AGM November 2018

[wealdstone]

2 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

Which particular 'Gang of 2' are we talking about here?  I'm hearing KC is stepping down?!

Hope you are hearing correctly !!! Then it will be just one until more potential gang members pass  the initiation test.

[IainB]

1 hour ago, Trees said:

That’s not MOST clubs ....  the Stars have kept the majority of their riders from year to year, for sure 2017 to 2018 was an exception although we resigned a few of the team we ended up with plus NKI came back.

Riders used in 2018

Belle Vue 11

King's Lynn 11

Leicester 15

Poole 13

Somerset 10

Swindon 8

Wolves 8

Only 2 teams in single figures... I'd say that was most

[teaboy279]

2 hours ago, iainb said:

Riders used in 2018

Belle Vue 11

King's Lynn 11

Leicester 15

Poole 13

Somerset 10

Swindon 8

Wolves 8

Only 2 teams in single figures... I'd say that was most

Of those changes though, any to replace Injured riders should be discounted as a change imho.

[mikebv]

Don't know why anyone is bothered with teams changing their riders..

They change on an adhoc basis most weeks every time they use a guest..

At least changing poor performers gives the sport at least a 'nod' towards proper Sports that do the same, and gives the impression to anyone observing from outside the "Speedway Bubble" that it has bona fide Championships worth actually winning..

(Even if we know the reality to be somewhat different)...

[SteveLyric2]

4 hours ago, iainb said:

Riders used in 2018

Belle Vue 11

King's Lynn 11

Leicester 15

Poole 13

Somerset 10

Swindon 8

Wolves 8

Only 2 teams in single figures... I'd say that was most

With the exception of injury-ridden Leicester, the 4 teams making the most changes were the eventual play-off semi-finalists.

[g13webb]

2 hours ago, teaboy279 said:

Of those changes though, any to replace Injured riders should be discounted as a change imho.

Of those 11 riders we used in 2018,  two additional riders were replacements of Kerr ( long term injury)  and Rose (Retire from the sport)  plus another was used for injury cover for Andersen.   So a more realistic number of changes, for changes sake, would be much less.    Kings Lynn have never been a side to change riders at will and would usually allow them time to find their feet again. It would be wrong to make comparison against other clubs who regularly change just because riders  have a off night..

NB.  But in saying that ,   I don't believe the Stars team would have been so close to honours had it not been for injuries suffered and retired personnel..   We would never have changed those riders  had it not been forced on us.     It was only the late acquisitions of MPT and Riss that propelled us into a  winning team.     This is why I found losing hard to take.   I cannot see this ever happening again because this went against everything the Stars stand for.    We are a team who stick together through thick and thin.  We are happy to retain the assembled team for the whole season,  we have never had that winning mentality, we accept losing as a matter of course .       

This is why losing that final created  the deepest cut of them all.   That once in a lifetime opportunity,  had gone forever .           

 

 

[Aces51]

6 hours ago, iainb said:

Riders used in 2018

Belle Vue 11

King's Lynn 11

Leicester 15

Poole 13

Somerset 10

Swindon 8

Wolves 8

Only 2 teams in single figures... I'd say that was most

Belle Vue only made 2 changes, both at reserve. The other two riders you have included were signed on 28 day contracts to replace Steve Worrall during his long absence through injury.

In fact, if you look at the Aces, Cook had been with them for about 8 years, Fricke  and Worrall  4 years, Bewley since he started racing and Tungate is in his second season. That's about as much continuity as you'll ever get whilst team building is governed by a points limit and arguably as much as you would want or get whatever the system.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Aces51

[moxey63]

I read in this week's Speedway Star an article about collecting speedway memorabilia. Often fans will buy a rare item and keep it protected somewhere in their home and then pass it over in later years to another hoarder, usually in the same shape as when they bought it and make a bit of a profit.

But promoters do not get it. They fulfil their craze to buy an old speedway club, hold on to it for a few years, keep it unprotected from all stress or strains, claim to lose thousands, and then off load it to the next mad person who believes they can restore it to former condition.

We have let a bunch of idiots polish a family jewel with a brillo.

Edited October 29, 2018 by moxey63

[Tsunami]

16 hours ago, moxey63 said:

I read in this week's Speedway Star an article about collecting speedway memorabilia. Often fans will buy a rare item and keep it protected somewhere in their home and then pass it over in later years to another hoarder, usually in the same shape as when they bought it and make a bit of a profit.

But promoters do not get it. They fulfil their craze to buy an old speedway club, hold on to it for a few years, keep it unprotected from all stress or strains, claim to lose thousands, and then off load it to the next mad person who believes they can restore it to former condition.

We have let a bunch of idiots polish a family jewel with a brillo.

What a load of crap from the usual suspect. You should try paying to get in sometime.

[moxey63]

1 hour ago, Tsunami said:

What a load of crap from the usual suspect. You should try paying to get in sometime.

If my entrance fee would save the sport, I would pay. But speedway is like a waster in life. Give it the earth and they'll flit it away. The SKY money like a kid burning a hole in their pocket. If you really feel I'm the problem, with all your sniping and snarling, about my so-called freebies, then it's certainly not only the sport in need of urgent assessment.

Edited October 30, 2018 by moxey63

[Tsunami]

2 hours ago, moxey63 said:

If my entrance fee would save the sport, I would pay. But speedway is like a waster in life. Give it the earth and they'll flit it away. The SKY money like a kid burning a hole in their pocket. If you really feel I'm the problem, with all your sniping and snarling, about my so-called freebies, then it's certainly not only the sport in need of urgent assessment.

We both know its NOT 'so-called' freebies. You don't go cos you have to pay to get in. You are part of the problem, like it or not.

[moxey63]

Having been confined to hospital the past week, your attacks on my posts mean nothing. The morphene seems to make them even funnier. I have a broken femur and shoulder, really painful, the fault of an idiot who apparently didn't see me when he pulled into a junction and i crashed over his bonnet, hit my head on his screen and then fell onto the floor. Most painful experience I have had. A 12 inch rod knocked into my leg and screws everywhere. Now, the driver has admitted it was his fault, the police too, and the taxi driver who caught it on his dash cam. But not one of them could provide proof that my freebie had brought speedway to where it is now. But they said at least I survived my near death experience. What is speedway, they asked.

Edited October 30, 2018 by moxey63

[Tsunami]

1 hour ago, moxey63 said:

Having been confined to hospital the past week, your attacks on my posts mean nothing. The morphene seems to make them even funnier. I have a broken femur and shoulder, really painful, the fault of an idiot who apparently didn't see me when he pulled into a junction and i crashed over his bonnet, hit my head on his screen and then fell onto the floor. Most painful experience I have had. A 12 inch rod knocked into my leg and screws everywhere. Now, the driver has admitted it was his fault, the police too, and the taxi driver who caught it on his dash cam. But not one of them could provide proof that my freebie had brought speedway to where it is now. But they said at least I survived my near death experience. What is speedway, they asked.

Take care, it looks as if it's also affecting your head.

[moxey63]

35 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

Take care, it looks as if it's also affecting your head.

It has. Dreamt the other night about a meeting being attempted using car lights after a power cut. Even nurse laughed.

Edited October 30, 2018 by moxey63

[moxey63]

6 hours ago, Tsunami said:

What a load of crap from the usual suspect. You should try paying to get in sometime.

Reading between the lines, maybe it's my drugs, so please excuse me. But are you a speedway promoter from the past? It's just the way you defend the way most have left a gravel yard that was once a nice little summer place. If so, perhaps it's easier to blame someone else for a problem perhaps you have helped create. I know, the drugs. I will probably be deleting it when I have clearer mind.

Edited October 30, 2018 by moxey63

[Tsunami]

24 minutes ago, moxey63 said:

Reading between the lines, maybe it's my drugs, so please excuse me. But are you a speedway promoter from the past? It's just the way you defend the way most have left a gravel yard that was once a nice little summer place. If so, perhaps it's easier to blame someone else for a problem perhaps you have helped create. I know, the drugs. I will probably be deleting it when I have clearer mind.

As you no doubt already know, yes I was. I opened up Newcastle in 1997, after investing in it in 1994, only to be told the owner didn't want speedway again at his stadium. His accountant had different ideas and bought it off him, and got in touch with our group to invite us back in. Third in our first season, we went on to sign a young Nicki Pedersen followed by Bjarne Pedersen and Kenneth Bjerre and won the PL title in 2001, and runners up on equal points in 2002.   I gave my major share in the club away for free in 2003, and retired from promoting, but continued to work with the promotion and established my own free training school(10 years on now) restarting the Gems team which last season produced the NJL 500cc and 125/150 champions and the 2018 BYC 150cc champion. All riders in the current Gems team had never ridden a speedway bike before riding in the training school, so I run the only home bred team in speedway. 

What part of my failures do you want to concentrate on while your head is a bit fuzzy ?

[tigerowl]

The problem with the promoters in my opinion is not that they deliberately want to run the sport into the ground, it makes no sense for them to purposely lose their money, but the system that has been created makes it impossible for the sport to function properly.

There are too many conflicts of interest and pulling in opposing directions. What the sport needs is for decisions to be made in the best interests of speedway as a whole but unless someone independent is elected to make these decisions things will just carry on as they are, leading to a slow and painful death.

The argument that it’s the promoter’s money doesn’t stand up for me. What other sport operates in this way? You wouldn’t get Malcolm Glazer and Roman Abramovic making up the rules of football so why do we have to put up with it.

Tsunami clearly had the best interests of Newcastle at heart and anyone who puts their cash into speedway has my respect but the sport needs an independent, honest, respected leader.

And to your rival moxey63, get well soon.

[moxey63]

13 hours ago, Tsunami said:

As you no doubt already know, yes I was. I opened up Newcastle in 1997, after investing in it in 1994, only to be told the owner didn't want speedway again at his stadium. His accountant had different ideas and bought it off him, and got in touch with our group to invite us back in. Third in our first season, we went on to sign a young Nicki Pedersen followed by Bjarne Pedersen and Kenneth Bjerre and won the PL title in 2001, and runners up on equal points in 2002.   I gave my major share in the club away for free in 2003, and retired from promoting, but continued to work with the promotion and established my own free training school(10 years on now) restarting the Gems team which last season produced the NJL 500cc and 125/150 champions and the 2018 BYC 150cc champion. All riders in the current Gems team had never ridden a speedway bike before riding in the training school, so I run the only home bred team in speedway. 

What part of my failures do you want to concentrate on while your head is a bit fuzzy ?

I wasn't aware you were a promoter. I was aware of the decent period Newcastle enjoyed during that era and have no embarrassment in admitting you were one of the good ones. I know how strong the Diamonds were.

But they are not all like you. For example, my hindsight of how Belle Vue was run for years under certain promotions may have tarnished my outlook. Maybe promoters run out of energy after initial good meaning.

But, yes, Newcastle were a bit of a go-out-and-find- the-talent set up. I admire that.

I also admire TigerOwl and his work for we history buffs. Thanks for the well wishes.

 

[waytogo28]

Even with the headline in this week's Speedway Star " Listen to fans" ( Thank You Neil Machin ) I wonder how many of the other promoters gathered around the table will heed his call? Of course, they all should put the fan's views reasonably high up on the Agenda, as crowds continue to dwindle. The best suggestion is for Promoters like Neil to persuade the others to get their heads around the concept that feedback does not mean the same as complaints.  Fans collectively also want speedway in the UK to be an attractive, well presented, exciting motorcycle racing sport that they can continue to offer their support to and spread the word to other would-be fans knowing that that is what they are going to see on a consistent basis. Fingers crossed hey!

[Grachan]

20 minutes ago, waytogo28 said:

Even with the headline in this week's Speedway Star " Listen to fans" ( Thank You Neil Machin ) I wonder how many of the other promoters gathered around the table will heed his call? Of course, they all should put the fan's views reasonably high up on the Agenda, as crowds continue to dwindle. The best suggestion is for Promoters like Neil to persuade the others to get their heads around the concept that feedback does not mean the same as complaints.  Fans collectively also want speedway in the UK to be an attractive, well presented, exciting motorcycle racing sport that they can continue to offer their support to and spread the word to other would-be fans knowing that that is what they are going to see on a consistent basis. Fingers crossed hey!

Which fans should they listen to?

The ones who want one big league at Championship level or the ones who want a stronger top league?

The ones who want 13 heats and a second half or the ones who think that 15 heats in a match is better value?

The ones who want the play-offs or the ones who don't want the play-offs.

The fans who want modern music or the fans who say the music isn't important as it's all about 4 blokes on bikes without brakes?

It's all very well saying "listen to fans", but in the end they'll just agree with whichever fans give an opinion that they, themselves, like. Because the fans don't all have the same opinion.