Lakeside Speedway - Smoke & Mirrors?

[The Voice Of Reason]

.. and that will be the only fans forum as the decision has been taken to close the Lakeside Fans Forum website as from today.

AND decided to close our forum down with less than 11 hours notification!

 

Apparently, it's due to other 'more popular' forms of social media replacing a forum that didn't attract much interest.

 

Really?

 

- Not being (along with many others on the dearly departed Lakeside forum) a Facebook'ite nor a Twitter user, I wonder how many posts such mediums attract compared to our previous forum?

 

- I wonder whether 'social media' such as FB and Twitter will enable fans to give as much honest, truthful feedback about the club as our (now defunct) forum? Maybe others can advise how they work - and/or how easily commentary of dissent can be 'disposed of'?

 

- The forum apparently didn't attract much interest. Really? Well, it certainly (and with all due respect) generated more posts from Hammers fans than here on the BSF! Any regular user on here will undoubtedly have noticed the lack of posts regarding Lakeside; or from Lakeside supporters, compared to all other EL Clubs. That's partly due to the fact that we contributed more to our own forum.

 

- To the best of my knowledge, at NO TIME WHATSOEVER over the past four years has the Lakeside Fans Forum been promoted; either via the club's website, nor the programme. Yet it is being closed due to an apparent 'lack of interest'. Such hypocrisy is truly staggering (read: utter BS).

 

- Our Club's Promotion have deemed it fit to close down a free communication medium (proboards)......,,,,,despite, more often than not, daily input from forum members. Presumably Mr Cook, in his infinite wisdom, did not want our supporters to have a 'free voice'? However, I assume that he will be only too pleased to drip feed information to Lakeside Supporters whenever a bout of brainwashing is required for the automatons and lemmings.

 

Nice move Mr Cook - many thanks for the (less than) HALF A DAY notification that you provided for us all to wish each other the best of luck, etc.

 

Of course it is the club's decision to close a forum but to shut it down so quickly, with reasons that are complete and utter BS, leave a very bad taste in the mouth. Basically, our promotion can't even be honest with us by telling us the real reasons why. That is truly treating people with utter contempt

 

This is just a further example of crass disregard for supporters. We are engaged within an apparent squad system - yet, along with the BSPA, seem very reluctant to put anything of any weight around how this will work. Despite more positive posts than negative around a host of issues over the years, questions start getting asked how this 'squad system' is going to work on our forum, and it subsequently closes down within hours.

 

Maybe a coincidence? I don't happen to believe in those happening so readily as some people would have us believe.

 

However, I await 'spin doctor Bryn' to arrive on here - advising us all how closing the forum was in the best interests of speedway, etc. However, maybe he'd additionally like to address my questions above?

 

Something really stinks here..........and it isn't roses.

[The Doctor...]

Nice move Mr Cook - many thanks for the (less than) HALF A DAY notification that you provided for us all to wish each other the best of luck, etc.

 

 

 

Some might say he is a retard.

[ouch]

Closing the forum is a bad move and anyone who thinks otherwise is either thick or biased or both.

[mikebv]

Closing the forum is a bad move and anyone who thinks otherwise is either thick or biased or both.

Incredible to think that in this 24/7 relentless media age that any company would close down a major communication channel to its customers...!?

 

I suppose Lakeside must have more than enough fans every week to justify it...😵

[SteveLyric2]

Lakesidelive is a pretty good unnofficial site and gives updates and other news on all Hammers meetings - home and away!

[liam]

I can't think of one good reason for closing it.

[damosuzuki]

To be fair most official forums are closing / have closed over the past few years. I think it's more a case of ensuring they aren't responsible for peoples comments and the newer social media channels available. I doubt it's sinister, but given a choice - if I was running a team I'd be happy for the fans to have a forum, but wouldn't administer it.

 

 

PS Proboards is very easy to set up if you want it.

[KevtheRev]

Might be worth setting up a Fans of Lakeside Speedway forum.

With a name like that, I don't think they could close it.

 

Anyway as originally said, treating us with utter contempt.

[Daytripper]

To be fair most official forums are closing / have closed over the past few years. I think it's more a case of ensuring they aren't responsible for peoples comments and the newer social media channels available. I doubt it's sinister, but given a choice - if I was running a team I'd be happy for the fans to have a forum, but wouldn't administer it.

 

 

PS Proboards is very easy to set up if you want it.

I think that's probably closer to the truth. The Internet Fans Forum was disconnected from the main site in 2008/9 because of the trolling and abuse that was coming from a small number of so called fans then re-connected a year or so later when things had settled down a bit. Since then things have moved on and we have things like Twitter and Facebook where a number of regular fans have moved over. This has seems to have coincided with the appearance of a new chronic complainer/troll and as Bryn pointed out only relatively small number regularly use the site and of those that do the most prolific posters seem to be those that never go any more and whose only function is to stir up arguments as opposed to discussing in grown up manner.

 

As Skidder 1 has said, Lakeside Live is a pretty good site and the Twitter and Facebook pages are accessible from the main Hammers site so its not difficult. Maybe it's time for some ( including myself ) to come into the 21st Century.

 

There will of course be the fans forum at Orsett Hall in a couple of weeks time, the third in just over a year, in which Jon Cook and Kelvin Tatum will take questions on anything to do with Speedwáy. Funny enough those who were always on the Internet forum moaning about this that and the other never seem to turn up at these functions and put their complaints to the management face to face which I guess just about sums up how bothered they really are.

[TonyE]

I did not think the 'forum' was an official one (there was never a link in place from the Club's website) but, whatever, it has been 'officially' closed down.

 

Personally, I do not accept the 'official reason' for the closure - I think there is more to it than that.

[Spooky]

Perhaps all will be explained at the forthcoming Fans Forum in Orsett..............................................................then again, maybe not.

 

It's no secret that Jon Cook considered the Forum as a pain in the neck, to my knowledge he never posted on it although several of the Lakeside "staff" may or may not have on his behalf! Without genuine reason, it seems rather strange to close a long-standing forum because Facebook/Twitter are better?

[Phil The Ace]

It's easy to set up a fans forum.

 

I set one up easy for aces fans and it does well

 

Bellevuearmy.co.uk

[Vincent Vega]

Obviously the Lakeside management did not like what they were reading and made the bad decision of shutting it down. Shows the contempt they have for us fans who attend Purfleet.

 

From memory there wasnt anything bad on there criticising the promotion so dont understand it all really. We live in a democracy we are allowed freedom of speech and to disagree with the promotion on certain matters.

 

Hopefully an unofficial lakeside fans forum will be created maybe Phil the Ace could sort it for us!!

[E I Addio]

Perhaps all will be explained at the forthcoming Fans Forum in Orsett..............................................................then again, maybe not.

 

It's no secret that Jon Cook considered the Forum as a pain in the neck, to my knowledge he never posted on it although several of the Lakeside "staff" may or may not have on his behalf! Without genuine reason, it seems rather strange to close a long-standing forum because Facebook/Twitter are better?

The notice on the old fans forum site concludes by saying " we look forward to you joining us on Facebook and Twitter if you are not already there" so it hardly seems to be some kind of clandestine escape.

 

To be fair some of the vitriolic abuse hurled at Neil Vatcher for example in the months before he left by one or two posters really was beyond the pale, totally exceeding constructive criticism.

 

As has been said , there's nothing to stop fans starting there own forum . Let's hope the poster who went under the name of Joyful John will start his own forum and then he can sit at home making his stupid comments to his hearts content.

[liam]

If anyone does start one up let me know where to sign up. Joyful John was not a Lakeside supporter just someone winding people up non stop.

[Tsunami]

The notice on the old fans forum site concludes by saying " we look forward to you joining us on Facebook and Twitter if you are not already there" so it hardly seems to be some kind of clandestine escape.

 

To be fair some of the vitriolic abuse hurled at Neil Vatcher for example in the months before he left by one or two posters really was beyond the pale, totally exceeding constructive criticism.

 

As has been said , there's nothing to stop fans starting there own forum . Let's hope the poster who went under the name of Joyful John will start his own forum and then he can sit at home making his stupid comments to his hearts content.

Disgraceful giving the likes of Neil, and similarly John Sampford at Rye House, such stick. These sort of guys have given great service to the sport, and continue to do so. Folks on forums criticising them, are probably not fit to lace their boots up and done fukc all to help the sport.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Tsunami

[The Voice Of Reason]

With all due respect, I would not have deemed anything said previously on the Lakeside Forum about Neil as 'vitriolic'.

 

E I Adio clearly has his own interpretation of that particular word that I (and maybe others) would certainly not share.

 

Neil did come in for negative comments - most of it justified, for a number of poor decisions. Moreover, during his tenure at Lakeside's Team Manager, it's fair to say that he presided over the worst level of performance from the team than at any time during the Douglas/Cook era. His subsequent 'Sword of Damocles' no doubt being some of his comments via the programme notes.

 

At the end of the day, and having been a manager for the majority of my working life, you are judged upon levels of performance; and what your team deliver upon. And in today's world, like it or lump it, the manager ultimately has to take the final responsibility - particularly during ongoing periods of abject failure.

[marko]

I stopped using the Lakeside forum a couple of seasons ago, at that point it was just the same few contributing to it plus those that had a one sided view which was always negative and never pointed out any of the positive stuff, I don't mind people having a moan, you pays your money etc but I think some were very lapsed supporters and no longer went or were fans of other teams just trying to act as antagonists.

Jon I don't think has ever been a fan of them because of this minority element, negativity breeds negativity, you only need to spend 5 minutes on here to see that.

[liam]

I stopped using the Lakeside forum a couple of seasons ago, at that point it was just the same few contributing to it plus those that had a one sided view which was always negative and never pointed out any of the positive stuff, I don't mind people having a moan, you pays your money etc but I think some were very lapsed supporters and no longer went or were fans of other teams just trying to act as antagonists.

Jon I don't think has ever been a fan of them because of this minority element, negativity breeds negativity, you only need to spend 5 minutes on here to see that.

I have to agree the last year or two it did become a bit like that with a few people just posting negative stuff about riders and the promotion regardless of what happened.

[liam]

I stopped using the Lakeside forum a couple of seasons ago, at that point it was just the same few contributing to it plus those that had a one sided view which was always negative and never pointed out any of the positive stuff, I don't mind people having a moan, you pays your money etc but I think some were very lapsed supporters and no longer went or were fans of other teams just trying to act as antagonists.

Jon I don't think has ever been a fan of them because of this minority element, negativity breeds negativity, you only need to spend 5 minutes on here to see that.

I have to agree the last year or two it did become a bit like that with a few people just posting negative stuff about riders and the promotion regardless of what happened.