attracted more sympathy than it did because no-one wants to see any track suffer a financial loss of this nature.

Fans aren't fooled by cheap teams - ask Sheffield about that one. I can say that their 2012 team done on the cheap in the end cost them very dearly. I don't think they put out 'any old mob'. Remember when Lemon was dropped ? That was a response - unquestionably a very good one - to fans reaction. Barker was the rider everyone down there wanted and they got him, Katajisto has been an excellent signing, and Newman has been riding as well as ever. Jensen has been a bit disappointing but Benko has shown some promise. I think that one change - sadly, it will be Reade - and Plymouth could be a very decent side.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/plymouthdevils This isn't good. I agree with Paulco, though. Plymouth have a good stadium, one of the best racing tracks around, a young attractive team and a promotion who have restored the club's reputation. That's better than most. Its clear that Reade is struggling and while I don't blame the promotion for giving him another shot a change is needed. We'll see. Edit : Look at the match against Somerset. 10 points behind to 10 points in front with some cracking racing thrown in. Precisely what do you want ?

I never had a problem at all, even with my hybrid London/Yorkshire accent. I was genuinely surprised when I was told how bad it could be.

Priceless

Perhaps that's because you have a massive chip on your shoulder about your promoter. I would have thought that the might have spoken volumes, but clearly not to some. Anyway...........thoroughly entertaining meeting with some good racing, particularly from Zagar. Good to see my boy doing well again - couple of important wins over Greenwood and Wright. I couldn't see Cookie moving from where I was but I was delighted to see him do well after some unfair flak that he has had. He never looked liked being beaten.

Is that all ? Either you are losing your touch or the devil has stopped looking after his own

The point is even if you pay base rates you are going to get poleaxed financially. As I have said, King's Lynn will be looking at a bill of £1600 for two meetings against Scunthorpe. Because they have the KO Cup too, that's an astonishing £3,200 they are going to have to find from two NL meetings, which never get big attendances at NA. Heaven only knows how much they will lose and that is a financial burden that no NL club (however wealthy) needs. On the other hand, Scunny will pay out about £1,200 to their riders for all 4 meetings. If 500 people attend home meetings for the double headers, that's £3,000 extra they will make (I think it is £3 more for a doubler header) from running the NL matches. There will be extra expenses for running a double header, but will they be £900 per match more ? I stand corrected; yesterday was the first time I heard that was the case. When are you (and others) going to grasp the fact that unless NL clubs are viable (or reasonably so) there is no bigger picture. And it isn't a single meeting, its every one that the Stags have been in (home and away). I think my figures are reasonably fair. How do you think Buster Chapman is going to react to a £3,200 bill for four matches knowing that has to be met from two NL meetings at NA ? Even if all the other clubs are paying standard rates (and we all know ( just like Scunthorpe when they were a stand alone club) they aren't) they will cost the other teams around £15k over the season while they themselves will probably make money. I had no difficulty with what Scunny were doing until I learnt of the way riders were paid; I most certainly do now. One final point: I stayed to the end yesterday, because I was doing the texting and having a very interesting discussion about all matters speedway. There were very, very few left in the stadium at that time.

Until yesterday, I'd have agreed with you (almost) completely. What has changed my mind is the funding of the clubs. In the EL & PL, the away team receives payment from the home team for each match based upon a standard amount. If a club pays over that, they meet it from their own gate receipts. In the NL, the clubs meet their own costs from home gate receipts alone. Lets say that Scunthorpe & King's Lynn pay standard NL pay rates of £10/10p. Yesterday would have cost Scunny about £300, King's Lynn around £800. The home meeting for the Stars will have cost the same. Given that Scunthorpe run double headers charging £2 or £3 more than normal they will be making money out of the arrangement; I doubt very much that the Stars can afford £1,600 in rider costs from one home meeting. As such, I could make a fair case that Scunthorpe's policy of fielding young riders is being paid for not by them but by every other club in the NL. For that reason, I'll be astonished if they (or anyone else) is allowed to do something similar next season unless funding arrangements change. That's brilliant and it just shows how far a small bit of customer care can go. I can think of one or two promotions who could learn a lesson from that.

Usual good quality EWR meeting which would have been much closer if Newman had ridden. Douglas impressive again, Benko deserved more, Birks and Jorgensen a concern.

Scunny will be making a change this week.

When I first went to Newcastle in 2004 I used to go in the Fosse every time, usually to watch the football. The beer was good, the company as good and on occasion I was asked to help finish off a buffet (and didn't need to be asked twice). When I told a few pals at Brough, they were horrified. It is, apparently, one of the roughest pubs in Newcastle. That's staying, Paul, not drinking You might recall I have experience of drinking with you two

He was very, very impressive indeed. I think you make a very fair point there. I learnt something today : NL tracks pay their own costs. As such, Scunthorpe will give King's Lynn nothing towards their rider expenses today, so the Stars (who I think its fair to say aren't a win at all cost team) must be looking at about £1,000.

That's the chap. It would help if he cracked a smile once or twice but I can't fault his pub. Excellent real ale, big breakfast and spotless rooms for a reasonable price - and you can walk to the track. I can recommend a few other places to stay if anyone is interested.

He travelled to Edinburgh for PL matches at the back end of last season and indeed signed for them (only to be ruled out by injury). From Barnsley, Poole is about the same distance. According the BSPA site, Smart was (for some extraordinary reason) higher.