Mike.Butler

Does Darcy get credited with a maximum or not?

...the track produces dull racing..

I wouldn't think Sky will lose much sleep over not having an EL to televise next year tbh...If it's down to 7 clubs the contract is off I believe anyway, so one league looking more and more likely...unless Uncle Len can ride to the rescue with his Kent Kings..the stadium is up to scratch after all...OR Cradley somehow sort out enough dates to run EL?

There was set to be no speedway at Arlington in 1991 until the evicted Dons relocated there mid-season.. It's hard to imagine another club doing the same this time...The 2015 Eastbourne Heathens probably as likely as any other!

if thats the case maybe i will go to kent instead..haven't made my mind up yet

in his testimonial year too....loyalty to good friends of the promotion knows no bounds..

could they make the play-offs with the worst away record in the league ?

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..

BIG mistake going EL....I thoroughly enjoyed my PL visits, and a friend of mine who lives locally wasnt happy that he ended up watching the same teams at Perry Barr as he did every monday at Monmore...Seems the bigger the city the less likely a centrally located club can surive.. whether it's a largely immigrant local population or Yuppies..either way they aren't interested. Much like native householders tracks are reloacting to the outskirts... Kirky Lane bucks the trend for now at least.

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

the SOLE aim? suggests at any cost.. ie a cheap team that won't be competitive...hmm. i suppose if it means they get thru season...but can only see more fans gving it a miss

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.

http://www.safe-t-solutions.co.uk/loading-shovel-training.html

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?

Tai was clearly down on power all evening...wonder what bike(s) he had available...He had to work damn hard for the points he did get..thought the crowd looked about 2k...

get rid of 15m rule and keep tape touching as an exclusion but allow riders to anticipate start if they want as long as they don't touch tapes..

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..