Eastbourne v Glasgow Semi Final

[jenga]

got to say from that picture , the track looks  mint .. what do you think bro ?   

[Gazc]

18 minutes ago, jenga said:

hey bro . where you been hiding all this tyne ?

See your sister thought this was funny.

[SharpenRake]

4 minutes ago, The Doctor... said:

The guy with the large red flag waving it half way down the back straight as the riders passed him may be able to comment if he is on here. 

I love how there is aggro aimed at those who were actually there and how possibly there was some kind of ambiguity in what happened.  

As for who pushed them off, well who do you think did it then ? The little mascots ?  I was close, there is no conspiracy here. Cook is out of shot on the left being marched across the centre green in the pic.

 

It isn't a criticism of you but you responded 'I imagine' it was the Glasgow mechanics. You were there and you are now confirming you don't actually know for certain but are basically assuming it must have been them. 

[The Doctor...]

4 minutes ago, SharpenRake said:

It isn't a criticism of you but you responded 'I imagine' it was the Glasgow mechanics. You were there and you are now confirming you don't actually know for certain but are basically assuming it must have been them. 

Hold on a sec mate, who else is pushing riders off these days ?  Certainly not randoms doing it off their own back is it ?  And what hell relevance is that anyway.  I've never seen a rider pushed off without wanting to be, have you ?

I get that you're defending all this madness, and i couldn't give two tosses about Eastbourne or Glasgow myself, but desperately trying to deflect things is bonkers. 

edited as it was a tad aggressive: but my point still stands, they aren't pushed off under duress, so even if it was a raker, what difference does it make ?

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by The Doctor...
.

[ragdoll64]

43 minutes ago, Loose Diamond said:

Why not? He's done this kind of thing before. Did not like it that Charles Wright won the British Final. His face was tripping him. Obviously did not get his own way on Saturday night.

OH DEAR GOD..........

[SharpenRake]

12 minutes ago, The Doctor... said:

Hold on a sec mate, who else is pushing riders off these days ?  Certainly not randoms doing it off their own back is it ?  And what hell relevance is that anyway.  I've never seen a rider pushed off without wanting to be, have you ?

I get that you're defending all this madness, and i couldn't give two tosses about Eastbourne or Glasgow myself, but desperately trying to deflect things is bonkers. 

edited as it was a tad aggressive: but my point still stands, they aren't pushed off under duress, so even if it was a raker, what difference does it make ?

 

I think I'll leave it there, just with all the mixed reporting from various sources and the apparent wish to hang draw and quarter Cookie I was falling into legalistic mode. Edited to say I'm not saying Cookie is blameless but am trying to understand what happened factually and what led up to it and why. 

Edited August 4, 2019 by SharpenRake

[The Doctor...]

Just now, SharpenRake said:

I think I'll leave it there, just with all the mixed reporting from various sources and the apparent wish to hang draw and quarter Cookie I was falling into legalistic mode. 

No probs.  I think a fair few of those perhaps not there are imagining things a tad differently, and staunch haters of Cook are revelling.

My loyalties lay far from Eastbourne and not gonna lie, i wanted them to get battered as my trips to Arlington with Reading ended in defeat every time and i hold senseless grudges like that! 

I had a good view, i wasn't there watching everyone on the parade like some forensics guy , but it was very clear what happened and any claims to say otherwise is daft from anyone.  Shame really, as it cost glasgow a fighting chance at making the final and keeping the tie close to the end.

 

[nagy1]

1 hour ago, jenga said:

where as most of the glasgow fans have the same dad , but different mothers .  discuss ! ! !

Wind your neck in ya clown. 

[Guest Loose Diamond]

3 hours ago, ragdoll64 said:

OH DEAR GOD..........

Yes?

[Shadders]

On 8/4/2019 at 12:18 AM, SharpenRake said:

No idea. By the way how did the bandits do tonight hope that beat the pesky bears.

Oh dear, someone’s rattled. I suspect you already know. I don’t support the Bandits, so you’re barking up the wrong tree if you’re having a pop  

Edited August 5, 2019 by Shadders

[TurnTwo]

Well that’s a long read lol. I suspect with Vatcher being there, the referee will have reported the incident involving cook, Eastbourne will report it too. It will go to a hearing. Most likely cause is that the scb will like to nip it in the bud as if the trackstaff man looks for legal advice on grounds of assault it will bring the sport into disrupt. Didn’t something like this happen at Coventry with sarj & greaves. And the received a 24 month warning or something?  

[DC2]

51 minutes ago, TurnTwo said:

Well that’s a long read lol. I suspect with Vatcher being there, the referee will have reported the incident involving cook, Eastbourne will report it too. It will go to a hearing. Most likely cause is that the scb will like to nip it in the bud as if the trackstaff man looks for legal advice on grounds of assault it will bring the sport into disrupt. Didn’t something like this happen at Coventry with sarj & greaves. And the received a 24 month warning or something?  

 

Hmmm ... is that former Lakeside manager, Neil Vatcher? Would he be impartial?

 

[2ndbendbeerhut]

23 hours ago, Spl77 said:

I was witness to the criag cook factor at Ipswich last season. No over heated fisty Cuffs that night as he got his way &, the meeting was called off. Same scenario though Glasgow riders not changed and a conference on the track.

He really is getting far to big for his boots. 

Me too .. only difference that night was a certain Mr Schlein was there to ride too

[stevec]

14 hours ago, tyretrax said:

First, who pushed the Glasgow rider off, was it themselves? Second, why was the trackstaff member standing on the track? H&S dictates that they must stay lnside the markers {3mtrs}{?}

Just thought I would pick on this one to respond to and to try and lay some facts down around this as it seems to have got lost among all the comments.

The three metre rule is clear at Arlington and observed. Every meeting the track staff go round laying down markers to show where this is and the track staff and photographers etc stand inside these bollards when under race control (or whatever its called)

The key here is very clear. The bike were not meant to have been riden on the track at the time of this confrontation. Try to picture the scene. Before the riders parade and introductions, the bikes are stood on the track and across the track, pointing towards the main stand (which at Arlo is on the BACK straight).

Then, when its all ready for the off, the annoucer says some announcing stuff, Sussex by the Sea is played and the riders, mechanics, little mascots (children, one with each home rider) management and various sponsors, guests etc, walk out onto the track. There are various people stading around the area on turn 2 (where the entrance to the pits is) and the first part of the back straight.

The announcer introduces the away team and then the home team. When both teams have been announced, the riders are all pushed off to do some starts and check out the track by sliding into the turns.

However, after the team had been announced and the home team had not, SOME of the away team push off and started doing practice starts before the home team were announced. So, we have plenty of people still on and near the track, pit gate wide open and Craig Cook flying down towards turn one. So yes, one of the marshalls walked out onto the track desperately trying to stop the riders flying round into turn 2 where someone could have got hurt.

Craig Cook rode straight into him. Now I am a pragmatic person. I will often argue with my son when he is cursing for the ref because and Eastbourne rider has been excluded and I will say , well "maybe he did touch him, the ref has a better veiw than us" so I was still thinking that this could be a misunderstanding, maybe Craig was looking outwards and didnt see the marshall, maybe the track is patchy and he has a career to worry about and not wanting to risk riding a tricky track for his secong team in a UK league.

All sypathy for him stopped when I saw him, wearing a helmet, head butt a marshall.

Even less when heat refused to come out in heat one

Even less when the reserves rode the track fine in heat 2

Even less when he decided to take his second ride and stormed to a win, easily.

As for the extra track prep that went on before the start, it was a token bit of sawdust and a 5 minute track grade. Eastbourne track staff are good but I am not sure they can sort and unrideable track that quickly.

Oh yeh and quickly. Someone on here moaned that this thread is getting boring. When it all kicks off like it did and involved one of the best British riders out there, its a topic for conversation.

And trust me, I am not a Craig Cook hater. I like ALL our British riders, especially the top ones. I would like nothing more than to hear him apologise for his actions, to Eastbourne, Glasgow and the fans and move on from it. I certainly dont want Kings Lynn hit by a ban like we just have been for Georgie Wood being ill for an Isle of White match!

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by stevec
Sorting some of the spelling and typo errors!

[arnieg]

24 minutes ago, DC2 said:

 

Hmmm ... is that former Lakeside manager, Neil Vatcher? Would he be impartial?

 

At the time of his appointment Lakeside were still running, so the SCB didn't think there would be a problem with his impartiality then, so why would there be now?

[The H Man]

42 minutes ago, stevec said:

Just thought I would pick on this one to respond to and to try and lay some facts down around this as it seems to have got lost among all the comments.

The three metre rule is clear at Arlington and observed. Every meeting the track staff go round laying down markers to show where this is and the track staff and photographers etc stand inside these bollards when under race control (or whatever its called)

The key here is very clear. The bike were not meant to have been riden on the track. Try to picture the scene. Before the riders parade and introductions, the bike are stood on the track and across the track, pointing towards the main stand (which at Arlo is on the BACK straight).

Then, when its all ready for the off, the annoucer says some announcing stuff, Suusex by the Sea is played and the riders, mechanics, little mascots (children, one with each home rider) management and various sponsors, guests etc, walk out onto the track. There are various people stading around the area on turn 2 (where the entrance to the pits is) and the first part of the back straight.

The announcer introduces the away team and then the home team. When boith team have been announced, the riders are all pushed off to do some starts and check out the track by sliding into the turns.

However, after the team had been announced and the home team had not, SOME of the away team push off and started doing practice starts before the home team were announced. So, we have plenty of people still on and near the track, pit gate wide open and Craig Cook flying down towards turn one. So yes, one of the marshalls walked out onto the track desperately trying tpo stop the riders flying round into turn 2 where someone could have got hurt.

Craig Cook rode straight into him. Now I am a pragmatic person. I will often aurgue with my son when he is cursing for the ref because and Eastbourne rider has been excluded and I will say , well "maybe he did touch him, the ref has a better veiw than us" so I was still thinking that this could be a misunderstanding, maybe Craig was looking outwards and didnt see the marshall, maybe the track is patchy and he has a career to worry about and not wanting to risk riding a tricky track for his secong team in a UK league.

All sypathy for hi stopped when I saw him, wearing a helmet, head butt a marshall.

Even less when heat refused to come out in heat one

Even less when the reserves rode the track fine in heat 2

Even less when he decided to take his second ride and stormed to a win, easily.

As for the extra track prep that went on before the start, it was a token bit of sawdust and a 5 minute track grade. Eastbourne track staff are good but I am not sure they can sort and unrideable track that quickly.

Oh yeh and quickly. Someone on here moaned that this thread is getting boring. When it all kicks off like it did and involved one of the best British riders out there, its a topic for conversation.

And trust me, I am not a Craig Cook hater. I like ALL our British riders, espaicially the top ones. I would like noithing more than to hear him apologise for his actions, to Eastbourne, Glasgow and the fans and move on from it. I certainly dont want Kings Lynn hit by a ban like we just have been for Georgie Wood being ill for a Isle of Whote match!

 

A very sane and sensible post 

H&S is absolutely key these days.  If young children were on the centre green it is beyond belief that a rider would chuck a bike into a corner at high speed however talented that rider might be a mechanical or rider error could have lead to serious consequences which would have had massive repercussions for promotion etc.  

[jenga]

43 minutes ago, stevec said:

Just thought I would pick on this one to respond to and to try and lay some facts down around this as it seems to have got lost among all the comments.

The three metre rule is clear at Arlington and observed. Every meeting the track staff go round laying down markers to show where this is and the track staff and photographers etc stand inside these bollards when under race control (or whatever its called)

The key here is very clear. The bike were not meant to have been riden on the track. Try to picture the scene. Before the riders parade and introductions, the bike are stood on the track and across the track, pointing towards the main stand (which at Arlo is on the BACK straight).

Then, when its all ready for the off, the annoucer says some announcing stuff, Suusex by the Sea is played and the riders, mechanics, little mascots (children, one with each home rider) management and various sponsors, guests etc, walk out onto the track. There are various people stading around the area on turn 2 (where the entrance to the pits is) and the first part of the back straight.

The announcer introduces the away team and then the home team. When boith team have been announced, the riders are all pushed off to do some starts and check out the track by sliding into the turns.

However, after the team had been announced and the home team had not, SOME of the away team push off and started doing practice starts before the home team were announced. So, we have plenty of people still on and near the track, pit gate wide open and Craig Cook flying down towards turn one. So yes, one of the marshalls walked out onto the track desperately trying tpo stop the riders flying round into turn 2 where someone could have got hurt.

Craig Cook rode straight into him. Now I am a pragmatic person. I will often aurgue with my son when he is cursing for the ref because and Eastbourne rider has been excluded and I will say , well "maybe he did touch him, the ref has a better veiw than us" so I was still thinking that this could be a misunderstanding, maybe Craig was looking outwards and didnt see the marshall, maybe the track is patchy and he has a career to worry about and not wanting to risk riding a tricky track for his secong team in a UK league.

All sypathy for hi stopped when I saw him, wearing a helmet, head butt a marshall.

Even less when heat refused to come out in heat one

Even less when the reserves rode the track fine in heat 2

Even less when he decided to take his second ride and stormed to a win, easily.

As for the extra track prep that went on before the start, it was a token bit of sawdust and a 5 minute track grade. Eastbourne track staff are good but I am not sure they can sort and unrideable track that quickly.

Oh yeh and quickly. Someone on here moaned that this thread is getting boring. When it all kicks off like it did and involved one of the best British riders out there, its a topic for conversation.

And trust me, I am not a Craig Cook hater. I like ALL our British riders, espaicially the top ones. I would like noithing more than to hear him apologise for his actions, to Eastbourne, Glasgow and the fans and move on from it. I certainly dont want Kings Lynn hit by a ban like we just have been for Georgie Wood being ill for a Isle of Whote match!

 

prob the best picture of the events on Saturday . i take this post as a fact and not some made up bull . as a cumbrian i used to have a lot of time for the rider living close to me  .i now find my self thinking  he has let himself , fans and prob his family down by his actions on Saturday .

the glasgow follower(fans) will defend craig and that is their choice . but when facts and not fantasy come into play , there is no excuse for ignorance on craigs and the glasgow fans side of things . he done wrong and its all in the hands of the top men !. its ok for the visiting team to want it called off , but what about the travelling fans and neutrals who had paid good money to go to this meeting . .(glasgow fans especially ) seems like the away team did not care , they were covered for all their costs and will be refunded for travel etc . craig used to ride mx and this track should have been a walk in the park for him . k2 well earned i would say . 

now we just wait for the triplets (nearly four ) to add their spiel to it and put us all at rest . 

oneof the best and honest posts i have read on this thread . .  credit to Stevec .. 

 

[TBC]

As I have stated earlier, having seen the video of the Cook incident it clearly shows the marshal with the flag deliberately step into the path of the bike at the last second requiring Cook to put his feet down to slow the bike. This shows that Cooks intention was not to ride into the marshal but to slow down when the marshal stepped in front of him, that is clear.

But and this is the thing no one comes out of this smelling of roses,

The marshal acted recklessly if not  foolishly at the best by stepping in front of a bike with no brakes.

Cook who is a professional sportsman SEVERLY over reacted to the situation, yes there may have been booing and jibes but without his over reaction the scrum and the handbags would not have taken place.

Like I said with what went on that night no one comes out of this looking good, Cook, the marshal, Glasgow, Eastbourne, and not least speedway   

[Fingersfin]

Having spoken to someone who was very close to the action, I’m told that Craig swerved to go around the marshal, but the marshal moved in front of him to stop him and it was at this point they came together. Craig therefore did not intentionally steer into him and in fact attempted to take avoiding action.

[stevec]

6 minutes ago, Fingersfin said:

Having spoken to someone who was very close to the action, I’m told that Craig swerved to go around the marshal, but the marshal moved in front of him to stop him and it was at this point they came together. Craig therefore did not intentionally steer into him and in fact attempted to take avoiding action.

I didnt see it that way but happy to admit my veiw was not perfect. However, bearing in mind the people on the track at turn two, I think the marshall did what he felt he had to do to stop riders going rpound into where people were standing on the track at turn 2 and the back straight.

Like I said in my post I wont still be able to explain both sides until I saw an obvious head butt from Craig. Thats where my opinion changed. Having said that, it put more antisipation and excitement into the match, it was just such a shame it was not a close match. I really hope that any fans that came down from Scotland, made a weekend of it and didnt just travel to Arlo and back fro the speedway alone. They deserved so much better than what they saw and must have come down with some hope.