Shale Searcher

Great response SB!!

Yea, why should we supply training for the young Polish riders... And it won't be cutting our noses off to spite our face, we gain nothing long term for this service.....

James Sargeant was having a spin at Scunthorpe when he found out, an amateur rider consoled him and his mechanic, they didn't know...

Not sure you'd want all them dogs with a roof shut....

Couldn't you just run the dogs at National Development League status....? You know, young dogs, or older dogs that haven't ran before or switching discipline? You may be able to coax some old sheep dogs over to oval running, pitch them up with the novice dogs, as long as you only have one or two old dogs, the rest new dogs, once up to speed, they could then go on to bigger things, the GRA perhaps, then run in Poland, bigger races, more money...... Great ideas.

Perhaps Poole were right not to retain Holder (Chris) in this year's team.... I agree, Buster Chapman needs to stand firm, no single rider should be bigger than the team. And what next? Must attend all practise sessions... And then Sweden concoct a similar clause..... GB Speedway, now third or even fourth priority for top bods.

I agree with JC, promoters in general are very "me me me" but, there will come a time (very close now) when no promoters will be able to fund Speedway as a professional sport, after the paying fan base shrinks to a point it can shrink no more.. Speedway, racing brakeless bikes at high speed, in confined arenas should be the jewel in the crown of motorcycle motorsport, where supporters can see the entire race, not just 500 yards, lap after lap after lap!! Why, oh why has it got to where it is now....?

They could, but I suspect the developers have already got that covered... Perhaps Swindon Speedway is quiet, as they already know the fate, but don't want to be hung, drawn and quartered by fans. I fear for Swindon Speedway at the moment, think they've been hoodwinked, and the final nail will be hammered home at the end of the 2017 season..

Ever been to an event thinking the funds raised were for a cause, then, after the event it had gone elsewhere...? I merely wanted clarification about whether the funds raised were for "Save Coventry Speedway" as a one off, or wether the funds were for this groups usual benefactor.. I think they do a fantastic job... Not having a go at all...

This clause/covenant about there needs to be a sporting facility there, does it include a clause about "WHAT" sort of sport it has to be? Does it state "MOTORSPORT" or could the developer just bung a "SPORTS CLUB" with a squash court, gym and thats all??

When advertising meetings like this, and an admission fee is requested, it's important to say what the admission fee is for.. Room hire Door staff Meeting staffing Organisers Or If it's going into a save the Coventry Bees war chest... Just admission cost might put people off attending, if the receipts don't go toward the cause or simple room hire or combination... Cheers SS

Exactly, and free vans, mechanics, trappings that should be only available to the top league... The gaps between the leagues has been artificially forced together. Teams in the 2nd division, wanting riders of 1st division status, but don't want the additional costs that go with it.. It's difficult to explain, but it needs sorting, and quickly.. It will cause a season or two of pain, but ultimately, British Speedway will recover...

I have to agree, doubling up/down/sideways is a big killer of Speedway, not the only one, but it has huge ramifications on the sports integrity, and now also provides an easier life to riders that double down... Not quite the same doubling up.. One rider, One team, if you can't make it pay, then get another job outside of Speedway.. Let's say that, the top league should be the fully professional league, riders should be able to make a living in that league, without riding for another team, in any Speedway league.. The 2nd league should be a mix of semi-pro riders, and the best of the best of previous seasons 3rd league, which isn't a promotion/relegation league, as its considered a "stepping stone" league, only employing riders that are trying to break into Speedway, a league where expenses are paid, and a very small points payment. This 3rd league can employ a senior rider to act as captain/manager/trainer, a paid role, best suited to retiring riders.. The leagues that cause the anomalies in British Speedway are the 2nd and 3rd leagues, they have to many experienced riders and riders using them as "Easy Earners" Thus creating skill gaps, closer together than heathly leagues should have.... One Rider, One Team....

Actually, as Glyn says... Josh is helping with the kerb laying, he's a grafter... He is a bit older since he rode for us before, and has matured accordingly..

Quite right, but I can't see Red Bull or Monster opening a helmet factory, or even buying into a helmet.. OR Merge with Bell, will give you - "RED BELL" gives you wheels!!

What a hateful post, it's not these people who stitched up Leicester in 1983, FFS, grow up..

Leicester Lions had challenge matches during their defunct years, raced against Long Eaton, I went all the way to York and back to Long Eaton to pick my best mate up for that fixture, he'd been on a works outing, and was coming back with the rest of his colleagues from the Inland Revenue!! It was the only way he could of got to see the meeting!! Also raced against Peterborough, in the defunct years, these were prior to the David Hemsley dreams.. So they are valuable to reunite fans to the Lions team, and supporters that had lost touch. The Lions team always had a smattering of ex Leicester riders in the team from the eighties.. Very enjoyable...

It's not GP format, its an old style British Final type event.. solid yellow is not allowed in British Speedway.. And bizarrely, new regs re helmets painted in helmet colours this year.... RULE CHANGE RE HELMETS/COLOURS All helmets painted in Red, blue, white, and yellow and black have to have the peak the same colour...!! There are also size limitations for logos on helmets, and now ONLY Helmet manufacturer logos allowed, so no Monster, Red Bull, etc on skid lids this year....

"Up the Pole" was also a 1970's game!! A cross between "Kerplunk" "Hang on Harvey" "Marble Run" and "Jenga"

The sport now has to many wannabe professionals, wanting top dollar, free vans, free mechanics, and all the other trappings sports stars at the top of the tree have.. Only the top league should be fully professional.. 2nd division should be mainly staffed by part time riders, perhaps no 1's could just about scrape professional status. 3rd division, well, that should be totally amateur, development for young riders, perhaps with clubs in this league having strong tie-ups with the higher division teams In my opinion......

If after 19 heats, no points have been scored by any riders, heat 20 starts, rider in Red throws chain on start, blue falls on 2nd bend, pushes bike onto centre green, so race continues, white then has engine fail on lap 2 and pushes onto centre green, yellow and black, then with half a lap to go, puts it into the fence and needs ambulance to take him from track, so again, no finishers....! Would yellow and black be declared the meeting winner on account he was the rider that got the furthest in the last race??? Bizzare I know, but technically possible....

You mention that "Having sub-standard shale" helps to keep the club operating.. or words to that effect... How many Speedway supporters have abandoned the Speedway because of this? How much gate money has been sacrificed? How many paying adults now do not attend Speedway racing at Saddlebow Rd per meeting? 100? 200? 300? 400? Just say for the purpose of costings you've lost 200 paying adults per meeting..... at say £30 per fan, taking into account stadium admission, 1 programme, 1 food, 2 drinks, that equates per meeting, lost revenue of £6,000!! That's just at 200 lost fans, so a drop in crowd from 1,600 to 1,400, not taking into account any additional children, and their mates..... You telling me that you could not remove and swap the top racing surface for less than £6,000 per meeting?? That would surely be a no-brainer, or have Lynn, riding on sub-standard shale, providing sub-standard Speedway racing, actually hasn't effected the crowd levels that much? Even losing half that, 100 paying adults would cost £3,000 loss in meeting revenue..!! Can someone explain the true cost of a shale swap between cars and Speedway per meeting? Can't be £3,000 per pop? Even including some new shale, and labour?

This year's rear tyre is a harder compound.. Riders complaining that tyres were becoming useless after 3, 4 races, borderline dangerous. So, a new harder compound rear tyre has been made by Mitas, it is recognised by a yellow line around the tyre, crossing the side wall tyre blocks. This rear tyre must be used in ALL Premiership and Championship League meetings. The National Development League will be able to use either. The old Red lined rear tyres, if in (used condition) can be used as a spare in PL and CL meetings. New (but old stock Red Lined tyres) can be used in any individual meetings) Apparently, there's only about 70 New condition red lined rears left...

Was Coventry a safety net? Just in case Belle Vue didn't make it to tapes this season? I reckon so, and perhaps that is also why Belle Vue had only named a couple of riders, again, in case They didn't make it, and could then cherry pick the Cov riders, once they were confirmed as running and the safety net (Coventry) was removed.... Callous? Yes/No, necessary, definately to comply with Sky Sports minimum team number requirements...

Gutted for you... What's really galling is that when the season starts, and meetings taking place, Brandon will still be there.. No planning permission, nothing, just a stadium left empty.. Bet if you take a walk down by the Roseycomb on a Friday, when the air is still, they'll still be that whiff in the air of burning Castrol R40, and if you listen real close, you'll hear the distant, throaty sound of Speedway Bikes and the "Bees" War cry, punctuating the echoey tannoy.. RIP Coventry Bees and Brandon. Edited to remove auto-correct.