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Sincere thanks to George and the whole English family past and present. Through thick and thin you have never shirked from the responsibility of keeping our Diamonds team going from one year to the next and for that I am so grateful to you all. Best of luck with "retirement"!!

http://www.newcastlediamonds.co/news/article.asp?id=101087 Good luck and thank you for all you and your family have done for Newcastle speedway, without you Newcastle speedway would probably have never reopened all those years ago and continued upto present day

I certainly agree with that. Last season, he rode in the NICE 2v Challenge on the IOW. Was happy to chat almost anytime, apart from when fitting the engine. After winning the meeting, he stood and chatted for a good 15 minutes about the differences of how the engines compared. He was smiling all day too. I like him a lot.

Some very nasty rumours starting to circulate that the nomad clubs have been denied entry into the MSDL this year effectively leaving Birmingham & IOW and therefore no league at all? Does anybody know who is responsible for the petty decisions to remove one of the most important breeding grounds for future UK talent as i am amongst a list who are waiting to here genuine reasoning behind it..... .....it currently stinks like its being pushed out the way for the new diluted NL next season. There are a lot of dedicated supporters and volunteers who have given up thousands of pounds and hours to assist riders and this feels like a brutal kick to everyone involved.

I agree entirely. He clearly states that he considers himself an Aussie and that he only rode for GB to satisfy a generous sponsor. I had hoped for insight into matters that Tai had been involved with. All I got was to see the spark of ruthlessness that makes many champions. I prefer the ones that aren't quite so cynical and ruthless. There were some who were a joy to know. I have long defended Tai as British. Scunthorpe is definitely British and his father Rob most definitely was. I'd hoped to finish the book on Tai's side. Sadly my reaction is the opposite. He is a modern man. I prefer the past..... On a production note, it was pretty clear which bits were inserted by Peter Oakes wholesale - the historical back-up to a point being made, for example. It was an interesting read but left me greatly saddened. It'll be hard to support the guy in the SGP, knowing his only interest in racing for GB is professional. He's not one of us. I wish he was. I'd rather have a determined, sincere British failure than an Aussie success pretending to be a Brit. Before reading this book there is no way I would have said that, so it was a worthwhile, if misguided read. With someone as authoritative as Peter Oakes behind the project it's pretty clear that Tai got his way. I bought my copy on Kindle for £5.03. It was just about value for money, mainly as an exercise in Peter Oakes' knowledge and superb writing ability on our sport.

What does it matter what a team in second half junior racing is called as long as the riders get their opportunities? Also, giving old fans a chance to see a team in their name and in their colours race at such a low level cannot be harmful to the sport. But then, that would please customers........

Reading between the lines of various comment over past 12 months I think the NDL and lower Development leagues are the victim of a plan to have top 2 Leagues more clearly defined. That seems to be Godfreys mission! A PL of 10 Clubs with less doubling down and a CL of the rest with more of a CL second string / CL reserve / NDL heat leader / second string level ;and therefore lower costs in points pay. To have enough riders you have to remove a tier and that's the 3rd tier Thats a good concept but the better financed CL Clubs like Glasgow and Leicester and now Poole probably can't make PL pay on Monday and Thursday. They would probably jump up if they could use Friday; Saturday and Wednesday respectively. The Monday + Thursday fixation is the upper blocker and the lower blocker is the future of the 3 standalone Clubs (or imminent death as seems likely). I'd be happy to see Brummies in the 2nd CL tier on this basis but can't see 10 Clubs in PL as things currently stand.

in fairness most of the lads coming in are coming through the youth system so most journeys are brutal . I believe that there is an exceptance within the young lads that's what they have to do

The bigger danger being "if rumours are true" that the only level clubs will be able to enter at is CL with a NL/MDL level junior side as a compulsory second team. That is a big outlay for any club looking to join the leagues and lets face it how many tracks have opened vs closed in the past 10 years. With established sides struggling to balance the books and the NL becoming a more financial viable option for many sides it has been torpedoed by the mafia to sustain their own product. The MSDL has fallen foul to the same treatment.

Its truely heartbreaking especially when so many have put so much time and effort for little reward but to now be removed of any chance to compete at all is disgusting. The BSPA should be looking at ways to assist these teams not punish them. I suspect the master plan is to set up a new league that they can control which will be wonderful when there are no riders left, no clubs willing to fund it themselves and no spectators willing to support another price hike. A few people who are trying to create a legacy for themselves are doing a good job, they will be know as the people who destroyed UK speedway.

That's not a reason though to spitefully stop Clubs who are trying to maintain a supporter base and an interest level and at the same time bring along a new generation of riders with some meaningful competitive racing and in an environment where they can learn from and be around more established riders. The other thing that will affect the established "landlord" clubs is that some of these nomad sides would bring in 10-20-30 supporters or more through the turnstiles, most to see their Clubs active and less to see riders develop. If they are lost you also impact on finances of the landlord club like Birmingham. No vision, no explanation from the BSPA Management Committee at all! (yet anyway)

The Halifax element must be a red herring. I know Reading have not been allowed to run and Crayford were also denied entry. It seems likely that statements form Weymouth, Exeter and MK Knights (the longest running dev league team) are likely to follow. I feel for the clubs who were all set and had made preparations, i really feel for the riders who have laid out thousands over the winter in readiness to start the season and find there isn't one to start. I cannot wait for the Godfather to stand up and state his reasons and how the destruction of a development league could ever be in the best interests of the sport .......

I've read a detailed reply from Reading who it seems are worst affected as they were passionate supporters of MDL/SDL and also seems closer than any dormant Club to getting a track back. Facebook indicates Weymouth will make a statement after the meeting tomorrow. One rumour though which really would throw everything in to complete confusion is that Mr Godfrey wants to run a "Halifax" Team at Scunthorpe. I can only speak for what I see at Birmingham. We do get some old MK fans there to watch and some young talent that looks like it could make it. Will be a shame if its lost. If they want every / some PL / CL to run second half development racing in 2021 that's fine but what about the fans of dormant Clubs, where do they go to see their favourite team and won't they be forever lost to the Sport? Also what about IOW especially, Mildenhall and Plymouth - what happens to them? if no NDL (3rd tier)??. Can't afford to lose the likes of Barry Bishop and IOW.

That sounds like a top rider is on his way to us

I am very late posting any comment to this as I waited until the book was under £5. I have to say that I feel the book was ill advised. Tai comes over a a bit of a money grabber with little thought for British speedway for which he has not done anything like enough to help a sport in crisis. He admits deciding to be British to gain a 10k sponsorship offered only to brits and says his heart breaks when he sees the Aussies pulling on their Australian race jackets. He is really an Australian and his disregard the UK speedway says it all. For me it doesn't cast him in a good light at all.

How is the North Star Snoasis "in the hands" of SBC? It is a private development being built and funded with private money. Or not as the case may be. I'm all in favour of holding the council to account where appropriate, but I'm not sure what more they can do to move this forwards.

I am only purveying information that i have been told / read. This season two teams have not been allowed to run in the MSDL because they are nomad sides. The others have yet to confirm or deny but few are likely to be making more substantial efforts to locate a new venue than Reading. I do not know if Godfrey was the decision maker or not but as top of the pile it cannot be something that has passed his notice. If you want reasons it could be anything from ensuring the league in which his club operates in is secure or profiteering from the amateur meetings he hosts as they re likely to be better supported this summer.......i would point out all of those are speculation due to no genuine real reason being issued. Whilst that may/may not be the case there are certainly several nomad sides preparing to run this season and have now been denied so he message was neither clear nor made publicly known as the uproar would have started before now.

The decision when to announce it was the FIM's.

It just goes to show that non-Poole fans just can't stop themselves!!

Don't talk such absolute BS. Are you suggesting people are incapable of doing two things? A very sad post from a Hancock hater. His retirement had absolutely zero impact on any celebration of Danny Ayres life or any respects paid to him. And no, I'm far from a Hancock fan boy given he is, was and always will be a Spoon

Pretty much every track staff job at Peterborough over the years, main team sponsor of two Clubs while not promoting, Promoter in all three leagues, at three (four if you count the Bees and Storm separately) different Clubs, three times at Peterborough with three different co-promoters, and a stint as a reserve member of the Management Committee - I’d say my achievements in the sport are considerably better than yours.....

Correct, a simple error quickly amended. Given the standard of grammar, punctuation and general content of your posts I'm surprised you're so quick to criticise others.......

HIS record would suggest otherwise...

very good question,presumably its all about money or rather lack of it,what happens if a championship season doesnt provide healthy profits to fund a return to the premiership?? or do people know there will be a significant input of monies for 2021 season ???

Totally agree. I remember Milldenhall having problems a few years back with a couple complaining about the noise.