Crump99

With respect, I don't think that you do understand. "I'm saying wait and see if he does sell to the consortium first" - he's potentially helped to make sure that Peterborough Speedway don't run in 2024 and possibly never again. He's done nothing and said nothing. Some people should perhaps tone it down a bit with their vitriol and think before sending but there has been a nasty whiff about 2023. There is only one person who can tell his truth and calm it down. How long do you want angry supporters to wait?

Shame that they didn't and neither did he. Anyone who supported that meeting just lined his pocket, allegedly, and gave Butterfield and AEPG a PR triumph. Just look at the club website: 14 consecutive farewell news items leading to farewell to the Showground article splashed all over it, with CJ then saying at the rally (you'd have thought that the club website would be covering that and Panthers fight for survival) that the EoES is our home and we want to be back there in 2025. Well I hope there really is a plan and work going on in the background because I've seen nothing tangible as yet to square that circle

Wouldn't quite go that far but that one did brighten the day up somewhat

At this stage! That's a good one. He's taken a club down, poached their assets, left genuine Peterborough speedway people (and some would say genuine speedway people) to try to salvage something from the mess that he presided over and left. His last act is to cling on for some reason to seemingly stop the consortium moving forward. Although the council motion: "To arrange a meeting between the current owners of the Peterborough Panthers Speedway Team" suggests different unless it's a typo? Chapman deserves everything that he's getting although he is quite welcome to put out a statement of clarification. He did it in the summer when he felt the criticism at that point was unjust. Panthers contract at the EoES has finished, as has the AEPG deadline to clear the site so what's holding him back now? One can only assume that he doesn't give a stuff and has got everything that he planned and wanted? The floor is his!

Not really unless you have the evidence to back up the vitriol.

I'm sure that he knew exactly what he was or wasn't doing, so idiot isn't the right word. I can't think of many appropriate words and phrases to describe him but idiot isn't one of them. If he really wants shot of Lynn with retirement beckoning as well then a good 2024 is vital and that costs, say no more squire! You can bet that he'll put in some effort this time to get shot and will not be stipulating that bids need to be in writing before he offloads his truelove.

From Cllr Julie Stevenson of Orton Waterville (27/11/23) - on Facebook: IMPORTANT NEWS: SAVE PETERBOROUGH SPEEDWAY As part of the ongoing effort to protect Peterborough’s speedway track and team (Peterborough Panthers), Orton Waterville Parish Council is to debate whether it is in the public interest to register the track as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). If the parish council votes in favour of initiating the ACV registration process, it may put a halt to any intentions to destroy the speedway track. What is an ACV? The Localism Act of 2011 created a provision that allows ‘defined community groups’, such as parish councils, to ask their local authority to list assets that meet the relevant criteria as being of ‘community value’. The Localism Act defines an asset of community value if: Its actual or current use (or there is a time in the recent past when its use) furthers the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community, and It is realistic to think that there can continue to be (or it is realistic to think that there is a time in the next five years) non-ancillary use of the asset that would further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community. The debate will take place between members of the parish council during a meeting of Orton Waterville parish council on Wednesday 29th November 2023. If the decision is taken to register the track as an ACV, the next step will be for the parish council to ask Peterborough City Council to initiate the registration process.

Oh dear. Poor buggers. I hope that they are watching and have it in print. I'd pay close attention to the detail and evidence.

Couple of points: For any Bodgit and Scarper (like it ) operations thinking of linking up with these clowns, I hope they are paying attention because Butterfield and AEPG would just be their General Haig! Bratters cares about Peterborough and Peterborough Speedway and knows more than Butterfield about both so I'm sure that our chancer friend is learning pretty quickly.

Ideal attendee. He thinks that he's important and welcome in our city but at the same time looks like one of the homeless. Covers all bases I didn't see AEPG on the sponsor list either? Either they are running out of money, realising that they are unpopular or realising that they can't buy good publicity. I looked at many of the Great Eastern Run reports and despite the big splash they made of their sponsorship I never saw them mentioned.

Glad that I read that again because the first bit answered what I remembered you saying about going to the SoS if their applications are rejected when they eventually get examined by PCC and hopefully thrown out. Secondly, Butterfield is, IMO, incapable of admitting that he's wrong so will keep chipping away throughout 2024, trying to plug the gaps in AEPG's increasingly unpopular concrete vision and attending more dinners for influential business people that he somehow keeps appearing at trying to make out that he's one of them. The longer it goes on the worse it looks for EEAS/AEPG so keeping the pressure on as Bratters and co are doing is vital. If they can I think that AEPG will go early. Bearing in mind that it was reported in September that: Peterborough Panthers speedway team informed in 2022 that the 2023 season would sadly have to be their last in the Showground grandstand, as that area is expected to be under different ownership by the time the 2024 Speedway season begins. Sale of the land is expected to be approved by Spring 2024, again subject to planning approval. The spades-in-the-ground date is still unclear until the planning committee's decision. Plans are at the outline planning stage now, which will be referred to several more stages of detailed back-and-forth, no doubt, before anything can physically go ahead.

The riders just want a job so nothing to see here. If Panthers had been running they'd have been at the EoES but someone offered them that job with some consistency and familiarity. Who wouldn't take it? Speedway politics of this nature doesn't take up much, if any, of their time. The only villain here is Chapman who has allegedly taken down his more successful local rivals and plundered their riding assets etc. He's of course welcome to put his side and explain the efforts he made during 2023 to keep Panthers afloat for 2024 and why he's still clinging on to bugger all now. Sadly I think that there is more chance potentially of Ashley Butterfield appearing as VIP guest at the opening meeting at the Norfolk Arena.

Be more fun in the summer driving past and going to the coast.

I'm sure that many feel the same and for others the penny has yet to drop. The local rag posts that Lyon and Basso have jumped ship and others are likely to follow. Who gives a flying **** (and that's not Ryan)? Any Peterborough Speedway supporter who puts another penny in Chapman's coffers in 2024 (unless he choose to clarify to our satisfaction what he's been playing at during 2023) really does need to have a serious word with themselves. When we had the misfortune of Chapman taking over 5 years ago it was reported that "Two winters ago he played a significant role in keeping the sport at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester by introducing new owners to Belle Vue." - which begs the question as to what he's been buggering about at all season and why he's allegedly still clinging on to sod all? The only challenge and focus for Peterborough supporters now is to keep the opposition going with significant numbers despite having nothing to follow in 2024. When/if PCC get round to the planning applications then strong opposition is going to be crucial to saving the club.

Not forgetting that on Oct 17 when they turned down the AEPG/DHL shambles, they pointed out their responsibilities as elected officials and referenced the importance of a 100 or so objections (despite details man Butterfield saying that multiples were from single addresses), and the wishes of the local community as well the strong opposition in the room. Well they've now got 1000s of objections, AEPG have rubbished PCC and the local community, and Peterborough Speedway has mobilised its opposition. When AEPG play their next card it is certainly going to be interesting.

Agreed, but it tells you all you need to know. His job is done, he's got what he could out of it, left bugger all and a mess for genuine Peterborough Speedway people to try to salvage something from. He's not been interested in pushing anything during 2023 but the AEPG narrative. Unless he had a bombshell bit of positive information then staying well away was the sensible option. If he feels that he gets a rough deal then it usually appears to be well deserved. He can always clarify the situation if he wishes. Effective communication isn't too difficult apparently.

Built up expectations, was continually playing smart and cryptic on social media (aided/hindered by Flappy who he thankfully seems to have shaken off at the moment at least) but he hadn't seemingly done the deal. Or if he thought he had then it was a sharp introduction in to the world of shark infested custard and Butterfield's intransigence. He's not the first and he'll not be the last but if he's serious about a Panthers future then perhaps he's learnt that with this lot and people like Butterfield it's securely dotting the i's and crossing the t's first and sing your praises second. Of course he could have backed out himself and left Chapman in the lurch, who knows?

And the club said " Over the winter there was an on/off scenario whereby the club may have changed hands. However, given the uncertainty over the longevity of Peterborough Speedway, it was understandable that a sale did not take place" (what bit's to get? That's quite clear) and CJ said: " If I could afford it I would buy the speedway tomorrow, not at the price that he might be asking for, " so what value did he put on something which new owners would have to fight for extra time from the off and he himself claimed was only a one year situation? For a allegedly smart businessman he now owns something worth bugger all: a club without a home at the moment needing genuine people to fight for its future existence because the owner seemingly did bugger all in that direction in 2023. He was well aware of the situation and he could have at least have put up some resistance or sensibly stepped aside made it easier for someone else to have a go. Hanging it out until the end when you claim to have no interest and want out anyway makes no sense whatsoever, or perhaps it does because he's successfully taken down a more successful local rival and plundered their assets for his truelove. Perhaps that was the calculation? Whatever though, it's not too difficult for people, rightly or wrongly, to feel uneasy about the situation and question it. I doubt that we'll ever find out anything, if there is anything to find out of course, so I will not be holding my breath on that one.

Yes, yes as is everybody (well from Peterborough anyway), and possibly?

Consortium spokesman Carl Johnson added: “ We will continue to fight against AEPG getting planning permission for what they want to do and our goal is to have speedway at the Showground in 2025" (peterboroughtoday 14/11/23)

That'd be Mick Bratley with no official position who is trying to save the club as well as helping to organise, and attending, the Save Peterborough Speedway rally on Saturday Nov 18. One assumes that Buster will be there to offer his support and also address the fans who've filled his coffers during his tenure. The AEPG shackles are off now so he can explain what he's been playing at throughout 2023.

Oh yes so they did, so thanks for that and apologies to them Point still stands though in what was the point as they've allowed Chapman to take the club down without any fight whatsoever. Paper never refuses ink but real positive action is a whole different competence, rarely found in overseeing speedway administration!

Not forgetting employees within the PE postcode. Just looked at today's comedy edition from Stamford - comments: What a truly fantastic development and a great example of positive placemaking (what a giveaway, who uses terms like positive placemaking ) countered by someone local from Orton Waterville - The loss of the showground is a big mistake. It will have a detrimental effect on the local area and it will mean less visitors coming into the city and spending money here and the loss of entertainment for local people

He should have walked away before 2023 (or during it if someone had put in a written offer, which was his criteria allegedly?) but we still don't know why those pre-season talks failed at such a late stage? Probably explains the difficulties in any negotiations with him now? He may not be the bad guy but the longer it goes on the club loses and AEPG win so I'd hardly call him an asset?