Edward Barrett

Well I am just glad it is back on Sundays, due to a change in work I was not able to go for the past 4 years. I got to the final EL meeting and met up with folk who I had stood with for many years. That is what speedway is about, the friendships built up with other supporters, mainly home but away also. Hopefully the south east will help in discovering new riders of the calibre of Dave Jessup and Gordon Kennett to re-build the England squad in the next 2/3 years.

Just looked at "Old Moore's' Almanac for 2015. It says that "Poole Pirates, a Speedway team, are awarded the 2015 Championship due to unforseen track problems on their track, unexplained holes and other associated drainage problems, and the fact that due to inclement weather the restated date could not be run. This latter fact was due to a new ruling agreed at the annual promoters meeting that the current holders could decide the replay date, and Poole stipulated within 24 hours of the original staging date. Also their promoter is due to be aware the BEN for services to British Speedway!!

What a load of c@&p. And I am not a Poole supporter.

It's p@&&$!g down outside, and has been since 4.00, so presumably in Dorset earlier. The hole in the track is down to them, the weather is out of their hands. Even Fat Maud can't control that, yet!!

Well the forecast is not too clever for tomorrow, so the way things are going we may have two EL championship play-offs next season, the opening meeting, for 2014, and the final meeting, for 2015!!! Poole, the self-professed most professional team in the EL, knackered the end of the 2014 season by poor track maintenance, bet their sponsors are happy!!!

No. It will be changed to a "3 team tournament", all in the fairness of the sport!!!

So what would you do?, have the play-offs in July, before the season has ended? Mind you, if they did, your bunch would not be in it this season then. Let's see what "fat Maud" decrees at the Promoters Conference this year!

Come on folks, we are all told "fat Maud" walks on water, but Poole don't ride on it!!

Well that's that. An association gong back to 1971 ended. Who to blame? Sky and the GPs, though in a way you can't blame the riders in their quest for glory. But with SKY, why pay an entrance fee when you can watch for free? Once they got underway the exodus of "star" names began. Followed by bare terraces on TV whenever SKY turned up. Add to that the BSPA tinkering with the rules, the FIM with their GP challenges that deprive clubs of riders, and we are now at a situation this season where the so called 'ELITE' League resembles a collection of left-overs; Team A select V Team B select. Any semblance to the top tier of British Speedway prior to the advent of SKY/the GPS, their is none. No wonder supporters are deserting it and are disenchanted. No wonder Bob Dugard, a man who's family have had decades of involvement with the sort, has called it a day.

So your view is "to hell with anyone else, as long as Poole are ok it does not matter". Well you will be ok mate, Eastie will be out, Birmingham won't be there, so you can get another title in an even more depreciated " Elite" League. Poole win, to hell with anyone else!!

I know I am in a minority, but I have said all along that the play-off system is wrong in determining a league champion. Why a team should go through the trials of a season, finish top, then ultimately see all that hard work snatched away by a team finishing 5/8/10 points behind is just plain daft. Have the play-off, fine. Call it the Elite League play-off finals, if you must. But, please, acknowledge the hard work done by the team that finished top of the pile; acknowledge them as champions.

Right a different perspective on last night. Due to various personal reasons last night was my first visit to Eastie in 4 years, after being a regular since 1971. No I had not gone "inside"!, work changes and finance!! Not much had changed. Saw many familiar faces, the same lady was in the entry booth who I am sure was there when I paid to go in in the 70s'! Met up with the same faces that I stood with over many years, seen their children grow up, they had seen mine grow up. Never knew their names, they did not know mine. It did not matter, we just took up where we left off This is what makes speedway special. You support your team, obviously, but the tribalism between supporters that is so prevalent in football is not there in speedway. There were a group of 4/5 KL supporters nearby, cheering their team on, exchanging banter and compliments. As for the meeting, we won and got 2 points, KL rallied in the second half and deserved their point. Sarjeant was good value for his 8, Kerr looks good, Porshing woke up and made all the difference. Personally I hope KL go all the way and win outright, obviously to shut up our south coast neighbours, but also to show that "massaging" the rule book does not work. Finally, the Dugard family have been involved with Eastie for many decades I remember Charlie Dugard watching with a Hawks eye the track staff on a sunday going about their duties. It was his longed for wish that top flight racing came to Arlington. It did. BD is not everyones cup of tea, but no one can deny his passion for the sport over the years, how much of his own money he has put into keeping the sport alive in Sussex will not be known. If last night will be the last time that Speedway bikes will be heard in competition in Sussex, then an era will come to a close. That will be a very sad moment for us in Sussex, and also for British Speedway in general.

Top post from a SPEEDWAY SUPPORTER! Thank you, gee jay.

Your earlier post was pretty s#!$$y, as Star Lady says, IF you are a KL supporter you will know the pain of a club closing. Enjoy what you have got.

What a nice post!! British speedway can not afford to lose any further clubs, Birmingham already this season, now probably Eastbourne. With so called "supporters" like you around, jeez! No doubt you think you are doing your bit by paying your entrance fee. BD, who you say "you won't miss" has been forking out £200 k a year, or more, out of his own pocket for the past few years. Who do you think British Speedway will miss more? Him or you? I'll give you a clue, it won't be you!