TheReturn

Technically, they refused to ride before it was abandoned so they should be fined, if the opposition were happy to ride. Although on the assumption they were instructed not to ride by Havelock I would have fined the manager, not the riders.

But had Coventry been leading at heat 9, I do not for one minute think he would have been so vociferous. I get the impression on TV that he was pushing for a postponement for points over safety.

I thought Havelock came out badly last night, far more than any officials.

To be fair it is not just speedway, in other sports they often call results without full play. Personally I think heat 12 is a more realistic 'end point' for a result, I thought it always used to be heat 12 in the past or maybe I am making that up (I am getting old). I guess the only other and fair way to decide when to call a meeting is if rain is threatening to end a meeting early, it can only be called a result at the point where the other team can no longer mathematically (using 5-1's) not take (win) points, be that somehow heat 10 or up to heat 14 etc. Otherwise it is everyone back for a re-run meeting.

This is a fascinating thread (for a non technical person). Going back through history, does anybody know who the first rider to ride a lay down engine in a competitive meeting?

Thank you Philip. It will be interesting to see how he is riding after a long period off when his peers have a few months competitive racing under their belts.

When does his ban end?

If that is the case then it is woeful that Sky glossed over that throughout the evening. They are supposed to be broadcasters informing the public, not glossing over stuff in some kind of BSPA mouthpiece way.

I am a bit late to the thread, but depression can be bubbling under the service for years, so it is very feasible that the death of a friend years prior could be a catalyst for a serious episode of depression years later. Depression and other mental health problems should never be trivialised. For someone living through such problems, enjoying things you used to enjoy becomes harder. So in that scenarios yes retiring so many times in such a short space of time makes sense.

Not at all, what is the point of mentioning it midway through the meeting when it changes heat to heat?

Fair enough at the end of the night (which is what most sports do) but not midway through GP number 2.

Why does that idiot Pearson keep banging on about the World Championship positions at this stage of the season, we did not finish round 1 and we are not even through the heats of round 2 yet so the over standings are totally pointless right now, and will be for a couple of GP's yet.

And at some point in the next 24 hours, the speedway press (that don't pay to attend) will try and defend the approach and tell us how the riders all love this big stadiums blah, blah, blah.

Was there an official announcement for the abandonment of the last GP? Because if it was about the track, this track seems far more challenging than last month!

So what stopped you coming on the forum and STARTING a tribute thread? I am 100% certain absolutely nobody would have objected to that. Not like you acting like a prat on this thread.

I bet you said that last time, and the time before that and the time before that... shall I go on?

Was that late 80s? I remember he was flying one season, scoring maximums for fun everywhere he rode then had a really bad crash one night (I think maybe at Oxford) and he was not quite the same after that.

Oh you are right, it is a bit strange and sad seeing that with the outlay of where the new streets are now. I have screenshot the image and added to the Flickr set.

It's funny, I think Station Road was one of those tracks that riders either excelled around or struggled, and Rob Tilbury was one of those who struggled, well he did when he rode for us. He had been a solid rider at Arena but their track is totally different to Station Road and he never seemed to do anything with us points wise.

Off top of my head he only did a season with us. It was the first time the British League (Elite now) was saved by merging it with the then National League (Premier now). Ronnie Correy was not overly successful at Station Road from memory in that season he was with us, but I think he had just overcome a serious injury. I think that same season Sudden Sam's brother did a year with us and was not overly successful either. Brent Werner did do a few seasons and started poor got much better each season. In the latter days Jan Staechmann, then Carl Stonehewer and at various times Carl Blackbird, Martin Dixon and Steve Johnston, Rickard Hellsen and Paul Lee were the stars in those final few seasons. In that last 2/3 seasons we won the Fours and Best Pairs and came close to the League title again on a couple of consecutive seasons.

Nope, Long Eaton were riding high, all was good under the Tony Mole ownership. Notice was given to quit the stadium at the end of the season for development plans. Then a mysterious fire burned the pub down, and then another mysterious fire burned the stadium pavilion down a few weeks later, thus leaving everything clear for the developers.

I have driven past the old stadium site a few times over the years since it was turned into housing, but this week on a visit to the area I had a bit of time to kill so I took a look, and I was surprised at the street names. See pics on link below. I have no idea who comes up with street names, but I am not sure if I see it as a fond lookback on good times at the stadium or if this was the developers last laugh at our expense! Nice little housing estate but I would much rather have our ramshackle stadium, a place where I would meet friends, enjoy a few laughs watch exciting racing, cheer my team on, aah, I miss going to speedway without a team to cheer. Long Eaton town planners made a big mistake in removing the stadium and a piece of history from the map, I mean what else brings World Champions to Long Eaton regularly? I doubt much, if anything at all. https://www.flickr.com/photos/132829098@N06/sets/72157651832209637/

Oh really? Not all spectators understand track conditions I grant you, but hypothetically what about a former rider, someone who graced the world stage for many years who was there in a spectator or commentary capacity. Would his opinion be equally of no consequence? Are you saying only the 18 riders elected to ride are allowed to give opinion on the tracks state?

Shame it took them 48 hours to post that though.

I don't think anyone really feels that was the case, but the lack of public comments from BSI suggests they are not considering the fans who paid to attend. Even if they can't refund, they should at least offer all those who purchased tickets free admittance to another GP in the next two seasons.