westhamboy66

Also in Orlando but not with Mr Shovlar. Walk down the road and mention Ainslee, Murray etc and most people will have an idea who they are, sadly the same can't be said of Tai. If naming a British World Champion was a question on the game show pointless then Knowing Tai Woffinden would probably be a pointless answer I have no time for the BBC however the Sports Personality of the year is a show whose main intention is to capture viewers and to do that the people selected need to be representative of the audience, sadly Speedway is far from that. Equally Tai isn't well known among the general motorcycling fraternity as can be seen by The sports absence in motorcycle news. Its not a time for slating other sports, someone like Ian Bell was well worth his place due to high quality performances over a full year. Yes a PR company would help but how much would Tai gain. On the other hand the BSPA and British Speedway in general would gain massively from a much higher profile and who knows the financial rewards could be there for the taking. Speculate to accumulate as they say

We waited thirteen years for a British World Champion, do those running our sport know that we now have one Seems all the BSPA are interested in is hanging on to Tai's shirtails and reaping whatever benefits they can from his hard work Tai is a very marketable young man especially for the younger generation and you would have thought that the BSPA would want to help him and at the same time get in on the action Surely the untouchable Nigel Pearson has questions to answer. Just being on the TV and Radio commentating on various Sports appears to be enough. If he were doing any sort of job he would have ensured that this information is freely available to the Speedway faternity. The show has a massive audience and potential customers but it appears unlikely that they will be convinced of Speedway's credability

Dissapointed. On the face of it that team won't be losing at home, then again not too many points earned away. For me it becomes more of a worry when looking at the individuals Edward kennett unlikely to be beaten very often at home but will struggle as a No 1 away from home Tyson Nelson an enigma will be good to have at the big tracks but just not consistent enough last year Steve Boxall great at Kent, i saw a lot of him but does need a big investment in equipment to get him to where he needs to be in the PL Jason Bunyan a real underachiever since he came to Rye a big disappointment when looking at his averages Jason Garrity capable of a nine point average if he stays fit Simon Lambert a strange one, loads of effort a couple of good meetings, who knows how he might have progressed had he not been injured against Ipswich Luke Bowen should be one of the best reserves in the league but will he last the season, he rarely does With the exception of Boxall and Kennett we have a team full of accidents waiting to happen and i see us on the edge of the playoffs no better no worse, at least we will keep the punters happy at Rye If Ben improves again on the away tracks and continues to toughen up then 2015 will be his year but this year at home he would have been ok but would be carried away from home He normally has it sussed out ? Yeah right What Eddie will bring will be his ability to win races at Rye something Olly was not able to do regularly which may be enough to stop the rot at Rye. No point in having a number one who can't make the most of home advantage. Equally the way he rides means that Eddie will be far more likely to last the season unlike the sadly injury prone Olly. Whilst Mellgren and Aspgren looked good initially but the progress wasn't great and given the expense of flying them in every week when there are British riders available i think it was sensible The same can be said of Kasper

Linus had an awful season last year, a Peterborough asset so he has a very uncertain future if he wants to continue in the Uk. A prime No 1 in the PL if he wants to go down that route and has a very good relationship with Len. Mellgren i thought was nailed on but to be honest he can blow a bit hot and cold at home and I don't want to see the Rockets losing at home next year and someone like Kennet would go a long way to addressing that. Times maybe changing given that i think we would all expect the team to have been announced by now.

Yes we have had Fiala Garrad Saunders Mullarkey etc but for me watching the Rockets since 76 there has been two stand out club servants...Neath and Bowen. Was said last season that Chris would get a benefit meeting and now Luke to get a meeting too. I hope the meetings happen and that both are well supported as they both thoroughly deserve a reward for sticking with Rye through thick and thin.

My favourite venue to visit a few times a year, excellent facilities, brilliant track that for some reason couldn't attract the big crowds for league matches. I hope someone comes in to save its league status.

Once again disappointed in the conference Extended home league fixtures? For me dump the League Cup and the playoffs, have have two home and away meetings against each club supplemented with the KO Cup. winners of the League are...well Champions. What we will inevitably get is What always seems to me as a match against Ipswich every other week, not knocking Ipswich as they must be sick of us too Yes of course people will say about all the travelling but is that really an issue anymore, rarely do we see much of visiting fans except the likes of Berwick and Leicester and as far as the riders are concerned long gone are the days that they lived locally to their home track. With a great track like Peterborough seemingly gone i doubt i'll do many EL meetings but will probably once again be seeing most of my racing at Mildenhall and Kent. Last year provided infrequent meetings at Hoddesdon and next season will see much of the same. The only bit of close season news that will excite me is if Linus comes back as No1

Shadders can be found in the rye House group on Facebook Only Len knows what he wants to do next year but i think we will all know everything including the team next week. With a watered down Elite i really do see us there rather than a watered down PL. I think all the riders mentioned are real possibilities apart from an injury prone Stuart Robson. Only downside to all this would be the admission cost which surely would Rocket along with a possible need for a change of race night. Either way wherever we are i hope for once it's an injury free season.

RMC you have said much about me and that is your choice. In almost a thousand posts i have had two disagreements with other members one a Sheffield supporter and another a well known member of the forum who has for many years announced at various tracks. On both occassions we exchanged frank views via a private message, apologies were made by each of us, we agreed to disagree and we live happily within the forum. When we had a spat you were very rude in a private message and then chose to block me before i had a chance to respond privately. You have said above that i am without intelligence, called me ignorant and a cheap person. I don't wish to make a response as that would be boring for everyone. However i have not seen or heard anything about you since 1986 and as such would have no knowledge of your health or inability to watch speedway and my comment about getting out to speedway was a general comment not aimed at you. I wish no one ill health nor would i make a cheap shot as you put it. My comments as far as watching speedway on line or screensport hold good when compared with the sky production. I did at no time mention your involvement. I hope that clarifies the situation something i would normally not do but such was the attack on John Hyam, gustix and myself that a response needed to be made.

A very good post. Almost every sport from Rugby League to Football, Cricket etc have suffered a degree of re organization that the paying public are not happy with. That said it is the armchair fans who are better thought of by Sky as that is where they earn their income. As a Speedway fan who is a traditionalist i haven't liked the direction the top flight league has taken and find that meetings shown on sky are generally poor and this is a contributing factor to a downturn in the crowds. OK so without sky the income will fall and so will the level of competition in the Elite League. That said this may well be a Godsend as it seems to me that its a classic situation that sees Speedway needing to take a couple of steps backwards to stabilise then move forward. This should see the end of the high priced average foreign riders and an upsurge of British talent coming through from the PL. As things improve then the top riders may well be enticed back. If it doesn't happen that way then i think we all fear there will only be a couple of tracks able to sustain their current situation.

Well done Somerset, fully deserved and a just reward from what looks to be a decent promoter.

Grow up RMC and get over you personal problems with me rather than attack a relevant post i made. If people have concerns about the control Sky have on sport that does include Speedway and hence makes it worthy to be discussed here. Equally the point raised concerning the subscription costs is extremely relevant to those who pay full subs and ditch the service as they don't realise that massive reductions are available if only you ask. As far as looking elsewhere, here's something novel...get out and watch a meeting live, some of the dross from the Elite and the inability of their clubs to a provide decent product is the main reason few are watching which is the real reason speedway will be dropped. As for paying to watch a feed on a computer this brings back memories of how sad it was watching the amateur production on screensort

Anyone who has sky for speedway alone has far more money than sense Anyone who pays full subs (this is the third year i only pay 50%) to sky has more money than sense. Sky are made out to be the big baddie but they have a fantastic sports package which is well worth what i pay, the old pals act within speedway has been very shortsighted during the time the sport has been on sky. We shouldn't be blaming them for the predicament that the EL finds itself in but rather look at those who run our simple but fantastic sport. If only we had more Len Silvers and Matt Fords we would be ok. Sadly most of dopes involved are just big boys with expensive toys.

Obviously a massive advantage to own a stadium. Over the years i have been to every track that is open and many that have fallen by the wayside. In support of Len Silver he has taken many steps to have vastly improved facilities which in my opinion are pretty good. That said i live five minutes from the lakeside track and would love to pop along to see some EL but i hate the place, viewing is too far from the track, seating of any description non existent no cover over than the home straight, all in all pretty dire but it would be ok if the racing was any good which it isn't. So i simply go elsewhere. Given what i have said that shouldn't reflect on the Promotion as i think they are as good as anyone around. But the stadium owners don't care about speedway fans and i suppose thats their prerogative .

Been supporting Rye since 76' not in love with the Silver family but one thing is obvious to all and that is that Len loves Rye House and as he once said ...whilst i am alive there will be Rye House speedway Not too many tracks can boast three titles, two in three years. Maybe he listened to all those who hated the fact that we were winning by thirty points at home every week but it does seem that he has made every effort to have a side that is stronger away from home but at the detriment to home form which is where we are now. Gone as well was another thing that was in our favour with a strong home side and that was the bonus point. Yes he has put together decent teams to watch but lacking one rider who could have made the difference between mid table mediocrity and a play off side. Given the appalling run of injuries that haven't helped, a failing in many eyes does appear to be his continued feeling of responsibility and loyalty towards his riders. Actually thats a plus to me. All in all would i settle for another year like this year in the knowledge that we would have continued speedway in years to come or do i want another Russell or Horton taking over with the promises? Well no contest is it. Look around at other tracks that are begging for the fans to cough up some dosh for an airfence. Must be galling to not only get rid of the safest fence in the country but to have to spend big style to do it. Makes a mockery of all the claims he puts a team together on the cheap. 2014 will probably see the return of Boxall and Bowen,given how good they are around Rye not a bad thing at all. With more improvement from Garrity and the two Swedes continuing i think we already have the basis for an ok team. We need an out and out no1 that much is obvious, get that and retain Nelson i can't see what there is to moan about but sadly there are some that will find something to complain about until the track closes and then i suppose they will be happy.

Agree with all you said, shame i was sitting within earshot of three Scunthorpe and one female Mildenhall supporters who never stopped slagging off all that is Rye House, place is a dump, track is rubbish, couldn't watch this crap every week, Rye riders don't like Scunthorpe riders they are always dirty against them, the crowd always cheer when a visiting rider falls off, insider knowledge that Silver owns half of kent and Rye is closing down with the PL team moving to Kent. Hope that they had a good night and got their £20 worth. Think last might shows that when you have riders like Douglas, Blackbird, Dyer, Birks at Rye then he racing will be good. Hope for a Somerset v Rye final cutting down on the costs a bit.

Could well be tight, Kasper for me is the key, he has a good one like last week we should be ok , if not i reckon the bears are easily good enough to do a job

Rye House v Berwick 26/8/2013 https://secure.flickr.com/photos/harryward/sets/72157635242723705/ British125 CC Championship Rye House 26/8/2013 https://secure.flickr.com/photos/harryward/sets/72157635248575884/

Who is Boxhall?..well done kent wish i was there to see it but Rye House was calling. Shame Mr Pottinger in his post match comments didn't take the defeat in a decent manner. Sour grapes, such a shame that he couldn't congratulate Kent rather than have a dig at the track the Ref and his inability to put out a decent side.

Any local weather news at all please

I wonder if Ipswich had had the same level of of depletion through injuries as Rye would they have tweeked with the team in a more ambitious way? no of course they wouldn't, had Garrity and Allen had a few weeks back on track before this encounter then an easy sixteen point win would have been on the cards as it is i still see a Rye win but maybe shedding a point along the way.

Not surprised about Olly. If we can gate we might come away with a point.

You can't have eight refs out there so the flags are raised when the ref puts the red lights on they are meant as an extra aid. Race should have been re run anyway as the kick board was dislodged so could have been a 5-3 instead of a 7-2.

Dry House....now thats original Yes Josh is guesting

Rye House v Glasgow https://secure.flickr.com/photos/harryward/sets/72157634762527397/ Kent v Scunthorpe https://secure.flickr.com/photos/harryward/sets/72157634769776728/ Kent v Buxton https://secure.flickr.com/photos/harryward/sets/72157634936884763/