Mildenhall 2023

[Mimmo]

2 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

Certainly concur with your view about Mildenhall and credit to the promotion for making the position clear.

In my experience, most meetings are completed in less than 2 hours and that certainly has to be a target for all clubs. Anything longer than that is just too much and a good start would be doing away with the absolutely unnecessary interval that some clubs still insist on. How many of us have groaned with disappointment on a freezing cold night when a match is interrupted by having one?

Personally speaking, I have never had any difficulty with a meeting that takes less than 90 minutes (admittedly I haven't been to many). You get the same amount of entertainment, after all.  

Perhaps Mildenhall could do an Isle of Wight (running only at peak times (and therefore no 'fractured season') and with substantially reduced expenses). The Warriors seem to be doing very well indeed and are clearly in no hurry to return to the NDL. 

I agree with you about intervals. I take particular notice at King's Lynn which is my nearest track, and people use the bars and eating outlets throughout the meeting, and don't make a rush for it in the interval,  so an interval isn't needed from that point of view.
Generally speaking, the track is graded on and off throughout the evening, so we don't need an interval for that. I often wonder why there is a need to grade the track, weather situation conditions apart of course. I know that speed doesn't make a good race, but I've noticed particularly at Peterborough, races tend to be a bit slower after a track grade. Obviously, I'm not a rider, so there might be benefits from having it graded after every four heats, but unless a rider or ex-rider comments on that, we can only guess.

Going back to Mildenhall, I so hope they can find a way round the financial shortfall, and it was noticeable that the crowds were lower last season, and it's just unfortunate that due to stadium unavailability, they went for weeks on end right in the middle of summer, with not a single meeting, and during that time, the public found other things to do, that maybe they liked better or as much as speedway, so didn't return. 
The length of time it takes to stage a meeting in the afternoon, doesn't unduly worry me personally (it does in the evening) , within reason of course, but would of course if I had a 3-hour drive home at the conclusion of the meeting.  I wasn't aware of that many people complaining last season at Mildenhall, but I certainly was in the previous season (2021), when many walked out before the end, and said they would never return, and unfortunately didn't.

I was lucky enough to visit the Isle of Wight for a meeting last season, and I say lucky, because the variation of things they did, not just on track, but off too, mainly for youngsters, made the entire evening a real pleasure to experience. Riders were happy to greet and talk to you prior to the meeting and in some cases afterwards, dependent on their ferry time.
Promoters Barry Bishop and Martin Widman were happy to wonder round talking and laughing with their paying public, intermingled with any duties they needed to tend to. You were made to feel a part of the event, and not just somebody sitting watching, without anybody even knowing you were there.
The announcer was probably the most clearly spoken, taking breaths between a few words, that I've heard for a long time, anywhere. At no time giving race results, times etc; over bike noise, which is certainly a problem at my local tracks. On the occasion I visited, the infamous Christina Turnbull was the referee, and I found her most pleasant to talk with, and a lady with a great sense of humour (please don't come back with Belle Vue v Sheffield..LOL), and offered you time to converse with her  . Yes, a really great evening out.

Would it work in say the National Development League, then I have to say I don't see why not, because the IOW stage 15-heats of speedway, plus a nice variety that changes from week to week of other events, such as speedway riders racing on grass track machines or the upright engine bikes, which attracts riders that have been long retired, returning to race. If you are a sidecar racing lover, they provide that from time to time. Ladies races, kids races.

I made my way back to the ferry wishing I could be there the next week, because I'd felt part of proceedings all evening, rather than just somebody that has handed over his entrance money, with nobody caring or knowing I was there.  So I think the NDL could maybe try something similar for a season, and if it doesn't work, then knock it on the head the next year.                  

[Bagpuss]

I hope Mildenhall can sort something out because it's a great little venue for a Sunday afternoon out, but they MUST sort the long drawn out meetings and the high number of falls. Folk are obviously voting with their feet, get the product right and they are likely to return. 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Bagpuss

[HGould]

1 hour ago, Mimmo said:

I agree with you about intervals. I take particular notice at King's Lynn which is my nearest track, and people use the bars and eating outlets throughout the meeting, and don't make a rush for it in the interval,  so an interval isn't needed from that point of view.
Generally speaking, the track is graded on and off throughout the evening, so we don't need an interval for that. I often wonder why there is a need to grade the track, weather situation conditions apart of course. I know that speed doesn't make a good race, but I've noticed particularly at Peterborough, races tend to be a bit slower after a track grade. Obviously, I'm not a rider, so there might be benefits from having it graded after every four heats, but unless a rider or ex-rider comments on that, we can only guess.

Going back to Mildenhall, I so hope they can find a way round the financial shortfall, and it was noticeable that the crowds were lower last season, and it's just unfortunate that due to stadium unavailability, they went for weeks on end right in the middle of summer, with not a single meeting, and during that time, the public found other things to do, that maybe they liked better or as much as speedway, so didn't return. 
The length of time it takes to stage a meeting in the afternoon, doesn't unduly worry me personally (it does in the evening) , within reason of course, but would of course if I had a 3-hour drive home at the conclusion of the meeting.  I wasn't aware of that many people complaining last season at Mildenhall, but I certainly was in the previous season (2021), when many walked out before the end, and said they would never return, and unfortunately didn't.

I was lucky enough to visit the Isle of Wight for a meeting last season, and I say lucky, because the variation of things they did, not just on track, but off too, mainly for youngsters, made the entire evening a real pleasure to experience. Riders were happy to greet and talk to you prior to the meeting and in some cases afterwards, dependent on their ferry time.
Promoters Barry Bishop and Martin Widman were happy to wonder round talking and laughing with their paying public, intermingled with any duties they needed to tend to. You were made to feel a part of the event, and not just somebody sitting watching, without anybody even knowing you were there.
The announcer was probably the most clearly spoken, taking breaths between a few words, that I've heard for a long time, anywhere. At no time giving race results, times etc; over bike noise, which is certainly a problem at my local tracks. On the occasion I visited, the infamous Christina Turnbull was the referee, and I found her most pleasant to talk with, and a lady with a great sense of humour (please don't come back with Belle Vue v Sheffield..LOL), and offered you time to converse with her  . Yes, a really great evening out.

Would it work in say the National Development League, then I have to say I don't see why not, because the IOW stage 15-heats of speedway, plus a nice variety that changes from week to week of other events, such as speedway riders racing on grass track machines or the upright engine bikes, which attracts riders that have been long retired, returning to race. If you are a sidecar racing lover, they provide that from time to time. Ladies races, kids races.

I made my way back to the ferry wishing I could be there the next week, because I'd felt part of proceedings all evening, rather than just somebody that has handed over his entrance money, with nobody caring or knowing I was there.  So I think the NDL could maybe try something similar for a season, and if it doesn't work, then knock it on the head the next year.                  

I haven't ben since their NDL days so can't comment on the specific of what they do now and there have been mixed reviews but mostly very positive.

I think the bigger picture though is that they have FREEDOM to do it the way they want to do it and want to PROMOTE it!

Promoters take a lot of stick but they are effectively in a Closed Shop that would do an old Eastern Bloc dictatorship proud. That's not entirely the fault of the current directors, its the drip drip of previous uninspiring Management Committees who set down Rule and Rule and had no coherent strategy.

Of course IOW have also got FREEDOM from

£10k or more BOND (£3K I understand in NDL)

£15K or more Asset List (that in most cases has no market value or relevance and in actual fact is a closely guarded secret full of ex riders)

£20-30k additional Bonds which new Entrants / movers up to CL from NDL have had to pay in past few years.

£xxxx.xx for sole supplier Tyres that defy the Trade Descriptions Act which can only be purchased from storage in erm Scunthorpe!

£xxx for Insurance whoch has to be purchased from you guessed it a Sole Agent who pays a fee to BSPL Ltd for exclusivity (Martin Lewis eat your heart out)

£xxxx/xx SCB Fees to pay for them to oversee the BSPL with completely blurred lines and sharing Directors / Management Committee in part. (like a Politbureau and a Sub Politbureau)

Strich Rules and a Rule Book that is a complete joke, insistence of which day you race and what you have to do in terms of reporting - even PR to a degree that has to be monitored and approved.

Club Websites that don't belong to the Club, domains held by BSPL Ltd. Fines levied if you don't toe the Party Line.

IOW runs via NORA...

Time surely for some Clubs to work out the excessive COSTS of BSPL and the possible INCOME of breaking free to NORA.

 

[Sings4Speedway]

32 minutes ago, HGould said:

I haven't ben since their NDL days so can't comment on the specific of what they do now and there have been mixed reviews but mostly very positive.

I think the bigger picture though is that they have FREEDOM to do it the way they want to do it and want to PROMOTE it!

Promoters take a lot of stick but they are effectively in a Closed Shop that would do an old Eastern Bloc dictatorship proud. That's not entirely the fault of the current directors, its the drip drip of previous uninspiring Management Committees who set down Rule and Rule and had no coherent strategy.

Of course IOW have also got FREEDOM from

£10k or more BOND (£3K I understand in NDL)

£15K or more Asset List (that in most cases has no market value or relevance and in actual fact is a closely guarded secret full of ex riders)

£20-30k additional Bonds which new Entrants / movers up to CL from NDL have had to pay in past few years.

£xxxx.xx for sole supplier Tyres that defy the Trade Descriptions Act which can only be purchased from storage in erm Scunthorpe!

£xxx for Insurance whoch has to be purchased from you guessed it a Sole Agent who pays a fee to BSPL Ltd for exclusivity (Martin Lewis eat your heart out)

£xxxx/xx SCB Fees to pay for them to oversee the BSPL with completely blurred lines and sharing Directors / Management Committee in part. (like a Politbureau and a Sub Politbureau)

Strich Rules and a Rule Book that is a complete joke, insistence of which day you race and what you have to do in terms of reporting - even PR to a degree that has to be monitored and approved.

Club Websites that don't belong to the Club, domains held by BSPL Ltd. Fines levied if you don't toe the Party Line.

IOW runs via NORA...

Time surely for some Clubs to work out the excessive COSTS of BSPL and the possible INCOME of breaking free to NORA.

 

Nailed It! IOW promote the club for its own best interests running on days and peak times that will generate the best crowds, putting on events that generate the most interest, not just on the night but across a season. They also run events that suit the track they have. Mildenhall can produce some incredible racing when the track is predictable its possible to watch 4 riders throw bikes at each other lap after lap and cross the line almost together (however when its patchy and unpredictable then the incessant number of fallers and delays is tiresome for many). 

As with everything at present the costs are going to be the decisive factor, if the stadium is available for X dates at the right rent then calculations could be done to run a 3/4TT, individuals, pairs, challenge matches or whichever at any riding level the club chooses under NORA........but it will all be down to cost.

[Haza]

I’ve not been for a few seasons reason we stopped was the track was over watered and rough loads of fallers the track would come good after 8-9 heats  but we paid for 15 heats .

[Halifaxtiger]

On 12/2/2022 at 10:46 AM, HGould said:

I haven't ben since their NDL days so can't comment on the specific of what they do now and there have been mixed reviews but mostly very positive.

I think the bigger picture though is that they have FREEDOM to do it the way they want to do it and want to PROMOTE it!

Promoters take a lot of stick but they are effectively in a Closed Shop that would do an old Eastern Bloc dictatorship proud. That's not entirely the fault of the current directors, its the drip drip of previous uninspiring Management Committees who set down Rule and Rule and had no coherent strategy.

Of course IOW have also got FREEDOM from

£10k or more BOND (£3K I understand in NDL)

£15K or more Asset List (that in most cases has no market value or relevance and in actual fact is a closely guarded secret full of ex riders)

£20-30k additional Bonds which new Entrants / movers up to CL from NDL have had to pay in past few years.

£xxxx.xx for sole supplier Tyres that defy the Trade Descriptions Act which can only be purchased from storage in erm Scunthorpe!

£xxx for Insurance whoch has to be purchased from you guessed it a Sole Agent who pays a fee to BSPL Ltd for exclusivity (Martin Lewis eat your heart out)

£xxxx/xx SCB Fees to pay for them to oversee the BSPL with completely blurred lines and sharing Directors / Management Committee in part. (like a Politbureau and a Sub Politbureau)

Strich Rules and a Rule Book that is a complete joke, insistence of which day you race and what you have to do in terms of reporting - even PR to a degree that has to be monitored and approved.

Club Websites that don't belong to the Club, domains held by BSPL Ltd. Fines levied if you don't toe the Party Line.

IOW runs via NORA...

Time surely for some Clubs to work out the excessive COSTS of BSPL and the possible INCOME of breaking free to NORA.

 

I supported IOW's decision to pull out of the NDL and I support it now. I would, however, very much like to see them rejoin. 

While all of what you have said is true regarding expenses and regulations, I don't think that IOW had an issue with any of it. The problem was that the members of the NDL were not allowed to make their own rules but had no say in regulations - principally a points limit - that were forced on them to their detriment and to the benefit of higher clubs who had no financial involvement in the NDL whatsoever.  Had that not happened, I am firmly convinced that they would still be part of the BSPA fold. Selfishness, stupidity and incompetence therefore cost British Speedway its most innovative, forward thinking and customer focussed club, although I am certainly aware of at least one other occasion when the Warriors promotion were deeply unhappy about the way they were treated. 

As it is - and despite attempts to undermine their operation and sniping from some -they are doing pretty well. 2021 was hugely successful on and off track and, if 2022 did not hit the same heights, the report I got was that attendances were 'good'. For a club like Mildenhall, struggling to cope with the present set up, this surely could be an option. 

[Racin Jason 72]

Any further indications what the future holds for mildenhall ? Any news from the Christmas and end of season events? 

[phillwhitewasmad]

There's a go fund me on Mildenhall Facebook page come on people we all despair at the loss of tracks Chuck in what you can and help save another track. 

[TB1]

Hard truths needed I'm afraid. The national covid panic and 2 years of shutdown and throwing money around is now going to come back and bite us on the arse. Realistically has Mildenhall been a viable proposition for some time I don't think it has and unfortunately the cost of living crisis created in part by government policy (other factors included) mean that unfortunately Mildenhall probably won't be the first and last victim of decades of living beyond our means.

[Barrow Boy 2]

On 12/2/2022 at 11:26 AM, Sings4Speedway said:

Nailed It! IOW promote the club for its own best interests running on days and peak times that will generate the best crowds, putting on events that generate the most interest, not just on the night but across a season. They also run events that suit the track they have. Mildenhall can produce some incredible racing when the track is predictable its possible to watch 4 riders throw bikes at each other lap after lap and cross the line almost together (however when its patchy and unpredictable then the incessant number of fallers and delays is tiresome for many). 

As with everything at present the costs are going to be the decisive factor, if the stadium is available for X dates at the right rent then calculations could be done to run a 3/4TT, individuals, pairs, challenge matches or whichever at any riding level the club chooses under NORA........but it will all be down to cost.

Is the reason for the meetings taking too long to run the number of restarts caused by accidents etc. Is Mildenhall  a difficult track to race on for novice riders who quite often crash out and cause injury and fence repairs which cause delays.

[martinmauger]

On 12/2/2022 at 10:09 AM, Bagpuss said:

I hope Mildenhall can sort something out because it's a great little venue for a Sunday afternoon out, but they MUST sort the long drawn out meetings and the high number of falls. Folk are obviously voting with their feet, get the product right and they are likely to return. 

Concur.  Have only visited the one time and thought it was a great set-up (the USAF Galaxy C5 Starlifters taking & landing were pretty cool too), hope they can continue....

[Racin Jason 72]

17 hours ago, Barrow Boy 2 said:

Is the reason for the meetings taking too long to run the number of restarts caused by accidents etc. Is Mildenhall  a difficult track to race on for novice riders who quite often crash out and cause injury and fence repairs which cause delays.

For me this is the reason I stopped going having been a fairly regular supporter since 1992. I would return if they could run a meeting in a decent time.  
I know many more who feel the same.  This isn’t knocking the commitment of the promotion and the many volunteers but until this problem is addressed I won’t return.  
I also think the low points limit which made teams sign 3 pointers who possibly were not ready for league action didn’t help. 

[PotteringAround]

With a fortnight to go for teams to make a final declaration to run in 2023, what do we think are the chances of Mildenhall coming to the table?

Are things looking more financially viable?   I think the gofundme has raised £5k of a £15k target.

Can things be negotiated with landlords to give more time to prepare a track less dangerous than in 2022?

What kind of a team can be put together?  Presume the rider shortage is less severe in the south?

[Mimmo]

On 1/1/2023 at 11:54 PM, PotteringAround said:

With a fortnight to go for teams to make a final declaration to run in 2023, what do we think are the chances of Mildenhall coming to the table?

Are things looking more financially viable?   I think the gofundme has raised £5k of a £15k target.

Can things be negotiated with landlords to give more time to prepare a track less dangerous than in 2022?

What kind of a team can be put together?  Presume the rider shortage is less severe in the south?

Lets keep everything crossed that Mildenhall can be a part of the NDL this coming season.
Ryan Kinsley, Arran Butcher, Ben Trigger along with some of the 2022 line-up, would be a good side.  

[Fozzie4388]

Mildenhall confirmed as going to the tapes in 2023

[Diamonds85]

7 minutes ago, Fozzie4388 said:

Mildenhall confirmed as going to the tapes in 2023

Brilliant news

[kevin bass]

Yeah great news.

4 minutes ago, Diamonds85 said:

Brilliant news

 

[Ghosty]

Surely the next move "should be" to arrange the Fen Tigers home fixtures around the stock car fixtures to give plenty of time for "ideal" track preparation.

This could also incorporate practice/training sections if planed well in advance.

Good luck to better times this season then the last few, the Fen Tigers have a rich history of unearthing speedway talent, it would be great to see another Mike Lee, Melvyn Taylor or Carl Blackbird emerge from the Fens.

[arnieg]

Good news

[Bunce]

4 hours ago, Fozzie4388 said:

Mildenhall confirmed as going to the tapes in 2023

May I ask where that has been confirmed please? There is nothing on the Mildenhall web site yet? If its true, then its great news!

Edited January 3, 2023 by Bunce
Spelling mistake