The Curious Case Of The Invisible Chairman.

[KevH]

Given the label you've given Jon Cook in your post below, can we take it as read that you won't be attending the Lakeside Hammers Fans Forum at the Orsett Hall Hotel on Feb 18 at 7.30pm? Pity as you could have questioned him and introduced yourself to me at the same time.

 

 

Making absolutely sure of your free entry during 2016, are you?

[Daniel Smith]

Back in October, after the AGM we learned that there was to be a heatleader list but no details were given of who was on it or how riders were selected. We subsequently had a full interview with the new BSPA chairman Buster Chapman telling us how he was going to put British Speedwáy back on the map but all he said about the heatleader list was, well, not much. Now normally it's the chairmanship job, or at least a senior executive to explain such things but in the event Jon Cook, who is not even on the MC these days was wheeled out to give an interview to SS, and still not a word from the Chairman.

Then when the Lakeside team is named we suddenly discover there is to be some sort of squad system, but no details are given, still no statement from from the BSPA and in particular not a word from the chairman, who by all accounts is not even keeping his own fans informed about his own team building.

Now in this weeks SS we find Jon Cook is wheeled out again to explain where we are with the squad system. Alright, the full details are not yet finalised but at least we have an idea what's going on, but once again why did this information about a pretty radical change to team building not come from the Chairman?

Now we come to the interesting part. Despite all we heard from the Chairman about all he is going to do for Speedwáy we now discover that the squad system is the brainchild of.....you've guessed it Matt Ford.

Is it just me or is there a feeling of deja vu about all this , a proposal by Matt Ford being adopted with very little input or comment from the Chairman . Or, to put it another way round, who actually is in charge at the BSPA ?

Let's get one thing clear, and Buster had made note of it his press release.

 

The rules for 2016 were cleared by the previous chairman and if he was in charge he would have dealt with the 2016 rules differently.

 

He said in a radio interview that 2016 was a write off and is working on plans for 2017 already to get ahead of the game.

 

So, in that respect, why would he come out and clarify a situation that was rubber stamped BEFORE he was chairman.

 

Saying that, it has been abysmal that for the coming season we (his own clubs bread & butter supporter's) have been left in the dark.

[liam]

Ahhhhhh, now things are falling into place.

 

What young Matthew wants, Matthew gets. Actually, I can imagine quite of lot of irksome, spoilt children residing down in sunny Dorset. It's that kind of snobby place.

 

And who better than to grasp the nettle and be Poole's very own guinea pig - Essex's very own 'mouth on a stick' - Mr Cook.

 

As for the whereabouts of Mr Chapman........not having been seen since October 2015. Well, you know about that time, the nights were drawing in pretty quickly; and it's a nightmare at Kings Lynn when you have a major power failure due to ermmm, a blown fuse.

 

Let's just hope that he wasn't residing inside the Lakeside Forum when it was obliterated the other night. Did anyone do a roll call to make sure nobody was still inside...........maybe we need to ask that question on Facebook or Twatter!?

 

Meanwhile, the theme tune of the EL BSPA Members plays on to a 'happy-clappy' crowd.

 

You was praising Cook on the Lakeside forum last week for bringing back Swiderski and trying to resolve the problem of guests and now he's a mouth on a stick ha. Edited February 5, 2016 by liam

[woodenspoon]

If it will be run as fairly as the Fast Track Reserves was, and still is, (I do not think) It will not stand much of a chance from the off, apart from Poole with all their assets. As has been said speedway is actually run by Matt Ford and his stooge Cook, and all the other promoters just nod their heads in agreement.

[The Voice Of Reason]

Below?

Edited February 6, 2016 by The Voice Of Reason

[heathen chemistry]

here we go again another bspa cock up..why is it cook releasing this. where is buster.. yet another forced fiddle . cook is a hypocrit recently he was saying squads will not work over here due to logistics . cost . and simply not enuf riders. wonder how big his brown envelope from ford was this time..

[Pinny]

The whole sport in the country is a mess.

 

The crowds have been dropping off alarmingly since they started pissing about with the points limit and then of course that pathetic grading system idea that they brought in.

 

Every EL club back in 02/03 was getting 1000 as a bare minimum, now probably only poole clear that easily on a weekly basis.

 

Its time a fixed race night was given and a decent points limit. Get the top boys back.

 

Im sorry but i cant ever see the crowds flocking back unless the gp stars do. Give the fans the olden heat 13/15s. Iversen and Pedersen vs Woffinden and Pawlicki. Jonsson and Hancock vs Janowski and Holder. Etc ...

 

Instead of bloody Walasek and Wozniak Vs batchelor and lambert.

 

It may be easier said than done, and my opinion being of zero financial danger to myself, but something has to be done.

 

I remember the days when any hot prospect in europe would appear over here to start their careers. Cegielski, andersen, nicki p, bjarne p, mli, zagar, lindback etc. now they dont wanna know and you have crap like Woryna at coventry filling team places.

 

Drastic, massive improvements need to be made for 2017 otherwise apart from poole, there will be crowds of 2-300 a week for the other clubs.

[mikebv]

 

Of course its deja vu.

 

What Ford wants, Cook will run around like a lap dog to deliver.... then E I will try and paint a rosy picture of the corrupt goings on.

 

Chapman has zero chance of improving the sport, he simply won't be allowed too and will be undermined at every available opportunity.

Quotes from the Speedway Star interview with Jon Cook..

 

"you could have a foreign four point rider, they wouldn't be someone of huge stature at the moment"..

 

In the past haven't we had several 'four point foreigners' who were not of 'huge stature' at the time, yet every fan looked at their overseas record and said "never a four point man, more like a six"...

 

Yet they seemed to end up over here, often earning 'heat leader money' and delivering, at least, two points on their average...

 

Off the top of my head, cannot think which team seemed to always have an 'expensive four point superstar of the future' in their team...!

 

Answers on a postcard to etc etc etc

Edited February 6, 2016 by mikebv

[beckettlion]

Ok , its confession time.

I only started the thread to get a few bites. Just goes to show that you only need to cobble any old conspiracy theory together, then sprinkle the magic words Cook, Ford and BSPA , then the old red mist comes up and it all kicks off.

Gave me a chuckle anyway. Sorry guys I won't do it again (well, not for a few months anyway)

Ever considered making a career as a fisherman? Think you've had a decent haul!

[liam]

Well done Matt Ford if the squad was his idea, all everyone moans about is the number of guest so fair play for trying to do something about it. Also well done Jon Cook for getting a squad together and doing his best to try make sure Lakeside don't have guests and R/R every week. You can slag them off all you like but at least they are having ago at sorting some of the problems out rather than sitting on there backsides having another season of the same old rubbish.

[Bagpuss]

I agree about the need for fewer guests and R/R, but better communication from the BSPA should be a basic requirement. We should already be knowing about it from the governing body before team(s) start announcing extra riders. It really shouldn't be difficult.

[liam]

I agree about the need for fewer guests and R/R, but better communication from the BSPA should be a basic requirement. We should already be knowing about it from the governing body before team(s) start announcing extra riders. It really shouldn't be difficult.

Agree 100% but that's not down to Ford and Cook.

[KIRKYLANE]

The withdrawal of some top class riders who have decided to leave GB is forcing the BSPA's hands and as we can see a squad system is developing.

 

Personally , i am against a squad system as it will benefit the better off promotions.

[BANANAMAN]

KIRKYLANE, on 07 Feb 2016 - 10:45 AM, said:

The withdrawal of some top class riders who have decided to leave GB is forcing the BSPA's hands and as we can see a squad system is developing.

 

Personally , i am against a squad system as it will benefit the better off promotions.

Whichever team you support the time the haves outnumber the have nots its a disaster waiting to happen. The two ,possibly three clubs who have the financial clout will have a three team tournament every week !!

[heathen chemistry]

it will still be the same old rubbish ...injuries happen to most teams and an extra rider in a squad wont help .wat hapoens wen that rider gets injured. is another one going to be available straight away . this is just another stupid rule brought in so that one promoter can use and bend to there advantage . it really is clutching at straws . the way to get the top riders over here is to invest in the track surface quality etc strive to have the best race tracks in the world to attract the riders. cook should change his bame to cock

[liam]

it will still be the same old rubbish ...injuries happen to most teams and an extra rider in a squad wont help .wat hapoens wen that rider gets injured. is another one going to be available straight away . this is just another stupid rule brought in so that one promoter can use and bend to there advantage . it really is clutching at straws . the way to get the top riders over here is to invest in the track surface quality etc strive to have the best race tracks in the world to attract the riders. cook should change his bame to cock

What is the difference between the track surface and quality over here compared to everywhere else? You do know it's not Cook's decision alone to introduce squads so I guess they must all be cocks but if it reduces the amount of guests and R/R at Lakeside Iam all for it. Edited February 8, 2016 by liam

[Shale Searcher]

Track surfaces need constant attention on race days. You're either trying to get moisture into the track to help it bind, to aid grip or you're constantly trying to dry the bloody thing out!!

Alot of tracks don't have as much access to the track on race day as they should have, and track surfaces show that, with inconsistencies all over the place... And then on the odd day the weather is foul a few days before A meeting, with only a small amount of precipitation on race day, you sometimes get a blinder of a race track!!!

[A ORLOV]

Track surfaces need constant attention on race days. You're either trying to get moisture into the track to help it bind, to aid grip or you're constantly trying to dry the bloody thing out!!

Alot of tracks don't have as much access to the track on race day as they should have, and track surfaces show that, with inconsistencies all over the place... And then on the odd day the weather is foul a few days before A meeting, with only a small amount of precipitation on race day, you sometimes get a blinder of a race track!!!

Which is why one race day in the uk will not be ideal as many tracks share with dog racing which takes place on nearly every day if the week and with those with meetings in the afternoon track preparation on race day can be limited.

[double_O]

Which is why one race day in the uk will not be ideal as many tracks share with dog racing which takes place on nearly every day if the week and with those with meetings in the afternoon track preparation on race day can be limited.

 

But Belle Vue, Coventry, Lakeside, Leicester and Kings Lynn don't have greyhounds.

 

Swindon and Poole don't currently have greyhounds on their racenights.

 

Wolves do have a greyhound meeting on Mondays pm but rarely have a problem with track preparation.

[A ORLOV]

 

But Belle Vue, Coventry, Lakeside, Leicester and Kings Lynn don't have greyhounds.

 

Swindon and Poole don't currently have greyhounds on their racenights.

 

Wolves do have a greyhound meeting on Mondays pm but rarely have a problem with track preparation.

Swindon does race on a thursday when there is no dog racing and Poole on a wednesday, but Swindon has greyhound racing on monday afternoons, and as per my post, can restrict track prep for a sky meeting which is usually monday, not a major issue unless it rains heavily on the monday afternoon, and who knows what single or couple of days the league may race on in the future.