Rye House 2017

[Ben91]

The problem with win at all costs is when you get the bill.

 

It just becomes a bunch of mercenaries, not a team.

 

I still cherish the Rockets' first league title back in 1980. I'd seen that team found and grown by the club, not just signed from whoever had been dropped by another team as part of a constant merry-go-round. That was real success. We knew the team as friends.

 

Progress?

 

Extra thought. The team that we had in 1999, the nomadic 'comeback' year will always be special to me. We were all up against it, fighting a league admin who didn't want us, fighting off the onlookers who wrote off our chances of running at all, seeing the white rocket on gold and blue halves back on track (if only that were the case today - heritage thrown away for corporate insensitivity) and just glad the club was once more alive.

 

We didn't win the league though so I guess we were failures.

 

Winning isn't everything and can be bought. Integrity is and can't be. .

 

The race jacket design is irrelevant. I was a fan of the 'traditional' design but you have to move with the times. Man Utd don't play in the same kit they had when they were founded for example.

 

Speedway is still a sport ultimately and fans want to see a winning team. The promotion are trying to give them that whether you agree with the changes or not (I'm not convinced). Having a happy to be here attitude doesn't have a place at the highest level of a sport.

[Rayleigh]

3.68 away average for a number 1 says it all and that's when hes available and not long tracking or what ever (oh and don't forget the great home rider bombed in heat 13 and 15 in the big boys races in our home defeat against Belle Vue). Sedgman won three heats AT Kings Lynn this year. How can this be a crap decision?

Im fed up of having a team of "nice riders" who fold like a pack of cards away time and time again

[DC2]

 

What average is Barker coming in on? Can't see that he fits with Sedgie!

[kingbee]

BMR and changes seem to bite them in the rear end, they changed from VW to Subaru in the BTCC, what a disaster that has been, Barker for Kennett is even worse, there's more to that than is common knowledge, one is a 100% Team man, immaculate machinery, great Team around him, and good at helping other Riders, and the other is ?

Barker and Harris in the team spells trouble it did at Coventry ask Scott

[RobMcCaffery]

 

The race jacket design is irrelevant. I was a fan of the 'traditional' design but you have to move with the times. Man Utd don't play in the same kit they had when they were founded for example.

 

Speedway is still a sport ultimately and fans want to see a winning team. The promotion are trying to give them that whether you agree with the changes or not (I'm not convinced). Having a happy to be here attitude doesn't have a place at the highest level of a sport.

No, heritage counts for a lot of people. Maybe not you. Where would Belle Vue have been without the bl;ack ace of clubs on red and white. Wimbledon's iconic yellow star on red was another great example.

 

"You have to move with the times" is a glib comment to make. On that basis there's no point trying to rescue speedway is there? Much easier to say 'time's moved on' and let it die, eh?

 

It's about the spirit of the club, as supporters in other sports have amply proven, such as Cardiff City F.C.

 

Just blindly (lazily?) accepting bad change is as foolish as resisting all change..

 

Sometimes it's the little things that matter. Terry Russell was quoted a while back as saying that the mistake he made when moving Crayford into Hackney was changing the name to Kestrels instead of using Hawks. I know the effect it had on people. My wife was a Hackney Hawks fan but would have nothing to do with Hackney Kestrels (or Leyton Buzzards as she termed them). If it wasn't for me she would never have attended another match.

 

I wasn't happy about Ron Russell messing with the design but at least we kept our colours. Like BMR he said he wanted to get away from Len Silver's design. Except it wasn't his - it went back twenty years before Len re-opened Rayleigh in 1968.

 

'Moving with the times' is no substitute for switching the brain on.

 

The Rockets' colours were white rocket on blue and gold for 67 years, going right back to the first open licence season at Rayleigh. Sometimes little things count. Of course they don't for some, but I've observed some great speedway promotions over the years and they all had one thing in common, they got the little extra details right as well as the basics.

 

Imagine telling an Arsenal football fan that the club colours were changing to white or blue. I can assure you there wouldn't be that many fools blithely saying "we must move with the times".

Edited July 4, 2017 by Rob McCaffery

[The Doctor...]

 

The Rockets' colours were white rocket on blue and gold for 67 years, going right back to the first open licence season at Rayleigh. Sometimes little things count. Of course they don't for some, but I've observed some great speedway promotions over the years and they all had one thing in common, they got the little extra details right as well as the basics.

 

Imagine telling an Arsenal football fan that the club colours were changing to white or blue. I can assure you there wouldn't be that many fools blithely saying "we must move with the times".

 

You've blocked me Rob, but i'm an Arsenal season ticket holder for many years and our badge has changed which much consternation years back.

 

It was agreed generally that it was to "move with the times" as you put it. A change of kit colour is ludicrous and of course wouldn't happen as such.

 

Can you or anyone post a link to the racejacket changes that have perplexed you so much.

[royal]

BMR and changes seem to bite them in the rear end, they changed from VW to Subaru in the BTCC, what a disaster that has been, Barker for Kennett is even worse, there's more to that than is common knowledge, one is a 100% Team man, immaculate machinery, great Team around him, and good at helping other Riders, and the other is ?

You mean like at Kings Lynn when Rob Branford obviously had machine issues ? Scott and Bomber were helping him try to sort it during the whole meeting, whilst the 100% team man and skipper just sat in his chair in the corner ?

Last year there were all kinds of rumours flying around that there would be no speedway at Rye House this year. Not only have we got speedway, we are now in the top league and we have Bomber riding for us. Crowds are way up, remember the final years of Lens reign ?

Yes, BMR are new to the game, mistakes will be made, but just go back a year or three. I will take what we have any day of the week.

[Rayleigh]

Well said royal, no, I don't like the logo but I suspect Hackney, Crayford, Exeter, Canterbury, Wimbledon, Reading, Newport, Bristol, Boston, Norwich, Southampton, Weymouth etc etc fans would reluctantly change their logo to have their team racing again.

[cityrebel]

So you'd take one meeting a month in a tip of a 'stadium' that is not fit for purpose. Sometimes the gaps between home meetings are so Big, I forget the place even exists. God help us if we get a couple of rain offs.

[royal]

So you'd take one meeting a month in a tip of a 'stadium' that is not fit for purpose. Sometimes the gaps between home meetings are so Big, I forget the place even exists. God help us if we get a couple of rain offs.

A "tip" of a stadium is better than no stadium, my first love was the Reading Racers, when I lived there, and how is that team and stadium these days? I would dispute your description about our stadium, its getting better. I agree with the comment about too few matches, but there are plenty of threads about that on this forum already.

[tocha]

I assume it will be his Redcar average, 7.21 whilst Sedgmen will be on his outgoing average from Belle Vue, 5.48. Since the Premiership can now only re-declare at a maximum of 42 this team change doesn't appear to work as it comes out at 42.95.

 

Ruling:

Supplementary Regulation - SR1705

Classification of Speedway Regulation Art 18.7.3

Team Composition

18.7.3 For the SGB Premiership ONLY, it must not exceed 42.00 points in any declaration following the issue of established CMA for 2017, except where the MA of the introduced rider is equal to, or lower than the rider being replaced.

[startline sid]

You mean like at Kings Lynn when Rob Branford obviously had machine issues ? Scott and Bomber were helping him try to sort it during the whole meeting, whilst the 100% team man and skipper just sat in his chair in the corner ?

Last year there were all kinds of rumours flying around that there would be no speedway at Rye House this year. Not only have we got speedway, we are now in the top league and we have Bomber riding for us. Crowds are way up, remember the final years of Lens reign ?

Yes, BMR are new to the game, mistakes will be made, but just go back a year or three. I will take what we have any day of the week.

 

well said glad to see I wasn't the only person to see what was going on at KL - the writing was on the wall then (also noted he packed his things into van and did not even watch heat 15. There is a lot more to this story than people realise (even going back to last season after the Scunthorpe away match) - just how many chances do you give to someone?

[Najjer]

 

I assume it will be his Redcar average, 7.21 whilst Sedgmen will be on his outgoing average from Belle Vue, 5.48. Since the Premiership can now only re-declare at a maximum of 42 this team change doesn't appear to work as it comes out at 42.95.

 

Ruling:

Supplementary Regulation - SR1705

Classification of Speedway Regulation Art 18.7.3

Team Composition

18.7.3 For the SGB Premiership ONLY, it must not exceed 42.00 points in any declaration following the issue of established CMA for 2017, except where the MA of the introduced rider is equal to, or lower than the rider being replaced.

 

 

Barker will be on a converted average from the Championship, not exactly the same.

[startline sid]

3.68 away average for a number 1 says it all and that's when hes available and not long tracking or what ever (oh and don't forget the great home rider bombed in heat 13 and 15 in the big boys races in our home defeat against Belle Vue). Sedgman won three heats AT Kings Lynn this year. How can this be a crap decision?

Im fed up of having a team of "nice riders" who fold like a pack of cards away time and time again

 

well said also Ben Barker is an out and out RACER who never gives up (just what we need at this point in the season) -

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

 

I assume it will be his Redcar average, 7.21 whilst Sedgmen will be on his outgoing average from Belle Vue, 5.48. Since the Premiership can now only re-declare at a maximum of 42 this team change doesn't appear to work as it comes out at 42.95.

 

Ruling:

Supplementary Regulation - SR1705

Classification of Speedway Regulation Art 18.7.3

Team Composition

18.7.3 For the SGB Premiership ONLY, it must not exceed 42.00 points in any declaration following the issue of established CMA for 2017, except where the MA of the introduced rider is equal to, or lower than the rider being replaced.

conversion being used seems to 1.2 so Barker on 6

[SCB]

 

well said also Ben Barker is an out and out RACER who never gives up (just what we need at this point in the season) -

And just wait fir the first Barker last place or being passed in a race. Listen to him shout at himself and hit bikes. The guy hates losing! If only all riders did!

[martinmauger]

Well said royal, no, I don't like the logo but I suspect Hackney, Crayford, Exeter, Canterbury, Wimbledon, Reading, Newport, Bristol, Boston, Norwich, Southampton, Weymouth etc etc fans would reluctantly change their logo to have their team racing again.

At Hull in 2003 the Viking Head was changed to an, er, different design. Non-speedway folk I showed it to commented it "looks nothing like a Viking and anyway, waht is is supposed to be?". The Viking returned pronto in 2004, deep joy - see my (albeit personalised) avatar, and gold was added in 2005 to commemorate winning the treble....

Edited July 4, 2017 by Martin Mauger

[tocha]

conversion being used seems to 1.2 so Barker on 6

If that's the case good. I couldn't find any ruling so just used the example of Ricky Wells who came in to replace Davey Watt on his current MA for Edinburgh at that time.

[stevebrum]

If that's the case good. I couldn't find any ruling so just used the example of Ricky Wells who came in to replace Davey Watt on his current MA for Edinburgh at that time.

Wells came in on his current championship average, like all championship riders did.

Now they have dropped the 1.4 conversion and dropped the 50 point team building limit to 42 they have also altered the conversion rate for riders from the championship joining a top flight club.

[Rayleigh]

 

well said glad to see I wasn't the only person to see what was going on at KL - the writing was on the wall then (also noted he packed his things into van and did not even watch heat 15. There is a lot more to this story than people realise (even going back to last season after the Scunthorpe away match) - just how many chances do you give to someone?

 

Interesting comments from Startline Sid who I have always found a sensible and balanced person.

 

I missed the Kings Lynn situation but at Swindon he ran in two pathetic last places then decided to come from last to first whooping Nick Morris in the process, then produced another tailed off at the back race. Immediately we went to the pits where my friend was going to offer him a sizable cheque to score double figures away from home but he was packed up and gone and thats the captain, also Batchelor (guest not team member) was still having his photo taken with fans.