arnieg

Doyle is affected because his sponsor (Leicester speedway) has had their sponsorship certificate withdrawn (along with all other promoters). This is because of multiple breaches by numerous promoters of the existing regulations. I can see at least six categories of repeated breaches that have been committed (there may be others I have overlooked) 1 riders with one year contracts getting multi-year visas 2 riders guesting out with the terms of their visa 3 riders doubling up contrary to visa regulations 4 riders changing teams mid-season without applying for new visas 5 riders obtaining new visas despite not attaining their assessed average 6 riders getting 5 point assessments instead of 7 Is it any wonder the UKV & I are unhappy! This is clearly such a widespread systemic failure that the BSPA must take the lions share of the responsibility for allowing so many poor practices to exist - resulting in the position that our sport now finds itself in. [What if no date/venue/facilitator for the sponsors workshops can be found for six weeks? Add a couple of weeks to issue new sponsors' certificates and another couple before visas are approved and it could be April before Jason Doyle and co return!!]

The danger is that the first available workshop will be in August in a disused lavatory behind a sign saying "beware of the leopard"

A very good article. I'm sure Alex is furious, but he resists the temptation to start allocating blame. Three interesting points from the article: 1) It is not just speedway affected 2) the BSPA members will have to attend workshops - I bet they will love that 3) There is some prospect of it being sorted out before the season starts

So that is why Craig Cook hasn't got Polish League place!

with the caveat that I haven't seen the 2015 regs, I think that Lewis Rose gets a 2.5% discount (Kerr may too?) which reduces his CMA to 4.05 16.2.3 AMENDED MA’s may be either Established or Assessed MA’s that have been amended with the Approval of the BSPA GC or MC for: a) Riders who have been absent from British League racing for more than 3 seasons (NB. The MA may be increased or decreased). Riders who have been absent for more than 1 full season due to injury. c) A Rider who has participated in the National Development League will receive a 2.5% reduction on their MA once he has achieved an established EL / PL MA, for the next 3 Seasons taking regard of any season where the Rider did not appear in a PL / EL Team Declaration. [2014 regs]

Yes - Bernie Leigh took 8 rides for Reading at Newport that year. He didn't ride in heats 1 or 13 so he actually came out eight times in the space of eleven races!

Only 21 - but as that was in 13 heat match ( a 40-38 win over Hackney) it still merits a mention

I think it is worth noting that although 1985 and 2004 show similar numbers of meetings the breakdown between leagues is very different. In 2004 there were less EL (BL in 1985) fixtures, less PL (NL in 1985), but lots of conference League meetings (compared with just a handful of junior meetings at Barrow in 1985) that with the (principal) exception of Wimbledon had very low crowds. And I think the quoted figures include double headers as two meetings. There were (approx.) 11 in 1985 but 68 in 2004 (source: Barry Stephenson spreadsheets)

Isn't that risky? I recall Simon Wigg got thrown out of a meeting for having too much caffeine in his bloodstream.

Yes that would... and I just knew I'd get Rye House wrong!

Number one - no surprise - but I think 2 & 3 were less obvious. 3 Sheffield 69 seasons (1929-2015) only two blank years since 1960 2 Eastbourne 73 seasons (1929-2015) have included 1940 which is not in the records, but a programme recently appeared on e-bay. There may have been meetings in 1953 but there are no verified details. Seasons where the track was used for training only are not included 1 Coventry 76 seasons (1928-2015) includes unlicensed meetings in 1936; has staged league speedway for 68 seasons in a row

What are the highlighted matches on the 2013 list?

and as we approach the coveted number one spot: 7 Rye House 63 seasons (1934-2015) aggregate for all three tracks (the original track was on site of go-cart circuit, but as it was within the curtilage of the same site I have aggregated them). There are some additional seasons when track was used for training, but no meetings were staged. 6 Ipswich 63 seasons (1950-2015) including an unbroken run since 1969 5 Swindon 67 seasons (1949-2015) 67 consecutive seasons of league racing 4 Poole 68 seasons (1948-2015) unbroken since opening, with one year of non-league speedway (1957)

Would that require Borders Agency consent? Would they give it if it resulted in the dropping of a British rider?

and the next batch: 11 Wolverhampton 61 seasons (1928-2015) includes a single open meeting in 1950 10 Exeter 61 seasons (1929-2005) includes amateur meetings in 1934 9 Oxford 62 seasons (1939-2007) includes 59 consecutive seasons, does not include mixed meetings post 2007 which included a few 'dirt-track' races 8 Wimbledon 62 seasons (1928-2005) The highest placed track no longer operating

This will answer a lot of the questions raised above: http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1965.html but will produce another batch just as long!

Mike Farrell programmed at no 2

and continuing: 15 Middlesbrough, Cleveland Park 50 seasons(1928-1996) includes 1953-55 when 7(?) closed to club ACU licensed meetings were staged 14 King's Lynn 50 seasons (1965-2015) does not include one-off charity grass speedway meetings staged in 1952 & 53. Since opening 1996 has been the only year without speedway at Saddlebow Road 13 Newcastle, Brough Park 58 seasons (1929-2015) in no less than eight seperate spells 12 Belle Vue, Hyde Road 59 seasons (1929-87) without interruption including wartime period

For the Reading ones: 10/4 none named - I'd guess Underwood and Gledhill were reserves for all four teams and then simply allocated to the first teams that needed reserves 11/5 Bob Humphreys and Ian Glledhill (per blank programme) 19/6 as for 10/4. Note Humphreys rode for Bristol in the match but then started in the Poole heat of the 'Victor Ludicrous' 4/9 Henryk Glucklich (he did ride in 2nd half) 16/10 Kevin Bowen - named in programme also: Belle Vue 10/6 Andy Heyes - per blank programme (also programmed to ride for BV in Scot Junior Lge match in 2nd half) 3/7 meeting cpostponed Birm 29/3Stuat Mountford (100% certain), 17/4 & 8/5 Andy Grahame (named in prog) 15/5 Grahame & Mountford (named in prog) 30/10 Grahame & Mick Blaynee (named in prog) Boston 15/10 filled in prog has no P'boro reserve named Bristol 14/7 Derek Hole, Les Rumsey, Graham Jones (named in prog) Cradley 29/7 not named in filled in programme I have Crayford 19/9 Tony Featherstone, Richard Davey, John Hooper, Tony Garrad (named in prog) Hackney 4/8 Ian Gledhill (100% certain)

I know - I read it in a book somewhere

OK I've done a list of the tracks that have operated for most seasons. I have included any track that staged at least one speedway meeting. In some cases these are ACU licensed amateur meetings (e.g. Exeter 1934, Middlesbrough 1953-55) or pirate meetings (e.g. Coventry 1936, Cradley 1959). There are examples (notably Eastbourne and Rye House) where training took place but no actual meetings took place - these have not been included. nb 2015 included for those tracks who are running this year. Principal sources: 'Homes of British Speedway' and Speedway Researcher website I don't claim this list is 100% accurate, and there are some areas open to interpretation (e.g. just how many tracks have there been at Rye House?). So counting down to number one, here we go with the first five: (note: I can find details of meetings for at least 37 seasons at Iwade (Sittingbourne) between the years 1972 and 2013 – but have not included them in the list) 20 Mildenhall 39 seasons (1974-2015) includes training matches staged in 1974 19 Stoke, Loomer Road 42 seasons (!973-2015) only missed 1993 since opening 18 Wembley 43 seasons (1929-1981) nearly half of these consist of just one or two big meetings 17 Cradley 43 seasons (1947-1995) includes 1959 when just one pirate meeting was staged 16 Peterborough 46 seasons (1970- 2015) Unbroken since opening

They operated on an open licence - and actually staged a couple of National League matches for Rayleigh. The second list - of pre-war tracks still operating - should also include Kirky Lane, Brandon, Wolves, Birmingham, Newcastle and Sheffield.

This is just silly. I wouldn't expect an on-duty policeman to be doing the testing. Are you seriously suggesting that as taxpayers we pay for the British police to do drug testing at sporting events? Surely under the Governing body rules somebody is responsible for ensuring that an appropriately qualified person does the testing - and who could be more appropriate than an off-duty policeman. I have sat on dozens of quasi-judicial tribunals and this sounds exactly like the kind of nonsense that someone without a leg to stand on comes up with.

Interestingly two of the tracks named by the OP have had fallow years [King's Lynn 1996 and Sheffield 1989-90]. longest running tracks are: 1948 Poole and Coventry 1949 Swindon 1969 Ipswich and Eastbourne* 1970 Peterborough 1984 Wolverhampton# and Lakeside Several of these have come close to closure at some point. Ultimately I think it is a combination of stability (Coventry with 50 years of Charles Ochiltree being the prime example) and luck. A stadium on land with low redevelopment potential and latterly a lack of a Premiership football club are also helpful. * Eastbourne didn't start in 1991, but reopened when Wimbledon relocated to arlington mid-season. # Wolves have been open since 1961 with only a two year break (1982-83)

Apologies I hadn't spotted that GPs had been introduced into the discussion. I agree with you too.