barrybishop

Time to renew or begin your love affair with the island then in my view. I cant have 10 year old out of date information on a public forum without any dates Please send me a DM I would like to invite you and a friend as my guests to help re-assess your view. All the best

No passing on the Island.... ?? Wow , when did you last attend it? I really dispute that comment, certainly in the 6 years I have ran it with Martin there has been more, way more than most tracks for passing, in fact we actively encourage it with handicap meetings and so on. So, can you let me know when you last attended Smallbrook. Many thanks

The Grass track bikes on shale have proven extremely popular so far on the island, although I appreciate it may not have been for everyone who follows speedway racing. However, considering the punitive restriction placed on riders I think (and the majority of those who added think), it was a great show, and there will be more of it, as that's what the majority want to see. With more riders now coming forward for Grass Track on shale, I hope it will increase in popularity and become a valued part of any stadiums racing calendar. All the best and keep enjoying your speedway and track action wherever that maybe. Barry

Pretty proud of this feedback.... have lots more to share too if you would like it... I guess most of us use FB which is where we post it all I would just like to say a big thank you to Rob Snow for organising the vintage Jap racing last night and to Barry Bishop and Martin Widman for welcoming us to Smallbrook. I have been to many tracks in my fifty year association with the sport as both a supporter and rider and I can honestly say that last night was the most welcoming experience I have had at any UK track. What a pleasure to find a clean tidy stadium, riders toilets that are safe to go in and good refreshments at a reasonable price. Barry has certainly looked up the definition of a “promoter” in the dictionary and I cannot fault him for his effort and enthusiasm. Last night was certainly a list of firsts for me. First time on the island. First time at Smallbrook and most importantly the first time I have ever been pushed off for a race by a promoter! So once again thank you for last night, keep up the good work that you are doing and I wish you every success.

Martin and myself were concerned to read the recent statement from Eastbourne Speedway and know how much the Eagles mean to their devoted fans. Whilst the ongoing uncertainty continues at Arlington, the Wightlink Warriors Shale Track Racing club invite all Eagles season ticket holders to join us for free admission on race days on the Island. Warriors co-owner Barry Bishop said, "When I was a supporter on the terraces at my club, Oxford, the sport in the city hit hard times and was forced to close. That was the first year that my father and I actually purchased season tickets and that was because I pestered him to buy them. When we got the news that speedway was finished I wrote to Avtar Sandhu at Coventry (the closest track to home) and explained that it would cost us an extra £30 a week to attend Brandon and I asked if he could give us some kind of discount on entry. To his credit he offered all season ticket holder from Oxford free entry - an offer that was very well received. Now, I am not forecasting the same fate for Eastbourne, but while fans are waiting for the good folk there to sort things out, we invite you to spend some time with us. Our fixtures are: Aug 19th Mark Cooper @ Truly Independent US Style Handicap Racing Alan Critcher Pee Wee and 125 Races The Wheel Specialist Fareham Classic races Aug 24th Alan Critcher Pee Wee and 125 Races Four Seasons Landscaping and Garden Maintenance 3TT Warriors V Oxfor VCradley MSP Body and Paint Team Jawa V Freelance Installations Team GM Sept 2nd Alan Critcher Pee Wee and 125 Races Acclaim Logistics Island Master Round 2 Wizards V Falcons Plus Island Master’s Round 3 TBC and hopefully 1 or 2 other meetings. Eagles season ticket holders taking up this offer will need to present their passes at the turnstile to secure free admission.

“We are all massively disappointed for Connor Coles who has been told he cannot be reserve for today’s British Final at Belle Vue solely on the grounds that he rode on Thursday on the Isle of Wight. We are all in a state of shock at this approach by the organisers of this meeting and had hoped they would reconsider this approach. The Isle of Wight is probably the only Stadium right now where tourist regularly have their first interaction with the sport and despite how we feel we commit to continue to positively promote the sport at all times, positively reflect and review our show and positively interact with you all, the fans our greatest asset. We just cannot see, at all, what anyone could possibly expect to achieve by preventing a member of such a great speedway family, legends in the sport, from attending this evening.

yes just one customer's point of view.... there are around another 50 or so from Thursday on our FB pages. This is one persons, sent directly to Martin which we have shared.

Back to something positive with FEEDBACK - please read it all…. What a fantastic night. I thought I would just provide a few notes in feedback on my observations in case they are useful. Even now I could write twice as much and still have more to say Customer Experience Absolutely first class and something I have not experienced at speedway before. I arrived at the stadium at about 4.30pm (taking account of Barry’s earlier message about the damp parking conditions). First impressions count and my first impression was of two extremely friendly and helpful car parking staff. I didn’t get either of the ladies names, but they set the standard for the visit and I couldn’t have been more impressed. An absolute credit to you. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Staff on the entrance, selling programmes, at The Retreat, during the event and on the way out of the stadium couldn’t have been more helpful, welcoming or more efficient. First class The food at the Retreat was a better quality and value than at any speedway stadium I have been to. I don’t normally eat at stadia as the food is generally overpriced and poor quality, but made a point of doing so last night. I wasn’t disappointed, but glad I got in early as it was clearly popular. I’ll try the Premier Lounge next time. I don’t think I have seen so many young people in a speedway stadium for years. Whistles, sweets, quizzes before they even get to the grandstand, centre green visits, running races on the track, Pee Wee races and My First Skid graduates in the main meeting – riders they can relate to and aspire to be. No wonder you have them coming back for more each meeting. The stadium Immaculate. It frustrates me no end when I go to other stadia and they are unclean, grass uncut (either / or the centre green or the standing areas), dirty seats, toilets you don’t want to use and uncared for. None of that could be applied to Smallbrook. An absolute credit to you. All the air fence panels clean, all the advertising A frames prominently positioned to maximise exposure. Your sponsors must be pleased. The track I’ve never prepared a track, so wouldn’t claim to be an expert, but it looked really good to me, especially given the weather we have had. I thought you applied enough water to keep the dust down, without making it too slippery for the riders. As far as I could see, the riders looked comfortable on the track – and given the range of abilities on show last night to prepare a track to suit all is a credit to your team. Riders briefing I was outside the pits when the rider briefing was taking place. The instructions you all gave to the riders were spot on. They could be in no doubt what was expected – entertain the crowd, acknowledge and engage the crowd, take the flag and do a lap of honour after winning a race and ensure you are ready to get out on track as soon as the previous race has finished. So often now riders go straight back to the pits after a race and don’t come round for the supporters so it was refreshing to see that that is part of the show, and your expectation. All building the relationship. Pit walk Always a good option if you can do it and I had the bonus of talking to Gordon Kennett The racing To get so many races run in such a short space of time was impressive, but never in doubt given the rider briefing and the standard set in the Pee Wee and Ladies races. Obviously that could be a challenge if there is an incident and that’s a risk in any form of motor sport. I enjoyed the Pee Wee races – future stars in the making, and what an opportunity for them to ride in front of an appreciative and responsive crowd. In the ladies races I was quite glad that Steph Whitlock missed the gate in one, and then came from the back. Passing at an early stage – and this was only the pre-meeting! The main event 3TT was entertaining, but also of a good standard – and, given the challenges you have had to face in permission to use riders, exceeded my expectations. It was unfortunate that Alex Spooner was not available, but seeing Chad, Danno, Luke, Charley and Connor supported by all the others on show ensured the racing was both competitive and exciting. Every race had interest. I was a bit sceptical about the team manager handicapping option, because I feared that it would take away from the head to heads between the top riders – but Chad blew away that theory in heat 4 when he came from behind to beat Charley. The Upright Challenge was a bit one sided, but that’s clearly based on rider and engine availability. Despite that, the two races where Nigel Coates came from behind to win, using the banking to great effect, were as well received in the grandstand as any other races. The one thing I think that would have helped the newer visitors understand why there were some older and more substantially built (!) riders in these races would have been a fuller explanation of the background to uprights v laydowns, and the background of the riders involved. There were a couple of new attendees near me, and others around them provided a bit of background which clarified it – only a minor point in the overall experience. Bruce Cribb – well, what can I say. To ride one of those fearsome ice bikes at his age and I assume with limited practice was astounding. He may not be as quick as he once was but Bruce exceeded my expectations. Having seen the other ice bike on show on the first bend banking no one could have been in any doubt just how dangerous those spikes could be. I confess I only caught a short sight of the JAP demo as I was out the back talking to others, but it did take me back to the late 60s and 70s when JAPs were still in regular use. Nothing like a bit of nostalgia. I also liked the way in which you intersperse races from the different events during the programme. Social media So much content Constant promotion of sponsors, regular updates, Facebook live – brilliant. Giving the fans up to date information and insight – essential in this day and age Summary A fantastic, positive night out. If I lived on the Island I would be there every week without a shadow of a doubt. If Wightlink re-instate the later Fast Cat I’d come more often. To have a complete package in place that allows riders to come through the My First Skid programme, to progress to demos in front of a crowd and then into the Wizards and Warriors is brilliant. A real potential production line for British speedway. I haven’t mentioned the entry price at all – but it was the best £12 I’ve spent for a while. The value for money was exceptional. About 30 races including the demos. Why the BSPL aren’t talking to you about your operating model is beyond me. I believe any other speedway (or event) promoter who came to one of your meetings, and also looked at all the social media content you put out, would be bound to find at least 1 or 2 ideas they could put into practice to improve their product. You have an absolutely incredible team working with you and I would like to say thank you to them all. Thank you to you both for putting the meetings on this year, and for taking the risk in doing so. #TheWarriorWay

Back to something positive with FEEDBACK - please read it all…. What a fantastic night. I thought I would just provide a few notes in feedback on my observations in case they are useful. Even now I could write twice as much and still have more to say Customer Experience Absolutely first class and something I have not experienced at speedway before. I arrived at the stadium at about 4.30pm (taking account of Barry’s earlier message about the damp parking conditions). First impressions count and my first impression was of two extremely friendly and helpful car parking staff. I didn’t get either of the ladies names, but they set the standard for the visit and I couldn’t have been more impressed. An absolute credit to you. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Staff on the entrance, selling programmes, at The Retreat, during the event and on the way out of the stadium couldn’t have been more helpful, welcoming or more efficient. First class The food at the Retreat was a better quality and value than at any speedway stadium I have been to. I don’t normally eat at stadia as the food is generally overpriced and poor quality, but made a point of doing so last night. I wasn’t disappointed, but glad I got in early as it was clearly popular. I’ll try the Premier Lounge next time. I don’t think I have seen so many young people in a speedway stadium for years. Whistles, sweets, quizzes before they even get to the grandstand, centre green visits, running races on the track, Pee Wee races and My First Skid graduates in the main meeting – riders they can relate to and aspire to be. No wonder you have them coming back for more each meeting. The stadium Immaculate. It frustrates me no end when I go to other stadia and they are unclean, grass uncut (either / or the centre green or the standing areas), dirty seats, toilets you don’t want to use and uncared for. None of that could be applied to Smallbrook. An absolute credit to you. All the air fence panels clean, all the advertising A frames prominently positioned to maximise exposure. Your sponsors must be pleased. The track I’ve never prepared a track, so wouldn’t claim to be an expert, but it looked really good to me, especially given the weather we have had. I thought you applied enough water to keep the dust down, without making it too slippery for the riders. As far as I could see, the riders looked comfortable on the track – and given the range of abilities on show last night to prepare a track to suit all is a credit to your team. Riders briefing I was outside the pits when the rider briefing was taking place. The instructions you all gave to the riders were spot on. They could be in no doubt what was expected – entertain the crowd, acknowledge and engage the crowd, take the flag and do a lap of honour after winning a race and ensure you are ready to get out on track as soon as the previous race has finished. So often now riders go straight back to the pits after a race and don’t come round for the supporters so it was refreshing to see that that is part of the show, and your expectation. All building the relationship. Pit walk Always a good option if you can do it and I had the bonus of talking to Gordon Kennett The racing To get so many races run in such a short space of time was impressive, but never in doubt given the rider briefing and the standard set in the Pee Wee and Ladies races. Obviously that could be a challenge if there is an incident and that’s a risk in any form of motor sport. I enjoyed the Pee Wee races – future stars in the making, and what an opportunity for them to ride in front of an appreciative and responsive crowd. In the ladies races I was quite glad that Steph Whitlock missed the gate in one, and then came from the back. Passing at an early stage – and this was only the pre-meeting! The main event 3TT was entertaining, but also of a good standard – and, given the challenges you have had to face in permission to use riders, exceeded my expectations. It was unfortunate that Alex Spooner was not available, but seeing Chad, Danno, Luke, Charley and Connor supported by all the others on show ensured the racing was both competitive and exciting. Every race had interest. I was a bit sceptical about the team manager handicapping option, because I feared that it would take away from the head to heads between the top riders – but Chad blew away that theory in heat 4 when he came from behind to beat Charley. The Upright Challenge was a bit one sided, but that’s clearly based on rider and engine availability. Despite that, the two races where Nigel Coates came from behind to win, using the banking to great effect, were as well received in the grandstand as any other races. The one thing I think that would have helped the newer visitors understand why there were some older and more substantially built (!) riders in these races would have been a fuller explanation of the background to uprights v laydowns, and the background of the riders involved. There were a couple of new attendees near me, and others around them provided a bit of background which clarified it – only a minor point in the overall experience. Bruce Cribb – well, what can I say. To ride one of those fearsome ice bikes at his age and I assume with limited practice was astounding. He may not be as quick as he once was but Bruce exceeded my expectations. Having seen the other ice bike on show on the first bend banking no one could have been in any doubt just how dangerous those spikes could be. I confess I only caught a short sight of the JAP demo as I was out the back talking to others, but it did take me back to the late 60s and 70s when JAPs were still in regular use. Nothing like a bit of nostalgia. I also liked the way in which you intersperse races from the different events during the programme. Social media So much content Constant promotion of sponsors, regular updates, Facebook live – brilliant. Giving the fans up to date information and insight – essential in this day and age Summary A fantastic, positive night out. If I lived on the Island I would be there every week without a shadow of a doubt. If Wightlink re-instate the later Fast Cat I’d come more often. To have a complete package in place that allows riders to come through the My First Skid programme, to progress to demos in front of a crowd and then into the Wizards and Warriors is brilliant. A real potential production line for British speedway. I haven’t mentioned the entry price at all – but it was the best £12 I’ve spent for a while. The value for money was exceptional. About 30 races including the demos. Why the BSPL aren’t talking to you about your operating model is beyond me. I believe any other speedway (or event) promoter who came to one of your meetings, and also looked at all the social media content you put out, would be bound to find at least 1 or 2 ideas they could put into practice to improve their product. You have an absolutely incredible team working with you and I would like to say thank you to them all. Thank you to you both for putting the meetings on this year, and for taking the risk in doing so. #TheWarriorWay

Now I will leave you guys to talk amoungst yourselves for a while. All the best and as I always say, keep supporting your teams, and enjoying your speedway and my last comment is.. I wish the BSPL had given us one tenth of the promotion and support we give the sport in general...but we will continue to show great photos of fun, racing and speedway - its what we do.

I am sorry but I dont know why you are going for me, and putting everything down about what we are achieving on the island and saying its a piece of cake.. its anything but a piece of cake. I could detail plenty of negatives about league racing having attended plenty of AGMs over the year but I choose to promote the SPORT in general as well as what we do on the island. Negativity is rotting the sport and it seems to me that you are putting me down because you are jealous of what we do and how we promote. Look, it's OK that you love KL and think what we are doing is awful - a side show - although I dont thinkg the riders we have inclued and will include are anything like a side show.... but just so you know I love KL too, we have great people who ride on the island also there, pretty much embedded, Scott Campos for example... But just to remind you, we normally ran 20 meetings a season when in the BSPL, (I believe it was one of the highest in the sport) plus speedway schools, so dont tell me we couldnt cope or manage it We know our game, our leaue (when in the BSPL), our product and our market.... lets hope that we can continue to provide the right support and the right level of positivity for the whole sport, or we may just end up watching flattrack, stock cars and amatuer speedway. All the best

This is so far from correct.. We dont just try to attract holiday makers - they are the cherry on the cake... what we must do is attract business, sponsors (every single air fence panel sponsored) we atract TV, Radio, we attract Islanders, we attract students to the speedway school, we attract people who realise they associate their brand with our brand "The Warrior Way" purely because other clubs dont fit it... I can list sponsors of the IOW from across the UK and world actually that could just as easily invest it locally to their club and they choose not to. Regards the supporters club activity thats brilliant what you are doing there.. well done.. and you are right likewise I could list for ever on here our fan based ideas and feel free to use them... Free whistles and a lolly for kids, speedway bike display, beat the starter ready to be used, great priced high quality food, kids races, 50/50, 200 club, social events, fans working parties (sounds crazy but brings fans closer to the club - they invest their time in to it, it means more), autograph sessions, riders in the bar, shows, school visits, social club visits, supermarket visits, open the pits, make the riders come through the crowd.... the list goes on....... Keep up the great work and keep supporting your clubs and I hope your clubs will reinvest that support for you. All the best

Totally different businesses... the days of the stadium running the speedway ended when Martin and I took it over. This is why you see a totally different mindset to it for the last 6 years, and for the stadium for the last 5 years. All the best

I dont think so... one phrase you will never see on any IOW marketing is No Brakes, No Fear..... Our show is anything but unprofessional - read the feedback... It certainly is not a "Fairground stunt show"... We stage serious, highly rated brilliant evenings of motorsport and I gladly invite you and a friend as my guests to show you why myself - and pretty much anyone who has ever attended the Isle of Wight inside the BSPL or outside the BSPL think so to. We lead the way in marketing both locally, nationally and worldwide (BDC Darts world championships for example). Keep supporting your local club, and I am sure they we reinvest that support with some brilliant nights out. All the best and I really learn a lot from reading these pages as I have said before. Barry

This was yesterday's show.... it wasnt an hour it was 2 hours 45 minutes, of nonstop entertainment... In summary….. 3 x Pee Wee Races 2 x 125 Demo 3 x Lady Races Full parade and all individual rider intros 6 x Jawa V Weslake Races 15 x 3TT race Half Time Kids race Bruce Cribb Ice Bike Demo More Pee Wee and Revvi Demos Japs and upright demo Track grade every 5 heats Every race winner did a lap of honour Also Pits open for half an hour, centre green visits, bike display, free whistles and a lolly for kids, sweet stall, track shop... kids search around the stadium game invented by Rob Dyer. And all done by 9pm By the way 6 riders on display last night came through My First Skid Speedway School not including the youths… #FansFirst #everylapmatters

every week on the island and in fact on Thursday 19th of Aug we have our Mark Cooper @Truly Independent Handicap individual with 15m and 30m handicaps... always a winner

In summary….. 3 x Pee Wee Races 2 x 125 Demo 3 x Lady Races Full parade and all individual rider intros 6 x Jawa V Weslake Races 15 x 3TT race Half Time Kids race Bruce Cribb Ice Bike Demo More Pee Wee and Revvi Demos Japs and upright demo Track grade every 5 heats Every race winner did a lap of honour And all done by 9pm That wasnt just entertainment that was a great welcome, great value, a great show.... By the way 6 riders on display last night came through My First Skid Speedway School not including the youths…

depends on so many things, times you travel, dates you travel and size of vehicle.... we have a discount code for 20% via our website for Wightlink

When you are as proud as we are, it means it means as much to us, as it does to you Martin Widman, the volunteers, the riders, the sponsors and I, really really love race day and the build up to it. The excitement for us, knowing in just a few hours people will be coming to watch our show, is absolutely exhilarating. The pride we have in ensuring that we have done our best to make Smallbrook Stadium perfect for you is immense. The joy we have seeing you all, hearing your screams, oooo’s, ahhhhh’s, your appreciation, is almost indescribable. The wonder of our presentation - we always strive to improve, be the best we can be, to ensure that from music to toilets, we give fans the best night. The pleasure we get from developing our youth, encouraging our riders, watching their progress and ensuring equality can never be underestimated. So what am I saying… I just want you to know readers - how flipping proud we are of our volunteers, our riders, our sponsors which creates the show we deliver to you, our greatest asset, our fans. We are all so very proud of you. We are so proud of what we do ❤️ Have a lovely evening, enjoy all the facilities, scream and shout, but most of all have fun. Gates open at 5.15pm.

Your wish is our command

Tomorrow’s the big day Round 2 of the Cliff Peasley Trophy 3TT sponsored by John Carpenter Speedway Spares What’s happening Gates open 5.15 ✅ Pits open to visitors 5.45 ✅ 6.15 Alan Critcher Youth Races ✅ Alan Critcher Lady Racing ✅ 6.45 Rider Parade ✅ Legend Bruce Cribb on an ICE BIKE ✅ First class presentation Team ✅ MPS Body & Paint Team Jawa V Metro Timber Ltd Team Weslake in the Upright Challenge ✅ Kids activities ✅ Wightlink Warriors V Oxford Speedway V Cradley Heathens Speedway ✅ minimum of 27 races ✅ Plus a welcome like nowhere else, high quality great value food, first class presentation, clean and inviting Stadium, modern bar and restaurant, souvenir shop, sweet stall, music to dance to, friendly and informative volunteers, rider interaction, sanitising stations, clean bathrooms, the “Royal Box” for wheelchair users, disabled bathroom, baby changing facility plus all your usual Warrior Way activity.

Its actually my bike so its not so old... well not as old as Bruce..... Never tell him that ha ha

Message to all the Redcar Bears Speedway Fans on the Southern tour, who have extended it to visit the Isle of Wight. We are all very sorry to hear of the meeting cancellation at Poole, so we wanted to do a small surprise to cheer you all up while you are at Smallbrook Stadium with us. We will organise a centre green visit at least during your visit and if we can extend it to other treats we will. Send me a DM or email speedwayontheisland@yahoo.co.uk and we can go from there . All the best from us all and we look forward to welcome you If you are coming there will be Gates open 5.15pm Pits open 5.45 - 6.15pm Youth demos from 6.15pm Lady races - 3 races featuring 4 female riders. 6.45 Parade Upright challenge 6 races of Team MPS Body and Paint Jawa V Metro Timber Weslakes. 15 races of 3TT Warriors V Oxford V Heathens. 15 races including Handicap races, and nominated races. BRUCE CRIBB rides an ice bike and if there is time we will have a few japs out and about at meeting close

Message to all the Redcar Bears Speedway Fans on the Southern tour, who have extended it to visit the Isle of Wight. We are all very sorry to hear of the meeting cancellation at Poole, so we wanted to do a small surprise to cheer you all up while you are at Smallbrook Stadium with us. We will organise a centre green visit at least during your visit and if we can extend it to other treats we will. Send me a DM or email speedwayontheisland@yahoo.co.uk and we can go from there . All the best from us all and we look forward to welcome you If you are coming there will be Gates open 5.15pm Pits open 5.45 - 6.15pm Youth demos from 6.15pm Lady races - 3 races featuring 4 female riders. 6.45 Parade Upright challenge 6 races of Team MPS Body and Paint Jawa V Metro Timber Weslakes. 15 races of 3TT Warriors V Oxford V Heathens. 15 races including Handicap races, and nominated races. BRUCE CRIBB rides an ice bike and if there is time we will have a few japs out and about at meeting close

Message to all the Redcar Bears Speedway Fans on the Southern tour, who have extended it to visit the Isle of Wight. We are all very sorry to hear of the meeting cancellation at Poole, so we wanted to do a small surprise to cheer you all up while you are at Smallbrook Stadium with us. We will organise a centre green visit at least during your visit and if we can extend it to other treats we will. Send me a DM or email speedwayontheisland@yahoo.co.uk and we can go from there . All the best from us all and we look forward to welcome you If you are coming there will be Gates open 5.15pm Pits open 5.45 - 6.15pm Youth demos from 6.15pm Lady races - 3 races featuring 4 female riders. 6.45 Parade Upright challenge 6 races of Team MPS Body and Paint Jawa V Metro Timber Weslakes. 15 races of 3TT Warriors V Oxford V Heathens. 15 races including Handicap races, and nominated races. BRUCE CRIBB rides an ice bike and if there is time we will have a few japs out and about at meeting close