Dave Jones

i agree. We got to know many Cradley fans back in the days, some of whom we are still in contact with. Dudley Wood became " a second home" after Brandon and we tried to get there as often as we could. The fans gave us plenty of banter because they knew who we supported but at the same time were always very welcoming, and there was always a drink behind the bar after the meeting for myself and my wife. Whenever we bump into any of the fans nowadays they are always happy to chat about the good times we had at DW . They are a"very special type of fan" at Cradley, and it shows with their loyalty to the present promoters. It would be great to see them back in their own stadium soon.

I wouldn't use the word miserable myself. More a case of expecting a more professional approach from the club, something that has been sadly lacking for the last 4& bit seasons.

With a view on things, just like yourself

If there was anyone in charge with half a brain that would have been announced on Friday too.

Yes, and how many students will have managed to get their required letter of confirmation since fridays announcement?. So £17 for most of them too I would imagine.

Rider rings his promoter ," when's the next meeting boss?" Promoter gets out his diary " let's see, when can you make it"?

Ah..... Shooting , why didn't I think of that?

To me, the admission policy at brandon this year shows all the signs of a promoter who is struggling to pay his way. He seems to be getting quite desperate, with his latest plea for the fans to " stick with him" and his woefully poor team building for this season To think he inherited one of the best supported clubs in the country. How times change.

I would suggest that first hand experience of the situation sharpens the memory considerably. I can also remember very well that the mortgage companies having to write to customers advising them that their payments were not sufficient to pay off the loans , and it wasn't just a few customers either.

I am a pensioner now and I also had an endowment policy to pay for my house , around 2002 /3 the insurance company had two separate goes at taking chunks out of my policy. I know many who suffered in a similar manner .I was fortunate, I still had enough to settle my debt but I lost the money I had saved for my old age, I know many were not so lucky .

A good many of today's OAP's who bought their own houses using endowment policies intended for paying off their mortgages, and to give them some funds for their retirement , have found themselves reaching the end of their 25 year agreement only to find that because of the poor performance of the insurance policy they have still been in debt with insufficient funds to pay off the original loan. Hardly fits the criteria you are using for the modern day pensioner I would suggest.

But they don't need to be OAP's to have an opinion , do they? If people don't like Horton & Co that's their choice, and if some choose to criticise we could argue that they have a pretty good reason to do so, there have been so many bad moves by this promotion it's becoming difficult to remember them all now.

You need to accept the fact that there are many senior fans of the bees that are very upset with the current admission policy of the club. It's not a simple case of someone moaning for the sake of it, they have a grievance and they are expressing it. They are entitled to do so . You have your view, one that you have expressed on several occasions, and we are clear where you stand on it all. Others, myself included , don't have that opinion and as such feel that the club shouldn't be going down this route. Some will feel that the extra cost is not value for money, some won't pay on principle,and others will just not have the spare cash to do it. It's not for you to judge, everyone is entitled to make their own decision and comment accordingly .

That just about sums up my feelings too. The sad part of it all is that I said this would happen the day he was announced as the new promoter. Coventry Bees a great club being wrecked by an underhanded and incompetent promotion.

Hardly a perk I would suggest. Senior concessions have been ,and still are part of British life they are offered by many businesses & organisations I have no doubt that when you reach your old age you will be more than happy to take advantage of any benefits that might come your way.

No, I mean he is taking advantage of just one section of his audience .

If you were to check other tracks prices you would see that seniors can gain entry to Monmore for £13 this season. £4 less than Brandon, and regardless of how you dress it up it will cost them £3 more to watch the bees compared to last seasons prices. To be fair, quoting across the board prices has no relevance, all anyone is really interested in is the cost of their own entry. Horton has adopted this pricing policy for just one reason. He will know from his turnstile clicks exactly how many people from each sector attend and he has obviously calculated that this new system will increase his income.

In percentage terms the £3 increase is a large jump. If it had been applied across the board there would have been uproar. Most complain about a £1 price rise. I doubt many would be stuck for the extra £3 to be honest, but some might just feel that £17 is not value for money , and so far as I can see no other track is trying that pricing policy.

Probably due to the senior citizens abstaining due to the large increase in their entrance costs.

It crossed my mind to post a comment about clowns , but as it wouldn't have gone down too well in certain areas ,I refrained.

On the contrary, it's much easier now as we have a weak bunch supposedly controlling the sport and one promoter who is able to "flex" the rules to suit, at his discretion. In many peoples eyes it makes each season a foregone conclusion before a wheel is turned .

The sooner he goes the better IMO.

I know , that wasn't my point. It was suggested that it was down to the GRA , it isn't.

The GRA don't actually own the Hall Green stadium, it was sold in 2014 to Euro Property Investments apparently for 3M. The greyhounds have a 15 year lease with a break clause after 5 years, so they are safe until then, unless they opt to get out earlier. Fortunately Perry Barr is owned by Birmingham Council so the GRA can't sell that one.

One of them is already "on the case" see the "like" on post 419.