Halifaxtiger

Whatever this is, it isn't just a 'bang on the head'. If it was Bewley would be riding again. I saw the crash and it was horrible. Moreover, I had a first hand account of how he was afterwards and he had all the signs of concussion. According to a recent article in an Edinburgh newspaper, Bewley is still having CT scans and is having a problem with balance. Phil might have been a bit over pessimistic with his comments but given that is a number of weeks after the crash, there is cause for concern.

Could it be the case that the reason Kelvin Tatum is awaiting the outcome of the AGM before making a decision but has also been disappointed with the attitude of riders (although that isn't the reason why he is considering giving up his position at Lakeside) ? Only hearsay, but I heard a story about one team managers vitriolic criticism of his number 1 the other day so this is hardly new or confined to Lakeside. Furthermore, when Tatum was riding he was known for his professionalism - perhaps some of those in his care haven't matched up. Philip Rising is one of the sports most respected and experienced journalists. I doubt very much that he is going to come on here and publicly tell a blatant untruth about a statement made by one of its most high profile figures.

I think you need to elaborate a bit, because that's awful. I know the injuries weren't supposed to be serious but from reading more up to date newspaper reports it looks like there could be more to it than was first believed.

Clearly they got it wrong very badly today. Most others had the rain coming in about 10pm, so they weren't that far out. The one that was shocking was last Friday. I was down in Brentwood, Essex, and we had an amber ('take action') warning for rain. That means, to me, get the sandbags out. Others had predicted heavy rain(but nowhere near as much) around lunchtime, stopping about 4pm. What we actually got was persistent but medium rain from 12 until 4. As Lakeside had the same forecast, they would almost certainly have called the meeting off but for its importance. I think what gets me is how the Met Office get it so wrong, so many times, while others get it right. With one major exception (a meeting on the Isle of Wight) when forecasts are different it is consistently like that. You should see what he does smoke

I think you're right as will anyone else who saw him go round Steve Worrall at Newcastle the other week.

Make no mistake, the Met Office report was heavy rain starting at 10.00am and continuing until late evening (see my post at 07.32am). They have got it completely wrong - for anything but the first time. This meeting could have been on, but the promotion cannot be blamed in the slightest for the postponement. What I don't get is how they get it so wrong when others got it so right

I think its an excellent post, too. Regarding riders, I think its fair to say that the PLRC got a barrage of criticism for (one or two heats aside) being a very poor meeting indeed. A contact tells me that the riders were unhappy about the amount of grip on the track and there was a major blade half way through the meeting, to make the track easier to ride (and, of course, much harder to pass). I could make fair argument that they are therefore at least partly responsible for the quality of the meeting and that their attitude will drive fans away. They'll still expect to get paid, of course. Promoters need to grow a pair and stop pandering to riders. Prepare tracks putting the interests and wishes of paying customers above those of paid employees and tell the latter to get on with it.

No Cake ? That's because you had no helper this week

I thought the crowd against Swindon was a good one - indeed, I am sure Andy Young said 'make sure you all come again' or something of that nature. I wonder how many would have been there if there hadn't been a play off place at stake ? Ipswich on the Thursday was the same for what would have been, but for the play offs, a dead rubber.

Met Office forecast is awful at the moment and I have promised my maniac chauffeur I'd let him know this morning. As others are predicting entirely differently, I'll be angry if those cretins get it completely wrong again - as they did, disastrously, at Lakeside last Friday.

Telling the truth would be a starter.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/workington-comets/latest/article/Workington-Comets-owner-warns-over-future-of-speedway-team-53f044bd-ca3b-44d4-805b-b5f795c52ee4-ds Some might say that such warnings are nothing new but I believe there is genuine cause to be concerned for the future of Workington Comets. I'd definitely be coming up for both this one and next week if the weather forecast was at least decent because I have seen some cracking speedway at Derwent Park recently and, to me(although not necessarily to others) that's what counts. I also believe that the current promotion have tried hard to attract gates - at £15 for reasonably secure parking, entry and programme its easily the cheapest in the league and matches many NL tracks - and deserve better. Fingers crossed.

Personally, I think that that would result in track after track closing. He who pays the piper calls the tune and, like it or not, most speedway tracks are loss making. While any fan can say that his attendance helps keep his team going, without private individuals putting their hand in their pocket many (if no most) PL & EL tracks would shut. Making money, you'd accept interference from someone who had no financial involvement. Grudgingly, maybe, but you would. Losing money is an entirely different matter. What speedway needs more than independent control is independent adjudication. Every team change, every ruling, every dispute decided by someone who is not connected to any track. Open, justified, written rulings made by a named person who is not prejudiced and based upon the rules of the sport. Sadly, there's absolutely no chance of that.

That might be at least partly due to the fact that he won't pay a fine that is at least somewhat justified. Don't blame you on the M25, but I have seen some fantastic speedway at Lakeside this season. Helps that you go to Scunny. Top quality racing, good presentation and no unnecessary delays. If every track had that, there might just be more people attending. I think I would. Obviously its better within a defined structure, but if it was just racing I might well go anyway.

I agree with you, too. Richard Hall getting an NL average from years ago when all the others are on a PL converted one. Lindback's average reduction. Mitchell Davey can guest for Dan Bewley but not Danny Ayres. Dan Bewley can double up between two clubs that ride on the same night but Craig Cook can't. That's just 2016 and just what I can think of. I guess my love of the racing overrides my contempt for those who manipulate the rules, you're just the other way around.

If anything stops me going (and I doubt it will) it will be that. Tsunami once told me (and I apologise, because I have repeated this many times) that it is all about 4 blokes on bikes without brakes and that anything else is fluff. As far as I am concerned, he's right because the last thing I was thinking about when watching a stunning heat 13 at Lakeside last week was what Matt Ford (or anyone else) is up to next.

He's been unnecessarily abusive but I know what he means. It seems to me sometimes that half the membership of this forum consists of people who never go, have no intention of ever going and just stay here to slag the sport off. If they have no interest, what are they still doing here ? To the matter in hand : crap tracks, poor presentation, rubbish racing and surly, aggressive promotions on the odd occasion make me wonder why I bother and leave me feeling that I am being taken for granted. The appalling, biased, inconsistent and corrupt decision making at the heart of the sport leaves me frustrated and angry, and I can't help wondering how those who are directly affected by it (I have no team)feel. Then I go to Isle of Wight and see a determined promotion backed up by a hard core of supporters doing everything they can to make a speedway meeting an enjoyable and value night out. I go to Ipswich and see a group of supporters creating the BSF Massif and restoring enthusiasm for Thursday nights by adding to the actual meeting itself. I get to see friends and acquaintances right across the land, and travel through some wonderful country to do it. Most of all, though, I still see some brilliant racing - heat 13 at Lakeside on Friday, as an example, was just superb. When speedway is good, its very, very good. I still have a few left this year but, after that, March 2017 can't come round quick enough.

Based upon my visits to Lakeside this season, I don't agree. I saw the Poole match back in April and after about 6 heats Poole were about 6 ahead. Enter Tatum, who had been delayed by the Dartford Crossing. Lakeside came out after that unbelievably fired up, produced some brilliant racing and won comfortably. On Friday, I am told that they were the same while Swindon were a total shambles. As Liam has said, Lakeside have gone from wooden spoon to play off with virtually the same team. I'd say that in anyone's books that's a fair improvement and most would put that down to team management.

I can understand an average reduction for a rider who has been out of speedway for a considerable time for whatever reason. But for a rider who has continued to compete at the highest level just because he hasn't ridden in the EL ? No chance. That's one of the real problems, because no-one ever puts a name to the decision maker.

Personally, I don't really care what the shape of a track is if the racing is of the quality I saw last night.

Lakeside last night had a good attendance for what would otherwise have been a dead rubber. They will have another very good one next week. I shudder to think what Plymouth's will be tonight. I do take what you say, but speedway must take every step to ensure that it makes as much revenue as it can. The loss of income without the play offs would be considerable. Its perhaps why there are few sports that don't have them.

Personally, as long as a track isn't dangerous I don't care what riders or promoters think of it when it produces cracking racing like it did last night and I can remember a few having a pop at Scunthorpe when it won some award either last season or the year before. As the great Ivan Mauger once said : 'A track's a track. Ride it'. If it was that bad, how did Kim Nilsson post a time just one second outside a track record that has stood for 8 seasons, Jason Doyle pull off as good a passing move as you will see anywhere and why were there only 3 falls all night ? As you rightly say, Rossiter wants to look a little closer to home for the reasons why his team were so poor.

It is mentioned in the programme too. Looks like they maybe after a big one. I thought Morris stayed down too. Nothing wrong with him whatsoever. I didn't see the pictures of the track earlier but it was in excellent condition and produced some cracking racing, particularly a brilliant heat 13. In truth, on what I have seen this season Arena Essex is the best track in the EL for racing and second only to Scunthorpe in the country.

The much predicted deluge hasn't happened here. True, its been raining on and off for about 3 hours but its only light stuff - when I went out earlier, cars were on intermittent wipe only. If it stops around 4pm as forecast, should be all systems go.

Very cautiously, you might be right. Its stopped raining here and it was nothing more than light anyway.