tomhaines Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 1 hour ago, GiveusaB said: So called fans slating B'ham is a bigger disgrace than B'ham trying their hardest to get the meeting on and struggling..... especially considering how far Redcar had travelled. A lot of bodies associated with B'ham have been working tirelessly for the last 2/3 months to try and get things ready for the season.....there's more to a speedway club than a race track that has to be 'passed' off...... Mistakes happen and as long as lessons are learnt, what more can people do? Trying to punish/penalise the club financially is a disgrace..... Sticking the boot in when the sport is already down doesn't bode well IMO! Give Redcar the win and move on! (blame BSPA for demanding a re-schedule....I bet nobody from B'ham wants it) “So called fans” are paying customers. This notion that “fans” owe the tracks something is a problem with speedway… if the product is poor then “so called fans” become former fans. If McDonalds consistently served you cold food would you keep going back just because of goodwill? Of course not, a Speedway club is a business and businesses need to do all they can to retain and increase their customer base - not rely on that goodwill which will run out eventually and not sustain your business. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 42 minutes ago, GiveusaB said: Quoting from Club statement. Which of course will be TOTALLY impartial and unbiased. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solrac Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 Never ben totally sure on this point so excuse my ignorance, but how is medical cover worked out/organised/paid for? Speedway is the only sport I know where if a rider needs treatment the meeting is effectively stopped, sometimes for ages. If you're new to the sport/occasional visitor then it would certainly put you off returning again when meetings can drag on for 2-3 hours when an incident happens. As an exiled Eagle living in Birmingham I have some sympathy that the opening meeting went badly, but they've had plenty of time to make the track right and if they were struggling for equipment, why didn't they try and source some from other tracks/promotions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiveusaB Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, tomhaines said: “So called fans” are paying customers. This notion that “fans” owe the tracks something is a problem with speedway… if the product is poor then “so called fans” become former fans. If McDonalds consistently served you cold food would you keep going back just because of goodwill? Of course not, a Speedway club is a business and businesses need to do all they can to retain and increase their customer base - not rely on that goodwill which will run out eventually and not sustain your business. I agree with your point of view....nobody is suggesting that fans owe clubs anything.... may be some of us old gits are more hardcore than others.....but to want to penalise promoters, who are most likely already out of pocket is a scandalous suggestion IMO! I don't think Peter and David Mason are running our club to make a living.....they're doing it out of passion for the sport! They need our backing to survive and mistakes or no mistakes, they have my gratitude and support unconditionally! Edited June 3, 2021 by GiveusaB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 46 minutes ago, RPNY said: Not being disrespectful but thats never happening so the solution is just prepare the track properly... its not going to happen because no one's in charge other than the riders who, not unreasonably will use any tech they're allowed to. They shouldn't have been allowed. If the sport is slowed down a few miles an hour, no one would even notice. Modern bikes look rubbishe too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiveusaB Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 11 minutes ago, solrac said: Never ben totally sure on this point so excuse my ignorance, but how is medical cover worked out/organised/paid for? Speedway is the only sport I know where if a rider needs treatment the meeting is effectively stopped, sometimes for ages. If you're new to the sport/occasional visitor then it would certainly put you off returning again when meetings can drag on for 2-3 hours when an incident happens. As an exiled Eagle living in Birmingham I have some sympathy that the opening meeting went badly, but they've had plenty of time to make the track right and if they were struggling for equipment, why didn't they try and source some from other tracks/promotions? I believe each meeting has 2 Ambulances in attendance.....One for hospital emergencies, whilst the other one stays and covers. If both have to leave, then the meeting would be stopped until cover is in place. I don't know if what I'm saying is correct, but that's what I think happens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flagrag Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 The issue is often not ambulances but legal medical red tape that holds meetings up when a rider needs to go to hospital. As once a paramedic/doctor has administered controlled drugs like Morphine or inserted a cannula for fluids then that individual has to stay with them until handed over to county ambulance or goes with them to hospital. At Leicester we have had two ambulances and two paramedics for some meetings and had an incident but still had delays as SCB will only allow one medical officer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilWatson Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 (edited) 12 minutes ago, GiveusaB said: I believe each meeting has 2 Ambulances in attendance.....One for hospital emergencies, whilst the other one stays and covers. If both have to leave, then the meeting would be stopped until cover is in place. I don't know if what I'm saying is correct, but that's what I think happens? Two ambulances are not a requirement, one ambulance plus a medical room is acceptable, but a second ambulance is often present in lieu of the medical room. Edited June 3, 2021 by NeilWatson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 Well I don't really know where to start... The road system approaching Perry Barr (from M6) is an absolute mess, nothing to do with the stadium it's being redeveloped for Commonwealth Games. Ended up parking on some urban road as getting to the OneStop car park would have taken forever with the queues. It occurred to me on the way that the Stadium could be in the new innercity clean air zone, but it isn't - helpful sign saying the clean air zone starts in 2 miles - so at least no additional charge! The queuing system for season ticket holders wasn't good, pay on the night customers were streaming past us. It was announced that the start was delayed due to track prep shortly before 19:30, but not a soul had been working on the track prior to that and we'd been in the stadium from about 19:15. Still took about 10 further minutes before the tractor appeared. Then the tractor swapped its equipment for a blade about 30 minutes later (swapped by Chris Harris I think), a few laps with the blade and a bit of raking from the limited number of track staff (& Charles Wright). Finally racing was underway about 20:45.... It was clear the riders were not happy with bends 3 & 4, with a few exceptions almost all of them switched off to enter the bend - Thomas & Sarjeant almost came to a complete stand still. Then the dust began - no sign of any water being put down. Tractor came out. But no water. There were actually a few decent races - Harris v Allen, Palm Toft going from 4th to 2nd and giving chase to Riss. But it was mostly Bears going around Brummies who were sticking frigidly to the inside. Despite the riders reservations with turns 3 & 4, Morris & Grobauer/Stewert both fell on turn 1. Didn't see the second incident properly due to the dust cloud. At that point it was 21:40 so I left, expecting the meeting to be abandoned. Feel sorry for the travelling Redcar fans, a long way to drive for a none event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 48 minutes ago, GiveusaB said: I agree with your point of view....nobody is suggesting that fans owe clubs anything.... may be some of us old gits are more hardcore than others.....but to want to penalise promoters, who are most likely already out of pocket is a scandalous suggestion IMO! Peter and David Mason aren't running our club to make a living.....they're doing it out of passion for the sport! They need our backing to survive and mistakes or no mistakes, they have my gratitude and support unconditionally! Perhaps therein lies the problem. In “the good old days”, them there great promoters like Charles Ochiltree, Ronnie Greene, etc WERE in it to make a living, hence their insistence on running a professional outfit and their valuing their customers, in order to maximise their income. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiveusaB Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 5 minutes ago, Midland Red said: Perhaps therein lies the problem. In “the good old days”, them there great promoters like Charles Ochiltree, Ronnie Greene, etc WERE in it to make a living, hence their insistence on running a professional outfit and their valuing their customers, in order to maximise their income. Ochiltree was a promoting legend.... but I think even he'd struggle in todays 'speedway world' ! the modern engine has ruined the sport in this country (IMO) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yearbyred Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 Redcar have issued a statement too Redcar Speedway would like to thank all the fans in attendance at Perry Barr last night on what was a hugely frustrating evening. Contrary to a press release made elsewhere earlier today, there were huge concerns from both sides in relation to track conditions, not just from Redcar. To the credit of the riders, they showed patience and asked for track work to be done to improve the situation, due to concerns for their own health and safety - we strongly believe this was justified and support the stance they took, as they have every right to expect a safe surface to race on. Under increasing pressure, racing began after a delay lasting over an hour, but sadly resulted in serious injury to Jordan Stewart in heat 10. We feel as a club, we did everything possible to assist in making last night a success and to get the meeting finished, though we question whether the meeting should have gone ahead in the first place. We have appealed to the SCB regarding the result, which we believe should stand. The meeting was abandoned as a direct result of the delay and the inadequate track preparation - under no circumstances should Redcar Speedway suffer due to the errors of the home promotion. Mistakes happen and we accept that, but responsibly needs to be taken and a just outcome reached. It is a fact that Redcar would have been leading by at least 8 points after heat 10. Finally, we would like to wish our rider and friend Jordan Stewart a speedy recovery and best wishes. He is currently awaiting surgery on his collarbone and shoulder. To say we are gutted by his situation would be an understatement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 3 hours ago, GiveusaB said: “the visitors in particular weren’t too happy with the track. 'You missed that part of your quote' ! "The visitors in particular," which means some Birmingham riders weren't happy either. Also it says “On the day itself as well, because of the greyhound trials that were happening on Wednesday this week..." That'll be the BAGS meeting, that happen EVERY Wednesday and will continue to do so throughout the year, meaning the track staff won't get on to the speedway track until after the last race at 159pm for every home meeting this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mikebv Posted June 3, 2021 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, GiveusaB said: So called fans slating B'ham is a bigger disgrace than B'ham trying their hardest to get the meeting on and struggling..... especially considering how far Redcar had travelled. A lot of bodies associated with B'ham have been working tirelessly for the last 2/3 months to try and get things ready for the season.....there's more to a speedway club than a race track that has to be 'passed' off...... Mistakes happen and as long as lessons are learnt, what more can people do? Trying to punish/penalise the club financially is a disgrace..... Sticking the boot in when the sport is already down doesn't bode well IMO! Give Redcar the win and move on! (blame BSPA for demanding a re-schedule....I bet nobody from B'ham wants it) Hear! Hear! Fans should have zero expectations from Speedway Promoters that what they will be watching would pass as a 'professional sport', or even 'professional entertainment'... How many years of experiencing this kind of thing happening will it take before fans (those who still go), finally realise they expect too much from the Promoters..? "Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer chance" when you attend a Speedway Meeting... Will the track be ok because it has rained too much/not rained as much as forecast/been too sunny/not been sunny enough/been too windy/not been windy enough?* Will all the riders be there or will some be in Poland/Denmark/Sweden/Somewhere else?* (with the express permission of their clubs who agreed to the meeting you are paying for knowing it would be a 'select' side being put out).? "Caveat Emptor" when it comes to Speedway I would suggest.. Keep your expectations as low as can be and you can rarely feel let down.. They do their best I am sure, and often for the love of the sport rather than expecting to make any money.. Well meaning amateurs who surround themselves with more of the same, pursuing an often expensive hobby... Whether it's good enough or not is judged by how many still attend I suppose.. Or possibly, more accurately, sadly, by that much, much greater number who no longer attend.. Bottom line is moaning won't change anything as plenty have moaned and walked away yet we still have the same issues now that have been around a long, long time.. Those who still attend should stick with it and accept that every now and then the sport will shoot itself in the foot.. * delete as applicable.. Edited June 3, 2021 by mikebv 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 33 minutes ago, StevePark said: "The visitors in particular," which means some Birmingham riders weren't happy either. Also it says “On the day itself as well, because of the greyhound trials that were happening on Wednesday this week..." That'll be the BAGS meeting, that happen EVERY Wednesday and will continue to do so throughout the year, meaning the track staff won't get on to the speedway track until after the last race at 159pm for every home meeting this season. Sounds like the “only in speedway” shambles.The fans will turn up next week anyway attitude.There are getting fewer “ mug fans “ as the older generation depart though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 1 minute ago, mikebv said: Hear! Hear! Fans should have zero expectations from Speedway Promoters that what they will be watching would pass as a 'professional sport', or even 'professional entertainment'... How many years of experiencing this kind of thing happening will it take before fans (those who still go), finally realise they expect too much from the Promoters..? "Yer pays her money and yer takes yer chance" when you attend a Speedway Meeting... Will the track be ok because it has rained too much/not rained as much as forecast/been too sunny/not been sunny enough/been too windy/not been windy enough?* Will all the riders be there or will some be in Poland/Denmark/Sweden/Somewhere else? (with the express permission of their clubs who agreed to the meeting you are paying for knowing it would be a 'select' side being put out).? "Caveat Emptor" when it comes to Speedway I would suggest.. Keep your expectations as low as can be and you can rarely feel let down.. They do their best I am sure, and often for the love of the sport rather than expecting to make any money.. Well meaning amateurs who surround themselves with more of the same, pursuing an often expensive hobby... Whether it's good enough or not is judged by how many still attend I suppose.. Or possibly, more accurately, sadly, by that much, much greater number who no longer attend.. Bottom line is moaning won't change anything as plenty have moaned and walked away yet we still have the same issues now that have been around a long, long time.. Those who still attend should stick with it and accept that every now and then the sport will shoot itself in the foot.. Hit the nail on the head Post. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WembleyLion Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 52 minutes ago, mikebv said: Hear! Hear! Fans should have zero expectations from Speedway Promoters that what they will be watching would pass as a 'professional sport', or even 'professional entertainment'... How many years of experiencing this kind of thing happening will it take before fans (those who still go), finally realise they expect too much from the Promoters..? "Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer chance" when you attend a Speedway Meeting... Will the track be ok because it has rained too much/not rained as much as forecast/been too sunny/not been sunny enough/been too windy/not been windy enough?* Will all the riders be there or will some be in Poland/Denmark/Sweden/Somewhere else? (with the express permission of their clubs who agreed to the meeting you are paying for knowing it would be a 'select' side being put out).? "Caveat Emptor" when it comes to Speedway I would suggest.. Keep your expectations as low as can be and you can rarely feel let down.. They do their best I am sure, and often for the love of the sport rather than expecting to make any money.. Well meaning amateurs who surround themselves with more of the same, pursuing an often expensive hobby... Whether it's good enough or not is judged by how many still attend I suppose.. Or possibly, more accurately, sadly, by that much, much greater number who no longer attend.. Bottom line is moaning won't change anything as plenty have moaned and walked away yet we still have the same issues now that have been around a long, long time.. Those who still attend should stick with it and accept that every now and then the sport will shoot itself in the foot.. * delete as applicable.. You are right as always Mike. Nothing changes and I could list a catalogue of Speedway disappointments over many years that compared to last night. It is just something some of us have become hardened to. I will of course keep going and so will others but sadly I fear many more won’t and have already given up and I do fully understand why. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcatdiary Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 2 hours ago, StevePark said: "The visitors in particular," which means some Birmingham riders weren't happy either. Also it says “On the day itself as well, because of the greyhound trials that were happening on Wednesday this week..." That'll be the BAGS meeting, that happen EVERY Wednesday and will continue to do so throughout the year, meaning the track staff won't get on to the speedway track until after the last race at 159pm for every home meeting this season. Surely whilst the weather is like this means it’s likely they will hit track problems like yesterday on a regular basis. Has the Management access to other week nights or weekend afternoon or evenings when Greyhound meetings are not taking place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhaines Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 4 hours ago, GiveusaB said: I agree with your point of view....nobody is suggesting that fans owe clubs anything.... may be some of us old gits are more hardcore than others.....but to want to penalise promoters, who are most likely already out of pocket is a scandalous suggestion IMO! I don't think Peter and David Mason are running our club to make a living.....they're doing it out of passion for the sport! They need our backing to survive and mistakes or no mistakes, they have my gratitude and support unconditionally! Not sure where I’ve suggested ‘penalising the promoters’. I agree they’ll be out of pocket more than anyone. What I’m saying is that any company in any industry cannot be sustainable relying on the goodwill of the hardcore fan/customer/supporter and will fail if they don’t improve their product and offer a good customer experience - there’s far too much competition for time and money nowadays to be as complacent (or is it sheer arrogance/stupidity/naivety?!) as Speedway promoters are about their product and customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post brianbuck Posted June 3, 2021 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 There's no point in trying to deny that last night's meeting was a complete disaster and has done no good at all to the image of Birmingham Speedway or speedway in general for that matter, but this was the kind of night that all tracks in their turn do experience occasionally, and it doesn't make Birmingham a poorly run club and nor does it make Redcar villanous opportunists! Unfortunately, when these things do happen, there will be a hard core of supporters who must have someone to pin all of the blame on - and for many of these, the regular target is Laurence Rogers, who like him or not, is actually one of the hardest working people in speedway. When I arrived at the stadium in the early afternoon, Laurence was surrounded by a posse of officials from Birmingham City Council who were obviously grilling him for detailed information regarding the covid rules, and he was still with them over an hour later, and when I looked in at the speedway office, he was wading through the mountain of paperwork that had been left for him to complete. I admit was surprised at how dry the track looked, but I could understand the reasoning for delaying putting more water on. When I rang my wife at 5.30-ish, she informed me that it was pouring with rain in Brierley Hill (only about 10 miles away) and the gathering of black clouds above the stadium seemed to indicate that we were going to get the heavy shower that had been forecast for Perry Barr. In the event, all we had were a few spots, so although the decision not to water, was obviously the wrong one in hindsight. Regardless of that though, the track was not in very good condition having only been used once for practice since 2019, and I wouldn't dispute that both sets of riders were not particularly happy with it. I thought we were in a similar situation to Wolverhampton's a couple of weeks back when their opening meeting had to be called off after only two heats - the track staff did their best to put the surface right, but only succeeded in making it worse. The injury to Jordan Stewart just about put the seal on an unhappy evening, and I sincerely hope that his injuries aren't as bad as have been reported. I don't feel that the condition of the track was in any way the cause of the crash, but very few people I think, would disagree that the abandonment of the meeting through lack of medical cover, wasn't the correct one. The old system of two first aid men picking up an injured rider by the arms and legs, and just throwing him onto the centre green, went out of the window 30-odd years ago! As far as the match score is concerned, Redcar were well on top at the time of the abandonment, and I doubt whether the Brummies would have been able to pull back the deficit, and a fair outcome would be for Redcar to be awarded the match. I know that the referee was asked to do this, but this is a decision which no referee has the authority to make - as those who were asking this referee would know perfectly well. If the BSPL do decide that the scoreline should stand though, this would be a wholly just conclusion and one which I don't think many Birmingham supporters would disagree with. In conclusion, yes, it was a disaster of a meeting, but they do happen occasionally, and I for one am not put off my chosen sport through one bad night. I'm not asking anyone to agree or disagree with me. I'm just offering my own take on an unhappy evening. 9 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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