Hawk127

It is just history repeating itself. The rockets who are and will always be recognised as a team from Rayleigh. Riders catching up at the blinking owl cafe on the A127 after a meeting are history yet the man who made it what it was is Len Silver. It was his team as was Hackney. Many Rayleigh supporters followed the team to Rye House and religiously picked up the coach from the Weir on a Sunday afternoon but it was never the same. Those who only knew Arena Essex will go through the same pain and emotion. Sad to say but the the roar of bikes in Essex will soon be history and the chances of the sport ever coming back to the county are remote. Enjoy and savour the last meeting but don’t waste too much time in building any the hope of the sport ever returning. It will not and with the demand for property and the nimby element it will never happen. Just be grateful that you saw the best of a sport that is now a shadow of what it once was.

Thanks for the update, it is much appreciated.

I suspect that the owners are effectively saying that the continuance of speedway in the short term is in doubt. That would prevent the Hammers applying to run in 2019. Saying that the stadium is not available post 2018, the support for speedway falls away and the applicants can then submit a planning proposal on the basis that there is no longer any demand for racing and the requirement cannot be justified. Motorsport will not have taken place for some time and any pre-condition that the council have In wanting it to continue could in effect be overruled on appeal because the applicants can prove that the demand does no longer exist. It is a stitch up but that is how these devious buggers work. The demand for housing far out weighs that of a minority sport that by and large will pee off most residents simply because of the noise. I am afraid the nimby vote and developers cunning will win.

Unless it is a dual purpose stadium with bangers/stock cars using it on alternative weekends/weeks. Few if any stadia could survive on fortnightly speedway and speedway just has to accept that it needs partners particularly if you look at the numbers turning up for bangers and stock cars. Take a look at the recent world championship meeting at Kings Lynn on YouTube and speedway in this country can only dream of that level of numbers watching yet the same at Ipswich and other venues who host the four wheeled motorsport with crowds who flock to these meetings because it is value for money and entertaining. Then look at speedway with 15 minutes of racing stretched over two hours and follow my leader races, teams you can no longer relate too, few if any local heroes and infrequent meetings, fickle fans who only want league racing , riders that cannot be bothered, no joined up thinking amongst those who run the sport and that is why Speedway on its own is not a viable proposition and is in the state it is in at all levels. I undestand those fans who do not want to travel to Rye House, many felt the same when Rayleigh closed. Sad to say that when you lose your local team it is hard to build up the enthusiasm travel afar to watch a home team. When you look back and realise the local teams with Rayleigh, Romford, Crayford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Ipswich and Peterborough with good local derbies plus Hackney, Wimbledon, White City and Wembley at another level and London and the South East was hotbed of speedway. Alas no more and today it is a pale shadow of what it meant to supporters and the followings that these teams had.

I agree but unfortunately the chances of finding a suitable piece of land and having the financial resources to fund the development are a very long shot. Rayleigh in the 70’s did consider Rawerth Lane but that came to nothing, the old greyhound track in Southend was potentially another option but this was forty plus years ago. I followed the Rockets to Rye House but it was never the same and those who went to the Weir would know what I mean. Arena Essex was a good option but once the Chick Woodruff family let thing go the writing was on the wall. Chick was a good guy who gave the sport a chance despite it not being his primary interest. A few pieces of land out towards Clacton-on-Sea and Jaywick could be an option but convincing Tendring council might be an uphill struggle. In the south of the county and taking a line south of Witham, my guess is that you have no chance given the proximity/travelling time to to London and with the demand for housing it is sad to say but speedway in Essex may well have finally come to an end. I would like to be proved wrong but I cannot see the sport establishing itself again in the county.

How about Rye House Bombers. That would be a vestige of the past and good memories of the derby matches between Rayleigh and Romford. Who were the final holders of the Essex Gold Cup?

Was thinking the same and perhaps leave the past behind on both counts and perhaps rebrand. Anyone for Rye House Raiders.

An immediate rule change is needed. Then I remembered Chapman and Ford are not involved so no rule change and CL seems to be an outsider these days and probably has lost the will to live. Oh well maybe next year. As an aside which licence holders are excluded from Championship racing?

Is Jarek still a club asset? Would put a few bums on seats if he could turn out for the witches in their hour of need. Oh for a squad system but I know it is the same for many clubs who have riders injured. A bad weekend for injuries and good luck to all the riders for a speedy and successful recovery.

Oh dear. A tough run in then and as Baldyman has intimated it might be a tough ask but I guess miracles can happen. So if tomorrow they slip up they really do need to win away. Fingers crossed but unfortunately the lack of meetings and track time may just go against the witches. Still there is always next season and if they plump for the upper tier, Doyle could be a good number one particularly after last nights comments re the travelling to the West Country. Until then good luck to the Witches.

What do Ipswich have to achive in terms of results to make the play off? Is it a case of just winning all the home matches or do they still need to pick up points away from home?

If that Is the best you have it confirms what I said. I run a successful business and just enjoy reading pathetic responses like yours. Time to do something interesting so I will leave you to your arguments.

Have you ever thought about trying to put together a sentence that makes sense with the correct punctuation. You also ought to think about your grammar and consider your construction of a balanced argument as your failure on both counts leaves a lot to be desired. I doubt that few if any can take you seriously and however much you complain, insult and show your opposition to to an ageing population, which you continually portray throughout your posts, you simply belittle your standing in terms of being taken seriously but I doubt you even understand that. Winge as much as you like about the older generation but at least most of us have had a life, have had an education and show respect for others all of which seems to escape you and is beyond your comprehension.

Thanks for confirming the Hackney meeting. Memory not what it use to be. Time to crawl back under the stone.

Local derbies and cup competitions are sadly missing from today’s racing calendar as the average fickle supporter cannot see beyond a league meeting. If you have more competitions, it means more track time for riders more trophies and not just a league or KO cup. I remember many competitions at Rayleigh, Essex Gold Cup against Romford, 3TT involving Canterbury and Eastbourne, local derbies involving the two aforementioned teams plus Ipswich, Romford and Crayford and the resultant bragging rights plus some real humdingers against Boston, Sunderland, Berwick, Workington and many more. Most clubs would be overjoyed to see the numbers that attended Rayleigh on Saturday or bank holiday. Nothing today comes near the package those of us who were lucky enough to experience or the enthusiasm of those on the terraces.

Absolutely brilliant and that is what a team World Cup should be. Seven riders and a knock out tournament. No messing about at the start and a passionate crowd. I remember going to the round at Hackney and it was Russia but for the life of me I cannot remember the opponents but the stadium was packed. Oh happy days and if only they would give the same format a try today.

If you believe that every club and every rider relies solely on gate money you are sadly deluded. None of the clubs have orbwould exist without sponsors and riders could not afford to participate without sponsorship. In the case of younger riders starting out family money keeps them in the sport. If you have ever written a business plan and supported it with financial forecasts including p and l, balance sheet and cash flow you can demonstrate how it could be a viable proposition. Your idea of doing it on the back of a fag packet without any business acumen says it all. Run a business and you might have some idea. If you do run a business then I would be surprised if it has any longevity given your comments.

Comparing today’s whinging Aussies with those who had track craft and skills way above the likes of Schlein etc is not looking through rose tinted glasses. Yes they did argue and often complained but they also showed respect for the paying punter and gave it their best.

You talk solely about gate money. What about sponsorship? What about the bigger picture? Forget it you still have not divulged a decent forecast or businessmodel and amateur business people are not worth debating with.

What serious calculation or business model have you run through to conclude that clubs will go bust? I think you have not thought it through and are shooting from the hip. Come up with your financial forecasts on a club by club basis to prove th3 point and you might be taken seriously. If clubs are able to pull in a bigger fan base over the qualifying period and it hits the spot in value for money more people would attend and almost replicate the Polish scenario. The Polish fans pay nothing like the U.K. fan base have to cough up but as the cream rises to the top you pay more but everyone starts off with a chance. The trouble is no one wants to try anything new and yet you continually criticise those who refer back to age when the sport was popular and pulling in decent crowds unlike today when it is not a secret that is best kept, it simply has changed to the point where no one is interested and the price point is wrong for those attending and the riders believe that are better then they really are with the promoters operating on a self interest basis. If it were free it would be too much to pay but could happen with the right sponsorship but no one in this sport is capable of achieving that.

Why not try something different if the play offs are such a big attraction. All qualifying meetings are £7.50 adults and £1 for children. Top six teams in the play offs charge £20 per adult £2 per child. For the final charge £30 per adult and £5 per child. See how popular they are with the fans on cost versus importance of meeting. Make it something special in the final and possibly an event rather than just a meeting and see whether it is a good as those who believe it is.

Does that prove the point. I bet you were entertained, had admiration for the riders and probably left happy having been entertained even if things were a bit hairy. All that excitement and I bet each and every one at least tried unlike their peers who are clearly overpaid to the point where that they can afford not to race every week or perhaps doubling up has taken away the incentive to serve the paying public and show some allegiance to club and fans.

Few if any of today’s Aussie riders have either the class or the refinement or the skill of some of their former compatriots. Jason Crump, Shane Parker, Billy Sanders, Jason Lyons, Craig Boyce, Ryan Sullivan etc. would give it a go and get on with the job most of the time. The current crop believe they are better then they really are which is a shame but no one can stand a whinging Aussie rider. Many of the current riding fraternity cannot entertain the public let alone stand up and be counted when asked to talk to joe public to justify a decision. Who in their right mind would want to run a club where the tail is wagging the dog. At least at NL level few seem to have the fear factor that is all to evident by those with supposedly more experience.

No one forgets this but unless the conditions are perfect the riders are refusing to get a meeting on. If they perceive the risks are too great and this is becoming the norm where anything other than perfect conditions (which is a personal rider view rather than a collective team view) is an excuse not to ride then find another job. This simply did not happen in years gone by but today’s riders are unwilling to give it a go and if they fear they cannot control the machines then it is something that they need to deal with and adapt the bikes accordingly but it is not the paying public who should be punished for these riders lack of skills in tackling the conditions.

It has always been a case of their body on the line. Don’t disagree on that but these are suppose to be professional riders who should adapt to conditions. Anything less than perfect (and that is a personal preference) then one or two more influential individuals can sway things for a who.e team. However if they know that they are not going to get paid they may consider the options. Maybe the pay structure is wrong but with a crap season, poor fixtures fans drifting away in droves you would think that some riders who apparently depend on a living from speedway might think of the bigger picture. Let’s see how many clubs survive into 2019 with whatever daft revamp the BSPA have come up with. The powers that be have lost the plot and the riders think they are bigger than the sport itself. Both deserve each other but few deserve the loyal support of the fans