SteveLyric2

A 'relatively modest rent'?? But no income from any of the stadium facilities! The only income is from sponsorship, advertising, gate receipts and programme sales. The 'captive audience' is an interesting one - fans and sponsors come from far and wide, not just Dorset, but Somerset,Hampshire, Berkshire (Rick Frost!!) and beyond. Fans and sponsors want a successful team with high-profile riders - be they local or from further afield. Its a real shame that many positive ideas for the long-term benefit of the sport at the top level in the UK, are discarded at the AGM because 'the weaker clubs are frightened'. Rules and regs are always made to suit the weaker teams.

In football, a player 'dives' in the penalty area and gains a penalty from which his team scores the winning goal. If after post-match official protest and intense media coverage, the FA decide to take action, then the penalty against the player is usually a retrospective fine or booking BUT the score/result is not changed! Also if it is believed the referee should have seen the 'dive', then the ref can also be penalised by being suspended from the refs rota for a while. So lets not paint speedway as some sort of special case!!

What has also been said is that Dak was told by his father/family to stay til the end of the season - do Darcy's meeting and fly back the next day, which is exactly what he's doing!! His father will still be hospitalised when he gets back to Oz, having had more than just one (12 hour)operation since the accident!! Unless the injury was 'life-threatening' which we know it wasn't thank goodness, merely life changing, having been told to stay. clear his head and then continue with his job, why would the family keep updating him after every hospital development, especially as he will still be in hospital when Dak gets back. FFS people give it a rest.

As you say, Poole have pretty much dominated much of the past 7 years - if not longer - and that is working within reduced points limits and changing much of the side every year to fit. If the EL sticks to the 'one EDR into the top 5' for 2016 suggestion - in Poole's case Newman (however they decide the averages), what would happen if he (or Garrity, Kerr etc) gets injured or has a dramatic loss of form? How will the rules allow for him to be replaced, with many people not liking guests and there not being a long enough list of strong enough young Brits?!

Sorry you feel like that. Loads of people on here 'don't need to say anything' but it generally doesn't stop them, does it Jacques!! Anyway glad to see you are still keeping up with the EL finalists! It must be so galling for you.

Sorry if my comment offended some. I couldn't get near the pits unfortunately - its more restricted when Sky are there - but most of the 'chit-chat' was going around before the meeting and then again after heat 10 in the interval. Although I didn't mention any rider by name in my earlier comment, It was mentioned to one of Cook's main sponsors, CFS, who sit near me in the grandstand and who also sponsor Kyle and Paul. They shrugged!! As I said I was only passing on what was being said and it was a shame to hear on an otherwise great night..

Mark Lemon has said both in articles and on Sky last night that 'Poole are the benchmark' for others to aim at. We certainly get a lot of aiming on here!! Have you been on the Vinho Verde today BWitcher???

Somebody needs to move on. Everyone knows there's no signal on that golf course!! Jeeez

Article in this week's Star headed "Elite for Kent" :- 'After weeks of suggestion and rumour, Kent Co-promoter Len Silver confirmed the club will be looking to run in the Elite League in 2016. '................There are obviously 'T's to be crossed and 'I's to be dotted but I personally think that is what will happen and I will stay involved in the whole promotion as is Roger Cearns, our stadium owner.'

Whilst agreeing there is some merit in retaining the same team in successive seasons, it would likely stint any overall improvement. Matt Ford said publicly last night that he would be rebuilding the team for 2016. Make no mistake, promoters already know what team building rules will be in place - they just need to be rubber-stamped at the AGM - unless there is a new number of EL teams to consider?! Also the paperwork for all visa riders needs to be in place before they all disappear back home, so some early decisions and announcements are likely!

Great to see the work Sam Ermolenko is putting in on the new engines.Well done - anything to keep him away from commentating!!! (Only joking!)

...and I was there and heard it first hand!!!!!

Don't shoot the messenger!!!

Wow what a night - and morning!!!!!! Correct me if I'm wrong but nowhere in BV's statement does the word 'appeal' appear. They have merely written to the SCB. Others have explained the official Appeals procedure, so lets move on. Anyway back to last night. A good win by the Pirates and a great display by the Aces. Some great banter with the Aces fans who really joined in with the 'Darcy Ward Darcy Ward' chanting as witnessed on TV. Great stuff. Some good words at the end and a couple of great interviews by Matt Ford - one on Sky and one to the crowd, which just started the Darcy chant again. Highly emotional!! Best wishes to Dak's dad who as Dak explained is likely to still be in hospital for another 3 weeks at least - so not likely a simple hand injury!!!! Finally a super atmosphere, great crowd and a terrific advert for speedway. (ps. Just a shame there was so much chit-chat about 'fuel additives in the away pits'!! Can't think who or what they meant?!! Apparantly similar comments at Somerset on Tuesday too!!) On to Darcy's meeting next week and a chance to see the return of Greg and Shamek and the first appearance of Mr Dudek!! No doubt all part of Matt Ford's 're-building for 2016'. #4forDarcyin2016

Personally I shall be pleased when the season is over and the trophies are in the cabinet. I can get back to watching some decent TV. I wonder if Speedway will be on 'Gogglebox' on Friday?? Think of the potential new audiences...........!!

You may well be right about the UK. I assumed it was Oz. There was something about it in a recent Speedway Star. Edit: In fact it was in last week's Star - "Phil is currently hospitalised following a prostate operation"!

Phil is currently not too well back in Oz. Prostate cancer I believe.

I just love all the 'he broke a rule' brigade (which he did!!) and they then invent whatever penalty suits their argument. IMO, the fault lies as much with the 2 SCB officials - Referee and Start Marshall - who not only allowed the rider to race and break a rule but also allowed the race to finish and declare/announce the race result as well as the final meeting result. The rest is all ifs, buts and maybe's. The rider should be fined retrospectively just as BV have 'written to the SCB' retrospectively rather than officially protesting, with fee, on the night. One thing is for sure, BV's actions after the event have really got the Poole team going, so expect a humdinger of a meeting tonight!! #DoItForDarcy. :-)

Are you assuming Horton actually paid over the £3k??? What about all the donations called for from the fans? I guess they'll get repaid immeadiately?!

Surely the appeal to the ACU could only be about the SCB officials' decisions - which as I said at the time was likely to be futile (aside from any 'technical error' as admitted today). At the time and in one of my posts I fully supported Horton's attempt to get clarification of the decision-making protocols for Sky meetings - but I guess that is something that has already been 'agreed' amongst members of the BSPA (the promoters), the SCB and Sky/GSI and was merely an attempt to muddy the waters as well as the track!! (Sorry couldn't resist!!)

So if the start marshall indicated to the referee that all 4 riders were ready to race and the race was started by the referee and finished to a result, what are all the arguments about?

Again folks - show the rule and what Poole have done to break, bend or manipulate it.. Facts then not biased opinions.

...and so you should, along with undoubtedly the 2010 final. I have no issues with fans enjoying memories of their team winning. I have far more of those memories to look back on myself. Enjoy. I'm also in the process of putting together a highlights video from all the Sky footage of 'Its a vendetta'! It could be turned into a successful rap dvd/cd. It could be released soon on the 'Disillusioned' record label!!

Why aren't referees at all tracks in radio contact with the Start Marshalls?? They are at Poole and I thought it was a requirement everywhere?! Obviously not!! Poole setting the standard again?! (In Lemo's own words -'Poole are the benchmark'). Hopefully they will have that sorted at the new stadium. Is the second or 3rd BV coach for Wednesday now filled after Poole allowed the score to get closer? Business is business after all!!! Anyway well done to both teams and lets hope Poole put in a similar performance to the semi-final win v Coventry and the 53-40 win against BV's full 1-7 last month. Kacper has lost a lot of skin 'at the top of his leg', so hopefully will be repaired - along with his machinery - for Wednesday.

So Poole Speedway choose to use the phrase 'compassionate grounds' in a press release, yet some on here are still insisting that doctor/patient confidentiality should be breached just to satisfy a few deluded forum users!!! Yet again my mind goes back to that Echo headline in June - "YOU LOST, GET OVER IT!"