barrybishop

OK everyone here is your fun packed holiday adventure line up..... Gates open at 5.30 Pits are open for full access 5.45 - 6.15 Mascots on track 6.15 - 6.45 Rider parade 6.45 First race 7.00 Halftime we have the kids on track race too plus all your other fun and games.... We have two places to get food... on bend one and in the premier lounge situation on bend 2... full range of, very well priced, food and drink. We also have a track shop on bend 1, seated stands with TVs in, tattoos for kids, sweet stalls, kids will get a whistle and sweet voucher on entry, there is a stadium map on the the back page of the programme. Any questions please let me know...

Where abouts are you......? send me at PM and I will see if any of our fans, riders or officials can meet you somewhere...

For sure it is not one I can fund...but I can certainly provide a workable business plan and would love to run it and build it...

Hi.... yep they averaged around 2 -3 seconds more to our usual timings... I am looking at a way to give away the entire meeting footage for everyone to review it and see that action, which in general was really close and only spread out for a coupleof races. They are the 2v Laydowns you saw on the clip but my view it doesnt matter if they are 2v or 4v really but they must be standard engines. I will ask about the common parts for both but I am there will be.

Hey, In my view what needs to be implemented here is not a replacement of the the existing machines used today, because although we think it could be cheaper and we think it will be closer we have only staged a few meetings worldwide on these engines. What the next steps need to be are an increased amount of meetings and whether thats more meetings on the Island or a cup challenge with engines provided by NICE or another benefactor remains to be seen but this is the only way forward in my view and is what I will discuss when I meet the NICE team again next month. Doing a larger meaningful set of meetings will enable us to truly have some answers to the questions of how close will the racing be, what will the action be like, how will the engines be after 5, 10 or 15 meetings. For me it is not about cost reduction although this is a great additional benefit, it is about how we improve the show, while maintaining rider safety. All of the riders said the engines were great to control, needed setup and throttle control and not just flat out. I am hopeful that this early experiment can now be expanded to enable us to do real comparisons, real analysis and then mover forward. One other point here... I dont actually think it matters whether the engines are 2 or 4v, what matters is that they are standard and they are balloted for at each meeting. It is great to read your feedback on here, I can tell you the feedback all over has been really encouraging, now I just have to work harder to show even more proof. See you trackside - #positivityisking

Ah... I am afraid that when I said "us all" I meant those in attendance on Thursday who saw some really entertaining action, heart stopping moments, and really a night of close racing, elbowsm, track craft and throttle control, all on a level playing field for each rider. From my perspective, I (Martin and I) will continue to work with NICE on this project and will attend a washup meeting with them soon along with discussions on what comes next. I see this as being format as a great opportunity for the sport and while there is much work to be done, in my view it has the potential longevity and that warrants further exploration in a controlled way. Furthermore, these next stage experiments must have some kind of control and reference points so that a comparison can be made. This means it cannot be simple as to put an entire league on the engines.. but I do have ideas that I will be discussing with NICE over the coming weeks about how we can take it further and then present that final idea to the higher authority. However, as a standalone event we will be doing it again for sure and at least once.......

Thanks very much... seems the feedback for it has been tremendous so far... and it certainly shows there is a desire from us all to continue the exploration. Hopefully see you trackside again. All the best

It's not really a faff to get to the Island.... its does take a little longer for sure, but other than that, travelling to the island is a pretty good experience. I do it every week and while for me I probably really dislike the additional wait in the ferry terminals for the occassional traveller its all part of a wonderful experience and for those who do it weekly, and there are around 30 of them, its says something of the product they see to warrant the continual travel over the solent. Should you make it over, be sure to grab me (always in yellow and blue) and I will ensure, like everyone else, you have great time. All the best Barry

I cannot wait to kick the season off with this super meeting. We remember a great man with some super action on the track. See you trackside.

yep that was fun.... I was in Thailand. I had to do it before for a fans forum we had and it worked pretty well, so when I realised I would have to travel, it was my duty to try to see if the same set up would work and it did actually really well. You are right I didnt really want to end there because I would /was thinking about all the other questions I could have answered had I stayed on the line. I love our sport, our club, and working with Martin, so if people believe in what we are doing, ask questions, offer ideas, give input... it makes absolute sense to participate in them. I am always very thankful for the invitation to be honest.

Yep I appreciate that, and you are right it does get harder. That's probably because of your 50 friends at speedway you are now the only one attending. This is the start point. On the island I recalled what it was like for me as a kid at speedway - I had different friends there, in the main, to my friends from School and Sea Cadets. So it is this that we have focused on with the island... fun, family, friendship, entertainment, community, value for money (kids always free for anything related to speedway).. speedway on the island is a show, of which the racing is the main event sure, but there are lots of little side events from mascots, to face painting, home made specials in the cafe, pits open.... even me getting a megaphone to drive the fans nuts but its a fun experience... and this is what, in my view, every track should be looking at. To be fair, we have seen a big increase in this across speedway over the last season or so. While I do appreciate it is hard to be positive... and I have been there beleive me... I am always positive about what we do on the Island because I totally believe it in, totally believe we can make it better (why we regularly have discussions on our show - for everyone to contribute). Finally it is pride... we are very proud of our club. To me you visit my home when you come to Smallbrook, and while there will be problems from time to time I am very happy to explain them if needed, I am always happy to have feedback contructive or positive, and I would be gutted, totally, if fans had a crap time with us. See you trackside and thanks for the feedback

I absolutely do make that curry for our specials... we have a team of us... I do the Curry, Jane does the sausage casserole and Chilli, and Sandra will be adding thick soups to our non summer time menu Really glad you like it - thank you.

Trust me, I only use the most fresh and free range produce for my home made curry... please comd and try it.

You are right HT things do seem to be getting better, things are improving, and people are noticing. This is a great step in the right direction for the sport and making speedway night something to be proud of. Regads your second point... I have been thinking about this long and hard and I would actually like to do it one day, if I was ever offered such a thing. To bring speedway forward, to take it to the next level, needs leadership, simplification, financial sustainability rules, but most of all positivity from every part of the sport - all of us.

quite possibly....

Actually I clean the air fence every week :):) and you know what i am like in the build up to the meeting.... I view it from your perspective in that I want it to be just right for when our fans and visiting fans eneter the stadium - from the moment you enter until you leave you are mine... and it is my duty to entertain you

it is true to say that I do take time to read the forum and there is good reason for this... I, on behalf of our clubs, learn from it. I sense feeling in the written word, and I look for information and idea that can make our product better - I ask myself almost daily "How can I improve our show?" or "What makes speedway night the best it can be and how can I encourage our fans, volunteers, sponsors and riders as proud of the club as Martin and I are?" Small questions with many, many answers. So reading regularly allows me to understand what makes us as fans tick, how can I make our club stand out. So, once again I thank everyone for their contribution on the forum and as I always say... positivity sells, belief inspires, entertainment equals entry value and constructive interaction is as important as a pat on the back. Thank you See you trackside.

Actually the Isle of Wight Wizards will race at the Isle of Wight for their home meetings. The squad will be made up of either Islanders or regular members of My First Skid - also located on the Isle of Wight

Yes absolutely correct... I put this forward and other suggestions to up the NL image and get us closer to our sponsors. On the Island we held really good live draws for our meetings, be that in the crowd, with a sponsor or even on the spikes of an ice bike. However, I always seek the advice of Andy Hague who knows his stuff for this type of thing... even if I have a wacky idea, he knows how to make that idea get presented in the best way. While at the time, we may think what we are doing is the best thing ever (and to us it is of courese), using the opinion of someone like Andy enables me to cover off the viewers, our sponsors and our leagues perspective - as in this is what Andy thinks about in everything he does for the club. He wants the Wightlink Warriors always to be seen at its very best within our budget... which is of course in line with Martin and my thinking.

Hi, The Wightlink Warriors have been nominated for another award. If you can vote for us I would really appreciate it and share it to other forums with like minded people. The awards can be found at redfunnel.co.uk/awards and the Wightlinkj Warriors are nominated in the best land based activity section. Thank you very much in advance Barry

2019 working party dates are announced. Jan 18th - 20th Feb 15 - 16th (17th off to celebration of speedway) Mar 15 - 17th. Be really great to see some of you there if you can to help with the continuous stadium improvement program to make the stadium the best it can be. Thank you

Very happy to read our 2018 programme has been voted joint most improved across all 3 leagues and while I feel what we do is right if there is anything you would like to be considered for inclusion for 2019 do let us know. Congratuations to our programme team, sponsors, contributors and everyone involved in its production. Thank you

At this time of festive cheer, I would to wish you all a very merry Christmas and thank you for your support of the Wightlink Warriors and Wizards. It means the world to Martin and I the feedback across the forum on the Warriors and Wizards. It is all very useful for us as we slowly develop our product further and within budget. So thank you, whether you are a season ticket holder, member of staff or someone who just looks in from a distance. Thanks. Have a great Christmas with those you love, and I look forward to seeing you, hearing from you or pondering your thoughts on here in the future. All the best Barry (and Martin)

accepted.......

a wager......?