martinmauger

Well I got my 'Star on Saturday and today so - HA! Well it was late so for something to read I bought the last copy on TJ Jones' shelf (was WH Smith), then regular ish showed up, sent on to a friend North O' The Border who sends me Glasgow & other proggies. Think I heard on the radio price of 1st class stamps is soon to rise, almost 3-fold....

TBH Northampton have saved the Prem League. Last season the top 4 competed for best placing, King's Lynn were trying to get into the play offs, Birmingham & Oxford were battling each other to avoid the wooden spoon. With just 5 teams, the play off teams will likely soon be obvious, the 5th would've soon been dropped off & have nothing to ride for.....

Possibly so now ya mentions it, I often post at work whilst looking into, as opposed to at my monitor, to check whether anyone is behind me. I can rarely be bothered researching figures, minutia if you will, always happy to stand corrected. Was at the last Wembley World Final (I Was There) 'The 1981 Bruce Penhall One', not the greatest racing, other than Penhall v Knudsen & Penhall v Olsen, but huge crowd (91,000 apparently) & tremendous atmosphere....

Once when my Star was late I asked whoever I spoke to (forget who), with toungue firmly in cheek "so as my copy hasn't arrived yet can you tell me what's happening in speedway right now ?" He answered "Well tell you what, last season Andrew Skeels (Star editor & Scunny fan) & I were on a Southern tour so took in a meeting at Plymouth & very much enjoyed the experience. More than decent crowd, plenty of youngsters, interval kid's race, good atmosphere, had us a great time & locals assured us the crowds pretty much did double when Scott Nicholls was signed. We'll defo be back"....

My Star on time his week, good stuff. Think Ford was maybe throwing a line or two, firstly I doubt very much the annual share out to each track following a World Final at Wembley was sufficient to buy a house. Also most promoters from years back did well financially, sure, but doubt many were in a position to buy their stadium, tho King's Lynn were and Glasgow did recently of course. John Berry mentions in one of his excellent Confessions Of A Speedway Promoter books that he offered to buy Foxhall Heath but the family who owned the stadium refused to sell....

This is true but Guy Martin is much better known generally, was just a thought. Being from Grimsby he is almost certainly aware of nearby Scunny, think he had a wee taste of flatrack at King's Lynn....

Speaking personally I am quite pleased with the KOC draw, means I (hopefully) get to see Poole at Scunny twice, I missed last year's mach as I was away on important family business. Not actually seen the draw, not sure the size of Inbetweener James Buckely's fee would be but I read somewhere that during lockdown he trousered £1 million by sending fans 'video greetings' cards (or whatever they are called) by quoting Inbetweener stuff. Think an ideal guy, no pun intended, to get involved with speedway would be Guy Martin....

A big shame. I certainly didn't agree with everything Terry Russell said or did but gotta say he did blooming well (to say the least) wis his involvement getting speedway shown on Sky Sports & into the (was) Millienium Stadium, now Principality Stadium in Cardiff. RIP....

Very similar plan occured to me: the existing 5 Prem promoters jointly run Oxford Spires (under BSPL banner) while setting up Northampton (or whoever) as the track / stadium are obv 'good to go'. Unless of there were plannng / financial / other isuues running the Spires or indeed 3 teams out of one venue which I would have assumed would work ok: regular weekly speedway, mostly same riders....

I'm not as 'up' on accounting theory as I used to be once, was thinking more of value riders on a club's books. E.g. if Emil planned to ride the UK in 2026 but if a club, wanted to 'buy' & retain him as a riding asset of their own, he was happy to leave and Ipswich were willing to sell (both unlikely), they might willing to pay, say, £35,000, not that clubs tend to that these days. So £35,000 would be wiped from Ipswich's riding asset value, though added to funds held, same if they sold others riders they 'owned', though this could be spent on replacements and improve the value of the club. I mean what does a speedway club 'own' these days: track equipment, track licence, goodwill ? But, I'm not as 'up' on accounting theory as I once used to be....

I could be wrong but a thought occured to me one of the things that 'didn't tally' with UK speedway or whatever it was Louis said, could the abolition of clubs retaining riders as assets. I.e. £,000's of assets wiped from a club's value. Like I said, just a thought....

On time this week, good stuff. The other week when it was late, none on sale in TJ Jones the Saturday after, just week before's ish. Spoke to a postie I know to say 'hello' to living nearby: "Hey Pat (!), why is my Star often late ?" He told me "I bet it's late every other week ? Well in this area (his & mine) we deliver one week Monday, Wenesday & Friday, the next it's Tuesday, Thursday & sometimes Saturday. We don't like it any more than anyone else but that's how it is". Explains a lot....

Always very sad when speedway loses one, a wee bit before my time but a very under-rated rider. RIP Bob....

Double post, oops.....

Only just seen this, always sad when speedway loses someone, or anyone suffering a loss myself having just had to deal with a close family member pass away. George rode in the very first Hull Vikings match at The Boulevard for Sunderland Stars in 1971 I didn't go, parents not interested & apprently too young to go alone. Is it true George achived his 'Gentleman George' nickname as he was well-mannered & spoken & never deliberately did any untoward on the track ?. RIP George.....