Leicester Hunter

He did, and it was against my club, Birmingham! He'd only just missed out two weeks prior to that, scoring 20 against White City. The Dukes lost that one 38-40. The R/R regs in 1976 were truly dreadful, and Reg Wilson actually took 8 rides in Sheffield's match at Leicester in June '76, and scored 17+1. That must have been a truly knackering experience, as he trailed in behind Ila Teromaa and Reidar Eide, the resulting 5-1 securing the points for the Lions. That was one of only five League wins for Leicester that year. The same regs for 1977 weren't much better, and I still have a copy of a Hackney programme (v Kings Lynn, I think), where a whole page was dedicated to the then new rule. Thankfully, that reg was greatly simplified for 1978. In reply to BWitchers question about rule changes years ago, from what I can remember, they were few and far between. Yes, the points limit changed just about every year, that was about it, and things really only became contentious when the limit hit 50 for the 1979 season. Teams didn't even seem to build up to the points limit when it was first implemented, some of them nowhere near it. So long as teams got who they wanted, it all came down to personal terms, and everyone seemed happy. The only rules I was told about when I first attended speedway was the points and helmet colours. Then which riders to watch out for, because they were good (or absolutely awful!). And oh yes, don't cheer for the opposition!

You aren't alienating me. I'm not a Coventry fan and never will be, but what this group is doing really does deserve to succeed. If you can get rid of the incumbent 'promoter' and also get a new stadium, or even resurrect Brandon, it will all have been worth it. Keep up the good work. You will get there in the end.

He would be able to guest for Cradley in matches which don't involve Birmingham. As regards signing him for 2018, I'd see that as a positive (if we're not getting JPB into the team), and personally, I felt he was badly missed in the Brummies team last season.

With a CMA of 8.61 against JPB's 8.66, if that's the route the new Promotion are taking, I would sincerely hope not.

That's what baffles me, but then look at some other chancers who should be nowhere near speedway and yet still are. No, he isn't, because technically, he still owes the GRA a load of rent money from 2010. A substantial five figure sum is what I've heard, and Tony Mole had to pay up prior to the 2011 season. Would you allow a tenant who had upped and gone and hadn't paid you any rent back into any of your properties? Breedon Aggregates also supplied the shale that year, and apparently they weren't paid either, so that's another bill the redoubtable Mr Mole had to settle in all likelihood.

Yes, and having read the statement, I imagine any irony meters in the immediate vicinity automatically set themselves to 'self destruct' mode when it was issued. That's a more likely scenario. Mr 'Up Front and Honest' Midland Robin actually telling the truth for a change? That'll be a first. Remember the Kyle Newman farce in 2010? Turns out we 'signed' him from a club which didn't own him. Patchett couldn't lie straight in bed....

From the fans' perspective, that's most certainly true, and they all deserve much better than this. For the two men who are now in the eye of this particular storm, the best than can be said about them is that their judgement is somewhat suspect. All I will say is this: Had Ged Rathbone contacted me and outlined the problem, I would firstly have told him that under no circumstances should have accept any money, inducement or whatever, no matter how tempting it was. Then I would have told him to leave the decision to Jack Holder alone. If he went, he would cop a 28 day ban, and Peterborough would get a facility to cover, as it wasn't their fault. If he didn't, it was a case of least said, soonest mended. I would have also advised him to contact Matt Ford, as he own's Holder's contract, and tell him everything that had occurred. That phone call would also have been subject of a recording for 'training and monitoring purposes'. It just seems to me that when it comes to speedway, all rationality goes straight out the window. People make the most bizarre decisions, which they wouldn't dream of making at any other time. What's more, they're simply not learning. I find that incredibly sad.

That's exactly how I'm viewing this as well. I find it astounding that Rathbone found it necessary to contact someone else in order to sound them out. He's a businessman isn't he? Doesn't he know what corruption is? On more than one occasion, Ged Rathbone has openly admitted that he was approached by Torun speedway club and offered a monetary sum to release Jack Holder to them, thereby Torun gaining an advantage. He has also acknowledged that money was beneficial to Peterborough Speedway. That's corruption. I'm employed by a German owned multi-national, and believe it or not, every year, I have to sit a test/exam, so that the company can be confident I know what different forms corruption take. It doesn't even have to be money, it can even be gifts which in a certain light may be viewed as insignificant, but on further investigation can be extremely damning evidence. In the real world, a £40,000 fine and a possible disrepute charge would be the least of Rathbone's problems. He'd have had his collar felt a long time ago. If it's also true about Rob Godfrey giving him the green light to go ahead, that speaks volumes about his judgement too. He's have probably been charged as an accessory. What's really depressing about all this though, is the little squit it's centred around has got away scot-free and has been playing his face ever since. The least he deserves is a 12 month ban, and let's leave his visa application to the Poles. He'll soon find out how interested they are in him then.

And Leicester as well. Back in Birmingham's return season in 2007, Les's son Aidan was a member of the team. During our visit to Kings Lynn (never an easy place in those days), Aidan picked up a knock in his second race and was withdrawn from the match by the track doctor. Les quietly reminded him his job then was to support his team mates, and he stayed, with both his bikes ready to go, should a a team mate require them. It's little things like that you remember as years go by.

Not Graham Reeve, was it? Seriously though, did the ref put any names to those references? I'd be very surprised if it's Pete Adams. Wolves are at Belle Vue on Wednesday, so if he's going to be introduced to the crowd it will be via a telephone link, and I can't see that happening. I think I'll stick with the two names I've got plus one other variable. I'll probably be much closer.

Maybe. But you know me, I could not possibly comment.

Those two noggins who ultimately couldn't run a pi$$ up in a brewery? Well, now I've read that, I'm hoping a snippet of info I heard a couple of months ago is correct. Think of someone who was heavily involved with the club not so long ago, and does (or until very recently did) run their own business. And very successfully too, apparently.

No, Reading were League Champions when Tilehurst closed and was redeveloped in 1973/74. That might in part explain the rush to get them operating again in 1975.

Oh yeah. You mean by calling off matches for fictitious reasons, appalling track preparation and not completing fixtures. That's a hell of a lot better.

Well, yes. Considering this we have had (in no particular order) the Championship Fours, Kings Lynn, the Jack Holder affair, Paul Hurry's NL average, Harland Cook's NL average, Isle of Wight being shafted right, left and centre, JPB's ban, Josh Auty's 'retirement', Lakeside just being allowed not to contest a cup tie and possibly a couple of other incidents I have forgotten about, wouldn't you think that's enough incident for one year? It's said that speedway in Britain needs an independent adjudicator. Yes, it almost certainly does, but given that catalogue of cock ups I've mentioned above, just who on earth is a big enough masochist to take it all on? Edited to add: A fair number of matches in all three leagues becoming guest and R/R city due to the ludicrous double/triple up/down scenario allowed by the sport's administrators.

So Jake Knight has been banned for giving an acceptable reason. Ridiculous. Mind you, JPB was banned earlier this year for being honest. Precisely. Just when you thought speedway couldn't possibly get more stupid....

No, I am not referring to Leicester at all, my pseudonym on here alludes to where I live. I did start attending speedway at the fabled Blackbird Road stadium in 1976, before returning to Birmingham (it's a long story....) and I have supported the Brummies since August '77. I can assure you the term 'dregs' is not OTT when it comes to Alan Philips, in fact I find it a considerable understatement. He did his best to destroy the club, having got rid of everyone with any speedway knowledge and commercial acumen, and then proceeded, along with his idiot son, to blame the fans for the management's own shortcomings in the most abusive way possible. Gary Patchett leased the club in 2010, and his legacy was to leave a trail of debt, including unpaid rent to the GRA. I understand Tony Mole had to pay all rent owed before the Brummies could take to the track to commence their Elite League programme in 2011. As I understand it, Patchett is still banned from entering Perry Barr Stadium as a result. You can also throw in the nastiness over unpaid wages at Swindon in 2013 for good measure. I would never criticize anyone for building a track and promoting speedway in this day and age (I may think they've taken leave of their senses), it's a massive undertaking not to be taken lightly. Whatever the political wranglings that have gone on at Leicester, it's a great shame, and I sincerely hope Damien Bates can keep the Lions flag flying high. At the end of the day though, it's no longer my club of choice, and as for the track, well, Blackbird Road it isn't, it's not for me. I hope this goes some way in explaining as to who I am, and my own personal take on things. Cheers Dave

Some promoters are actually very good (outstanding in a couple of cases), but you've always got those who let the side down. If you'd had some of the dregs 'promoting' at your club, such as we have, I don't think your attitude towards them would be particularly benevolent. Does Patchett understand why he is still persona non grata at Perry Barr?

You're right. With our history, it's best not to mention accountants.

Does it matter? Neither of us are going to make the playoffs now, especially after your debacle today at Mildenhall.

As I said to greyhoundp above, I'd rather we closed at the end of this year rather than midway through next. Horton's overall record with Coventry, and above all, Peterborough, is totally underwhelming. I've no optimism that situation would improve at Birmingham. Seven years ago, we had Patchett, who promised the earth, and whose legacy was to leave a trail of destruction and so much bullrubbish, you could have fertilized a desert with it. Then we had to put up with the sheer idiocy of the Phillips years. Alienation, character assassination, open warfare, firstly on anyone within the club with any speedway knowledge, and then finally, with the fans. Why risk that all over again?

Wonderful. My thoughts exactly, Don't want him anywhere near the club.

As far as the ex promoter with the unenviable record is concerned, if it's the name I've been given, we're better off closing at the end of this season rather than 'doing another Phillips' and closing midway through next year. I've randomly been given two other names as well, both ex riders. Like yourself, I'm not sure how serious they are, but the names come from a reliable source. And both would get a yes from me.

Good point, and almost certainly a correct one. You couldn't be more wrong on that. It's well known that employers and/or potential sponsors monitor social media sites to see what's happening out there and to look for any unsuitable comments being made and by whom. Whether they go as far as looking at club sites as well, as was claimed on a club discussion forum a few years ago, I wouldn't like to say, but I find that extremely unlikely. Absolutely correct, and your take that he means Kings Lynn is almost certainly the right one as well. On the other hand, I'd hardly call a five point win at Poole the previous night a thrashing. By and large, Chris Holder has kept his counsel over this matter until this last tweet, which is not only ill advised, but is also, shall we say, inappropriately worded. I'm taking here that you mean 'reason' not season'. In which case we are talking about his withdrawal from the match against Poole. We've only got his word that the injury was genuine, and as we have seen since, his word is worth naff all. He decided to slink away with no bye or leave and Chris Holder was left to carry the can, as he was the only one who, rightly or wrongly (wrongly I believe) declined to resume racing after the track work was completed. Batchelor then put in two sterling performances for Swindon before picking up a potentially genuine injury at Leicester. The fact that he was given the all-clear and resumed racing for the Stars and put virtually nil effort into that racing must have been the last straw for Buster. Troyboy has been all over the media trying to justify what has happened. All he has done is make himself look extremely stupid, a person who will not take personal responsibility for anything. Holder, as I have said, has been largely silent over the matter. However, his actions on the night in question and his last badly advised tweet have left him with nowhere to go either. In his case, if it is the last we see of him in British speedway, it's a very sad way to go out. As for Batchelor, if never see him in Britain again, it would still be way too soon.

Actually, he probably can. Saturday nights are notorious these days to get replacements in the Premiership - they were when it was the Elite League. What Rathbone has done is completely sell out. I hope he enjoys the money Torun have given him, that's even if he receives any at all. If you think this is all over, you're wrong. It's given the Poles carte blanche to do what they like. And they will.