BobC

Well,Im with Aincent Mariner on both the state of the track and programme. I thought it was discgraceful charging full price for a programme first used on 8th July for the visit of Kings Lynn.I had been assured that a new race card insert was going to be issued.If that had been the case,it wouldnt have been so bad.Total rip off in my opinion.Of the teams printed,the riding order is totally wrong anyway,aside from the current team changes.One of the Plymouth reserves has a higher average than the rider at No.2(I havent got the prog in front of me so cant name the names) Im fed up with trying to defend the undefendable.Matt Ford has absolutely no interest in the Buccs.Last night showed him up for what he is.The track was poor,yet again.Its never that bad for the Elite team.The programme rip off.No track shop! Why?...because hes supposedly on holiday.If its open,you make some money,if its closed,you cant make anything. Aaron Baseby has got a real attitude problem.There hasnt been a meeting at Bmth this season when he hasnt remonstrated with an opposition rider at some point.Last night he claimed that Simmonds had cut him up in Ht4,(I found out later)What utter claptrap.He was simply out manouvred by a far superior rider.Then for Mark Baseby to get involved in something he didnt know anything about(he was too far out in front)is plain stupid.It was only finger wagging and shouting till he arrived.Grow up Aaron.To have you as Captain is a joke,surely? The meeting itself wasnt a classic by any means.Comfortable win for the Buccs.Jaimie Pickard worked hard for little reward for the Devils.Surprised by the form of Seemond Stephens,one ride apart,he rode very well.Good to meet up with my many friends from Plymouth.They are a good bunch of people.Thanks for yor company.

Despite the scoreline,this was a very good meeting.Plenty of passing,and closeness that kept you guessing.Track extremely slick and a bit dusty.Not sure I understood the Weymouth logic in using McKinna for double points in Ht8,when both Cockle and Brown had just won races. I have to admit to being ''over the moon'' with Brendans performance. A superb effort,although I didnt understand why he wanted gate 1 in Ht15.He had looked so confident in his other rides.Elbows to the fore in the 1st turn! The major difference in him is down to one reason only.Last Friday (23rd),he was finally given the all clear from the Hospital.Thats almost 12 months since his bad accident.It has made such a difference,even on a day to day basis.Hopefully with such a weight lifted from his shoulders,he can now move onwards and upwards. Overall,a good meeting with a very good crowd to boot.

Plenty of talking points in this one. Controversy,exclusions,numerous falls,dodgy track and a Weymouth win. Weymouth Bekker 3,f,2,0 = 5 McKinna 2',1,3,fx,1 = 7+1 Brown 2,2,2,3 = 9 Cottham 1',1',1',3 = 6+3 Cockle 2,3,3,1,3 = 12 Andrews 3,1,1,2' = 7+1 Chessell 0,1',0,2' = 3+2 Plymouth Glanz 1,3,2,2',0 = 8+1 Gough 0,0,1' = 1+1 Bates 3,fx,1,1 = 5 Stephens 0,2,3,1 = 6 Simmonds 3,3,3,3,2 = 14 Pickard 2,2',2,0,0,0 = 6+1 Reade 1',0,0 = 1+1 Excellent start from Adam McKinna.Apart from picking up and hitting his team mate,gaining an exclusion,he would have scored more. Most of the problems were centred on the 3rd and 4th turns.Seemed to rut up badly,causing lots of problems.Riders from both teams requesting extra grading.Chessell,Bekker,Bates,McKinna all falling there.Chessell led Ht3 until the last bend.Quite how the others missed him,Im not sure.I found it very amusing as Mike Bowden clearly shouted 'you ought to get your track sorted out'.Talk about pot calling the kettle black! Yes I know the Plymouth track has recently been bladed smooth,but look how long its taken! The controversy surrounded Glanz and Cockle in Ht11.The 'Cats pair gated,but Glanz bulldozed his way past down the back straight.Elbows in all directions.Cockle chased him down and picked up a lot of drive coming off the 2nd bend.In doing so,he clattered into the side of Glanz.It sure looked like a bit of 'payback'.IF Glanz had fallen,Im equally sure Cockle would have been excluded. With Weymouth 6pts up going into Ht13,Cockle breaks the tapes,and goes off 15 metres.Devils get a 5-1.Ht14 sees Stephens lead until 3rd lap,where he slowed considerably.Both 'Cats went by for the match winning points.Ht15 sees Glanz break the tapes! Good to meet up with the many Devils fans on the 3rd/4th turns.Some lively banter as always.Of those I spoke to,they all said the same thing,The Devils have gone from being top heavy to being top top heavy.Nearly all agreed that with Paul Starke in the team,the Devils would have won this meeting. To an extent,the points Weymouth dropped flattered Plymouth a little.

Excellent meeting.Fully lived up to the title of 'Top of table' clash. Scores. Newport: Todd Kurtz 1,3,3,2 = 9 Mark Jones 0,1,1,2' = 4+1 Tim Webster 1,x,1',3 = 5+1 Tony Atkin 3,3,2,3,1' = 12+1 Kyle Newman 2,3,3,1',2 = 11+1 Tom Young 2,1,0,0 = 3 James White-Williams 0,0,0,0 = 0 Buxton: Craig Cook 3,1',2,3,3 = 12+1 Nick Morris 2',2,,2,3,1' = 10+2 R/R Robert Brandford 2,0,1,1',2 = 6+1 Adam Allott 3,2,3,0,0 = 8 Lewis Dallaway 3,0,0,0 =3 Jason Garrity 1,1,2',0,2,1' = 7+2 Cook sped his way to a new NL track record in Ht13.New time is 59.32 Cook also excluded for a tapes offence in Ht11.He definitely moved,and a rerun was rightly called for.We were sat level with the riders back wheels at the start.Personally,I didnt think he actually touched them.He went off 15 metres. As has been said,too many falls cost Newport dearly.Two of the falls were where young Garrity put the riders under pressure.He was excellent value for money.Always in the thick of it.There were times when it seemed like Newport riders were racing each other. Overall an excellent meeting.The track was the best Ive seen it all year.95 minutes from start to finish.Very pleased I made the effort to go. Thank you to Jules M and Wessex Wanderer for your company.Laugh a minute from start to finish.Oh how Id like to share some of things we discussed. Congrats to Jayne and Co. Commiserations to the Hornets.

Brilliant as usual. Sincere Thank You for your efforts.

Unbelievable. One of the most improved riders in the NL this season. He then gets treated like dirt. A couple of tips for you Paul,before you sign for anyone. Try saying ''ya know'' a lot,as most Danes seem to say that. Maybe ''G'day mate'' might make then think you are an Aussie. Add ''ski'' to your surnmame and pretend you are Polish and dont understand English. They will give you a bike,van and somewhere to live. You only have yourself to blame mate.You were born in the one Country that doesnt get a look in here. You are BRITISH.Seemingly the biggest crime in British Speedway. In some ways,it may do you good.I hope so.Its just the way its been done that really annoys me. Good luck wherever you ride from now on.

I stopped over after going to the England v Bangladesh cricket,and Wolves v Swindon the day before.Both were excellent value for money.It only starting drizzling in the town centre at about 2.30pm.By 4pm,I was convinced it wouldnt go ahead,as the rain increased. Got to the stadium at 5.30pm,just as Kyle arrived.Within a couple of minutes,it was called off.We took a look at the track and there was a huge puddle on the inside of the 1st turn.No way could anyone have cleared that in time. Great shame,as it was a great looking field.

Not really,Parsloes. Apart from the Brundle/Halsey combination,it didnt look like a well oiled team effort. Had they done so,Im sure they would have sailed through. Thats not to take anything away from Kings Lynn.

Congratulations to the Young Stars.A very well deserved victory overall. Thought they had really mucked it up by not using the Black n White in Ht14,when 10pts down on the night. Fair play though,they all played their part,while Bmth were in disarray.Not gating at all well,and several silly falls not helping. Bmth. Brundle 3,3,3,3,1'= 13+1 Halsey 2',2',3,1,2 = 10 Mason 0,0,2,3 = 5 Howarth 3,2,fx,2 = 7 M.Baseby 3,1,2,2' = 8+1 Resh 1',0,1 = 2+1 A.Baseby 2,fx,2',,fx,1 = 5+1 Kings Lynn. Anderson 1,3,3,f,3 = 10 Campos 0,1,0,1 = 2 McDade 2,3,0,0 = 5 Lowe 1',2',2,3,0 = 8+2 Mallett 1',1,3,1 = 6+1 Kerr 0,0,1 = 1 Knight 3,2,1,2,0 = 8 Anderson was an excellent choice of guest.Knight and Mcdade impressed.Kerr,although always behind,was full of effort.All the others had their moments,and kept us all guessing until Ht15.Just as a Cup match should be. Brundle impressed me far more than Mills ever did.Excellent debut.Halsey scoring freely,at last.Howarth took an awkward fall in Ht9,pleased he got up to carry on. Overall though,well done Kings Lynn.Good luck in the next round.

Try here Tim..... http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport/speedway/8227333.Bartlett_in_talks_with__big_name__boss/

I really enjoyed the Landshut meeting.There was plenty of action,plenty of inside and outside passing. I bet Mroczka is feeling really stupid right now.We all thought his bike packed up at the end of lap 3.The two points would have been enough.It hadnt.He says he stopped because he thought he had done 4 laps.Serious error on his part,as he failed to qualify. It does explain why he was so angry in the pits afterwards.He kicked his tool box,bike and his chair almost hit another mechanic. Shame Kyle didnt get at least one ride.Im sure he would have been amongst the points. Excellent organisation by the Landshut club.They made us all very welcome.

I was mercilessley reminded in the Pub last night,thank you Bin.They aint forgotten either! Mind you,if those that have been banned were to turn up,it would almost double the crowd. Im afraid I wont be taking over at the Wessex.With my managerial skills,I dont want to do anything that will make MrB look good! I sincerely hope that something happens soon for the sake of Weymouth Speedway.

Thanks to Iris,who suggested the following website....... http://www.speedway.org/ Ive been using this website for Foreign information for over 12 months.

Many thanks to Adz_mft for taking my texts,and to Sue for making all the arrangements. Shame Bren twisted his right ankle walking out of the Hotel yesterday.(NO,he wasnt drunk!)All seemed well in practice,apart from Dudek and Pawlicki,who were super quick.All the others,including Bren and Kyle,were on par with each other. His ankle started to swell up.It showed in his races,and scored 2pts,including burning out a clutch in his last ride.Has had to withdraw from the NL 4's at Mildenhall today.Not a birthday weekend to remember. Kyle raised a few eyebrows..A tapes exclusion in his first race,possibly his 'easiest race' of the day.Then 5pts from his next 3 rides.Then in his last,he clung onto Pawlicki,and passed him,and repassed him before his bike gave up.Gave everyone a run for their money,well on the pace. Pretty boring meeting to watch,tbh,little or no passing.Only Kyle,Pawlicki,Tchuckanov producing the thrills. Dudek was a worthy winner.Pawlicki,if he gated looked super fast.When he missed the start,he was all over the others.However,even he struggled to pass on a super slick track.His race with Kyle was great to watch.Kyle stalked him,inside and out,outfoxed him into the 1st turn.Excellent pass. Tchuckanov was the 'best of the rest'.He should have qualified,but fell in a race.He had a great scrap with Kyle,who was super smooth on the inside.The only way past was to throw his bike into a very very wide line,just getting round Kyle,and clamping Kyle into the line.Best race of the day,by some way.In my opinion,he was next best behind Dudek and Pawlicki Both lads were superbly served by Phil Morris,our FIM delegate for the meeting.Phil watched each practice ride,and immediatley gave advice of how and what to change.Constantly running between the lads.Also lending support was British referee,Chris Durno. Good to meet Phil and Chris.I learnt a lot about the 'other side' of our sport. Even though the results didnt go our way,a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Glorious morning here in Rawicz.Over 25 degress already,and its only 10am! I will try and update from the meeting. Boys in good spirits and looking forward to racing.

This Saturday sees two Brits in the meeting. Brendan Johnson,IOW, and Kyle Newman Newport and Birmingham. In the 12 years of this competition,we have never had a medalist!! The last Brit to make the Final was Adam Allot. Signals permitting,I will be providing a limited update service from here. Anyone any ideas of who else is riding?

Very interesting draw. Looking forward to going to Landshut though.

I have to admit,I agree with this. Surely,as a showpiece for the NL,you need the best available Teams? There must be a better way than to draw teams out of a hat,surely? Rank amaturism. The apparent contempt the BSPA have for the NL is aptly shown up in the weekly round up on the main BSPA website.All Ive read ALL season so far has been..........NATIONAL LEAGUE action continues and you can find all relevant news, reports and other information in the NL section on http://www.speedwaygb.com/ Every other club has a paragraph about whats happened,but the NL is always dismissed in this manner. For gawds sake BSPA get out of your Ivory Towers and promote the lower level.There is some great action to be seen each week.

Gorican finally went ahead,and considering conditions,it was a lively meeting.It never once stopped raining all the time we were there.After the meeting,on the way home,it had stopped raining just a few miles up the road. The track was worse at this point than if the meeting had started at its original time,on the Saturday.The problem then was more about the heavy rain causing problems. Apart from Ht1,none of the riders looked completely in control of their own actions.After the first 4 races,the track started to rut up quite a bit.The riders were going in all directions,including Pavlic and Ward who were as expected,in a different class. By Ht10,I thought the track was bording on dangerous.After Ht12,the they attempted to blade the surface,but all that seemed to do was fill in the ruts,making it even worse.It was definitely the right decision to call it day after Ht16.I congratulate all the riders for giving it a go,when most would have preferred not too. Sincere Thanks go to Youngy on the liveupdates team,and Steve Allen,the Poole Press Officer for staying on the other end of the line all the time.I would like to correct a quote I made to them.Dont shoot the messenger,it was MY error! Ht15.It was Kudrayshov who fell and was excluded,and got his bike caught in the air fence,not Ward. Good to meet up and chat with Graham Reeves,# Name Removed #,Gary Patchett,Darcy Ward,Justin Sedgman,Gino Manzares,Colin,Fez.With the potential flight problems looming,it was such a shame,Graham,Crouch and Gary werent able to stay and see for themselves. I know I am biased,but Kyle Newman deserves heaps of praise on his International debut.In very trying circumstances,he held his own in every way.He did himself a lot good for the way he handled it.Understandably down after the run off,but quickly put that aside,and looked for all the positves. On the drive back,he took a call from Graham Reeves,who heartily congratulated him.He also told him that a German Promoter had invited Kyle to an open booking next month.He wanted to put himself in the shop window,in the hope of other bookings. Job done mate! Thank You to the Newman family for inviting me to share this experience with them.It was long,wet,windy,very tiring,and a 25hr drive each way.I wouldnt have missed it for the World. Here is a link to some photos I took while there.Mainly for Kyles record of the event.No action etc,mainly of the Stadium and facilities. http://sports.webshots.com/album/577691792APzkhe Feel free to use the pics if you wish,but if being used on Websites,etc,please simply credit me.

Well,absolutely no let up in the rain. Cannot see any other outcome other than to go with a 9am start on Monday morning.(8am UK time) We await the FIM verdict.Another 3 hours before riders briefing. Now,back to the superb bar facilities they have here. Yesterday we watched the FA Cup Final,today,the F1 GP and Superbikes.

Perhaps my reply should have been Bridger didnt want to represent his Country when asked and didnt want to travel. Arrived at the Gorican stadium just after 7am here,,and almost certainly will be off today.Rain hasnt stopped at all overnight,and if anything is heavier now than yesterday. Have to wait for official FIM confirmation though.

Because he was good enough to represent his Country when asked,and was happy to take his chance,while others didnt want to travel.

This is why Gorican was rained off..... http://sports.webshots.com/album/577690272JQVySO Photos 4 & 5 were taken at 11am today Photos 57 & 58 taken after call off. Still absolutely pouring down now.I dont hold out much hope for tomorrow to be honest.

That is the point Im trying to make. Last season,Brendan Johnson had to have THREE seperate licences.The standard ACU,UEM,and FIM ACU....covers him for domestic meetings in the UK. UEM....covers him for any meeting run by UEM.As per last season,he is also riding in the UEM U19's Championships again this year. FIM....One of the reasons he was included in the British U21 World Team Cup team last season was that he already had the medical,eye tests,etc. Why on earth cant ALL riders have just ONE international licence,with certain exclusions,as per the standard driving licences? With todays technologies,it should be very easy to email any relative information. Kiwi,I believe that each nation has an allocation of places for each event.So if a Brit is drawn to ride,it is up to the British to replace him,before offering the place to anyone else.

Not really. I gather it was for rider injury. Why doesnt British Speedway get itself organised properly? We had a similar happening for last seasons U21 World Cup in Germany. Riders were willing to travel,but the required paperwork couldnt be processed in time. Once all the riders had qualified for the British U21 Final at Lakeside,surely they should have ALL been required to take medicals etc? BSPA to cover that cost.The top 8 automatically going through to the next stages.Allowing for withdrawals and injuries etc,that would have put all the others on immediate standby. If a space became available,all they would have had to do was pack the van and go. The one rider I spoke to who WANTED to travel,wasnt even aware of the medical and licence requirements.I put it down to downright poor management at the BSPA. Its no wonder the other Nations are overtaking us.They seem to get riders here there and everywhere.Why cant we? In the European U19 Championships,we only have one certain place.Why? Because Graham Reeve only applied for ONE place! Again,while talking to other riders,they were not aware of any dealines to apply.I understand that efforts are being made to get more riders in. Until the BSPA etc get their act together and start acting in a professional manner,Britain will remain as a 3rd tier Speedway nation.