Nora 4 team series launch at Sittingbourne on Sunday!

[hawks 1975]

Brayden came over from his base in Denmark for the day and certainly showed his class as befits a 22  year old rider competing in Poland - well done to Barry to get him over at such short notice to replace Henry Atkins. It's always great to see new riders. The other late substitute was Luke Harris who replaced Jake Turner, and he ended up topping the Plymouth scoresheet! Not bad for a lad who I believe mainly rides on the grass nowadays.

I've always loved the fours format and congratulations to Barry Bishop and his team for overcoming all the obstacles to get his show up and running. Hopefully he can grow this concept from this beginning.

One issue he has is that team speedway depends on fans getting behind their team, and that can only grow in time - especially where yesterdays teams largely had no connection.

One question to Barry - are the same riders likely to ride in every meeting?

Well done to all those volunteers who got yesterday meeting on. A special mention to the track staff - on such a sunny, windy day, it could have been a dust bowl - it wasn't.

 

[hawks 1975]

I forgot - we love the 4TT handicap option! Team mangers - in discussion with their riders - picking an opposition rider to be handicapped - brilliant!  Rhys was ecstatic to be selected!! 

[barrybishop]

32 minutes ago, hawks 1975 said:

Brayden came over from his base in Denmark for the day and certainly showed his class as befits a 22  year old rider competing in Poland - well done to Barry to get him over at such short notice to replace Henry Atkins. It's always great to see new riders. The other late substitute was Luke Harris who replaced Jake Turner, and he ended up topping the Plymouth scoresheet! Not bad for a lad who I believe mainly rides on the grass nowadays.

I've always loved the fours format and congratulations to Barry Bishop and his team for overcoming all the obstacles to get his show up and running. Hopefully he can grow this concept from this beginning.

One issue he has is that team speedway depends on fans getting behind their team, and that can only grow in time - especially where yesterdays teams largely had no connection.

One question to Barry - are the same riders likely to ride in every meeting?

Well done to all those volunteers who got yesterday meeting on. A special mention to the track staff - on such a sunny, windy day, it could have been a dust bowl - it wasn't.

 

Our plan is of course to keep the teams as close as we can to the same side each week... although with the challenges that we have outside of our league that may not always be possible. Lets hope that we can or as near to as possible. Thanks for your feedback.

[arnieg]

Barry Bishop, facebook, 26 May

 

June 4th Nora No Brakes Racing League meeting at Iwade to be cancelled.

 

Following the hugely successful first round, we are devastated to inform you that the second round of the Nora No Brakes Racing League scheduled for June 4th at Iwade Kent has been cancelled due to unprecedented pressure from the SCB on Kent Royals owner Si Kellow.

 

The situation is as follows; Barry Bishop and Martin Widman hire the stadium directly from Sittingbourne Speedway, we applied for the permit, we ran the event for the 1st round. The only link between the Kent Royals and Sittingbourne Speedway is that Graham Arnold is cited as being the Royals co-promoter, and he holds the lease on the Iwade track. Si Kellow is connected to Sittingbourne Speedway in the same way that we are - he hires the stadium for Kent Royals matches. Si Kellow is not a part of No Brakes Racing, yet the SCB have both imposed a fine on Kent National League Speedway (the company owned by Kellow) and revoked the Kent Royals SCB track licence suspended for 12 months telling the Kent based club that they must only run events under ACU and SCB citing the threat of pursuance of the SCB in the event of a litigation claim, despite both SCB and Nora being underwritten by the same company Sports Insure.

 

The Nora No Brakes Racing League has no wish to see any Speedway club close even if we totally dispute the reasons, so we have to cancel June 4th. Not only does this cancellation deprive Iwade Speedway of much needed revenue, it also deprives riders of track time and you the fans a great afternoon’s entertainment. The feedback from round one has been staggering from volunteers, fans, sponsors, and rider, and we urge the SCB to reconsider its approach to the situation.

 

There is so much more that could be written about this situation but for now we must support Si Kellow and the Kent Royals to ensure we don't lose another club for the most disgraceful of reasons. We shall of course continue with a full season on the Isle of Wight, continue to grow the Nora No Breaks Racing League, and our door always remains open to discuss anything with the SCB.

 

We look forward to welcoming you at Smallbrook Stadium on June 22nd when We open our summer season.

[Diamonds85]

I am not going to another speedway meeting in Britain ever again, this is absolutely disgusting and I can't support it. If I want my speedway fix I will go watch the amateur meetings at Scunthorpe or go to Denmark. Absolutely sickening and unless it's changed, the SCB can forget my custom. I hope others follow suit until the SCB pull their heads out of their arse at least. I will keep an eye out for any future NORA events and I can guarantee I will be in attendance.

[Marky_Mark]

1 hour ago, Diamonds85 said:

I am not going to another speedway meeting in Britain ever again, this is absolutely disgusting and I can't support it. If I want my speedway fix I will go watch the amateur meetings at Scunthorpe or go to Denmark. Absolutely sickening and unless it's changed, the SCB can forget my custom. I hope others follow suit until the SCB pull their heads out of their arse at least. I will keep an eye out for any future NORA events and I can guarantee I will be in attendance.

Scunthorpe is run by Rob Godfrey, chairman of the BSPL who have done everything to make this as difficult as possible for Barry and Martin.

I understand your sentiment though, I’ve stopped attending BSPL/SCB events and save my money to go to as many on the Island as possible.

This latest ‘stunt’ is quite disgusting. How on earth has Si Kellow landed a fine when he’s had nothing to do with this NORA league, all he’s guilty of doing is leasing the same track that Barry did for his event.

There’s no other way now than for some other UK promoters to be brave and pull out of the SCB league next year altogether and join the NORA league with the IOW and run meetings for the fans like the good old days we all remember and enjoyed.

Lets hope Sittingbourne and a few others can be tempted.

Keep going Barry, there are hundreds of us that applaud and support you. Don’t let them grind you down 

 

 

[Sings4Speedway]

1 hour ago, Diamonds85 said:

I am not going to another speedway meeting in Britain ever again, this is absolutely disgusting and I can't support it. If I want my speedway fix I will go watch the amateur meetings at Scunthorpe or go to Denmark. Absolutely sickening and unless it's changed, the SCB can forget my custom. I hope others follow suit until the SCB pull their heads out of their arse at least. I will keep an eye out for any future NORA events and I can guarantee I will be in attendance.

I have to admit that was one of my very early thoughts after hearing the news too (the firsts were those that would get me removed from here due to language and contant).

Would certainly be interesting to hear who from the SCB issued the fines and suspended bans. Was it Vatcher acting big or the board itself? If so who on the board as definitely can't see Paul Hurry voting for it, Tony Steele isn't so petty which leaves CVS, Rob Godfrey and Jim Lawrence....oh...

Edited May 26, 2023 by Sings4Speedway

[Chris116]

If the Sittingbourne promoter has been fined for using the same track as a NORA event then why has Rob Godfrey not been fined as well since he actually runs NORA events? How many other tracks that run BSPL events also run events under NORA? I hope Sittingbourne tell the BSPL to go to hell and help them on their way by suing them for restraint of trade.

[Halifaxtiger]

My suspicion is that at the sign of a legal challenge the SCB would back down immediately (as they did following their decision to bar Scott Nicholls from riding in the Championship).

From what I can make out, Si Kellow has been fined and had his track licence suspended because the owner of Iwade stadium has permitted a NORA league meeting to take place. That's arbitrary, stupid and almost certainly illegal, and cannot be justified in any way. Kellow could appeal within the sport, but its very unlikely he would get an independent review. Alternatively, he might mount a legal challenge but that could be expensive. What is quite possible - in the circumstances I would certainly do it - is to pull Kent out of the NL. 

The one who really has a case is the stadium owner. What the SCB have done effectively places a restriction on him using his facility to its maximum potential, and that clearly is a restraint of trade which, within English case law, is illegal. Such an action can be held to be reasonable, but in exceptional circumstances. 

Having read Jim Lawrence's Speedy Star statement, he referred to a case which, he suggested, may mean that the SCB could be subject to litigation should an incident occur during a NORA meeting. Having read the judgement in that case, that is tenuous at best and nonsense at worst and, what is more, I have been told the SCB know it. How they might be held liable for something that takes place utterly outside their jurisdiction is beyond me, and it can be said that any incident won't even happen during a speedway meeting, because the NORA league is 'no brakes racing' (it is effectively the same, but because the SCB hold a monopoly on speedway events it is called something else). 

I am no legal expert but it seems to me that a legal affidavit issued by NORA exempting the SCB from any responsibility for events under their banner would resolve the situation. Then again, it wouldn't, because the SCB's purpose here is not to avoid such responsibility but to destroy the NORA league. Lawrence's statements to the contrary in Speedy Star were so disingenuous they were nauseating.

What is especially galling is that NORA events have been held at SCB tracks - particularly (and slightly ironically) Scunthorpe - but no action was taken by the SCB against them at all. Lawrence stated in Speedy Star that 'they got away with it'.  If that's trrue - and I don't think for a single second it is - he is grossly incompetent and should be nowhere near a position in the sports governing body. 

Perhaps needless to say, this has made me very angry and I, too, am done with speedway (not, I should say, 'no brakes racing).

[Mimmo]

I made my feelings known yesterday when this terrible and inexcusable news broke.

I've woken up this morning, and feel even more anger towards the SCB over this senseless and childish decision. Speedway is dying as quick as the Titanic sank, surely they must see that, so why SCB, why are you taking this stance (aka throwing your toys out of your pram), and sending the sport we ALL love, to the depths of no return.

I know that you people deny in the most part, about reading social media postings, but the world and his friend know that you do. PLEASE TELL US, THE PAYING PUBLIC, why you have developed this hatred, against the people that are trying to help our sport survive for many more years to come, and at the same time, provide entertainment for all ages, something lacking in the world of speedway as we know it at the moment. as dwindling crowds prove. As things stand at the moment, Workington, Kent and Mildenhall, are the only two stand alone clubs in the NDL, with the latter in particular, doing everything in their power, to keep their club running in 2023, and hopefully beyond, with their fund raising and innovative ideas throughout the close season, due to alarm bells ringing over falling attendances, with people fed up seeing the same old thing, week upon week, and they are succeeding.

What will happen if both the mentioned clubs decided to throw in the towel, and join the NORA set up? Answer is you'd have egg on your faces, as it would be the end of the NDL, with so few clubs operating in it, and it would all be down to your unexplained reasons to the public, and quite possibly I assume, to Messrs Bishop and Widman as to why you don't want the sport to survive and prosper, albeit a little different to what is is now.

As a man who has spent his life supporting speedway since the days when riders like Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger etc; had never been heard of, I hate seeing my passion dying like it is.

PLEASE, I BEG YOU, sit round the table with Barry Bishop, Martin Widman, and anybody else involved, and tell them of your feelings or even concerns of what they are trying to provide, and at the same time, LISTEN to their side of the story too, whilst enjoying a glass of wine, or maybe a meal, and have that relaxed conversation.

If at the end of it, you realise that they are right, and you are wrong, then admit it, and put matters right. It takes a big man or organisation to admit they got it wrong, and by doing that, we the public, would applaud and respect you for doing that. It's not to late.

[Fortythirtyeight]

14 hours ago, Diamonds85 said:

I am not going to another speedway meeting in Britain ever again, this is absolutely disgusting and I can't support it. If I want my speedway fix I will go watch the amateur meetings at Scunthorpe or go to Denmark. Absolutely sickening and unless it's changed, the SCB can forget my custom. I hope others follow suit until the SCB pull their heads out of their arse at least. I will keep an eye out for any future NORA events and I can guarantee I will be in attendance.

If you think for one moment others are going to boycott speedway because of this decision then you are deluded. Whilst it sucks of stupidity it affects a minimal , possibly dozens or less , fans and so life will carry on as normal , the sport slowly dying because of the ineptitude at the top.

[Halifaxtiger]

47 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

If you think for one moment others are going to boycott speedway because of this decision then you are deluded. Whilst it sucks of stupidity it affects a minimal , possibly dozens or less , fans and so life will carry on as normal , the sport slowly dying because of the ineptitude at the top.

Not that deluded, I am not going again either. I suspect that very few others will take the same step, but it does highlight - yet again - how the stupidity, spite and crass actions of those running speedway have led to paying customers abandoning the sport. 

[25yearfan]

Ludicrous, petty, short sighted, almost certainly illegal and most importantly derogatory to the future of the sport in this Country, a sport that is wobbling badly as it is. 

[bruno]

I don't know if Barry and Martin's vision could revive speedways fortunes , it seems to work on the isle of Wight and the Kent meeting seemed a success but nationaly I'm not sure . But what I am sure of is the current running of the sport is a ticket to oblivion. Dinosaurs doing the same thing year after expecting different results. Didn't an intelligent chap years ago say that's a sign of madness

[old bob at herne bay]

Nothing surprises me anymore when I read stories like this about the UK sport.  Oh what a shambles it is. Infighting, selfishness, self interest , lack of vision. 

Memories of the days of the Provincial League in the 1960's when they tried to outlaw riders who rode in the Provincial League. Took a government enquiry to join them all up in one big league and told them to get on with it.  Something radical like that is needed now - personally I don't see it happening with the present bunch - people just aren't interested anymore (including me).   

Still with so few landlords interested nowadays in hosting speedway in their stadiums it wont be long before the whole sorry sport in the UK comes tumbling down.

 

 

[ch958]

its a shame there isn't a solicitor/ barrister fan who wd work pro bono, they haven't got a leg to stand on. What the hell are they so scared of??