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The sport will never move forward in this country whilst the majority if not all the promoters are set fast on trying to screw all the other clubs. They are killing their own future and they just fail to see it.

Probably Arena was at its trickiest when it was fenceless, it was the safest track around but not always the easiest to do well on, it’s amazing to think looking back how well Steve Lawson always did when he visited and now we have his son riding for us and is one of the most popular riders ever to wear the crossed Hammers, you wonder if it’s in his families genes.

We need a national league, and considering you have teams like IOW running almost every week even if its a wacky formatted challenge meeting which on paper shouldn't draw fans but must do because they are still in business, must mean its a very viable league if the costs are kept sensible. Speaking of which the loss of Arena Essex will also mean the loss of the Hagon shocks training facility there. The trouble is see though with only having a two league structure is that the promoters will end up trying to chase away what few top riders we still have, they will make it almost for the likes Jason Doyle to carry on riding over here, we need more riders not less.

But even if they were in different divisions which would race when? Let’s say hyperthetically they wanted to alternate Saturdays? Would either run against a Grand Prix? There would be a Saturday lost for the Cardiff GP anyway and probably a second for the Speedway of Nations. And personally I’m sick of doubling up, I would rather see one big league of 16-18 like the original national league system, Rye could run Saturday nights (they own the stadium so they should have the prime time slot) Lakeside could run Sunday afternoon or early evening.

That’s another good point, they can’t both run Saturday nights and Friday would be even more of an issue than our current home, the combination of the M25 and A10 or M11 ? No thanks

q It would be a very risky decision to hope there is cross platform support between the two clubs, it could end up breaking both of them and then having nothing at all there. When Lakeside dropped into the third division they instantly lost a load of support to those that already followed Kent in that league, the idea is you could double your fan base, in reality you end up halving it.

So as you understand it, the idea is Rye House will have a team next season and Lakeside will have a team also but sharing the one track much like how Cradley did with Wolves at Monmore Greeen?

To be fair matertron some of the slagging off of the track has been completely justified in the past, this was a period though before you started to watch but mud sticks. from the late 80s to present I have seen a variety of track forms just at Arena alone, my favourite was the track we had in the early 90s, the worst was when it was altered for FIM standard, this might have been 95 but can't recall, needless to say it didn't lend itself to racing, then we had the big Ron years where the track was flat as a pancake but so slick the only way to get around it well was with your front wheel on the white line.

There was supposed to be news on this final meeting today but nothing as yet, I’m hoping that Bob Miller can come out of retirement and be the announcer for one final time at this venue, it would be very poignant.

Your right there Cityrebel, and I don’t think it will really hit home until after the last race and the meeting is over, I foresee a period of reflection myself is likely, this place has been such a huge part of my life, gone through my teens, 20s, 30s and now 40s, a lot of ups a lot of downs and all through it Arena Essex Hammers

I know City Rebel that’s why I used the word intent, for example I intend to go to the meeting on the 14th but that doesn’t mean I will be able to, the weather or something else might intervene but the intent is there.

They would be better off coming forward now and making a statement of intent for what they see ahead in 2019, Is the aim to have a Rockets and Hammers side sharing the venue, will it be a consortium of the two promotions? You will have more fans in general turning up for these final few meetings if they know there will be something to look forward too next season. especially the potential Rye House support.

Not very quickly you can’t Alan, for me I guess it would be bus, train, tube, train then either taxi or walk and then same in reverse. A lot of the fan base lives more than five miles away, most are probably around the 10 to 30 mile mark.

Only way there would be a new track is if the development was purely for sport, otherwise any form of housing would instantly shut down any argument for loud motor sports, even if you build a stadium, what about all the parking that would be required? you can't get to Arena Essex unless you drive so you would need space for a few hundred cars which would only be used twice a month, between April and September, totally unrealistic. If it was a sports complex with football/rugby pitches, tennis courts, swimming pools etc then you would naturally have loads of parking dotted around the entire site, as a multi use site it would work perfectly but there is no money in that compared with residential and business use. Imagine the house prices you could slap on that site? easy access to the M25, a huge shopping centre on your doorstep.

Which begs the question, why can't any motor sport take place there in 2019 if its extremely unlikely any work is going to be started on the site?

Whilst using Rye is needed to help complete the meetings, the final meeting should have been held at Arena Essex, even if it’s not an official fixture, the way this has been done just buries everyone, it’s not like the stadium won’t host any motorsport after the 14th of September.

There isn't really any choice in the matter, once the ground shuts down and the season is over, the name and its history is gone with it, this is not about moving to a new track, its about moving to a different club with its own history. If they try and appeal to both ex Rockets and Hammers fans, they could end up appealing to neither of them. They should just do a new joint promotion between the two clubs, maybe call it Hertfordshire rather than Rye House (Somerset vs Hertfordshire hmmm sounds like cricket)

Hammers? don't think so! They had better drop the claret and blue body colours too, Hoddesdon is Tottenham country, they wont go for anything that reminds them of WHU. Lesson one, know your fan base, it wont be the same as you have had before.

This track is absolutely awful, never gets any better.

Completely selfish but hoping for a Poole win, that way Nick, Adam and Zach wont have any potential clashes or extra risk of injury that would affect Lakeside's push.

No idea what Hans is on about, no rain anywhere on the radar

Any other reason bar medical then he would be withholding his services (which would carry some other form of suspension), as far as the rules state, if your not fit to ride it applies for seven days, this was brought in because of what happened at Kings Lynn last season. Its no different than Richard Lawson not be able to ride for Somerset today.

I asked the question on another thread did Nick withdrawal? from the above it appears he did meaning he will not be able to ride for Swindon tonight.

Did Nick actually withdrawal from the meeting here? if so he will miss the next seven days?

Wow, he was that good