East End Fan

Thanks for the explanation re Spooner/Rowe. I seem to remember that Kent actually signed Spooner at the start of the season so don't quite understand the comments by Sings about Lakeside, Eastbourne and others trying to claim his signature. Unless, of course, Kent released him to enable him to ride as an independent for nearly every team in the league. I am wondering how much benefit it will have for him this coming season. He had very mixed fortunes and the psychology may work against him.

Thanks for the background, Teaboy and Rebel. Seems like you are very familiar with things Kent. I am an occasional visitor as I am at Eastie and enjoy my evenings at both tracks. Did not really understand the Spooner situation at the beginning of the season when he was part of the team then lost his place to Anders Rowe who was himself an untried newcomer, just like Spooner. Was it just that Silver had a bit of history with Rowe from his Rye House days ? No racing record to go on though, which is why I was puzzled at the time. TBF Rowe did turn out to be a worthwhile signing....but Spooner MAY have been just as good.

Well, Bloom89, I am sure that some British riders DO get help. In the past I have been on very friendly terms with a few promoters. All of them, without exception would have preferred a British rider to an overseas one. The difference is that the overseas rider is more single minded and simply HAS to succeed or go home for ever ( as many have done). So the best of the overseas riders succeed and the comparable Brit will still be following another occupation alongside his speedway. This does not help him to go forward. I have heard and read many complaints from the parents of young British riders about overseas riders being helped more than "Their" boy...usually it is because the lad does not show the right talent or attitude and has nothing to do with him being "British".. I do not see any young rider with any talent without a team place excepting for those with an average who are frozen out by silly rules.

Well there are clubs that are looking at the young people getting involved. I think the I.O.W. do stuff, down at Plymouth I have been there and seen for myself the young fans getting involved on the track in the interval. I think Kent run a junior club and isn't our own club declaring that they are to do something similar ? And I'm sure these are not isolated things. I know that a big number of fans are over 50's, but I also see whole families watching the racing, especially where there are seated areas so that the parents can keep the children near them. So I am NOT gloomy about the future of the racing, just worry about some of the silly rules as mentioned by Hammer 180.

What a gloomy prediction Waco...I happen to think that the actual racing that we witness ( at all levels) is better than it was 20 years ago...riders improve more quickly on the fast lay-downs which I am told are easier to ride, so the spectacle is really good and as a result of that I now watch more speedway than I did then. It is true that some of the internal politics is crazy and that upsets some people as it does me at times....does not stop me going to watch what is still the greatest sport ever invented Thanks Johnnie Hoskins !!!

Eastbourne's fixture list sounds impressive and as a Hammers fan with a strong liking of the National League, I can see myself making quite a few visits to Arlington as well as Sittingbourne for the Kings matches this year. I will be particularly interested in watching the progress of Brooks and Edwards ( great prospect this one) for Eastie and Clouting and Spooner for Kent. Between these two teams, the 4 riders I've mentioned hold the key to success or failure IMO. Fascinating.

Teaboy279 may have hit the nail on its head. However, if it was not the promoters who decide, then who should it be ? It is my personal belief that all leagues, including the National League, should always put teams together under the mean average of 42.5. Strong teams at the end of the season would HAVE to lose a rider or two but without decimating. Weak teams would have riders to sign and yet the overall quality of the league remains high. Now we have a situation where some very good National League riders are out of work while many teams are forced to employ riders not up to standard. That HAS to be ridiculous. So WHO is advocating the present situation ? As I have said before, something does not smell right.

OK Neil. What I fail to understand is that it was generally accepted by everyone who made any comment about it, and that included promoters and managers, that a limit of from 40 to 42.5 would be this year's figure. So almost nobody seemed to want 39, yet that was the figure decided. Something does not smell right to me.

42.5 would, IMO have been a perfectly achievable average. No reason why the N.L. should be any different to the other leagues Having spoken to a number of people, some of whom have the ears of promoters and managers, the points limit of 39 was imposed on the league, not voted on by the members. Since the figures being discussed and suggested before the meeting which decided the limit was in general far in excess of 39, the allegations made have the ring of truth.

It seems the most likely reason......When the 39 limit was announced, I was shocked because loads of contributors to this forum and all around , just about everyone expected something higher, from 40 to 42....the riders now unemployed show that the 39 limit was wrong.

Had a phone call this morning from a Kings fan who tells me that the 7th rider for Kent is Alex Spooner. Not a big surprise as he was signed and used by Kent last season. Do not know what happened then, but he spent the season riding for almost every team in the league with very mixed fortunes. I saw him in action two or three times and it always looked as if he should have scored more than he actually did. Hard to judge what he will do as a permanent team member, but probably better than his scores last season.

So easy to criticise the make up of the Heathens' team....The fact is that this is a minor competition that gives fixtures to the clubs that join....more rides for their riders, more meetings for the fans. Does it really matter that the Cradley team is at a slight advantage ? I do not think so and, like others on here, I am very pleased to see Cradley still operating.

I think that it's brilliant that two local rivals should be friendly enough to help out with a change of race day like this. Speedway needs more such co-operation....well done to the Eastie management.

Thank you Iron Scorpion for the explanation...With such complications to the rulebook taking place while Jon Cook was not active in the upper leagues, it is little wonder that he got the rules wrong. I follow Speedway stuff pretty closely, but did not pick up all the stuff explained by Iron Scorpion...well done to him for being so on the ball.

Must agree with GiveusaB. If Cradley are to attract anything like a crowd, they must have an attractive team. And the other clubs in their section of the National Trophy will also benefit. The suggestion that the promoters are only trying to "line their pockets" is ludicrous....isn't earning profit what Speedway promoting is all about ? And when that does not happen the club folds up...so please do not "Knock" profit, let's have more of it.......

What I do not understand about this ridiculous situation is this...there has been a rule in the rule book about how to calculate a riders average when putting a team together for a long time. So far as I know, it has not change. So I would like to hear Jon Cook's explanation of how he got it wrong ? As a promoter and organiser, I admire Jon Cook. He has been in the game a long time and often talks sound common sense...so that is why I am curious about this silly mistake.

Must agree with Rob McCaffery. Those who are spouting the venom to persuade others not to attend the Coventry Bees project at Leicester are doing the sport in general great harm. Even IF it does not help the cause of a return to Brandon, it IS Speedway and those of us with cinder in our blood should support it where=ever and whenever it is staged. I am a :Lakeside Hammers fan but I attend as many meetings elsewhere as is possible. I know that is unusual, but at least ALL fans of any team should support their team to make sure they are not lost as so many are.

No, I am not saying that excepting for the fact that any rider with any ability will only wish to sign for a club that offers a complete season of racing. Cradley cannot do that. Also the rules allow Cradley to pick and choose ( not sure that I agree with that ) so, for example, they are offering team places to 3pointers who have proven ability way above 3 points. If they were a full league side, this would not be possible as they would be competing with all the other clubs for such riders. As it is, they can offer extra rides to them. Whatever, so far as I am concerned, if it keep Cradley in the game, then that cannot be bad.

I agree with Liam. Rye fans seem to be getting a bit disillusioned. Personally I have never been impressed with a management team that talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. No history of knowledge. But then, they are not the only promotional team that is lacking in this area. At least we have a management that has been involved for a good many years, going back to the nineties, so we must assume that decisions are made for the right reasons. IF Rye fans ARE a bit fed up, maybe we'll see them back at Arena ? Our team should attract them.

Well said Rob McCaffery. Too few people on this forum actually seem to appreciate the work that is done to present the sport by a few dedicated individuals, some of whom invest thousands of pounds in pursuit of success as well as contributing countless hours of work. Having known one or two promoters at a personal level way back in the past, I have a totally different viewpoint.

As an outside observer, it seems to me that ALL Coventry fans MUST get behind this enterprise. IF they do not, then any incentive to resurrect the club within the Coventry precincts must diminish...the reverse is obviously true. I have read many criticisms of Mick Horton which strike me as being broadly unfair and untrue. In any case, is it not a fact that any club is bigger and more important than any promoter who happens to be in charge during any period of its history ?

I'm getting the sense that the whole new Coventry outfit , riders and officials, is coming together quite nicely. I hope that all the critics who have been moaning about the enterprise at Leicester will see that and make some effort to support THEIR team and club.

It boils down to whether or not you want to see a Cradley team in action for a minor competition. Personally I am pleased that they are still in business even though not in the league proper. Of course they will have to use other people's riders as no rider is going to sign a contract for a club only doing 6 meetings at home. This has been done before ( Leicester) so it's nothing new.

Fans of the Colts are lucky in one respect. The super track at Belle Vue, rather like Sheffield, is so fast compared with most other tracks that every home rider, even those with modest ability, soon achieve enough home advantage to see off the opposition. Although, from comments made quite often, visiting riders love the place, the sheer speed catches them out. So a mediocre Colts team at the start of the season will soon be winning, at least on their own track. My own track, Lakeside has similar results but for quite the opposite reason.

Have to agree with Bruno. Since officials, especially team mangers and promoters, get often unfairly criticised, it is not unreasonable for them to answer their critics and also make comments about their accusers...they are, after all, just people.