Kent Kings V Mildenhall Nl 5/5/14

[blueherb777]

People who leave meetings, amazing. There were 15 year olds out there. Some were of course more experienced but for gods sake. If you want elite speedway then don't go to NL speedway.

 

Was you at the meeting ?

After 2 hours and only at Heat 11 - we had enough - AND OTHERS WERE LEAVING AS WELL.

You could be right about Elite - as most are run much better than today.

 

I will say again - Meetings like today will drive people away.

[Falcon Hammer]

Left after ht7, 4:20, (10mins+ /ht) to get to Coventry v Lakeside - was hoping to see a few more heats. Unfortunately a few too many crashes, hope Daniel Halsey's OK, so unlucky in his first 2 heats.

 

Hope Simon Lambert gets to Swindon on time...

[westhamboy66]

Today was a disgrace in more ways than one. Jack Kingston came right though the fence in front of me missing the airfence by two panels. He was clearly very shocked and battered. He was down for a very long time but no ambulance on track. Eventually he was prompted to get to his feet which looked like a terrible decision as he was so unsteady and ashen faced. Almost immediately he collapsed. About another fifteen minutes passed still no ambulance on track and they picked Jack up again he still looked awful and by now was being administered oxygen, he was made to stagger the length of the back straight and into the pits being supported and still on oxygen. At the pit gate Len Silver was ranting as he explained on the phone to Roger Cearns that the Ambulance staff would not take the Ambulance onto the track as the entry over the dog track was unsafe for their vehicle. Apparently damage to the underside of the ambulance had taken place before. Silver wanted to know why the Ambulance staff didn't take a stretcher out and also asked for keys to unlock the access gate on bend two which would provide access for the ambulance onto the dog track but this never happened. Robert Henry was unhappy that racing would continue if the Ambulance could not get to the track, inexplicably the meeting continued with total disregard to rider safety.

The track was awful with so many incidents and an experienced rider like Danny Halsey having two big incidents when all alone. Major concerns from Len Silver that they wouldn't beat the six oclock curfew almost prove correct. I don't pay money to watch racing on such a poor track with the riders safety seriously being put in jeopardy. I don't blame anyone who walked out

Frankly the referee who presided over this debacle should also be ashamed of herself. One final thing who was the moron who chose to dump water on the track while Jack Kingston was being treated causing consternation from other track staff that led to a row amongst themselves

What a poor advert for speedway this was.

[blueherb777]

Today was a disgrace in more ways than one. Jack Kingston came right though the fence in front of me missing the airfence by two panels. He was clearly very shocked and battered. He was down for a very long time but no ambulance on track. Eventually he was prompted to get to his feet which looked like a terrible decision as he was so unsteady and ashen faced. Almost immediately he collapsed. About another fifteen minutes passed still no ambulance on track and they picked Jack up again he still looked awful and by now was being administered oxygen, he was made to stagger the length of the back straight and into the pits being supported and still on oxygen. At the pit gate Len Silver was ranting as he explained on the phone to Roger Cearns that the Ambulance staff would not take the Ambulance onto the track as the entry over the dog track was unsafe for their vehicle. Apparently damage to the underside of the ambulance had taken place before. Silver wanted to know why the Ambulance staff didn't take a stretcher out and also asked for keys to unlock the access gate on bend two which would provide access for the ambulance onto the dog track but this never happened. Robert Henry was unhappy that racing would continue if the Ambulance could not get to the track, inexplicably the meeting continued with total disregard to rider safety.

The track was awful with so many incidents and an experienced rider like Danny Halsey having two big incidents when all alone. Major concerns from Len Silver that they wouldn't beat the six oclock curfew almost prove correct. I don't pay money to watch racing on such a poor track with the riders safety seriously being put in jeopardy. I don't blame anyone who walked out

Frankly the referee who presided over this debacle should also be ashamed of herself. One final thing who was the moron who chose to dump water on the track while Jack Kingston was being treated causing consternation from other track staff that led to a row amongst themselves

What a poor advert for speedway this was.

 

Well said.

This meeting and things that went on was a disgrace.

[Halifaxtiger]

Today was a disgrace in more ways than one. Jack Kingston came right though the fence in front of me missing the airfence by two panels. He was clearly very shocked and battered. He was down for a very long time but no ambulance on track. Eventually he was prompted to get to his feet which looked like a terrible decision as he was so unsteady and ashen faced. Almost immediately he collapsed. About another fifteen minutes passed still no ambulance on track and they picked Jack up again he still looked awful and by now was being administered oxygen, he was made to stagger the length of the back straight and into the pits being supported and still on oxygen. At the pit gate Len Silver was ranting as he explained on the phone to Roger Cearns that the Ambulance staff would not take the Ambulance onto the track as the entry over the dog track was unsafe for their vehicle. Apparently damage to the underside of the ambulance had taken place before. Silver wanted to know why the Ambulance staff didn't take a stretcher out and also asked for keys to unlock the access gate on bend two which would provide access for the ambulance onto the dog track but this never happened. Robert Henry was unhappy that racing would continue if the Ambulance could not get to the track, inexplicably the meeting continued with total disregard to rider safety.

The track was awful with so many incidents and an experienced rider like Danny Halsey having two big incidents when all alone. Major concerns from Len Silver that they wouldn't beat the six oclock curfew almost prove correct. I don't pay money to watch racing on such a poor track with the riders safety seriously being put in jeopardy. I don't blame anyone who walked out

Frankly the referee who presided over this debacle should also be ashamed of herself. One final thing who was the moron who chose to dump water on the track while Jack Kingston was being treated causing consternation from other track staff that led to a row amongst themselves

What a poor advert for speedway this was.

 

I hate to say it, but that is just about bang on.

[DragonsDen]

Today was a disgrace in more ways than one. Jack Kingston came right though the fence in front of me missing the airfence by two panels. He was clearly very shocked and battered. He was down for a very long time but no ambulance on track. Eventually he was prompted to get to his feet which looked like a terrible decision as he was so unsteady and ashen faced. Almost immediately he collapsed. About another fifteen minutes passed still no ambulance on track and they picked Jack up again he still looked awful and by now was being administered oxygen, he was made to stagger the length of the back straight and into the pits being supported and still on oxygen. At the pit gate Len Silver was ranting as he explained on the phone to Roger Cearns that the Ambulance staff would not take the Ambulance onto the track as the entry over the dog track was unsafe for their vehicle. Apparently damage to the underside of the ambulance had taken place before. Silver wanted to know why the Ambulance staff didn't take a stretcher out and also asked for keys to unlock the access gate on bend two which would provide access for the ambulance onto the dog track but this never happened. Robert Henry was unhappy that racing would continue if the Ambulance could not get to the track, inexplicably the meeting continued with total disregard to rider safety.

The track was awful with so many incidents and an experienced rider like Danny Halsey having two big incidents when all alone. Major concerns from Len Silver that they wouldn't beat the six oclock curfew almost prove correct. I don't pay money to watch racing on such a poor track with the riders safety seriously being put in jeopardy. I don't blame anyone who walked out

Frankly the referee who presided over this debacle should also be ashamed of herself. One final thing who was the moron who chose to dump water on the track while Jack Kingston was being treated causing consternation from other track staff that led to a row amongst themselves

What a poor advert for speedway this was.

 

Agree as well - big shot in th foot today for the Kings!

 

no doubt parsloes 1928 nearly will be on here to explain everything!!!!!!!!!!!!

[waco]

Have to concur with most of the comments on here , the track was patchy and rutted up quite quickly, and was marbally on the outside and with the number of young tearaway riders on the card it was easy to predict the outcome of the many crashes.... It all played into the hands of kents two smooth riders Ben Morley 15 point max and David Mason a very solid 14+1 from 6 rides..Both teams were weakened,,Mildenhall without Jacobs and Bates at the top end and Kings being without Benji Compton (wrist) and Brandon Freemantle( concussion).... ,It was going Mildenhall,s way and they looked likely winners early on,, Untill Ben and David pulled out all the stops to see the Kings home to 48-40 victory claiming all the points... Of the other Kings Simon Lambert looked really uncomfortable with the track conditions ,,we did not see much of Luke Chessle after his fall ( withdrawn from the meeting ) both the reserves, Luke and Danny did ok in conditions that were difficult for them,..,The meeting did drag on with the ongoing problems and i do hope the Kings will not lose support from the normally brilliant fan base,,I know quite a few left well before the end ,,In my honest opinion the track needs further considerable investment to become a good racing surface... But that would be difficult to achieve during the racing season.

[adz_mft]

Today was a disgrace in more ways than one. Jack Kingston came right though the fence in front of me missing the airfence by two panels. He was clearly very shocked and battered. He was down for a very long time but no ambulance on track. Eventually he was prompted to get to his feet which looked like a terrible decision as he was so unsteady and ashen faced. Almost immediately he collapsed. About another fifteen minutes passed still no ambulance on track and they picked Jack up again he still looked awful and by now was being administered oxygen, he was made to stagger the length of the back straight and into the pits being supported and still on oxygen. At the pit gate Len Silver was ranting as he explained on the phone to Roger Cearns that the Ambulance staff would not take the Ambulance onto the track as the entry over the dog track was unsafe for their vehicle. Apparently damage to the underside of the ambulance had taken place before. Silver wanted to know why the Ambulance staff didn't take a stretcher out and also asked for keys to unlock the access gate on bend two which would provide access for the ambulance onto the dog track but this never happened. Robert Henry was unhappy that racing would continue if the Ambulance could not get to the track, inexplicably the meeting continued with total disregard to rider safety.

The track was awful with so many incidents and an experienced rider like Danny Halsey having two big incidents when all alone. Major concerns from Len Silver that they wouldn't beat the six oclock curfew almost prove correct. I don't pay money to watch racing on such a poor track with the riders safety seriously being put in jeopardy. I don't blame anyone who walked out

Frankly the referee who presided over this debacle should also be ashamed of herself. One final thing who was the moron who chose to dump water on the track while Jack Kingston was being treated causing consternation from other track staff that led to a row amongst themselves

What a poor advert for speedway this was.

Agree completely.

Hope none of the riders who had crashes are too seriously hurt.

No ambulance coming onto the track for Jack was beyond a joke.

Kent has the potential to be a top place for speedway.The stadium in general is fantastic.The track is the complete opposite.I don't think I could stand watching speedway there if its like that every week.Have only been twice and both have been poor meetings and track.

Need to get it sorted before people do lose interest.

[cityrebel]

Have to concur with most of the comments on here , the track was patchy and rutted up quite quickly, and was marbally on the outside and with the number of young tearaway riders on the card it was easy to predict the outcome of the many crashes.... It all played into the hands of kents two smooth riders Ben Morley 15 point max and David Mason a very solid 14+1 from 6 rides..Both teams were weakened,,Mildenhall without Jacobs and Bates at the top end and Kings being without Benji Compton (wrist) and Brandon Freemantle( concussion).... ,It was going Mildenhall,s way and they looked likely winners early on,, Untill Ben and David pulled out all the stops to see the Kings home to 48-40 victory claiming all the points... Of the other Kings Simon Lambert looked really uncomfortable with the track conditions ,,we did not see much of Luke Chessle after his fall ( withdrawn from the meeting ) both the reserves, Luke and Danny did ok in conditions that were difficult for them,..,The meeting did drag on with the ongoing problems and i do hope the Kings will not lose support from the normally brilliant fan base,,I know quite a few left well before the end ,,In my honest opinion the track needs further considerable investment to become a good racing surface... But that would be difficult to achieve during the racing season.

the track should have been sorted out during the winter months. I thought it looked really poor for the king's Lynn meeting, this helped me decide to go to Ipswich today instead. If thing's don't improve at Central Park, I will have to consider cutting down on the amount of meetings I attend there.

[Mjolnir]

There's still some improvements to be made at Kent - hopefully the rest of the meetings this season will run a bit smoother and the track will hold up a bit better.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I was very impressed with Coles and Kingston - if only Jack's work commitments hadn't kept him out of our team this season! Ben looked awesome today, his experience in the EL is obviously making a difference. Well done to David Mason too!

[Kent Whistle Gang]

If people want to leave early that's their prerogative. Don't understand it myself, but it's their money. And if they would rather watch Elite racing, they know where to go. Me, I'm staying right here, supporting my local team, comprised of British racers: not some overpaid foreign mercenaries.

[cityrebel]

If people want to leave early that's their prerogative. Don't understand it myself, but it's their money. And if they would rather watch Elite racing, they know where to go. Me, I'm staying right here, supporting my local team, comprised of British racers: not some overpaid foreign mercenaries.

riders at any level need a decent and safe track to race on. The surface at Central Park is awful considering it is over a year old. If things don't improve, the crowds will drop and none of us want that.

[arthur cross]

About a decade ago, wasn't a Conference League meeting between Rye House and Newcastle correctly delayed for a few minutes when the referee of that meeting noticed the ambulance was developing a flat tyre ?

 

I wasn't there myself but remember a few who were in attendance reporting the referee on that occasion wouldn't let the action resume until the ambulance crew and pits mechanics had fitted the ambulance's spare tyre so that it would be fully operational in the event of being required to deal with any further crashes ... it was one of the most unusual delays, even by speedway standards, but fully understandable and appreciated once it was explained to the crowd.

 

In contrast, today's reports from Sittingbourne that races were allowed to be run after it was clear the trackside ambulance would not be venturing onto the track itself is a scandalous state of affairs for which both the promoter and the referee should face separate serious investigations by the SCB ... the promoter being responsible for providing the correct facilities for the ambulance to be able to get onto the track while the referee's ultimately responsible for the running of the meeting in as safe a manner as possible given the obvious dangers of the sport.

 

The insurance and legal repercussions would've been horrendous from a career-threatening (or worse) accident in which a rider's long-term health could clearly be proved to have been affected by ambulance kit not being available quickly enough to assist the victim because someone had decided that the ambulance couldn't be brought onto the track.

 

In the short-term, whoever's the next referee at Sittingbourne must be instructed not to let that meeting go ahead until the ambulance driver, the promoter and the stadium landlord can all agree that there is smooth access for the ambulance onto the track ... meanwhile, I wouldn't blame any rider refusing to take part if today's scenario with the ambulance crops up again.

[Parsloes 1928 nearly]

no doubt parsloes 1928 nearly will be on here to explain everything!!!!!!!!!!!!

No - because, in case you've not noticed, the club do not (and indeed didn't last year either) deal with the BSF.

This Forum is an utterly unregulated website and I'd be surprised if any club had any truck with it - especially after some recent cases of quite disgraceful conduct, including bullying, going completely unchecked by the so-called 'moderators'.

All Kent Kings news is on the official website; lively debate on any subject concerning the club and the sport is available and encouraged within rules of decent behaviour (as opposed to this site)on Facebook.

[Halifaxtiger]

Frankly the referee who presided over this debacle should also be ashamed of herself.

 

My understanding is that the referee was hampered by the very poor organisation - and that is something I can readily believe. My concern was over the ambulance being able to access the track - as has been said, if that was not possible the meeting should have been abandoned - but apparently the blue gates on the second turn could be opened for that purpose.

 

If people want to leave early that's their prerogative. Don't understand it myself, but it's their money. And if they would rather watch Elite racing, they know where to go. Me, I'm staying right here, supporting my local team, comprised of British racers: not some overpaid foreign mercenaries.

 

It is a matter of individual choice, but if meetings are as poor as that I know where they will go - and it won't be Kent Speedway.

 

I am a big NL fan but a three hour meeting, a shocking track and dreadful organisation would make me think twice about going again.

 

Even if you do intend to keep going every week, you should still be concerned what matches like that will do to your fan base.

No - because, in case you've not noticed, the club do not (and indeed didn't last year either) deal with the BSF.

This Forum is an utterly unregulated website and I'd be surprised if any club had any truck with it - especially after some recent cases of quite disgraceful conduct, including bullying, going completely unchecked by the so-called 'moderators'.

All Kent Kings news is on the official website; lively debate on any subject concerning the club and the sport is available and encouraged within rules of decent behaviour (as opposed to this site)on Facebook.

 

Then you are missing the opportunity to give reasonable explanation for that farce yesterday and respond to the strong, almost unanimous but totally fair (and completely decent) criticism stated here.

 

Some of us are not on facebook and regard official pages or forums with a degree of contempt where criticism of the club (however valid) is scarcely tolerated and people who are critical find themselves shown the door very quickly. Give me an 'unregulated' forum (with all its wind up merchants, trolls and verbal thugs) over one that is controlled by people with links to the promotion any day.

 

The really sad bit is the criticism of the promotion has meant that there has been little said about the performance of the riders. Morley was never really troubled and Kingston and Coles were impressive, the way young Connor held his line to beat Lambert especially so.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Halifaxtiger

[westhamboy66]

My understanding is that the referee was hampered by the very poor organisation - and that is something I can readily believe. My concern was over the ambulance being able to access the track - as has been said, if that was not possible the meeting should have been abandoned - but apparently the blue gates on the second turn could be opened for that purpose.

 

I was with Len Silver when he detailed a security person to go and get the keys and open the gate, the security man never returned nor were the gates opened. Len also made Mr Cearns aware of this on his mobile and as he was doing so the Paramecic made his way onto the centre green and everything was quickly forgotten, had there been another serious crash and there nearly was in heat fifteen no ambulance would have been able to reach the track thus putting riders lives (some of who are vey young and inexperienced) at risk.

Incidentally Len was asked by Mr Cearns does the Referee know and if so why hasn't the reason for the delay been announced to appease the fans. Lens reply was the Referee is fully aware. That seems to be true given that Robert Henry was complaining to the referee about the Ambulance situation and the way Jack Kingston was treated.

We now have airfences and yet even the basic Health and Safety is breached. Have we forgotten Lee Richardson already?

The Co Promoters, Referee and Paramedic should all hang their heads in shame yesterday and thank their lucky stars that no riders were seriously injured.

If people want to leave early that's their prerogative. Don't understand it myself, but it's their money. And if they would rather watch Elite racing, they know where to go. Me, I'm staying right here, supporting my local team, comprised of British racers: not some overpaid foreign mercenaries.

What you say is correct but what you don't seem to understand is the high percentage of floating supporter that Kent attract, lots like me are Rye House Fans coming to support National League and many From Lakeside doing the same. It is those who you stand to lose and if that happened your local team would be no more. Equally you should understand that as a Bank Holiday there are many meetings to see and a lot of people were leaving early to visit other tracks. 70 minutes for 7 races is unacceptable. Had the meeting not dragged on i would have gone to Coventry to watch Lakeside my local club and in similar circumstances next bank holiday i will go elsewhere, Kents loss not mine.

[blueherb777]

If people want to leave early that's their prerogative. Don't understand it myself, but it's their money. And if they would rather watch Elite racing, they know where to go. Me, I'm staying right here, supporting my local team, comprised of British racers: not some overpaid foreign mercenaries.

 

You should ask why people left early - BECAUSE THE MEETING TURNED INTO A FARCE.

Fans would rather go to Elite meetings as they are much better run.

I would much prefer to go to my local team (Kings) and would not have thought about not going last year,but after yesterdays DISGRACE I am seriously thinking about NOT going next Monday.

 

AT THE END OF THE DAY KENT SPEEDWAY WILL BE THE LOSERS.

[TMW]

Surely in terms of on track medical assistance all that's needed is a 4x4 or something to collect the injured rider like they do at Coventry.

[montie]

s..Both teams were weakened,,Mildenhall without Jacobs and Bates at the top end and Kings being without Benji Compton (wrist) and Brandon Freemantle( concussion).... .

 

 

Where was Josh Bates yesterday?

[Damo b]

Where was Josh Bates yesterday?

I understand that the riders are spread thin this year riding in all the leagues, but all these absentees from meetings spoils it for me, it seems most meetings at least 1 or 2 are missing.....