Northern Exile

Looking forward to another visit to the Oak Tree Arena. Only ever been for the Pairs previously and it will be good to see a league match at this generally excellent track.

We enjoyed our visit to Monmore Green last night though that North wind blowing onto the terrace was a real 'kniver'. Little wonder that so many fans took shelter in the bar and restaurant though we stayed outside to the bitter end. Really enjoyed the meeting and whilst the result was not the best for us Rye supporters, we thoroughly enjoyed the racing and the company of the friendly Wolves fans around us. It was a good meeting and Robbo's performance reminded us of of the massively entertaining evenings that he gave to the Rye faithful in days gone by. Another major positive in our books was the way that young Ellis Perks is shaping up. He has confounded many doubters with the number of points scored at home and after a disappointing heat two last night, came out subsequently and looked really good. The track at Wolves was in good nick and clearly well cared for. It certainly helps riders to deliver the goods i.e. entertainment, which is what the crowds want to see. Further, a very positive word of thanks to the referee and the promotion to for running the meeting in a proper and well-managed manner. The first race did not even begin until 7.40pm and post-heat 15, we were outside on the Bilston Road by 9.10pm. The 15 minute walk to the station warmed us up no end (by God we needed it) and we managed to get to New Street in time for the 10.10pm train back to Euston. If the meeting had dragged, we would have missed that train and been compelled to take the 11.10pm which was then subject to a delay of 90 minutes.....

Tickets booked. Suspect that the reason that some tickets get booked ahead so quickly is that some people's connections are quicker than others, mass e-mailings (such as the pre-sale notification) go out quickly (very quickly) but not all at exactly the same time thus some receive them ahead of others. Booked hotel too. Whilst not cheap, it never is, the BSI rooms offer (link on ticket confirmation) has plenty of rooms at prices which are acceptable (in the circumstances). Booked the same hotel as this year at prices which are slightly lower for 2017. That's a result, of sorts.

With so many blank weekends, it is most annoying that we have to face a double header at the end of July. I left after the first match, thoroughly exasperated at the time it took to run the Rockets meeting and will not attend any afternoon double headers in the future unless changes take place. There were, of course, racing incidents that caused some of the delays. Of course I accept that. However, riders did not come out for the first heat until around 4.15pm following an inexplicable 'parade hold-up'. The previous evening at Belle Vue/NSS, 20 heats were run in less time with regular grading and 'time-outs' for television ad breaks.The authorities, through referees and clubs, need to get a grip on this sport quickly and run meetings properly and efficiently otherwise the tedium between heats will drive more fans away. Staying away can be easier than attending sometimes and those in charge would do well to make a note of that. Speedway can be a spectacle that has everything that both fanatical and casual spectators could want, the reactions of first timers at the NSS on Saturday proved that to me. However, Speedway is screaming out for somebody to take it by the scruff of the neck and haul it into the present day in terms of its rules, its administration and most importantly, its presentation, paying due deference, within reason, to the paying public.

I do feel that BSI should make some sort of statement to the effect that the date will be announced in due course/within a certain period/negotiations are still ongoing simply on the basis that the marketplace is accustomed to the next British GP date being announced within 48 hours of the previous one being completed. It will also stop me looking at the SGP website every couple of hours!

If the event is sold out in advance (which looks quite likely to happen if you check out the availabilty on the SWC section of speedwaygp.com) then probably not. That said, there is always somebody who may have a spare ticket or two if you wish to chance it.

Very much enjoyed the visit to Lakeside last evening and we made a late decision to attend from NW London as a direct result of the offer.Very good offer indeed and I hope that the promotion was reasonably satisfied with the attendance and programme sales. Been a while since we were there and we had forgotten that Arena always seems to attract a cooling breeze as darkness falls. That said, the racing and excitement certainly warmed us up and thanks to both teams for putting on a damn good show. Does anybody know why the catering outlet on the back straight was not open? Most irritating and inconvenient for it to be closed when surely a decent crowd was expected.

Nice. A sort of Teutonic Oak Tree Arena.

Having attended the Pairs on a number of occasions, it is fair to say that the racing has always been entertaining and the busy car park is reasonably well organised. Getting out from the place at the close of the meeting needs patience though this applies to most well attended events, speedway or otherwise. My concern at the Oak Tree Arena on Pairs night is that the those promoting/delivering the event do not appear to have made too much of an effort to grasp that many of those in attendance are not local and are fans who make great efforts to get to the track and in time to enjoy the event. Getting there in time involves dealing with huge traffic issues which worsen by the year. This means setting out earlier, taking time off work and planning the journey according to anticipated conditions which will not improve in the near future. That is how it is on the roads, especially around there. Our own journey from North West London took just over an appalling five hours with problems on the M25 and M4, never mind the M5. Those five hours included a very quick, (and I mean quick) stop for food because we knew from previous experience that the catering facilities at the track probably would not be able to deliver food to us if we arrived with less that half an hour to spare. Why? There are not enough of catering outlets, simple as that. We are there to watch the racing, not spend an inordinate amount of time in queues waiting for 'fast food'. Hanging around on motorways is bad enough without then, on arrival at the track, having to set out on a mission to secure sustenance whilst the reason for one's attendance in the first place is starting. The main thing you want to sort on arrival is a good position to watch the racing and in a decent crowd, that can be a challenge in itself, but is an accepted part of the event. Truth is that we would rather buy food at the track as it gives us an extra 15-20 minutes to get there and theoretically eliminates the need for a stop. However, a lack of porta-loos on the night looks as if it may render that particular idea redundant. The changing of the start time to 7.00pm was the right move but why was this announced only a few days before the event? If we had known properly in advance, we could have managed our plans better and whilst we managed to get there for 'tapes-up' I am aware of at least one party that was unable to re-arrange its plans and did not get there until nearly 7.20pm. With proper notice of the start time change, which I repeat was the correct thing to do, that party known to us would probably have been able to re-arrange its schedule and arrive in readiness for the start of racing. As speedway fans, we want to see good racing. The Pairs at Somerset delivers it and thank-you for that. However, the experience should be underpinned by some more consideration and thought being given to the paying public which is more than happy to spend money at the track. There is a large captive audience there on the night, give them the chance to spend more money, properly enjoy the event and then come back for more.

Agreed, thank-you. Booked now though still no email from BSI. Database issues?

Almost wet myself when I read this. Bloody hilarious.

Rye House Rockets website and Rockets Twitter feed both stating from early afternoon that the meeting this evening is ON with an update promised if that changes so still ON.

Guess you also know what it is like to lose at Wembley having lost the FA Trophy Final in 2010.

Any further news on this, please? We would like to attend this meeting though want to make travel plans that allow us to arrive before the start time

I like Kasper a lot, always gives lots of effort and can be very entertaining. However, his gating is shocking and he needs to focus on his technique very powerfully, possibly with the help of a mentor/sports psychologist. If he doesn't improve his technique and statistics at the tapes, the sport, I suspect, will leave him behind. Pontus was a breath of fresh air when he arrived mid-season and though he has not torn up any trees has been reasonably steady. That said, will the promotion want to be paying the air fares for three Scandinavian riders (assuming AM is retained) if there are other, more local and therefore potentially less costly options available? I guess until we all know the proposed 2014 structure of British Speedway only those genuinely ITK can speculate with any sense of reasonable odds on something actually happening or not.