g13webb

Such was the slowness of the meeting, I posted the clock in my program throughout the night. Yes the parade started at 7.15am I didn't clock Lamberts opening ride, as it was the first on the night. His second ride Heat 7 hadn't started by 9.15. I can assure you my timings were spot on. Yes I was there, all the time... until the final was run. I had had enough by then and forewent the celebrations . Just because the riders were on the track before the buzzer, doesn't show urgency, it shows the ref is so slow in putting it on. Sometimes were we waiting 10mins or more between races and still no 2min warning.. I have much respect for Buster and for the work he does, but it doesn't stop me voicing an opinion when things go wrong. its a pity others don't do the same.....

When a meeting takes as long as that did last night, then you look at all the reasons why. 4half hrs to run any meeting is rediculous. It started at 7.15 and come 8 oclock we'd only had 3 races. That in itself was alarming, but there was no urgency shown by anyone. 8.15, 4 heats gone, 19 to go, and Buster spends 10 mins on the tractor. Another hours passes, 9.15. we are only on ht 7. Lambert has been waiting 2 hrs for his second ride. 9.30. we've had 8 heats, Buster does another track grade. Instead of just one tractor, why not use 2 or three to push proceedings along. The referee was always reluctant to press that 2 mins buzzer, it was left to the pit manager to get the riders out for the next race. it was taking forever.... The ambulance delay in heat 12 was unfortunate, Hate to see people get hurt. The announcement that we were going to forgo the interval, but we had 12 mins of Buster track grading on his own instead. . Its way past 11 when the 20 heats had finished. then we had to endure the gate selection process. When the final race finished, the time was 11.39pm. I'm so pleased you made the journey. Yes there were some good races, close races. and Lambert was supreme. Unfortunately he missed out on the final by a whisker, but he more than anybody else kept the local fans from going home. Standing 4half hrs watching 23 races that cost a premium is not my idea of good speedway. To put this into some sort of prospective, this meeting lasted as long as 3 football matches, I bet there were more people pleased they didn't go last night, than those that did....... Just saying you couldn't put any blame on them for the slow progress.

For someone who was actually here, I can fully appreciate the issues of a long drawn out meeting. It would be difficult to apportion blame on a specific reason. Yes the track was very grippy, yes, the riders were riding above themselves, yes they wanted to perform in a world championship, but there can be no excuses for some of crashes that happened last night. Some were Kami-Karci manoeuvres When sky are in town , they take control of the meeting, but last night the Polish Tele didn't appear to have that power.. They were there televising the event. So no blame can be put their way. The biggest culprit has to be the Referee. he never once showed any urgency or common sense. When he did press the 2min buzzer he got the biggest cheer of the night . Buster didn't help things along with his lengthy grade grades. The meeting needn't someone to push the proceedings along but sadly it didn't happen. Robert Lambert, didn't win, but he, more than most, keep the poor crowd entertained. This meeting did the sport more harm than good. Total Shambles....... PS : 2 years back I criticised the Brandonapolis meeting for going on till 11pm, saying never again. But this was even worse....

Interesting thread this, one thats been discussed many times. Personally, I like nothing better than seeing Niels in full flow. To me he is at the top of his trade, and gives me so much pleasure just watching him perform......... as does most of the top rider..... ( not all of them mind). Our sport has been allow to decline on a yearly basis. The popularity has been banished with badly thought out ideas. The cost of these top riders has become a luxury, that some clubs now, cant afford. So New plans without these top riders have to be the considered. We cannot run our sport on the sole purpose of seeing these top performers at the extent of the lesser ones. Having frequented the EESG this year, It has shown me, that when the track is prepared well and the teams have riders who want to race, the entertainment is first class, proving those 'top riders' are not that important. The product of speedway racing was as it should be, fast, furious and exciting with close racing. The attendance appeared to be similar to those at Lynn. Both venues need to up their promotion and presentation and the cost of them Pies need to be addressed. but looking at it as a complete package I am sure that if the BSPA of both divisions worked together, we could find an adequate answer to most problems... Probably the BSPA will take on board when thinking about new ideas......

I accept all that you say and can see your point of view. However, Kerr had ridden for the Stars for a few years and provided for his family in the past, and no doubt would have done so again. He must have been a much sought after rider in the PL and if he couldn't ride for Ipswich, no doubt he could have acquired a good contract at a number of other places. I don't doubt Buster had a major part to play in this situation, but probably, he was of the same impression as I, that Kerr, a major player in our team, would be riding for the Stars. I listen to other posters, and accept some feel differently. I have no problem with that... There is no right or wrong in this situation, it all down to what virtues are important in one's life. ...... There is no argument here to win, merely a difference of opinion

There can be no fair way for it to be done. How many matches have been won and lost already where the top scoring reserves have acquired massive points. Would it be fair on those teams that lost to change the rules now. It was always a stupid idea allowing for the movement of reserves with protected race format, they were always going to score higher than others. Then allowing seasoned heat leaders into those protected heats. It was always going to be chaos. Any integrity the league once had, has long gone. Its too late for changes now, let this year continue as the farce it is, but instead of wasting more time, why don't the BSPA put their heads together now, rip up the whole rule book, and start again from scratch for the year 2017...... That way they have a 6 month start on a new beginning.......

Exactly!! Had Kerr been in our 1 to 5, his decision wouldn't be so important, a lost yes, but one that could have been replaced. Being our protected EDF made the lost, in the selection process, 10 times worse. We were never going to overcome that.....

Like you, I'm not exactly clear why we switched our race night to Thursday's, probably trying to persuade Niels to sign.( that's purely a guess) But for Buster to declare Kerr as our preferred EDR rider, they must have had some form of communication of what was expected of Kerr in the coming season of 2016. Everybody knows how important the reserves are when assembling a team plus them fictitious order of selections. With Kerr as our preferred rider we get last choice of remaining riders. Had Kerr not been our preferred choice, we would have had first pick. So the nomination of EDR is of paramount importance to any club. If there had been any doubt that Kerr would not be riding for the Stars then it should have been known, and not pursued with him as their preferred choice. We could have elected to preferred Rose in the Tier 2 and had first choice in Tier 1. (we could have had first choice of Ellis). That was how important Kerr was to Lynn's season. When in was decided to switch race-nights to Thursday, Kerr had to make a choice. Does he stay with the team who had stood by him and helped him so much, the team that has put so much importance in him, or go to another club instead, who race on the same night.? We all know what he did, and has since been dropped like a hot brick. It doesn't make any difference whose fault it was, Kerr had a that choice. He could have ridden for Lynn on Thursdays and another PL club, I'm sure there were many who would have liked his services, but NO, he choice Ipswich instead.... To me that speck volumes for how he feels towards the Stars team the fans and their supporters. Then, he rubs salt into the wounds by riding for Lakeside as well... I'm sorry but Kerr has lost all my respect. An old saying: 'You never bite the hand that feeds you' ....

No, not bitter at all.... More a realistic view. Lewis Kerr has a lot to thank Lynn for the way the career has gone. When he suffered the nasty fall last year, nobody done more to help him than Lynn Stars and their fans. When or why it was decided to change race night to Thursday, Kerr was off like a shot, to a team who has now dropped him. When I checked the fixtures there were a few clashes, but bearing in mind the fixing chaos there will always be clashes..... What made it worse was Kerr our preferred EDR rider, meaning we lost out both ways. He didn't give Lynn much thought at all. Sorry if you feel differently .... Lambert did very well on Thursday, but expecting him to do that every week will be a tough ask......

Some say the grass is always greener, but it is not always the best options. Rambo elected to ride for Peterborough instead of us at the start of the year and Kerr dropped us right init.. I wouldn't be in a rush to welcome either back. Why change things, after all we have bigger problems at the moment than replacing Wilko. At least he was prepared to ride...... for the Stars.....

I admit they slipped up last night, but they have points on the board. There won't be many teams go to Belle Vue and win, so its not all bad. I have always thought they weren't that strong, but that can be said about a lot of teams, us included.... Should be in the mix for the minor places.....

Going back to last night's track, whatever the problem with the track, in heat 1 it was soon sorted and didn't show again all night. Looking back I was so impressed with Lewis Rose in heat 14. Bridger threw the sink at him in an effort to get by. Some will say he was excessive, it was an accident waiting to happen. by Lewis stuck to his ground and would not be moved. a truly brilliant ride. He seems to be improving with every week. Heart was in the mouth when Niels came off. It looked an awkward fall. had he withdrawn from the meeting we would have been like Lambs to the slaughter. Thankfully, he was soon back, and normal service was resumed. Both Lamberts, Robert and Simon were on the pace and scored well, Mads rode much better than his points suggest, and Batch is improving slowly. Seems to have more speed now but struggles on the corners. No doubt it will eventually fall into place, but has along way to go. I'm sure he will get back to the rider he was... As for this year, I believe Poole and Belle Vue are nailed on certainties to make the playoffs, Although, Lakeside, Wolves and Swindon are doing well at the moment, I don't feel they are cast iron bets for the top 4. Together with the remaining 3 teams, I feel there are going to be a lot of movement before those final two places are assured....

All this talk about legality of the riders and the position they were riding are just issues created by a stupid rule book. Nobody knows what the rules actually are. Some teams have squads of riders whereas other teams only have the minimum 7. There will always be problems till the all teams are reading from the same hymn sheet. Which ever way it was looked at we fielded too many Draft riders, and Wolves needed too many replacements. As far as the purest goes this was a speedway meeting between two scratch teams, that turned out pretty good. We had another match that went to the last heat, and again Lambert and Niels took the spoils. Both teams done OK, with the Stars being deserving winners. I think if both teams were at full strength the scores would have been similar. Apart from Niels heat one fall there were no hold ups He later proved he had no ill effects scoring 4 race wins, I can't see any reason to be disheartened.... Another decent meeting........

Thanks for that info, as usual the fans are last to know. When most clubs get a reserve switch, they are inevitably stronger having a good rider dropping down to have extra rides against weaker opposition. This switch has made us a considerably weaker team..... As with all the rules, This idea, make the strong teams stronger, and the weak teams even weaker.....

Can someone please explain, how or why is Rose at 4. Surely his averages arent that good. He's a tier 2 EDR rider. Wolves are able to bring in Kerr, a second string to replace a EDR Howarth, and we do it the other way round. Strange !!!!

Wow hang on a minute!! , I never said get rid of Batchelor. When thinking of the Sport and the Stars situation, beggars cant be choosers. Such is the state of speedway in this country, there are not enough top riders to pick and choose. I know Batch has his faults, but he can also be a match winner. One his day he can beat the very best. My only hope is that he has more good days than bad.... But us, as fans, are allowed an opinion. Be him good or bad, as long as you're not offensive, we have the right to say. Also, had I been Buster, I would have done all I could to have persuaded KB to ride this year as well... You knew he would have won a few races at least..... even against top riders..... Now we have lost another rider, who has decided to give the Elite league a miss. They're not many left.....

I would give him all the time in the world to get back to fitness. no problems there. But if your attitude is wrong, then the fitness and form are irrelevant. What he done the other night, was show the world his attitude was all self. He had no thoughts for the team, the fans or the sport. I'm afraid giving him a couple weeks to sort that out won't change anything..... Shame really, Got loads of ability... Had his attitude been in gear, he could have achieved far more than he had.....

Ever the optimist....... How many chances does one need. Confucius said ' There is always an excuse when you look for one'

Rob Lyon will never speak out against the ref. I agree it was a good meeting, one that we were expected to lose. Lose with pride, or lose with effort can be applauded, but to give up like Batchelor is disgraceful. He had no excuse.........He doesn't deserve any support. The rules this year are rubbishe... Why should a team be penalised for doing no wrong is beyond me. First: When Rose was taken down, we then had to ride a race with only 3 riders, even though the person responsible was still allowed to compete and win. Secondly: Surely a team can only nominate the riders once, when they he commits a foul, then its 15yds or a reserve replacement. It cant be win-win-win all the time.... Stupid rules!!!!!!

It's not my intention to run Lambert down, but sometimes I feel he should be winning more races. The man has immense talent and capable of beating the best. Last night, we needed somebody else to step up to help Niels. Heat 14 was critical. Lambert done well in beating Doyle twice, but then lost twice to lesser opponents. Even after 4 yrs of racing, gating is still his nemesis. Its all very exciting watching him come from the back, but good riders are hard to pass. If he can't get his gating sorted he will never fulfil his obvious potential

I don't know whether this was a point gained or points lost. Although I enjoyed the night's racing, the standard of the Elite teams, these days are pretty poor. Fair play to Swindon who battle well, but you didn't have much to beat. Niels tonight was majestic. His desire to win stood out like a beacon. Most of the time he was made to battle, but true to his stature he reign supreme. What a pity the others don't show the same attitude as Niels. Mads with slow bikes, and rusty Batchelor didn't help the cause. Huckenbeck and Wilko were poor, Rose done his job. In the end, it was left to Lambert to scrap a point. Yes, a brilliant last race against Doyle, but I was disappointed with Lambert and expected more from him than the single race win he managed. As a heat leader, he has to do better than that.... Looking at the team as a unit, we are weak. I remember when we raced in the Premier League we were better than this. Take Niels away and we are in Dire Straits. Its a long time since our team was this poor. you can rest assured we will finish nearer the bottom than the top of the league. Any thoughts of reaching the 'Play-offs' is just wishful thinking.....

Why do you have to be so offensive......Answer to your question is Yes. I and others thought the track was sabotage to get the meeting cancelled. We, had travelled 350 miles thinking we had a chance against a weakened team on a wet track. But in truth we had no chance, as the meeting was never going to go ahead. We were the mugs, travelling all that way, aware of all the previous under handed behaviour Poole are renown for..... It won't happen again, That I can assure you .......

The track at Wimbourn road has always been suspect, even going back to the Malcolm Simmons and Michael Lee era's it was never the track that riders enjoyed racing on. Of all the tracks I've visited this one has to be the worse. It amazes me that someone, held in such high esteem as Matt Ford, still expects his riders to put their life on the line, when he could have made the track much better for them to ride. When we visited Poole for the POSF 2 years back, they had made a ridiculous hole on the first corner, ensuring the match to be called off. Probably they are now getting there comeuppance, you cant go digging up holes in a track and expect the base to be solid...... It should have been relayed years ago....

It was not my intention to annoy you, but to me , your comments was not warranted for a man who has at least tried to promoted the sport. Sure he had mistakes, If it was that easy, everyone would do it. also, you elected to include Poole in your name, so letting people know who you support. It is common knowledge on here that the majority of poole supporters think only of Matt Ford, so you will always be tarred with that brush... . It is very difficult to compare buying a greengrocery shop to that of promoting Speedway, but I understand your point. From your post, you obviously made some good decisions and have been successful in your trade. But no doubt you also made some bad decisions as you found your way. We need to support people like David Hemsley, Without them the sport will die.....

A typical response from a Poole Fan. This Guy has tried to make speedway work, He has built a track, that is far better than anything I've seen in Dorset , and you come out with comments like that. The sport is in desperate need of more people like David Hemsley. I suggest you get off your arse and put some positive work into the sport like David Hemsley has done, then you'll be able to make a worth-while comment... until then go outside and play.....................