E I Addio

No different toPoole getting a ringer in on a false average to cover the second heatleader role and he finishes up scoring less than r/r would have done. I am amazed that after all the years you have followed Speedwáy you still haven't grasped that you can't just bring a Continental Johnny in and expect him to hit the ground running. Not only are track surfaces different to when Lindback last rode here but crucially- and this is the point that those with no mechanical knowledge can't grasp -the silencers are different. If Linback, a GP rider and therefore amongst the best in the world can only manage 5 points from 5 rides on his home track what reason is there to believe that any Tom, Dick, or Bartosz would score any more than the six points R/R scored at Lakeside ? Obviously a like for like replacement for AJ would be ideal but in reality there are only a tiny handful of riders that coukd do a serious job and none were available. And still those who say a No 1 should have been brought in can't tell us who was available and prepared to come.

A choice of t wo possibilities there. Either Gerald has a twin brother driving the tractor at Lakeside on Wedbesday, or else it was Gerald himself driving the tractor and you are telling porkies about him being at Poole. Hmm.... Anybody ever seen or heard of Gerald having a twin brother? No, thought not. Caught out telling porkies it is then.

On the old Lakeside website just before it was closed down, and apparently your abuse and insults were part of the reason why it was closed. I note you don't deny abuse and insults towards Neil. I never said it didn't. All I said, if you bother to read the post properly was that you are the only one to ever describe him as the Motivational Coach " , and that the programme describes him as team manager. He has never been described as "Motivational Coach " That is just an adjective you put in to mislead people (a lie in other words) to add a bit of force to your carping criticism.

Would that be the same Chris Van Straaten who had just signed the Workd Champion on a bargain average ? Wow what a coincidence that would be !

TBF I think in his mind he had every intention of going through, it's just that he is getting the way Len Silver went years ago. It reminded me of a meeting against Coventry few years ago when the track was done and ready to race and Cook came out and for reasons best known to himself picked up a hose and started watering the start area and n messed it all up. Lakeside then lost a meeting they should have one. I still like the atmosphere, I like the riders, and I like most of the fans but Cookie has got to get his act together.

The blame lays firmly at Jon Cooks door. At the fans forum in February, Kelvin said he wanted the track to be prepared the same way for every meeting, as far as the weather allows, at not to keep changing things, that's the way riders get used to a track and learn how to ride it with confidence. Jon Cook was sitting next to him when he said it. That's what has been done most of the season and we have seen some great racing this year. Then we get to the most meeting of the season, in front of a TV audience and the local MP , Kelvin is missing, Cook is in charge and we get that pile of sludge, because the tried and tested method that worked so well all season has not been followed. As a result we saw, for example Kennett and Bridger not being able to pull off those sweeps round the outside that have brought so many points this year. I support Jon Cook on most things, most of the time but he is the man in charge, the buck stops with him, and he has fouled up big time. Personally I am furious. I need the winter to calm down. As I feel at the moment I might consider the Rye House option next year, but we'll see what the winter brings. Cook is not my favourite person right now though. KK would likely have hit double figures but he was apparently booked to ride in Poland. King was asked but wanted to take up Sky's offer. The others mention probably couldn't be guaranteed to score more than six between them. Based on past performances Hougaard might have done, Morris might have done but no guarantee , far from it.

The EDR is a shambles from start to finish. I accept it is necessary to save costs, and it has had some resounding successes notably Steve Worrall, but overall it has not been properly thought through and some promoters acknowledge that, others are quite happy because it has been stitched up to their advantage. I thought it highlighted the ill thought out system when PK went to reserve, but at least PK wasn't there long and has otherwise managed to do the bona fide second string role he was brought in to do. By contrast Bjarne spending such a long time not only brought into focus the glaring inadequacies of the system, which amongst other things allowed Poole to retain Newman as an EDR rider, but it also meant that Bjarne himself was content to wobble around using his experience to get out of the gate ahead of relatively inexperienced youngsters, with very little desire or incentive to get into the 1-5. We can have a whole separate discussion about the inadequacies of the EDR scheme, but basically I think the public woukd get behind riders like Max Clegg and other British youngsters doing a job at reserve but we don't pay good money to see the likes of Pedersen in that role for an extended period gradually knocking up a six point average the easy way. The bottom line is that it's cheating the paying public.

Pedersen is a disgrace. The reserve slot is for EDR riders to learn their trade, not for over-the-hill Danes to trundle round looking for easy money for their pension fund. Fortunately he will be off to the knackers yard at the end of the season. Not before time either.

Tomas's Jerdrzak came over in 2008 did one practice lap the scored a paid maximum in his first ever meeting for Lakeside. He's getting a bit long in the tooth now unfortunately.

When I started going as a schoolboy there were lots of old timers who were were always moaning yhat the sport wasn't as good as when they started going, years earlier. I didn't know what they were moaning about because I loved it, and I thought they were just old buffers who wanted to turn the clock back to when they were young. Now my love for the sport has cooled off because like the generations before me my outlook has changed as I have got older. I still go but it's not like the old days at 'Ackney. If I started trying to chat up 14 or 15 year old girls at my age like, I did in those days I'd get locked up (and divorced probably). The point is, the world moves on, and nothing is quite so exciting as you get older. Unfortunately a lot on this forum want the old days back, but in my old days there were a lot of old moaners who wanted their old days back. Sometimes we have to accept its ourselves that change, not just the sport.

That is excatly the point. Of all the riders that have guested in place of AJ in the last couple of years the only one that wasn't total rubbish was Scott Nicholls. None of the others even scored six points let alone anything approaching the average they were on. It's all very well for people to keep on about having a big name but who are you realistically going to get that knows the track, could give a toss whether Lakeside go through of not, as long as they get their guaranteed payment. , and most importantly, brings his own equipment. At least Kasprzak has his own bikes over here. I woukd love some big name star to step into the breach, but I don't think there are any that would fit the bill at this end of the season. You only have to look at the way Nicki P took the P last time he did a few late season meetings for Peterborough.

That's got nothing to do with your claim that they sneaked in by the back door. If you take the No 1 rider out of any EL side they are more or less made up with PL riders.

You are the only one that has ever described him as "Motivational Coach ". The programme describes him as Team Manager, along with Jon Cook. We get it that you don't think much of Kelvin, we get it that you don't think much of Jon Cook. We get it that you think Neil Vatcher and his wife are suitable targets for insults and abuse, but there is no need to over egg the pudding by quoting falsehoods instead of fact.

Yep. Off you go.

On Bombers two visits with Coventry this year he scored 4+1 and 3+1. Hardly want you want from your guest No1. Then we have the horror of last years guests when AJ wad injured. We had Lindgren, Doyle , Schlein and someone else (I forget who). I think they scored about 12 or 13 between them !. The only visitors that have racked up decent scores at Lakeside this year are either too high in the averages (I.e. Doyle and Puk ) or they ride for Belle Vue. It's very difficult because at their best Kennet , Bridger and Nilsson are all capable of very good scores on their home track and Lawson is OK, but what is needed is someone who can raise the team and team ride the way that AJ can, and there aren't many who can simply walk in from abroad, never having ridden the track before and perform too play off standard. 2008 all over again !

No. They lack a No 1

That's not what he said in the Lakeside programme. So your grounds for that assertion is ?

Kelvin Tatum raised few eyebrows in Speedwáy Star recently when he expressed uncertainty about whether he would return to Lakeside next year. He said he wasn't saying yes and he wasn't saying no, he just wants time to think about over the winter. He expanded on theses thoughts in Friday's programme and the problem seems to me, from what he wrote, is the way the sport is being run. He wrote:- "As for my own role, it's one I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the time and it's been good being so heavily involved in a different capacity once again. This in my opinion is the biggest AGM coming up for a long time. There are plenty of big, key decisions that need to be made regarding league and team structure and only once that has been done only then will I make a decision regarding continuing my role here next year " I don't want to read more into it than what is there, but combining those comments with what was reported in Speedwáy Star, it seems to be that for a variety of reasons, not least the EDR system, it seems to be in line with my own view that the league is not a level playing field and some teams have built in advantages over others. That's just my impression and I could be wrong. Any sensible thoughts ?

I woukd have said KK, who will at least have the incentive of wanting to see BV out of the way so Poole can meet Lakeside In the final. KK at his best is a smart kookie around both Arena and BV assuming he has the right head on. The problem is KK can win races but he is not a team man in the way that AJ is, plus, of course, he is, as others have said somewhat hit and miss at times, but then again they nearly all are.

I have heard that Mick Bates has retired . Anybody know if this is true ? I hope it isn't. The sport can't afford to be losing blokes like Mick.

We've heard it all before from Rosco. It seems that almost every TV meeting we have Rosco bleating about the track when Swindon are losing. Everyone knows the amount of rain that fell early afternoon. The entire top surface was scraped off and replaced with dry material. Not as good as a well settled track but as others have said, perfectly raceable, The truth is that Kelvin had his side fired up to deal with it and Roscoe didn't. Doyle's win in heat 13 though was probably the best ride I have seen since Darcy Ward was st Poole. It's almost as if he is already World Champion in his mind and is suddenly looking like he has a real chance of doing it.

The website said a couple of days ago there are plans to deal with the weather. The forecast has been changing every few hours for the last few days. Do you expect a bulletin everytime the weather forecast changes ? I am presently about 15 miles North of the track. I took the dog for a walk at 7.30 this morning and the ground in the woods was rock hard so there has obviously not been much rain overnight, we have had a shower an hour or so ago and the roads are drying out now, What people overlook is that for everyminute covers are down there is no track prep going on. If the weather at the track is like it is round here I would guess Gerald is getting on with the track prep while he can rather than sitting around staring at track covers. The problem is different forecasts are saying different things right now, The track staff just have to do the best they can when they can to have things ready.

Change in Lakeside's riding order due to new averages:- Nicholls , Bridger, Kennett, Lawson, Nillson, Morely, Kerr. Swindon stay the same Doyle, Sedgmen, Tungate, Graj, Morris, Wright , Neilson . Whoever loses is going to kick themselves for throwing away silly points throughout the season.

Exactly. When Andreas Jonsson returned to the E L after a break of 7 years he was given an assessed average of 9.03. The reason given was that as a GP rider he should be able to reach the average of the top rider in the league who at that time was Niels Kristioan Iveson on 9.03. Why does the same ruling not apply to Lindback who is now a more experienced rider , riding in a weaker league than when he was last here ?

Dave Watt.