mikec

Your scepticism is understandable Oldace, with the length of time it's dragged on & the long periods of no information being updated. I've been an Aces follower for 34 years & would like to add a few more years to it, as it's clear you would too. In my opinion the project is a no-brainer for the Gorton/Longsight/West Gorton area of East Manchester, as well as the wider community. The City Council Executive saw it that way a few months ago, hopefully their Planning Committee will shortly see it in the same light.

I actually said that I detected a desire from some forum members for the project to fail & asked to be enlightened. I got two or three replies, including yours, stating that this is certainly not the case. Fair enough, my question answered. I don't know you or what you think, the continually negative air running through your series of Stadium related posts intrigued me so I decided to question the undercurrent behind them. Judging by the tone of your last couple of replies I seem to have touched a raw nerve with you, that wasn't my intention. As for Dave Gordon & Chris Morton, their PR & feedback to the fans in terms of the project could be a lot better, I think in hindsight they would probably acknowledge that. I recall at the fans meeting at Kirky Lane in April they mentioned that their feedback in terms of protracted team building (no news on it for months - sound familiar?) could be better. One thing I can tell you about the pair of them is that they are approachable & will answer questions if they can. I spoke to Dave Gordon on Belle Vue related issues at Gorton Monastery at the Stadium launch, after the main presentation had ended. He called a spade a spade & didn't duck anything awkward that I asked him. Mort is a similar type from listening to him on a number of occasions. If you haven't seen the Belle Vue Sport Village PDF, which describes the scheme in detail, I'm sure me or someone else could happily forward it to you. Alternatively, you could email Dave Gordon or Chris Morton direct, as I have, with specific queries. You're right that discussion, be it positive or negative, is healthy & should continue on here. I'll read on with interest. To many people it's mainly a national stadium/training centre, which if it fails won't directly impact their club or their lives. For me & fellow Aces fans, if it fails Belle Vue is no more - fact. That prospect haunts all Aces fans. So if posts get a bit emotive or strong towards your so-far largely negative posts, just bear that fact in mind, it's not personal.

I see tonight that Craig Cook's been given the Belle Vue captaincy. After the SWC episode & last night's events it could be seen as pretty strange timing by some. Or maybe giving him some added responsibility may help him mature a bit & re-focus on what he wants to achieve in the sport, without responding to provocation. Only time will tell, hope it's the latter.

I don't "witter" Oldace. I deal in facts & was asking a question in order to obtain an answer. Is that ok with you?

True. Be great to read positive speculation about the young British speedway talent that will be brought through on a facility available 7 days a week. Or the young apprentices who will gain skills & work through the classroom/workshop facilities on site etc etc...... all far too dull for many I know. Never gonna happen SCB I accept that. In amongst the doom I thought I'd offer an alternative angle....

You're dead right SCB, the promotion should update us. Does that justify only negative speculation to fill the gaps?

I genuinely detect a desire for the project to FAIL from several posters on this forum. It probably contributes to why so few Aces followers contribute on the BSF any more & stick to their own forum. Because the project has been delayed due to 12 months+ of additional consideration by MCC (confirmed by New East Manchester) & there have been periods of no news, contributors decide to fill in the blanks themselves. What would you negative speculators on here get out of the Belle Vue scheme failing? Some warped sense of satisfaction? Please enlighten me & other Aces fans as it would be interesting to know.

As the village is a multi purpose site, the chances of it being a "white elephant" as you put it are unlikely. The same was said for some of the sports facilities at Sport City built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games which continue to be utilised by local community & elite athletes alike. The stadium is part of a larger £10m+ scheme, for the use of the community as a whole on a 7 days a week basis, incorporating education, training & sports facilities for kids & adults - in one of the worst areas of Manchester. Have you read the "Belle Vue Sports Village PDF" detailing funding sources? It might fill in a few gaps for you. Or maybe email David Gordon or Chris Morton personally as I have in the past. Maybe then the likes of you & Pandorum will sleep easier in your beds - & occasionally maybe have something positive to say about the Belle Vue club - perish the thought!!

From this, & several other posts by you across a couple of threads, two main points are clear. 1. That you have a civil engineering/construction/project management background. And 2. You have a seriously cynical view of the likelihood of the new Belle Vue Stadium ever reaching fruition. If your concerns are subsequently proven to have foundation, then I will be on this forum to congratulate you on being right all along & mourning the death of my club. Should the stadium be erected (eventually/2015?), I'm sure you'll be on here stating that your fundamental concerns about the project & the integrity of the current promotion were genuine, but unfounded, in the interests of balance of course. I think it's clear that you are frustrated by the lack of progress - I've been going to the dog track (our "temporary" home) for 25 years, to visit it has become an increasingly depressing chore - so I share that frustration, believe me! Having read your posts, I wonder if you have some motivation or reasoning for wanting the project to fail? If I'm misreading your posts or detecting an intonation in your posts that isn't there then I apologise. From your posts on other threads you're obviously a keen speedway follower with constructive, positive views/opinions on many threads. However on the new Belle Vue Stadium related topics, without access to the FULL facts, you suggest (quite strongly) the possibility of a scam re the "buy a brick/slab" scheme. You may be proved right, or it may be proven to be an unfounded cheap shot at a promotion who are not in a position to divulge more information at this time. Time will tell. Back directly on this topic, I'd like to see the 2014 World Cup Final at a track like Kumla, Czestochowa or Torun from a racing point of view. From the rest of my post I think you can guess where I'd like the 2015 Final to be held........!

Great climax to a decent night's racing there by Darcy Ward. Mikkel Michelsen impressive too. Do like that Kumla race track!

Agree Grand Central about the permanent tracks/stadia you mentioned. In addition, with the likes of Prague, Terenzano & Daugavpils (which don't tend to produce great racing) on the GP calendar, I'd think it's even more important that Poland has its better tracks on the list. I think the National Stadium in Warsaw holds somewhere around 55,000 for football, so would assume a speedway crowd capacity of around 40/45,000?? Must be very tempting for BSI/PZM with the potential revenue streams that sort of attendance would generate.

I know it's another potential temporary track on the SGP rota, which wouldn't be universally popular. But visited Warsaw after last year's Torun GP, the stadium is really impressive (when they remember to shut the roof with rain forecast!) & is close to the the city centre with trains every few minutes from Central station. Great destination for travelling fans, would highly recommend it if it comes to fruition. Is an announcement imminent or would it be more likely to be confirmed with the rest of the 2014 calendar around Oct/Nov time?

Surprised at the poor scores from Artem Laguta & Madsen today at Gorzow. Looks like three of the top 4 playoff places are taken by Torun, Czestochowa & ZG - but the 4th spot up for grabs. Wonder what Torun can/will do in terms of team strengthening pre-playoffs??

I trust you mean at speedway Alan...... What a heat 14 by the way! Been some great racing today, with a last heat decider to boot! Wow that has proven to bite Torun on the backside!

Bad news for Cov fans too. More brilliant racing from Przedepelski there holding out Hampel. Amazing to think that the youngster would walk into the GB squad as the second best rider in it - someone check his family tree!!!

Hey steady on, he races for my beloved Aces too!! Will be really interesting to follow her progress, she will be very popular with many teenage Polish lads I expect, all positive publicity for the sport. Vintage battle between Pepe & Gollob, then Pepe teams up with Dudek for a 5-1. Torun badly need some vintage Darcy Ward now.

Very harsh Pandorum - not arguing with you though!!

Thanks Pawel. I wondered if the young lady interviewed was famous in Poland, as the first licensed female Polish speedway rider I'm guessing its a big story. Is she due to race in any junior meetings soon?

Impressive heat 7 from Dudek, that kid is seriously quick when he gets clean air, won by a mile! Gotta say the Torun start line girls are in fine form today, though prefer them on my screensaver in the army gear. Is Miedzinski's sister on duty today Pawel?

Great heat 6, where did Jablonski find that sudden burst of speed from, great move!

Not bad there in heat 4 from Przedpelski R&R??!!

Excellent race heat 2 with a surprise last for Przedpelski (though he was on the pace), still expecting a double figure score from him today. Pepe looked good in heat 3, as did Kennett for about a lap. Tough gig for Eddie today, must be a great experience for him, though that's not much consolation to Torun fans!

Some excellent racing there, Czestochowa look like they're going to take some stopping in the playoffs! Great to see Emil in that form, Laguta & MJJ solid, Holta at his entertaining best. Not all bad for the Bulls, especially the Pawlicki brothers, great watching them progress. Let's see how Eddie Kennett goes for Torun against Jarek & co.

Brilliant heat 9 - Balinski deserved more then zero points from that race!