Mike.Butler

If the latter i've no doubt they will be reeled in by the minnows...

arrived in KL at 5.00 with no delays on A47, went for a pizza, drove straight into carpark at 6.15, left straight after meetring via back roads back to A47. No problems whatsoever.

Poorly worded. If one didn't know better one may have thought that the GB team were also seeded to the CZ final..it's arguably less ridiculous though than seeding the Czechs to a British staged final; so isn't totally without merit....

by all means stay in the NL but only spend an average NL clubs budget and save the money for a new track.

We need to give starting marshals some of that world cup paint.

put offenders off 15m. soon put a stop to it. frequent restarts are tedious so if we are to have the no-moving rule at least give the refs some clout

wouldnt it be wonderful if Belle Vue, Coventry and Cradley (at new track) all raced on a Saturday night like they used to. Getting to Brandon (and to the new Manchester track) through the friday traffic puts some potential fans off i know for sure.

We need to accept we are a feeder country to sweden and poland/ Like South American footballers migrate to Europe to play we should just accept it and do whats right for UK fans. i.e tracks have a regular race night using riders who can combine working with riding and turn up every week. If a rider can earn abroad then fine, but that means no BL. their choice..

ah. I see the Rockets losing more of loyal fan base who want to see regular racing then..maybe Len thinks he's in the elite league and can run whenever it suits the riders, and if it's a midweek evening when fans cannot get there well that's the way it's going to be by the looks of it. Sorry to draw a parallel with footy but even at a relatively low semi-professional level this would simply not be tolerated....what a toothless governing body we have who accept this kind of thing without a murmur... i sound like a broken record

this is getting to be a habit. Rye House call off when match could have gone ahead...its not as though Peterborough are travelling a grea distance..doesn't make sense to me to call off when it's a warm evening ideal for watching

Birmingham should join the PL before that leagues closes its door to EL clubs looking to join as the EL shrinks to >8 clubs, and thereby cause unsustainable wage inflation and an un-level playing field where the rich win and the rest capsize trying to keep up. I'm afraid 'big' clubs joining and expecting using their relative superior financial muscle to chase pots must be resistsed by the PL. After all that league is realistically the future of BL speedway in the medium term.

If there was a solution it would have been found years ago. A downward spiral of increasing costs (for riders and fans), dwindling crowds, poor facilities, lack of sponsorship and a seriously 'un-elite' elite league I fear means that it's days are numbered. An elite league with less than 8 teams will lose sky sponsorship and that will be the final nail in the coffin for our top flight. The premier league are right to be wary of any amalgamation and instead should be striving to be a £10 sport as I read in the Star only this week. More clubs in the premier would be great but that must exclude top riders since their pay expectations are unaffordable. The race to pay for top machinery must stop as per Jon Armstrong's views in the same issue. Unfortunately that can only be achieved by accepting the UK is no longer a major speedway nation, and run the sport for the (remaining) fans to enjoy at a level the Promoters can afford. This probably means employing only riders who have jobs and and an income outside of the sport + tracks running weekly on their preferred race day with no doubling up allowed. Until /if the economies of the model change then no BL riders should be permitted to ride in any overseas club/individual meetings with the exception of the world championship. Put the fans first for a change as without us there will be no UK speedway.

Martin, i know you to be a very well informed, articulate and dedicated Brummies supporter. I too look to be losing my local track unless something extraordinary happens over the winter. I trust Brian was still attending to the end although unfortunately my working in London meant I never caught up with you at Perry Barr this season. I am prepared to travel to watch (potentially) decent meetings and I hope you will still too in the UK, as going to Poalnd evey week would be a little costly. Not sure if you had a season ticket this year but if so why not take advantage of the offers by other tracks. We can ill-afford to lose supporters like you. head up...if Tony Mole can get the Brummies back next season I will ensure I make as many visits as I can in support. (NB sincerely hope it's PL) m

first time i've been to King's Lynn this season. Main meeting was fair although fiasco with the haircut was embarrassing...I too was perplexed that there was no racecard for MDL. Indeed it was the attraction of 21 heats (and the weather) rather than just 15 that saw me drive up from London ... As for the so called programme! - It shows Eastbourne's recent efforts in a much better light..and as for the mess it was in after unfolding and refolding several times.....suggest the format is binned forthwith..returning on sat week so although expecting prog to be expensive at least it will stay in a decent condition

Well for starters..Don't send the water cart out between heats 4 and 5 when no rider has 2 on the trot. Do inform the referee's box of R/R changes more quickly. Do get the riders out more quickly for heats..it can be done since from heat 11-14 that is precisely what happenned. Do tell the ref that your paying public expect to see 15 heats of racing so tell him to use the 2 mnute warning promptly. Given the above though I still I lay the blame 80% at the hands of the referee...he is running a 3rd tier meeting so can expect more restarts than at higher levels; he knows there's a curfew so be clever and move things on...so so so frustrating..

Hi, I can't seem to access the website quoted here. Is this meeting definitely on still?

Lesson 1. If you are promoting a track with a 2 hour curfew make sure all involved do their best to complete the promised no. of heats. It might mean the difference between punters returning or not.

Sorry Bryn, there can be no excuses for Mr Posselwhite and whoever in the pits is responsible for informing the referees box for changes. So frustrating that the watering of the track took place when there WEREN'T riders in two successive heats! The relaxed stroll at which the early part of the meeting progressed was shameful. To deny the paying public a last heat decider through inertia early in the meeting was dreadful. I'm afraid I put 80% of the blame on the referee who seemed oblivious to any curfew, 10% on the riders who gardened at the start like they were a world champion, and 10% on the promotion for not ensuring R/R changes were notified more quickly. Surely before the meeting the ref should have said to all that with a curfew and double R/R, all needed to be on-the-ball tonight.. I heard your 'hint' over the mike after a couple of heats re the curfew...clearly fell on deaf ears. In future please can you reach over and hit the flaming 2 minute button...get it on before R/R is announced instead of the painful delays in waiting.. Left a bad taste in the mouth and totally avoidable IMV.

seems quaint in this day and age but at Poole last week I saw a father towards the front of the man stand hail the speedway Star seller chap; As he purchased this weeks copy the young 'un with him was thrilled to be shown the colour photo of the Pirates team inside which seemed to seal the sale.. It was as though the boy had never seen a picture such as this...takes me back to the 70's when as a teenager a picture of Steve Weatherley on the front meant 100's of copies were sold at Arlington that particular week.

Now for 'Something Else'

on the opposite side of the road there is a field in which there is a building that contains the plant equipment for maintaining the track/stadium. It has a big sign with the Dugard name on it. A public footpath runs through what is a large field, assume from this if he owns the whole field.

and less begging letters!

let's hope for best attendance of season. might entice someone to think about taking it on next year

i would like to see one big league in 2015 with only one EL rider over 7.5 CMA allowed for each team. 2 UK U-23 improvers at 6&7. Call it the Elite league to keep sky on board. 2 home 2 away...sounds so simple!

lol.....they can ride with as much freedom and expression as they like but unless they make the gate they won't see the Stars for dust...