RobMcCaffery

There is no doubt that ARC is a highly professional organisation that must see speedway as an unreliable and unwanted #extra' to buying or leasing Newcastle, Birmingham and Sittingbourne. Their main business lies in operating about 16 of the country's top horse racing tracks. They must be mystified by speedway's continuance. It's clear that even the greyhound tracks themselves are a peripheral business to them, let alone a sport where two of their tenants threatened to cease trading during the year.

Thanks ch958. Good to hear from a Redcar fan. I'm only advising Steve Ribbons who is the lynchpin of the campaign. Redcar's a shining example of how the loss of a track like Cleveland Park can be (eventually) overcome. In manyb ways it should be a blueprint for others who lose their tracks. Sadly the land values compromise similar efforts down south. It was good to visit the STMP and see how you had survived the ordeal. May Kent find similar success.

Now, back to the topic. One of my happiest times in speedway was announcing at Iwade in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately the 350 mile return journey to Kent saw me have to withdraw. I lost my track (Rayleigh) aged just 16 so I am very sensitive to track closures. I do feel for the Kent fans and if the future IS at Iwade I do hope they will support the new start at a track where the financial pressure of Central Park can be forgotten. At least there is an alternative.

Yes, despite my personal ill-health I 'plough on' helping Steve Ribbons with what people like you described as a hopeless cause. We now are at the point of detailed negotiations with the new landlords. It does get irritating when those with no knowledge or genuine understanding of what is going on declare our efforts pointless "since speedway in the south east is dead". I think few would disagree with your actions being described as those of a fool. You consider my comments to be abusive. Let me tell you quite clearly they were extremely watered-down. When you are working well outside your comfort zone to save a team you have followed for 50 years, no you don't take kindly to foolish comments like yours. I'm trying to save the track I love. What are you up to apart from trying to pass yourself off as an all-knowing authority? Now drop the patronising "good old" and leave me and my colleagues to get on with a very comp[ex job. I'll ask again, do you really care for speedway or your own sad ego? A for Len, how can anyone know why Silver got out of Rye House? Neglected stadium needing repair beyond his resources, need to ease off the pressure and work with someone else's capital at Kent? Old age? The failing Silverski business? It's not the first time he's sold a track that others have managed to run, usually after finding the mess they'd bought. He is someone with an impeccable speedway record but his judgment is not infallible, especially in old age. It's still far greater than mine of course. All I am is a long-term supporter who was lucky enough to work with microphones not only for the Rockets but also on video and for a short while, cable and satellite TV. What an appalling thing I am doing to save the Rockets? Of course I deserve your fatuous critique. Now can I get on please? Some of us have work to do rather than sit on the sidelines trying to wreck what others are doing. Of course IF we fail you'll be able to boast how clever you were........... Sad, deeply sad. I do pity you.

From what I understand there's more to it than that. My information could be wrong of course. Either way it's important that Kent continues to have a speedway team, one way or another. I think Iwade could operate as an NDL venue, especially if the Kings fans could tolerate the sparser facilities. I found it to be basic but with a heart of gold. At least a speedway team would be welcomed there.

Of course Edmon, thanks. The announcer was quite handy ;-)

Well, I hear Len Silver's available for consultancy.... I worked at Iwade for a few years. Bar the air fence it was as ready for Division 3 as, say, Buxton. Good place for some grass roots speedway. Wouldn't be ironic if the only speedway in the south east was Barry Thomas' training track? Wish Buxton was on its way back. Places like that and Lathalmond were such joys to visit.

There is a chance that we will not have to worry about a football pitch. Still a long way to go.

If we had the space or budget for an NSS replica obviously it would be the choice. I think a more likely template to work from would be Redcar or Glasgow. This of course pre-supposes we win the fight. Right now there are many possible outcomes, some almost absurd and when all is over we can share the stories. Many of those outcomes would see us win. Many would still se Musk have his way. It is in many ways a game of poker so you'll understand us not revealing too much yet. It depends on Musk, his partner O'Malley, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the East Herts Council and finally the Local Government Ombudsman. It could even end in court. There is a heck of a lot of persuasion and negotiation going on. A return of the Rockets is no certainty, nor is it some foolish, over-optimistic pipe dream. We just have to ask the faithful to wait. I think we're not too far from the end.

No need to put my name in quotes. It's real. Unlike you I don't have to hide. Now, you haven't upset me. I'm quite amused by fools like you. It also stirs the blood to vent spleen at thoroughly deserving targets. You remind me of those characters who wander through London carrying signs stating "The End Is Nigh". I have real problems to deal with in helping to keep the Rye House campaign . You don't come anywhere near so don't flatter yourself. That goes for the other keyboard warriors. All I care about right now is playing my part in defeating those who have been seeking to destroy the Rockets. Self-appointed windbags are pretty irrelevant by comparison. The real Rob McCaffery.

I have just songs to offer: "Fool If You Think It's Over" - Chris Rea. "The Long & Winding Road" - Beatles "Homeward Bound" - Paul Simon Just nice songs - nothing else....honest. DJ Rob (unretired?) Yes I'm passionate. You try to kill my Rockets and you'll find out how passionate. The story so far is incredibly complex and would make a good basis for a poorly-written book (If I were the author). The end is not far off now, it seems. As for offending certain members of the BSF, oh I really do hope I do.

Wishing you all the best. I was a regular at Perry Barr in the late 70s, along with Cradley and Wolves. I know how much speedway needs a beating Midlands heart. The Brummies are too important to lose again. It's amazing how quickly these situations change though ;-)

It would be devastating if after a decade and a half's relentless campaigning Oxford were then to fail due to the BSPL......

We have figures. Whether we believe them is a separate matter. Yes there was dual blame - fixed race nights but also a failure to respond by switching to the CL. There are other matters involving expected finance from the Sky deal that didn't materialise is another aspect to be considered ion what is a highly complex case. Yes, too few people turnedv up - for Premiership racing. Championship or NDL would probably have been a different story. If only all problems had such easy answers as offered up by ianb. Thankfully that is in the past and we can now repair the damage and return to speedway at Rye House. The situation is changing daily. I look forward to resuming our battles with Oxford, Eastbourne, Mildenhall, and hopefully also Kent and the new track hinted at in today's Speedway Star. Within a year or two the currently depressing situation in the South East could be transformed. Keep the faith and learn from Oxford! Regards, Rob.

In Rye House's case the simplistic answer is indeed that too few people turned up but that was part of as more complex story. The promotion bears the vast majority of the blame though. They foolishly believed that putting the Rockets in the top league would guarantee riches, as in other sports. They then spent far too much on riders, including unrealistic guarantees. Running on a Saturday night at first masked the underlying problem but staying in the Premiership when that meant shifting to midweek race nights was disastrous. So, if they had left well alone and ensured that the track staged weekend meetings with sensible costs they might well have still been running speedway now. One key fault seems to have been a foolish reluctance to take advice from those with expert speedway knowledge. It has taken a very long time to undo this damage but at least the new landlords realise at last that you can't judge speedway viability on BMR's figures. There is still hope and significant progress is being made. All of us at the Rye House Action Group are so delighted to see Oxford's return. Well done!

How can you reconcile those two statements? How can you claim to know more about the Rye House campaign than those running it? Our 'optimism' is based on simple fact, not blind faith. There HAVE been new, important discussions and a new attitude towards possibly incorporating speedway in the redevelopment. These are facts. Now I clearly stated that a door had been opened, not that we already have success. You sit on the sidelines offering your pitifully ill-informed comments. All it does is steadily destroy your credibility, not ours. Yes we could fail but certainly if we took your approach we would, It would be appreciated if people like you could keep their damaging opinions to themselves rather than try to pass yourself off as some all-knowing authority. It's hard enough dealing with the authorities and new landlord without having tom deal with those supposed speedway supporters undermining it. It would be easy to suspect that you actually want it to fail.

Rye House is far from dead. Important meetings have been taking place and real progress is being made regarding how the track can be restored. It's not exactly a new age of co-operation but at least key figures are now talking rather than simply stonewalling. There is still a very long road but the door to it is no longer locked and bolted.

I've seen too much, especially from Shovlar who wrecked one group before moving on to this forum . Yes it's a fans forum. It's not me who needs to be reminded....

That's been building up for a while. I'd given them the benefit of the doubt. Anyway I hope it's a great night and that Edinburgh can put up a good fight. I just I could watch it. No, being housebound currently I can't travel to Dorset. With luchk the riders can out on a great match. That's far more important than having to deal with Poole's lunatic fringe.

Too many Poole fans have spent many years destroying the reputation of their club and their decent fans with their arrogance, complacency and borderline trolling. Bitterness is not caused by their team winning but by the attitude of far too many Pirates' fans to success. Their greed for success so that they can patronise and insult other clubs, constantly boasting of their successes was barely tolerable in the bear pit of Premiership discussions but is totally unacceptable or deserved by the far more fair-minded Championship sector. In tier 2 (BL2, NNL, NL, PL). We have over the past half century since establishment in 1968 developed a spirit of rivalry and exchanging of barbs, some witty and some half-way but we maintain respect or the other teams who are our opponents, not our enemies. Winning is enjoyed without rubbing the noses of opposition fans in it. For us winning is not a justification for petty gloating. I know many hoped that the move down would change attitudes. Sadly it hasn't and the sooner you take your poison back to the Premiership the happier our league will be. My team's not even running currently (although I'm doing my best to revive them) so any accusation of jealousy would be pitiful. I have many precious memories of speedway but they are mainly of having fun with friends, not being able to boast of victory. Apologies to the decent fans who do respect their rivals whose reputation is tarred by these people who are not just wrecking the reputation of their club. If you're staying please learn and respect our ways. If not please leave. Take all the trophies you want - I'll even buy you one. Just let us have our fun in peace please. P.S. Thanks for rewarding the efforts by Edinburgh and Glasgow in allowing Pirates fans to watch the first legs of this weeks' finals by streaming the second legs in return. What do you mean they haven't?

Nothing. They simply had to make cut backs.

His team a actually race in the middle division of three, League1. While the top Ekstraliga mainly races on Fridays and Sundays Leagues 1 and 2 use any of Friday to Sunday. Friday is probably the least used of the three for his team Lodz. Other matters are more likely to get in the way.

Their top riders boycotted the semi-final due to lack of funding by their federation.

It certainly is, as long as we can trust the accuracy of the source and the auto-translation. There are those who suggest that the main source, Sportowe Fakty is lacking in objectivity. Of course, being only a distant observer I can't comment. I use Chrome as my browser and have it fitted with the Google Translate extension so if you tell it to i will translate every web page you visit into English. The Ermolenko update has sadly been delayed due to technical problems and multiple resignations/retirements........

Sadly it's still tennis. It was worth a try.