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Over in Cumbria   often a funeral route is published then people line the route to pay respects or people gather near the person's house to pay respects

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Well here we go (where's Dandelion) it's another Newsflash Scoop...

Get your ridiculous suggestions at the ready as I have just been advised this morning I am saving myself some sponsorship monies this year as Ondrej Smetana has now been told he wont be coming to Newcastle in 2021... I would suggest that this decision is due to the fall out from Nick Skorja racing in Poland and is also now not coming to Newcastle.

I imagine the promotion have a "Plan B" but talk about tough decisions... It would appear wheels are in motion behind the scenes and it is going to be very interesting to see what comes out of this total "Cluster Flock" that Covid; Brexit and the Poles have caused and I am now thinking British Speedway will be absolutely FUBAR once all these issues are ironed out... hopefully they will come out the other end stronger and more fit for purpose... (Hopefully) and with a product that people will be able to get behind and support...

Pleased I bailed out when I did... Good Luck to Rob Grant and his team and I will still be one of the first in the queue when we get going again...

Regards
THJ

Edited by TotallyHonestJohn
Missed out word
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3 hours ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

Well here we go (where's Dandelion) it's another Newsflash Scoop...

Get your ridiculous suggestions at the ready as I have just been advised this morning I am saving myself some sponsorship monies this year as Ondrej Smetana has now been told he wont be coming to Newcastle in 2021... I would suggest that this decision is due to the fall out from Nick Skorja racing in Poland and is also now not coming to Newcastle.

I imagine the promotion have a "Plan B" but talk about tough decisions... It would appear wheels are in motion behind the scenes and it is going to be very interesting to see what comes out of this total "Cluster Flock" that Covid; Brexit and the Poles have caused and I am now thinking British Speedway will be absolutely FUBAR once all these issues are ironed out... hopefully they will come out the other end stronger and more fit for purpose... (Hopefully) and with a product that people will be able to get behind and support...

Pleased I bailed out when I did... Good Luck to Rob Grant and his team and I will still be one of the first in the queue when we get going again...

Regards
THJ

Think we could see a season where not many(if any) foreign riders ride in the Championship. I’m only guessing of course but maybe only people who hold a UK passport or have been resident in UK a while. I also doubt every team that were due to come to tapes in 2020 will do so in 2021.

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5 minutes ago, MrP said:

Think we could see a season where not many(if any) foreign riders ride in the Championship. I’m only guessing of course but maybe only people who hold a UK passport or have been resident in UK a while. I also doubt every team that were due to come to tapes in 2020 will do so in 2021.

Think you could be right Jim with the UK angle but I think all the teams we have now will start the 2021 season just that these teams could look an awful lot different to what was due to turn out in 2020

Regards
THJ

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Looks like Championship will be U.K. + Commonwealth only. Not necessarily a bad thing from a cost point of view. As long as team strengths can be kept relatively equal then the quality of the actual racing need not diminish.

I’ll be there at meeting #1 2021

Edited by Chewbacca
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12 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Looks like Championship will be U.K. + Commonwealth only. Not necessarily a bad thing from a cost point of view. As long as team strengths can be kept relatively equal then the quality of the actual racing need not diminish.

I’ll be there at meeting #1 2021

I would be thinking that flights, or many flights in and out of the country won't come cheap. So, along with any other regulations, UK based riders might be the best option. 

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20 hours ago, ruffdiamond said:

I would be thinking that flights, or many flights in and out of the country won't come cheap. So, along with any other regulations, UK based riders might be the best option. 

I'm all for Brits and the other issue after Jan 1 is Visas and the cost involved with those... it won't bother some clubs but others on a tighter budget will surely think twice about bringing in foreign riders...

Regards 

THJ 

Edited by TotallyHonestJohn
Spelling, Spell Check and Eyesight

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36 minutes ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

I'm all for Brits and the other issue after Jam 1 is Visas and the cost involved with those... it won't bother some clubs but others on a tighter budget will surely think twice about bringing in foreign riders...

Regards 

THJ 

Yi on the stella already or the JAM butties

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Copied and Pasted off Facebook:

Newcastle Speedway Supporters Group

It's been a year to the day since Rob Grant, put pen to paper and signed on the dotted line and successfully took over the reigns at Newcastle Speedway.
Not many, if anybody, would have been able to predict the difficulties the year ahead would hold in store for Rob and his team.
Under his first year as Newcastle promoter Rob has had to deal with and rectify some pretty serious financial issues, that could have seen Newcastle Diamonds lost forever. He's also had to make sure we have a stadium to still call home next year, whilst also dealing with a global pandemic that hasn't just affected his new speedway business but also his very successful Butchers and catering business as well, and whilst all of this has been going on, Rob hasn't even managed to get a wheel turned under his new management, which very well may be the very harsh salt in to the even bigger wounds.
Now all of this may have been enough to make some people to walk away from the role, but not Rob. If anything, it has made him even more determined to make sure that when we do eventually get the green light on British Speedway again, that 2021 is going to be a season to remember!
He has assured the Supporters Group during a conversation today, that he is "raring more than ever to get going" and get the "new era at Newcastle Speedway firmly underway". That enthusiasm that he so keenly demonstrated at the beginning of his takeover is obviously still very much alive and he promises to "put all his blood, sweat and tears in to making sure Newcastle Diamonds Speedway once again shines brightly in the forefront of people's minds".
He would also like to sincerely thank everyone that has stood by him during these very testing times and he is extremely grateful for the support he has, and is continuing, to receive.
We here at the Supporters group are firmly behind Rob and we can't wait to get the 2021 season going under a new promotion who has nothing but Newcastle Speedway's best interests at the forefront of his mind.
There are some very truly exciting times ahead Diamonds Fans and we will see you all trackside very very soon!!

 

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Absolutely brilliant... Love it... I do hope the fans flock back... I tell everyone where I go at work about the Speedway and most people say "is that still going I used to go and I wouldn't mind popping back again"  If we could encourage half of the lapsed fans to return it wiuld make a massive difference to the club...

I hope everyone spreads the word and I am really looking forward to my Covid jab and getting back to Brough come Easter...

Good luck Rob and if any one deserves it your the man...

Regards 

THJ 

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1 hour ago, pienpeesman said:

Yi on the stella already or the JAM butties

Think THJ been back in Cumbria and a trip to jam buttie mines at Whitehaven :rolleyes:

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41 minutes ago, StevePark said:

Copied and Pasted off Facebook:

Newcastle Speedway Supporters Group

It's been a year to the day since Rob Grant, put pen to paper and signed on the dotted line and successfully took over the reigns at Newcastle Speedway.
Not many, if anybody, would have been able to predict the difficulties the year ahead would hold in store for Rob and his team.
Under his first year as Newcastle promoter Rob has had to deal with and rectify some pretty serious financial issues, that could have seen Newcastle Diamonds lost forever. He's also had to make sure we have a stadium to still call home next year, whilst also dealing with a global pandemic that hasn't just affected his new speedway business but also his very successful Butchers and catering business as well, and whilst all of this has been going on, Rob hasn't even managed to get a wheel turned under his new management, which very well may be the very harsh salt in to the even bigger wounds.
Now all of this may have been enough to make some people to walk away from the role, but not Rob. If anything, it has made him even more determined to make sure that when we do eventually get the green light on British Speedway again, that 2021 is going to be a season to remember!
He has assured the Supporters Group during a conversation today, that he is "raring more than ever to get going" and get the "new era at Newcastle Speedway firmly underway". That enthusiasm that he so keenly demonstrated at the beginning of his takeover is obviously still very much alive and he promises to "put all his blood, sweat and tears in to making sure Newcastle Diamonds Speedway once again shines brightly in the forefront of people's minds".
He would also like to sincerely thank everyone that has stood by him during these very testing times and he is extremely grateful for the support he has, and is continuing, to receive.
We here at the Supporters group are firmly behind Rob and we can't wait to get the 2021 season going under a new promotion who has nothing but Newcastle Speedway's best interests at the forefront of his mind.
There are some very truly exciting times ahead Diamonds Fans and we will see you all trackside very very soon!!

 

All I can say is that if the team performance is anywhere near as good as your story passionate write up come  Easter 2021   diamonds fans will be in for a treat !! Just hope it's at least settled sort of by then ( covid ) & we all can look forward to a great & exciting season ahead & many more beyond

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32 minutes ago, Neila said:

Think THJ been back in Cumbria and a trip to jam buttie mines at Whitehaven :rolleyes:

wheres that at Neila ? i know the treacle mines are at Pica and the jam eaters are in and around the Workington area . been looking for around 40 odd years and still cannot find the sticky stuff . 

Merry Christmas to all .

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Honestly

I am really surprised that there have not been any predictions on the team changes yet with Nick Skorja and Ondrej Smetana now not coming and not just on this thread but on all threads. The silence is surreal because usually folk are on here making outlandish predictions and bids for the prospective riders they would like to see in their team for the season to come. I appreciate that there will be changes on the team build points level which will probably reduce from the 2020 level of 41 to somewhere between the 35 to 39 mark for the Championship so this will release some riders as teams have to restructure to comply to the new build points level; and on rider availability due to actions being taken in Poland restricting riders on the other teams/leagues and countries they can ride for/in and of course the dreaded Brexit situation that is fast approaching; although that seems to have taken a bit of a back seat with this Covid carry on but it will also impact foreign riders casting a large shadow on what can and cannot be done. It will be difficult for promotions that's for sure... 

So what we were having in 2020 was...

Newcastle Diamonds

1. Claus Vissing 8.43
2. Matthew Wethers 6.92
3. Nick Skorja 5.00
4. Ondrej Smetana 5.00
5. Max Clegg 4.92*
6. Connor Mountain 4.61*
7. James Wright 4.00

Team Total: 38.88
Remaining: 2.12

The other question now is; will we be able to retain Claus? What's his status; will having a home in the UK give him preferential access and the ability to work in the UK (if he indeed does have/or wants a second home here)? does he have dual nationality? can he run as Claus Vissing Racing Ltd as a business in the UK and use this as a route to ride without a Visa or will he need the dreaded Visa which is a further cost and who pays for the Visa the club or the rider; or is there another route that no one has thought of yet that gets him here without a Visa and allows him to ride in the UK? all questions that need answering not only by Newcastle but by any clubs who use a foreign/European rider. As it stands re. Brexit I don't think Commonwealth riders will be impacted as there are already processes in place to allow these guys to ride in the UK...

How loyal do clubs have to be to riders contracted in 2020? Promotions/BSPL did hint that they would try and run with the same teams that were contracted in 2020 to the best of their ability but this seems to be a big aspiration to me which will now be almost impossible to achieve. Newcastle have lost 2 riders so far but who is out there to fill in these gaps. If the build points are set to a lower level does that reset everything and does this allow clubs to approach any rider? Newcastle were already 2 points under the build limit so this should/could protect the riders they have left from 2020 but as I see things at present there are definitely more questions than answers.

The picture should become a little clearer once Brexit has been put to bed by the end of December but I imagine there will be some arguments and infighting to overcome within the BSPL over the Christmas and New Year periods... Who would be a promoter eh!!!

Regards
THJ

Edited by TotallyHonestJohn
Missed out word
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2 hours ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

Honestly

I am really surprised that there have not been any predictions on the team changes yet with Nick Skorja and Ondrej Smetana now not coming and not just on this thread but on all threads. The silence is surreal because usually folk are on here making outlandish predictions and bids for the prospective riders they would like to see in their team for the season to come. I appreciate that there will be changes on the team build points level which will probably reduce from the 2020 level of 41 to somewhere between the 35 to 39 mark for the Championship so this will release some riders as teams have to restructure to comply to the new build points level; and on rider availability due to actions being taken in Poland restricting riders on the other teams/leagues and countries they can ride for/in and of course the dreaded Brexit situation that is fast approaching; although that seems to have taken a bit of a back seat with this Covid carry on but it will also impact foreign riders casting a large shadow on what can and cannot be done. It will be difficult for promotions that's for sure... 

So what we were having in 2020 was...

Newcastle Diamonds

1. Claus Vissing 8.43
2. Matthew Wethers 6.92
3. Nick Skorja 5.00
4. Ondrej Smetana 5.00
5. Max Clegg 4.92*
6. Connor Mountain 4.61*
7. James Wright 4.00

Team Total: 38.88
Remaining: 2.12

The other question now is; will we be able to retain Claus? What's his status; will having a home in the UK give him preferential access and the ability to work in the UK (if he indeed does have/or wants a second home here)? does he have dual nationality? can he run as Claus Vissing Racing Ltd as a business in the UK and use this as a route to ride without a Visa or will he need the dreaded Visa which is a further cost and who pays for the Visa the club or the rider; or is there another route that no one has thought of yet that gets him here without a Visa and allows him to ride in the UK? all questions that need answering not only by Newcastle but by any clubs who use a foreign/European rider. As it stands re. Brexit I don't think Commonwealth riders will be impacted as there are already processes in place to allow these guys to ride in the UK...

How loyal do clubs have to be to riders contracted in 2020? Promotions/BSPL did hint that they would try and run with the same teams that were contracted in 2020 to the best of their ability but this seems to be a big aspiration to me which will now be almost impossible to achieve. Newcastle have lost 2 riders so far but who is out there to fill in these gaps. If the build points are set to a lower level does that reset everything and does this allow clubs to approach any rider? Newcastle were already 2 points under the build limit so this should/could protect the riders they have left from 2020 but as I see things at present there are definitely more questions than answers.

The picture should become a little clearer once Brexit has been put to bed by the end of December but I imagine there will be some arguments and infighting to overcome within the BSPL over the Christmas and New Year periods... Who would be a promoter eh!!!

Regards
THJ

Next season might just need a bit of flexibility when it comes to putting teams together, and maybe even some rider control if all teams are not competitive.

One thing for sure is that  co-operation of all will be vital and some sacrifices will need to be made for the greater good..

Unprecedented times re Covid 19, and then Brexit on top of that, must mean some 'less than perfect' decisions being made..

However, as this is Speedway, it will hardly be the first time such decision making has happened would it???

It may need virtually every rider doubling up or one big league, however, the priority of whatever they do needs to being getting enough rides for the riders to make it pay..

After the season just gone, the danger is a good few of the riders may call it quits and move onto other things (eg Ellis Perks)..

Given Poland's restrictions (and I would suggest they are deadly serious given Doyle and Holder have dropped Sweden), added to the unknown of Brexit, and a whole season just missed, maybe a year of 'make do and mend' is on the cards with a vision to regroup and do something a bit more structured the year after?

Next year, I would suggest is a 'free hit' for Promoters given the fans will be desperate to get back to the tracks, so maybe less riders per team, with mainly British lads of Premier to National League level in every team, could be affordable to Promoters whilst giving the lads plenty of racing to earn money?

Those fans who will stay away because the points level is much lower than usual will be very few and far between I would think given the lack of racing over the past 8 months, so the Promoters should use this "goodwill" to set up next year to ensure all tracks ride and all can make it through the season...

In any fashion required...

Edited by mikebv
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