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LionsDen

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Posts posted by LionsDen

  2. Posted

    Plus one for Hougaard, maybe.

    I read DH bleating in the paper yesterday about the guests' performances on Saturday, and getting more "hungry" ones next time.

    Hungry!! They'll need to be frigging starving to want to show up and ride for him.

    Couldn't believe what I was reading...DH slagging off a man of Peter Karlsson's standing in the sport. Very poor.

  3. Posted

    Unfortunately, DH has said that he does not use the forum or any social media sites.

    Maybe he should. Then he might begin to try and understand why more and more people are giving up on BP. It's dropped off big time since 2011 - and way below what the expected levels were in the planning stage. That's because of the lack of entertainment on offer. Nothing more or less. Being in some sort of stubborn denial doesn't alter that. People have been, they've seen, and mostly, they've not come back.

     

    I bet you he does read these things but there is no way he will admit it......Hemsley is typical of the kind of my way or the highway,head in sand fella....he'd rather shut the track than admit he is wrong......I live in hope that a proper speedway person will buy him out, but I won't hold my breath.

    That would appear to be the only way for any change to occur. Big job to take on though, not to mention expensive.

     

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    No you wouldn't if it was the first time something like this had happened. We have already had a break in where someone set fire to the pits area caused extensive damage, plus the loss of a bumper night's takings due to a robbery. Scunthorpe suffered from break-ins, theft & damage a couple of years ago, & came very close to closing through it, but I don't recall anyone thinking it was remotely funny at the time.

    More recently, Edinburgh have had the same problem, but again nobody thought it was a big joke, & will you all be laughing in three years time when Coventry gets demolished?

    Call my over sensitive & lacking a sense of humour by all means, but all I ever read on this forum are negative, repetitive, snidey comments about Leicester & the Leicester promotion. no, we don't have a perfect racetrack by any means, but the club doesn't deserve the constant barrage of bad publicity it receives in here. It would, in my opinion, be a sad loss to speedway if it was forced to close through no fault of the club's.

    I guess my lack of humour is my own fault, I should know better than to even look at the forum, even rarely, these days. Lt.

    No-one likes to see speedway clubs suffer crime and I agree with that point totally.

     

    However, do you not think that in many ways all the "negative" comments you refer to towards the club are brought upon themselves? After all, the promoter himself said in the Speedway Star a couple of weeks back that he had to "break a few eggs to make an omelette". Leaving aside that he actually made scrambled eggs rather than an omelette, if your modus operandi is to continually look after number one and generally pee off a whole succession of people around you, then you're going to get some of it come back at you. It's almost inevitable in any walk of life.

     

    Also, wasn't it him that designed and implemented the useless track that everyone moans about? Most of the negative criticism centres on that fact and it's hard to deflect it away when the club are seemingly in denial about it, and as such have done what amounts to virtually nothing to correct it. As a result it's inevitable the "criticism" just keeps on coming and the only surprise it that people such as yourself are surprised by it. Leicester fans waited 28 years for speedway to return but still ended up with one of, if not the, worst track in the country.

     

    By the way, the "bumper night's takings" robbery was after the Premier Fours meeting in August 2011, which were the BSPA's takings.

    • Like 2

  7. Posted · Edited by LionsDen

    Coincidently there's a travellers 'camp' pretty close by.

    This is not the first time it's happened,I seem to recall it was raided twice before........it stopped when the coppers moved them on.

    Obviously I'm not saying it's definitely them.....probably just a coincidence?

    I'd say more than a coincidence. Some scrap metal to sell and some beer for a party in a caravan.

     

    Mind you, what do Leicester Speedway own, that could have been taken, that's worth as much as £40k? Sounds a very high estimate to me.

     

    Also, what's happened to the on-site security? Where was that?

  8. Posted

    I may be wrong but didnt Sam Ermolenko have something to do with track input? How have they managed to get the most important part of the sport so wrong ,when they had the chance to build a super track from beginning to end ?

    No he didn't. DH went ahead with it whilst Sam was away in the States for his brother's wedding back in the spring of 2010. The acrimonious split came about shortly afterwards as it became apparent Sam's input was no longer welcome.

  9. Posted

    Finally saw some passing after the interval when good rides by Harris, and especially Ljung going from third to first, livened it up a bit. Prior to that I can't recall a single pass after the opening lap back straight unless someone fell off. Talking of which, Garrity's fall while leading heat 9 and on a Bees 5-1 proved to be a bit of a let off for the Lions. Heat 15 was a good race too and well done the the Lions for hanging in there and getting the away point. Must say, I was very impressed by Kyle Howarth. Great to see a young British rider doing so well and I suspect the Bees will miss him tonight.

    • Like 2

  10. Posted

    Good old Ken,no "agenda" there then!

    I can assure you there's no objection from Ken. Spoke to him this morning about this very subject. In actual fact, both of us are happy about the planning application from Beaumont Sporting Complex, believing it's about time they addressed some of these things. It's taken long enough - though I imagine it's been instigated by the council.

  11. Posted

     

    I'm 29, I don't remember Blackbird Road and only found out about speedway in 2006. I was very early on supportive of the campaign to get speedway back to Leicester and met and got on very well with David Hemsley. I went to the challenge matches, residents meeting at Beaumont Leys church, etc, etc. But over the last three seasons I'v become so disillusioned by the terrible racing I've witnessed and the blase attitude of the promotion that I've fallen truly out of love with it, so much so I don't even bother reading the Speedway Star or this forum that often anymore as it pains me to think of how disappointed I've become. I've only ever been a supporter, I never got more involved as I never wanted the politics, just to enjoy my speedway. Out of the initial people who went with me there is only one who still goes, and I'm so embarrassed by it that I daren't bring any of my friends who are unconvinced, they'd never trust me again! I don't have allusions of grandeur, I've seen two god awful meetings at Coventry, an average one at Peterborough and four good ones at Wolverhampton(3) and Birmingham(1). I've been to Cardiff twice and besides that I had no other comparison. I went full of hope, and even despite becoming frustrated I'd be shouting even when they were so strung out, willing them on for a miracle. I've seen a few good races, I've seen some great performances too, mostly from visiting riders, but it comes to something when the best Lions performance I can remember is Magnus gating 5 times for an 18 point max! Would I go again? If it improves I might but after three years of never missing a home meeting, buying the badges, scarves, programmes, standing in the rain, the cold, the boiling sun, the long delays, you name it, I feel I've wasted enough money and time being increasingly bored and saying its better than nothing just doesn't cut it with me anymore. Do I come under your umbrella of a consistent moaner who lost the civil war?

    Very well put 40-38. And sadly, whatever side of the 'pro' or 'con' fence you sit, this is at the core of the matter, and spoken from the heart by someone who obviously supported Leicester Speedway from the get-go. It's not moaning mate - it's telling it like you feel - and with no "agenda".

     

    A hell of a lot of people have been to see speedway at BP since it opened, both local and from further afield, and they've no doubt all formed an opinion on what they've witnessed. They've either become fans, or as I suspect in the majority of cases, decided against coming back on a regular basis. That first season was always massively important in making an impression and ever since then it's been a case of trying to convince and persuade when the product should have done the talking for them. Speedway at it's best can and should be a great live spectacle - not something that causes heated arguments about whether it's worth it or not. The pro-people say "if you don't like it don't come". And indeed many have done precisely that. The unfortunate thing is there's a break-even point in any business model so the emphasis should be on making it a product people want to buy, not one they're invited to walk away from.

     

    By the way, been reading this thread with interest, particularly as I didn't go on Sunday, but god only knows where this "civil war" nonsense comes from, other than in the fanciful delusions of mrcts. There never was any civil war about who runs Leicester. That's just silly. It's been DH's baby from the moment planning went in and as far as I'm aware, no-one else has ever wanted it as theirs. People have come and gone in terms of supporting him but there's never been any dispute or attempt to have any other name over the door. Really not sure what mrcts is going on about so perhaps he/she can enlighten us?

    • Like 4

  12. Posted

    I think it's a shame Peter Oakes, with all his tabloid experience, passed up the chance to quiz Hemsley about his omelette/eggs comment. Fans only ever seem to have had half-stories and rumours. It would have been an ideal opportunity for Hemsley to set the record straight.

    Agreed. It was an extremely sycophantic piece of journalism at best. The Star does this a lot. In this particular instance it's obvious "eggs" read as "people", some of whom, and one in particular, contributed massively to help DH get his track up and running.

  13. Posted

    I admire any speedway rider - as I think most of us us non-riders would agree. However....

     

    Ole Olsen back in the good ole days, and Mauger too. Looking back I guess they were just too good and it irked me as a young lad supporting the Lions.

     

    Never liked Mitch Shirra either. And most annoyingly, he seemed to love riding at Blackbird Road.

     

    These days it would be:

     

    Bjarne Pedersen - just find him boring to watch

    Krzysztof Kasprzak - you never know whether he can be arsed or not.

    Tomasz Gollob - so much talent yet not only was he often reckless he could also be arsey and/or not bothered.

     

    Talking of Poles... throw in Kolodziej, Protasiewicz and Walasek too. Boring. Heart always used to sink when they were in the GPs.

    • Like 2

  14. Posted · Edited by LionsDen

    Blackbird Road Leicester. What a track that was! So many racing lines and the Lions hardly ever had a home track advantage because all riders loved racing on it.

     

    I know we have speedway back in this city these days but sadly there's just no comparison between Blackbird Road and the gate and go processions at Beaumont Park, or whatever it's called these days.

  15. Posted · Edited by LionsDen

     

    Jeez... the reason I will not be going to BP has nothing to do with a grudge, but everything to do with the hopeless entertainment value on offer at the venue. It clearly doesn't prove any point you're trying to make. Granted, It does have a lot to do with the promotion but it isn't a chip. Exacerbation, maybe. I am sure just like all the other fans who dreamed of seeing Leicester back but who don't bother going anymore can't be deemed to have 'got a chip' either. Maybe slightly more so though for me as i'm still here whinging about wanting it to change. Much like you do now, I spent 2 years praising the good points to the hilt, it's worn thin on me now.

    Volty is the perfect example of the disillusioned Lions fan that some seem to think only exist in the imagination of others, or are those with agendas or chips on their shoulders... blah blah blah. What nonsense. Where have all the crowd gone from that first season? And why? Does anyone bother to ask or just assume the stay-aways are all wrong? Like every speedway club Leicester needs it's people through the gate, and despite various rose-tinted posts saying Leicester's gates compare favourably with certain other tracks (most of whom are in dire trouble!) the number who attend has dropped considerably since 2011. I know there's the 'new track' syndrome but even so, it's quite a drop off.

     

    I'd never hide the fact that personally I'm a disillusioned Lions fan and much to my dismay, I see no connection with what goes on at Beaumont Park to the club I grew up with at Blackbird Road. That's all long gone and I accept that. Yes it's speedway back, but not as I knew it. I was involved in their return and I was motivated by that single aspiration to see the Lions back and roaring as I remembered, but I guess it was a different era and people have different agendas these days. A shame, but that's the reality. Like a few others I got peed off quite early, with the management, the mind-numbing alleged spectacle of the racing and several other associated behind the scenes issues. I went pretty much every week throughout 2011 but haven't been back since. That was my decision and to be honest I don't miss it. I still take an interest via friends, the media and forums etc because frankly, after 4 years of campaigning to get it back it's hard not to. Anyway, back to the point in hand, as a early dissenter I've had many a disagreement with Volty, even in PMs, when he used to defend Leicester Speedway with some passion and always tried to look on the positive in the face of what I perceived as many negatives. He always had a rational argument to make back then and he still does now. I always respected his viewpoint even if I disagreed with it.

     

    I've never met Volty so I'm not defending a mate or anything but surely, instead of getting on the case of people like him, who let's not forget has informed us he was both a season-ticket holder and a sponsor year on year, people should be asking why has he had this change of mind and what can be done to put it right because like it or not, it's symptomatic of why people don't go to Leicester Speedway in the numbers they used to. Surely any sensible business would want to analyse why consumers don't want its product? If I saw my sales drop off I'd want to know why and do something about it, not sit back and dismiss the customers as wrong. The people who come on here moaning about the moaning (to the extent where Jim starts a separate 'tongue-in-cheek' thread!) could do with taking a slightly different angle and asking the question 'why?' rather than simply dismissing it as agendas and other such nonsense. Personally, if I had any agenda, I'd use a different and much more potent vehicle than a forum to do something about it so that argument is really rather silly at best. As I say, I don't go anymore, but I don't want Leicester Speedway to fail. Too many of us put too much into it to want that. I would always prefer the people who's responsibility it is to get their heads out their backsides and do something to stop people like Volty walking away instead of disowning them or ignoring them.

    • Like 4

  17. Posted

     

    So who do we think would make the best team manager, Gary Havelock or Yulia Hemsley?

     

    Mick.

    Latest odds on Team Manager's job....

     

    Evens DH (can he resist being on tv?)

    3/1 Yulia Hemsley (women know best, right?)

    5/1 Gary Havelock (if he'll accept a pay cut)

    7/1 Jason Attwood (homecoming for Mr Motivator?)

    10/1 Hitler (impressive on YouTube)

    12/1 Glyn Taylor (if all the above are n/a and he gets a pay rise)

    15/1 Dave Howard/Rob Sensical (Hemsleyite insiders)

    20/1 Volty

    25/1 Peter Soulsby (he owns the land afterall!)

    33/1 David Moyes (might need a job soon)

    150/1 Chris Popple

    250/1 Jim The Whipper

    1000/1 Ken Naylor (not sure those odds are long enough)

    • Like 5

  18. Posted

     

    I really hope that is true about Havelock. Please let it be true as he is not very popular at Coventry, especially after his Poole comments on Twitter.

    And his Twitter spat with new signing Hans Andersen during this year's World Cup. Still blames him for Team GB missing out in 2004 so I can't imagine a happy pits at Brandon if he stays. Mind you, imagine, Havvy and DH working together.... What a Dream Team!!! :lol:

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    I know that but LionsDen obviously doesn't. :wink: I actually usually agree with his posts but not in this case as I think he's being rather harsh. Not like a Leicester fan to have a moan. :lol:

     

    I did know that Gemini. It was more of a general observation about the way speedway is these days and fans having to put up with so many guests. This season has been appalling for it and the Bees may be using 'assets' but that doesn't make it a Bees team does it? Last time I looked Fisher, Barker and Tungate were all riding for other EL teams, which makes them guests, and Sargeant is a guest NL rider, albeit one from the Storm. Therefore, and this is my main point, for the promotions of both clubs to try and sell this to the public as a Bees v Lions fixture that rekindles those rivalries from days gone by is a joke. I used to love those meetings and was as passionate as anyone about beating the Bees but this is nothing like that and it's false to sell it as such in my opinion. To read the press releases you'd think it was Wilson v Boocock and Collins v Olsen all over again!!!

     

    I'm not against them having a fixture of course (and Leicester certainly need to fulfill season ticket obligations for one thing!) but it's really more akin to an end of season open meeting than a once great rivalry between two historic clubs. This is nothing like it used to be with EIGHT guests included just to make it happen rather than anything like a meaningful Lions v Bees match. I just think they should've waited until (if) they ride against each in a competitive fixture that might actually mean something rather than this somewhat 'forced' challenge meeting only made possible by the use of a staggering amount of guests. Just my view of course and I expect there's plenty who are looking forward to it. Good for them but as a Lions fan of yesteryear I have no intention of bothering with either meeting.

    • Like 2

  22. Posted · Edited by LionsDen

    I don't want him as our no 1 next year but fact is he will be our no 1 purely because he is DH next door neighbour so not alot we can do about it

     

    Maybe he should ask the neighbour on the other side instead. :lol: Interesting state of affairs when the number one is picked based on whether he can have a chat over the garden fence or not!

     

    PS: Favourite Popplism was his renaming of the second half event as the Midland Defence League!

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    yes I know of a couple of people who would be interested but not at the amount DH has said he wants,I do fear for the future of Leicester speedway.

     

    Isn't the whole site rented off the council ?

     

    Yes, but on a very long lease. 99 years as 40-38 says above.

     

    Makes me laugh to hear the place still described as a "Complex", as if it actually resembled the original plans rather than the reality of an eyesore collection of extremely high mud hills, made from construction industry waste, outside a fenced off enclave containing a track.

  24. Posted · Edited by LionsDen

    Whilst i agree to a point with this, if it goes and we end up with nothing, then it's likely to be the fault of people who have had the ability to do something about it. If it does goes then it will be because of the intransigence of the people in charge, nothing more, nothing less. It will have been their choice and their choice alone. IMO, If god forbid it was to happen then you would do a dissersive to the actual reasons were you to blame people on internet forums as a cause.

     

    Probably the best post I've read on this forum. ;)

     

    Sheer bloodymindedness from the owner, who tells everyone they're wrong and that the entertainment is great, coupled with acceptance and apathy from the 'true fans' is a very damaging combination. This forum only discusses that fact, not causes it.

     

    Tonight will be a good indicator on whether the Somerset and Ippo meetings were simply down to the weather and a decent watering from Mother Nature. Really hope you guys get to see some decent racing in the sunshine tonight.

  25. Posted · Edited by LionsDen

    I hope so too as I realize I was probably just lucky with the match I attended. I do know what goes on with the racing because I hear enough moaning and whingeing most weeks when my other half gets back. :lol:

     

    The weather forecast for Saturday is warm and dry but that's not great at BP because it seems that the track needs rain to produce a decent racing surface. That's what it got on the day of the Somerset meeting. And the Ippo one before that.

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