Sings4Speedway

Genuine question but what would a prospective promoter actually get when buying a club vs what would it cost to set up a new one and run from one of the existing venues? Certainly in the case of the NL sides who cannot have assets there is little to purchase other than name, so rather than purchase Mildenhall for example why not negotiate directly with the stadium owners and create the Suffolk Shale Shifters ? The chances are the majority of the crowds would still attend anyway and you would have the same product to market so why buy the rights to an existing promotion when you can generate your own?

Oh dont disagree with Eastbourne for a financial view as a low gate and huge rider wages would almost certainly be a loss. Even at £10 a point the Eagles were facing a £700+ bill and with 100 fans turning up max at a reduced £10 entry its still never going to be viable.

In mild Mildy defence (and it is very mild) they had put together a team although mostly unattached 3 pointers as clearly they were not prepared to pay any actual guests. But a team would have been travelling to Eastbourne and the opportunity would have been there for fans to celebrate with the home side. The result would most likely have been a full 75-15 or close to it (depending if Powell gave some points away) and not produced any form of spectacle but it was the Eastbourne promotion who pulled the plug. Eastbourne know how to issue team orders and there could have been plenty of accidental tape infringements / missed 2 minutes to ensure a minor spectacle could have been created?

Ive stopped going to Mildenhall after watching too many horror injuries and farcical track surfaces. However with the club for sale & strong claims of outstanding money from last season who knows if anyone will be able to go next season. Huge shame as The Fen Tigers have gone from one of the best teams to not win the league to a bunch of stroppy losers (Danny Ayres apart, we know if he was half fit he would have turned up and rode against Eastbourne on his own)

Its only gloating when the winners are lauding it over the losers. The FA cup winners take their bus tours quite rightly but not passed the opposition teams ground. Eastbourne can still host a celebration night, open the gates, allow the fans to join the celebrations and get pictures etc That said its still poor form by Mildenhall.

Slight over reaction BUT it is very disappointing and disrespectful from most involved with Mildenhall. Whilst most will agree its a pointless fixture as all NL meetings should have been completed by now it was a celebration (gloating) night for the Eagles and they have now missed out. With the current regulations of withdrawing for any reason in the NL every rider will escape punishment although the list of reasons would make interesting and hilarious reading. The Irony would be if it pi$$es down this evening.

Also sad to see that Mildenhall Speedway is up for sale. Whilst Mr Jolly maybe a interesting character there is no doubt his heart belongs to the club. Hope the initial AGM could be brought forward so prospective buyers will know the league format before committing as its difficult to see a queue of interested parties at any time and even more so with a winter of uncertainty ahead.

So how did we all do? Think i managed to knobble all my heat leaders so apologies to all those i picked.

Whilst im dissapointed that this Mildenhall side didn't win the tie Eastbourne did an excellent job, set a strong target at home and made sure they kept piling on the points at West Row. Obvious plaudits will go to Wood & Baseby but a real tie influencer was Charlie Brooks and all credit to Eastbourne who stuck by him through his earlier patchy form and allowed him to deliver the performances many knew he was capable of.

Whilst Phillips certainly hasn't progressed to the level of many others who were starting out at similar times Clegg, Greaves, Williamson etc he is also no mug. I don't believe for a second that he thought he would be getting regular points for Scunny and will have most likely signed a deal with a guaranteed sum each meeting so why would he want to stand down the irony is that whilst he is scoring nothing and alienating Scunthorpe fans he is also being paid for the pleasure of doing so.

Normally id say sidecars tear up a track something terrible but at Stoke that shouldn't be a problem as it will be pre-ripped LOL Not sure how they will fare around there due to the width but i know they are excellent at Belle Vue & Leicester. If anyone goes keep an eye out for the GT140 class, will probably produce the most passing and is certainly something to look at for the future.

This certainly has the potential to be one of the closest meetings ever? For most teams a 19 point deficit would be tricky to overcome but Mildenhall have been a different animal this year. Obviously at full strength it looks a certainty but the tigers are injury hampered and that opens it up. Eastbourne have to aim for high thirties and pinch the tie. There are many key riders and any who has an off night could decide it. Either way it would be nice to see it go down to the wire with no contentious decisions and from a personal point of view Drew Kemp to score the decisive points in heat 15.

Difficult to call without a known points limit but i can see Baseby & Powell being back as they are part of the in crowd at Eastbourne. I think Wood will be the one moving on plus his desire to ride at higher levels may also be compromised running with the Eagles who are anti doubling up.

I think its safe to say that most have a soft spot for Buxton & would love to see them have more successful years than recent seasons. Teams cannot be held accountable for non completed away fixtures so just the home ones to contend with. I stand by the fact that the league campaign should be completed first and then additional competitions can be entered IF all home meetings have been completed. Either way its great to hear that the feel good factor is returning to Buxton and long may they continue and return to flourish.

As the title states does anyone know if drink/drug testing takes place in domestic grasstrack meetings? Obviously it takes place in Speedway & Continental Longtrack meetings as there have been recently publicised failures but not sure if i have ever heard of anything other than fuel testing at UK grasstracks?

Or he was Poland ready at the time he joined the Panthers? Did Plymouth develop him? No Jack Holder like every other rider developed themselves by putting in countless hours and miles for begger all before even heading to these shores. Clubs do very little to develop riders, they offer them chances to prove themselves and some offer longer chances than others but to claim they developed a rider is your usual nonsense.

The biggest growing class in Grasstrack at present is the adults GT140 class. Exactly as it says on the tine, standard bikes with 140cc out the box engines. Far cheaper to run and maintain than the current laydowns and produces good racing even with a mixture of amateurs. Not saying Speedway should go this route 100% but maybe meetings should be mixed into various capacity events? Same riders on different bikes? Different riders on different bikes? but all scoring towards a team total? Might not be perfect but would certainly shake things up a bit.

Value for money is at the heart of it all. Most matches these days cost the same as a ticket to the zoo, outdoor adventure parks or many other motorsport activities and yet all other offer a full day out. Even local Grasstracks draw decent crowds because they don't occur very often and there is a variety of classes. Getting people to fork out week in week out is difficult for even the most devoted of supporters.

Very true but Len has done it before. In 2017 he signed Bowen & Clifton before the AGM (with |Thomas & Hopwood lined up but not announced) then was left shell shocked when the limit was cut to 39 points and left Shanes frozen out. I guess the risk is reduced greatly when signing 3.00 pointers and in fairness if the limit stays 39 Kent could track virtually the same side as this year.

I think its virtually confirmed and for good reason, the crowds are strong for NL level and the club runs at a profit each year. Len has formed a strong bond with many of the riders and he is a notoriously loyal man helping plenty of the side out with various items. If anything moving to a weekend makes rider signings even easier.

Thought the Jordan heading Leicester bound was Palin? If Gilkes was added to the list could they be heading for the first competitive team of riders all starting on 3.00? Thompsons x 2, Gilkes, Palin, Abliit, Mulford, McGurk 21 points used up, limited 3 pointers for any other teams and genuine play off contenders.

Certainly some interesting comments in the statement. With Rathbone have so much capital tied up in Peterborough would his hand not be forced to continue if no buyer came in? If and its a horrible if, the club folded would selling off the assets get anywhere near the money he has invested? and would anyone even buy them?

Eastbourne have been determined to not run a double header and fri/sat was initially mooted but rejected by the home riders. Not sure how forgiving your boss is but i suspect the patience of some employers is probably wearing thin at this stage of the season? No disrespect to Ryan Mac or any others who cant get the time off but hope Cov can secure some powerful guests if required.

Just checked the website and states Greyhounds every Friday & Sunday. Definitely frees up Saturday for regular speedway although what impact it would have on crowds i really don't know?

Rough on the Dragons. I know league speedway takes priority but still feel sorry for all riders and organisers who have been pushed aside due to terrible fixture planning.