PHILIPRISING

I HAVE already told you that then track was inspected on Friday and deemed to be okay. And on Saturday morning too. I am not sticking up for anyone. What SS intends doing is printing various documents that will show exactly what went on regarding the track, before and after opening night. You can then draw your own conclusions. But MCC seemingly don't want that. Also, regarding rent. David Gordon says that the NSS was never formally handed over to them and rent due because the stadium was never completed - no back straight terrace, no permanent toilets and various other faults, including a leaking grandstand roof, as per their contract. Again, we will publish documents to supplement his argument as and when we can.

YOU need to get your facts straight. The contractors laid the sub-base and the top surface of shale which was then worked on by Colin Meredith. Although there were concerns about turns 3 and 4 in the days leading up to opening night, improved weather led all concerned, included SCB'S Gaham Reeve and track specialist Doc Bridgett to feel that the track would be okay on race night. It was still okay during the day. But as the temperature dropped and moisture started to rise from the sub-base, for reasons which were later found to be caused by the rubbish used in the sub-base at that part of the track and the fact that an old hockey pitch had not been broken up.. Meredith felt that the surface was getting softer and was a potential problem. By that stage people were already in attendance and the riders felt it was too dangerous and declined to ride. WE have most of that. MCC keep ignoring requests for comment and you can probably draw your own conclusions from that. Have told them that we will go ahead if they refuse to answers all the questions that we have put to them.

MOTORSPORT other than F! is rarely considered worthy of coverage these days.

SPOT on ...

WE are still waiting for legal clearance for Speedway Star to publish its story of what actually took place regarding the NSS, Manchester City Council, the construction company ISG and David Gordon and Chris Morton last year. We have now been promised a statement from Roger Williams, Media Lead, at MCC but so far it has not been forthcoming. Sooner (hopefully) or later we will publish and while Messrs Gordon and Morton are not totally blameless, they were certainly not responsible for all the faults with bends 3 and 4 on the track which ultimately caused the cancellation of the opening meeting and the postponement of others immediately afterwards which subsequently caused grave financial difficulties,

It was only late afternoon, early evening that Colin Meredith felt that the track surface was changing, getting softer in that one area. He couldn't understand why only that part of the track was affected but we now know why. All sorts of odds and sods were used to form the sub-base of bends three and four rather than the specified material, as used elsewhere, and the old hockey pitch under the turns had not been broken up either. It was a disaster waiting to happen ... and, sadly, it did. Of course, as soon as bends three and four were dug up it was plain to see what had occurred. And we have the document to prove it.

That is such a simple, straightforward statement of fact that explains so much, so easily. And MUST be demonstratable by eyewitness, documentary, photographic and scientific evidence that would make it incontravertible. So why has no one made it before. Speedway Star has documental evidence of the materials used on turns three and four which were completely different to the rest of the track and backed up by various civil engineering reports, which undoubtedly caused the problems on opening night and subsquently had to be rectified. Surely there can be little doubt that had the track been perfect from day one and the meeting gone ahead the rest of the sorry BV/NSS saga which not have materialised as it has. But, I repeat, Manchester City Council are challenge statements made to us by David Gordon, effectively calling him a liar, despite all the paperwork that we have in our possession. At present our own legal advice is to hold fire. DG believes he is 100 per cent correct but MCC, while threatening legal action against him and us, have so far not given us details of which items in the proposed article they actually disagree with.

AS the temperature dropped (it was very cold, bit like Warsaw and Gelsenkirchen), moisture rose to the surface due to the contaminated material used as the sub-base on bends three and four and the surface got progressively softer and was deemed unsafe. Would like to say more but as mentioned elsewhere Speedway Star's hands are currently shackled by the threat of legal action by Manchester City Council who are challenging the accuracy of an article we have ready for publication.

HAVE tried that DON'T think it will but perhaps they want to have speedway's future at the NSS settled before calling off the legal hounds.

SEVEN days and still not response from Manchester City Council as to what they object to and threaten action against in our proposed feature in Speedway Star. Very frustrating.

THE greater the truth the greater the libel ... an old journalistic cliche. I'm sure we will get there soon.

AN update on the Speedway Star article on the NSS ... Manchester City Council are still unhappy with what we are ready to publish and making threats through their legal department although we and David Gordon are 100 per cent sure of facts. But our own lawyer has advised us to hold fire until we have resolved this. Despite several emails last week to the MCC Press Office asking precisely what they objected to and why we have had no answer.

IT'S a chance for Gordon to have his say and by no means asserts he or CM are blameless but does lay bare what went wrong and who is to blame regarding the track and the opening night fiasco and the consequences of that.

DUE to some legal arguments, which we hope to resolve later this week, Speedway Star has had to put on hold our feature on what went wrong at the NSS this year. The legal department at Manchester City Council have raised a number of objections but we are confident that everything are ready to publish is both factual and verifiable by documentation that we have in our possession. All being well we will go ahead next week.

NEXT year

EXCELLENT ... you don't spend nine years on a project like this, going through so many setbacks along the way, without a decent relationship. Incidentally, barring any last minute legalities, SS will be publishing a comprehensive investigation in what went wrong at the NSS this week.

PAIRMAN was allegedly (as stated by GP in his statement) the unfavoured option by speedway authorities not Manchester City Council despite having been confident that the BSPA would welcome his virtually seamless takeover of Belle Vue.

FOLLOWING Gordon Pairman's withdrawal things have not progressed quite as well and quickly as hoped but rather have slow progress than none at all. Just be patient. No doubt when everything is done and dusted there will be an announcement but leaking information at this stage will benefit no one.

OR indeed the people responsible for making a mess of the Belle Vue track...

AIRPORT newsagents have never been must use for Speedway Star. Supermarkets, let by Tesco, actually stock most Speedway Stars each week.

BUSTER Chapman has always maintained that they are in unless we hear to the contrary. Rumours of an announcement this week.

IF he is prepared to say why ...

FIND it hard to believe that BSPA would effectively scupper one viable proposition unless they were certain they had another. But, then again, this is the BSPA we are talking about. Not sure my optimism has anything to do with judgement only what I am to told. Also pretty sure that MCC are determined to see speedway continue at the NSS. They don't want a white elephant on their hands and as it would reflect badly on them.

LET'S say I am optimistic although last week it did appear that Pairman was in the driving seat and that given this business background (chartered accountant etc) and with Chris Morton as a figurehead (not anything more) MCC did favour him. The BSPA, however, were not supportive and seem to prefer an alternative solution although at the moment there is no real reason to think that will not come to fruition. Frustrating, I know, but that's British speedway unfortunately.

ALL will be revealed in Speedway Star shortly but not until we are 100 per cent sure that speedway will continue at the NSS.