StevePark

Or Monday (unless you are meeting up on Sunday?!). Perhaps now there are more 'Northern' teams, someone can propose that the 4TT Qualifiers are brought back and scrap the 'Pre-season' League Cup? Also good to see the word "scrapped" was incorrect, at least in the terms of the season will be complete, if not the communication between club and press.

It's more about using Bandwith, rather than when I post

Don't worry. I always do my job right. Only post in between bits of my job, so it doesn't interfere with the said job. And as far as 'arthur cross' liking your post, that's you off the Christmas Card list!!!!

And the League Cup (remember that? The so-called pre-season Comp?) Final has to be run yet! The difficulty about this particular Quarter Final, is, of course, we are both Sunday tracks. We were going to run at Glasgow at 1.30pm and Brough at 7.30pm a few Sunday's ago, but the weather put paid to both matches. Hence the current situation (the 2nd leg at Glasgow is on Sept 28th., mainly due to the PLRC on Sun 21st).

Quarter. Winners meet Edinburgh in the Semi Final.

Adam McKinna was born in Crewe, try telling him he's English. Jason Crump was born in Bristol..... The list goes on.

The 'Southern' teams don't want them, apparently, so it gets out-voted every time. I still think the 4TT qualifiers are the fairest way to decide who reaches the final/semi final, so we at least agree on that!! The point about one less (perhaps I worded it badly in my haste as not to get caught by my bosses!!) when Leicester moved up there would have been one less in the PL, so the extra fixtures were added, but then Peterborough dropped down to bring it back to 13 in the League, but the extra fixtures were kept!

And Berwick lost somewhere in the region of 17 fixtures, home and away, due to the weather. In 2013 we had the scenario of one less team in the PL, so they decided to add an extra two home and away fixtures to the season, but kept them once Peterborough dropped down Many people (not all) on this forum are baffled by this! Perhaps there were enough fixtures this year, but it only takes a few postponements (ligitimate or otherwise) to totally c**k that up (see my Berwick scenario as a case in point) and that, to me, is the crux of the matter.

So, by cutting the fixture list by 3 (or 4) home meetings "that's not enough fixtures," yet Workington are running Double-headers weeks running and the likes of Somerset are running home meetings twice a week and Edinburgh are running a Double-header on Friday (12th) and are also running a home meeting on the Saturday (13th) to fit the fixtures in! It's perfectly fine if we have a decent summer, but we hit the same problems year on year. On another thread, some are calling for running home meetings once a fortnight (same night racing, which, by the way, won't work)!! Another solution is, start the season a month later, still ending it back end of October, or start it 2 weeks later and end it two weeks earlier

Or scrap the League Cup at the beginning of the season. 1 challenge match and straight into the PL matches, with the PLKOC interspersed within those PL fixtures. Then plenty of time to complete the PL fixtures before the Play-offs begin. I think they should make the play-offs the Top 4 teams with a straight knockout system 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd.

Mark Thorpe was exluded for dangerous riding at Middlesbrough one night. He lifted (he was yards in front of anyone else) coming off the fourth bend. Only time I've ever seen that.

Edinburgh have a Double Header on Friday (Redcar and Glasgow), but it was originally going to be Redcar and Newcastle, but then they moved Newcastle to the Saturday (13th) and put Glasgow on the Friday night.

They obviously have decided to take 'the hit' of a fine, if they've scapped them with almost 7 weeks of the season left to find dates.

How can Workington be riding against Sheffield at home twice? I know it says they are on the BSPA website, but teams rides against each other just once each at hoe and once each away, surely? Two extra home and away fixtures thrown in this season, drawn by 'ballot' at the start of the season.

Not really a MUST. If they can't be fitted in then they will go un-raced with club (or clubs) fined for not fulfilling their fixtures. It has happened various times in the past. Yes, whilst fixtures should be completed, it ain't necessarily so (as it says in the song)!!

Yes - cut costs - totally agree, but, when you start talking 4 figures for stadium rent, per match, before anything else, you would have to really cut everything else down immensly before it takes effect on what you charge at the turnstiles. Obviously, not all clubs are in that situation, but many are.

Workington will overtake us after they have raced their Double-header at home to Sheffield. We won't get anything at Edinburgh.

The Alan Brown incident was when the Newcastle Gems were in the Conference League so 2002-2004

Against Middlesbrough in a Challenge, I think

He was track reserve, if my memory serves me correctly. And, as far as the Lemo incident is concerned....... I blame the Team Manager.......

Alan Brown at Buxton was, during a race (under-21 Qualifier I think), Black Flagged - after falling, re-mounting, leaving the track, re-joining the race and was lapped. Take your pick as to why he was Black Flagged!

According to Updates, he fell last night while riding for Leicester and rode through the pain barrier to complete the match after Leicester's other reserve Josh Bates withdrew from the meeting after his second ride.

Echo those sentiments.

Rules may have changed from when we had to go with McKinna at Berwick last season, compared to Klindt this year (I don't know, just wondering)? Lemo was technically classed as a rider (I think), as, this year (for the first time) he had to sign to the World Cup and couldn't ride elsewhere whilst still in it, just as all riders had to do (it only effected him as Manager), so he had no choice but to miss a meeting for Redcar (or relinquish the Aussie Team Manager job). I'd also guess that it will be a committee decision where all 'Events' are held, although I don't know how many (if any) tracks, throw their 'hat' into the ring to stage those meetings. If none do (except those that already host the meeting) then that event (e.g PLRC at Sheffield), will be held at that venue.

That, surely, has to be a committee decision. It can't be down to just one person?