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With the end of the season just around the corner I would like to thank Sue and her very special team for the magnificent service that they provide. For many many years we've maybe taken the updates site for granted, but believe me each and every texter and updater, and Sue's right hand people are really appreciated. Thank you guys

As neither the BSPL Chairman or Vice-Chairman thought the biggest speedway event held in Britain this year worthy of their attendance, it’s no wonder that the belated press release - nearly 14 hours after the event was completed - gets it wrong. Having overseen the near collapse of the NDL, the league that was one of the things that helped all four of the GB riders find their way in the sport, they should now bow their heads in shame and walk away. The disastrous last few years, with problems accelerated rather than caused by Covid has shown that vested interest in decision making is dragging British speedway down the road to ruin. The new GB Team operation shows what can be done with skill, initiative, forward planning and total commitment. They deserve to be supported by people who understand about sport at the highest level and what it takes to be successful.

Very emotional night here in Bordeaux, I may have Indulged in a glass or two. to say I’m proud is an understatement, thank you all for the lovely messages. Jon xx

Well Well Well… oh ye of little faith eh... I didn't think it could be done but here you go... News hot off the press so to speak... The travellers have been evicted (again)... the gates have been repaired and locked (again)... there are now CCTV cameras in operation (good)... and three of our little friends have been arrested and locked up and another two are on the run (Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas)... so there you go three nil to the police and two off the crossbar... nice when a plan comes together and the boys in blue get a result... Carlsberg don't do News Flashes but if they did... (and its official I will be smiling all day) Regards THJ

The information did not come to light until 3 minutes before we went on air. At that point there was no official statement, we were simply informed they had been removed on medical grounds. Once the SCB statement was released we made sure to read it to inform the fans. Anything prior to that is speculation and we are not looking to get into that. So yes, any other broadcast organisation would have done exactly that, went by the book not rumour.

I watched this on BSN. A couple of things made me pay to watch it. One was to see the Workington track - which looks excellent. The other was I was interested to watch Celina ride and see how she did. It's so typical of speedway these days for people to demand changes immediately - I guess it's a product of the points limit to concentrate so much on figures - but I think it would be a major mistake to try and replace her and I'm sure Workington won't do that. Not in the short term, at least. I hope not, anyway. Yes, she's saddled with a 4 point average, but they knew that when they signed her and knew that wouldn't be easy to achieve immediately, but you can see just by watching her that there is a good rider there. Sure, she needs to improve her starting and first turns, but apart from that she's a good as many other reserves in the league. If the more experienced riders in the side can help her with that I reckon there's a bit of a star in waiting right there. Comments that she is "way off the pace" are simply not true. In one race she passed one of the Redcar reserves for a point. In another she snuk past the other reserve momentarily. Not exactly ground-breaking stuff, but not "way off the pace" either. She's also a charismatic interviewee (her dropping of the F-bomb made me chuckle) and someone whose rides I looked forward to seeing and also the main reason that Workington are the Championship side that I - as someone without a team - am most interested in at the moment. Obviously she needs to start scoring more at some stage, but I can honestly see that happening if they stick with her and support her. She doesn't come across as someone who will be phased in trying to do that. It's not all about the average. Swindon took Jason Doyle on a 13 point plus average one year and he was always going to lose about 4 points on that and I think they won the league that year.

You didn’t have to love him to be able to show respect for the fact he’s died and the pain that will cause to his loved ones. You perhaps ought to show some respect yourself.

YERS, very much so. Before speedway found a place on TV, the vast majority of people in this country thought it had long since died. Sky brought speedway back in front of many. Admittedly, the majority didn't also visit tracks to see the sport live but you can hardly blame Sky for that. The money Sky poured into British speedway was never well spent. It largely went to fund rider payments and never to improve the infrastructure of the sport. Cannot really blame Sky for that either. British speedway had a great opportunity to build on the exposure and platform provided by Sky but didn't do so. Personally cannot see how Sky can be blamed for the demise of domestic speedway. They don't create the product.

Have to disagree with you on that one under no circumstances should any object be thrown the culprit being ejected may be the least of his worries, a lifetime ban should hopefully follow . As for the wheelies the lad had just went from last to first to clinch the title personally i wouldn't begrudge him that.

I fear it may be even longer than that.. I believe he is currently in Poole General holding a bed side vigil for Jack Holder... The diagnosis isn't good either.. A specialist was heard to say to one of the nurses that one of Jack's toes had "gone to market", whilst one had "stayed at home", another had seemingly had "roast beef", whilst another toe sadly "had none"... Most worrying though was that it is believed that the smallest of Jack's toes had gone "wee, wee, wee, wee, all the way home"!!!!

Mr Blobby, now I don’t know you, and I don’t come on this forum often, but I’ve been told of your repeated telling stories about my son and where he has signed to! You appear to be just trying to make trouble with a 16 year (which is quite sad) as you are saying the same lies over and over! Let me clear it up for once and for all - Ace signed for the first club that asked him, and that was Glasgow! And that was even before the matches that took promoters attention, yes he had quite a lot of offers and calls, but he stuck true to his word and stayed with the club he agreed to first! Now hopefully you can stop sprouting lies that you ‘claim’ to be in the know about!!! Thank you -

Ive been sent a video this evening that shows Mason is clearly not the cause of the accident, I am so disillusioned with speedway tonight after a couple of things that happened at the track after the accident, 1, after being asked to leave some 'supporters' chose to either stay in the stadium or return to see what was going on after being asked to leave quickly and quietly, give your heads a wobble its not a side show, go home and wait to hear the news in due course, 2nd the people whinging and whining about getting a poxy refund, get a grip a young lad was still lying on the track with multiple injuries, his Dad and Gran had to witness what happened, our promotor and team manger were clearly distressed, go home, do the decent thing and email the club at a more appropriate time if your are that god damned desperate. Im with you Geoff lets get behind our club and support them in any way we can and stop behaving like utter morons over things of no importance

Everyone will be pleased to hear Peter (the photographer) has posted an update to let everyone know his condition thank god it’s not as bad as first feared. Hello all. Thought I'd provide a quick update. First of all a massive THANK YOU to everyone who took the Time to message and call. I truly felt the love of the Speedway Family and am blessed to be part of it. I have just come out surgery to close two wounds on my head. All went well. I do have small breaks to my C2 and C3 vertebra and will be in a neck bracelet for about 12 weeks but again everything will be fine.

Imagine if speedway crowds took the knee, most would never get back up again

How about maybe just being pleased that someone involved in your sport has been recognised by the wider motorsport world?

ASSETS are a nonsense. Unless a rider is under contract he should be free to go wherever he pleases. Works everywhere else.

Newcastle fans have got their Xmas wishes ... a team to support in the 2020 season. many other fans out there that can only dream of being in their position .. Workington. Coventry, Oxford, Rye House , Lakeside, Reading, Bradford Good luck to the Diamonds for 2020. Can't afford another team lost to the History books.

THE BSPA General Council met on Tuesday at a time when speedway in the UK is in crisis. But, as usual, no word from the inner chambers of ACU House in Rugby. We are not allowed to know what they discussed, what plans they have afoot or any decisions made. They have become the ultimate secret society. And yet they wonder (maybe they don't) why the paying public, on whom they depend, despair and are deserting the sport in their droves. Are they interested in what British fans, those that are left, are prepared to pay to watch?

Hi everyone. A big thank you for all your comments and messages - they mean a lot. After a serious concussion/head knock all scan results have come back clear, which is a huge relief. I’m feeling a bit second hand today. I just need some time to recover but luckily I’ve escaped injury. I’m hoping to leave hospital later today. Ben Fantastic news.

As the season is about to start, I would like to wish all clubs a good season, whether they finish first or last. Good crowds, great racing, nothing serious on the injury front, plenty of controversy, great racing, last heat deciders, with all clubs making it through to the end of the season without threat of closure. Time for the sport to grow, bring in new fans, entice old clubs like Swindon, Eastbourne and Workington back to the Championship, and bring hope to Coventry fans that something might happen soon. In the next couple of weeks the banter will start, arguments will erupt and the mud slinging will be in full swing. I am as guilty as the next fan. But remember, we are all fans of the sport and in this current political climate, survival of all clubs is paramount. Let’s all look forward to a great new season with the rightful winners of the Championship after a titanic battle full of drama and excitement. Bring it on!

I often disagreed with him on here ... In a very enjoyable way. His view was to be respected and I greatly appreciated the numerous times he instigated one to one discussions via personal messenger that greatly enlightened my understanding of the 'real story' that would not be possible to print. My respect for him was greatest just because he did have the balls to come on here and engage in real debate with us. He did so with the passion of someone still in love with the sport but with the deep knowledge of his lifetime of covering it so magnificently in print. A wonderful combination. His biggest legacy is of course Speedway Star, which PR curated for so long, offering Michelin Star coverage of what is often a transport cafe sport. I trust the team will carry his torch well. Farewell Philip.

We have had a long dry summer. No reason to extend at all. Clubs could have planned better to fit fixtures in gefore panicking as time ran out. Think back to all those weeks when no fixtures were run. The playoff dates should not be moved imo. Clubs should simply plan their fixtures better.

Considering how skint Poole are, and how they can't afford Giles Hartwell and any racesuits, I think Matt has done well with the new racejacket design for the Poundland Pirates.

Hi all, I don’t often comment on here but I do feel the need to clear this up. we did plan to run rr at home as we felt it was the best option and would reasonably cover for tofty, plus give our riders an extra ride. However as some of you know Kyle’s partner is heavily pregnant and is due anytime and late Friday night he informed me that she was having what they thought maybe contractions, it turned out to be a false alarm but myself and Rob felt it was too much of a gamble to run rr incase something happened before the meeting. Kyle also had my full support in whatever he chose to do. Getting a suitable guest was difficult, we tried all these riders and more but for whatever reason couldn’t or didn’t want to do it, it was never a financial issue as it never got that far. Ashton was more than happy to do it and yes it didn’t work out for him but if we had run rr and something had happened to Kyle Sunday morning the club couldn’t have put a team out as we had already exhausted all avenues, ok granted it didn’t happen but it could have. well done to Poole on their deserved victory yesterday, they are a formidable team that just keep coming at you heat after heat but I won’t let it take the shine off what has been a good year, we just came up short at the end. cheers David

Not to shabby for a couple of guys both the wrong side of 40, British speedway will be a poorer place when they both finally hang their kevlars up.

As already been said the guesswork and I heard this and that happened isn’t the time or place. Freak incident that I hope to never see again. All the best to Peter and hope he makes a full recovery he was responding to the paramedics which is fantastic news. Also hope Craig is okay I know he struggles mentally as it is and I know he thought the worst at first, hopefully we will see him back in action sooner rather than later. Also hope Adam is okay says he’s broken something in his shoulder area just not sure what, but was in good spirits still. And for people asking for refunds on BSN you’re an embarrassment.

Is this thread purely a "Let's Have a Go and Call Each Other Names" thread or Poole 2023? Some people need to grow up.

Can I put some perspective on this please? I have kept in touch with David and have heard his views first hand. I also have a business connection with the SGP series and so meet Phil Morris from time to time. He and I used to cut each other dead, I thought he did it to me because of comments I’d made in the Speedway Star after the incident, and I did it to him because of what happened. As my GP attendances became more frequent, I realised that Phil and I would end up in the same room together and would need to have a conversation. I messaged David along these lines and wouldn’t have spoken to Phil without his approval. A few years ago, Phil and I were in the same airport lounge and we finally took the opportunity to clear the air. Before relating that conversation, I discovered that I was wrong about his reason for disliking me. He told me that, after the incident, when he was racing, his wife started getting anonymous phone calls threatening her and their children. It was a Scottish voice. He thought it was me. Regardless of what happened to David, that is a despicable thing to do and whoever was responsible should hang their head in shame. As far as the crash was concerned, Phil made a mistake. He thought he was clean passed David and went to the fence to stop him being repassed. David was still on the outside, far closer than Phil realised and Phil’s push bar hit David’s handlebars. Phil was never a tidy or a fast rider, but he would use what he had to bully his way past. That time he got it wrong. Now, I’m not trying to be his apologist or anything like that but he is fully aware of his actions and acknowledges the impact they had. It was a racing incident and not one rider trying to injure let alone end the career of another. If anyone on here gets the chance, speak to David about it and you’ll get his perspective. He is an amazing guy and far more upbeat than certainly I would be under the circumstances. Turning now to Phil’s work at the GPs, he works flat out during the meetings and commands the respect of riders, officials and track staff. Someone said he wasn’t as good as Ole Olsen and cited the track at Cardiff as an example. Which is ironic as it was Olsen that built that horrendous track. And that was probably the last one he’ll be asked to build. I have tried to make this an explanation rather than a defence. What happened cannot be reversed and I will always remember that day. And it was Phil’s fault. He’ll tell you that. But having spoken to the only two people directly involved, it is also my view he was clumsy, not dirty.

The aim is to have an official club launch before Christmas... the web site is good to go so once the launch happens WorkingtonComets.com will go live... still a lot to do track wise from now til Easter(ish) start meeting and we may have to start off with the site running on generators as Nor-Web aren't making any friends by dragging their heels on the installation of the new electic supply to the track... local MP Mark Jenkinson got a special mention for all the effort he was putting in to make things happen along with Allerdale Council... nice to have some friends... Entry prices and corporate package proposals are being worked on and the team manager has the team lined up and contracts will be put in front of riders very soon... AGM team build points limit depending... Supporters club and the Friends of Workington Speedway will be resurrected in some form or other... and the VIP sponsers box will be open to all... not just companies for corporate entertainment... First meeting... the track... the ground and finance were discussed in full and a dozen other issues were parked until after the NDL AGM however there is still a great deal to do before we turn a wheel at Northside.... but the will is there to make it happen and be a success... Regards T HJ

Firstly thoughts with Jordan. Looked an absolute shocker. This was my first and probably last time at Birmingham tonight. Having moved to the city at the end of 2019 I was pretty excited to have a track on my doorstep again having not had a local track since Reading - plus Wolves and Leicester not too far away… but I won’t be back! An utter shambles with 5.5 hours to prepare the track, yet as 7.30 rolled around there was a lot of standing around and not a lot of track work…. Absolute contempt for the paying customers. Not sure what happened there but it’s unacceptable - before anyone accuses me of being a ‘keyboard warrior’ and praising the promotion… I’m a paying customer and I didn’t pay to stand around for over an hour listening to music that is older than me whilst being told we’ll be underway shortly again and again. Speedway in the UK just doesn’t get it. As a mid 30s fan of almost 24 years with disposable income I’m exactly the type of fan Speedway should be trying to attract and maintain. But there is very little thought for the fans and nothing to attract newbies to stay. I was planning on attending at least 2 meetings a week across Brum, Wolves and Leicester. But having endured Wolves opening abandonment, Birmingham tonight and a very slow delayed first Lion Cubs meeting I think I’m finally done… there are better things to waste my time and money on I’m afraid. The sport needs an absolute revolution in this country to drag it kicking and screaming into this century.

When I decided to ride speedway it was because I wanted to be a speedway rider (still do in my head )I didn’t care about the money, it was a nice bonus but just the Privalige of being a rider was everything to me, I run my own business along side speedway for most of my career often working around 60 hours a week and doing all the bike washing myself, yes there were times I was shattered and just wanted my bed but would I do it all again? Hell yes, I would often drive from Wolverhampton on a Friday do a couple of deliveries in London or Kent then on to Weymouth or Plymouth to race that night get back home at 2am and I loved it ,but I just don’t see that desire anymore from riders , it’s all about the money, I read “I’m putting my life on the line so I want big money “ I never thought I was putting my life on the line(except when I raced against roman matousek) I was just loving being a rider and racing my bike and to do that for a team was just amazing, where has that love for racing gone ?

I like going to the pub and I like going to the speedway. Both of these pastimes have been in serious decline over the past few years and people have stopped going to both in droves. Some of the reasons can be found in both of these pastimes. It's hard to tempt people out of their houses and pay money for beer when they think it's overpriced and the same can apply to speedway. The pubs that just do the same thing that clearly doesn't work time and time again, and just throw their doors open expecting the public to flood in are the one's that die. This is what speedway 'promoters', by and large, tend to do. They offer a product which does not represent value for money and do nothing to keep the fans they have got, never mind attract new ones. Some pubs are thriving because they offer what the customer in their community wants. Some offer live entertainment, some offer food, some offer karaoke nights. My local offers a warm welcome, a nice pint and friendly people and it's busy most nights. The landlord drives around in a Mercedes and has a holiday home in Florida. It works where I live but wouldn't work elsewhere and the promoters have to work hard at getting their product right for the audience they want to keep and attract. To do this they need a product. The product they are offering is potentially one of the most exciting sports in the world and surely, this must be a good starting point. However, what they provide is an overpriced chaotic shambles of a sport with no direction, no identity and no credibility. They need to get back to basics. Offer a full and attractive fixture list with a team of riders that ride for one club. Not the current situation where any seven riders who pull on a race jacket is called a team. It isn't. People will moan on about the 'not enough riders to go round' myth. There are enough riders, they are just riding at the wrong level. Grand Prix riders should not be riding in the second tier, half the third tier riders should be at Championship level and the poor kids stuck in the Development League should be in the National League. If they must charge £17 to get in, at least give the fans £17 worth of entertainment. Unfortunately, 15 races of 55 seconds interspersed with 50 minutes of track grading does not justify parting with £17 in cash. The continual fixture list farce demonstrates absolutely the reasons why the promoters should not be allowed to run things for themselves. I am sure they are all successful businessmen and women in their own right but they have no idea how to work collectively for the benefit of the sport. It is all about vested interests and stabbing each other in the back. I cannot think of any other sport where the owners of the clubs run things themselves. It needs someone with authority and respect to run the sport. There needs to be some way of cutting down on the rained off meetings. Is it any wonder there is hardly any travelling support when riders refuse to turn out if someone spills so much as a cup of tea on the track. I know that if it's tipping it down at start time then there will be little chance of racing but some way of covering tracks cannot beyond the capabilities of the human race. It is also about time we stopped penalising success and rewarding failure. We go on about the lack of riders yet Joe Jacobs, who made massive progress with Belle Vue a couple of seasons ago can't get a team place the following year because his average is too high, whilst another rider who under achieved and threw tantrums was rewarded with two team places the following season because his average fitted!! Finally, the riders have got to come to their senses. If you want to be a full-time rider and are either rich or riding in Poland in front of 15,000 fans, then fair enough and good luck to you. If you are second string in the 'Championship' riding in front of 500 people, surely you cannot expect to be full-time. Look back at the Peter Oakes' Who's Who book in 1974 and the vast majority of the riders had jobs. Now, for some reason, all the riders seem to feel that they are entitled to be full-time, thereby expecting the wages that would enable them to sustain that lifestyle. It cannot continue on current crowd levels. However, having wasted half an hour of my life typing this, I expect that the 2019 season will result in three small leagues, riders riding for multiple clubs, more riders being frozen out of the sport, fixture chaos, declining crowds, arguing promoters and more tractor racing. I'm off to the pub.

Wherever he ends up he should be encouraged rather than vilified a young kid who clearly has talent but a raw talent. Starting a thread questioning if a young kid is dangerous is over the top.

Some on here have been saying for quite a while now that Promoters should be Promoting the sport. Workington bring in a female rider and are accused of it being a PR stunt. They just can't win, can they?

I am truly devastated at the loss of Steve. He was my friend and travelling companion on several memorable domestic and overseas trips. He had no side to him but was a straightforward gentle gentleman. He worked tirelessly to get Peter Collins to come back to Belle Vue - and don’t believe PC’s propaganda, he was told he would always be welcomed at the NSS as would any ex-Belle Vue rider. What wasn’t on offer though was his demand, not request, that nearly 200 of his cronies, some who’d had no involvement with speedway let alone Belle Vue, also got in free. Steve tried many times to talk sense into PC, including going round to his house, but PC would not change his mind, possibly because he’d backed himself into a corner. Steve was never one for taking offence and went to the Glossop signing of PC’s book. Having paid his £20, PC scrawled in his copy “Steve, I will never forgive you for what you have done to me and my family. I will never go to BV if you are there.” Steve shared a photo of the inscription but then said to me that he’d enjoyed reading the book. That is the sort of man that Steve was and I hope that, although Steve will never be at BV again, neither will PC as he’ll be barred. I am not alone in knowing that I will never forgive PC for what he wrote. Many men become world speedway champion, there’s one every year, but there will only ever be one Steve Casey. I knew Steve’s cancer would take him sooner rather than later but am still stunned that we have lost him. The world is a much sadder place today.

When Holder pulled out with a sore toe I couldnt help but think about Harris getting run over at Wimborne Road and running back to the pits to win the re run. Compare the commitment

Spot on , the jealousy surrounding Glasgow threads is quite comical at times. I remember only too well standing in the weeds on the back straight at Glasgow and you were able to do a quick head count, now while 2100 May be a tad over generous , the attendances are much healthier . The Charlie Monk stand is always pretty full , the stand on the home straight is usually pretty full , and the fourth bend terrace always looks well populated and swelled by an extra 10 folk when the Monarchs visit. While there are things about Ashfield since the Facennas took over that I don't like, I.e no decent bar and over zealous stewarding, it's like night and day now compared to the dump it used to be . If people feel the need to pick holes and throw insults in the direction of something that is actually good about British speedway, then that's pretty sad and it's an attitude which is indicative of where the sport in this country is just now .

Just in from Workington - totally gutted BUT credit where credits due. Well done to the Comets. A total team performance, working for each other. A very jaded looking Eric tonight. Hope the Comets do the double. Laura has been a great supporter and friend to Edinburgh and no one would deserve some silverware more. A great performance clawing that deficit back. Take a bow Workington.

Matt's searched down the back of the sofa. He reckons he's found enough money to pay for some budget racesuits for the Poundland Pirates after all.

Posted on the Peterborough City Council Planning Application Portal this morning, an objection by the BSPL and SCB. The following has appeared on Peterborough City Council planning portal: F.A.O: James Lloyd Dear Sir, REF No: 23/00412/OUT and No: 23/00400/OUT This response should be read in conjunction with our comments of September 2023, all of which remain on the record. Following the additional reports submitted on April 19 on behalf of AEPG regarding planned redevelopment of the East of England Showground site, resulting in the permanent loss of speedway, British Speedway Promoters’ Ltd (BSP) and the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB) wish to reaffirm our total opposition to the scheme. Additionally, we wish to make the following comments on the Leisure and Community Impact Assessment Report, as prepared by Collison & Associates Ltd. We refer specifically to Section 2 – Assessment of the Viability of Speedway. We have no comment to make on the nature of the lease arrangement for Peterborough Speedway to operate at the East of England Showground; however, it is clear that a sport which ran continuously at the venue from 1970 until its closure (with the exception of one season due to Covid) meant that it was fully established and accepted in the city, and well supported. In addition to Peterborough Panthers meetings, the venue staged numerous national and international events, bringing the world’s top riders to the area. Consequently, it is even more disappointing that when alternative plans for the site were being formulated, no thought appears to have been given to the possibility of re-locating the Panthers, which we submit contravenes National Planning Policy Framework, which specifically protects sport and recreation facilities where there is a continuing need. Attention is drawn to the final paragraph of page 11 which states “Anecdotal evidence from British Speedway” which we would respectfully suggest should ring an immediate alarm bell. There is no evidence whatsoever, either on our own website or elsewhere, to suggest that the vast majority of a speedway crowd is not made up of supporters of the home team. There is an attempt to suggest that because a rally in November 2022 attracted around 350 supporters, this was reflective of the Peterborough fan-base, which is a ludicrous position to take. Rather than quote ‘anecdotal evidence’ we would ask why the authors of this report have not communicated with ourselves to establish the true position. The authors have provided no evidence to back up their claims as to the average attendance at the East of England Arena, which has in fact been substantially higher than 1,000 in recent seasons, and the reference to declining attendance in autumn is also a work of fiction, given that meetings which are staged in autumn tend to be important play-off fixtures, hence in autumn 2021 when Peterborough clinched the league title, attendances were in fact at their highest level in years. Page 12 also quotes “national evidence shows speedway is a declining sport” and goes on to make reference to a Guardian item published in 2019. Many of the arguments which follow have already been disproven in the recent public inquiry into the closure of Brandon Stadium, Coventry, which also quoted the same document, and we urge careful studying of the Coventry case. In particular, the section concerning TV figures is an inaccurate and disingenuous reflection of the position, and also takes no note of the current very successful arrangement with Eurosport/discovery+ as well as live streaming with the sport recording significantly increased viewing figures over recent years. Material in this section has been largely copied and pasted from other planning reports, which have been disproven elsewhere and accepted as inaccurate by their author. Page 12 also includes a bizarre and frankly irrelevant section relating to meetings being affected by the weather. It is also inaccurate, given that the NDL Final in 2023 was not between Mildenhall and Leicester – it was between Oxford and Leicester. Speedway, like any sport and particularly motorsport, can of course be affected by the weather, but the argument of “forcing paying attendees home without witnessing any matches” ignores the point that attendees would be allowed into the re-staging free of charge (or paying a proportionate admission should a meeting be abandoned during the event). The statement “This risk exists as conditions are only fully known once riders attempt riding the track, with the NDL final being called off after a leading rider suffered an accident” is completely false as the NDL final proceeded in satisfactory conditions, there was an accident in the 12th race out of 15 which was not related to the track being “slippery”, and then in the period whilst the rider was being attended to, heavy rain did move in and it was therefore not possible to continue. The result was then declared according to the provisions of the rulebook based on the races which had taken place. This section appears to have been included to ‘pad out’ the report, and to give the impression that the authors have some knowledge of the sport, because it has absolutely no relevance to the issue under discussion. The closures of Wolverhampton and Swindon are referred to, and these are also matters which we would take issue with. The argument of speedway shale reaching the greyhound track at Wolverhampton was only made some time after the closure notice had been given, in response to a public backlash. Speedway and greyhound racing do exist in the same stadium elsewhere in the country at venues such as Birmingham and Sheffield. Entain simply took a decision which was hugely unpopular locally in order to further boost their profits. Swindon Speedway was not in an unviable financial position, and we would be happy to discuss the very specific circumstances of that club and that venue should you wish to take the matter further. Across pages 13 and 14, Collison & Associates Ltd make reference to the argument that speedway at Peterborough is unnecessary due to the “alternative provision” available at King’s Lynn and Leicester. We say this is totally false. There is no evidence that the closure of one club results in supporters of that team transferring their allegiances elsewhere. It is the equivalent of Manchester United FC being closed down on the basis that supporters could instead visit Liverpool – or, on a lower level, Peterborough Utd being closed down with supporters instead told to go and support Leicester, Northampton or Cambridge. The argument is a total non-starter, and again has been proven to be factually incorrect in the Coventry case. Reference to Mildenhall Speedway is again irrelevant in this case as this was a club operating in the third tier, the development league, and whilst we do hope to welcome them back into the sport in future, their position should not be equated in any way with that of the loss of a Premiership club such as Peterborough. In conclusion, the narrative of this report (namely the assertion that speedway is a sport in terminal decline) is rather lazily copied and pasted from previous planning applications which have either not been determined (Arena-Essex) or have been accepted by an Inquiry Inspector to be untrue (Coventry). We would also like to take issue with recent media comments made by Mr Butterfield of AEPG which are intended to create the impression that speedway at the Showground was never viable, and that the objections to his plans are from a “small cohort” of people, remarkably describing them as “selfish.” He appears upset that the thousands of objections are delaying his bid to get spades into the ground and houses built. We would suggest that a sport which operated for 53 years (despite Mr Butterfield incredibly stating that “its home was never here”) was quite clearly viable for all concerned, and perhaps the only time when it did not become viable for the owners of the site was when they had removed all other events from the venue. Mr Butterfield should also be aware, as doubtless the members of the planning committee will be, that large sections of the report, and indeed his own statements, are irrelevant as viability is not a material consideration in the National Planning Policy Framework. NPPF instead puts the onus on the developer to prove that the displaced sport/land/activity is “surplus to requirements”, which is not the same as viability, and this exercise clearly has not been undertaken here. One way in which AEPG could ensure their scheme was compliant with National Planning Policy Framework would be to provide an alternative venue, in the Peterborough area, for the sport which they have evicted, or indeed to modify their own plans to support its retention at the Showground. However, as things stand, we believe there is no way this proposal should be accepted – or, realistically, even taken to planning committee – whilst the reports are so deficient and so full of falsehoods about our sport. Regards Nikki Jameison Neil Vatcher BSP OFFICE MANAGER SCB CO-ORDINATOR 2 M: 07868 466818 T: 01788 560648 E: nikki.jameison@britishspeedway.co.uk W: www.britishspeedway.co.uk British Speedway Promoters Ltd : ACU House : Wood Street : Rugby : CV21 2YX

A few weeks ago a friend of mine stated that as well as promoters fans are also contributing to the decline of British speedway......at the time I disagreed, however after reading all the negativity and nastiness on here and social media both last Thursday after the SoN semi and last night I think he is spot on. So many speedway supporters are utterly embarrassing, fawning over their favourite riders and unable to take a step back and look at situations objectively. Name calling, unpleasantness, bickering....its like the school playground. The farting about while it poured last night was typical BSPL and unacceptable for the poor buggers there watching, but they eventually came to the least unsatisfactory decision.

Been banging this drum for a few years now, British speedway is run by the riders for the riders and until someone somewhere within the sport realises the fans are the be all and end all the sport will continue to die

Forgive me for adding fuel to the fire but the negativity from the moment I walked into the stadium until the moment I left was palpable. At times I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Clearly the Diamonds fans I spoke with, and some of them are very long-standing ones as well, have had enough. They already appear to be voting with their feet as the attendance yesterday was poor and without the Redcar fans it would have been dreadful. Someone said there was no atmosphere. There was from the Redcar fans but even they by the end were not as loud as they had been as they seemed somewhat embarrassed at how easy it was. Lest not anyone forget that they were excellent, really attacked the track and looked like a team that has been racing consistently and were on their metal. Newcastle on the other hand were completely the opposite. Very, very rusty indeed apart from Howarth and again he's racing consistently. Losing Starke before the meeting was a huge blow. It may even get bigger if the rumours about him are true. Not my rumours BTW but rumours none-the-less. The Diamonds need a decision on BWD. Either get him fit and see what he's got to offer or cut him loose. Wethers may well have a broken foot and be out for some time. The experiment of Congreve and Complin has been a disaster. One clearly is not ready for the show and whilst it's commendable that he spent so much of his own money, took the gamble to try and make it over here and can be applauded for doing so it's clear he's not good enough and the Management need to remember they are running a business. The other reserve may or may not have suffered some poor refereeing decisions but in six rides he failed to score a point on his own track and when you weigh up that against what younger, fitter, hungrier reserves did in opposition again it begs the question that will he ever be good enough? Clegg was clearly upset during the meeting and afterwards and his head just doesn't appear to be in it. Around Brough he's great, usually, but he needs more rides elsewhere if possible as he's another suffering from lack of track time. He has it within himself but his confidence and will seems lost at the moment. Don't disagree within the current crop of riders of having Wright as captain but it's hard when he hardly sets his own track alight to see how he can inspire and help anyone around him. He's another clearly struggling for form and direction and until he finds that or indeed if he finds that can not be expected to be able to help others around him. It does perhaps seem a bit harsh to say that Heat 2 was the killer yesterday but it was. The feeling in both sets of camps when that race was completed and the riders returned to the pits was insane. One team already looked beaten and the other knew their opposition was there for the taking. Have I any ideas where Newcastle can improve? No! But I'll tell you this, they do need to do so and quickly as it could be another track walk in September to remember what used to be. I do believe that Rob, Dave, Steve and those behind them are doing everything they can to change things around and are working night and day to try and change things. They are not stupid, they are realists and they can see themselves just as the fans can that things need to change. Questions are 1.) have the will to do it? 2.) have they the money to do it? and 3.) if the answers to 1 & 2 are yes, have the riders they approach have the belief that they can do it? From the outside looking in it's a mess. Leicester and Poole are the next two home meetings. Hardly a sobering thought for an administration and Club clearly out of sorts and battling against the odds. No BWD, no Starke and losing Wethers about two solid rides are all things that need to be taken into consideration. This is a side that is about to go into June and haven't had a chance, sometimes not of their own doing, to gel and become consistent. They may never get that. I could urge patience. I could implore fans not to lose faith but it's very difficult to see that happening given the current situation. The terraces are just as shorn of regular committed fans as they are of new faces coming to watch. Speedway is a sport that is a spectacular and worthy one to support but it's very difficult to do so when the team you're watching week-in, week-out are so ineffective. I also say that with the greatest respect to the guys going out there. They are trying their best but it's obvious they are not feeling it whether it's with themselves, with their machinery, with the promotion and management or just speedway life in general and that's hard to see and accept as fans. One thing I would like to say and in some ways it might be another negative from a positive was the track. Without doubt the best I've seen it in years and seemed very smooth and fast reflected in the race times given out. Perhaps then that's one problem solved and now the Promotion and Management can move on to the next? Let's hope so as when I drove away from Brough Park last night I was seriously wondering how many, including myself, can continue to turn up and watch a famous, historic part of British Speedway slowly and painfully slip away.

Well done to everyone that contributed to the collection for dan gilkes, £1243.64 raised.

PRESS RELEASE (Taken Off Facebook): The Inspiration and determination of the late Dave Tattum breathes vital life into Diamonds' future Newcastle Speedway owner and promoter, Rob Grant, was shedding more than a few tears on Sunday, along with hundreds of other Diamonds' fans who were attending the final farewell of the club, but in honour of the memory of his former co-promoter, Dave Tattum, who tragically passed away at the weekend following an arduous and lengthy battle with illness, the Geordie former racer feels it would be grossly disrespectful to walk away and allow the club to close right now. An emotional Grant said last night: "Since Sunday's amazing meeting, which was charged heavy with emotion, I've done nothing but sit back and think, and talk with my family about the past and the future, and it seems totally disloyal to Dave's memory that I walk away at this stage and potentially shut the Diamonds forever under our promotion's name. "Dave Tattum spent most of his last months teaching me in depth, with all the information and skills I'd need for running a speedway club, and all that while he was fighting for his health under very difficult circumstances, but as my great friend, he dedicated his time to me and Newcastle Speedway, and that is why I cannot walk away from this great club. I cannot do that with Dave, his efforts and, his belief uppermost in my mind. "No concrete offer has come forward, but we've been looking at my other two businesses and looked hard and deep into things, and I will not walk away, and I will keep Newcastle running in 2022 for the memory and influence of Dave Tattum. We do have new backing and I've learned a lot in the last 18 months which will only benefit the future of the club. Also, I have sent in an application for a new co-promoter to join me, and he's a businessman, who will be a very familiar face to the Brough Park faithful, and obviously knows this club inside out. "The loyalty shown to us proves people of this City and beyond, love this club and desperately want it to continue, and the love poured out over the weekend has been an important factor in this decision and we have to repay that huge level of loyalty. "This time, however, will be starting preparation for 2022 on a level playing field with the rest of the teams, and won't be playing catch-up in the team building stakes, which will, at least mean, we'll have a decent chance of challenging for much better league place that this 2021 season, which is now well behind us." The Newcastle Speedway press office will be keeping a close eye on this story, and will report all developments as it happens, but above all else, the important news today is the Diamonds will come to the tapes in 2022 and powered by the memory of the late Dave Tattum.

Just thought I d share what I posted on Facebook this morning about last night. Massive shout out to the Edinburgh Monachs, staff, fans and management. Never has a speedway club been so welcoming, with everyone thanking us for coming, doing anything they can to make us welcome. Stadium owner insisting we stay until close and filling us up with homemade cake. locals plying us with beer, and then doing running races around the track with thier young fans at 11pm.... And even after the taxi never came back to collect me and Kieran, the guy locking up the stadium took pity on us and drove us to the hotel. If carlsberg did speedway. ..... These guys are right up their with the IOW Warriors Way.

I'm obviously not a Workington supporter, I have only ever been there twice and that was during a couple of years when I visited every then second division track at least once and yet today I woke up with a smile on my face. Why? Because it's great to see one of the unfashionable clubs, not fancied at the beginning of the season and who have overcome obstacles put in their way, not only win the league and the cup but who have done it with ease and style. Enjoy your success. I hope that you go on to do the treble but most of all I hope that a way is found to secure the future of the club. We can't afford to lose any teams but it would seem particularly unfortunate for your fans and promoters after achieving so much this year.

It's very interesting for me to read lots of these post about the "the decline of speedway" and to be honest I learn from them - so thank you. Martin and I are quite an open book where our speedway is concerned and I have to say that whether you agree with me or not, speedway on the Isle of Wight is in anything but decline, its thriving. Our crowds, while yes relatively small, are 6 - 8 fold the last promotions when it ran, and our meeting on meeting, like for like up with the exception of a couple of meetings when we had to run on a Tuesday increasing. Our crowd integration is increasing, our profile growing (the fact we are even discussed on here says something about that), Sponsorship continues to grow - but as any club we always welcome more, we do lots of shows and the feedback is tremendous, we monitor feedback from the fans all the time and we are proud to share it. Why talk down something which is clearly working. The demographic of our fan base has totally changed in the 3 years we have been at the helm.. we have more families at the stadium now, we have lots of youngsters and our senior fans love it. They know that speedway is changing, and it has to become a show and every promoter should continually try to improve their show week on week. We have an SDL team and the majority of fans stay to watch both meetings when we cannot integrate them into the main event. Our speedway school consistently sells out and we need to do more of them both on the mainland and on the Island. Would we like another 1000 on the gate, you bet... but how do I make them come to our stadium to watch speedway or for more sponsors to get involved?? It's by positive word of mouth, by positive reflection of the events we put on, its by staging weekly speedway without fail, it's by providing fan interaction, a clean stadium, value, being welcomed, being seen, promoting, self belief, trust in your product, thinking outside the box, looking to tomorrow not just today, allowing people to be part of it... but most of all it's by providing a fun packed family night out that people are proud and pleased to invite their friends to as opposed to feel odd because they watch a sport called speedway which no one knows of. The choice of speedway's future isn't only down to promoters, the BSPA, the SCB or ACU... it's down to us all, and while I welcome lively debate and feedback is always welcome we must look at the bigger picture of "passive aggression" - it's a phrase I came across in my working life where the strength of talking something down or negatively destroying something good becomes to strong to change - so it never changes. Speedway is very close to this now. All I can honestly tell you is that we are so proud of what we deliver, we are not afraid to hear something which is not how it should be, we are mindful of the spiralling costs which comes from many different angles, we are mindful of our investment of money, time, our families, but most of all, we absolutely love our show, we believe totally in our product, our team, our approach, we want to develop riders but also have to put on a professional show. It is the only way clubs like us can attract sponsors, fans, tourists, riders and for our families to allow us to continue what we do. 3 referees this year have grabbed me after to say “that’s the best speedway meeting I have been to all year…..” in my view not because the racing is any different of course because of the energy of the night, the feel good factor, the positivity, the well….its a bloody great show, that’s why. I will apologise in advance for the typo's and spelling errors, if you come to the Island do come and say hello to me, I am always in yellow and blue. Finally, your club needs positive and constructive feedback…..saying its crap or not like it used to be – may get it off your chest but will not help deliver change or progress in my view. Keep it wound on and see you trackside and if you want to try speedway book in with My First Skid.

Sometimes it might be best to simply not post at all Starman. There is no possible sensible defence of what Ford is complaining about here so best to simply remain quiet.