Sir Sidney

Excellent Jon. Really looking forward to it

F1 - Red Bull and Torro Rosso?

I note the statement on the Birmingham website about the incident. I trust those who criticized Buxton and Jayne will now be offering apologies

Surely all Birmingham had to do was show the BSPA permission to the referee and that would have sorted it out. If they had written permission where would the argument have been?

I haven't checked and followed through the link to verify but this seems to allude to examples of music venues https://thebristolcable.org/2018/01/agent-of-change-nightlife-music-thekla-fleece/

Thanks Steve. I can see my spot!

My memories are very similar to Prodons. Standing on the pit bend was fantastic. Such an atmosphere. In the later years I had the pleasure of assisting on race days. What a venue. What a club. What riders. What supporters. It's a measure of the love we have for the club that there are still active Facebook groups, regular catch ups and active involvement with the riders. Gone, but never forgotten.

Very sad to see yesterday that the demolition of Wimbledon stadium has started. I have spent so many happy days there supporting the Dons. An important venue in the history of speedway is being lost and I doubt we will see a new stadium for speedway in London. A sad day

Thanks Richard, I think Jake has been hard done by here. He tried to do the right thing and has lost out as a result. I'm glad he can move on. Let's see if the rule is enforced in the future

Yes, I was just being a bit flippant - however, depending on just how bad a rider's machinery really is, the method of turning up but not being able to compete might vary. At National League level how many bikes and engines can a rider be expected to have, and what is a realistic timescale for him to get competitive equipment in place if he has had genuine issues? As HA said, the regulations need to reflect the realities at the particular level.

I would think Ond is referring to when Wimbledon were in the Conference / National league,so comparable to Eastbourne now. I find it incredible that this rule has been enforced against Jake Knight (I can't imagine he was pre warned that he would get a ban) - let's see if We get consistency in the future. Of course, any rider in similar circumstances will now just turn up and go through the motions - 5 exclusion s under the 2 min rule?

As someone who followed Wimbledon from the times the team included world champions and international stars, to the Conference League days I can only say that I was prepared to pay to watch my team regardless of the league they were in. My team was My team - and I suspect that throughout that time frame were much more stable and likely to have a greater deal of continuity,Not just from week to week but also from year to year. I don't believe I would have enjoyed the current doubling up rules

I am in the area this week on holiday and was hoping to go tonight + really looking forward to it as I have heard so much positive feedback on the racing at OTA. The weather forecast was pretty poor, but has improved as the day has gone on, and we have only had a couple of light showers earlier today. I understand making an early decision, but it does seem to have been made very early today. Unfortunately, I won't have another chance to go this time

My recollection is that Mike was like a breath of fresh air at Wimbledon. Mike was certainly very different to dear old Ken Tozer who preceded him. It was not unknown for Ken to have to ask riders on parade who they were! I think Ken was happier on greyhound nights Sure Mike would wind the opposition fans up a bit (!) but I think you'll find that, when Wimbledon fans went to away tracks where Mike was the presenter, he did the same to us - which we took in the spirit intended. If Mike was like Marmite I think there were plenty of Marmite eaters at Plough Lane - now cue the Vegemite likers to respond.

That might explain why the lease has yet to be signed (if that is still the case). I don't expect the new promoters will take on a lease with terms that are unfavourable or unaffordable. Manchester City Council may have the 'whip hand' but the new guys could just walk away. Very sad, no doubt but very true - no wonder we are such a minority sport

Whether all the info ever comes out I don't know. There seem to be two main camps on here. Those that say CM and DG knew there was a problem and should have cancelled the opening meeting and those that say the true problem could not have been known at the opening meeting and only fully came to light once the excavations had happened and the real issues uncovered. However, putting that aside, I would suggest that if the proposed new promotion do take over they come with a level of business expertise not seen for many years (if at all ) and I would not expect them to tolerate the shenanigans and manipulations that have gone on in the recent past (nor any nonsense from the Council). Interesting times ahead I think.

Not sure I follow your post Gustix. Post #427, which you quoted in your previous post, suggests plans are being made so that speedway is represented on the last night. What makes you thinkk that it won't be?

Thanks Matt,on that basis you are probably right that the Council Tax income will be greater than the business rates income - even allowing for all the info that's unknown (rateable value of the new stadium if built, Council grant income from central govt etc). Let's hope the Council really wants speedway!

Interesting. Thanks Matt. Is that an extra 200 properties if the stadium isn't built or just the number that are included in the current plans? Sorry, I'm not up to speed with the numbers, but as a Wimbledon supporter sympathise with Swindon fans re the uncertainty. The figures from the VOA website that you have quoted are the rateable values rather than the amount payable (which is roughly half of that). At present Swindon Council only get a % of the business rates,but that % is likely to increase in the next few years. All a bit fluid for Councils at the moment!

I went to the meeting last night, as a neutral. We drove through a lot of rain to get there, with no great expectation it would be on. We arrived at about 6.15 and, given the improving forecast, went in. I was pleasantly surprised that the track looked better than I thought it would. Then it rained for the next hour, and quite heavily at times. I thought that was it - so when it was announced at 7.45 that racing would start at 8.15 I was even more suprised. Half an hour later, with sawdust liberally applied and graded racing did start, and was very good in the circumstances. A huge credit to both teams and to Eastbourne for getting it on. It would have been helpful to have had a couple of announcements leading up to the scheduled start time just to let us know what was happening,but that's a relatively small criticism. I liked the enthusiasm of the announcer. I thought he did announce the r\rs for the first heat. I wasn't familiar with the riders but wrote the right names down! I managed to work out who Tommy B was without too much trouble. Perhaps over time he'll get the balance right, but he'll do for me. The music seemed a bit more up to date that at some tracks - not entirely my taste,but I didn't hear too many complaints. Over all,a much better night than I had expected, racing more than acceptable (and I have seen plenty of worse meetings in the dry), but most of all congratulations to all for just getting on with it. The national league often just get on with it.

Well, actually Alex Hales was probably paid less than some other members of thethe team as he is on an incremental contract http://www.thepca.co.uk/england_contracts.html The key thing is it is transparent. I find it hard to believe that there wasn't clarity beforehand,and it is a sad indictment of speedway compared to other top level sport if the competitors didn't know (or if they were concerned, didn't ask) what the financial agreement and other terms were before the event.

Plenty to do in Stratford and Hackney Wick. It would be interesting to know just how far out the extended roof comes now. That said, I can't see that BSI would take a risk on putting a temporary track in without full cover in the British climate.

I once lined up with world champions Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and Ove Fundin - at the bar at a VSRA (as it was then) dinner. Where did you do it Robert72?

Wasn't it Tony Briggs,promoting the Wembley indoor meetings?