Halifaxtiger

I don't think the points limit is an issue - at least not to that extent. Most NL fans (be they from stand alone or double up tracks) would accept 40pts, and that's certainly a lot higher than Rob Godfrey, for example, wanted last year. I don't wish to doubt your word but I have had 5 opinions on this from people who claim they know the truth. Those opinions differ quite considerably, so I retain an open mind on this subject.

Not quite right, Ray. The reason this person has not tried to stop the noise from the airbase is simply because they can't. You can bet your life that if they could they would have done. What you have to understand in this is precisely where West Row stadium is - its literally in the middle of nowhere, with less than 20 houses within noisy earshot. Given that the end of the runway is right opposite the track, its difficult to imagine a more appropriate position for a place where stocks, Moto X & speedway take place. Its true to suggest there is noise late at night and during weekends. What you have to remember is that planning permission has been granted by the local authority and Dave Coventry has complied with many restrictions and recommendations that they have made. Clearly, they think that the circumstances are OK. What you can't get past is that this person moved in in the full knowledge that the stadium and the Moto X track where nearby. As I have said before, you don't move into a lighthouse if you don't like the sea, and their unjustifiable selfishness threatens the enjoyment that hundreds get from the speedway and thousands get from the stocks.

Do you actually know how the vote went or is this wild speculation ? That is true. The council, though, did differentiate between the speedway and the stock cars when serving noise orders. Whatever Jonathan Chapman might have said, he didn't get one. The speedway takes about 3 hours at most on a Sunday afternoon and rarely after 7.30pm, and the noise is intermittent. The stocks go on until midnight occasionally and when I stayed over at the stadium once the track was still being graded at 2am. I think the stocks and the moto cross rather than the speedway are the problem but I doubt if that will be taken into account.

I don't think we will know this until the BSPA actually state the precise grounds for the refusal - and not just something as general as money and the stadium - and I don't think they will do that. To my mind,and even allowing for reasonable confidentiality, that does them no good because there could be totally acceptable grounds for their decision that entirely rebut Steve Ribbons case. What's worse, it leaves them constantly open to allegations of selfishness and underhand practice that could be entirely untrue. One thing is certain and that is Mr Ribbons has damaged his own standing with Mildenhall fans by his outbursts on here. Even if you felt that his initial action to lay open his side of events was correct (and I do) a willingness to be personally abusive is absolutely unacceptable from someone who wanted to run a speedway club, whatever the provocation.

Just read the background to that case and based upon albeit limited information it does seem similar. I just don't understand the logic. It seems to set a precedent that any person, anywhere, can close down anything. It means that a person can move next door to a cat food factory, complain about the smell and have the factory closed down. Lets face it, if you don't like the sea, you don't move into a lighthouse. My first question to anyone in such a situation here is if you don't like noise, why did you move in, particularly bearing in mind that the speedway track is right at the end of runway of a RAF air base ?

Wrong of me to criticise, but I suspect that a lot of NL riders don't use new tyres anyway. I am sure his Dad will correct me, but I suspect the only time Oliver Rayson uses new tyres is on the rare occasions that I might buy him one.

I certainly would, Iris. But 'league membership' or 'promotional rights' fees aren't among them. What have they got to do with the financial security of the track ?

Aside from the fact that I am not sure where you got £10k from, nor did Steve Ribbons. There's no way that he can be held accountable for what has happened in the past. If they wanted a bigger bond, why not just say so at the outset and state that that is because of what has happened in the past ? Every Mildenhall fan would have understood that. I think Iris is dead right. The decision to exclude Mildenhall is nothing to do with finances or the stadium, its about spite and vindictiveness.

I think the difference is that Coventry/Peterborough are merely being asked to comply to legislation that will apply to the rest of the league. Mildenhall are being asked to comply to conditions that certainly seem to be set out for them and them alone. I wonder if Hackney Hawks or Stoke Potters (or any other new club for that matter)have been asked for a 'league membership' or 'promotional rights' fee.

I think its fair point to suggest that Mildenhall represent a risk given what has happened in the past and to ask for stronger guarantees from a potential promoter. The thing is you don't do that a week before the AGM and over the phone, you make it absolutely clear as soon as someone gets involved then everyone knows where they stand before they start making actual plans for a takeover and informing everyone that that is likely to happen. More to the point, have Leicester ?

I think we will undoubtedly get something but there's absolutely no way that it will be in enough depth or answer the points that Steve Ribbons and other posters here have raised. Steve has put them in the public domain, so as far as I can see the BSPA have every right and reason to respond in the same way, rebutting his arguments and stating their case in full. They won't do that. If questioned, they will probably refer to confidentiality but there will remain the strong suspicion that their actions simply cannot be justified. I don't think there is a single forum member that would dispute that their decisions are at least partly based upon pure selfishness and whether faces fit. Openness and transparency wherever possible breeds trust, the opposite mistrust. Its little wonder that over 80% of speedway supporters want some form of independent control of the sport. Your first point is my major issue, too. Its about inconsistency, spite and selfishness having a place in decision making when they should be entirely absent. Being clear from the start has been raised by Nikko and Neil and you're all correct.

Good post You'd think that the BSPA would do everything possible to help a prospective promotion, wouldn't you ? Here, they seem to have done quite the opposite.

The thing is Screm is that it seems to me that the reason for Mildenhall not being in the NL is because Steve Ribbons face doesn't fit. That's pretty hard to stomach.

Malcolm Vasey, Jonathan Chapman, Dave Hoggart, Rob Godfrey Jayne Moss & Dale Allitt are all more or less regular contributors to this forum and quite often don't mince their words. That's another BSPA rule : one law for one, one law for another.

I am glad that Steve Ribbons has chosen to post his thoughts on here and in some detail, becuse we certainly won't get that from the BSPA. What we will get is a short statement about the stadium and finances, completely disregarding many relevant questions that are undeniably applicable. In addition, aside from Speedy Star, I am not too certain where he might have put his case publicly and to those who are particularly interested. What a heinous crime that someone comes on here and posts details out in the open that should be made public anyway. Why on earth should Mildenhall fans be denied the full reasoning for the decision to refuse to allow their track to open ? Maybe there are reasons for these conditions. One thing is certain, though: we will never get to know what they are.

I have said elsewhere that BSPA decision making is shabby, inconsistent and selfish and this has elements of all three. Why has Steve Ribbons been refused a promoters licence if he has never had it withdrawn, suspended or revoked ? Has David Hemsley paid £5,000 for 'promotional rights' at Leicester ? Since when has the BSPA had the right to charge for such rights ? Why has a league membership fee been charged when that has never apparently been the case before ? Why have the ongoing difficulties with the stadium been mentioned, when it would be a simple matter to either allow Mildenhall in on the proviso that the action was successful, or merely defer a decision until it is ? I would fully share a desire to ensure that sufficient finances were in place to avoid a repitition of last years mid season closure. It might even be the case that the bond required is increased because of a possibility of a significant risk. But for heavens sake lets be up front about it and not try and charge spurious figures under stupid headings for that purpose. You can't help but think that the BSPA will do anything in their power to stop a new promoter (or quite possibly this new promoter)reviving an old track, when in fact it should be very much the opposite. As soon as it was clear that Steve Ribbons was intent on taking over, everything that could be done should have been done to make a successful takeover possible by making clear what would be expected, indulging in dialogue and trying to clear hurdles. Nothing of the kind has been attempted. Having said that, I don't know why I am surprised by that. I have never heard a good word about Peter Morrish (whose responsibility that would be)and probably never will.

I'd say commonwealth riders on 7.00 and be a little more flexible on the points limit (either up or down)depending on how many teams are in and what the pool of riders are, but otherwise I agree.

That's a very useful looking outfit and an absolute vindication of Rob Godfrey's decision to run an NL side.

David Crane indicates that Sittingbourne are in the NL on the Mildenhall website Speedy Star indicates two interested parties at Weymouth but this is subject to a reduction in the astonishing rent that is charged for the Wessex stadium - over a year, its higher than Poole's

Well said indeed I think these comments pretty much sum up my own experiences of the NL and how I feel about those who are critical of it and refuse to attend simply because it is NL. There's absolutely no difference between the quality of the racing at NL level when compared with the PL & EL.

Gods holy trousers Nikko at an away match, and one outside East Anglia at that Furthest I have seen you travel is Peterborough

I certainly didn't see that one coming. 30 minutes door to door for me and as the racing can't possibly be worse than the EL at Kirky Lane I'll certainly be giving it a try on NL nights. An away trip with the Fen Tigers (fingers crossed)on a week night that I don't have to take a day off for

Consistent at least My own view has changed slightly, mainly thanks to Dale Allitt's eloquent persuasion. For the forthcoming season, I believe that a points limit should be set based upon 4 factors: the pool of riders available for the NL, the financial viability of the clubs, the development of British youngsters and the differing needs of the constituent members.I am sure that some sort of agreement could be reached on that basis, but have no idea what the figure would be. Bluntly, to make a decision to reduce (or indeed increase)the current limit with regard to only one of those factors would in my opinion be both foolish and, quite possibly, selfish. To suggest that Mildenhall would have survived based on a lower points limit is pure optimistic speculation and nothing else. I believe you advocated a 36pt limit at the end of 2009, which would have meant that Mildenhall would have started the 2010 season with a line up of Evans, Priest, Rayson, Jacobs and............3 3pt (or so) riders. That would be the same for all of the clubs, and I certainly don't know of 30 such riders. Nor does Jayne Moss, because she took issue with you over that specific subject on the pages of this forum, nor, too, does Laurence Rogers, stating to me at Dudley one night that they just don't exist. As such, that suggestion was completely impractical. In addition, it doesn't just mean 30 riders for that season, but for every season afterwards, with the undoubted possibility that some youngsters on a 6 or 7pt average would be squeezed out. Its true to suggest that a lower points limit would involve lower costs. Even on NL rates, based upon what I know Mildenhall would still need 300 paying adults to break even. According to Ray Mascall, they weren't getting that and while the losses would have been more sustainable, who is to say that the club still would not have folded ? That also overlooks whether gates would have remained the same without the likes of Hart, Lambert, Smart, Herne, Simmonds etc - the drawcards at NL level (never mind those who would have refused to ride for £10 a point). Would everyone who paid £10 to watch the Fen Tigers (and every other club) have continued to do so when each team had at least two novices ? One only has to read the comments about fans leaving due to lowering points levels in the EL for the answer to that, and while the amateur meetings I have seen are generally entertaining no-one goes despite the fact that entry is free. I am nearly as keen on youth development as you are (I followed Adam Kirby to places as far apart as Workington and Plymouth last season to watch him compete in the U15's) but that cannot be at the expense of everything else.

I think we all hope for deep pockets but in that we are no different to the majority of speedway supporters because most tracks lose money. Bloody hell, Steve. He'll be leaving the country with you making statements like that With one notorious exception, I have always found Dave and his brother Ron to be very reasonable indeed and it seems that Simon (who had a lot more contact) did too. It must not be forgotten that he is a businessman (not a charity) and therefore he will get a deal that suits him. Having said that, he will be very much aware that he can make a few quid on Sundays by having the speedway at West Row or alternatively make nothing by having it empty on that day. Great post . Agree completely

I thought I was done with the Fen Tigers last June Possibly not Like the venerable Mr Barton says, let's see who they are first. They are going to have to be something pretty dreadful (Proud Potter, perhaps ) to put me off. Isn't it amazing that the news of the return of the Fen Tigers is announced in the same post as a fan saying they will not be going any more..........