Najjer

He will be at the start of the season though. Well, I'll rephrase that, Plymouth were hoping he was going to be.

LOL - you have excelled yourself here! So, you're saying if someone disagrees with someone else, that instantly makes them wrong?

Myself and Tsunami were actually having a decent debate, until you joined in and started contradicting yourself without even realising. Just because I don't agree with Tsunami's viewpoint, or he doesn't agree with mine, doesn't make either of us incorrect. That's the joys of a forum.

Excellent post - and something worth bearing in mind with regards the life of certain products/materials especially with large proportions of UV exposure is that they aren't on the track 24/7 - only when they are needed. Starman everybody, once again expressing his incompetence to have a decent debate.

If you go back to the first page, you will see it was actually me who suggested that method and not SCB My point exactly - Clubs have just stumped up £30,000 (or so) for air fences a couple of years ago, so it goes to show how much money can be raised if fundraising is done down the correct channels. That's without even mentioning the thousands of pounds of saving that will be realised over the years ahead.

Now you're clutching at straws!

True to form DB, least you'll have Leigh Lanham this year

That last line is abit hypocritical don't you think after your first one? Anyone would think your thoughts are non practical after taking the pi$$

This is where I've just about lost the plot with this thread, which was always going to happen once Starman got involved with the debate which has killed the whole thing - as that's what I've already suggested and you told me I was wrong... Give me strength. The tarpaulin would NOT be heavy as the majority of the rain will have ran onto the centre green already. I'll have you know twice writing in the programme, but lets not get bogged down on your errors ;-) Frankly, you organising removing and slapping some paint on kick boards in the winter or whenever is of no interest to me what you get upto what so ever. Again, it's completely irrelevant how this gives you any experience of coming up with solutions to waterproof the track but hey ho. However - If I had more time on my hands I would consider volunteering to help out at my home track - however with my heavy involvement in my first choice hobby with another group which raises hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, hence why I very rarely get to any away meetings nowadays and also traditionally now miss any meetings from the end of September onwards, that offer can't even be considered.

Multi quoting takes too to sort through on my phone, so in reference to the previous replies: I've used tarpaulin for plenty of things over the past few years so know at least two things about it - 1) it's waterproof (take note Starman) and 2) it's light weight and is not heavy in the slightest (take not tsunami). With regards to the track sweating (take note Starman) then refer back to some of my earlier postings on a solution so this isn't an issue. And even if it was, surely a track 'sweating' is better than a track flooded? I know very well that track staff don't turn an hour before a meeting (hence my earlier post which also said that - which tsunami has read incorrectly clearly) and know how many hours gets pumped into it. I can't speak for every track across the country but I'm well aware of the time Ez, and the others put in at Somerset thank you very much. I wish you had mentioned Tsunami you were a member of the track staff at Newcastle - I've never heard you mention it before I appreciate as I said previously the issue with some tracks having to remove and reinstall the fence etc etc - but still doesn't the question why clubs where this isn't an issue haven't used or don't use covers upto now?

If it stops water, what's the issue?

They can be rolled up onto the top of the fence or just behind, with some sort of fastener to hold it in place. Rolling tarpaulins (in the simpliest of scenarios) really isn't very difficult. Folding them is a complete different kettle of fish. Without counting, I would say off the top of my head at Somerset there is at least 6-8 track staff on the centre green, with more away from the track itself.

Using the methods which have been used in the past, possibly - however, I've offered an alternative solution which would work much better I believe. The initial arguement was that the cost would be too high which I have already proved within 2 minutes of research that the original figures that were being quoted were about £3,000 off what it could actually be done for. Your point about "just one club doing it, therefore it musn't work" is irrelevant - If I was the only person in a Maths test to put correct answer to 2+2 as 4, and the other 99 people put 5 doesn't make them correct. The best point you make is would there be enough people to actually operate the 'covers'? I believe so, yes - I can't imagine any track curator and helpers turn up to the track an hour before start time. We are talking about the covers being used from the night before the racenight, or at some point during the actual day itself when they could be pulled over the track by a small number of people. Obviously the more, the quicker it would work. Whilst I think your point is valid and it will differ from track to track, I don't see it being a big enough issue to stop the cover idea being effective and worthwhile.

Estimates for 4 meetings, with no actual hardcore evidence of this being true then. As has been quoted above, the materials available should last alot longer - not to mention, realistically how many times are we expecting these to be used throughout a whole year? Probably not massively often. How can you make a claim that they don't work, when a reasonable arguement is being put forward that hasn't even been trialled properly? Your first point about cancelling a meeting has no substance - how many times have we seen a forecast where it is rain all day long and set to brighten up at 7oclock? In normal conditions by then, the damage is already done and the track is waterlogged regardless of the weather in the evening and has to be cancelled. Track covers can solve that. They won't stop rain offs full stop but they will most certainly improve the likelihood of meetings going ahead. I didn't realise a Swedish club also use them at their home meetings according to someone on this thread, so they must of had some success to continue with that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Vojens and other tracks like Berwick I seem to recall, just had sheets down with tyres on top which is hardly a quick fix. To completely rubbish the idea however, would be foolish.

Jason Doyle scored a 21 point 6 ride maximum away at Reading for Somerset in 2008, including a tactical sub win from 15 metres back in heat 14.

They might be able to do Maths - But I ask you, how accurate are their press releases though?

You wouldn't need to fold it - rolling it would be much easier, which can then be fastened to the top of the fence, and then undone so to speak to unroll it when required again. Attach it to the top of the air fence, so that way you kill two birds with one stone. For a number of tracks this isn't even an issue as the air fence doesn't have to be taken down and put back up again before the next meeting. Why would they only be 'good' for 4 meetings?

Wonder what the chances are on Holder being over here though? At the moment, I'd say as much chance as Kurtz.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-duty-tarpaulin-waterproof-camping-ground-sheet-cover-GREAT-VALUE-/221462463002?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Camping_Accessories&var=&hash=item339031021a I literally just ebayed 'tarpaulin' and this was the first result - going by your calculations I make that a rough total cost of £2068... bit of a difference to the original figure. That's with doing 2 minutes research!

I don't get all this talk about 'cost' being an issue - it could be done for next to nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially when you put the cost of track covers against the price of having a meeting called off, especially once it has already started or just before. I've made many posts on this subject and still haven't seen one good reason for it not to happen. Sheeting can be bought for minimal costing, which then gets rolled up and hooked either on top or ideally behind the fence. When it starts to rain the sheets get rolled out so they are at tension and come a good few feet inside the centre green and pegged to the floor. Your sheet is now on an angle and naturally rain water will run into the middle of the centre green and not on the track. When the rain stops, the pegs get pulled out, the sheets get rolled up and we go back racing.... What's the issue? Track staff nowadays just wave a red flag once in a while so will be on hand to carry out that duty during/leading upto a meeting. I cannot believe any clubs havn't adopted this idea, when every club year on year moans about the cost of having a rain off. Admittedly if you get persistent rain during an evening there is nothing that can be done to help. Surely a bit of 'sweating' is better than a waterlogged track though?

Good chance he'll replace Holder I expect.

So are Rye House and I'm willing to bet neither of you are League Champs come October.

Hardly official confirmation is it?

The wheels coming off the Workigton wagon before the season has even begun - Toft who was expected by many at Workington given his new EL status to achieve over a 6 point average replace by Matt Wethers.... Dear oh dear.

That press release reads to me that Plymouth ARE anticipating problems getting Holder into the country, but best to cover your tracks before it happens. I wonder if there is perhaps more than meets the eye with regards Holder being dropped by Somerset. Brady is a Somerset asset, so we are led to believe.