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Great arcticle by Liam Waite in the News and Star this morning, even made the front page headline. https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19724272.workington-speedway-legend-steve-lawson-plans-return-sport-town/

To be honest, I think people trying to brush the use of said P word as no different to saying "Aussie" are just being deliberately obtuse. It's pretty clear to anyone with a modicum of sense that it's not just about a shortened version of the country where someone is from. It is also about context, and I think we all know that the context in which people are called such a thing is, in general, racist. That is why the term is seen as a racist term. Does that really need explaining? I'm not so sure it does to be honest. Saying it isn't is the same as saying it's not racist for people to throw bananas at black footballers because you wouldn't be offended if someone threw an apple at you.

It's good to know that a Workington fan has followed the Glasgow team around the country and is therefore in a position to comment on the abilities of the team manager. Perhaps you can comment on how you reached your conclusion. Runner up in the play offs and league and semi finalists in the Cup seems no to bad to me and a lot better than other managers. Just asking.

A few Panthers fans seem reluctant to include Ostergaard or Andersen in the team for 2022, not quite sure why because both contributed well to our last two Champions years of 2006 and 2021 and it’s clear they are well liked by both the fans and management. For what it’s worth I think our side will be little changed for 2022 on the basis why change a team when it’s clearly a winning side, obviously one change has to be made for the retirement of Pedersen but other than that I see little point in unsettling what was clearly a great team that rode well together and clearly gelled from day one.

More fuss about this in the media than the grooming gangs, says it all really.

Or once Poole are in the NDL?

All agreed what Glasgow has achieved is nothing short of fantastic and just what the sport needs but will they get any applause and recognition from there peers? NO they will be seen by the green eyed monsters as upstarts and a threat. Will they last or get fed up with the backstabbing and walk away, time will tell.

Monty Panesar was on TV talking about it recently, making sensible distinctions between banter and aggression. He he said when he was in Australia he was walking down to fine leg and someone shouted “ Where’s your elephant ? “ and he replied “It’s got stuck in Customs” . Everyone laughed, no offence intended and none taken. But all that is a long way from more aggressive use of language. When I first heard the word P.aki it was in the context of Paki-Bashing which is highly offensive.

I was listening to somebody on the radio the other day dancing around calling somebody from New Zealand a kiwi! Or soon to be K word I clearly remember the intro to Channel 9's cricket coverage, must have been a world cup and even in that intro the song referred to the the Pakistanis as Paki's and the West Indians as Windies. Offence is not always given but often taken.

The word is simply a shortened version of Pakistani, as Aussie is a shortened version of Australian, therefore, they are similar. But, society and certainly the Asian community has decided it's a derogatory term. I watched a film on Netflix the other day, it was a 15 film and the 'C' word was used. I was surprised and a bit dumb struck that the 'C' word is acceptable for 15 year olds. Obviously 15 year olds know the word and many may use it, but is it acceptable to be used in a 15 film? Words can be sensitised and desensitised.

phew

In 2012 there were 28 stand alone tracks. Accepting that in 2022 both Birmingham and Workington will be running and, pushing it a bit, that Eastbourne would be. Taking into account Isle of Wight (who operate outside of the BSPL) - that's 21. Of those no longer operating 5 (Lakeside, Stoke, Dudley, Swindon and Coventry) were due to the loss of the stadiums (this may also apply to Kent). Rye House, Somerset & Buxton closed for financial reasons, although in Somerset's case that was more to do with the loss of revenue from their club house. While I wouldn't suggest that speedway's finances are anything but parlous, this suggests that the reason for the loss of teams is at least as much about an inability to have somewhere to race than people not being prepared to invest (with Workington and Oxford coming back, clearly they are). According to this article, the Premier League lost £2.74bn in 10 years: Explained: The ‘terrible’ state of Premier League clubs’ finances – The Athletic According to this article, the owners of Everton, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Brighton and Fulham put well over £1bn into their clubs in a 5 year period prior to 2020: Premier League owners and how much they invested or 'earned' from their clubs | Sportslens.com Even allowing for the difference between profile, revenue, turnover, sponsorship and attendances, these are extraordinary figures that make speedway's £100k losses look like peanuts but what they clearly show is - as I suggested earlier - that sports clubs may be run like businesses but they are often little less than a personal hobby (even a cursory viewing of the internet suggest that both rugby codes are no different). To really prove my point, my suspicion is that if a Birmingham supporter came up on the national lottery this weekend the future of the club would be assured, regardless of the fact that his chances of making money would be nigh on zero. An even better example would be when Mildenhall and Isle of Wight were shareholder owned; year on year, people put money in in the almost certain knowledge that they would lose it (as a Mildenhall shareholder myself, I did so). It is difficult to argue with your point that it is 'daft...to throw money at a loss making enterprise'. Yet in the case of ownership of sports teams, that is precisely what people do.

Hats off to the man. Hope the Workington fans back him in numbers.

I doubt Troy Deeney even pays child maintenance tbh.

The wheels project closed a few weeks ago and the leaseholder has handed the keys back .

Because Aussie isn't a racist term, whilst P**i clearly is and always has been used in derogatory and insulting manner in the UK (even if it didn't have these connations in Australia historically). I'm not sure why anyone is really trying to argue otherwise, whether it's said directly or otherwise. The Rafiq case is obviously complicated because he's angry about his failed career, there are possibly lifestyle factors involved there, and sports teams are full of immature laddish behaviour. I think he's being a bit unfair to Root for example, as he's not been accused of racism but probably made the wrong choice of words when trying to smooth things over. He'd also have been a young man in that environment, so it's actually to Root's credit if he wasn't part of it all. However, no-one should have to put up with idiotic comments in the workplace, especially of the sort attributed to Ballance, whether a first, second or third rate player. It's pathetic even if was intended to be banter. Of course Rafiq is not likely to complain whilst he's playing, and especially not in team with a culture like that, because he probably feared for his job. Not hard to understand.

I actually think that the negative posts are positive to the cause... It's the livliest Birmingham speedway forum link in a long time. Lets keep talking ! Survival is probably a long shot, but there's nothing wrong with having 'Hope' ! I just wonder whether a change of name and an amalgamation with Cov/Cradley would be a positive move? May be one more season at Perry Barr, whilst working on plans to move (if possible) in 2023. If I win the lottery, I'd definitely build a new track

It’s not that simple. Why should an Indian or Bangladeshi or anyone else from those parts not from Pakistan find it acceptable to be called a Pakistani when they aren’t? Those countries do not get on. Many Irish whether on holiday in Europe or the commonwealth get called Brits. Mainly through appearance and shared language, lots find it offensive but put up with it.

if he didn't go on about living in Long Eaton i'd swear it was Starman

Even less if you could walk over water... Only Tony Jackson uses that route though... Regards THJ

Rest assured Oxford will have AN air fence by the time it will be required and will also have PAID their bond plus all other requirements for a license to be issued.

One of 3 Regards THJ

Agree, I'm a fan of Jason Doyle. Always been a good servant to British racing and he's still a top name on the world stage. I would definitely want him in my team and a good captain/leader as well.

Had a walk down to Northside today, plenty of activity from around a dozen volunteer's, the base is in and looks well packed down, plenty of camber on both bends and also on straights, inside curb being laid, about 2/3 done, shale ex Derwent park being sorted to be laid in the next few weeks, changing rooms and pits to be marked out and built, so still lots to do and winter weather on its way !! Good luck to the people behind the venture,