uk_martin 1,606 Posted May 6, 2018 33 minutes ago, fubar said: I spoke with some long-standing Stoke supporters last night and they expressed the opinion that enough was enough and it is sad when even a club's die hard supporters have no faith in the club that they have supported for donkey's years. Just been chatting to friends on Facebook who made the trip from Birmingham last night. "Never again" was the summary of the polite things they said about their experiences. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sommelier 1,118 Posted May 6, 2018 25 minutes ago, uk_martin said: Just been chatting to friends on Facebook who made the trip from Birmingham last night. "Never again" was the summary of the polite things they said about their experiences. I thought it was a OK meeting Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coldace 110 Posted May 6, 2018 Fubar, if you don't mind a word on how Joe Lawlor went last night, how many rides did he take to score his 12. Also, surprised that Rob Shuttleworth only scored 2, he's better than that surely? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uk_martin 1,606 Posted May 6, 2018 1 hour ago, sommelier said: I thought it was a OK meeting I guess it comes down to how high you set the bar of acceptability. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fubar 68 Posted May 6, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, coldace said: Fubar, if you don't mind a word on how Joe Lawlor went last night, how many rides did he take to score his 12. Also, surprised that Rob Shuttleworth only scored 2, he's better than that surely? Joe was riding really well but had an engine failure in his first ride and was excluded after Atkin came down in heat 15. So 12 points from 6 rides. Joe was giving it 110% as usual. Rob Shuttleworth was totally useless and fell off 3 times. To be fair the track looked bumpy in parts and a lot of riders fell off. I'm sure Stoke is pretty good as a banger racing track but it sure knackers the track up. Edited May 6, 2018 by fubar spelling Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedyOne 126 Posted May 6, 2018 (edited) A big crowd at Stoke last night, but those who stayed away missed another Speedway Extravanganza at the Stadium of Wonky Light. A dodgy-awfully prepared track sent entertainment values soaring. If you blinked you might miss another faller. Stoke delivered on their aim to have fallers into double figures (10 at the last count). Where else in world speedway can you see 7 out of 15 heats awarded due to falls? Fantastic stuff. Why don't other clubs booby-trap the track in this way? Stoke convincingly won 8 falls to 2, which excited the crowd so much that they lifted the roof off the grandstand (at least I presume that's why parts of the bar ceiling are falling in). But despite winning on falls, Stoke lost by 7 submissions and numerous knockouts (mostly knockout blows to the credibility of the sport). Back to the beginning, Stoke started with a minute's silence for Roy Smallwood MBE (since he had worked at Stoke for over 40 years, an MBE seemed most insulting. He should have been given the George Cross for acts of heroism in extreme danger). I don't know if Roy was a good man or a bad man, but even if he is now in hell being tortured for all eternity, we can feel content that he is in a better place than Stoke. Roy was pictured in the programme in a 50s Teddy Boy suit. The picture was taken the last time the Stoke electrics didn't fail. Despite being dead, Roy was still in the programme's officials' list as the Pits Gate Manager. Then the announcer. It was his first time. Not just his first time announcing, but his first time at speedway (possibly his first time out of the house). He had no idea what was happening. Remember the taxi driver interviewed on BBC by mistake? It was far worse. The poor sod tried to hand over to a centre green presenter, but the presenter had no microphone. So the confused newbie had to read out Belle Vue names he'd never heard of all by himself, such as Ken Dicken and Joe Lola. The hapless announcer must have thought he had been duped into the Jeremy Beadle show, except for the fact that Beadle has been dead for 10 years, and is now presumably working as the Stoke Pits Marshal. Heat 1 and novice O'Keefe leads from the far better Clegg and Perry. He realises this is wrong and throws the bike at the fence to become first faller. SUN BREAK Heat 2 and O'Keefe becomes the first rider to cause an awarded race. Heat 4. O'Keefe retires and Shuttleworth inspects the "shale" to give BV an awarded 5-0 (Shuttleworth's first of 3 track inspections). SUN BREAK Heat 5 All 4 riders finish. This is to be an extreme rare occurance. Heat 7 Awarded again as the hungry Shuttleworth eats more "shale" Heat 10. Alcock falls, and Clegg goes an unexplained splat while in a comfortable lead. Awarded 5-0 Heat 13 Smith is the first BV faller, trying to use the outside on the first bend. (You can't do that). In the re-run tired Shuttleworth needs a third lie down on the track. Awarded Heat 14 Who else but O'Keefe falls. The ref puts on the red light and fuses the whole stadium. He's been over-using the red light. (Remember in the 70s when it got cold and you had to switch off the TV before you could put on the second bar of the electric fire, or else risk fusing the whole street? The City of Stoke still runs like this). The referee is warned that he must not use the red lights again. To do so would damage the flux-capacitor, destroy the space-time continuum, and we'd all be stuck here in 1955 with Biff Tattum, and Roy Smallwood playing Johnny B Goode whilst dressed as Stoke's answer to Showaddywaady..... Shoddyshoddy. The ref agrees that when the inevitable awarding of heat 15 happens, the race will be stopped by hand signals and the shouting of the moronic announcer, which will alert members of the track staff to wave red flags (the ones that are still alive anyway - Roy and Beadle are excused duty). Heat 15 and an actual race develops between Atkin and Lawlor. Perry is a distance back in 3rd, Clegg further back stone last. Lawlor chases Atkin and just gets ahead up the back straight. Atkin faces being moved into the outer part of the 3rd bend track (here be dragons) and tries to resist. The two collide and the race needs to be awarded. (the 3rd awarded race in a row, 7th of the night). The Announcer then announces Perry (who was minding his own business back in third) is excluded. The win awarded to Max Clegg (who was stone last). The announcer returns minutes later (possibly with a referees hands around his throat) to change the exclusion to Lawlor...but still has the awarded places wrong. After a further few minutes it is changed again. The MDL match is cancelled and everyone leaves, completely unsure on the final score or the final awarded decision of heat 15. Edited May 6, 2018 by CottonOn 3 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sommelier 1,118 Posted May 6, 2018 25 minutes ago, uk_martin said: I guess it comes down to how high you set the bar of acceptability. Yes I do set the bar low when going to any third tier meeting, when I go to Poland which is very frequent I set the bar much higher, horses for courses Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
griffo 20 Posted May 6, 2018 6 hours ago, woofers said: Very disturbing. The referee should have tested the lights before giving the go ahead to run heat 15. If they failed the meeting should have been abandoned. The referee is now in a quandary. If he mentions it in his report but failed to take action, he should be in trouble. And rightly so. As should the clerk of the course. If he fails to mention it in his report the problem 'doesn't exist' and those in authority can 'rest easy'. Or can they ? Have the promoters, referee and officials no conscience ? it seems that there is no 'rider power', so perhaps you should get in contact with speedway authorities at a higher level, BSPA, SCB, the ACU even, and relay your observations. This sort of thing cannot go unreported, ignored, 'swept under the carpet' or pretend it didn't happen. Someone could be seriously hurt, or worse, if it's not dealt with provisionally and responsibly. Pray tell me Woofer why I as the Clerk of the Course having held a Licence since 1984 perhaps one of the L should be Reported Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
griffo 20 Posted May 6, 2018 6 hours ago, woofers said: Very disturbing. The referee should have tested the lights before giving the go ahead to run heat 15. If they failed the meeting should have been abandoned. The referee is now in a quandary. If he mentions it in his report but failed to take action, he should be in trouble. And rightly so. As should the clerk of the course. If he fails to mention it in his report the problem 'doesn't exist' and those in authority can 'rest easy'. Or can they ? Have the promoters, referee and officials no conscience ? it seems that there is no 'rider power', so perhaps you should get in contact with speedway authorities at a higher level, BSPA, SCB, the ACU even, and relay your observations. This sort of thing cannot go unreported, ignored, 'swept under the carpet' or pretend it didn't happen. Someone could be seriously hurt, or worse, if it's not dealt with provisionally and responsibly. Pray Woofer why should I as Clerk of the Course having held a Licence since 1984 perhaps one of the longest serving one in the Modern era be Reported as The Referee Runs the Meeting not Myself, therefore I did not have any say in the Matter unless asked by the Referee, what the Referee puts or doesn`t put in his Report is up to him but Hey Ho what do I know Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fubar 68 Posted May 6, 2018 37 minutes ago, griffo said: Pray Woofer why should I as Clerk of the Course having held a Licence since 1984 perhaps one of the longest serving one in the Modern era be Reported as The Referee Runs the Meeting not Myself, therefore I did not have any say in the Matter unless asked by the Referee, what the Referee puts or doesn`t put in his Report is up to him but Hey Ho what do I know I am sure you know a considerable amount and therefore could perhaps tell us why the referee appeared to be very keen to speak to the C of C 30 seconds before the start of heat 15? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruno 1,790 Posted May 6, 2018 After reading this not sure whether to go next week Or watch the GP with a glass of wine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coldace 110 Posted May 6, 2018 Thanks Fubar. never understood why Shuttleworth chose to go to Stoke rather than stay wit the Colts. But, the way young Lawlor is going we are so much better off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fubar 68 Posted May 6, 2018 7 minutes ago, bruno said: After reading this not sure whether to go next week Or watch the GP with a glass of wine Better still watch the GP with several glasses of wine! I can think of a thousand better ways of spending £15 rather than give it to the Gloomy Roadsters. They'll probably cancel it anyway because they have got banger racing (including double decker bangers) the following day and they will not want to overburden the Dickensian generator by cranking it up on two successive days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruno 1,790 Posted May 6, 2018 Thanks Fubar I haven't been there for a couple of seasons because of some Stoke disasters in previous years. Feel I should support the lads this year because of our limited meetings this season. Il see how I feel later in the week Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woofers 467 Posted May 6, 2018 Thanks for your reply griffo. I inadvertently thought that the title Clerk of the Course carried some weight in the safe running of a meeting, and that the failure of the red lights would be a critical factor in determining whether a meeting was safe to continue. I concluded that if there were to be a serious incident when it was known that the red lights were not working then the Clerk of the Course would carry an element of responsibility and most likely be 'in trouble' (I did not mention being reported). My thinking and conclusions would be wrong though. It would seem that under Speedway Regulations it is OK to run without working lights if the Referee says so : 9.2.6.2 If the Lights malfunction for any reason and the Meeting Referee considers it safe for the Meeting to continue, flags will be used under the jurisdiction of the Referee. No doubt you will have carried out your responsibility under 14.2.1 g - bring matters concerning H&S issues to the promoters attention, as well as complying with the Clerk of Course Aide Memoire which requires you to Liaise with the Track Electrician to confirm that all track lighting and signals are in good working order and checking that an Electrician remains on duty throughout the meeting and arranging means of contact. So it looks as though I owe you, and other officials, an apology. It is OK to run a speedway meeting without functioning lights. Only the referee would have it on his conscience in the event of an accident. For all the other officials, it was 'nothing to do with me'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites