TotallyHonestJohn

And we were having such fun... PMSL Regards THJ

Also I forgot to add (as I totally forgot about it) Simon got 5 + 1 riding at No 3 for us against Berwick in the TTT match May 19th 2018 which I know was only a challenge match but it possibly gives an indication of what he can do. Furthermore here is a name not mentioned how about Jacob Bukhave who I watched I think last season (or maybe the season before at Redcar) after returning from a bad injury, looked quick and is as keen as mustard to ride over here and another Dane to keep up the tradition So with 4.45 for a Brit and 4.34 for an overseas rider I would be more than happy with one of the following Simon Lambert 4.29 or Jacob Bukhave 4.00 or Josh McDonald 4.00 or Mikkel B Andersen 4.29 Although it is starting to look like Josh McDonald is fast becoming the fans choice and as stated I am not that bothered and would be happy to see what he can do/achieve at Newcastle: however if it does end up as Josh please remember that currently he is carrying the popular vote on here as the majorities choice but if he was to land and struggled I hope he still gets the support and doesn't get cast aside like an old steel shoe or slaughtered for poor performance, he needs continued support... as in a similar level of support that Kyle Bickley got/received from Workington last year I am enjoying this any other suggestions out there? (Derek Sneddon 4.72 in 2014 and would get a reduction on that after all we did salvage Matty Wethers career) Remembering also that the rider will be going into the main body of the team possibly/probably in the No 2 slot Regards THJ

Regarding Lambert and looking at some of his actual scores last year at the sides left in the league this season from last; Berwick 4+1 @ 2 Glasgow 9+1 @ 6 Redcar 3++1 @ 6 Scunny 9+1 @ 6 Sheffield 2+0 @ 7 Edinburgh 4+1 @ 7 Newcastle 0+0 @ 2 So this would suggest to me that Simon would possibly be scoring more on the road than he would at Newcastle and he does have the experience to ride at Number 2 however... You cant argue with this logic and the comment Steve makes is spot on, Simon would be a good reserve , how he would fare in the main body at home is anyone's guess, possibly not very well if past history is anything to go on; however he does have the experience at this level and will hit the ground running; and should score away. (should) Again it is hard to disagree with the comments made regarding Carl Wilkinson who is in the exact same position as Simon I would suggest; in that he is a competent reserve but elevated into the main body of the team could be a risk; but again he has bags of experience and could do a job without massively improving and neither rider would let the team down effort wise. (would) This brings us on to young Josh and I stand by my first thought that it would be a "no-brainer" if we were bringing him in at reserve as this was where Workington were going to slot him in and built their team to accommodate him in that position. It could be a big gamble to put him into the number 2 slot from the off. (could) However you are correct in stating he'd become an asset and very well could be the "next good thing out of Oz." (could) It will be down to the promotion to take/make a hard decision and its a case of "you pays your money and takes your choice" and again it does need to be stated Newcastle have a good reputation for looking after young riders; supporting them in their development and bringing them on. (many a young foreign rider would attest to that) It could depend on how Josh feels at being slotted in at Number 2 because if he was to struggle it could seriously knock his confidence; and Brough is a tough spot for a novice. Even at reserve let alone slotting into the main body of the team. Not an easy call by any stretch of the imagination unless of course there is someone else out there we have not thought of and we get another big surprise and everyone says "well I didn't see that one coming" as Martin has puled a few surprises since he came onto the scene so interesting times. So Should; Would; Could; Dilemmas Dilemmas Dilemmas!!! however always options and possibilities Regards THJ

Honestly Lambo is probably the best bet of the remaining riders available, if it was someone who was dropping into reserve I would suggest taking a calculated gamble on Josh McDonald would be worth the risk but not to stick him into the main body of the team... Plus what Lambo lacks at Brough he will make up for on many of the away tracks we have usually done poorly at... However Martin Phillips has surprised a few this season with his team selections and he has pulled a master stroke in bringing Stevie back so I am happy to wait and see who he brings in... Who knows the Worrall signing might bring a few fans back... Arsonfire is a miss galloping round the terraces doing the updates and hopefully he hasn't given up on the sport... Regards THJ

Honestly Is that a joke... cos nice one if it is... PMSL... If not apologies and for one and possibly the main reason it won't be him Nik is committed to Poland so a Sunday team would be an absolute none starter... Regards THJ

Honestly All joking and winding up apart... the wounds are deep and still healing and this just added salt to them... However what I will say is in young Kyle Glasgow have picked up a rider with fantastic potential... personality I think he would have been Worky's secret weapon this season and as a prediction I honestly believe he will end up with an average nearer 7 than 5... despite what some have said on here... I also think that with this signing Glasgow have gone from a solid mid table side to stitched on play off candidates that's how much I rate this kid... he will be to Glasgow what Steve Worrall was to Edinburgh a few years back when Stevie joined them as a 3 point reserve.. Kyle will be the game changer Glasgow needed to push them on to success... He has fantastic support from his family... top notch equipment; is eager to learn and has a fantastic work ethic... a well rounded and pleasant kid who his family can be proud of... Glasgow will see something special this year and be able to watch him develope... I couldn't big the kid up enough... or be more happy for him and jealous of Glasgow... On a slightly different tangent here is another prediction that by 2027 his little kid sister wins The Voice or something similar cos what a great laal singer she is... if you have an end of season function get her up to sing a song you will be amazed... Good luck to Kyle and Glasgow for the coming season let's hope it's a sucessfull one... Oh and that the Glasgow Grave Robbers can finally turn into the Glasgow Gloaters and out smug their Saltire waving brethren along the road... Well I couldn't end without a pop could I... let's face it people might think I was going soft in my dotage and MANCE GazC and the other TOGS would not have the opportunity to put a sad face response on would they.. got to play to the masses... Finally just to confirm Kyles Dad is definitely fatter tham me... definitelty... ain't that right fatty (private joke) Honestly looking forward to seeing how Kyle gets on and where Glasgow end up (or should I say pseudo Workington) as it will be a very interesting season I believe for many and varied reasons... Good luck Glasgow and keep the satire burning... thats satire not saltire as to say the least there are some with poor reading skills on here thats for sure... Regards THJ

Honestly Spot on I can give three examples of that happening this year... and when's texting been old fashioned? Technologies move that fast these day everything is old fashioned after a couple of month... I am getting hassle of my kids to face time?... at least it wasn't a fax... I have been told what has happened and it was unavoidable and out with the control of the promotion it has also thrown the club's plans into turmoil but they have acted the only way they could really and definitely no Vape Gate... Regards THJ

Honestly Like the time Andrew Tully fractured his spine in press and practice and instead of changing the team before the season started waited for nearly four month for Andy to put his self right... or the various other riders who have been injured and who would have been dropped in an instant by other clubs yet over the years the Newcaslte promotions have stood loyally by their riders... even riders who have been sadly out of form and the fans have been baying for them to be cut consecutive Newcastle promotions have blindly and stubbornly backed their team selection. (Rightly or Wrongly whatever your take is on the matter) There will be more to this than meets the eye that's for sure and it may or may not come out in time as to what has gone on but it certainly isn't as contrived as Vape Gape over the border.... So yep pretty disgusting... oh the comment that is... not the actions of the promotion Regards THJ

Honestly There is no such thing as the "Diary of a Lift Attendant" as my Google has shown otherwise we could have compared the relevance however if you Google and research "Will Ritson (1808–1890), a pub landlord from Wasdale" you will see the truism in the post. Jesus you talk about hard work FFS Regards THJ

Honestly The truth always comes out in the end and how embarrassing or at least it would be embarrassing for normal folk, but just reading the Speedway Star this week and the comments from "Cami (knickers) Brown" of the "Glasgow Grave Robbers" made interesting reading to say the least where it stated "Luke Chessell and Joe Lawlor have got bags of potential and we will all have to support them and I'm confident we can all do that" he went on to say "the boot camp was a huge success a year ago, it really inspires togetherness and strikes up some good banter" Honestly PMSL In the Vatican (Captain Nelson) Maryport Friday night I got the truth off "In the Know" Tony over a pint of Cumberland Classic. The credentials of Tony are impeccable as he is from a long line of sheep and cattle rustlers in the best "border reivers" tradition and Tony is currently the the West Cumberland Ferret Wrangling Champion after winning his third title in 2018. I first met Tony in a competition that is held every November at the Bridge Inn, Santon Bridge, in memory of Will Ritson (1808–1890), a pub landlord from Wasdale, Tony has all the inside gossip on everything and holds court in the Vatican most nights and he reckons "Vape Gate" was just a smoke screen for the sacking of young Joe Lawlor. Tony is that man down the pub everyone quotes, that friend of a friend who is in the know, the answer to that question who told you that, well I have outed him as it's Tony The truth was stranger than fiction as Tony explained: Part of the team building exercise was to break wind in "top note" which is a C-sharp which all of the riders easily achieved, in fact some without even lifting a leg, with the exception of two; those two were Craig Cook and Joe Lawlor. Apparently no matter how hard Joe pushed and shoved and manipulated his posterior he could only reach a B-flat; it was at this point Cami (knickers) Brown stated that this was very disappointing and a game changer as the required note was a C-sharp with no exceptions. Joe pleaded his case and pointed out that a B-flat is also an A-sharp which was only two semi tones lower than the required level and with a bit of time, patience and coaching he was sure he could squeak out the required C-sharp note. However Cami (knickers) Brown was having none of it and said he would have to let Joe go. He pointed out that he wasn't sacked and would receive a good reference if he was to find other employment. As a last throw of the dice and trying to defend his position Joe pointed out that Craig had not made a singe squeak right through the whole exercise at which Cami (knickers) Brown advised as Craig had been elevated to sainthood now being "St Craig of Glasgow" all external befouling orifices had sealed over as was the case in all Angels and as he did not now have a sphincter he was exempt from the musical note exercise. On leaving a despondent and disappointed Joe asked all the other guys especially the ex Workington ones how they managed to meet such a high note as a C-sharp they pointed out as soon as they found out what they were being paid off Glasgow it was quite easy. Joe didn't really understand this but just left a lonely and dejected figure. With this new team position open Glasgow approached Kyle Bickley and told him there was a vacancy however he had to attain the impressive C-sharp note delivering said note by natural means only; using muscle control, bodily dexterity, beans and peas as a medium as a family club like Glasgow do not condone drugs to induce a production of wind. Kyle said it was a big ask but he would try, however Cami (knickers) Brown played his ace card and said to Kyle before you start let me tell you what you will get in remuneration, three new frames and two new engines; £20,000 signing on fee with £20,000 additional sign on from a sponsor, £150 a point and another £150 a point off a sponsor and if he got a 15 point maximum he would get an additional £500 as a bonus so £5 grand for a 15 point maximum and he would be paid in full as he exited the shower after the meeting in cash. Well at this news Kyle's sphincter naturally tightened and Cami (knickers) Brown thought it was with the thought and excitement of such a fantastic deal on offer that Kyle let loose with the most perfect C-sharp note from his posterior allowing him instant access to the Glasgow inner sanctum. However the real reason that Kyle hit this note wasn't for the fact of the fantastic deal on offer as every parent will attest to; as a teenager Kyle doesn't get washed and it was his fear of not getting paid that produced the posterior gripping note not the deal. So there you have it folks the facts as explained by "In the Know" Tony and remember if your pumps have lumps invariably your cami knickers will turn brown and as ever its all done in the "Best Possible Taste" Apologies for the long winded (Giggidy) response and hopefully it doesn't go over the heads of the blind followers of Glasgow and they can smell the same wafts of bull everyone else is getting. One final prediction "The Glasgow Grave Robbers turn into the Glasgow Gloaters by the end of the season" Regards THJ

Honestly Went past the place Sunday on my way shopping and there were quite a few cars in and around Derwent Park and the car park looked quite full, which although isn't an indicator of the crowd it did look busy to be fair. (as busy as a Speedway night anyway as I mentioned it in the car when passing, so it was noticeable) However the laugh is when I was on the drink in Maryport on Friday night and chatting to an Allerdale Councillor who stated the new (£25M) stadium is being built on the premise that the Rugby club will start attracting crowds of 7,500 and the football 2,500 fans when they move into the new stadium. I am not sure who came up with these figures and neither was he to be fair however I think the only way they will be attracting crowd numbers like that will be if they start mugging people outside on the street and dragging them in. Neither the Rugby or the Football want to run the new stadium so it is being mooted that an FM company will be brought in to run it as a franchise. I doubt any FM company in their right minds would take a venture on like this. It will be interesting to see what actually does happen. Regards THJ

Honestly I think there will be quite a few Berwick fans who will disagree with you there on that one like Biffa... Just saying like... lol Regards THJ.

Yep don't disagree in fact I would say you are correct. I am only guessing but I would assume that it's the working visa that needs a sponsor which makes sense. So he can still get over it's just that officially he won't be allowed to work. Holiday/non working visas are not that hard to obtain. However the whole idea was for Josh to race and to earn a living until the unfortunate demise of Worky... Regards THJ

Our neighbour in Newcastle has just had her Aussie Nephew across and he has had a 12 month visit on a none working visa. His mum is a Brit but he was born in Oz and is an Aussie Citizen yet he still needed a visa and I think the neighbour had to vouch for him as well (may be wrong) but he used her address as his temp/perm UK address. The criteria was he couldn't take paid employment! Not sure if Josh is coming over on something like this and he could still mechanic and ride as long as there is no official payments. (Which sounds about right for Speedway) Regards THJ

That's Doreen and "Brown Sepia!!!" you wish... it was a black and white tablet of stone engraved by Fred Flintstone.... hahaha Seen healthier looking kids on cave paintings lol... definitely of an age Dave... a bygone era... Regards THJ

Dunno about Carl she was a Chris Schramm fan and sponsor for many years Just to add Dave you weren't recognisable on the old school photographs hung on the wall Regards THJ

Went to George's funeral today and what a fantastic turn out for a genuinely nice guy... friends from his church... the RAOB fraternity and of course his Speedway family... great to see some old friends and especially Doreen from Berwick... RIP George you will be a big miss at Brough Park Regards THJ Oh and happy birthday for this coming Friday Doreen hope to see you under better circumstances the next time x

Thing is if anyone uses the clubs brand; the club could expect to; or should be; receiving something back for that, shouldn't they? the promotion that is not the riders who are paid by the club, its a moot point but can be a very touchy subject; however it is becoming evermore prevalent in today's society where brand and Image rights are vigorously protected The ability to register one's legal property as an image or brand right facilitates both the economic exploitation of the right and its protection. Historically, this has been the case for copyright and trademark legislation which has been used by companies/bodies attempting to protect their brand. On the Tax implication as a social body; well that is a totally different can of worms and the SC will not attract any special tax regulations or liabilities however when the money is handed to the rider (or any benefit in kind) the rider should be declaring that as a gift or benefit. (How many do?) On the GOV.UK web site you can see what regulations apply to gifts and benefits and what the tax liabilities are and there is a comprehensive section detailed as Expenses and benefits: A to Z. You may consider that there is nothing to see however there is always something to interest someone and lets just hope its not HM Revenue Inspectors as the other old saying goes which is usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who wrote in a 1789 letter that “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Regards THJ

Honestly I can see it still rankles many people and I take it from your comments that you have been involved and as I stated earlier I don't want to stir up a hornets nest but what I will add is it does need someone to facilitate this whole process... In that I mean someone who is trusted and who can liaise between the parties ie the SC or trust and the promotion, as openness and good governance must prevail as people are being asked to raise and hand over cash... The process has to be seen as benefitting the club as a whole and supporting the club in their endeavours to remaining viable... It's not easy and at Workington we alienated some fans but the monies raised were diverted to key resources in running the club and everyone knew where the monies were going and a committee agreed as to where it would be spent... Honestly there needs to be a coming together rather than having a go at each other as a lot of the current fan base have a great deal to offer and who knows what they could achieve if they pulled together. Here's a daft idea get the thing up and running and retain (with agreement of the promotion) half what you raise which is used to set up a fund to buy into the club after all it is still on the market... you never know you could end up with a serious percentage if not all of the place and run it with a committee... just a thought.. Regards THJ

There are many valid points throughout this thread off many people and I could have replied to any number of which; however as the one above is quiet succinct I will use this for my response 1. You certainly can not disagree with the statement "A supporters club run by supporters, is a supporters club (SC), of which the supporters decide on what any funds are spent on". However it is where and how the said SC raises these funds is the contentious part I would suggest. If the SC pays for a bus and runs raffles on the bus and self generates the cash amongst its own members there can not be an issue, it is when the SC are using the crowd in general in the stadium and the clubs facilities to raise these funds the promotions get upset, after all if the SC started selling hot dogs (widgets? raffle tickets, anything really?) they would pay the club (promotion) to do so for allowing them to obtain cash from the crowd at that venue and operating a franchise in effect 2, Again "A supporters club run by the club, is a funding stream run by the club for it's own benefit, and should not be called a supporters club, as it is without the control of the supporters" is correct to a certain extent however the SC or the funding stream should change its name as it is more of a Trust or the like; but it can still be run by the supporters or a SC without control of the promotion it just means that the revenues earned come back to supporting the promotion in running the team; however the basic statement is correct but again the frustration I would suggest from the clubs point of view is that much effort goes into running a SC for the benefit of the members but if the Speedway Team doesn't exist whats the point of a SC 3. This statement is the potentially the most valid "The way to support a club is to pay through the turnstiles. The clubs responsibility is to provide adequate entertainment to achieve that". however everyone appreciates that crowds are (and have been for some time) in decline and there are many posts saying the entertainment isn't what it should be which I have difficulty in understanding. 15 heats with 4 guys racing 4 laps? it is what it is isn't it? or is that to simplistic a view. What do people want for "More Entertainment" a water jump coming out of bends 2 and 4 with road humps at various points along the track? or jazz bands, majorettes and cheer leaders jumping round between heats like american football? No most fans who attend want teams with Cook Harris King Woofy NKI and Lambert (R not S) and any other array of top riders but all this costs. Without support for the promotion to stop them haemorrhaging money you wont have a team to support so whats the point of a Supporters Club. So to me it is not even a chicken and egg scenario as the club must come first, as obvious as it is; if you don.t have a club; you have nothing to support; most if not all promotions are blowing their collective brains out and as sad as it is the situation Workington now find themselves in might just be the wake up call the sport needs as everyone is living beyond their means. I don't think Workington will be the final casualty in this saga either. There are some genuine fans in Berwick who love their speedway and would follow their club anywhere and some of the detractors need to take a step back and if they cant support the club and help to generate funds they (IMHO) need to stop the infighting and take council with themselves and if they don't believe in what is being done and don't want to help so be it; at least let the fans, supporters whatever they want to be called get on in trying to support (save) the club. Sorry if this has opened old wounds but look at Workington and their supporters (club) trust who injected large sums into the club, working with/for the promotion over the last two years and it still didn't stop the situation they find themselves in this year however if that money raise kept the club afloat for those two extra years then they contributed to a treble winning team last year so there was a successful outcome in that respect. Regards THJ

As stated "you are not aware of the facts surrounding the demise of Workington Speedway" they haven't "Gone to the wall" as you have so eloquently put it; however you have your own opinion and I respect that; but it needed pointing out that 1. BWD didn't want to go back to Somerset this year and 2. the deal wasn't the breaker as no matter how much GM did or did not offer BWD he didn't want to go back to the OTA and finally 3. BWD did not want to ride for Somerset in 2019... are you picking up on the theme here Now Charles Wright who said he would ride for Somerset then changed direction and headed off to Redcar; well who knows what his reason was for doing that, but no doubt you will have your own opinion on that one as well Regards THJ

You obviously arent aware of the facts and it certainly wasnt a case of Worky outbidding anyone... All you need to do is look at the Workington team to see it was built to a tight budget also BWD wasn't going to ride in the Championship this year until Worky came in for him... Regards THJ

Honestly There was very little difference in the deals offered BWD just wanted to try a different track... he had a short spell at Worky at the start of last season filling in for an injured Mason Campton... he said then that he would like to come back if the opportunity arose... it did and he was good to his word... just backfired slightly with Worky having to "ice" their licence... but you can't blame the guy or your promotion if he wants to try his hand at another track... Regards THJ

Honestly IMHO Dick has spelled it out quite succinctly and he is only stating what everyone is aware of, Workington went through this a few years back and the supporters club morphed into the Friends of Workington Speedway and then in to the Workington Speedway Supporters Trust and those bodies injected 20 thousand pounds into Workington Speedway over two seasons becoming the clubs biggest individual sponsor paying for things like medical cover ambulances and other sundry items that go into running a Speedway team and it still didn't save the club. As much as Dick can be a "dick" and isn't everyone's cup of tea he has hit the nail right on the head here and the new Supporters Club needs to support the club; its always nice to run subsidised coaches and give the riders lump sums but the priority has to be keeping the club afloat first and foremost otherwise you can raise as much money as you like but if there is no club to support what do you do then. You still go to the GP but pay for it yourself anyway! Watch TV Speedway and go to the odd meeting up and down the road rather than have a local club to support. Very short sighted in my view All revenue streams need to be coming back to the club to keep the thing viable and you don't need to hand over the cash because lets face it what the issue is here; is that certain folk can think that when they are handing over cash that the promoters just put it straight into their pockets and subsidise their "Playboy Lifestyles" which is not the case. (Courtney's Playboys lol, Sorry Scott) All clubs are operating on a shoe string and the difference to making a small profit or a small loss can be the lifeline that keeps the promotion operating rather than folding another club due to large debts and unsustainable losses. If the Supporters Club worry about where the cash is going commit to paying for something all season, Medical Cover doesn't come cheap pay this direct, the Referee needs to be paid for, meeting fuel and tyres possibly, security or stadium rent, whatever it is; it helps and takes pressure off the promotion. Also it needs to be stated transparency is the key and if you tell people where the funds are being spent and how they are benefiting the club most (not all unfortunately) come on board and understand why this course of action is being followed. Keep an accurate ledger and follow good governance. Keep the faith Bandit Fans and get behind your promotion to ensure you have a Speedway team in the town to support because in this day and age it will be very difficult to resurrect a club once it has gone Good luck with the new Supporters Club Regards THJ

Kyle Bickley He will end up with a plus 5 average this year Bradley Wilson Dean is another who will put a point on his average and Steve Worrall will do the same Honestly gutted Regards THJ