Shale Searcher

It's highly possible I suppose, that the finances were already way past manageable, and what money came in, may just have just reduced the overdraft level they were already carrying from the dog track years, and when this meeting then didn't go ahead, the refunds, expenses for riders, mechanics, and all the other expenses you get from a rain-off drained the account back to square one. It's also probably likely, that what income they eventually have coming in, still went on paying refunds from the G.O.M and endless bank charges....... Basically, they were in way over their heads debt wise, and never recovered from that..

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? Now you have me thinking?? How did you know I'm only 6"4"???

Surely, if the stadium and facilities are going to be modular, somebody would have ordered them by now, and all common fixtures and fittings..? Who would be actually be responsible for the purchasing? Perhaps he would be a good person to ask?

When you see riders like Patrick Hougaard, Niels K Iversen, Chris Holder, etc... Are riders taller than in the old days? I know Michael Lee was leggy, but the Morans, Penhall, PC, Dave Jessup, Steve Scofield, Greg Hancock, Ian Turner etc, all seem tiny in comparison to todays racers....?

Didn't he break his thigh whilst on Leicesters books? (Mike Farrell) that is....

Many years ago, perhaps mid-eighties, there was an arcade in Cromer, I think it was there anyway.. There was if I remember rightly, an old dirt bike (early Speedway bike) that was built into/onto some sort of rolling road/track (I think) that simulated Speedway riding.... Went to Cromer for the day, before Kings Lynn v Leicester. Perhaps someone from that Kings Lynn area, might be able to clarify this machines existance??? I'm sure I wasn't dreaming..

Kept going to 16.30....

Originally, I was lead to believe, that once the green light came on, the ref had a 7 second window, but could only let the tapes go between 3 and 7 seconds.....

Dean, the snag with that is, when the meetings are ran as a loss leader by the home promotion, Kelvin and Jonathan blab about the offer all night, and massage the fact that there's a "BIG" crowd in tonight, because the promotion have let everyone in for a £5'r, and put face painting on, and free flags on the seats, and banners up everywhere.... They need to detract from gobbing off about the special offer element, as when the 100 or so turn up off the back of what they saw on the telly box, will either, turn around at the turnstyles when they see the price, or give it a go, and never return, and tell all their mates not to go!!!!!! Get what I mean??

People outside of Speedway (Potential supporters, sponsors, writers, well anyone really) will NOT take Speedway seriously whilst players play for two, even three teams) The powers that be, really don't seem to understand this....!!

Just a note on Lawson/Leicester.. When Leicester declared that Saturday was again going to be there race night, that ruled Lawson out.. I suppose Lawson could have dropped his 2nd division ride to get a 1st division ride, but hey, another rider comfortable with riding 2nd division rather than 1st division. This is the riders decision, nobody else's.. Hey, Rich, we're looking for a rider in the 1st division, we race Saturdays..... Lawson:- Nah mate, I have signed for a team in a lower league on that night.... End of......

Taken out "we made" if that suits you better?

Yes, good progress made today, weather set reasonably fair tomorrow, temps around 12/13c There is a band of rain moving north down through the Midlands, getting to Leics around 14:00/15:00 but weakening as it progresses, so may be virtually nothing when the front gets to us..... Looking good..

I am from the Leicester thread, but please don't include me in the doom and gloom club..!! I am realistic, and my mother used to work for the Leicester City Council, and you just would not believe the horror stories when the Council Officials get "a bee in their bonnet" They can be right old ass*****!! I feel for you Belle Vue Supporters, being held on tentahooks.. It's not very nice, is it. I, like yourself, hope that common decency prevails, and the delay is purely administrative.. and there are no underlying problems involving MCC dotting the i's and crossing the t's...

Finding a field, that is suitable for any sort of stadium is difficult. For any sort of motorsport, it's nigh on impossible. Not only have you got to contend with the "nimby" fraternity, you have the environmentalists, green belt strategists, infrastructure issues, the "community" that's just outside the "nimby" fraternity, and Planning, if a Speedway track can be built, let's allow houses or industrial estates to be erected there. The stadium, however small, has to be connected to the drain system, unless you go down the chemical waste route, you need a water supply, electric supply, and wobetide, any pollution escapes into the land and/or watercourse!! Assuming a piece of land can be found that is suitable, and it meets (ALL) the criteria.. How long does it take to get it through the local council? You know, planning, public meetings for any disputes over it being built there, newt search, etc.. If they find that golden bit of land, say March 1st, how soon could ground be broken?

I guess the the real answer can only come from one source, and that is MCC. If they get upset, they have the power to pull the plug, end of....

As far as I'm aware, the fence isn't being moved, in fact we only re-staked the kickboards 2 weeks ago!! The levels levelled, and kerbs on 1 & 2 being altered.. It will need re-measuring for length, but that's all will need clerically altering.

The 3 leagues have an imbalance in quality.. Primarily, the top leagues is under strengthed, the 2nd league is over strengthed, and the 3rd league is over strengthed. This only really happens in Speedway, I think because the 2nd division wants to have its cake, and eat it.... It wants the top riders, but not the baggage and costs that running in the top league has..... The 3rd league, is primarily a feeder/development league, or it should be, instead, it's full of riders that should be in the 2nd league, but, would rather be big fish, in little pond, and this strangles progression.. As for the top league, well we know it's been weakened over the last ten years, but even this league has riders in it that rely on the 2nd league to make their money up.. I think next year, doubling up/down/sideways needs banning.. and until the BSPA have the bottle and forthrightness to do this, it won't improve....

I think you've got the making of something here... Replace the "Hare" with a "Brown" envelope, you would have to get rid of the "Brown" envelope rail, and you could replace this with a scaled down RC model of a "Sponsored" van, this would be operated by the meeting time keeper/incident recorder... No need to partition off the gates, just fit the riders helmets with horse racing style "Blinkers" but designed to be flicked off by the riders once the tapes have gone up, motorised versions will be allowed, as long as manufactured by Briggo, and bear the name "Briggo" that have a minimum purchase price of £650 for the device, and £350 for a pack of 15 "Briggo" roll off blinkers.. Strictly no other brand, or fake "Briggo" roll off blinkers allowed, to prevent fraud and fakery, MC examiners will examine ALL "Briggo" roll off blinkers before every heat, any rider found to be using or attempting to use fakes will immediately be fined £1,000 which must be paid directly to "Briggo" corporation within 10 minutes by online banking or PayPal. That just about covers it!!!

In my opinion, the pits area, the area between the pits and track should be treated as the track itself, once the clerk of the course asks the riders to "warm" up the bikes. The only people left in these areas, should be riders, named mechanics, and officials, otherwise, one day, someone is going to get hurt.. I.E run over by rider or mechanic riding a spare bike out, or a riderless bike, lose an eye from a flying chain (Ask Sudden Sam) or any other de-biked component..

It makes you wonder why some people bother to go Speedway at all!! If every race was 60 seconds, no shenanigans at the tapes, no exclusions, no interval, no Sun break, no tactical changes, every race was a 3-3 then you could get there for 7.30 on the dot, not miss a race, and be out the place by 8.15!!! That would be a 60 second race, 60 seconds for a race victory lap, and 60 seconds for the next race riders to get to tapes!!! Even add another 15 minutes and you're in and out in an hour!!!!! Do we really want a meeting to be this sterile??? I don't!!!!

Peter Kenyon was track Doctor?

99% if now not 100% of riders only have "Half Tanks" even mine had a half tank!! Weight saving I believe..... I agree with keeping the tapes, they are integral to the start procedure, don't want lasers/lazers, transponder ok for race times though..

Jason Doyle could have had a "Leicester City" type season last year.....

I was told that they refer to them as "drivers" due to legal issues of using the term "riders" doesn't apply to engined vehicles....