Mick Bratley

The track was being worked on all day yesterday (Tuesday). In response to Monster Trucks earlier.

Shocked to hear this news. A massive loss to the sport. RIP Phil.

I think this was a good call. I’m 400 metres from the track and we’ve had two lengthy periods of heavy rain between 4:30 and 6:30, and it has also been constant drizzle since 7:45.

Did you miss the deluge on Friday night? The track was completely waterlogged they pumped hundreds of gallons off it at the weekend, it was in no fit state for racing today rain or no rain.

. . . . . Not anymore.

Possibly. Possibly not. There are several parcels of land owned by the Showground right next to the A1 that do not look like they are going to be developed, after all houses next to the A1 would be a tough sell, all of these would be big enough for a Speedway track. Perhaps being a charitable organisation they will do the right thing. Perhaps not.

So I had a look at the Showground exhibition today and the initial plans look to build houses where the Speedway track currently is. However, they say that this will be starting in 2023 at the earliest. I think that is ambitious and there is clearly much concern from local residents about the existing infrastructure of the surrounding area and the effect 600 new homes will have. This could drag on quite a while. On the plus side, the local councillor was on local radio this afternoon and was adamant that any plans must involve keeping the Speedway Heritage in Peterborough (her words not mine). She was very committed in that Speedway is not overlooked, I was surprised, I didn’t know she was a fan. She was at the exhibition and I made myself known to her. She explained that there was a Local Planning order number 30 that requires any sporting activities (she said such as the Speedway) must be relocated before the existing site can be demolished and that she would be vigorously making sure this is followed. I was very impressed with her. Alas we all know and probably have experienced how developers and planners can operate, but I am confident our local councillor is going to be on the case for Speedway, which in all honesty is probably a lot better than I thought it would be at this early stage.

In many ways the Showground needs the Speedway. It is a 'noise' that has been present for almost 50 years and when the nearest residents were over three miles away. Plus as I said earlier, it is one of the few events that is for LOCAL people. (Probably the only event). It'll be interesting to visit the Showground tomorrow to have a look what they plan to do with the site in the coming years.

That absolutely was the case and was used in addition to the seasonal bucket collection as our contribution to the SBRF.

You are making a lot of assumptions in what you have said. In recent years the hierarchy of The Showground has changed from the times when I used to deal with them a decade ago, so I can't speak about the current management team, but my assumption will be that the practicalities of running Speedway at the venue will not have changed very much, if at all. Speedway pays significant rent to the venue. I don't know what the amount is these days, but when I was promoter it was, I felt, jaw dropping. It is considerable over a season. The Speedway club are also not allowed to bring their own concessions (catering) on to the venue, so the Speedway clubs income is restricted to admissions and the sale of programmes only. Speedway comes a long way back in the queue of the events held at the Showground and that's only rightly so, it is a business after all - actually it's not, it's a charity. Effectively you pay rent for the key to open and close the place, you get little or no help from them in putting the event on or clearing up after. The Showground is not a charity (actually it is, but you probably get my drift). The Speedway staff volunteers do an absolutely amazing (and thankless) job in getting the place ready for Speedway and clearing it up afterwards, it takes a monumental amount of effort and I mean monumental and these people are the real heroes of the Speedway club. The Showground does not 'plug' the back end or keep Speedway 'afloat'. They provide a key. A very expensive one at that. The one thing Speedway does do for the Showground is provide an event for LOCAL people. Practically every other event at the Showground is supported in the majority by people who live outside of Peterborough. Not everyone locally owns a Shire Horse, Truck or Modified Car or wants to pitch a tent a couple of miles from their home and there are only so many times you can drag yourself along to Truckfest. The 'dirty shale arena' gets plenty of use from other events, often these events damage the track and fence, which additionally costs the Speedway club to put right. If other events use the floodlights - which the Speedway club paid for and installed - and a light fuses, the Speedway club has to pay for this to be replaced as well.

LOL I’m definitely not Flappy.

At least he is having a go and surely that should be applauded rather than constantly pilloried.

There has been some great Speedway this season at The Showground and some crap Speedway. Pretty much like every season I’ve ever attended. i think Buster has tried to bring some financial sanity to the sport and this will be painful in the short term, it would be for the benefit of the sport if every club did this. i disagree that he intentionally ripped the initial 1-7 apart, I think his and the sports hands were tied. That’s my opinion.

I’m not ‘in the know’ haven’t been for years.

I think you’ll find Crumpie was more of an Osmond's fan fella.

I never said that. Like I said though this is 2019 not 1819.

I’d say the witch hunt is getting more tedious than serious.

Of course they’re not going to give you the reason why, but even the thickest of Speedway fans could see why it was done. Do you honestly believe that any business wouldn’t have done exactly the same? It’s 2019 mate not 1819.

LOL

And you can’t sell your ‘investment’ if there is no longer a product to sell.

And on and on. Is there really any need? Moaning for moanings sake. Get yourself some happy pills ffs.

I think you’ll find that if Harris hadn’t gone to Ipswich there quite possibly wouldn’t have been a top league this season and in any case Tungate for Harris is looking a pretty good swap right now. As for Cook, Buster never actually had a signature on a contract did he, that’s hardly his fault, and Cook wouldn’t adhere to the rules that Buster set for all his clubs but in the end had to back down. I really think the crap that Buster gets is unjustified, I honestly believe that if he hadn’t done what he did you would have nothing to moan about right now. Honestly some people on here really need a Speedway financial reality check. Big time.

I don't think anyone is asking you to kiss his arse, but not even Buster (as the messiah) can prevent riders crashing, getting injured and having loss of form. Essentially that is why it is not a wonderful season, not because of Buster's ownership. One club has to finish bottom (and I'm not convinced that will be Peterborough BTW) and the team that does finish bottom is usually the one that suffers the worst of luck with injuries and loss of form. IMO he most certainly does not hold the customers in contempt, he rarely speaks and you know what, I don't blame him because he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Buster is not the messiah, he is the bloke chucking a ton of money down a dirty great big black hole for your entertainment. I would imagine that isn't much fun whilst being constantly criticised, having people constantly taking the piss, having people constantly giving negative opinions (never positive, I might add) and also enduring the worst possible luck with riders getting injured.

This. A great servant to Panthers. Probably the best No 2 Panthers have ever had in the top league. Get well soon, Shane.