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So after all the hand-wringing and gleeful doom-mongering from people only taking a passing interest in what has been going on with the Abbey Stadium saga, believe it or not the opening night on the modified track went pretty well. Not that that would be of much interest to some of the idiots on here. Firts half of the meeting might as well have been on the old track it was so dull, but in the 2nd half the racing got better and better. Crucially, there were no signs of it cutting up or becoming tricky to ride at all. Credit to Ron Russell and everyone else for putting in the hours to get it ready, especially as it sounds like Tuesday’s test didn’t quite go to plan. Particularly pleasing to see it go well in front of a huge crowd. Proof that there are still plenty of people out there who want to come out and pay to watch speedway. Hopefully some of the more casual attendees last night were sent home happy after watching a great few last heats racing, a tight score line and a tense finish, and are planning to come again soon based on the evenings entertainment. Thankfully this forum barely represents 1% of most speedway crowds. Reading some comments on here you’d think everyone would be avoiding the meeting for fear that the track would be unridable, and those that did attend would have been sent home disappointed after watching another National Stadium disaster unfold. Thankfully most attendees don’t think like that, they just want to turn up and watch some blokes bang handlebars for 4 laps at a time with a close score line and hopefully a home win. It’s not that complicated. The big crowd did create its own problems with getting in which the promotion really need to sort out. The car park was full by 10 past 7 (not a lot they can do about that admittedly), but the queues for the turnstiles were huge, with only two of them open, and there was no signage (that I could see) saying where people should go. I assumed as with previous years, pre booked tickets should go through the cabin at the top, but that apparently wasn’t the case, and it was being used as a normal turnstile, which I assume everyone queuing up for the main turnstiles didn’t realise. They were also telling everyone in the queues that they would be delaying the meeting by a few minutes to get everyone in, only for the tapes to go up 30 seconds later. Thankfully it sounds like Lampart got a late memo about the situation and decided to lay the bike down to buy everyone another 5 minutes. That aside though it was a decent evening. It shows that with some decent weather, the crowds are still there and not everyone has been put off by the daft rules or politics of the sport, we just need to try and make them come back as often as possible. Again, it backs up my theory that as long as the club is running with healthy attendances, it’s much harder for Osbourne to come up with excuses for not sorting the stadium out and trying to get rid of us completely. Well done to the club for getting the meeting on with their hands effectively tied behind their back until the very last minute.

Have you Poole boys thought about getting Lawrence of Arabia in as a heat leader? Could be a decent point scorer, particularly at home.

Some people make their mind up before the event. I can only speak as i find, see and hear with my eyes and ears. Eastbourne v Birmingham Some dust but not excessive in hot sun. Track graded and watered every 3 heats. Had a walk on track after meeting, actually a lot of dirt on it as some stunning outside passes late in meeting indicated. Massive free car park, well marshalled and full to overflowing Crowd excellent, no complaints from anyone I heard about dust. Real buzz about the place and lots of children and families.Nice touch to have community team people outside turnstiles helping whittle queues down and point out which ones cash and card. Meeting Parade started no more than 10 past 3, first race went off at 3.15 Presentation excellent from the Cardiff GP guy, lots of crowd interaction and rider/management interviews etc, liked proper Parade, minutes silence for Colin Goody; home riders ride round stock car track after every race up close to fans.Excellent programme, good read and lots of quality articles and pictures. To say Officials and Riders not bothered is just a joke, some good competitive racing, Heat 14 re-run 3-4 times as neither Ashley or Wood would give an inch, some excellent from the back rides by Wood and Lawson for them and Shanes for us, Paco and Ulrich started well and passes almost every race. All Eastie pit crews in snazzy t-shirts and all Officials and track staff kitted out in team gear, hardly suggests "not bothered" attitude. Great viewing access in Pits after meeting.Good food and loads of outlets. Not seen Laurence so animated in a long time by Heat 14 and some Refs decisions debatable. Still a lot of folks in Pits and mingling round 30 mins after end of meeting. Complaints (if you can call them that) - young start marshall seemed to make a few mistakes, I missed my easter egg for grandchildren and late due to traffic (my fault), toilets a bit tired but clean.PA a bit loud but no excuse for not hearing results and times. Staying down in South for meeting at Kent on Monday - hope woofers not going may be a few specs of dust. We have to enjoy our speedway while with can with some many tracks closing or reporting difficulties, great to hear big crowds at Scunny and BV Colts too....

Nonsense. Belle Vue started at 1pm yesterday and Scunthorpe at 5.30. At both (especially Belle Vue) it was very hot and breezy. There was no dust at Belle Vue and very little at Scunthorpe. Neither track had a blue line and the racing at the NSS was decent, at EWR very good. I am not aware that Andy Meredith or Rob Godfrey have a magic wand, so if they can produce good racing strips for riders and customers alike so can anyone else. I should point out that the crowd at Belle Vue was the biggest I have ever seen for a Colts meeting and at Scunthorpe it was at least double that of last Sunday (word was they ran out of programmes). Bank Holiday afternoon meetings work extremely well if you can be bothered to put the time and trouble in to make sure that the track is up to scratch.

The track is the most important part of the business, but the majority of the promoters just don't get it.

How about an apology from the riders who didn't want the track watered once racing started?!

Poole missed a trick by not signing Chris Harris. He was the glue that held that team together and won the league.

Two national league meetings today both using RR sorry this is a development league clubs should use a unattached rider to fill the place.

No. Speedway riders get injured and/or are unavailable sometimes. The teams aren’t pretending to have seven riders...

At Belle Vue, Palin, Rathbone and Woodhull all had extra rides. All up to standard and all developing. What on earth is wrong with that ?

Well deserved win for a very solid Leicester side who just about all contributed to a good away win. Nicholl's best meeting at the STMP by a long way and excellent back up from RTR, Douglas and Perks (lucky to get a second chance in Heat 1 though). Special mention to Connor Mountain who was very good to watch. For the Bears the meeting started badly and never got much better. You can't win with just one Heat leader riding well - Wright was as excelllent as usual but Barker had his worst home meeting in a very long time and MPT is a pale shadow of the rider who rode so well as a visiting rider here over the years. Stewart picked up after a slow start and the reserves battled.Hope Tom isn't to badly hurt. Still some cracking racing (a lot of it by the visitors) and it least we get some entertainment. Results like this will happen to this Bears team because we have a very fair and good race track.

I thought this was a splendid meeting for a number of reasons. First of all, there was a very healthy attendance - certainly one of the biggest I have seen for a Colts match - and it was brilliant to see so many youngsters there. That's certainly influenced by the low entry fees for adults and letting children in for free, so credit there. The racing was decent enough, and its always encouraging to see some of the youngest riders put in excellent performances - Flint and Palin especially this afternoon. I have never seen Perry or Coles give up in a race and they didn't today, so it was more competitive than the score suggests. Hayley, Neil & Chase are the best presentation team in British Speedway and with games and free chocolate for the children, interviews with the riders and Chase's usual antics they proved it again today. There was also the most welcome sight of Adrian Smith working the crowd - something I very much approve of. Finally, on a very hot day with a breeze 10 out of 10 for trackman Andy Meredith. There was absolutely no dust at all, no blue line and you could clearly race on the surface. Major effort to attract fans, decent racing with young riders, superb presentation and interaction and an excellent track. They are four factors which, if copied, might just turn the sport around.

Reminds me of a Bank Hoilday at Rye House. How on earth does any promotion think that is acceptable ?

Think you need to look a bit further up the order. Danny is learning, and will match his average.

It's worked for Ford over the years so he doesn't bother too much...

What I said regarding the likelihood of the Comets taking to the track again next year John, is a combination of your interesting posts on here, and other reports. I am not saying it WOULDNT be happening, but its highly unlikely ! Sorry that you didnt get to know first about this one mate !

If we win the afternoon meeting then we’re through to the final. Though this will make the evening meeting a dead rubber it will give the lads more track time especially on a tight circuit. I’d run as per programme with no changes and give the lesser lights a run out in heat 15 if possible. Depends on the heat 14 vote I suppose. Just hope the crashes at Monmore aren’t too serious on Monday night.

Palm Toft rode for the aces in 2014

Surely he knows who is going to be riding or is the race card going to be full of blanks for us to fill in? Maybe he has testimonial pens for sale as we're going to need more ink than usual?

I don’t believe a word of it - spin or a cover up in my opinion.

It appears that all we are going to be told is that ''he's a nutter'' and ''has the Samaritans on speed dial.'' All I see is that he's a very exciting speedway rider to watch, happy to chat to his fans, is a crowd pleaser and always appears professional in his approach. Can't please 'em all!!!!

3 I know money is tight at Poole but that's embarrassing Do they seriously expect people to pay 18 quid to watch that. The sport is on its way out !

The wide open spaces of Belle Vue and Petebrough are a lot different to Foxhall. Bewley struggled on the tight grippy circuit.. but great to see him back on a bike again.

As it is not Glasgow running the meeting you cannot use there merchant facilities. Hardly a hardship for people with an atm across the road.

It was 2008 when speedway began its current decline. Before that is was having something of a minor revival, with radio 5 even running a report on how Speedway had become "cool" at one point. Then, with crowds relatively healthy, the introduced low points limits and "cost cutting" measures time after time, and each time they did it the crowds dropped. So, each time the crowds dropped, they did it again. So they dropped again. It always amazes me when people say that the future is about cost cutting. That is what caused the trouble in the first place.