Mildenhall Speedway

[rhidassa]

You feel it's low blow, maybe when your young it may seem like it but when you get older you will understand life is hard and sad and people deal with grief differently,

it is not meant to be offensive but I'm just reiterating what mr mascall has said himself about his situation, also if you believe what you yourself have said surely he is too distraught to make rational decisions and therfore a good idea would to let mr Adams

take control for the remainder of the season and then see how he feels but sadly I think it's only a money issue and all else is a smoke screen

 

Being young does not mean I do not understand grief. Yes, people deal with grief differently, and yes, life is hard, few people exist in the world as it is today that are naive enough to believe otherwise.

 

Not knowing Ray Mascall personally, I couldn't say how he may be coping and thus have no right to comment as to whether or not he is too distraught to make rational decisions or not. I can, however, understand how he could have lost heart or interest in the sport after his loss. I am not saying it means how things are being dealt with is correct, I'm merely saying I don't think that comment was necessary.

[gaylestew]

The situation at Mildenhall is very sad but let's also remember that Ray has suffered a terrible loss with the death of Jean. Unless any of us have been in a similar position I don't think one could understand how traumatic things have been for him.

 

I've no intention of commenting on the whys and wherefores of what's going on, as - even though I have a modest position within the club - frankly I have no knowledge of them; and of course I understand fully the frustrations and concerns of personnel who (as I understand is the case..) are awaiting payment, but I do feel that remarks like this about Ray show a degree of personal insensitivity.

I know Ray (only a little bit) but well enough to know how crushing the blow of the loss of Jean was and I do hope people keep that in mind when commenting on here..

 

i do understand that ray has suffered a great loss but the way he has ended his time with mildenhall speedway is a total disgrace . i just wish the truth could be posted on here

Edited July 27, 2010 by gaylestew

[fentigers79]

i do understand that ray has suffered a great loss but the way he has ended his time with mildenhall speedway is a total disgrace . i just wish the truth could be posted on here

 

 

the thing is Gaylestew if you know the truth now is the time to post it on here, in the past in speedway too many things have gone unsaid and hidden from the fans and its about time it stopped, people will say you should spare peoples feelings but the truth cant hurt you if you are in the right.

I for one would tell all if i could be sure they were facts and not rumors this is business not personal and people need to remember that.

[gaylestew]

the thing is Gaylestew if you know the truth now is the time to post it on here, in the past in speedway too many things have gone unsaid and hidden from the fans and its about time it stopped, people will say you should spare peoples feelings but the truth cant hurt you if you are in the right.

I for one would tell all if i could be sure they were facts and not rumors this is business not personal and people need to remember that.

 

what i was saying fentigers79 was i wish someone would post the truth here instead of us waiting day after day for the odd press release which by the time its printed its old new in mildenhall

[Halifaxtiger]

To be fair to Dave mate I beleive he is referring to all the work on the track that he has to do as a result of having speedway at all. There is a reasonable amount of work done by him and his team that would be avoided if they didnt have speedway there at all. As to the cost related to that obviously I dont know.

 

I think you might be right but that's not how I read it or how anyone else would read it.

 

 

 

Having said all of that it is such a shame for Mildenhall to be closed due to not being able to find an agreement. Ray will be seriously out of pocket as the BSPA will chase for all of the debts to be cleared and presuming he has a bond that will be lost and nothing will be received for any sale as there will be nothing to sell. I also know that for a PL / EL promoter not fulfilling fixtures comes at the cost of a large fine, presumably something similar will be levied in the National League ? Presumably Ray is going to end up seriously out of pocket possibly at a level higher than the cost of continuing for a couple more meetings and seeing through the sale.

 

With regards to Dave Coventry, yes he will lose the bar & food takings and the rent but at the same time will save on staff costs, electricity, food and drink purchase costs as well as potentially saving some rates if the stadium is used less. Whether or not that would overall constitute a large loss for him is hard to say.

 

That's the bit I don't get.

 

It seems to me that Ray can accept a lower offer and get some money or get nothing and face the debts.

 

If the rent is £1,300 if you add on bar & food takings I think Dave Coventry will lose around £600-£700 per meeting. If he was a little less intransigent on the rent side (as far as I am aware Ray is paying a fair bit more than you did)things could have moved on.

 

It does seem to me that with a little more flexibility this could have been resolved.

 

i do understand that ray has suffered a great loss but the way he has ended his time with mildenhall speedway is a total disgrace . i just wish the truth could be posted on here

 

I think Jean was the motivating force behind the speedway and without her Ray does not have the will or the motivation to go on. Frankly, I would be surprised if anyone cannot understand that.

 

However, at a time at which we should be showing understanding and sympathy for him if the riders haven't been paid that leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth, because it seems like he is prepared to pocket the gate takings and then not adhere to the contracts that he signed at the start of the season. Simon Barton, whatever his financial difficulties, never did that and I can appreciate why some might feel bitter and angry.

[Dennis Willgress]

I understand how Ray must be feeling after the sad loss of his Jean but I donot believe he is helping his own cause by staying silent,or not showing his face.

 

If you employ staff under contract like the riders surely they should be be the first people that are made aware of the situation( Good manners I would call it ) then supporters and sponsors.Surely if Ray personally made a statement on the Mildenhall Fen Tigers forum it would help to keep the people up todate after speaking to the riders face to face.

 

SimonB and Halifaxtiger are spot on,it far better to meet someone in the middle and get some finance for the business than to stick out for what you value the club and finish with nothing. Ray must remember at the end of the day Dave Coventry hold the upperhand because he owns the stadium and has to sanction any new owner if he does not purchase it himself.

 

Having known Ray for many years I find it very difficult to work out the way his mind is working but feel the time has come when he cannot hide behind his loss of Jean anymore and need to sort out his affairs.

[alfred]

ray mascall told me the riders will get paid when he gets paid for his licence. what i dont understand is why ?

[SimonB]

ray mascall told me the riders will get paid when he gets paid for his licence. what i dont understand is why ?

Nor do I unless Ray simply does not have any more money ? The problem with this is that the licence is only worth what someone will pay for it and that looks like nothing at the minute, hope I am wrong though.

[adz_mft]

Nor do I unless Ray simply does not have any more money ? The problem with this is that the licence is only worth what someone will pay for it and that looks like nothing at the minute, hope I am wrong though.

 

Thing is.With the situation with the stadium.Nobody will even consider buying the club.I certainly wouldn't

[PhilK]

I understand how Ray must be feeling after the sad loss of his Jean but I donot believe he is helping his own cause by staying silent,or not showing his face.

 

If you employ staff under contract like the riders surely they should be be the first people that are made aware of the situation( Good manners I would call it ) then supporters and sponsors.Surely if Ray personally made a statement on the Mildenhall Fen Tigers forum it would help to keep the people up todate after speaking to the riders face to face.

 

SimonB and Halifaxtiger are spot on,it far better to meet someone in the middle and get some finance for the business than to stick out for what you value the club and finish with nothing. Ray must remember at the end of the day Dave Coventry hold the upperhand because he owns the stadium and has to sanction any new owner if he does not purchase it himself.

 

Having known Ray for many years I find it very difficult to work out the way his mind is working but feel the time has come when he cannot hide behind his loss of Jean anymore and need to sort out his affairs.

.

Totally agree Dennis, your post

sums up the position excellently in my opinion.

The riders need to know exactly where they stand as by the middle of next week they will be a month without a meeting as well as being owed money for meetings already run. They deserve better!

[SimonB]

The fate of Mildenhall's future is due to be announced today (Wednesday, 28 July) with the likelihood of a successful takeover of the club. Stadium owner Dave Coventry revealed that two businessmen had agreed rent negotiations with him and he was optimistic of a deal with outgoing promoter Ray Mascall. However, Sunday's home fixture against Buxton has been postponed, their third meeting to be called off. National League co-ordinator Peter Morrish, who was praised by Coventry for his handling of the talks, confirmed that a positive announcement was imminent.

 

Mascall, who has come under increasing criticism from supporters and sources close to riders for alleged non-payment of the last three meetings, issued the following statement: "Attendances in the last half of last year were 480-500 a meeting, that being the reason why John Adams and myself put together the team for this year that we did. It transpires that attendances this year have been a very disappointing (300-350 a meeting) and with an away meeting to have the riders to pay for as well means that it was costing more to run than the takings coming in. With the short illness and death of my wife in May, which has had a traumatic effect on my life, it is only recently that I have realised how bad the situation is regarding Mildenhall. I am not in a financial position to put any more money into Mildenhall to prop it up, hence my reason to say enough is enough. "At the moment, I stand to lose £17,000-£18,000. If my wife was still alive then this situation would not have arisen because the problem of fallen attendances would have been seen and addressed."

 

Sounds more hopeful

[SLIGHTLY ROUND THE BEND]

Fingers crossed for you all Simon not just for the speedways sake but also Ray Mascall who obviously cares deeply for the club or he would not have bought it in the first place.Hopefully another beginning for the tigers and beginning of the end of a traumatic time for Ray

Edited July 28, 2010 by SLIGHTLY ROUND THE BEND

[norwichkev]

Fingers crossed for you all Simon not just for the speedways sake but also Ray Mascall who obviously cares deeply for the club or he would not have bought it in the first place.Hopefully another beginning for the tigers and beginning of the end of a traumatic time for Ray

Agree 100%, not many winners no matter the outcome. Without knowing any background in the negotiations I hope that it works out well for Dave Coventry who, despite the noise issue hanging around his neck appears to have worked hard to keep Speedway at the venue and has remained positive in his postings.

 

Hopefully the riders will be paid, mostly young lads the bills fall also on their families - if there are hardships as supporters maybe we have to llok at ways to help.

 

Without Ray & Jean we would have lost the Fen Tigers 18 months ago, however harsh though we have to remember that come the end of the day it is a business.

[Dave Stummings]

A horrible, horrible mess. I don't think Mr Coventry wants speedway at Mildenhall anyway. With his track at Dover closing they can have stock cars every week at Mildenhall then, even on a Sunday!

The riders not having been paid is nothing short of robbery in my view. Mildenhall have had so many promoters who haven’t been able to make a go of it. The only one who seems to have broken even was Dingle Brown, yet he was told he had to get an air fence [which they should have anyway] to carry on and he passed on to Mr Mole to run, yet he didn’t have to have an air fence!

Mildenhall is hanging on by the skin of its teeth, with extremely poor crowds. If it’s taken over again then I’m sure within a short space of time we will see Mildenhall up for sale again. Unless major changes are made to encourage loads more people to come through the turnstiles I really can’t see Mildenhall having a future.

[greyhoundp]

Whilst i am not privy to what rent anyone pays for Mildenhall Speedway, surely there has to be a way forward, between Mr Coventry and any prospective promoter..and this lies in what rent is paid to the stadium owner.

Mr Mascalls figures indicate the crowd figures for this year are 300+ average. That brings in an income of £3000 riders have to be paid the minimum of what? £5 per point for an average of 90 points for two meetings 1 home 1 away, thats £450 quid for 2 meetings, now i have no idea what the mileage allowance is these days, i am sure someone will tell us, but just say we pay each rider £40 per meeting x 7 riders x 2 meetings this equates to £560 travel expences, so the costs of covering two meetings for the riders alone would be aprox £1110 even if £10 per point was paid, which i am sure some teams dont, it would then come to £1560, so that leaves just under £1500 to cover rentals and other costs, if a figure of say £750 per meeting was paid minimum; based on an attendance of 250, <this would be the critical figure> and a sliding scale then brought in of say £50 for every 10 spectators over and above that figure, plus the Stadium gets the Bar takings, Introduce a Car Park Charge £2 per Car 50/50 Speedway and Stadium.

 

I am sure if something along those lines were introduced then Speedway could survive at Mildenhall, obviously there has to be trust between the Promotion and Stadium owner, but that has to be the way forward long term..

 

I am sure the Greyhounds at Mildenhall dont get anywhere near that figure for crowds, especially mid week, but they seem to survive, and whilst i dont know what prize money levels are for the greyhounds, i am sure they must pay out at least £30 per race x 10 races per meeting = £300..admission to the greyhounds is probably £6 with probably 150 max there on a saturday, and a good attendance mid week would be 100, just add up and compare...

Edited July 28, 2010 by greyhoundp

[NeilWatson]

Whilst i am not privy to what rent anyone pays for Mildenhall Speedway, surely there has to be a way forward, between Mr Coventry and any prospective promoter..and this lies in what rent is paid to the stadium owner.

Mr Mascalls figures indicate the crowd figures for this year are 300+ average. That brings in an income of £3000 riders have to be paid the minimum of what? £5 per point for an average of 90 points for two meetings 1 home 1 away, thats £450 quid for 2 meetings, now i have no idea what the mileage allowance is these days, i am sure someone will tell us, but just say we pay each rider £40 per meeting x 7 riders x 2 meetings this equates to £560 travel expences, so the costs of covering two meetings for the riders alone would be aprox £1110 even if £10 per point was paid, which i am sure some teams dont, it would then come to £1560, so that leaves just under £1500 to cover rentals and other costs, if a figure of say £750 per meeting was paid minimum; based on an attendance of 250, <this would be the critical figure> and a sliding scale then brought in of say £50 for every 10 spectators over and above that figure, plus the Stadium gets the Bar takings, Introduce a Car Park Charge £2 per Car 50/50 Speedway and Stadium.

 

I am sure if something along those lines were introduced then Speedway could survive at Mildenhall, obviously there has to be trust between the Promotion and Stadium owner, but that has to be the way forward long term..

 

I am sure the Greyhounds at Mildenhall dont get anywhere near that figure for crowds, especially mid week, but they seem to survive, and whilst i dont know what prize money levels are for the greyhounds, i am sure they must pay out at least £30 per race x 10 races per meeting = £300..admission to the greyhounds is probably £6 with probably 150 max there on a saturday, and a good attendance mid week would be 100, just add up and compare...

 

The problem is "the other costs":

 

From memory and not a definitive list:

 

Insurance

BSPA fees

Referee fees

Programme printing

Medical cover

Track prep and machinery

[rhidassa]

Not to mention whilst I understand you use £5 as an average figure, I doubt the top riders in the NL would race for that week in week out. I'd imagine double that would be more the standard rate.

[cityrebel]

for any prospective promoter at mildenhall there is a lot of work involved in getting ready for a speedway meeting after saturday night car racing. with low crowds and little financial reward you have to admire anyone for taking that on. good luck for the future you will need it.

[greyhoundp]

The problem is "the other costs":

 

From memory and not a definitive list:

 

Insurance

BSPA fees

Referee fees

Programme printing

Medical cover

Track prep and machinery

 

I defer to your greater knowledge on these matters Neil, however i would exclude program printing as this should be covered by sales.But it still leaves £1500 ish, in the pot to cover 6 of those items, and i have not included any income from Corperate, and individuals which the aim would be to try to get the PM in every race covered. so though no-one would ever get rich at Mildenhall, if cost cutting was introduced i am sure it could survive, though from time to time there may be cash flow difficulties, such as a run of home rain offs, and three away meetings without any income, but this would/should balance out over a season..

 

Rhidassa; I did bring in £10 per point in my £1560 figure.

Edited July 28, 2010 by greyhoundp

[rhidassa]

 

Rhidassa; I did bring in £10 per point in my £1560 figure.

 

 

Fair play - apologies, I skimmed your post whilst being distracted by other things.