4thbender

The Sheffield promotion has taken the usual disgusting step of blaming the paying patrons for the team's current demise. According to Des Lomas in last Thursday's match programme we are "keyboard clowns" who think we know what's best. He says "Sheffield Speedway is owned by the promotion, in particular the Bates family, they can do what they want, have riding who they want, call the team what they want. They put their time and money into Sheffield Speedway, so why should they take unwarranted abuse from faceless keyboard clowns?" Mr. Lomas, apart from being grossly offensive to die-hard Sheffield fans, needs a lesson in simple business economics. The promotion own Sheffield Speedway and can do what they want? Is that so? Let them try doing it for a few weeks without the fans' hard-earned cash coming through the turnstiles and they - and Mr. Lomas - would very quickly learn where the heart and soul of Sheffield Speedway truly belongs. At least the Drillerman (in the same programme) demonstrates a scintilla of understanding when he writes "It is important to us as fellow Sheffield fans, in addition to promoting the club, to have your support and regular attendance once again." (i.e. Keep paying us your money, even when we do serve up complete dross in return.) I have nothing to do with Facebook or Twitter, but I do regularly contribute to this forum, which I suppose makes me one of Mr. Lomas's "keyboard clowns." Along with OdsalBoy, graz gp, Blackadder, r8gdp, Spin King, Cue Ball, The Third Man, Tigerblade, Moranboys and a few others, I do regularly have a few words to say about the way the season is shaping up. I have to say that I have never seen the "unwarranted abuse" to which Mr. Lomas refers. I see lots of criticism - most of it warranted (but some, admittedly, less so) and a great deal of good-humoured banter, lots of encouragement and the occasional barbed comment. But "unwarranted abuse"? Never! If Mr. Lomas has been allowing his gaze to stray into Twitter and Facebook - those renowned dark corners of debasement and heinous malevolence - then what does he expect to encounter other than moral corruption and venality? But contributors to THIS forum are true aficionados of shale: salt-of-the-earth supporters who live and breath the sliding sport. Des Lomas's reference to "keyboard clowns" is just plain insulting and he should withdraw the comment at once and apologise. There certainly are clowns at Owlerton, but which side of the safety-fence are they on? In the words of Stephen Sondheim: Isn't it bliss? Don't you approve?One who keeps tearing around and one who can't moveBut where are the clowns? Send in the clowns Don't you love farce? My fault, I fearI thought that you'd want what I want, sorry my dearBut where are the clowns? Send in the clownsDon't bother they're here

After an amazing season like 2017 it might be expected that the team might struggle to maintain past glories and some level of disappointing performances might be understandable. But to go from hero to zero in the space of half a season - losing three home matches on the bounce by big margins - suggests there's something rotten at the heart of team morale. A drop-off in form I can understand, but such a spectacular and sudden descent into chaos in virtually every department can't be put down to random coincidence. There DEFINITELY has to be more to it than meets the eye.

They're planning to sign his brother Willie.

Two weeks ago Woods was out and Lawlor was in. Tonight (Thursday) Lawlor is out and Mountain is in. Tomorrow at Edinburgh Mountain is out and Lawlor is back in. I can't keep up with this.

Sheffield's season just gets weirder... The new no. 7 the Tigers have just signed (who hasn't ridden a match for us yet) is replaced for this fixture by the rider HE replaced only two days ago. With all the comings and goings the Owlerton revolving door is in danger of becoming logjammed.

I hate to admit it but Sheffield just seem to be sinking deeper in the mire with each week that passes. On current showing the Diamonds have to be favourites.

Only had 6 fixtures and you're complaining? Sheffield's season finishes next Thursday, then we've done till next April!

All things considered I'd say this week is a certainty for a rain-off. Forecast for Thursday is showers - expect an early announcement on Thursday morning (it's not as if the fixture list is too crowded to accommodate the re-run!)

Who's next out of the revolving door at Owlerton? This to-ing and fro-ing is not doing the promoters' reputation any good. The general perception has always been that Sheffield was one of the fairer clubs - always paying on time and looking after their assets. That reputation must have taken a huge battering with a growing list of riders having been shown the door since May. The rumours of riders being fired in bar-room bust-ups does not auger well for the future team-building policy. If the rumours have any substance, putting together a team for 2019 may cause some unexpected difficulties for a promotion which engages in such disreputable conduct. For the first time in 53 years I can't wait for the season to end so that a veil can be drawn over this most unedifying spectacle. The management should really consider making a statement to fans about what factors have conspired to pull the rug from under last season's league champions. This has been a season of deeply humiliating disappointment for fans and we deserve an explanation.

What's happening? The top three seem incapable of winning a race, let alone winning a match! Prior to the Lakeside and Scunthorpe debacles, the top three had not ridden at Owlerton for a month (due to injuries and the long three-week break in fixtures). I find it inconceivable that this sudden loss of form doesn't have a lot to do with the lack of home fixtures. It's beyond coincidence that the top heat-leaders - who in May and early June were all close to unbeatable at home - should suddenly suffer such a devastating loss of form at home at the end of July. The only common factor that you can put your finger on is the midsummer lay-off. Sports psychologists tell us that winning is a habit - break the momentum and you lose the thread. I can say with confidence that's exactly what's happened at Owlerton.

Absolutely appalling. Our home season finishes on 23 August (it finished on 23 OCTOBER in 2017), whereas Workington's home season only got started on 23 June and they've only had 2 home meetings so far. Perhaps the promoters are thinking that if they just phase it out slowly we'll not notice.

Appeasement... you missed out "a diversity and inclusion supporting, non-voting leftie, socialist APPEASEMENT Guardian reader."

I bet you're a remainer too.

Seems like this forum has been taken over by the establishment appeasers. Soon we radicals will have no-one to moan to.

As things stand at the moment, our home season will finish on 23 August, with two weeks of the kids' summer holidays still to go! (Just for comparison, the 2017 home season finished on 23 OCTOBER!) At the other end of the spectrum, Workington's home Championship programme didn't get underway until 23 June. The lunatics really have taken over the asylum.

Bad decision. On this occasion the speedway was rather better than the footie.

Todd Kurtz is looking like Sheffield's most improved rider of 2018. He's starting to take on that rare quality of looking very hard to beat round Owlerton. I assume he's been taking lessons from Steady because he's started doing that "slingshot" thing out of bend 2 which was a Stead hallmark but which Kyle, Lasse and Charles have all also perfected.

This is the most appalling piece of heavy-handed bullying tactics it is my misfortune to come across in British speedway. The minute we witness team promoters taking action reminiscent of 1930s Nazi Germany is the time to pack it in. I for one will not be visiting Workington Speedway again and would urge other fans to do likewise. Jenga is a prolific contributor to a popular fans' forum, has amused us on here for years and I hope will continue to do so.

Slick and Dusty sounds like a 60s pop duo.

No, I’m just a realist who supports his team and the efforts of the promotion - in what has been at times a difficult season - without expecting the speedway utopia that some fans seemingly demand.

With the number of guest riders increasing by the hour, it's turned into Scunthorpe All Stars v Sheffield All Stars. Still, it's a speedway match helping to fill up the otherwise sparse fixture list. .

There aren't any utopia-seekers on here (they'd be in the wrong place if there were). I've only seen fans who dutifully turn up at the turnstiles week after week and pay their £16 and feel (rightly) that their financial contribution to the team's continued success gives them a right to express a view on the rights and wrongs of team performance. The people on this forum may not all agree with each other - or the promoters - all of the time but they all have one thing in common: they're all die-hard fans of speedway.

Tigers website posting on Sunday said: "Tigers skipper Kyle Howarth has been taken to hospital in Newcastle with a dislocated shoulder..... Hopefully the shoulder is back in place and there is nothing longer term to worry about.” Tigers website posting today says: "...they’ve since had the huge setback of losing Kyle Howarth with a broken collarbone." Are things going from bad to worse?

Are you on the Owlerton payroll?

Can't understand why they've booked Worrall - we'd be better off doing R/R.