RobMcCaffery

If you only sell what they already know they want you will never progress. The aim of successful, developing businesses is to offer something that the public don't yet know they want but once it's offered, want it. If they find they do, then keep selling it, if not, withdraw it and try again. Why do you think new products are launched and dropped constantly? Thanks. I don't doubt BSI's intentions, just their ability to supply. We often get great speedway at GPs, mainly because riders are motivated to be competitive and not just settle for a 'skid'. That makes it competitive and in turn entertaining. Sadly it doesn't happen often enough. To me, speedway's a team sport, the rest is just the trimmings. A famous voice constantly says 'it's about opinions'. No, it's not. It's all about the entertainment and that comes not just from winning but also racing. Sadly due to the lack of entertainment winning has become the main reason to enjoy speedway. But not everyone can win, can they? The sport was strong when the racing and entertainment was there. Now it's all about the result and losing kills.

As fine a tribute to a racing career as I've ever read. Fine words and sentiments David and thank you for your part in this great sport of ours. May you find your due rewards in your future life and I hope the memories will be fond. Thanks for such a noble farewell.

I disagree over 'the product'. In any sport the product is the match, race or other form of competition. The riders/competitors are there to make that product happen but are not the product themselves, otherwise you could save a fortune in a sport like football by just selling tickets to watch the home side practice and show off their skills and not bother with the cost of opponents! In most sports if a competitor is excellent it does little for the product unless there is competition. In sports like football or rugby you can watch a skilful player evade opponents and change a match. There has to be competition. Generally a 5-0 win in football is more entertaining than a 70-20 result in speedway in that while in both cases teams are winning easily in football the winning side still has to work to create its success. In race-based sports while some will thrill to easy wins the lack of competition in a succession of endless easy wins will normally bore. Speedway is hugely affected by this. If I watch a top rider riding superbly, using his talent to the maximum it's only really of interest unless someone is chasing him and giving him true competition. Sports based on racing rely on just that - racing. Racing is not winning uncontested races half a lap ahead and unchallenged. Once riders have passed a basic level of competence in being able to control and stay on their machines they are just as equipped to give a good race as a top star - as long as they are properly matched. It's about the standard of racing that's the key, not the riding. The two are far too easily confused. Give me a good league match with close scores and close racing over any GP, especially those contrived events on temporary tracks. I wish Berwick all the best in their efforts to survive. I have fond memories of my trips to Shielfield, including the last time Rye House won there in 1977! This narrow-minded view that you can only enjoy speedway if you have the best riders has to go before the sport kills itself on a wave of self-deceit. It's racing that matters and what concerned me hugely watching the recent televised match from Shielfield was the lack of it. It's a damn good speedway though with a proud history. I do so hope it survives. The sport wouldn't be the same without the Berwick Bandits.

Yes we get a good end to the season. Shame about the rest.... It's the end of July and without a hope of getting into the play-off club this year Lakeside's season is almost over. That is not healthy. Great to hear that a vital relationship with the local MP has been established. As for all of those people saying they had no idea of there being a speedway track in Thurrock. What does that say of the effectiveness of over thirty years of press and PR? That's of course not specific to the Hammers but symptomatic of the abject failure of the marketing of the sport over a far longer period.

Doubt they were that useless..... You're not alone: http://ask.metafilter.com/152654/My-poor-English-ability-will-continue-to-hold-me-back-professionally-and-life-in-general-if-I-dont-find-a-way-to-improve-it

I remember Barney Kennett being interrupted while walking down the dog track to the pits by a woman presenting him with a very large lollipop on the basis that he was a big baby. He laughed and took it in the spirit intended - just a bit of fun. Oh to see Kennett v Mullarkey round Kingsmead one more time.

Hughie was 35 in '79 (going on 16!) . Kelvin was 39 in his final season with the Rockets, 1990. There was one night after a particularly good after-meeting session in the stadium Saunders and I we were both letting out the booze in the luxury gents. I looked across and said to this drunken apparition "You know Saunders, you were my childhood hero!" I've never seen a man sober up so quickly... Then there was the time we were having a barbecue at Peter Jordison's place. Hugh was loading the bonfire with any wood he could find, roaring "I may not be able to give you a good team but I can at least give you a good fire!" Both of them true characters.

The set-up behind the scenes at Rye House could be 'difficult' back then and wasn't the same as when Colin Pratt built the eventual championship side. I think modern fans will recognise how matters can sour there very quickly. Colin's arrival turned a team of ageing riders into a hotbed of young talent and while the side he built went on to win the title the year after he left it was never the same again, as anyone who witnessed the appalling 1981 season and the years of rapid decline that Ron Russell was left to try to sort out. I think you'll find that Karl felt that he'd achieved what he set out to do - win the title, and that was enough for him. He's an intelligent guy, was settling into family life and decided enough was enough. I could be wrong of course. Karl's now extremely active on Facebook so perhaps someone could ask him? It was a mystery to me how Bob didn't go further in the sport. As semion says above, there were plenty of Rockets who rode into maturity so I don't think there was 'something about Rye House'. It wasn't Rayleigh though..........

Yes Taylor came to Rye House with Barry Klatt, along with Glen Baxter and his brother, links that eventually gave us Trevor O'Brien. There had been a huge row at Mildenhall - a case of too many promoters and Barry moved his stake to Hoddesdon. Taylor wasn't the easiest of people to deal with. It was pretty clear he didn't want to be at Rye House.

Bob Cooper joined the Rockets on loan from Leicester in 1974 so didn't ride for Rayleigh. The Rockets team that transferred over in 1974 was all gone by the end of 1975 with many switching to Crayford. The last to remain was Brian Foote whose last season was 1976. The last former Rayleigh Rocket in the side was Hugh Saunders but he was at Hackney at the time of Rayleigh's closure. As for Karl Fiala, most of us spent 1981 asking the same question over what had happened to him.

That really is an offensive, lazy stereotype. I After all, it could be said that only a sad anorak goes to Poland to watch speedway. I haven't been over there but I've seen enough on TV of hordes of baying fans behaving like football ultras. You may like such an atmosphere. I'm glad I don't. I enjoy my speedway with all its faults and I have worked in the sport away from the UK. After all I've seen give me a good league match in Britain any day. I'm usually too busy enjoying the speedway to sit there passing judgement on those in the stadia though. You obviously enjoy your anorak trips. Fine, just don't sneer at others who have other priorities with their lives. If I want to watch sport in a lunatic atmosphere of hostility and hatred there's plenty of football grounds here. Judging by reports on your behaviour at British meetings I'd suggest you stick to Poland where you'll fit in much better.

Quite, Brian. Of course in those days you often had to build a side slowly over several years and watch your investment flourish so many riders played their part in creating that championship win. It was so satisfying to see the team develop and so heartbreaking to see it all fall apart so swiftly afterwards. So very sorry to hear from another poster of Kelvin's condition.

After years away from the sport Karl Fiala returned to the scene a few years ago. I hosted an Ellesmere Port reunion a few years back and Karl even travelled up there for that!. He has his own business and is very active on Facebook sharing memories. I last heard of Kelvin when he was celebrating his 60th birthday and they managed to get him into a suit for the occasion. Peter Tarrant is running a despatch business and is now the partner of one of my wife's oldest friends. Don't forget Hugh Saunders who managed that side and of course rode for the team while that championship side was being developed by Colin Pratt. Last I heard Hughie had gone back to Guernsey after living in Essex for years. It hurts that any reunion would be without Ashley Pullen. He was such a fighter and worked so hard to progress in the sport. Those years weren't just about winning matches but seeing a fine group of young riders develop into a team to be proud of after the desperation of the mid-70s when the Rayleigh Rockets first lost their home then lost most of the team to Crayford. After a couple of desperate first years at Hoddesdon we first saw Kelvin fight to ride for the team then the arrival of Karl via the junior ranks. By '76 the pain was erasing. I just wish I'd had the courage back then to ask if we could take the league trophy on a trip round the remains of Rayleigh..... Precious memories.

Actually a defeat IS a failure to win, or do you have your own dictionary down there? The whingeing over one loss is very revealing, as is your rather sad and illogical response. The fact that the Wolves troll likes your stupid comment is worrying too.

All 21 photos and the Polish TV coverage? Stupid comment.

It's often said that you can judge a person best on how they deal with failure rather than how they deal with success. Certain Poole fans are proving that one to be very true.

I suspect that until he shows genuine contrition and demonstrates a new approach to his off-track life then he will slowly gain respect. Until then, it's open season. I do wish to place on formal record my own contrition at my support of the foul abuse of Boston Speedway's flag and newspaper boards. I failed to re-hydrate.

I must admit to having cheered on a group of Rye House supporters attempting to steal the flag from Boston back in the 70s. At least they waited until the meeting was well and truly over and most were in the bar but not before Cyril Crane caught them before they got to the centre green flagpole. There was a consolation prize as the Barracuda fans were greeted by a series of Lincolnshire Echo newspaper hoardings lining the car park at Hoddesdon for the following day's return match.

He's a Falubaz fan. They're probably his mates.

Sickening. For all its faults I am profoundly glad I watch my speedway in the UK and not amidst this madness. 'Success' can have a huge price.

It seems that it is impossible to avoid the lunatic fringe of speedway 'supporters' even ion this otherwise excellent section. I'll leave you all in peace. Life's too short to deal with people like the idiot pole. Enjoy his company. Apologies for trying to stand up for what had been intelligent and civilised conversation here.

When you come into an intelligent section of an otherwise appalling forum and post offensive rubbish you are going to attract criticism. Might it be time for you to adjust your behaviour or consider whether this really is the place for you and your twisted, offensive views?

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