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I love these threads. Elsewhere we keep being told there are no characters in the sport, how great it used to be with controversy, riders throwing punches, brawls and more.. Yet as soon as anything happens everyone is up in arms.

As a Redcar fan when I booked my tickets for my first British GP with my son I never dreamt that we would be watching one of our own riders. Absolutely bloody magnificent! Go on Charlie Boy, see you in Cardiff.

The SKY coverage during the first 10 years at least should have put speedway on a sound footing. Had real business people been running the sport, no doubt it would have done. For two-to-three years from 1999 there were real signs speedway was on the up. Crowds seemed to be improving and SKY really did recognise viewing figures were good for its network of channels. We had our faces painted and kids were let in for a quid on the evening SKY rolled up for a live broadcast. There did seem to be a hint of proper promoting by those who had lazily worn the tag for yonks beforehand. But it didn't really last. It drifted into being taken for granted, speedway being on TV every week, and sometimes twice. I felt the sport - promoters and fans - thought SKY and the influx of cash would always be there. We even began having long faces when certain matches weren't on SKY, despite all they had done for us. Fans began getting picky when commentators were pronouncing riders' names wrong, or if certain teams featured more than theirs. That afternoon SKY had its cameras set up for the Riders' Championship at Coventry, when the promoter was scrambling on the floor looking for the dummy he'd just spat out, that was the final nail for SKY. They had so many rained-off meetings towards the end, I believe they decided to cut their loses. They were a professional broadcasting company working within an amateur sport. They couldn't drag it up to their level. For example, how many times did live matches overrun? BT have only half-heartedly accepted it, but we should be thankful for small mercies and not start bickering of who's doing a bad job and who you'd like to see on the panel. I often look at some of the dross SKY are covering during the summer months and cannot believe how the sport messed up its opportunity and is no longer featured. As a fan, I don't really know the ins and outs. But I do recall the amount of money SKY used to shell out setting up all the gear, and then the match was washed out. They aren't a charity and won't put up with it. BT also. I look at speedway, 20 years after SKY could have saved it, and see a dangerous shortage of riders with clubs having to share them, like the last cigarette being passed around by kids behind the bike sheds. I see clubs going weeks without a match in the height of summer, which will surely mean some fans will simply get out of the habit and get used to the cash in their pockets. Meanwhile, fans are expected to tune in to the GPs and see many of the riders (or their type) who put two fingers up at Britain and merely used it like a Tom Cat when the female was in season. Fans are expected to turn up trackside and support riders in their team who aren't even their riders. It's like visiting someone in hospital you don't know and wishing them to get better. It's not someone you know and love. In fact, you ask yourself why bother turning up at the bedside every week to wish someone you don't know get better. Looking at British speedway right now, I see remnants of what might have been, ghosts of live matches on SKY and all the missed opportunities. That could have been the sport's saviour. It should have. But look at it now. How many lives does it have remaining for British speedway to mess up?

So, having reviewed the short video clip it seems to me the riders could clearly see the marshall with his red flag (which means stop in a controlled manner) but the leading rider thought he knew best and would ride around the marshall. The marshall, thinking the rider did not understand the simple instruction (or see him) foolishly moved across to make himself impossible to avoid. The highly paid professional then deliberately attacked the volunteer marshall with a shoulder charge. Open and shut case for me.

Can anyone deny Woffy's entertainment value tonight? Not to mention his usual good racing knowledge. Even his lack of commentating expertise was entertaining. Actually, he brought a brand of comment that I found refreshing. Forget the professional approach. Let's have more of this unvarnished expert comment.

Total and utter tosh.. Viewed it over and over again. The marshall walks over to Craig Cook's path as he is coming into the pit gate. I will say again anyone who walks into the path of someone riding a speedway bike is asking to get hit. As for the alleged headbutt, contact is made with the shoulder not helmet.

I most certainly won't trust you as what you have reported has been shown to be inaccurate. Cook was riding directly towards the pit gate. He did not 'aim' at a marshal, nor did he throw a headbutt as has been claimed on here. We all know they shouldn't have been riding. The marshall didn't need to do anything other than show the red flag to indicate the rider to leave the track or stop. He did that. Cook was leaving the track, the marshal instigated what came next by stupidly stepping in front of him which could have caused injury to both parties and damage to machinery. Cook was in the wrong initially, the marshal escalated the situation with stupidity. It's not a debate anymore, it's clear to see for everyone.

So to summarise: Cook does not deliberately ride into start marshal. Indeed the start marshal walks into him. Cook does not head butt the start marshal, he shoulder charges him. Likely being more than a little pissed with the fella who just walked right in front of him. Rightly so. Cook does very little wrong. The start most certainly does. If anyone takes a ban here, it’s that sausage with the red flag.

So now we have the truth. Cook did NOT aim his bike at a marshall, indeed it looks like he was headed for the pits gate to ride off the track? The marshall steps in front of him. Cook did NOT headbutt the marshall as I suspected. He put his shoulder into him, likely angry at being stepped in front of which could have been very dangerous. All that said, the riders were wrong to set off with the red flags waving.. but from that clip, they weren't going into a corner fast and appeared to be heading off the track.. as you do when the red flag is waved.. IF that is the pits gate we can see.

Christ alive. Y'all haven't half made a mountain out of a molehill. If you're going to walk into the path of a bike, then expect to get hit... And a headbutt? Where?

But the racing was still very good last night, so you don’t need all the top names to produce good racing. A decent track and riders who are up for it is what matters, both were present last night.

Heat 1 Cook Bowtell Kennett Sarjeant 3-3 Cook wins by the length of the street and equals the track record , no bad with a broken wrist , Eagles pack in for the 3-3 Heat 2 Edwards Bowtell Bailey Bickley (ret) 4-8 Eagles gate and bring back a comfortable 5-1 Heat 3 stopped just as it was getting interesting , Vissing was leading Newman , Newman then got badly out of shape on bend 2 lap 2 and came down , he's up okay , but excluded Heat 3 Starke Kerr Vissing 8-10 cracking race for a lap or so with Kerr and Vissing wheel to wheel before Kerr got the better of things Heat 4 Lawson Jensen Edwards Bickley 10-14 from the gate , Eagles look up for this Heat 5 Kennett Vissing Starke Edwards 13-17 Tigers getting a gating lesson so far Heat 6 awarded Cook Lawson Bowtell Sarjeant (f'exc) 16-20 cracking race again , Son of God electric from the gate , but Craig Cook does Craig Cook things though it took him 3 laps . Sarj down at the back though riders 30 yards ahead had entered the last lap Heat 7 Jensen Kerr Newman Bailey (f) 19-23 from gate , Eagles doing the sensible thing and packing in for a 3-3 when they don't gate . Behind me in the pits the Tigers getting marched in for a bit of an arse kicking session by the looks of it Heat 8 Newman Bickley Edwards Sarjeant (ret) 21-27 Eagles gate again but Bickley gets in between them exiting bend 2 , Sarj chucks it after a couple of laps , this post natal depression is a bugger Heat 9 Lawson Starke Vissing Bowtell 24-30 son of god gets the better of Starke by the 3rd bend , while at the back Vissing went missing and it took a mistake on bend 4 lap 3 to help get passed Bowtell . This is a completely different Eagles side that were up here earlier in the season. . Interval now Heat 10 Cook Kerr Newman Bickley 27-33 Deja vu, Eagles pack in behind Cook . With Tigers bottom order not doing it , heats 13 and 15 are the only hope of a home heat advantage , but even that's no gimmee Heat 11 Jensen Kennett Bowtell Bailey 30-36 Bowtell showed Bailey who was boss on bend 3 by forcing him out to the fence in no uncertain manner , all part of the learning curve for young Connor to be a bit tougher Heat 12 Vissing Bickley Newman Bowtell 35-37 Best race of the night with Kyle Bickley coming alive and producing a stunning ride from the back to pass both Eagles Heat 13 Cook Lawson Jensen Kennett 39-39 bit of a meeting now , Jensen gets Kennet on the final 2 bends Heat 14 Starke Kerr Bickley Edwards 43-41 Bickley passes Edwards bend 3 lap 1 Heat 15 Cook Lawson Jensen Kennett 47-43 , stunning just stunning by Cook and Lawson , you won't see a better race anywhere in any division

It's called the Precipitation Index Schlein Scale. You'll often hear the acronym used when it's raining ...

Well looking at the footage it clear to me that the marshall walks into Craig Cook's path. It is not brightest thing to do walk in front of rider on a bike whilst in motion. That was definitely not a headbutt in was a shoulder barge. For me its the actions of an over zealous marshall.

Just got home from the meeting. Going to 'try' and put an unbiased veiw on the meeting. Yes, I am an Eastbourne fan but I like to think I am pretty pragmatic and not afrais to say if our riders are out of orsder or if the track is not up to standard Got there tonight ready for a cracking meeting and feeling a little nervous despite only having a 4 point deficit. First thing I heard that there was issues was when the announcer said that the away team had complained about the track and did not want to ride it. There were several people down on turn 2 discussing and kicking dirt around so to speak. Then Jon Cook was interveiwed, he was seriously annoyed and dismayed that the fotness of the track and been called into question and clearly put the blame on Craig Cook (and his mates). At this stage I has no ill feelings about Glasgow or Craig Cook. I am no expert and certainly, I am not one to judge if the track is rideable by veiwing it from turn 1, on the stock car track, which is where I stand. That started to turn a bit when Martin Dugard explained that Jason and Alfi had been practising on the track that day. I must admit, I was less than impressed when we were told there would be a delay as the Glasgow riders had not yet changed. But still, no real drama. It was on the rider parade that it all started going a bit sour. For those of you that dont know, the way it done at Eastbourne is, the bikes are wheeled on to the track, then the riders are paraded out to 'Sussex by the Sea' and then introduced one by one, the away team first. This all takes place on the back straight as thats where the main stand is. When both teams have been announced, the riders are pushed off and have a few practice starts and the opputunity to slide into the turns to get a feel for the track. Tonight, after the Glasgow riders had been announced, some of them pushed off, before the Eastbourne team had been announced. They came down the straight and into turn . With people still on the track and the infield (including kids, who are the Eagles mascots) the track staff held out red flags to stop the Glasgow riders. Craig Cook ran straight into one of the track staff and then kicked off at him. Ot then all kicked off with several people involved. My lad went round the pits to see what was going on and saw people pleading with Craig to go and ride heat 1. He was refusing, talking about his injury and saying why should he ride an unsafe track! So, heat 1 started without him. As much as I feel he should be banned from the whole meeting, thats not what I want. I pay my money to see the likes of Bomber, Scotty and Craig Cook riding. I love them all, they are Brits and I support British riders through and through. The track rode fine. Even the reserves in heat 2 looked comfortable and were not struggling, Yes, there were some fallers but certainly was not more than you can often get. Someone on the updates site said its unusual to see 3 falls in 9 heats, really? I have seen 3 in one heat at times, and not just at Arlington. And Ed Kennet did not fall. He tagged the air fence riding a high line, stayed on and carried on, the air fence started to deflate and the race stopped, thats why he was excluded. Craig Cook, when he finally took to the track, rode it fine and looked classy and smooth. The races that he did not gate were the races of the night as he looked brilliant trying to make the pass. It was a real shame that the controversy ruined the night as it was great for Eastbourne to go through but I feel Glasgow were just deflated after the whole thing, it was really meeting over after a few races. Could have been so much better if Craig Cook had popped out and won heat one. I always think there are two sides to everything but the Glasgow manager having the guts to go on the mic and apologise afetr the meeting said it all and hats off to him for doing so.

Is all this rider “swapping” In “ best interest of the sport”.It harms it credibility IMO.Replacing injured riders ok ,but “ average swapping” is not.

I'd say that they set a standard and a blueprint for speedway clubs across the country. Their method is two fold : massive customer care and financial responsibility. Quite simply, they aim to give the paying customer and his family (and the latter is most important) the best night out they can so that he comes back again. Normal business practice, you might suggest - and you'd be right - but speedway has fallen disastrously down on that so many times. Any travelling fan will tell you of the 'get what you are given and be grateful' and 'if you don't like it, don't come' attitudes that have prevailed in speedway. It is one of the principle reasons why the sport is on its knees. Isle of Wight broke the mould. For a start, there is a concerted attempt to promote the existence of the club through show attendance, advertising and school and youth club demonstrations. Then there is the genuine care that they show on race nights, and innovation is paramount. Its little wonder that they have attracted almost universal credit and praise, culminating in a Speedway Star article by one of the sports most experienced and respected journalists. I started banging the drum for Isle of Wight in 2016 and have had no reason to waver from that view. Ironically, it came about because I was critical. Usual speedway club response to criticism is hostility and aggression, even abuse. To my amazement, I got an apology, a remedy and a wish that I would return. I was, to say the least, astonished and I know that I am not the only one who has had that reaction. Underpinning this remarkable degree of care is an equally robust financial policy. Huge effort is put into attracting sponsorship and sponsors and even the smallest are valued and appreciated. Rider pay and other expenses are carefully considered and weighed - no superstar pay here, but you get your money on time, every time. Barry Bishop and Martin Widman have done a fantastic job, and I can see signs that others are following suit. I was hugely impressed at Redcar the other week, for example. On the other hand, lets look at Plymouth. Reportedly losing money hand over fist, criticism is subject to hostile denial and a refusal to accept that anything is amiss - even when opposition riders threaten not to ride. Loyal and long standing fans are barred from both the club forum and the track for questioning the promotion. They are now apparently subject to an SCB investigation. The contrast with the Warriors is a truly stark one.

WHAT it show is if you put 16 riders of similar ability and similar equipment on a proper race track you will get great entertainment...

Er, why don't you just enjoy what we have while we have it and leave this to the close season?

We will never know but last night I think Wright was above Cook's level.

Worthy winner, be good to see a new Brit at Cardiff. Danny Ayres should be first reserve!

HOW long have you been watching speedway?

I feel sorry for atkins, this ridiculous points limit has to led to lads beings slung in the deep end very early in their careers, most of them after about 18 months in the nl, its a bridge too far for so many.

Excuse me for this one but we need to give as much exposure as possible to anyone good enough to support Reading Speedway... Reading Speedway are proud to announce a new sponsor in Lind Harley Davidson, who will sponsor the no. 1 race jacket for the remainder of the 2019 season. The family owned company have businesses in Reading, Guildford, Norwich and Newmarket. With the local branch at 660 Wokingham Rd, Reading, they are more than just a motorcycle store, offering repairs, servicing and mots, and can even sell your bike for you. They also organise social nights and exhibitions and offer a vast array of motorcycling accessories and merchandise. Visit their website at www.lind.co.uk, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter under Lind Harley-Davidson and Instagram at lindhduk. Reading Speedway are always grateful for any sponsorship we receive, we thank Lind and we hope that this is the start of a beautiful friendship!

A decent night at NSS. Weather played it's part big time. We were lucky to get a meeting on after the rain we had over weekend. It made gate 1 very lucrative which is a shame as usually the gates are quite even. It also made the track a little to grippy early on and then produced a line right by the fence if you had the balls to go there. Luckily half the riders did. A massive crowd in the stadium on a Monday night was good to see. I'd say about 2500+. Danny Ayres, auty, Kennet and Harris all produce bravery at the highest level. Felt sorry for danny. Never seen a crowd will a rider on like they did danny Ayres. Everyone was gutted when Harris pipped him. Last but not least Charles wright, bravo sir. A very deserving winner. And a local lad. How hes never rode for us I never know. Wright as improved season upon season. Entertains every meeting. He goes under the radar a lot for some reason. No more now though. Proved his worth. Go and enjoy cardiff mate