Dave Jones

Frank Ebdon.... No idea why, but it was a topic of discussion for quite a while as I recall edit Upon thinking about this a little more, I'm sure that I heard it first at a "talk in" in Coventry where Hans was guest speaker. He mentioned then that He and Ebdon had issues but didn't expand on that.

A very debatable heat result in the end. I was there in Pocking for this meeting and I remember this race well. In the re-run after Han's exclusion Sam knew his bike was in trouble on the startline and he attempted to leave the track but was forced to go back on by the stewards, as the 3 riders entered the 1st bend ermolenko's bike stopped causing Hamill to fall . The race should have been run with two riders only but Sam was allowed back in on another machine and we all know the result. A very controversial decision given the meeting referee's well known intense dislike of Hans Nielsen.

You might think that you've "asked the right questions" , but , judging by your recent posts you don't appear to have arrived at the right conclusions. Writing off posters who no longer attend (and there are plenty of them from all tracks) is hardly the correct way forward IMO . The fact that they still read the forum suggests to me that they still have enough interest in speedway and would love to see something positive happening. I know I would. i think everyone knows someone who "used to go to speedway" but are now lost to the sport, those who still read and post on here are still reachable if ever the sport can rebuild .

It will be a lot easier for me if I stop reading the garbage you are posting.

I think the dog in question certainly did.

At the very least, " Guilty by Association".

That's fair enough, but a lot of the stuff i commented on in my previous post happened on "your watch" so as co-promoter I would imagine you would have been aware.

Really!! In what seemed no time after the takeover we saw a perfectly adequate management team dismantled . Rosco moved out and Colin Pratt pushed sideways. Then we had Colin's service dispensed with as team manager to be replaced by a series of " ragamuffin type characters" called team managers in his place , none of whom appeared to have a clue what Coventry Speedway represented. During all of this time we were getting messages from Mr Horton about making up our minds whether we wanted top class speedway at Brandon, and his guarded threats about running at a lower level. While all of this was going on he was attending BSPA meetings complaining he couldn't afford to run. I wouldn't call that well a run club , and I won't even get involved with your comment about still being there had the stadium been available.

Deja vu at its height. What you and your pal inherited at Coventry was a top class club, which had been very well run for many many years, and look how that finished up. Also, on reflection, you and Mr Horton didn't make Colin Pratt feel too welcome after you moved in to Brandon either.

Just like a speedway meeting. We get a crash, the medic takes the patient away to fix up. and the customers are just kept hanging around in limbo.

Surprised you had the courage to ask that, given the "strokes" pulled by Ford over many seasons.

It doesn't take "more than one rider being injured" to cause these meeting delays though. Often , when the medic feels the need to accompany one injured rider to the hospital then everything grinds to a halt. I understand why the promoters don't provide the extra cover but given the precarious state of british speedway currently, long delays are not going to encourage fans to attend again. I don't believe there are too many other sports where competitors are so vulnerable to injury that would provide such basic medical cover and risk not completing the meetings, thus denying the fans value for their entrance fee.

Not a great deal of choice I'm afraid...Monmore isn't in the most salubrious part of town. The closest , I would imagine is the Novotel in Union St..Not too far from the stadium.

A properly run club, {well until the last five years anyway}

Delays of the magnitude we've seen recently are unacceptable, and cost cutting in this area should not be allowed, I understand that at Poole a rider who it turned out had serious ankle damage was pushed on a trolley through the local streets to hospital. Imagine the conversation amongst the residents... Whats happening there ? reply Oh it's some speedway guy had a crash at the stadium but they can't afford an ambulance.. The basic requirements just aren't acceptable and improvements in the medical cover need to be made urgently .

It seems Mr Ford's entrepreneurial skills have let him down ,his novel idea of introducing moto x on speedway bikes doesn't seem to have gone down too well with the paying public.

I do hope that is true, and that's last we see of him in the sport. I will always see his time at Brandon as a "huge blot" in the history of the Bees. Wouldn't wish him on any other club either.

Moving forward slowly but surely. Big thanks to all at the Save Coventry Group for all their hard work.

It's a pity Wally Loake isn't with us now, there was a man who could " paint a picture with words "when it came to race commentary.

A very subtle way of explaining the reason for the defeat?

Plus the wonderful stadium improvements, i went there for the 1992 world final, the place looks so much better now.

Changes nothing really, report here. http://www.savecoventryspeedway.com/news.php?extend.4148.1&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The worm is beginning to turn.!!!

Not strictly true, both Brandon & Blackbird Rd were owned by Midland Sports Stadiums. The Ochiltree family were the " front guys" but not the sole decision makers.

More likely Speedibee aka Adonis aka very probably a few more names on this forum.