Pinny Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Pathetic scenario. Plymouth should be operating in the third tier, their not a second tier club. If that is true about starting track prep an hour before the start, they should hang their heads in shame. Refunds should be immediately given out on exiting the stadium. Farce of a sport these days sadly, with clubs like this playing a big part in that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer1969 Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Last night Plymouth website said meeting postponed further comment to follow. This morning still saying the same - how long does it take for an explanation? Could we be watching another Eastbourne type scenario unfolding? I hope not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 11 minutes ago, Pinny said: Pathetic scenario. Plymouth should be operating in the third tier, their not a second tier club. If that is true about starting track prep an hour before the start, they should hang their heads in shame. Refunds should be immediately given out on exiting the stadium. Farce of a sport these days sadly, with clubs like this playing a big part in that. This practise of re-admission tickets only has been going on for years to be fair. I can remember going to Belle Vue once when JP was promoting, it was a fine evening & no issues were expected .However the riders were unhappy with an issue on 1st & 2nd turn which was described as being "like glass". After some work with the grader it was decided that Hans Nielsen would try a couple of laps. He did & gave it the thumbs down so the meeting was cancelled. Many bees fans decided to ask for their entrance fee to be returned, which was initially declined,but as a rather large contingent of fans congregated in the entrance areas & refused to leave the stadium before someone from the club eventually appeared with several money bags & duly refunded all the supporters . On the other hand I once experienced a situation at Swindon where a meeting was called off & we were all advised to keep our rain off tickets . I did this & decided to use it when I returned for the " new date ".So i turned up at the turnstiles only to be told that I needed to go to the big gates at the far end of the car park. When I gave the guy my rain off ticket he refused me entry stating that " I had missed the time frame for the re admission" , I explained I was a visiting fan & that i didn't get to Swindon regularly.He still refused, & then I had to argue my point with him for a few minutes before he decided to let me in. So as you can see this refund/re admission situation has been a mess for many years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 4 minutes ago, Dave Jones said: This practise of re-admission tickets only has been going on for years to be fair. I can remember going to Belle Vue once when JP was promoting, it was a fine evening & no issues were expected .However the riders were unhappy with an issue on 1st & 2nd turn which was described as being "like glass". After some work with the grader it was decided that Hans Nielsen would try a couple of laps. He did & gave it the thumbs down so the meeting was cancelled. Many bees fans decided to ask for their entrance fee to be returned, which was initially declined,but as a rather large contingent of fans congregated in the entrance areas & refused to leave the stadium before someone from the club eventually appeared with several money bags & duly refunded all the supporters . On the other hand I once experienced a situation at Swindon where a meeting was called off & we were all advised to keep our rain off tickets . I did this & decided to use it when I returned for the " new date ".So i turned up at the turnstiles only to be told that I needed to go to the big gates at the far end of the car park. When I gave the guy my rain off ticket he refused me entry stating that " I had missed the time frame for the re admission" , I explained I was a visiting fan & that i didn't get to Swindon regularly.He still refused, & then I had to argue my point with him for a few minutes before he decided to let me in. So as you can see this refund/re admission situation has been a mess for many years. As a travelling fan I have occasionally asked for a refund. I have always got it, but it never ceases to amaze me how grudging, obstructive (and often rude), people have been. What exactly do they achieve other than increasing ill-will and discouraging visiting fans from returning? The only exception was Peter Toogood who was polite, cheerful and sympathetic when organising a refund on the spot. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaColette Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Never had a problem getting a refund at Poole. Whether that is sending the admission ticket to them and then them sending out the refund. Or one time they said if you queued at the turnstiles they would give you a refund - although that was very time consuming if you imagine 1500-2000 fans doing that all at the same time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Both Richie Worrall and Leon Flint have given their views/explanations on the facebook page. Richie went into some detail about how things were on his practice laps - barely rideable and NOT raceable - plus he gave an idea of what his own costs were for the postponement. Leon said similar and also that the majority decision not to race was made by riders of both teams. (Ben Barker also explained on BSN about the track surface being very 'sandy' down to the base which makes it very soft when any rain). Riders weren't happy for Barker to do the practice laps as they thought he would simply support his uncle, Mark Phillips to get it on! The hope was that after morning rain the track would dry out naturally till late afternoon before trying to pack it down then. For me, what was far worse for the fans in attendance and those watching BSN, was that it was all played out in full view of everyone who had been admitted and those viewing the stream, some 30-45 minutes AFTER the scheduled start time!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Skid Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Always remember the IOW track, they would flood it, a few bricks showing through the surface as well, the opposition couldn't wait to get back on the ferry, the home riders could wait to race there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellers101 Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 2 hours ago, marko said: If that’s the best effort they can make no wonder they haven’t raced for two months. Once again they will be holding up the entire league because they have failed to get meetings on when maybe a little thought and effort could have saved them. Same last year as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biffa Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 So where are the BSPL track advisors, or assessors, whatever you call them. Surely if this is a regular occurrence they should be involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 17 minutes ago, Biffa said: So where are the BSPL track advisors, or assessors, whatever you call them. Surely if this is a regular occurrence they should be involved. Speedway is just “Boys Club” now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehone Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 (edited) is it time referees had to have a course on track work so they would have a better understanding? Edited August 9, 2023 by stevehone 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 13 minutes ago, stevehone said: is it time referees had to a course on track work so they would have a better understanding? You'd think that they'd have an action plan to work to if things don't start at the scheduled start time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 37 minutes ago, stevehone said: is it time referees had to have a course on track work so they would have a better understanding? Nowadays in GB if track work is required late before start time you can bet the meeting wont go ahead.Riders rule and the Ref has too take the Health and Safety option as a way out.I do feel sorry for the Refs in this situation they can’t win.In Poland in this situation the Club are heavily fined and the Track Curators suspended.Not an option On a Amateur run show over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGould Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Whatever the rights and wrongs of last night one thing is clear. Back in the 2 valve and upright era that Track would not be considered unsafe. Those days had no air fences and rain offs were far less prevelant. They'd put sawdust down and get on with it. Those were men not petaldicks, and they'd ride the bike and gear it according to the conditions. If they had a 2 wheel in and slide out for a few races they would. I've seen Mauger, Briggo, Collins, Olsen all do it, pictures of riders looking like they have just come from down the pit with only eyes visible were commonplace. Too many of this era can't ride bikes that rev too high and lack throttle control. Maybe the real reason they didn't want Barker to ride it was he'd have leg trailed round the fence and broken the track record. Time to consider the reason and not the cause. .. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruckerroo Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 This gaffs gonna go under very soon if they dont pull their fingers out, you can see it a mile away 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinny Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Agree regarding referees having some form of track knowledge . As it stands, they are far too influenced by certain riders and bow down to them. Especially riders who are well passed their sell by date and hanging round for a few final paydays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstbend Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 Greg Blair and BSN have totally condemned the Plymouth management with totally inaccurate information. To suggest that Mark Phillips only turned up at 1800 hours to start work on the track is completely wrong. Mark had obviously done a lot of work on the track earlier and then left the track to dry out naturally when the rain stopped about mid day. Do you know that if you put pressure by tyre packing or similar on a track that has much water held in its lower layers then you are in danger of the track becoming thixotropic and resulting in a mushy mess. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I am sure that Mark may well have played things differently had he known the outcome. Mark is one of the most hardworking promoters in the U.K. He has put a vast amount of his money on developing and meetings speedway going in Plymouth. If SPN wants to see the end of speedway in Plymouth then keep up your rant over the Plymouth Management and in particular Mark Phillips. We are in great danger of losing many tracks this winter, for example Wolverhampton, Peterborough, Birmingham, Edinburgh. What difference would the addition of Plymouth make to this list.? I thought that BSN was there to promote speedway not hasten its demise! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike0310 Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 If that’s the case and you seem to have a lot more knowledge than many of us and I have no reason to disbelieve what your saying mark needs to go public with what went on himself and look in to the comments Greg Blair made live on peoples tv to see if there defamatory remember though bsn said they were there since noon and saw nothing happening.it’s done now I’m still peed off about it because it’s a night I get out with my son and I love my club and speedway and I don’t like us being a laughing stock for others. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 19 minutes ago, firstbend said: Greg Blair and BSN have totally condemned the Plymouth management with totally inaccurate information. To suggest that Mark Phillips only turned up at 1800 hours to start work on the track is completely wrong. Mark had obviously done a lot of work on the track earlier and then left the track to dry out naturally when the rain stopped about mid day. Do you know that if you put pressure by tyre packing or similar on a track that has much water held in its lower layers then you are in danger of the track becoming thixotropic and resulting in a mushy mess. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I am sure that Mark may well have played things differently had he known the outcome. Mark is one of the most hardworking promoters in the U.K. He has put a vast amount of his money on developing and meetings speedway going in Plymouth. If SPN wants to see the end of speedway in Plymouth then keep up your rant over the Plymouth Management and in particular Mark Phillips. We are in great danger of losing many tracks this winter, for example Wolverhampton, Peterborough, Birmingham, Edinburgh. What difference would the addition of Plymouth make to this list.? I thought that BSN was there to promote speedway not hasten its demise! You need too get down and tell Mark how to prepare the track with your expert scientific knowledge. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstbend Posted August 9, 2023 Report Share Posted August 9, 2023 7 minutes ago, Fromafar said: You need too get down and tell Mark how to prepare the track with your expert scientific knowledge. No, I do not know what Mark should have done, but I do know what could have made it worse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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