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Steve Ribbons

Mildenhall Statement.

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A similar case happened about 4 years ago at Croft race circuit about noise and disruption to peace. The complainers won. The chief complainer was the former wife of one of the circuits owners. Basically after that case anyone can move anywhere and complain about existing activities, factories etc.

 

Just read the background to that case and based upon albeit limited information it does seem similar.

 

I just don't understand the logic. It seems to set a precedent that any person, anywhere, can close down anything.

 

It means that a person can move next door to a cat food factory, complain about the smell and have the factory closed down.

 

Lets face it, if you don't like the sea, you don't move into a lighthouse.

 

My first question to anyone in such a situation here is if you don't like noise, why did you move in, particularly bearing in mind that the speedway track is right at the end of runway of a RAF air base ?

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It is true.

Where I work we operate a heavy plant hire business out of a village farm. Residents move in, often holiday homes, and complain to the council. We have limits on how much machinery we're allowed in the yard, operational hours, what machinery is left in view of the road, etc, and most of it is made by people that moved in after the business had started, or just have holiday homes. Sadly, the council likes to listen to people like this.

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I too read the post and its obvious, and totally understandable, that feelings are running very high at the moment.

 

Although not one to condone mods removing posts, I do think for the good of the name of Mildenhall Fen Tigers and any possible future it may have that we all conduct ourselves in a professional manner.

 

Personal attacks, and Steve Ribbons has had them on this forum, are not accetable and I would hope when things calm down that Steve himself will agree that removing the post was not such a bad thing.

 

We need to move on from the mudslinging, no matter how hard that is, and work towards bringing the great Fen Tigers fans their team back.

 

Nikko

To those who want to see it - I think it is becoming clearer that the decision made by the BSPA was in fact a correct one.

The one thing that was imperative this forthcoming season, after recent season debacles, was that Mildenhall Speedway had a TOTALLY Professional Promotion in place - after some of the behaviour on here surely that would have had to be questionable.

The potentially shameful part, and question is:- Will the MILDENHALL FEN TIGERS ever recover from this lastest shameful exhibition ??

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It is true.

Where I work we operate a heavy plant hire business out of a village farm. Residents move in, often holiday homes, and complain to the council. We have limits on how much machinery we're allowed in the yard, operational hours, what machinery is left in view of the road, etc, and most of it is made by people that moved in after the business had started, or just have holiday homes. Sadly, the council likes to listen to people like this.

 

Another indication of the crazy, unjust, and non logical world we all try to live in today.

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To those who want to see it - I think it is becoming clearer that the decision made by the BSPA was in fact a correct one.

The one thing that was imperative this forthcoming season, after recent season debacles, was that Mildenhall Speedway had a TOTALLY Professional Promotion in place - after some of the behaviour on here surely that would have had to be questionable.

The potentially shameful part, and question is:- Will the MILDENHALL FEN TIGERS ever recover from this lastest shameful exhibition ??

 

I don't think we will know this until the BSPA actually state the precise grounds for the refusal - and not just something as general as money and the stadium - and I don't think they will do that.

 

To my mind,and even allowing for reasonable confidentiality, that does them no good because there could be totally acceptable grounds for their decision that entirely rebut Steve Ribbons case. What's worse, it leaves them constantly open to allegations of selfishness and underhand practice that could be entirely untrue.

 

One thing is certain and that is Mr Ribbons has damaged his own standing with Mildenhall fans by his outbursts on here. Even if you felt that his initial action to lay open his side of events was correct (and I do) a willingness to be personally abusive is absolutely unacceptable from someone who wanted to run a speedway club, whatever the provocation.

Edited by Halifaxtiger

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Ribbons wasn't 'accepted' by Dave Coventry - he was 'accepted' by James/Terry Waters.

 

Coventry only has a minor freehold stake in the site - Waters still calls the shots and decides who goes in there.

 

If you had kept your mouth shut about your £150k + Steve, you would have been shown the door of the racing office a lot sooner and saved us all a lot of pain..

Edited by Just down the road

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I don't think we will know this until the BSPA actually state the precise grounds for the refusal - and not just something as general as money and the stadium - and I don't think they will do that.

 

To my mind,and even allowing for reasonable confidentiality, that does them no good because there could be totally acceptable grounds for their decision that entirely rebut Steve Ribbons case. What's worse, it leaves them constantly open to allegations of selfishness and underhand practice that could be entirely untrue.

 

One thing is certain and that is Mr Ribbons has damaged his own standing with Mildenhall fans by his outbursts on here. Even if you felt that his initial action to lay open his side of events was correct (and I do) a willingness to be personally abusive is absolutely unacceptable from someone who wanted to run a speedway club, whatever the provocation.

Good post - totally agree with your comments.

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Yes, I'm sure Ray Mascal's wife is sorry for the inconvenience her death caused you, Mr Morrish.

 

Quite right.

I spoke several times to Ray in the days after Jean died and I felt his shocking pain and to read now what Mr. Morrish is saying, leaves just about the worst taste in the mouth imaginable.

You know what Speedway in this country needs more than anything, some basic decency and some humanity..

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Just read the background to that case and based upon albeit limited information it does seem similar.

 

I just don't understand the logic. It seems to set a precedent that any person, anywhere, can close down anything.

 

It means that a person can move next door to a cat food factory, complain about the smell and have the factory closed down.

 

Lets face it, if you don't like the sea, you don't move into a lighthouse.

 

My first question to anyone in such a situation here is if you don't like noise, why did you move in, particularly bearing in mind that the speedway track is right at the end of runway of a RAF air base ?

I know from experience.I worked in a Chemical factory that was originally in an industrial area.But gradually the factories were reülaced by residential areas and the people moving in complained about the noise and the smell, not only from our place but also the pub across the road... :blink: It wasn't as if the could miss our place when looking around their soon to be home :blink::blink:

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Quite right.

I spoke several times to Ray in the days after Jean died and I felt his shocking pain and to read now what Mr. Morrish is saying, leaves just about the worst taste in the mouth imaginable.

You know what Speedway in this country needs more than anything, some basic decency and some humanity..

 

I wouldn't expect any; other area's of life that are supposed to be decent and humane seem to struggle with it. Apparently, the modern world does not call for compassion.

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First of all my sympathies lie with the Fen Tigers' fans here but I'm also very sorry that a good friend of mine in the form of Steve has been once more slapped in the face by the BSPA.

 

Steve's an honest guy and a genuine enthusiast who cares for the sport so perhaps it's just as well that he isn't getting involved with the BSPA.

 

Not for the first time on this forum iris123 and Blazeaway have made postings that are beneath contempt. There is a heck of a lot more to that Wimbledon story than they think they know and it's not printable here. Yes that first meeting at Plough Lane should have been called-off. The plan to lay and lift the track was a tried and proved concept but sadly didn't work on the opening night. Enthusiasm to get the place open overcame what should have been a postponed meeting.

 

It was Steve getting up and forming the nomadic 1999 Rye House Rockets that not only saw Rye House Speedway re-open but also gave inspiration to similar moves at Middlesbrough, Scunthorpe and Weymouth. In the case of Wimbledon it was Steve who persauaded the GRA to allow speedway back in when many others had tried and failed.

 

There was significant opposition to the Rye House revival and some quite offensive comments were reported to me as emanating from a key player in the current situation so I'm not really that surprised at the outcome of this year's plan.

 

Blazeaway and iris123 need to consider that someone had the guts, determination and caring to get their beloved Dons reopened and not to make typically unhelpful, cynical and contemptible postings while cowardly hiding behind false names. Sadly the nature of the net allows anonymity which most people don't abuse. Sadly some do, to everybody's loss.

 

I look forward to seeing Mildenhall speedway reopen and feel very sad that a chance has not been given for Steve to get a fair chance to show what he can bring to the sport.

 

Speedway is going through a shocking period though and we have to hope that those responsible for it will go and inflict playing their unpleasant power games on a far less deserving sport.

 

Rob McCaffery.

 

Well said Rob, I too was disappointed to see the Fen Tigers not being given the opportunity to return to the sport. One thought did cross my mind though, what about granting Mildenhall an open licence. They could then run a full season of meetings with different formats and giving young riders their first chance in the sport. If successful on and off the track would the BSPA then be satisfied that the promotion could run in the National League?

 

Bob Davies

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Well said Rob, I too was disappointed to see the Fen Tigers not being given the opportunity to return to the sport. One thought did cross my mind though, what about granting Mildenhall an open licence. They could then run a full season of meetings with different formats and giving young riders their first chance in the sport. If successful on and off the track would the BSPA then be satisfied that the promotion could run in the National League?

 

Bob Davies

 

Im afraid that knowing who voted No the chances of the Mildenhall Fen Tigers ever returning to the track again under the current BSPA management commitee, or with cetain promoters around, the chances are zero.

Edited by Nikko

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Just a thought at a bit of a tangent, I wonder what the chances are of Peterborough riding at West Row in the NL? I imagine that the showground wouldn't be cheap to rent, and running at Mildenhall would help all parties out - cheaper rent for the Peterborough promotion, Monies coming in for Dave Coventry and RDC promotions, and racing for the Mildenhall fans to see in 2011. :unsure:

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You know what Speedway in this country needs more than anything, some basic decency and some humanity..

 

I certainly support the view that throughout speedway is often displayed a lack of finesse.

 

I ma choosing my words very carefully here but I feel that every possible solution should have been considered prior to the present point being reached. Also the lateness of the AGM has left no time for a suitable rescue.

 

It is disappointing when these things happen and I feel it for the supporters and staff at West Row who have been my friends for years.

 

As for Planning and the vulgar system let me remind you of the fact that Boston were turned down after the Planning Committee gave us the thumbs up in 2003. Every Conservative on the full council voted against the propsoal for a track situated between a very busy main road and a light aircraft runway and where there is already a white elephant athletics stadium which is a major under used cost factor for the citizens of Boston. The local paper ran an independent survey amongst its readers and 93% were in favour of the track!

 

I was very pleased that some of those Tories lost their seats against national trends in the local elections the following year. Effectively Boston Speedway was killed forever by a Tory led Council out of touch with people's wishes and I suspect becuase some of them lived in Sleaford Road which is a couple of miles away. Ineterestingly enough the fair minded local police tried to move cars of our supporters out of site because they were clad in details of the events. You couldn't make it up.

 

The Big Society theme clearly had not got underway at that time! I'll do something for this Big Society when I see the MP's who paid back expenses taling part. No chance of that of course.

 

I feel that our sport needs a Patron of great substance and distinction to lead us our of the wilderness and to make us appear better in the eyes of such people as the Boston District Council (and others) who had a mortto once "For Sport". Is there not a Chief Constable or Caninet Minister speedway supporter that can help us on the road to recovery.

 

Or is that a dream that will never happen?

 

Malcolm Vasey

Edited by Proud Potter

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