maneacat 473 Posted September 18, 2019 10 hours ago, greytiger said: I f Given you know Colin Pratt,he don't give no Bull rubbish.He is the at PB promoter The team manager is C.Johnson.The team is his problem. Given the length of time there was to field of time I think we can't moan.......like some do. There's been some good races some better than follow my leader in past years and I might say quite boring. The stadium is clean and tidy.......you can go in your Sunday best,sit where you like and enjoy you're evening. Kids,dogs can also relax to their owners ownership. The meeting is run on time mostly baring very few. Hey O. Looking forward to our next season of Speedway at PB. A TEAM we can be proud of . Stand By our TEAM. We love our Speedway. Thanks to Keith Chapman we still have our Speedway no matter what the critics want to say,his heart is in the sport. Be behind your Team, it's not cheap to be a rider nore to be a supporter,but gowd keep the sport alive........GET INVOLVED. So where was Chapman last night? Was he even there? I don’t know but I never saw him - if he was why was he not out on the Centre Green at the end with the riders and Carl to take the Mike and offer a few words to the crowd? GED and previous Promoters would have taken the opportunity to do so and if he had done he may start to build bridges with our fans many of whom given a choice would prefer he was as far away as possible from our Club. I know some will not like to read that (but hey that’s life we don’t all agree) but 99%of those I spoke to last night either at the Eoes or Online share that view. A huge missed opportunity Buster but why am I not surprised. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crump99 4,466 Posted September 18, 2019 (edited) 51 minutes ago, maneacat said: So where was Chapman last night? Was he even there? I don’t know but I never saw him - if he was why was he not out on the Centre Green at the end with the riders and Carl to take the Mike and offer a few words to the crowd? GED and previous Promoters would have taken the opportunity to do so and if he had done he may start to build bridges with our fans many of whom given a choice would prefer he was as far away as possible from our Club. I know some will not like to read that (but hey that’s life we don’t all agree) but 99%of those I spoke to last night either at the Eoes or Online share that view. A huge missed opportunity Buster but why am I not surprised. It was an end to a means though wasn't it? So his job is done. Johnson has always been the one paid (well perhaps not?) to do all of the work and take all of the blame (or at least be the public face) as was once famously said of a previous TM, so that's all very much in keeping. Interesting that Rodders says that Watson and Rathbone were there. It may be that they were there just out of interest but I'd be more inclined to think that that indicates the direction of travel? Edited September 18, 2019 by Crump99 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wolfie456 490 Posted September 18, 2019 51 minutes ago, maneacat said: So where was Chapman last night? Was he even there? I don’t know but I never saw him - if he was why was he not out on the Centre Green at the end with the riders and Carl to take the Mike and offer a few words to the crowd? GED and previous Promoters would have taken the opportunity to do so and if he had done he may start to build bridges with our fans many of whom given a choice would prefer he was as far away as possible from our Club. I know some will not like to read that (but hey that’s life we don’t all agree) but 99%of those I spoke to last night either at the Eoes or Online share that view. A huge missed opportunity Buster but why am I not surprised. Yes cat he was there there saw him before meeting started. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Bratley 470 Posted September 18, 2019 On 9/17/2019 at 8:48 AM, Method said: The Showground gets an awful lot of stick from a lot of angles and I don't believe thats fair at all... they allow a dirty shale arena to sit smack bang in the middle of their events space all year round for the sake of what 20 / 30 evenings a year? - not even days, evenings... When they open the gates and deal with complaints from the local area (not just the houses at the showground, but the ortons, alwalton, wistow etc) when they run late in the evening, paying for security on the gates and around the area, they get a slice of what, 400-500 spectators? I dont know what the arangement is, but I feel pretty confident in thinking that the speedway does not make money for the showground. Take the 4 week camping festival (actually 2 different festivals) that caused a long break in the fixtures for us - that event would have made more for the showground in 4 weeks than the speedway could make in years... but they are to be moaned at because people prefer to hold a camping exhibition in the summer? Nonsense. The showground should say "No thankyou mr big event, I cannot have you here for 4 weeks solid (not including the week before and after setting up) because we have a minority sport that needs to run 3 meetings (unless of course it rains) for 600 people... Nonsense. If the showground did not host these types of events, there would be no showground and therefore no speedway. I think its about time people stopped throwing mud at the people that are keeping this whole mess afloat and start looking closer to home as to why it is all falling apart. If Peterborough Panthers pulled in a crowd of 4-5000 people, every week, then we wouldnt have to worry about dates for fixtures or whether the stadium would be there in 5 years time. The fact of the matter is that the product being offered is weaker than ever before and people just arent buying it. Sell more tickets - have more clout. Until then, stop beating up the guys that are plugging the back end. You are making a lot of assumptions in what you have said. In recent years the hierarchy of The Showground has changed from the times when I used to deal with them a decade ago, so I can't speak about the current management team, but my assumption will be that the practicalities of running Speedway at the venue will not have changed very much, if at all. Speedway pays significant rent to the venue. I don't know what the amount is these days, but when I was promoter it was, I felt, jaw dropping. It is considerable over a season. The Speedway club are also not allowed to bring their own concessions (catering) on to the venue, so the Speedway clubs income is restricted to admissions and the sale of programmes only. Speedway comes a long way back in the queue of the events held at the Showground and that's only rightly so, it is a business after all - actually it's not, it's a charity. Effectively you pay rent for the key to open and close the place, you get little or no help from them in putting the event on or clearing up after. The Showground is not a charity (actually it is, but you probably get my drift). The Speedway staff volunteers do an absolutely amazing (and thankless) job in getting the place ready for Speedway and clearing it up afterwards, it takes a monumental amount of effort and I mean monumental and these people are the real heroes of the Speedway club. The Showground does not 'plug' the back end or keep Speedway 'afloat'. They provide a key. A very expensive one at that. The one thing Speedway does do for the Showground is provide an event for LOCAL people. Practically every other event at the Showground is supported in the majority by people who live outside of Peterborough. Not everyone locally owns a Shire Horse, Truck or Modified Car or wants to pitch a tent a couple of miles from their home and there are only so many times you can drag yourself along to Truckfest. The 'dirty shale arena' gets plenty of use from other events, often these events damage the track and fence, which additionally costs the Speedway club to put right. If other events use the floodlights - which the Speedway club paid for and installed - and a light fuses, the Speedway club has to pay for this to be replaced as well. 4 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 4,863 Posted September 18, 2019 2 hours ago, maneacat said: 99%of those I spoke to last night either at the Eoes or Online share that view. you spoke to 100 people?!? You didn't come and speak to me 50 minutes ago, Mick Bratley said: the Speedway clubs income is restricted to admissions and the sale of programmes only. If other events use the floodlights - which the Speedway club paid for and installed - and a light fuses, the Speedway club has to pay for this to be replaced as well. What about parking? Why aren't the club charging for the use of floodlights if they own them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted September 18, 2019 5 minutes ago, iainb said: you spoke to 100 people?!? You didn't come and speak to me What about parking? Why aren't the club charging for the use of floodlights if they own them? I do not think that Maneacat ever claimed to have spoken to 100 people 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted September 18, 2019 I can't help feeling that if Mr Chapman has lost a lot of money over his ownership of Panthers he is very much the author of his own misfortune. Unfortunately others may be the ultimate victims 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crump99 4,466 Posted September 18, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, iainb said: What about parking? Mork calling Hodgy, are you there Hodgy! Having said that, wasn't the parking charge started when Bratters and Horton were in post to cover the club's SRBF contribution? One wonders if that's where it ended up then or where it ends up these days? I'm sure Bratters will correct me if I'm wrong Edited September 18, 2019 by Crump99 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Method 21 Posted September 18, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Mick Bratley said: You are making a lot of assumptions in what you have said. In recent years the hierarchy of The Showground has changed from the times when I used to deal with them a decade ago, so I can't speak about the current management team, but my assumption will be that the practicalities of running Speedway at the venue will not have changed very much, if at all. Speedway pays significant rent to the venue. I don't know what the amount is these days, but when I was promoter it was, I felt, jaw dropping. It is considerable over a season. The Speedway club are also not allowed to bring their own concessions (catering) on to the venue, so the Speedway clubs income is restricted to admissions and the sale of programmes only. Speedway comes a long way back in the queue of the events held at the Showground and that's only rightly so, it is a business after all - actually it's not, it's a charity. Effectively you pay rent for the key to open and close the place, you get little or no help from them in putting the event on or clearing up after. The Showground is not a charity (actually it is, but you probably get my drift). The Speedway staff volunteers do an absolutely amazing (and thankless) job in getting the place ready for Speedway and clearing it up afterwards, it takes a monumental amount of effort and I mean monumental and these people are the real heroes of the Speedway club. The Showground does not 'plug' the back end or keep Speedway 'afloat'. They provide a key. A very expensive one at that. The one thing Speedway does do for the Showground is provide an event for LOCAL people. Practically every other event at the Showground is supported in the majority by people who live outside of Peterborough. Not everyone locally owns a Shire Horse, Truck or Modified Car or wants to pitch a tent a couple of miles from their home and there are only so many times you can drag yourself along to Truckfest. The 'dirty shale arena' gets plenty of use from other events, often these events damage the track and fence, which additionally costs the Speedway club to put right. If other events use the floodlights - which the Speedway club paid for and installed - and a light fuses, the Speedway club has to pay for this to be replaced as well. Thank you for the clarification, certainly clears up a few things! The point I was trying to make was being careful not to bite the hand that feeds, if the showground decides to get rid of the speedway for what ever reason, then we would need to try and find an alternative venue and someone to fund it... this hasnt happened much recently. Edited September 18, 2019 by Method Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 4,863 Posted September 18, 2019 1 hour ago, wealdstone said: I do not think that Maneacat ever claimed to have spoken to 100 people 99% so they'd have to had spoken to at least 100 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted September 18, 2019 Just now, iainb said: 99% so they'd have to had spoken to at least 100 You don't have to speak to 100 to get 99% .24.75 is 99% of 25. To be clear I have no idea how many were spoken to but you do not need to speak to 100 to get a percentage of 99%. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Bratley 470 Posted September 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Crump99 said: Having said that, wasn't the parking charge started when Bratters and Horton were in post to cover the club's SBRF contribution? One wonders if that's where it ended up then or where it ends up these days? I'm sure Bratters will correct me if I'm wrong That absolutely was the case and was used in addition to the seasonal bucket collection as our contribution to the SBRF. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted September 18, 2019 I am glad to hear that Mick. Many had feared the money supplemented the Horton Gold and Dollar reserves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wealdstone 3,454 Posted September 18, 2019 (edited) As I have said hopefully the cessation of the Rigsby site is only temporary. Very sad as it had superceeded the official site and effectively there is now no fans forum. Although unused the official site is still operational and can be used until Rigsby has a change of heart. Edited September 18, 2019 by wealdstone Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeilWatson 1,988 Posted September 18, 2019 6 minutes ago, wealdstone said: I am glad to hear that Mick. Many had feared the money supplemented the Horton Gold and Dollar reserves. Isn’t it time to move on from ‘Horton bashing’? Mick has lost a great deal of money running speedway over the years - any ideas that he was trousering funds are pie in the sky. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites