teddy2706

But surely the stadium survived the team for a good while|?

Perhaps it does, you are not alone in this thought. Others have wondered about a 51% stakeholding similar to the Bundesliga.

If the team has successful and sought after riders this will happen. The alternative is to have less sought after riders but a weaker team, Hobson's Choice, I know. It cannot be the responsibility of fixture planners to ensure that any team is at full strength for every fixture, surely that is the duty of the team manager/promotion?

Sadly, many of the Stoke Exiles are lost to speedway completely, an unforseen casualty to the sport resulting from dis-satisfaction with the Stoke product. Stoke fans weren't wonderful at away support, that philosophy ensures that those same Stoke fans are not attending any other tracks.

Whilst I always enjoyed Cookster's posts on the Stoke site and I am pleased to read them again, might I add something that many Stoke "Exiles" like to forget? The crowd was dwindling at Stoke in the last two PL years before Tattum ever took the team into the NL (indeed this is why he took the team down). There were a few factors for this, reasons I have heard include a lack of silverware success, or too many unknown foreigners being drafted into the team at short notice and most importantly a dissatisfaction with the promotion. In my opinion, one of the vital factors was almost always overlooked by supporters; a deterioration in track condition and preparation. When Loomer road is expertly prepared, without holes and plenty of dirt, in my opinion it is possibly one of the most exciting venues in Britain. However, a dirty, gloomy stadium, with poor toilet facilities and indifferent catering will do nothing to attract and keep support either. Cookster knows full well, as do all of us other exiles, that whether NL, PL, or even EL speedway was at Loomer rd, most of us would not attend. Why? Because we are pig sick of being taken for mugs by Mr and Mrs. Tattum.

Am I alone in thinking this meeting was processional to the point of tedium almost until the last few heats? I think I have seen more boring races and meetings at Brandon than anywhere else over the last thirty odd years and last night, by and large was no exception. This meeting would have been more exciting held at any other track in the country. That does not detract from the efforts of the riders in any way, but I would always hope to see close exciting racing for my money, with lots of passing, this was not the case last night.

The original post questions are relevant and pertinent, but as none of us are individually able to influence how speedway is run, presented and marketed; why do any of us actually care about the answers? Promoters will do as they wish, alienate or attract fans, run the place into the ground or grow the business. It is out of our hands. Personally I never attend Elite league matches, I take in some attractive PL matches, but watch NL as a rule. The reasons: NL is unpredictable, exciting, raw, ragged and cheap. PL is professional, fast, usually exciting, I have to travel farther to watch, so is less cheap, but has many teams, so interesting matches can be chosen carefully. However, if you want good value for money, go and watch a days Grasstrack or MX for a similar amount to ninety minutes of speedway.

It's all very well saying the Start Marshall must make the riders do this or that, the simple truth is that he cannot physically make the riders do anything at all! It has always seemed to me that being a Start Marshall is the most thankless and difficult task in speedway, akin to herding a thousand cats through the streets of London in a hailstorm. I wouldn't do the job for all the tea in China.

Some years ago I was partly involved in preparing a bike that was road racing with the VMCC. The rider was a good lad, but a right monkey. All season long we had grumbled about other people cheating in the class in which he raced. Monkey had to win the last two races of the championship and the current leader finish third or worse for Monkey to win the championship. At 2am of the day of the meeting we were still dyno testing his bike and the results weren't wonderful, he had obviously been tinkering again. From his van he produced a bottle and tipped it in the tank. "What's that I asked suspiciously?" "Nitro", he replied. I kicked off immediately shouting that we could not complain about cheating, then indulge in it ourselves! Monkey was unmoved, we ran the bike on the dyno, the crown of the piston fell in and wrecked the engine. The only other engine we had was a dog, but he tried his hardest in the race, falling at Cadwell Gooseneck, injuring himself and trashing the bike. You could have heard a pin drop all the way home from Cadwell to Derby....

The team I would like to see in Rye House jackets is: Lambert S. Silver A. Lambert R. Irving G. Pickard J. Bates J. Garrity J. Wright C. I would even put up with the chips there if they ran that team....

I did see a Stoke supporters bus at Mildenhall in 2011, it was late arriving if I remember rightly, not noticed one since.

Whilst a huge critic of some things that go on at Loomer rd, I cannot let this stand unchallenged. I can say absolutely and with certainty that Malcolm Vasey is certainly not about to buy a retirement home in the Bahamas on the proceeds of his connection with Stoke speedway.

Mr. Morrish is highly presentable, dresses sharply, is wonderfully coiffeured and is apparently well connected. A well known manager once confided that Mr. Morrish is not computer literate, but I cannot vouch for the truth of that. He does not though, command much respect from several quarters. However, two well known figures within National League speedway would, in my opinion, have a better feeling for riders, clubs and most importantly public relations and contact with the paying public. Neither appear to own sharp suits, neither appear to spend much time being carefully groomed, both passionately care about speedway in general and National League in particular. Both are computer literate after a fashion (one is verbose, the other cannot spell to save his life), but both could do a brilliant job as NL co-ordinator if Mr. Morrish vacates the position. I commend, in no particular order two candidates for Mr. Morrish's job: Malcolm Vasey Deano

Why would Heeps require a visa at all? He was introduced at Mildenhall in the NL and it was insisted at the time that he needed no visa and was "British" so eligible for NL teams. If he needs a visa now, why didn't he then and was he ever eligible for NL?

I am looking forward to watching Buxton this season with that team, certainly Ben is a very welcome addition indeed. Well done Jayne for assembling such a competitive team.

The idea of the photocell behind the bikes as mentioned by Pete CC is perfectly reasonable, inexpensive and if interlocked to prevent the tapes release when the beam's broken is foolproof. It could be armed the second the start marshall indicates the riders are in position.

Liam fits nicely at 8.00, but can he beat his injury issues in time to ride this season? Ben Hopwood at 7.28? Josh Bates suprisingly at 7.68? Ben Reade (too good to lose to speedway) 7.7? Luke Priest 6.37? Unfortunately, the biggest loss to National League speedway in recent years, Gary Irving @ 8.17 couldn't be accomodated even if he was available, which he isn't, a crying shame indeed.

Ryan back at Buxton! Looking forward to seeing him again this season.

This morning at 6am, whilst walking my dogs, I could hear the railway that is three miles distant. I could hear traffic on the A50 that is two miles away. I can hear racing at Darley Moor that is 6 miles distant in the summer, clay pigeon shooting at over a mile away on sundays and farm machinery everyday. None of this noise is as grating as the owl who starts screeching on my chimney pot at 2am, but, I love him/her living close to me. What is remarkable is that I am very hard of hearing, yet hear all of this stuff. Now, it occurs to me that some motorsports are victimised for noise, motorcycle road racing and speedway in particular. Drag racing and Formula 1 appear to get a free pass so far. However, I do wonder if the much vaunted, but yet to be installed rev limiters might be the way forward for speedway? Reducing costs in engine wear, making noise less annoying and possibly compelling tuners and track curators to rethink where speedway is going? Maybe some joined up thinking regarding tyres, silencers, rev limits and noise issues could be the way forward instead of piecemeal measures?

It is very sad to read Vog's post. I am proud to say he is my friend, if you cut him in half it would say "Stoke Speedway" right through him. He has supported Stoke through thick and thin, man and boy. Stoke started with a great side, but were on dangerous ground with Wilson, if he was successful on his return, they were always going to lose him, if he failed to ride to his potential they would have been stuck with him and the brickbats would have poured in. Whilst reluctant to say anything favourable about Stoke speedway for reasons of my own, I believe Ian might have spoken before thinking very hard regarding sacking riders etc. The fact is, that it is easy to form an NL team like Godfrey did at Scunthorpe, a step that destroyed every clubs gate receipts but his own by using raw, untried lads. However, I doubt if such a team will end the season with silverware in the cabinet. What Ian has missed, is that once the season is rolling, it is almost impossible to find a decent NL rider who is out of a job, certainly not a rider of Wilson's calibre. Stoke have, in the past, in my opinion, treated their own riders like dirt, I won't drag up the same old examples ad nauseum, but they have let good riders slip through their fingers due to many reasons, but the result is the same, the fans no longer have that rider to shout on. Do promotions not understand that supporters support the man as well as the club? Plainly not. Promoters appear completely oblivious of the tribal nature of speedway, I was once patted on the head and pitied at Peterborough by an Edinburgh man when I confessed that I was from Stoke (even though I am not) because that is where my speedway heart lay. The answer was on my lips without a concious thought, yet Messrs. Tattum and Crabtree have no more thought of tapping into that potential, that loyalty, than booking a ticket to outer space with Branson. Many ex. Stoke supporters have helped Stoke speedway, in small or large ways, but almost all have been subject to disdain from the promotion afterwards. I may be fairly unique in the fact that I would love to help Stoke speedway again in some way, but be ignored, spoken sharply to or subject to abuse? Not me brother. If Stoke speedway can afford to alienate Vog, then they can afford to be riding EL, never mind PL, because the Vogs of this world are precious to speedway, a declining pool of support that will eventually wither and die out because it receives no nourishment from the promotion (although I guess Stoke fans get fertiliser aplenty from the Tattums). It isn't unique to Stoke though, just look at the track surface that Coventry have attempted to palm off both riders and supporters with week after week! Hardly guaranteed to encourage repeat trade is it? Nor are Devon supporters going to appear in their thousands because some muppet forgot that they couldn't use the council carpark in the daytime! Or Cradley, as a reward for years of vocal, massive financial support, their supporters can just get stuffed and go elsewhere apparently!

I used to follow Long Eaton and Cradley years ago, so I know very well what it is like to lose your entertainment venue. However, spilt milk remains spilt, efforts to recover it are fated to fail. Surely, it is time for fans from both Birmingham and Cradley to get their heads together and come up with a majority ownership scheme as practiced in German soccer? Then, find (or build) a venue within reach of both supporter bases and run both teams from there with consents for at least two meetings per week? Whilst taking no pleasure at all from the predicament Cradley fans find themselves in, it is ironic that the bitterest critics of Buxton speedways' facility have been Cradley fans (along with Coventry riders) who are now faced with a problem that the Moss family overcame years ago! Ownership or satisfactory control of your own premises is the only realistic way forward, Cradley have surely been the most affluent team in NL racing yet have still not kept their eyes on that ball, with a view to finding their own home. A unique opportunity is now open for both Brummies and Heathens, I urge both sets of followers to meet up and take advantage of this, find a joint venue that you can control and get your sleeves rolled up regardless of what happens in the near future. Look to the horizon!

Unbelievable, only in speedway!

Surely even a complete lunatic wouldn't leap into the crowd to remonstrate with supporters without at least some provocation? That doesn't excuse anyone's behaviour, but someone in the crowd must have said or done something for a rider to leap into action? It certainly isn't unknown for promoters and team managers, never mind riders, to jump into the crowd and start arguing. Paying at the gate is not carte blanche for anyone to run their mouth, insult or threaten people without some reaction occuring. The solution perhaps lies in two sayings well known in industry: "Employ a teenager whilst they still know everything" and "One boy is worth half a man, but two boys are worth f**k all!"

No less valid than my opinion on your comment? I take huge exception to your sentence "The skill level is close to zero and often a rider will fall when passed, with no contact". It is rude, insulting and untrue to suggest that Simon Lambert, Paul Starke, Liam Carr, James Sarjeant, Dan Greenwood, Max Clegg, Tom Perry, Nathan Greaves, Benji Compton, David Mason, Lewis Rose, Dan Halsey, Stefan Nielsen, Joe Jacobs, Olly Greenwood, Ben Morley, Josh Bates, Steve Worrall (and last season Charles Wright) et al have skill levels close to zero! If it were true (and it plainly isn't) such riders would not be in demand to ride for PL teams would they. As for riders falling when passed without contact, this isn't true even for MDL meetings and is certainly nonsense for NL meetings.

Stoke once was an excellent track, beautifully prepared it was the fairest in the country offering no home track advantage at all. Sadly, a distant memory. Hyde rd and the Shay were simply wonderful and whilst I am in a minority of one, I liked the World Final Norden track.