Byker Biker

Dropping it to 13 heats with 6 man teams will save each club around £22500 cold, some a little more depending on how much they spoil their riders now. 6 man teams only save the cost of that rider not his points as they will be paid to someone else if it's still 15 heats. Somebody told me that this proposal was put to an AGM 5 or 6 years ago for the then PL and 2 clubs got up and walked out and the others couldn't/wouldn't agree. It's somewhat ironic that it is needed now particularly as 9 of those clubs have changed ownership and or league. Only Ipswich, Edinburgh, Scunny and to a degree Newcastle have remained intact (Newcastle have had a Co-Promoter come and go). It's no good pizzing around now it needs to be driven to the bottom costwise and then the focus can be on building the attendances but all the time Promoters are bleeding out of the bottom they're never gonna agree a rational strategy for recovery, if they do they sure as hell won't stick to it!

Can I ask why you have a picture of Roy Clarke as your avatar?

It said "modern era" in the original post, not sure that includes Edinburgh.

The compiler produces the bare bones of the list and it is a working document for all clubs who then do swaps and rearrange dates when riders or stadiums aren't available. It's the clubs themselves that come up with the final list which is then formally adopted at the post AGM meeting (usually end of January) before publication. This is why dates that were published at the start of the season should not have been tinkered with other than agreed fixture swaps. The heart of the problem is that some clubs flatly refuse a non adopted fixture date (play offs, other competition semis and finals where the dates and teams are unknown in January) unless it is to their advantage and I mean advantage. A reluctance to accept a date with a number one missing is understandable but to refuse any dates even when there is a facility available is not only unacceptable it is tantamount to cheating but of course it's not against the rules.

If the correct process was followed the money would have been paid to the BSPA and they would then approve the transfers and disburse the payments once all documents were signed and countersigned by the BSPA. The only time this doesn't happen is if the purchaser is paying by instalments then the documentation is not in place until the final payments is made. Unless the parties have bypassed the BSPA in which case they take all the risk and responsibility.

I'm hearing that a race formula is being considered where some team members don'trace their opposite number so that only one guest is required for the meeting and he can ride for both teams. It's so that Ricky Wells and Adam Ellis don't have to race against themselves next year and they can ride for both teams in the playoffs, TV will love it!

No wonder he's getting upset

He was brave telling the Referee to put her knitting down!

Listen, it's a lot funnier than what's going on in the sport right now!

I thought you knew the gag, it goes with the clown and the art of repartee

No I just wondered if you'd gone through life making no end of an ass of yourself

Like Sandhu?

Nope

Have you ever been the rear end of a pantomime horse?

Have you ever been the front end of a pantomime Horse?

Fair comment but for those teams that employ those riders and continuously put Workington in the waiting room is hardly Workington's fault. When you have teams (2 that I know of) declining fixtures because their star is injured when a guest facility was available and at least 1 team declining because they were racing in the Fours at Redcar the next day is unacceptable. 2 of those clubs were offered 3 dates and turned them all down! How many years have Workington and Berwick together with their visitors for example raced on a Saturday and then tripped overnight to Peterborough for a Fours with a 2 o'clock strat?

You asked for an honest answer, wtf has Berwick got to do with it? Jacko was asking teams to visit (the strongest team in the league) and they were refusing for a variety of reasons (usually rider availability) maybe on the nights some of those teams went to Berwick they had their riders or fancied their chances with a guest at Berwick. Maybe they couldn't go to Workington 'cos they were riding at Berwick Don't ask for an honest answer if you don't want one, this forum really pees me off when you tell people the truth they don't want to believe it, crack on then I'm out of this one.

'cos no bstard would accept a fixture!

Did you see the meeting or just the result?

Proctor gobbing off again?

Absolutely not, I've known him a long time

Frankly his behaviour makes him unemployable even when he has a point he just doesn't know how to make it other than to become abusive and confrontational.

You mean like Barry Hearn?

I was saving that as my "Coup de Grace"

To a degree it's this cynical approach that probably means it will never ever happen. Why don't you buy a Speedway Club and then you can go to the meetings?