Halifaxtiger

I'd echo (from albeit limited experience)what Sarah says on this page but from reading the reports I think what Richard did was wrong - a team manager just can't go out and start preparing gating positions. The thing is though is that this is so out of character that there must have been some pretty exceptional circumstances that prevailed at the time and provoked him to act as he did, and I really don't think that aspect can be overlooked. I doubt very much if there wasn't something there to cause him to react in the way he did.

I wouldn't dispute a word of that, Vince. The thing is though is that it is better to have your paying customers to tell you what is wrong so that you can at least attempt to put it right than have them just walk away. The base hasn't broken up, it was exposed - it looked like large flat stones to me on the first corner.

I think telling everyone to come and have a go for themselves is both a red herring and a cheap shot. Personally, I think most people are taking the opportunity as a paying customer to complain and they have that right. Squall is right; dust isn't pleasant but on a day like Sunday its not unexpected. However, the base was showing on the first two corners and I lost count of how many riders either lost it or fell on the mid point on the 3rd/4th turns. Sunday was my first visit this season so I don't know what it has been like before but I am told that it hasn't been good at all, so it seems it was more the rule than the exception. One or two of the remarks made here are unnecessary and you don't deserve them. I suspect that many would echo my thoughts when I say that I would take the greatest pleasure next Sunday if I was able to come on here and tell everyone that it had improved because Michael Lee is certainly right about the fact that Buxton is a terrific little set up.

Not that I am aware of, no. I think for riders to stop riding circumstances would have to be absolutely exceptional - I certainly can't recall the last time a meeting was stopped half way through because of track conditions that weren't due to rain. This is what Michael Lee had to say in the Mildenhall website: 'The track conditions were very disappointing and the falls and crashes caused by that, lost us at least seven points. It's shame as, if the surface was right, it could be a great little speedway.........But to be honest, in the end I am just glad the boys are all in one piece after riding on a track like that.' I really hope you can sort it out a bit because you both deserve better than getting all this flak.

I usually call things how I see it but Buxton is one of the very few tracks that cause me to pause before I am critical, and that's because of the regard that I have for the job that you, Richard, Jack and others do up there. We all know its run on a shoestring and rarely have I seen speedway fans so united in their pleasure at a team being successful as they were when Buxton made a virtual clean sweep last season. The thing is though that that track on Sunday wasn't just bad, it was positively dangerous and in all my visits I don't think I have seen it like that before. The almost universal criticism was, in my view, fully justified and that simply has to change. I'll be there this Sunday (weather permitting) and would be the first to make comment if it has improved.

I'd be interested to know precisely how he is able to ride but I have had it on very good authority (not from anyone at Mildenhall ) that he is eligible to take his place in the NL. Have to say, though, that speedway's reputation for bent practices is so pronounced you can't rule something crooked out

Funny how when a team rides well its nothing to do with the team manager but when they ride badly it is (ask Swindon about that one). I'd say the change made by Richard Hollingsworth in heat 14 probably won Scunthorpe the match so it was everything to do with him and, before anyone says it was obvious, Mildenhall lost at Buxton yesterday and anyone who was there would have a very good point if they said that that was down to the failure to give Cameron Heeps his full quota of rides.

I certainly wasn't there and indeed don't condone the actions of a team manager who apparently started raking his own riders gate position. What I can say is that those actions are entirely out of character (when has anyone heard of him doing anything like that before ?) and hence almost certainly as a result of the situation at the time. In addition, I have no doubt at all that it was due to his riders complaining about what was happening out there and the very fact that he did do something so unusual actually points to there being something wrong. Further more, as I have said, he is anything but the first team manager to stand on the centre green nor the first to make his feelings clear out there. I have seen the aforementioned Mr Rogers (who is very much a professional )do both several times and he is far from alone.

Have a day off, please. I suggest you look at the result before accusing Richard Hollingsworth of being a bad team manager with the wrong intentions because his team won

...........and overreacting rubbish too. I don't know Richard well but I have met him on a couple of occasions and he has always struck me as a modest, self-effacing man who far from wanting to be the centre of attention prefers to stay in the background and get on with his job. Further more, no-one can or would underestimate his contribution to Scunthorpe Speedway. Having read the Newport-Scunny thread and having no reason to doubt the circumstances stated, given the fact that I have never seen or heard of him taking any form of similar action in the past it seems to me he thought he had cause to take such exceptional steps and I doubt very much if he did it off his own bat - more likely that his team were complaining that the start line staff were favouring Newport and, without casting aspersions, they wouldn't be the first to do that. As to apologising, get real. I have lost count of the number of team managers or promoters who stand on the centre green during races and those that have had hissy fits out there (whether that is for genuine reason or show (or both) I am not so sure). Both Robert Henry and Jack Lee were stood on the centre green at Buxton yesterday at one point or another, Gary Spiller did it at Plymouth on Saturday and Mike Bowden had one of the aforementioned hissy fits when James Holder scythed Mark Simmonds down at St Boniface, running along the track waving his arms about.

I think it was the words 'Australian ringer' that Kev objected to, and I can't say I am surprised. I also think that there are quite a few (me included)who would be interested to know just how Heeps has been cleared to ride. He may have a British passport, but he might have an Australian one as well. I do know that both the ACU and immigration authorities were involved but 'by all accounts' he is eligible for the NL despite the ban on Australian riders remaining in force. There's no doubt he will benefit not just Mildenhall but the NL as well. My only difficulty would be is if that was at the expense of bending or twisting regulations to achieve that and given how crooked speedway can be that would come as no surprise. Then again, as one wise and practical fan said to me yesterday, 'if I was a Mildenhall fan I couldn't care how he got clearance' (although it was put in slightly different terms) As to your final paragraph, I think you will find that Kev is the same and would agree.

When Blackbird got excluded for starting offences, I was pretty certain that Heeps did not come out as he was to replace the injured Hargreaves in heat 13 and was astonished when he didn't. To be honest, he should have been out in heat 10 to replace Halsey or Jacobs who were both struggling. To be fair to those two lads (and all riders, in fact) the track was a disgrace and Squall's comments above would be echoed by almost everyone at the stadium.

Little harsh. He didn't ride well today but virtually none of the riders looked comfortable on a track that Squall has correctly described as 'dangerous'(and another observer viewed as a 'sh$theap'), the number of falls and bad mistakes being considerable. Heeps was simply superb - better than North or Poole I'd say at this stage - and he was the only one who didn't lose control at some point. I can't understand why he wasn't given 7 rides, a mistake that may cost Mildenhall dear. Mark Baseby was impressive and Hargreaves, although in considerable pain, solid. Blackbird's exclusion in heat 11 was fully justified because he was warned to sit still but did not do so the second time. I can't help but have some sympathy for him because most referees seem to me to just let riders get away with it and while you can debate the matter forever the one thing that we must have is consistency.

That's been my experience on occasion too. Quite happy to take the money and watch the speedway but when someting kicks off they are hiding in the toilets. Up at Workington once for a PL fours, I was in early and there was this fat sod with his hi-vis jacket bullying a couple of young kids for sitting on a stanchion bar. The words 'my jobs worth' were definitely mentioned. When some nutcase from Glasgow stripped off, climbed over the safety fence and starting running on the track, the aforementioned person was most reluctant to chase him. Bloody hilarious watching him shift his bulk over the fence and on to the track and trying running after the culprit, though. They aren't all like that. I know a certain person from West Row who is anything but.

Not the best meeting I have seen this season Far too many processional races on a slick, hard & dry track and Stoke's gating technique was far superior to Dudley's, hence the big win. Biggest crowd I think I have ever seen at Loomer Road in about 15 visits The apparent 'misunderstanding' between the promotion and medical staff suggests to me that the two hour delay was probably the fault of Stoke Speedway. Have to say I wasn't bothered too much because Bluejam and I spent most of it reminiscing about past times and closed down speedway tracks as he, Vog & I turned progressively redder. Speaking of Vog, he seemed rather stunned at his teams performance (certainly quieter than usual ) and I had to smile at one Dudley fans comment as he watched his team ripped apart in the early heats: 'Two @@@@ing hours baking for this sh@t'

Am coming down, so I'll see you there.

Not sure, Kev, but it was bloody stupid not to have them (I can only suggest saving money). Wasn't keen on Hargreaves signing for Mildenhall but the lad has definitely won me over. He always gives 100% and pulled off a terrific team ride to keep Blackbird in front of Dudley.

Usually see a good meeting at Newport but this wasn't one of them - aside from a fantastic race between Richie Worrall and Jason Garrity. Gate must have been disappointing, 400 or so at most. Congratulations to Stoke, worthy winners and a quick mention for the Fen Tigers - somewhat unfancied, I suspect, but a very fine performance which deserved a place in the bizarrely and sadly missing semi finals.

I think that is the crux of the matter. Perhaps what it needs is a compulsory place in each NL team for an U16 competitor and a compulsory place in PL one for a British NL rider with a maximum age limit. I agree with Iris, Vince, in that I don't think anyone is saying that. However, it is undoubtedly true to suggest that the acquisition of Dakota North & Taylor Poole made a huge difference at Mildenhall, and I suspect that the same would be said of Mickey Dyer & Jake Anderson at Dudley & Nick Morris & Robert Branford at Buxton (for example). There were just 5 riders in the U15 championship last year and although there a lot more this year Jayne's point about lack of youngsters seems true to me. That's not the whole point, though. There is a balance between viability and development (lets face it if stand alone clubs are not viable development will be halved) and for that reason I firmly believe that there is a case to allow limited numbers of foreign riders into the NL.

'All the foreigners' makes it sound like the NL was dominated by them. In actual fact, just 7 Australians rode in the NL last season to any degree and 3 of them are still there (Herne, Kurtz & Branford). I am with Kev and many others on this one. One foreigner per team does affect the prospects of British riders but still means that fully 90% of places are reserved for them and we gain the undoubted crowd pulling riders that come from down under. To me, that's a price worth paying. I'll reserve judgement on the Heeps issue until I have heard what Mildenhll and the BSPA have to say officially but if he can't ride the NL will be poorer for his absence.

Correct decision, though - it rained solidly until about 9pm.

I'll be there at the end of a week long southern tour. Good field, with several pairs in the running.

Mildenhall might not gain financially from Heeps but to suggest they will not benefit from him being here is utter rubbish. If he does ride for the Tigers and he is as good as his reputation suggests, I would say that they will go from a team in with a shout of winning the league to clear favourites as they will potentiallybe replacing a 3.00 rider with a 6-7.00 one. Where SMS are concerned, knowing Troy Dudley & Gerry Pearson personally they are men of absolute integrity who will dispose of funds in a way that they see fit and as a member of SMS I am quite happy to leave that to them. Who do you think paid for the transfer fees ? Mildenhall ? What with ? Blackbird was actually swapped with Rayson, an Ipswich asset. I'd say it is quite clear that Mildenhall will be used as a feeder track for Ipswich, quite possibly with Ipswich contributing financially in the future towards its costs. If it continues in existence for that reason alone (and I doubt if anyone takes speedway at West Row from season to season for granted) I suspect that that would be enough for most Fen Tigers fans.

I think Malcolm and I agree more than we disagree (although when we do disagree it tends to be somewhat violently) but there's no doubt here he is dead right, both in terms of the letter and spirit of the applicable regulations. Whether we happen to agree with those regulations (and I don't) is an entirely separate issue.

Definitely a bully, that one. Had me in tears many times I was talking to a current rider at Wolverhampton on Tuesday night and he was saying that tracks now running stock car meetings believe it is safe to simply stick an air fence in front of a concrete or steel wall when in his opinion it is anything but. According to him, the problem comes when a rider goes under the fence and smashes into a rigid barrier behind, and I think he very much has a point. Very fair question and I doubt if you are the only one who wants an answer. Mildenhall clearly think he can ride while Buxton's Jayne Moss (amongst others) has said he can't. As far as I can make out from applicable legislation if he has a british passport he is eligible, if he hasn't he can't because patriality only kicks in when you are 17. This is speedway though, and rules don't always count. One thing is certain: as FT79 as said, we will found out soon enough.