Mildenhall Statement.

[montie 1,273]

 

 

I wonder if Hackney Hawks or Stoke Potters (or any other new club for that matter)have been asked for a 'league membership' or 'promotional rights' fee.

 

Maybe not HT but neither of them dropped the BSPA in it to tune of around 10k

[Steve Ribbons 2]

And if i was runnig it id of given everyone who attended a free car but i havent got it neither have you so why tell everyone what you would have given them if you had won it. Seems it would have been beter to have kept your gob shut and worked the problem with the BSPA as your so whiter than white

 

Because you lot moan about 'no one promotes the sport anymore' I thought I'd be honest and tell everyone that I had planned to do something about it! But then you Slag me off!!

 

What a sad and twisted individual you are.....are you a member of the BSPA???

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

Maybe not HT but neither of them dropped the BSPA in it to tune of around 10k

 

Aside from the fact that I am not sure where you got £10k from, nor did Steve Ribbons.

 

There's no way that he can be held accountable for what has happened in the past.

 

If they wanted a bigger bond, why not just say so at the outset and state that that is because of what has happened in the past ? Every Mildenhall fan would have understood that.

 

I think Iris is dead right. The decision to exclude Mildenhall is nothing to do with finances or the stadium, its about spite and vindictiveness.

[iris123 20,984]

I think the difference is that Coventry/Peterborough are merely being asked to comply to legislation that will apply to the rest of the league.

 

Mildenhall are being asked to comply to conditions that certainly seem to be set out for them and them alone.

 

I wonder if Hackney Hawks or Stoke Potters (or any other new club for that matter)have been asked for a 'league membership' or 'promotional rights' fee.

...and to an extent i can understand that there are conditions specifically being applied to Mildenhall.I would think most people will understand that.

 

But your last sentence is very important.It would be good to know this point.If all the new clubs have been asked to pay this,then fair enough.But if this has only been asked of Mildenhall then that is hardly democratic nor fair.I would also wonder if this fee would be dropped if Mr Ribbons is no longer part of the Promotion?

[rhidassa 73]

Why is it a funny old world when you get maybe two sets of people with differing opinions?

 

It's a funny old world presumably when people on the Peterborough/Coventry threads are saying the decisions were democratic,but are on here complaining about a decision made democratically

 

Don't see the funny side of it at all when people have different opinions.That is how the world is supposed to be in a healthy democratic society

 

And the way in which people express their opinions says a lot... whether you agree or disagree with someone (and I say 'you' in general, not directed specifically at you), you can still be polite, without being rude or insulting, or coming across that way. Whilst emotions always run high in such instances, there is still no reason for it. The great thing about this is you can re-word what you say before others hear (or technically see) it, rather than speaking before you think (so to speak!).

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

...and to an extent i can understand that there are conditions specifically being applied to Mildenhall.I would think most people will understand that.

 

But your last sentence is very important.It would be good to know this point.If all the new clubs have been asked to pay this,then fair enough.But if this has only been asked of Mildenhall then that is hardly democratic nor fair.I would also wonder if this fee would be dropped if Mr Ribbons is no longer part of the Promotion?

 

I certainly would, Iris.

 

But 'league membership' or 'promotional rights' fees aren't among them.

 

What have they got to do with the financial security of the track ?

[gypilgrim 0]

Isn't the bottom line that the other promoters have come to the conclusion that speedway at Mildenhall is not sustainable in the present circumstances (local / national / economic etc.). The recent record of various promotions at West Row in the last few years would seem to provide compelling evidence to support this conclusion.

 

That said I do feel sorry for all the enthusiastic Fen Tigers fans out there.

Edited January 26, 2011 by Exiled Cuda

[Icicle 896]

Firstly I hope Mr Ribbons does not give up..his ideas for Mildy sound potentially great.

 

Agree the "membership" charges sound dodgy & excessive, Also, to be invited to meeting & then told you can't get in due to a "secret ballot" stinks of some corruption somewhere...

[billy 0]

Isn't the bottom line that the other promoters have come to the conclusion that speedway at Mildenhall is not sustainable in the present circumstances (local / national / economic etc.). The recent record of various promotions at West Row in the last few years would seem to provide compelling evidence to support this conclusion.

 

That said I do feel sorry for all the enthusiastic Fen Tigers fans out there.

[/quote past promotions may have failed but why couldnt a chance be given to a another promoter who may have a different approach?the old sayings come to mind "those who live in glasshouses shouldnt throw stones" and "why tar everybody with the same brush?" are all nl promoters squeeky clean? no i thought so. why a secret vote anyway?

[oddcpl 0]

i would just like to thank steve for all his efforts to try and bring speedway back to mildenhall from what i gather alot of work has gone on behind the seens and now its all wasted .

[Khabiboulin 4]

So how many perfectly good speedway tracks are going to be lying fallow this year now then?

 

Coventry

Peterborough

Oxford

Weymouth

Mildenhall

 

Any others?

 

It's an absolutely ridiculous state of affairs.

[Cornishfisherman 10]

Having read this thread carefully and the statement from Mildenhall Speedway, one thing is quite clear to me and that is that Mildenhall can run with Kevin Jolly as a Promoter/Front man but not with Steve Ribbons as the backer/co-Promoter. I Know not why this should be as I am not au fait with Steve Ribbons . I do know Kevin and just how keen and enthusiastic he was to get Mildenhall Speedway going again. He was of course one of the original Fen Tigers of 1975 and no doubt has always had a soft spot for them.

 

Very sorry to hear this news as I believe Kevin Jolly had something to offer speedway, perhaps if West Row dropped the sport for a year or so it could come back with a bang when resurrected. However, that does not help the Fen Tigers Supporters who badly want their team back in 2011.

[PhilK 150]

 

Kevin (Jolly) went to the meeting (at Peter Morrish’s request) and he and I had agreed to agree the conditions set beforehand and to get the BSPA to put into writing just what we were paying for. - and what benefits (assets) came with any proposed licence. Whilst waiting to go into the meeting he was told that Mildenhall had lost a secret vote to be admitted to the league.

 

 

A Secret vote! Incredible this is supposed to be a professionally run sport, not the Masons! Although thinking about it .........

[gibralta 1]

Its now the day after the decision to exclude Mildenhall from the National League and I’ve found out some more regarding what went on in rugby.

 

Kevin (Jolly) went to the meeting (at Peter Morrish’s request) and he and I had agreed to agree the conditions set beforehand and to get the BSPA to put into writing just what we were paying for. - and what benefits (assets) came with any proposed licence. Whilst waiting to go into the meeting he was told that Mildenhall had lost a secret vote to be admitted to the league.

 

As to the finance of the promotion, which has been a matter of conjecture on this forum I say they (the BSPA) didn’t even ask me, in fact they haven’t asked me anything about Mildenhall! BUT, I will tell you, because I want you to get this straight, I did not go into this knowing I could not afford it. I have had two speedway’s taken off me before so did you think I was going to open up myself to that a third time? I have a business which turned over £238,000 last year and I have just sold a property so I have also £171,000 sitting in the bank. I say this not to look flash but just to put any doubts at rest; of course the BSPA wouldn’t know that because they wouldn’t speak to me!!!

 

Some of the promotional ideas I had included in my plan were, - team race suits harking back to the old days with the tiger stripes and tassels,- a supporters loyalty card where you pay for the first ten meetings and then get one free entrance,- a rolling one and a half for half school giveaway where the child pays to get in but mummy or daddy (who pays the bills anyway) get in for nothing,- a 30 meter long banner round the top bend hanging on the acoustic fence saying “West Row – Home of the fen Tigers” (to drive home the message that we were back) - free team poster give away- free whistles give away- and free chequered flags give away, - a weekend tour of Denmark through Team Viking for the fen tigers- re-starting the Anglia junior league,- we had agreed to a tie up with Ipswich to become their feeder club,- and one I’m particularly proud off, - a “60 second mayhem” whereby if we got a 5-1 in heat 15 everybody could get chips and a free coke or two chips for one etc. (which would round off the meeting nicely!) So I was going to be very busy while Kevin (Jolly) got on with running the meeting properly

 

So Iris 123, or Doug, its easy to sit behind a screen and criticise but try putting in some work and you’ll soon see how let down you feel when you’ve done all the work and then to be told no, with no reason or negotiation, it just smacks of pettiness and vindictiveness.

 

I say all this without reservation because I know the facts to be true. As to Mildenhall speedway, I don’t know now as all my enthusiasm has washed away.

 

 

Steve Ribbons.

Not knocking the ideas - but all a bit premature prior to getting permission to operate one suspects. If I had more money I may be a millionaire .................. it goes on.

[25yearfan 476]

Yet again a very sad state of affairs as regards to Mildenhall speedway!

 

I can understand the BSPA having reservations about Steve Ribbons because his previous record in speedway promotions is not good and he rubs everyone up the wrong way, hence the very low opinion most have of him, but British speedway would be better with more tracks and that should be the BSPA's main aim, surely?

 

I learnt a few years back that when Steve Ribbons gets involved in anything to do with speedway, normally things at some point will go t its up which is what I thought would happen with his recent interest in Mildenhall, but he has a point this time. Its ridiculous that Mildenhall have to pay a fee to ensure their NL membership when other tracks in the same League don't!

 

Last years unnecessary (unnecessary in that the reasons given for the closure were b oll ocks and things could have been sorted) mid season closure at West Row has had the knock on effect that in future getting speedway re established their will be difficult as its now proving!

 

The head of last years failed promotion, Ray Mascall is nothing to do with this winters attempts to reopen Mildenhall and neither is his righthandman John Adams. Indeed I'm led to believe that when Ray Mascall pulled the plug he lost the £5000 bond he had to put up when opening last season!

 

Mildenhall speedway is viable at 3rd tier level if ran properly. Ray Mascalls fiasco making of last year shouldn't have any bearing on any future attempts to reopen Mildenhall speedway.

 

Likewise if the BSPA don't want Steve Ribbons involved in any speedway promotion, then they should make this very clear to allow a path to be cleared so that Mildenhall could be allowed to reopen. It seems to me that insisting the Ribbons promotion pay a ludicrous membership fee that no other NL team has to pay and that he justifiably refuses too, is just a backdoor way of ensuring Mr Ribbons doesn't achieve his dreams of being a promoter!

 

I've been going to speedway a long time, have stayed loyal to the sport despite losing my team (Norwich Stars) 46 and a bit years ago and having to put up with years of mismanagement and deteriation but this winter I can fully understand why many thousands of people have turned their back on the sport. Speedway can still be a great sport if it was organised better!

 

Like many have said this winter, its about time that an independent governing body is created to oversee speedway with totally the best interests of the sport at heart and has no "my" track motivated ulterior motives that presently occur in the old boys network/masons like organisation that calls itself the BSPA!

Edited January 26, 2011 by 25yearfan