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Starman, this forum is all about opinions and Gavan is quite entitled to his. He is quite right, we do need a number 1. Unfortunately, our Nos `1,3,5 have no chance of a 5 race maximum, in their present form, unlike, for instance, Wolves who have Thorssell, Schlein and Masters who are capable of going through the card, especially at home. Forums are open for debate from all fans of Speedway. I am sure that there are members that would like you to "GIIVE IT A REST" PS. Is there any news on Stefan. His Mum was stood next to us last and was understandably distraught. Really hope he is OK

At the end of the day we all want a successfully run club on and off track with fans customers whatever you want to call them put first and foremost they forgotten how to make customers feel special and wanted - why I’ve walked away mainly I felt we was being totally taken for granted that we would turn up hand over our cash and be totally happy with what’s on offer no questions asked . Last season was the final straw for me - i might return at some point this season I might not I’ve found other things to do on a Wednesday and I’m enjoying doing them . Negative or positive all views are equally important - the one thing the club just might learn something from if they was to listen is why so many long term fans have turned there back and walked away .

A healthy crowd turned up for this meeting on a balmy summers evening at the OTA. Not often can one have a totally comfortable evening there as there is usually a breeze or two either whistling in from the nearby sea or from across the levels and the M5. In the past the weather has played havoc with Craig Cooks’s Recent performances at the OTA. Too wet, or even too windy, he has cut a miserable figure. Tonight however, he changed that with a classy performance. Looking out for his team mates where possible and although chasing Jason Doyle hard for all 3 of his races against the World Champion, he could not make an impression, despite looking far quicker than him. Cookie probably did sneak a roller or two, but was great entertainment. Doyle was impervious. He surely created his own groove around the track as not once did he leave the inside line. He simply blasted from the gate, hit the front and stayed there for all of his five races. As Najjer stated, curiously, he certainly didn’t look as fast as Cook or arguably Fricke. In heat 6, both Fricke and Etheridge caught and almost passed the world champ. At one stage, both were almost queuing to pass him, but it appeared his track craft and knowledge kept him in front. A classic heat 9 that saw a pumped up Charles Wright come from last to second which culminated in a superb last bend pass on Fricke, Wrighty then completed a celebratory fist pumping lap. Heat 15 was even better. Doyle once again hit the front with an electrifying start and once again seemed to almost hold up the following pack who all snapped at his heels throughout. Holder, who really does look like the signing of the season, not for the first time missed the gate by a country mile, but chased down Fricke before executing a lovely inside pass. A note of credit for young Bewley who really looks like a find. His development this season has been amazing and he once again looked the part with two fine wins. Aces fans will be disappointed in the performance of Drodz, whose future with the Manchester club must now be in real danger Finally, a pat on the pack for the Somerset management who ensured the resurrection of the old track! Thankfully, we saw the familiar terrific racing, rather than the processional stuff served up for the first 5 heats or so in recent weeks. The track looked in excellent shape and back where it should be as one of Britain’s best racing circuits. .

Burying ones head is the biggest reason why our sport has never prospered. Positive comments are all very well, but Negative ones are probably more important. These are the posts from supporters who are not happy with the way they were treated. The club has to listen to those or lose them. Probably had the promoters listened to them in the past , the crowds would be bigger than they are at present. From a seasoned supporter of the sport, I go most weeks and thoroughly enjoy the racing. but I am not blind to the way fans are treated. Last week it took 2 hr 10 mins to run 15 races. That's terrible organisation, far longer than most other clubs. Just because Robert and the team put on a good display, this is no excuse for the delays we always face. I don't blame the club, when Lambert didn't get back or for the problems with Danish riders going missing, but I do blame them for not keeping the fans up to date with everything... I for one value negative opinions... They are of far more value to the club than those who can only see good.....

When you were Gater 1, and poor Darcy Ward had his terrible injury, you admitted on here you had multiple aliases. You have a short memory pal .

Not many options, sadly, as he is based up here in Newcastle! Glad to hear that fans appear to be impressed by him. He's a smashing lad and just needs an opportunity to ride regularly to improve.

Really feel sorry for Stefan, he has had injuries in the last few years, usually as soon as he gets back to form from the previous one.

I think the Somerset promotion deserve a thumbs up after having issues with the track they seem to have got it sorted quickly unlike many other tracks who just let any issues carry on. Wish I lived closer to the OTA , always enjoy my visits

thought that was a disgrace tonight when Stefan crashed, only Neil and our loan rider Ritchie came to comfort him, no sign of the skipper

We have readingracer2017 posting directly after mff. Both saying the same thing in the same style.

i was reading yesterday some posts from graham hurry saying that paul used a GTR last season, did 22 meetings without any service work and he actually made a bit of money although I doubt he was on a crap deal but the point is the engine, there will be riders who are lesser standard or equal that spent £££££ with englebert fancypants engine tuning and lost a fortune and cant make it pay and will tell you a million reasons why they wont use a GTR, there is a lesson there somewhere for not just riders but speedway as a whole but don't expect it to be learnt

They are not multiple aliases, they are just name changes. 2 different things!!

F.F.S. give mason a chance . in fact . give everyone a chance . show them what they missed , mercury ..

Gater1 is not one of them. Poole Pirates Fanatic. Speedway Fanatic and Matt Ford Fan are the names I have used and only those 3. The rest aren't me. Just people guessing and guessing wrong.

Photo's from last night Somerset v Belle Vue Photo's Slideshow Somerset v Belle Vue Slideshow

Freesports have also taken out a full page ad in next week's Radio Times which pretty much repeats the website except it states that they hope to be on VM in July. It shows that Premier are prepared to invest in marketing their sister channel - and giving speedway a good mention. I sometimes think that outsiders looking in on the sport like what they see far more than those already involved who perhaps look too deeply and too cynically.

Most importantly, the track was back in great nick tonight. Some great races, even if there wasn't loads of passing. Heat 15 a classic with all 4 riders within a fag paper of each other with the only pass coming from the ultra quick Jack Holder. It makes it much more fun when he misses the gate as he's really sussing the OTA now and making some cracking passes. Doyle back to form with a great 15 point maximum. Far from vintage though as he flew from the gate in every race but lacked speed after that and had them queueing up behind him. A mammoth well needed score never the less! Rebels missed Wilson-Dean and Jepperson so a good victory dug out the bag. For the Aces Cook gated well but had no answer to Doyle. Tungate and Fricke mixed it whilst Etheridge and Bewley both impressed. The Pole however was embarrassing and couldn't get round the track to save his life. I dread to think what he will be like at Wolves or Rye House with the tighter turns!! In other news, what a race in heat 9.... race of the season so far with Holder diving under Fricke and Wright roaring around him on the final turn. Great stuff!

Always amazes me how Speedway fans fail to grasp averages. If you are to win a meeting, riders have to exceed their averages and not just match them!

I guess it gives someone the opening to voice an opinion and while it may relate to a general theme regarding the state of speedway in the U.K. the idea of the forum is generally provide a platform to make point. Many other threads are from disgruntled, disappointed or disillusioned supporters and the one common factor is that on this side of the fence many fans old and new are not happy with the direction things are going and on the other side you have those who are merely custodians at a point in time, totally disregarding the swell of opinion. All the hot air that the BSPA come out with re FRN and top riders coming back etc and a minority believing that it will happen one day are both wide of the mark. Possibly a waste of time but I guess the point will be proven one way or another when we see who comes to the tapes in 2019 What is not in doubt is that Speedway in the U.K. cannot financially support top riders of GP standard. U.K. speedway needs to find its own level and stop pretending that it can compete at the highest level at this point in time. It cannot and the sooner that the realisation hits home and that financially and tactically team building does not need to revolve around top GP riders or the Danes, Swedes and Poles. U.K. is probably more on a level with Germany, Italy, Czech, France and other lesser nations so why not accept it. Rebuild using British and other European options, reinstate test matches home and abroad, introduce North and South Leagues with the chance of more travelling support to away matches and put the sport back to being weekly fixtures between say May and September. Either side of this period clubs can run whatever fixtures they want. Introduce standard bikes which could mean rider skills are improved rather than the gate and go merchants that grace the tracks today. This not turning the clock back but trying to build for a future which ensures clubs survive. The fact that some believe less meetings are better as it reduces the potential losses beggars belief. That is only putting off the inevitable. The only way perhaps those in charge might listen is to receive a written petition from the fans delivered in person to BSPA HQ with as much publicity as one can muster. Will the sport survive across the country as it stands, probably not but it does have a chance if they stop looking at it through rose tinted glasses and hanging on to the very few good points such as the young talent coming through and start looking at trying to entertain the fans. As has been said so many times, it is a spectacle if the racing is close and good, but it is simple, four riders, four laps on equal machinery. Why complicate it when the reality is it is dangerous, fast and furious the riders put their lives at risk. Sell it as it is. One final point, if only they could try and promote the racing in a a similar vein to the FIM and its trailers for Ice Speedway. The film, music etc is very good and gets across, the cut, thrust, speed and danger.

Don't get bitchy now, just admit Lisa's post chopped you off at the knees

Have to feel for Stefan Nielsen if the news is accurate he has broken tib and fib ! Great start to the season for the young lad and now that ...... Get well soon Stefan .... Puts rest of most of the posts on here to shame in terms of perspective ...

Press release on the Comets website says " “Naturally we thank Bradley for his great efforts on our behalf in the few matches that he has raced for us where he proved to be a good team member who was popular with the fans. However, he was always going to be a short term solution and has other plans moving forward, so we were fortunate that he was available when we needed him." So, reading that, BWD was not going to sign 'full-time' as he had 'other irons in the fire' ?

Judging by some of the dickings Rye have had on the road it surely has to be a massive home track advantage that has seen then gain points at Hoddesdon. Seems to be a big difference in the home and away fortunes.

Has anyone answered this? I'm not local but there is a train station fairly close. Belle Vue is the name of the train station. I assume there is a train station at Manchester airport since it's the biggest in England outside London, but it is a fair way south of the city. Google says it's 50-60 minutes by train going via the city centre train station. Again I've never used the city centre train station and these can be confusing.

Whether FRN works or not it's not difficult to see why it was implemented ie double uppers not having their UK meetings clashing and originally for UK top league fixtures to not clash with meetings in other countries until the Wednesday/Thursday/Denmark mess. If it doesn't work then fair enough but at least they are trying to solve a problem which many punters had identified. And I'm not a BSPA apologist, they get plenty wrong.