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Belle Vue 2017


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Danny Smith, on 04 Feb 2017 - 11:03 AM, said:

Tony Rice looks like a man with his hands in a lot of pies and certainly not short of capital.

Robin Southwell isn't short of a bob or two either.

 

Looks like the perfect match to take the Belle Vue project forward without any threats to it's future at all

 

Only positives can come out of this and this pair will certainly rattle Ford's cage. Belle Vue are back :t:

 

Well done Buster in getting shot of the previous pair of calamity morons

Whilst I may have some issues with what went on last season, you have to give Gordon and Morton some respect for finally delivering the NSS. Although I honestly believe that what went wrong was not entirely their fault. We will probably never get the complete truth as to the goings on, however, we now have to forget the past and concentrate on the present and, more importantly, help make sure the Aces (and all other teams) never have to go through a period of uncertainty again.

 

Yeh BV are back mate, As for rattling Matts cage, im not sure that will happen, but I think you are a little wide of the mark in calling the others morons. :nono:

Starman -Your totally correct in Gordon and Morton being wrongly labelled morons.

 

Now another thought.

 

Buster appears to have done the best possible in ensuring all the declared starters finally come to the 2017 starting tapes. However, as much as I admire his efforts over the closed season, I still firmly believe, as I have done for the past 30 years, that speedway needs someone at the top who has not got any vested interest in the sport.

 

Whether the promoters would accept an arrangement like this is doubtful in my eyes. John Berry tried in the mid 80's and was out within a very short period of time. OK, JB had the ability to rattle cages, but he was a very astute promoter. Nobody, me included, likes to be told what to do in certain circumstances, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet, even if you don't like it.

 

Mike Parker appeared on the scene in 1959 and shook up the establishment (National League). The outcome in 1965 gave speedway stability, even though some promoters had reservations and it prospered. For the good of speedway, they bit the bullet and worked together. Understandably, a promoter, quite rightly, who puts his money in will not like an outside interference, but even though they probably know what is wrong, they don't go the whole hog to sort it out. Instead they tinker with small issues and incur the wrath of us; the supporters.

 

What do you think Starman

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Ultimately the owner.......the rider signs a contract with the club, therefore the owner of the club is the signatory on the contract by default.

OK - so presumably the owner also pays the bond money to the BSPA?

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It appears to me that a lot more is to be revealed about the happenings at Belle Vue 2016.

 

The Forum seems to be split between the members who think that Gordon and Morton are totally blameless, and others suggesting the total opposite.

 

Interestingly the British Final venue for 2017 has yet to be declared.

 

The big problem with calling the Stadium the NSS, is that it works fine in football where all the clubs are quite happy to have all the big matches played there, whereas Speedway promoters like them shared out amongst them all.

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It appears to me that a lot more is to be revealed about the happenings at Belle Vue 2016.

 

The Forum seems to be split between the members who think that Gordon and Morton are totally blameless, and others suggesting the total opposite.

 

Interestingly the British Final venue for 2017 has yet to be declared.

 

The big problem with calling the Stadium the NSS, is that it works fine in football where all the clubs are quite happy to have all the big matches played there, whereas Speedway promoters like them shared out amongst them all.

 

That's understandable, however the same promoters should remember that without the fans their would be no speedway, so if they want big events they should ensure that the racing provided encourages fans to turn up.

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Yes.

Well there you go - after about 50 years I'm starting to get the hang of it!

Sounds like promoters can clear off without incurring too many liabilities, certainly compared with the liabilities potentially incurred by club owners, who sound as though they are highly reliant on promoters to be responsible and do their job properly - and vice-versa.

Surprised there isn't a club owners' equivalent of BSPA, unless there is already.

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It appears to me that a lot more is to be revealed about the happenings at Belle Vue 2016.

 

The Forum seems to be split between the members who think that Gordon and Morton are totally blameless, and others suggesting the total opposite.

 

Interestingly the British Final venue for 2017 has yet to be declared.

 

The big problem with calling the Stadium the NSS, is that it works fine in football where all the clubs are quite happy to have all the big matches played there, whereas Speedway promoters like them shared out amongst them all.

 

I don't think it is as black and white or polarised as you suggest. I don't think that many of those who feel some sympathy and gratitude to Gordon and Morton for getting the stadium built would claim they are entirely blameless, in fact haven't they themselves said that mistakes were made. Equally, I think that many of those who condemned them at the time of the opening meeting and when their licences were withdrawn can now accept that at least some of their problems were made much worse by the failure by others to ensure that the terracing on the back straight was built and the construction problems on the 3rd and 4th bends.

 

What I do find appalling, if true, is that other promoters were working against them as early as when the British Final tickets went on sale in April or May and that, so far as we know, the BSPA did nothing about it. Why try to harm another promotion, how does that sort of attitude help the sport? It certainly fuels suspicions many Belle Vue fans had about the attitude of some members of the BSPA after the it was nothing to do with us, it was all Belle Vue's fault and has done great damage to the sport, press release made immediately following the disasterous opening meeting and before any investigation and before all the facts were known.

 

Yes, the full story of what really happened last year needs to be told, whether it will is another matter. However, the main thing now is to get the new promotion in place and for those who feel threatened by the NSS to realise that this showpiece stadium and brilliant race track are vital to the success of the sport nationwide. Let's also hope that Swindon can soon join the NSS as 21st century stadiums and templates for what is needed for the sport we all love to move forward and grow.

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So with the MCC funding the NSS project, does that actually mean the people of Manchester ie the residents/rate payers actually paid for it and own it?

 

If so I didn't realise that rents and rates were so high?!

 

OR did MCC manage to acquire funding from Europe and/or the Saudis to make it happen?!

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The original papers make it fairly clear what the funding process was.

 

Step 1: council borrows money (from Public works Loan Board or on open market)

Step 2: stadium built (give or take a third bend/back straight stand)

Step 3: council pays interest on borrowings which it finances from rental income for stadium

 

hence the rent being so high.

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What ever happened last year was a disaster and maybe in time we will find out what really happened.

But whatever happened i will be forever greatful to Gordon and Morton who's hard work over 10 years resulted in achiveing their dream and giving us Belle vue /speedway fans the best speedway stadium in the country.Belle vue had no future at the run down dog track and its looking like it cost them a good few quid to keep it running for 10 years and it was only a matter of time before we lost the club.It maybe would have been lost years ago without the dream of the new stadium to keep them going.

Getting the stadium built has resulted in a good few people wanting to take on the promotion and keep the club running.So yes what ever was to blame they cocked up running the club in the new stadium,but their efforts in getting the stadium built in the long run has saved the club and given us a chance of a future be it under a new promotion.Lets just hope that the new promoters can run the stadium to its full potential and give the club a long future.

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Perhaps if Philip Rising and the Speedway Star would print their investigation regarding the issues surrounding the stadium and MCC we may get some way towards understanding what really happened and if it is true that other promoters or even the BSPA were working against Belle Vue then the Star could investigate that as a follow up.

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Maybe someone could name the clubs that wouldn't sell tickets for the British Final.

Exactly why Speedway needs a CEO to run "British Speedway PLC"....

 

All marketing, merchandising, advertising etc etc under the umbrella of one organisation..

 

Maybe the guys involved now with the NSS who seem to have quite a 'business pedigree' can influence such changes one day?...

 

It will be interesting to hear their views after a few months of dealing with many of the current Promoters given the level of leadership they will have been used to discussing things with in the past..

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It appears to me that a lot more is to be revealed about the happenings at Belle Vue 2016.

 

The Forum seems to be split between the members who think that Gordon and Morton are totally blameless, and others suggesting the total opposite.

 

Interestingly the British Final venue for 2017 has yet to be declared.

 

The big problem with calling the Stadium the NSS, is that it works fine in football where all the clubs are quite happy to have all the big matches played there, whereas Speedway promoters like them shared out amongst them all.

WE are still waiting for legal clearance for Speedway Star to publish its story of what actually took place regarding the NSS, Manchester City Council, the construction company ISG and David Gordon and Chris Morton last year. We have now been promised a statement from Roger Williams, Media Lead, at MCC but so far it has not been forthcoming. Sooner (hopefully) or later we will publish and while Messrs Gordon and Morton are not totally blameless, they were certainly not responsible for all the faults with bends 3 and 4 on the track which ultimately caused the cancellation of the opening meeting and the postponement of others immediately afterwards which subsequently caused grave financial difficulties,

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If, IF, some clubs refused to promote and sell tickets for the British Final, then unless attitudes change VERY quickly I see no future for British Speedway as we know it.

If promotors cannot cooperate and actually be active in supporting an event such as the British Final, then there is no hope.

I would certainly like to here from the promotors as to why they felt they should not actively support the sale of British Final tickets. Doubt I will see an explanation though.

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