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a4poster

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Posts posted by a4poster

  4. Posted

    Two National League Riders at reserve in the "Top League". Why not adjust the programme so that these Riders only have programmed riders against other NL riders or opposition second strings? Throwing them in against the Heat Leaders will destroy there confidence, deny the Public of competitive racing and provide the Top riders easy pickings - only let them take these rides to cover Exclusions etc.

    • Like 1

  5. Posted · Edited by a4poster

    Lets spin this on its head and allow Sky within the basic parameters of Speedway rules, i.e, 4 riders, 3pts, 2pts, 1pt, etc come up with a format that they want for TV. I am afraid that Speedway needs TV more than TV needs Speedway so it could be a case of "he who pays the piper'.

     

    Looking back at this season it is no wonder that the has been a disparity in Teams, the points limit was reduced last season (to cut costs) but meant effectively each team riding with a heat leader less. Over the course of the Season one of the previous seasons middle order rider becomes a heat leader on an inflated average.

     

    Fast forward it to this winter when the points limit will again come under question and the product will get further diluted.

     

    Speedway bosses would do well to remember the old adage, "you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time!'.

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    I used to be a regular reader of the Speedway Mail and often if you read both the Star and the Mail you could build a more balanced view on many of the Sports topics.

     

    I just wondered in todays climate of e-publishing would it not be feasible to have an online only version of the magazine that could be available from various app stores etc.

     

    Just a thought.

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    Hi, regarding the League rules can anyone tell me the following:

     

    A Tactical Ride (TR) is permitted after Heat 4. On the first occasion when a team is 10 or more points in arrears, and on a subsequent occasion when the team is 12 or more in arrears

    - a programmed rider can then be nominated as a Tactical Ride.

     

    If a Team trailing by 10pts after Heat 4 use a Tactical Ride in Heat 5 and then subsequently end up being 12pts down. Can they then use there remaining Tactical Ride in the next heat if they wish?

     

    Thanks in advance.

  13. Posted · Edited by a4poster

    As our Sky bill seems to go up each month we all sat down and analysed what we actually watched on an average week. It was surprising that most of the things we viewed would be available on Freeview.

     

    The only things we do watch tend to be the Football (mostly the Monday night game and midweek games). If you break this down a lot of European games that Sky show are also on terrestrial TV so although we would miss it I don't think it would be too bad as if anything you are bombarded with Football on Sky and if anything you watch some of it purely because it is on.

     

    During the Summer the only Sport that Sky show that interests me is Speedway. If that were to go we would almost certainly cancel. Not only that we also have our Telephone and Broadband with them so we would most probably also shop around for that as I am sure/know that we can certainly get a better deal elsewhere.

     

    Or we will certainly cancel between the months of May,June,July & August.

    • Like 1

  14. Posted · Edited by a4poster

    A few things:

    • Losing TV Coverage - i.e World of Sport - removed it from the Public spotlight.
    • News of the World race fixing story.
    • Lack of money re-invested into Stadia when at its peak Speedway could have bought many of the grounds they were racing in.
    • Under 'Thatcher' - she encouraged a Society by various means (i.e, share issues, starting up there own Businesses etc) where many no longer considered themselves as Working Class and to good for a working mans sport.
    • Other competition for the leisure market.
    • The Not In My Back Yard syndrome, where everyone wants facilities as long as it is not near them!
    • To many hangers-on & too many people taking money out without putting much back in.
    • Promotors who do not promote - just open the gates and expect people to turn up.
    • Promotors using Speedway as a secondary business.
    • Reliance on an ageing fan base.
    • And perhaps one of the biggest problems for Speedway today has been the uprising of the Green movement.

  16. Posted · Edited by a4poster

    This item has been taken from the This is Exeter website (3/1/13):

     

    MONEY which was left to build a new speedway track for Exeter Falcons is to be used to boost one-time bitter rivals Plymouth Devils.

    ManorDelta Ltd, the company which owned Exeter Speedway, has purchased a 25 per cent share in the Plymouth Devils to keep the sport alive in Devon.

     

    But it has acknowledged for the first time that speedway will never again be staged in Exeter.

    The Plymouth team, which was revived six years ago by Mike Bowden, has been taken over by former Falcons' skipper Seemond Stephens.

    The deal was in danger of collapsing until the ManorDelta directors stepped in to ensure that speedway racing would continue in Devon.

     

    David Short, a director of Manor Delta and former co-promoter at both Exeter and Plymouth, said: "When the late Colin Hill, who ran Exeter Speedway for 20 years, died in 2004 he bequeathed funds to build a new stadium for the Falcons as the County Ground was about to be demolished. Colin died expecting that stadium to be at Westpoint showground, but those hopes were cruelly dashed. Since then the ManorDelta shareholders have worked hard to find a new venue.

     

    "We now have to accept that speedway will never again be staged within the city of Exeter.

     

    "Finding a suitable site outside the city boundaries which meets planning, environmental and highways criteria has been incredibly difficult.

     

    "Exeter is not alone as several other defunct tracks around the country are facing the same difficulties.

     

    "Therefore the invitation from Seemond Stephens to join him at Plymouth, seems a good solution. Seemond held Colin Hill in high esteem and intends to run Plymouth on similar lines to Colin's management style at the County Ground."

     

    There are already plenty of Exeter connections at the St Boniface Arena where the Devils race.

     

    The Devils have just signed former Falcons' No.1 Mark Lemon for 2013, Lee Trigger, the Plymouth team manager was a familiar face in the County Ground pits 'spannering' for long time skipper Mark Simmonds.

     

    Mr Short said: "Mark has been appointed to the role of Devils' training officer. We are also hoping to stage regular junior racing at Plymouth under the Exeter Falcons banner. It's an easy drive now from Exeter to Plymouth but in these difficult financial times we are looking at the possibility on laying on a coach at very reasonable cost."

    Some may find it bizarre to see Exeter and Plymouth working together in a sports project given the traditional rivalry between the two cities, but Mr Short is convinced that speedway wise it can work.

     

    "Yes, there was great rivalry between the Devils and Falcons in the past, but the two sides haven't met in league action since 1962. By working together we have already saved speedway from being lost in Devon, and the potential is there to build a hugely successful partnership."

     

    "When the new season gets underway in March supporters can expect to find the kind of facilities in which to enjoy a great speedway night out."

     

    Around 300 of fans crammed into a meeting held in Eggbuckland to hear about team-building progress and future plans for the Devils.

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