TotallyHonestJohn

Wee eck had covered it on the previous page Terry... 250k in 2006 but to be fair I wouldn't call Redcar a basic set up... all the utilities on the site with a large permanent stand etc... Regards THJ

To be fair it doesn't matter where the money comes from you would.still only be allowed 3 promoters and one vote so what could the BSPL have to complain about... (cough cough) Regards THJ

I suppose there would be but these things don't happen overnight and take a awful lot of organising, drive and commitment by/from people and still require a sizable investmment from the end users. It aint easy... Regards THJ

Yep I know where you are coming from and I have noticed that the land at Seaton Burn is rapidly deminishing as it is being developed now as what looks like more industrial units and you need a minimum of 12 acres to set up something decent on land speedway wise... It's a knacker job for a site around here as the value of land is going only one way and one thing is for sure they ain't making any more of it... For all the points you have put they are the very reasons that councils won't support it... they make very sympathetic noises and nod their heads but they won't do anything... Rob and the club are between a rock and a very hard place unfortunately.... Regards THJ

@Wee Eck has given pretty accurate costs for a good set up of a Stadium but if things can be done on a budget and then added to overtime you can start out on a reasonable spend... but it's a moot point if your core business isn't sustainable... unless you have a very generous benefactor or company to underwrite the losses... I would be happy to discuss a fan run club along the lines of Edinburgh or what Worky had but again the cost can be quite onerous and at the end of the day you can only have three promoters max and how much say would the fans want... more money more say but then less can afford to contribute... you have some good ideas and valid points on the likes of sponsorship.... What would it take for Rob to stop... maybe 750 people through the turnstiles for the last three meetings... no begging bowl no looking for cash injections just numbers through the door... Or on your fan base run club... 40 people put a grand in at the stsrt of the season or 80 people 500 quid or 160 put 250 quid in or 320 put 125 quid in or the 400 fans who regularly go to Brough pay 30 quid a meeting for what is percived as a 10 quid sport or we all pay 15 quid to get in but we double the gate so 800 fans... They are all just daft numbers but for Rob to stay I think it's what it will take for him to at least give it another year... Regards THJ

I know what it's costing over in Cumbria to develope Northside and you are spot on 150k will get you nothing like the current Newcastle set up but it will get you a track laid two mobile temporary stands a scaffold stair case stand and maybe grassed banking to stand on round the bends. A basic breeze block pits and a shower block with changing rooms however it won't be a Stadium by any stretch of the imagination it will be a savagely basic "motor park" for want of a better phrase but again the stands come on wheels and are nothing like Redcars Stand... and again you are correct the add on's like an air fence tractors and whether you get a permanent electrical supply which will add 50k+ on the bill... so to keep the cost down you would have to use your own generator which will cost between 8 and 10k and you would need to go to someone like Wernick Group Ltd and buy some second hand cabins... I have set some large sites up for less than 30k for building projects so you will get a fair bit for 150k but it wont have the infrastructure of a Scunny or a Redcar that is for sure and as stated it would be "savagely basic" to start off with but from little acorns and all that... Regards THJ

Dont disagree to a certain extent but are we going to cow tow the the greedy few and allow the tail to wag the dog... who runs the sport the BSPL or the riders... Restrictive Trade disputes were an arguement that rose out of being in the European union and supported by the European Charter for equal rights and opportunities and the like and since Brexit it will be a brave person who brings a legal claim for this now... If a charter is laid out in support of a formal set of rules that are notarized and signed and backed up with good employment law practises you dont fall foul of this but as usual I have no doubt that the BSPL would write something down on the back of a fag packet call it a gentlemans agreement and then the usual suspect would pony all over it... I suppose any system can be manipulated you just need to be as cute as those trying to manipulate the system... there is always more than one way to skin a cat... so you introduce a restricted grading system and one might slip through the net for a season for a team but not three for sure... Regards THJ

Lot of huffing and puffing on behalf of the two main local authourities Newcastle and North Tyneside and the potential of something materialising at a site in Seaton Burn but Im not sure what come of it and it seems to have went cold... plus with all the song and dance that went on about moving from Brough I think the promotion become a little disallusioned IMHO about the idea of investing thousands of pounds in a new site when there was little support for the idea... however if someone does come in it is an option that must be explored further when all ARC will sanction are yearly leases on Brough. How do you build a business plan on that... Regards THJ

Honestly I did and there was no way of telling what was lying in wait for anyone who took it on... It was totally bad luck... because if Rob had of collapsed Newspeed from the off and just ran with the new company from the start he would have been protected from what happened and not lost anything... The books were a shambles and I knew what was going on as I had the same accountant as Newspeed but I thought there could have been possibilities in taking it on however when Rob came in I backed off... And with luck like that I will never win the lottery... Regards THJ

Multi Million Pound investment? Council set up the infrastructure level the land and stick a fence round it... Diamonds lay a track, hire or buy a second hand genny; hire or buy a second hand stand (similar to what the Falcon's started with at Kingston Park) set up a scaffold type stand (aka Redcar) stick an air fence round it build some pits and a changing room (similar to Scunny) and off you go generating funds daily and not just on a Sunday... training sessions to hire out amateur meetings to run... stock cars and a BMX track out back to encourage the kids... outlay for that around 150k... No different to Scunny who have a good set up and Rob Godfrey started off with a basic site and built on it over the years... that site didn't just land overnight with one massive outlay of Dosh its taken time to build.... and that's certainly not the Olympic Stadium is it... but it's fit for purpose and does the job... Regards THJ

This had me thinking so I put a call in and @Wee Eck was just about right and I am told the three year rule was actually dropped for the start of this season... So there ya go... something right for a change... but it's taken some time for the change to happen... well done the BSPL... although being an old cynic I can't help think that this was done for something else other than fairness... Regards THJ

It was discussed however it was never implemented as when Rob Grant had to fold Newspeed at Newcastle due to the VAT Fraud he inherited and started with a new company name he was told he has lost his voting rights for 3 years... so the rule still stands... Regards THJ

Below 7 above 2 in the second tier for team build only and if they go above 7 you've scored for that year... but at the outset the rider wouldn't be coming in on ridiculous wages or aspirations of huge guarentee's... Regards THJ

So no one moves up? do away with the "Top League" and everyone comes "Down" and the NDL is run with the "second/junior teams of clubs only who can afford them" which leaves Mildenhall out on a limb a bit but bear with me... if the Monday and Thursday rule is stuck to for TV revenue then the clubs who may have genuine reasons for not running on those days are Newcastle; Kent and possibly Birmingham and the perceived (other) "Hard Up" clubs like Berwick and Scunthorpe (maybe wide of the mark with these comments but again bear with me) and maybe bring back Eastie and the IOW or even Oxford till they find their feet which gives 8/9 clubs in a mid way Secondary League and state to these clubs they can not utilise a rider with a 7 point average or more in the newly formed British Primary League it will save on costs; no temptation to go and get a perceived "top league" star on a ridiculous rate and no caps on riders wags who feel they might be worth more than they actually are; the market will dictate what they are worth to clubs. If there are no brakes applied (pardon the analogy) then this run away wage chase will never stop. Promotions cant be trusted to stick to wage caps that's been proven more than once in the past so take the temptation away... likewise to strengthen the Primary League no one without an average of 6 or more in the Secondary League can move up (So 6 moving up divided by 1.5) can race in the Primary League which means the lowest average a rider you could have in the Primary League is 4 and for the Tertiary League (or NDL) no one can not move up to the Secondary League until they have achieved an average of 6 in the NDL (So 6 moving up divide by 2) giving a starting average of 2 for the Secondary League. Build to say 45 in the Primary League 35 in the Secondary League and 30 in the Tertiary (NDL) to again restrict teams with unreasonable or unfeasible team building ambitions and this will potentially give 11/12 teams for a Primary League 8/9 teams for a Secondary League and anyone who can afford to run a junior team in the NDL can do so... Last thing we need are more clubs closing down and there is still a need IMHO for a staging league in British Speedway as a pathway to the higher echelons of the sport... this Rising Star thing although full of good intentions is a waste of time and effort as putting young kids in without racing time and experience under their belts at a senior level is just a joke. There is an average system and a process to see these junior riders progress and everyone goes through it from Craig Cook Steve Worrall Richie Worrall and Rich Lawson to James Sarjeant Max Clegg Willie Lawson Ashley Morris and Simon Lambert ultimately they all find their level. Put the rule book in the bin and rule No 1 should be; there will always be a minimum number of rules to adhere too; if the rules run to a second page rule No 2 should be the BSPL will work to reducing the number of rules to one page. Do we not over complicate things at times? Regards THJ

Honestly Ian can't disagree but the BSPL are the problem... I am brewing for a blow out with a few home truths I'm just checking with my brief and other colleagues as to what I can and can't say because it's disgusting what's went on really... but more on this possibly later... It gives me another meeting to work on Rob and see what we can do because he is the only hope for the spot... unless I win the Euro lottery that is... Regards THJ

Well the parties over and we're calling it a day after 92 years... RIP Newcastle Diamonds... big thanks to the hard core of fans who have followed the Diamonds through thick and thin... Regards THJ

Err yep that would be me buddy the same day it was announced... believe he was seeing you on the night time after work... however I was more referring to the riders who were signed up three week ago and the approaches that were made prior to any anouncements Same happened at Worky when they wobbled in the 2018 campaign all the riders were got at by other clubs and the whole team had been divided up until Tony Jackson amongst others steadied the ship... Regards THJ

Ya not wrong but the vultures now picking over the bones had been circling for weeks... Regards THJ

They can do owt ya want... they even do a veggie option... special dietary requirement and cranky old farts like ya good self Geoff can be easily catered for xxx Regards THJ

Ya not wrong and I've been told the grub is spot on too... However if you're up there stuffing ya chops who is gonna do the track work? Come on now remember the motto Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die and scrape the shale to where it should be and keep the air fence as clean as it could.be... Regards THJ

Am I right in thinking both of those must be in someones 1 to 7or they wouldn't be allowed to guest? Does a top league 1 to 7 count? Regards THJ

Aye enjoy them they should be good meetings but who would you fancy as a guest at home? R/R for the last two away meetings so would you use R/R again for Plymouth and Brum the last two away meetings? Well that will be down to Rob Grant and after the last two years no one would blame him if he walked... problem is there is no one in the wings waiting to jump into the breach so that would be it if he walks... but what I will say is he has done all the hard work this year and would be mad not to give it one more year and it would be impossible for next year to be anything like the one he has just been through... just need the fans to vote with their feet and get along to Brough and cheer on their team... You may in the first one but just in case I will be waving from the royal box upstairs on the last one as we have decided rather than standing outside for the last meeting we are going to do the corporate hospitality package upstairs and try out the prawn sarnies... So keep an eye out from the centre green Ruff and I will raise a glass... to you and the other volunteers who without whose help and support there wouldn't be a meeting... Cheers Buddy Regards THJ

This was rumbling on longer than the two you quote and both Brum and Newcastle had to give the BSPL certain guarentee's with checks and balances put in place for them to follow and the issues were only temporary to a certain degree and brought on by Covid Covid rules and demanding councils and landlords outwith their controls. Eastie on the other hand I would suggest played down their problems until the issue became so massive all they could do is blow thier brains out... if the BSPL had jumped on them from the start it may not have come to this... nievity all round... If they had cut two of the three big earners out of their team who were on guaranteed wages and put two riders in on realistic points money again they might not have been in this predicament... yes Eastie had a very competitive team but it has ultimately cost them... big time... Regards THJ

No need to wonder neither Brum nor Newcastle were offered a bail out they were left to get on with it... sink or swim... Eastie unfortunately sank... and this won't be believed but I think Eastie have protected their asset base but more may come out later on that one.. and how much do you think Brennan is worth... 10 20 30k and are you are assuming that the debts are less than these figures and who in the current environment could afford to buy him... and you are again assuming that the guys promoting the spot own the assets? Have they not just covered the bond paid the bills and run it as a franchise so to speak... There is more to this debacle IMHO than meets the eye... but I doubt any of us mere plebs will find out the true picture... That's why I feel there is still some hope for Eastie to rise like a Phoenix next year... Regards THJ

Mike Mike Mike Grading was proposed for the 6 man team format 5 year back where each team could have 1 grade A rider or 2 grade B riders amongst other permutations but that wasn't acceptable because two promotions had two riders each in the Band A group and weren't prepared to share because they wanted to put out the absolute strongest team they could in the hope of trying to win something regardless if they are humping weaker opposition each week... Speedway isn't Football however promoters have that football mentality but if a club is getting all the best riders and the opposition can't get anyone to put up a reasonable opposition for competitive racing then regardless fans get fed up. Now this is all well and good when there is a requirement for say 140 riders and the pool of talent available is say 540 riders however when the pool only consists of 100 riders the whole premise falls apart... Not wanting to pick on any clubs but there are teams with 3 recognised riders who could and should be filling a No 1 slot in most Championship teams yet this race to the bottom to spend as much as possible to get the absolute strongest 1 to 7 possible is an exercise in bancrupcy and it's ridiculous... I am not a big fan of American Sport however even those massive franchise's see the need for competitive meetings and contests and undertake a draft pick giving the weakest teams first pick of the best up an coming talent and unless Speedway adopts something similar on team selection promoters will always be in the rat race to the bottom... Even football have tried to achieve some sort parity across clubs with the financial fair play league... although it doesnt seem to work that well but thats football where clubs get 50,000 crowds and this is speedway where promoters get a hard on when they get a crowd over a 1000... Home fans generally don't come when they see sides that they percieve as having no chance from the start of the season and sides with three big hitters a reserve who should be a second string and two second strings rolling up who are knocking on the door of becoming a third heat leader it's a joke... Oh everyone builds to 40 points (or so) and it should balance out but we all know the reasons why it doesn't... Riders getting a ridiculous guarentee that clubs can't afford with promotions losing money hand over fist year after year and the lesson is never learned... The whole thing is corrupt from top to bottom and the big idea they will be working on this year and next to save speedway is rolling out the second rising star reserve which we all know the reasons why this is a good idea however it is just another fiddle and something that clubs try to manipulate... and why does this process need to come with 15 pages of rules ffs? I'm not often a supporter of old Len Silver but I am with him 100% when he says why do we need to have so many complicated rules in a sport that is basically 4 guys racing round a track for 4 laps and a minutes entertainment... Someone recently mentioned a circus of a show at a track well if they need some clowns I'm sure the BSPL have pleanty to go round if they are looking for any more... Here's a thing I'm with the IOW and how about a breakaway league... tell the mafia who are running the sport at present to poke it... Having been through this with Workington all Eastie fans have my heartfelt condolences at their loss... let's hope unlike Workington Eastie can make a come back and this is only a temporary blip... Regards THJ