Mike.Butler

I think it's 50/50 as to whether Speedway in the UK will be entirely Amateur by the time I pass on. Either way I will still attend meetings in the hope that I get entertained at least some of the time. I can live with: ever-shrinking crowds no atmosphere no seating no world class riders no additional entertainment I would find it harder to live with: less overtaking than we have now Fewer races for my money than we have today Meetings taking longer than they take on average now At least I will always have my programmes and stats to look back on when I'm either dead or just unable to get out any longer. I will ensure the sport gets a mention at my service as it has played a significant part in my life so would be churlish to ignore it even if those who had a duty of care over the years have failed me miserably.

Success in the development league should not be measured in terms of pots won. I am quite comfortable that majority (if not all) of this years Heathens are indeed progressing, and I am not critical of the club employing 1, 2 or even a 3rd at this level; but problem is that they are all at the top end of the development phase. Irrespective of age Cradley have the money to attract the best willing/wanting to ride at this level. So Game over for the rest! As I've said before this approach is simply not sustainable (or desirable) at NL level. Similar (but not the same) as Man City/Chelsea buyng up the best young talent in Prem lge and then putting them in reserves partly to deny other less wealthy clubs the opportunity to play said players against them.. I still maintain the likes of Armstrong are not really what the league should be about.

That's incorrect. Spectator levels in the Football league continue to increase year on year and I do believe premiership Rugby Union also..

disagree. this is a devlopment league. all riders should be 'improvers'...

home and away no. 1's only raced against each other in heat 1...looking back that was crap really wasn't it....the potential best clash of the theevening all over in heat 1 unless of course they met in the 2nd half. These days top riders meet each other 3 times...so not a comparison..The British Final though did show up the dearth of world class riders we have, so If it were the old 13 heat format now there would be a handful of GP riders above 10 i would suggest.

I noticed last night that in prog it says Roger Cairns is the 'Promoter' with Len Silver a 'co-promoter'... Surely there has to be at least one other co-promoter? What exactly does this mean.. i recognise Len when I see him (and he was in an adapted bus shelter last night to presumably keep the sun off), but i wouldn't recognise Mr. Cairns so he may or may not be at meetings. Notwithstanding, when the Kent project was floated last spring it felt like this was a new promotion. I certainly don't remember Len's name being mentioned. I remember giving feedback requested on how to run meetings etc when asked on this forum, but if I had known then that it was in fact an already established promotion behind the project i probably wouldn't have bothered... Although we were thanked for responses at the time, i can't actually imagine now it made an iota of difference to their planning.. who knows..

chill, get a tan. early evening is ideal for browning without burning

thats a very fair point. From an entertainment point of view Tai's extra-curricular activities between restarts was the only reason my wife allowed me to keep the bedroom tele on until the end, having told her an hour previously we could go to sleep after the last couple of heats... Bit like the cameraman at Rye House on Saturday who delayed a race when the ref spotted him adjacent to the safety fence to get a picture, only for him to then to virtually straddle the fence once the race had started..why not live and let live..let's have more individualism from all (riders, fans and officials)..

i was.

Bizarre and I think Dan Holt may be reflecting on these events. I suggest the refs get together at the end of the year and agree a stance, but it will require co-operation of starting marshal..

anyone know any other sport that doesn't have their top clubs competing in national cup competition? With the fast-track system surely a k.o. cup with PL and EL teams is more attractive this year than ever before?

sheffield made a point at last weeks meeting that they would show ANY thursday England games on their tele sets...

If you are a statto like me one tends to stick it out to the bitter end notwithstanding...I regret that in my youth I too often left before the final 2nd half race and this now causes me angst 40 years later...I always recall my friend dining out for years on seeing Crayford win 65-12...whereas i've only ever seen Eastbourne win 63-15 when Workington's Ian Hindle jumped out of the gate to win a heat in 1978..

this is doing my head in..one day i believe it will happen, the next i don't, then i do, then i don't....Can't someone up there get their MP to ask a question in the house along the lines of..."PM you are no doubt aware of the plans to relocate the world famous Belle Vue Speedway team into a state of the Art modern stadium adjacent to their run-down tip they are in at present. Can the PM please assure the many thousands of interested fans that he will do everything in his power to ensure this happens during the lifetime of the next parliament?" Surely Cleggy can't derail this as part of give and take coalition business...

I don't disagree Tony, but if I had made my mind up not to go (and Paul can corroborate that) how many others might have done the same? Admittedly in hindsight I was rash but after the last time we stood outside together watching the clouds (not) drift by you can understand anyone not local perhaps erring on the side of not going, and you have to admit the forecast was awful). But I accept that if I were in Len's shoes I may have delayed a bit (it was only Leicester and not Glasgow after all)....think we have to give Len balance of doubt this time....see u soon x

to be fair the met office forecast in the morning made me decide early on I wasn't going to risk this..trouble is by p.m. it had totally changed...on this occasion i can understand why the decision was taken.

surely with some foresight they could have scheduled this for one of the blank thursdays they seem to have had already?

Cradley's team building has done nobody (including themselves) any favours. When will clubs in this league realise its not about getting the strongest side you possibly can?

stabd alone clubs should be in the Premier. Any track not up to that should stage open meetings / MDL racing. The mis-match of NL clubs throwing money at this versus those riding in front of a handful and/or developing juniors a la scunny is flawed. I think the PL is the ONLY league that has much credibility at the moment tbh

Hi, anyone out there at this meeting and stayed for 2nd half? Can you tell me the rider in y/b who came 2nd in the finebush scurry please? most grateful as ever... mike

Enjoyed this meeting. Was with a first timer and he thoroughluy enjoyed himself too. quote "particularly seeing the junior lads"..

Well doe to ref Dave Robinson and the riders for getting through 10 heats in 50 minutes with no restarts..what a comparison with last week!

Hope there's a few less incidents than last week or we won't get a result in the time available... Get that gate open Len!

i remember reading in Backtrack he had no truck with computers..

Just reading the Sunbrite News press release from 1/6/91 and a warning regarding the above unauthorised collector doing the rounds on behalf allegedly of injured riders of the era. Just wondering if anyone knew who he was and what if anything came of it/him?