Halifaxtiger

From what I saw yesterday before the meeting - young lads raiding a bottle bank and throwing them at each other - not much.

It was the collective groan on the back straight when he said 'time for a war cry' and of the subsequent comments 'bugger off' was about the only one I could put on here. Not so much apathetic as dispirited if you ask me, but it still made me laugh. Not a bad meeting - not much passing, but close enough to keep things interesting. Grajczonek never looked like getting beaten, Aspgren & Bunyan were impressive and Thomsen looks like a good signing.

Definitely one of the best gates I have seen at Berwick and very encouraging to see. I also noted posters all over the town, another sign of the significant efforts made by,the promotion. Not much passing but still entertaining, Bellago especially impressive.

While I think Pandorum is wrong and that this will be built I can very much understand his pessimism. It seems bizarre to me that the council has appointed the builders but are waiting for planning permission............from the council. While I recognise that the circumstances are different, it seemed to take 5 minutes for Tony Mole to get planning permission at Odsal.

Dead right. Occasionally, things are entirely out of the control of the promotion but some can't wait to blame them anyway.

I thought it was Cook's fault on the basis that there was contact (my view on the day wasn't a good one). If there was none, the rider who caused the accident was Bellego because he lost control of his own accord. I really don't see how a rider can be adjudged to be the cause of a crash if he makes a clean pass.

As to the red lights, its the first time I have come across someone saying they are inadequate in day time meetings, and that's bearing in mind I have been about 50 times to Mildenhall. I absolutely agree about the announcer, though - they do it at Stoke. The problem with telling people about a dispute over tyres - which I believe was between riders and the BSPA - is that it sounds a bit like washing dirty linen in public. I think there are certain times when it is better that reasons are not given (even allowing for the effect on spectators) and this was one.

I don't want to say i told you so but.................... Great post, Dave. I was going to say how much such posts are valued but SCB said it better than I could. Absolutely spot on , I couldn't agree more. Sometimes I get the opinion that promotions regard fans as a set of imbeciles, tolerated solely for the money they spend. In actual fact, the overwhelming majority of fans genuinely care about the sport, are concerned about falling gates and income and want it to grow and prosper. In that, the only difference between supporters and promotions is financial involvement. So when we get a honest, fair and reasonable opinion from a member of speedway's management that interfaces with us all and treats us as fellow fanatics it is greatly valued and appreciated.

Spinny's right. Part of the reason the meeting is held at Peterborough is because the fans wanted it there, and many have complained about the fact that meetings (such as PLRC) aren't held on neutral tracks. Damned if you, damned if you don't it seems to me. I'd certainly agree about the car parking charge (if that was down to the BSPA) as doubling it for a big meeting simply isn't on. I'd also agree that there should have been a second paramedic for such an event, although that wouldn't have helped when Tungate & Bellego crashed. I have some sympathy about the track. Yes, it could have been better but its acknowledged that stifling heat and moderate winds are a a nightmare for a track man. Efforts were made to keep the dust down, but constant watering affects the quality of the surface (it becomes like ice). On the whole and given the weather conditions, I have no complaints partly because there was some excellent racing. I doubt if the red lights were changed from what are usually there. The delays over the tyres and the starting gate were annoying, but I can't blame the announcer for not telling the audience that there was a squabble over the number of tyres allocated. To be honest, if there had been no crashes and no two hour delay (which would have prevented to a degree by two paramedics) I think everyone would probably have been very happy with the day.

I didn't have a good view of this but I was told that there was contact. If Rob is right, though, then the correct decision was made because its a matter of Bellego losing control.

A few observations. There must be at least a possibility that the car park charge is set by the Showground, not by the BSPA or Peterborough Speedway (if it is either of the latter, they should think again because that's a rip off). This meeting (given that it has twice as many heats as a normal league match) would probably have taken 3 and a half hours anyway with the need for an interval between the semi finals and final. Of the additional two hours, an hour and a half at least was taken up by the crashes involving Howarth, Tungate & Bellego. Amazing (and brilliant) that none of those riders aren't seriously injured. Some absolutely cracking racing, especially an astonishing last to first in one bend by Grajczonek. The track could still have been better but on a blazing hot day with the occasional breeze I don't think anyone can really complain about that (or the dust). I didn't have a good view, but I thought Cook was responsible for the crash and should have been excluded. I can understand anyone leaving before the end and but for texting duties I would probably have done so myself. 5 and a half hours is simply too long and while it can be argued that that is not the fault of the BSPA if measures can be put in place to avoid such delays they should be. Having endured a 2 hour wait at Rye House recently and another near hour one at Leicester the night before, its little wonder that people's patience is being tried. The delays certainly wouldn't put me off coming again.

I don't I'd say that every team having an equal opportunity at the start of every season is one of the sports strong points, particularly when successful teams can use their financial muscle to ensure that they stay successful. Its something Poole, for example, have managed to do with the odd exception for many years despite the restrictions of the points limit. Better that than having a football style situation where 5 or so clubs are guaranteed to dominate and the rest are nothing more than also rans season after season after season with no prospect of winning anything meaningful.

Rules and in particular the bending of them annoy me intensely. But there's no way I'll give up on the sheer excitement of 4 nutcases on bikes without brakes because of that. If that's adjudication of disputes, completely agree, Strip off next week at Foxhall and run round the track naked. Everyone will know who you are then !! The media took speedway very seriously indeed in the 1970's when it was Britain's second most popular spectator sport, despite the fact that guests were permitted then. Its not taken seriously now because it is a minority sport. Two of the best reasons why people go : good weather and good racing. Completely agree. Prepare tracks for your paying customers,not your paid employees.

I would have thought that if there was one fan in speedway who is definitely not (and indeed won't be) 'billy no mates' its you.

I have heard next season they are introducing a rule in speedway where certain riders can only go on certain parts of the track at certain times depending on where opposition riders are, the opposition riders trying to catch them out all the time. Could you possibly get anything more ridiculous than that ? Football has it, its called offside (so any speedway fan can be thankful we don't have stupid rules like that). My point is not to show that football's rules are stupid, but that any comparison of the rules not just between speedway and football but between any two sports is utterly worthless.

My view is (and will remain)that I will support anything that makes our sport more attractive to paying customers and if that involves contriving matters (your word, not mine) so be it. There are few more races in the sport that are more potentially exciting than last heat deciders for the match points. What that rule change does is substantially increase that possibility. As an example, the Somerset supporters at Rye House last Saturday week went nuts when their team got a 5-1 in the last heat and thereby gained a point. Without the scoring system, the match would have been dead about heat 10.

Quite. On a free for all, wealthy clubs dominate and the others, unable to keep up, go into a downward spiral towards extinction. I agree with your reasoning in that everyone gets a fair chance. Not only that, clubs that are financially successful off track can use their funds to build better teams on track. The price you pay is that teams are split up but, to me, its far better than the alternative. I thought the points scoring system was ridiculous when they brought it in but not any more. It keeps more meetings alive than the old bonus point system without a doubt. Agree with tactical rides. The scoring is virtually the same as tactical substitutes but the money paid is massively less. As an example, a team are to put out no 2 and no 7 in heat, both on £40 a point. Result 1-5. Cost £40. Tactical subs come out, no 1 and no 3, both on £70 a point. Result 5-1. Cost £420. One heat additional cost £380 - that's terrifying. I still don't understand rolling averages, so I can't comment on it. What is daft is that qualification for the Fours is based on them. Absolutely spot on about social net working. I still maintain that speedway is about four blokes on bikes without brakes and just don't get these who don't go any more because of tactical rides, points limits or any other rule. Setting tracks up to suit paying customers rather than paid riders to me would be a start.

The sport is rife with examples like that. Two friends of mine refuse to go to one northern track after exactly the same response from the promoter. Another friend of mine works all year round at one southern track. Being a bit of a handyman, he travelled every day to the track during the winter to do repairs and renovations, and all for nothing. When he asked for a couple of complimentaries for some friends who were coming to stay, he was refused. Needless to say, he doesn't do it any more. One more friend was booted out of the pits at one southern track, despite the fact that there is a possibility that that track would not be in existence without his contribution. Then there's one of our most prolific postyers, who no longer attends a northern track after he was roundly abused by the promoter. The sheer ingratitiude and appallling customer care on occasion leaves me totally exasperated. I should say that they are not all like that. King's Lynn's Dale Allitt and Sheffield's Dave Hoggart are two that I have found to be very approachable and reasonable (even if you are being critical) and I have a lot of time for Coventry's Laurence Rogers and Blayne Scroggins and Plymouth's Ashley Taylor.

Get racing like heat 15 at Owlerton on Thursday and I suspect that no-one would care what is going on. It was brilliant. I find that there a huge number of people who are critical of the sport in its present form but few (if any) are able to come with something different. Speedway is all about 4 blokes on bikes without brakes and you can't change it that much. That's why its been the same for decades, not because the BSPA are a set of idiots. I remain absolutely unconvinced, though, that every effort is made to attract and retain paying customers. Everything should be based upon what they want, not what anyone else wants. As an example, there has been an enormous amount of criticism of Leicester's track over the last few years, yet the recent Somerset meeting showed that the problem certainly isn't the much maligned shape. You have to ask yourself why, if it was as good as reported, it hasn't been like that for the past 3 seasons.

There's no question about the fact that Smart is heavier than he used to be. While his injuries were horrific, at the end of the day the bottom line is about scoring points. Vog (as usual) is right - he's simply not doing that in the manner expected. The reaction of the crowd last night when he was named in heat 15 said what they think about the situation.

Probably because Wells had outscored him in the meeting and Hall is always capable of pulling something off in that heat. In addition, there maybe a slight reluctance to use a guest. Whatever the case, I thought Sheffield got it right. A good meeting, with enough decent racing to shut up a few of those knocking the track recently. Can only echo others comments about Hall's brilliant win in heat 15. There was enough there to suggest that while the Tigers will not make the play offs they will be a handful for anyone now, and what was especially pleasing was the battling efforts by pretty much the whole team.

That's harsh. Yes, the delay was both very frustrating and ridiculously long but I don't think anyone in speedway can be blamed for that. This sort of thing happens at every track and is hardly uncommon. Although the length of the delay was exceptional, so were the circumstances.

Agreed. There were a couple of good races but for most of the,meeting the outside didn't work at all, and gathercole in particular suffered for it. The track needed watering again after the track was graded following heat 11 but that wasn't done. One question : why grade the track and then let the kids run on it ?

Quite agree, one of my favourite tracks too. I am coming down on Friday after breaking the journey on Thursady at Swindon. Just had a report that there is yachting and power boat racing on the Sound on Friday/Saturday.

I think that would have been enough. To be honest, I ignore him now. Its quite clear he has a major axe to grind and such people's comments are not worth reading and certainly not worth responding to.