SteveLyric2

I don't think anyone is complaining about those posters who have suggested possible formats - its just those that keep on and on about the lack of an official announcement?! When is the first team meeting to use the new format?! Riders aren't that fussed - in fact many don't know what heats they are going out in (let alone who they are against) until the team manager tells them on the racenight!! So maybe confirm it a week before so that those involved in producing the new racecards/programmes can do their jobs. Sorted!

BSPA's Jon Cook now trying to deflect the blame onto Terry Russell for agreeing to the date switch with Sky!! www.bournemouthecho.co.uk Its almost as if Go-Speed weren't acting on behalf of the BSPA?! Oh wait a minute..............!!!? Oh and Terry Russell 'unavailable for comment'!! And Matt Ford out of the country on hols!!! Sneaky, very sneaky.

Tonights Question of Sport (BBC1 -1930) had 'what sport is Tai Woffinden the Current World Champion?' and nobody on Matt Dawson's team got it!!

If that's true about the Elite Shield, then that's a complete turnaround from what I was told!

If it does go ahead I hope it doesn't clash with a Sky meeting otherwise we'll really be up s***creek!!

Good!!

Yes there are a lot of problems with that!!! Flights and hotels are already booked - and some already paid for - Sponsorship is in place, based upon certain riders - and special guests - having signed up!! Still at least from the new BSPA statement there seems a willingness to sort something out!! I wonder what the new date of the ERC will be????

From the new BSPA statement it would seem someone has started to panic!!! If the BSPA start to play tough and threaten rider bans, I don't think that will go down too well with Sky who will then be missing several, yes several, of the top riders from the first weeks of its EL coverage. People don't seem to have grasped that the newly-named and newly-formatted ERC is now intended to be an 'open' meeting - not just involving current EL riders!!! So it is entirely likely that invitations will have gone out to many of the same riders that have already agreed to ride for Havvy.

Maybe Emily is pregnant??!

Well, a few hundred/thousand miles anyway!!!

Now that's a dream I could get used to every night!!!!

I expect he/she will be back 'supporting' Poole by mid-season then!!!?

In the rest of the Harkness article in the SS, he states that one of the issues with a tier 5 visa request is that they will not be considered if a tier 2 visa has been previously refused as part of the process. Meetings with the UKBA are being attempted to see if any of this can be overturned - specifically for speedway riders.

At least 2 of the above are/were on the cards!!!! I think the issue here is whether any of the EL riders already lined up for Havvy's meeting will have the b***s to take the BSPA on?! Also if any of the 'non-2014 EL guests' that the newly formatted and newly named ERC was hoping to attract eg the likes of Hancock, Holder, Lindgren etc., are prepared to stand up and be counted?! There is quite a lot of fans on social media that are calling for Havvy and his booked riders to carry on with it on 21st!!

How often have Sky ever shown interest in covering the ELRC (now ERC)?

These aren't new - some clubs have been using these for ages - 5-1 with 4-2 on the reverse and often a sponsor's logo as well!! Of course you do have to have enough of a crowd to make it worthwhile! NB. I note you don't mention anything about the new streaming deal by the company part-owned by BSkyB? Any comments....?

Not sponsoring!! HOWEVER, its very strange theres no mention of the new streaming service - announced today - provided by 'At The Races' new in-house sports streaming company (jointly owned by BSKYB and Arena Racing), who have reached an agreement with Go-Speed to stream most if not all EL and PL meetings to Bookmakers. 'At The Races' is currently available on Virgin Media and Sky Sports channels -534 and 415 respectively!!!!!!!! link: http://t.co/i2DHh68ZaX

Lets be clear, Sky are not sponsoring Speedway any more - they have struck a deal to provide TV coverage, for which they will provide the BSPA/Go-Speed with a much-reduced 'rights fee', which will also include a payment to each home club for a televised meeting! Any additional League Sponsorship deal will need to be confirmed and announced soonest, in order to get the Sponsor Logo on the various sets of kevlars currently on order at the respective manufacturers!!!

...to go with the pre-season changes!!?

...but has he got his visa yet??? So its Koppe-off and Facu-off!!?

...and how many fixture changes there will now be???

...and quite a few of the same riders!!! Change of date I would hope!?

Expect a change of date for Havvy I suspect as some of his planned riders will definitely be in the ERC!! Edited: Actually, after consideration and seeing the groundswell of fan and rider support for Havvy on Twitter and Facebook, I hope the meeting goes ahead as planned. I will certainly be there. And as someone on the Poole forum has said, It will be very interesting to see which riders get the invitations and possibly who has the biggest 'cohunas'??!! If bans are threatened, will Sky really want to start their EL coverage with any of the top stars missing??!

Great news - except for Havvy - that the Sky coverage starts with the ERC meeting switched to Friday 21st March!!!

Or what about Jason's cricketing cousin Lindsey Doyle?