King's Lynn Vs Wolverhampton 26/7/2017

[False dawn]

All the Lynn fans want is that he tells it like it is.

This is "Like it is"?

“After the events of a fortnight ago and what happened with the riders I’m petrified about it happening again,” he said. “We had our biggest ever meeting sponsor lined up tonight with corporate entertaining and there’s no way I was going to risk riders arriving and not fancying the conditions again".

Who is in charge? Well this quote seems to settle that argument. When did "Riders not fancying the conditions" determine if a meeting should be called off? If the KL promotion are that much under the will of certain riders, they had better pack it in.

I despair.

[First Bend Bunching]

I agree with previous posts that it will be a big surprise to see Holder back at Kings Lynn.

 

What on earth is going on there though, not so long back Kings Lynn was a very popular and seemingly we'll run club?

Now they can't seem to get the track right, the riders are not happy and I used to be a big fan of buster but why does it always have to be the case that you think the right man is in charge and then he changes and causes so much trouble for himself and the club.

 

In his position he in my opinion should have nothing to do with a club, I'm amazed holder didn't get a 2 month ban the way he speaks about him but with out actually naming holder. What ever you think of what happened last week, if there is one rider who won't risk getting injured is Chris Holder and I can't blame him. He has been effected by Darcy's crash and these bikes don't need any excuse to start lifting in a corner. On a track where the dirt hasn't mixed well and is patchy grippy then slick why go out and risk being out for weeks. Why has it become so hard to get a track right?

 

To come out with the statement why tonight's meeting was cancelled is not very professional, not something the head of British speedway should be coming out with. A way to annoy many riders I'd guess, but these guys want to race speedway not motocross. We as fans want to see racing not riders trying to get round 4 laps without falling off.

 

Sad to see and I feel for kings Lynn fans.

If the promotors feel it's ok to race on then let's see them hop on a bike and do a few laps.

Bikes need changing to a larger flywheel as they used to be to give less revs and more torque, then they will be able to deal with a deeper track and ruts without taking off.

[False dawn]

We as fans want to see racing not riders trying to get round 4 laps without falling off.

 

Sad to see and I feel for kings Lynn fans.

If the promotors feel it's ok to race on then let's see them hop on a bike and do a few laps.

I was there on "Meltdown Thursday". I saw riders racing hard and posting times not seen in many a year (within half a second of Nicki Pedersen's 15 year old track record) before the redial work between heats 8 and 9.

The fans I spoke to all had the same opinion. We had seen much, much worse conditions before and the riders should get on with it. There wasn't a scant regard for safety, the track was safe and there to be ridden.

Edited July 26, 2017 by False dawn

[g13webb]

Cant help thinking, everyone is missing the point here. As an old supporter I can say, we have been privileged to have watched exciting speedway on a brilliant track. Unfortunately them days are long gone... Each and everyone of us have moaned in our time, of the way the track has evolved into a 'gate-go' exercise, where a good gate is enough to ensure a win. Gone are the days when fans wanted their Star riders to miss the gate to initiate brilliant rides from the back. What we have in these recent years is a shadow of the exciting sport it once was.

 

The match against Poole the track was poor. In each of the first 5 Gate / Go races at least 1 rider pulled up. When the track got wet, it became more difficult to race. Heat 6 we had the multi crash where 3 came off. highlighting the difficulty the riders faced. I'm not condoning some riders actions, but this situation of them and us should never have happened.. Its all very well Buster posting all the blame on some riders but he must shoulder part of the blame as well. The whole situation was badly managed, leadership was non-existent and where personalities were the governing factor..

 

The British weather can never be relied upon to be comply with our wishes, so to me it is paramount the track has to be prepared so that it's racable in adverse conditions. Not being a professional trackman, I don't know of all the workings needed or available to produce the ideal raceway, But over the years I watched tractors going round and round, so don't imagine it's too difficult, especially when all the equipment needed is on hand.. Recently, we hear talk that we are using 'Clay based Shale' From a layman, my experience with clay would be a big NO-NO. As soon as Clay become wet it becomes very sticky and sodden, the worse possible covering a race rack would ever want. Once wet it takes forever to dry...

 

We need to get back to the old days when Fans and Riders would come Saddlebow Road and be confident the place would provide the platform they require. and the happenings of two weeks back would never have existed . Probably then the fans would return in the numbers we once enjoyed....

[hammer1969]

Its about time Promoters/Managers got down to doing their jobs and riders got down to riding. There has to be some sort of organisation, obviously with a bit of discussion, but if everyone went to work in any type of job and said "I dont fancy it today" and the boss says "OK" chaos will ensue. Like it or not someone has to be in charge. My personal opinion is that only the Referee should be able to call off the meeting, If its been raining for days and the track is waterlogged/unridable due to weather conditions the Promotion should call the BSPA and ask for an official to inspect the track, or at the very least send photos via email for an official to look at, or if it has been raining during the day of the meeting when the Referee arrives he should make the decision.

 

I appreciate riders and many fans have to travel long distances to meetings but if the weather is that bad us fans do have some common sense (sometimes more than the powers that be) and can make our own decisions. The riders unfortunately will have to accept late call offs as part and parcel of the job that they do. Clear lines must be drawn between employer and employee for everyones sake.

Edited July 27, 2017 by hammer1969

[Aces51]

King's Lynn appear to have been on a downward spiral for the last few years. The track, once renowned for the quality of racing, is now seen as gate and go, riders are unhappy about track preparation and supporters complain about poor communication from the club. Chapman is the man in charge and must accept his share of the blame instead of trying to put all of the blame on others.

 

This same man is Chairman of the BSPA. It doesn't inspire confidence. Would anybody appoint someone not making a success of their own local business to run a national company? He promised by now to have delivered openness and transparency, a new rule book and a league sponsor but has failed to do so. There can be no excuse for not achieving the first two promises and this is a man who now admits to being petrified of rider power. The sport hasn't got the luxury of time to wait and see if he can eventually deliver what is required. Where is the plan to rebuild the sport? Is it yet another secret to be kept away from those who play a vital role in keeping the sport alive, the fans. Does it even exist? Speedway is on life support and fans are not seeing anything to encourage a belief that those in charge even know what many of the problems are, let alone have workable solutions.

 

Perhaps it is time for Chapman to step aside and concentrate on rebuilding his own club. The BSPA need someone with the vision and ability to take the sport forward. If there is nobody within their ranks with those abilities they must acknowledge it and look elsewhere for the right person. That is what any sensible business would do. The basic concept of four riders racing on a well prepared track is as capable now of attracting fans as it has ever been. It is all of the other aspects that need action, the rules, the facilities, the PR, the publicity, the continuity of riders in teams, making fans feel valued etc.

[tellboy]

 

 

The British weather can never be relied upon to be comply with our wishes, so to me it is paramount the track has to be prepared so that it's racable in adverse conditions. Not being a professional trackman, I don't know of all the workings needed or available to produce the ideal raceway, But over the years I watched tractors going round and round, so don't imagine it's too difficult, especially when all the equipment needed is on hand.. Recently, we hear talk that we are using 'Clay based Shale' From a layman, my experience with clay would be a big NO-NO. As soon as Clay become wet it becomes very sticky and sodden, the worse possible covering a race rack would ever want. Once wet it takes forever to dry...

 

 

Thought we used clay based material for a number of years.Especially in the old PL days when we were successful.Didn't hear any complaints then.So using clay based material isn't a NO-NO as it's been proved in the past.

[Perton Wolf]

King's Lynn appear to have been on a downward spiral for the last few years. The track, once renowned for the quality of racing, is now seen as gate and go, riders are unhappy about track preparation and supporters complain about poor communication from the club. Chapman is the man in charge and must accept his share of the blame instead of trying to put all of the blame on others.

 

This same man is Chairman of the BSPA. It doesn't inspire confidence. Would anybody appoint someone not making a success of their own local business to run a national company? He promised by now to have delivered openness and transparency, a new rule book and a league sponsor but has failed to do so. There can be no excuse for not achieving the first two promises and this is a man who now admits to being petrified of rider power. The sport hasn't got the luxury of time to wait and see if he can eventually deliver what is required. Where is the plan to rebuild the sport? Is it yet another secret to be kept away from those who play a vital role in keeping the sport alive, the fans. Does it even exist? Speedway is on life support and fans are not seeing anything to encourage a belief that those in charge even know what many of the problems are, let alone have workable solutions.

 

Perhaps it is time for Chapman to step aside and concentrate on rebuilding his own club. The BSPA need someone with the vision and ability to take the sport forward. If there is nobody within their ranks with those abilities they must acknowledge it and look elsewhere for the right person. That is what any sensible business would do. The basic concept of four riders racing on a well prepared track is as capable now of attracting fans as it has ever been. It is all of the other aspects that need action, the rules, the facilities, the PR, the publicity, the continuity of riders in teams, making fans feel valued etc.

 

 

It's pretty damning that British speedway is effectively being run by the same man who is overseeing such a decline and farce at Kings Lynn. Says it all really.

Edited July 27, 2017 by Perton Wolf

[tellboy]

 

 

It's pretty damning that British speedway is effectively being run by the same man who is overseeing such a decline and farce at Kings Lynn. Says it all really.

At present i don't think it matters who is in charge,their on a hiding to nothing.The decline in British speedway is not solely down to one man i'm afraid.

[waytogo28]

 

 

It's pretty damning that British speedway is effectively being run by the same man who is overseeing such a decline and farce at Kings Lynn. Says it all really.

And that was comment on this post "Perhaps it is time for Chapman to step aside and concentrate on rebuilding his own club. The BSPA need someone with the vision and ability to take the sport forward. If there is nobody within their ranks with those abilities they must acknowledge it and look elsewhere for the right person. That is what any sensible business would do. The basic concept of four riders racing on a well prepared track is as capable now of attracting fans as it has ever been. It is all of the other aspects that need action, the rules, the facilities, the PR, the publicity, the continuity of riders in teams, making fans feel valued etc."

 

If the BSPA are serious about wanting to ( needing to ) re-build the sport then they should be asking Buster to step aside. Fans at KL would love to see something of the "old" earlier, energised Buster rebuilding the Stars as a credible club - at any level within speedway. Because it looks as if ( from the outside and no-one knows what it looks like from the inside ) that no-one there has the vision and leadership needed at club level. It would be easy to get the feeling that the sport will not continue at KL next season.

 

As for those who say "support your club regardless" it is hard to ignore when it is being run poorly. Would we be expected to accept some of the shady promoters in speedway from the past and say " that's OK it's our club whatever goes on is fine."? Of course not.

[Aces51]

At present i don't think it matters who is in charge,their on a hiding to nothing.The decline in British speedway is not solely down to one man i'm afraid.

I do not blame Chapman for the decline, other than by being a member of the BSPA for many years. What I am questioning is if he is the man to stop the rot and rebuild the sport. The evidence so far, both at his own club and as Chairman, gives me little confidence that he is.

[g13webb]

Thought we used clay based material for a number of years.Especially in the old PL days when we were successful.Didn't hear any complaints then.So using clay based material isn't a NO-NO as it's been proved in the past.

 

As per normal you only read what you think I said. I actually pointed out as a 'Layman' and my workings with CLAY , Not Clay shale!! was that when it became wet it becomes sticky and Sodden. Whether you agree or not , that is fact.

I am not aware of how long its been used at Lynn, so I am unable to comment on it ever being any good. What I do know is, as a spectator our track has become dire and offers little or no overtaking where most races becomes processional. All the excitement has gone and only the diehard fans keep coming. It is little wonder fans are staying away.

Now, if by using the wrong shale, has something to do with these track problems, then it needs to be addressed.

[tellboy]

 

As per normal you only read what you think I said. I actually pointed out as a 'Layman' and my workings with CLAY , Not Clay shale!! was that when it became wet it becomes sticky and Sodden. Whether you agree or not , that is fact.

I am not aware of how long its been used at Lynn, so I am unable to comment on it ever being any good. What I do know is, as a spectator our track has become dire and offers little or no overtaking where most races becomes processional. All the excitement has gone and only the diehard fans keep coming. It is little wonder fans are staying away.

Now, if by using the wrong shale, has something to do with these track problems, then it needs to be addressed.

I know what you said.And as i said nobody complained about the clay based material we used in the old PL.It did make the track tacky,this is what made it grippy.Maybe to much was used the other week.Of course i agree it becomes sticky/tacky i did say this after the SWC held at Lynn.I don't know whether you was trying to insult my intelligence by claiming it is a fact.Which of course i had pointed out before.

[TheReturn]

To come out with the statement why tonight's meeting was cancelled is not very professional, not something the head of British speedway should be coming out with.

 

Rubbish.... if he said nothing then fans would be moaning. Look on this forum and the main gripe from fans is the lack of communication from the club..... they communicate and people still moan. As an outsider looking in, then it seems to me the statement is not unprofessional it is just stating facts, they can't trust their riders.

[False dawn]

....they can't trust their riders.

Then they shouldn't be their riders.

[g13webb]

I know what you said.And as i said nobody complained about the clay based material we used in the old PL.It did make the track tacky,this is what made it grippy.Maybe to much was used the other week.Of course i agree it becomes sticky/tacky i did say this after the SWC held at Lynn.I don't know whether you was trying to insult my intelligence by claiming it is a fact.Which of course i had pointed out before.

 

We are of totally different views of track preparation. I was under the impression, the state of the track was according to the amount of shale that was on it. A 'Slick' track has very little dirt on it where as a 'Grippy' track has loads of dirt. It has nothing to do with how wet the shale is. Water is only used to keep the dust down and to help Bond the shale. If you are trying to tell me that you have to water the track to make it sticky/tacky , then I am at a loss of explanation... Because that don't make sense.,,

 

You seem to have dig at everyone who voices an opinion against Lynn, but let me tell you there is no bigger supporter than I . I have the utmost respect for Buster and what he has achieved, but not since being promoted to Chairman/ BSPA. The Lynn Stars have suffered big time. Where once he had the finger on the pulse, now its comes across as it'll do exercise. He has passed responsibility to others but still wants total control...

 

My argument is not aimed at anyone in particular, but for the sustainability Speedway at Kings Lynn. I appreciated Buster's dilemma, but you cant go cancelling meetings if and when he wants on the pretence of the track being iffy. Keep doing that and there will be no sport. The fans wont bother to go anymore, the riders won't want to sign and the opposition will be so p--ssed Off. We need a track that is rideable in these adverse conditions, We want assurance the riders are able to race at every meeting. and if that means getting new shale then so be it. What we are experiencing at present is a remedy for disaster .

 

Yes, we need to move on, but not before we learn from the problems we have, and be assured it won't happen again.... Brushing it under the carpet is a fool's way of thinking....

[Trees]

I know what you said.And as i said nobody complained about the clay based material we used in the old PL.It did make the track tacky,this is what made it grippy.Maybe to much was used the other week.Of course i agree it becomes sticky/tacky i did say this after the SWC held at Lynn.I don't know whether you was trying to insult my intelligence by claiming it is a fact.Which of course i had pointed out before.

Not sure away riders liked our grippy conditions, it was our home track advantage then. Our track was unlike anywhere else lol

[waytogo28]

Then they shouldn't be their riders.

Absolutely! If they can't trust their own riders, those riders should ride somewhere else. Even those we most like perhaps.

[BWitcher]

I know what you said.And as i said nobody complained about the clay based material we used in the old PL.It did make the track tacky,this is what made it grippy.Maybe to much was used the other week.Of course i agree it becomes sticky/tacky i did say this after the SWC held at Lynn.I don't know whether you was trying to insult my intelligence by claiming it is a fact.Which of course i had pointed out before.

 

What happened in the old PL is utterly irrelevant to now simply due to the changes in the bikes, in particular the silencers.

[Star Lady]

What happened in the old PL is utterly irrelevant to now simply due to the changes in the bikes, in particular the silencers.

What you say may well true, I'm not technical enough to know. If the silencers make riding that dangerous why have the riders not refused to use them?