TMW Posted October 8, 2016 Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 Well, hopefully I shall try the place out again tonight but if it is as dismal as when I went a few weeks ago, then this will be my last visit for the foreseeable future. Sadly, my dog, Sgt Bash can't make it tonight so I shall be all on my own and I shall be supporting the Isle of Wight Warriors as I like the cut of their jib. I bet Chris Widman is hoping to bang in a few points! Be seeing you. Apparently I saw red flags where there weren't any. Lol !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete cc Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Apparently I saw red flags where there weren't any. Lol !! I think that we all make mistakes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 more people attending than I expected. At least I've met my objective.. I'd forgotten how poor the lighting is generally (track and stadium) feared the worst when the power went.. wasn't a surprise to anyone which says it all really.. div 3 is their only option with the current infrastructure, and I should say they would be better off staging afternoon meetings..lessens the chance of abandonments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted October 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 didn't see you there? well at one stage i couldn't see anybody in the dark Yes, I was there! Well, I stayed for 6 heats until the generator packed up and all the lights went out. I did notice the lights coming back on after 20 minutes or so, but by that time I had had enough of this shambles and was heading for the exit gate. Firstly, the positive bits from last night - Stoke got a much needed win and I had a chat with some very nice Isle of Wight supporters who were passionate about their speedway and had travelled up in reasonable numbers for their two fixtures up in the Frozen North. Secondly, the rather longer lists of negative bits - the "crowd" was extremely poor numbering no more than a couple of hundred. Even the hugely supportive dogs failed to turn up for this one. For some reason, there was absolutely no lighting in the spectator bits of the stadium and people were relying on the light coming out of the bar windows to fill in their programmes. People were coming into the stadium and navigating to their chosen vantage points in virtual darkness. The track lighting only flickered into life a couple of minutes before racing started. As far as I am aware, there was absolutely no music played before or during the 6 heats that I witnessed. There was no rider presentation and no build up to the event at all. I have been to funerals with better atmospheres than this. There was a total power failure after 6 heats when the Joseph Lucas (The Prince of Darkness) generator gave up the ghost. I believe power was restored after around 20 minutes. After the generator failed at a previous meeting, a promise was made that it would never happen again. The 6 heats of racing that I witnessed were virtually all FTG. Hopefully, the remaining 9 heats were a little more entertaining. Obviously, these are only my thoughts and I am sure other people will have gone who thought it was stunningly fantastic. If someone was to ask me whether I would again travel to Loomer Road and hand over the £13 admission fee, my answer would be - not in this lifetime. Just my opinion, obviously. P.S. Glad you made it, Mike.Butler! I see that a match report has appeared on Stoke's website which contains Malcolm Vasey's thoughts. it would have been nice if the report had contained some apology to the fans (particularly our friends from the Isle of Wight) for making them stand around in total darkness for ages. But no mention is made of this little mishap, so perhaps I imagined it. Be seeing you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 (edited) thanx Little.Thumper - well the announcer did try to generate a little excitement towards the end of the meeting, but overall (racing aside) it was a non-event. The racing did improve after the break and a few 'incidents' kept the interest despite the one-sided score. At the start it felt like I had stumbled into a private function that had been going on for some time and was winding down a bit with most guests already having left (including the DJ). Perhaps this could be marketed as a deliberate strategy at finding a niche market..its certainly an original approach.. The guy in the red cap (ahem) was I thought going to do a turn at one point but sadly not.. I actually enjoyed myself. Edited October 9, 2016 by Mike.Butler 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Yes, I was there! Well, I stayed for 6 heats until the generator packed up and all the lights went out. I did notice the lights coming back on after 20 minutes or so, but by that time I had had enough of this shambles and was heading for the exit gate. Firstly, the positive bits from last night - Stoke got a much needed win and I had a chat with some very nice Isle of Wight supporters who were passionate about their speedway and had travelled up in reasonable numbers for their two fixtures up in the Frozen North. Secondly, the rather longer lists of negative bits - the "crowd" was extremely poor numbering no more than a couple of hundred. Even the hugely supportive dogs failed to turn up for this one. For some reason, there was absolutely no lighting in the spectator bits of the stadium and people were relying on the light coming out of the bar windows to fill in their programmes. People were coming into the stadium and navigating to their chosen vantage points in virtual darkness. The track lighting only flickered into life a couple of minutes before racing started. As far as I am aware, there was absolutely no music played before or during the 6 heats that I witnessed. There was no rider presentation and no build up to the event at all. I have been to funerals with better atmospheres than this. There was a total power failure after 6 heats when the Joseph Lucas (The Prince of Darkness) generator gave up the ghost. I believe power was restored after around 20 minutes. After the generator failed at a previous meeting, a promise was made that it would never happen again. The 6 heats of racing that I witnessed were virtually all FTG. Hopefully, the remaining 9 heats were a little more entertaining. Obviously, these are only my thoughts and I am sure other people will have gone who thought it was stunningly fantastic. If someone was to ask me whether I would again travel to Loomer Road and hand over the £13 admission fee, my answer would be - not in this lifetime. Just my opinion, obviously. P.S. Glad you made it, Mike.Butler! I see that a match report has appeared on Stoke's website which contains Malcolm Vasey's thoughts. it would have been nice if the report had contained some apology to the fans (particularly our friends from the Isle of Wight) for making them stand around in total darkness for ages. But no mention is made of this little mishap, so perhaps I imagined it. Be seeing you. Not sure if you are one that gets about but, if you are, try Isle of Wight next season. The contrast is staggering (although that word doesn't describe it adequately) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Interesting to note that 2 home riders both scored FULL 15 point maximums..I will need to check my records but not sure I've ever seen that before.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted October 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Not sure if you are one that gets about but, if you are, try Isle of Wight next season. The contrast is staggering (although that word doesn't describe it adequately) Thank you, Halifaxtiger, my learned friend. In the past 50 years of watching speedway, I have got about a bit, both in this country and overseas. Many of the venues that I have visited over the years have long since been demolished! In my latest bout of speedway enthusiasm, I must admit that I have confined myself to the Frozen North but after last night's disappointment, I think I shall have to be a little more selective on where I spend my pocket money and try and get to the venues where the supporter is a priority rather than an afterthought. Hopefully, I shall be adding a bigger bike to my stable over the winter so that will give me scope for longer trips. The people I spoke to last night were full of praise for the efforts being made by the Isle of Wight, so I shall do my utmost to get down there. You just keep giving speedway "one more chance" but if you had to witness last night's offering on a regular basis, it would drive you to do something desperate like heavy drinking or taking up fishing. Be careful out there, it's a dangerous world. thanx Little.Thumper - well the announcer did try to generate a little excitement towards the end of the meeting, but overall (racing aside) it was a non-event. The racing did improve after the break and a few 'incidents' kept the interest despite the one-sided score. At the start it felt like I had stumbled into a private function that had been going on for some time and was winding down a bit with most guests already having left (including the DJ). Perhaps this could be marketed as a deliberate strategy at finding a niche market..its certainly an original approach.. The guy in the red cap (ahem) was I thought going to do a turn at one point but sadly not.. I actually enjoyed myself. I'd keep that quiet! They'll be bombarding you with emails asking if you want to buy a season ticket for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMW Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 (edited) I think that we all make mistakes It said so on Updates so that's good enough for me but........Probably too much Red wine....... Edited October 9, 2016 by TMW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesno1 Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Interesting to note that 2 home riders both scored FULL 15 point maximums..I will need to check my records but not sure I've ever seen that before..Bradley Wilson-Dean and Ben Hopwood did it last year at Arlington v Coventry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete cc Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 It said so on Updates so that's good enough for me but........Probably too much Red wine....... No wine for me i'm driving & having to stand behind those who were 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.