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Theboss

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Posts posted by Theboss

  1. Posted

    7 hours ago, ReadingRacer2017 said:

    1. Somerset

    2. Belle Vue

    3. Kings Lynn

    4. Poole

    ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

    5. Wolverhampton

    6. Swindon

    7. Leicester 

    Apparently only top 3 reach the play offs, however this has not been confirmed on BSPA website.

  2. Posted

    3 hours ago, ReadingRacer2017 said:

    Top 3 only now since Rye House removed. 1st go straight to grand final, 2nd v 3rd in semi

    I am confused as i have heard this rumour before, however the official BSPA website states the following under the league table:

    PLAY-OFF PICTURE - HOW IT WORKS 
    - Each team will race each other twice home and away.
    - Top four teams progress to the play-offs (All play-off ties raced over two legs) .
    - The team finishing top gets to choose from the second, third and fourth placed teams who they wish to race in the semi-finals.

  3. Posted

    5 minutes ago, Star Lady said:

    The home promoter before giving advise to the ref would take into account

    1 ETA of ambulance return (which can change without warning)

    2 weather( will wait longer if warm rather than wet)

    3 profit from food & drink outlet (will diminish as fans leave)

    4 availability of dates for re-arrangement

    5 curfew if any

    6 fan satisfaction (not sure about this one and will never please them all anyway)

    • even after all that the final decision is the referees. Going by a comment from g13webb above re Kerr's exclusion I'm not convinced he would have  taken advice anyway:blink:

     

    Some good points SL but I can assure that in situations like this the promoter would advise the referee of the situation and what he feels is best for club and supporters.... And if they did not agree with this there is the option of going over their head.

  4. Posted

    8 minutes ago, kelvinht said:

    Dale tweeted  3 hours ago that Lewis has spiral fracture of left leg. Kasper has severe concussion and broken shoulder. 

    Lewis is one of the nicest guys in speedway with a wife and family. It is not often I would say this but in his case I hope once he has recovered he assesses whether the risk out weighs the reward. If it does then he should give the sport up irrelevant of how much talent/potential he has.

    Ps I think gladrag is spot on with his comments regarding a paramedic. Only one ever has ever been in attendance and if required to stay with Lewis until ambulance arrives then this explains why the meeting could not restart.

    • Like 3

  5. Posted

    3 minutes ago, Bald Bloke said:

    I'm asking :wink: And i'm sure there's a lot more.I know your not gonna tell, in case you might want to get involved again. Or am I wrong :wink:

    I would only get involved if i decided I had enough time to set up a new association which was based on a franchise model.

    No rider assets and every club had a financial interest in every other club to ensure they all worked together for the betterment of the sport.

    So why would I not be happy to tell. Of course but too much for me to detail on here and far better for a journalist to write a piece.

    • Like 4

  7. Posted · Edited by jchapman

    1 hour ago, Whisperer said:

    It might not be a bad idea to talk to some former Promoters to find out why they got out, oh and how hard they were shafted by their colleagues.

    Now I wonder who could give some great insight on that topic

    • Like 2

  8. Posted

    30 minutes ago, iainb said:

    Coming to Speedway and King's Lynn Speedway especially is like buying a national lottery ticket... Invariably you lose but occasionally just occasionally you're a winner. Tonight as usual I'm a loser... Why do tracks run with one ambulance? It seems running r/r so often has now been extended to ambulances add to that a total lack of information for around 45 minutes and then when there is info and interviews the mic keeps pushing up it's no wonder people are streaming out of the stadium! And all this at the home of the tractor driver that's running the sport. 21:50 I'm still here still playing the lottery

    ATB to Lewis

    Kings Lynn used to run with two ambulances to reduce the risk of hold ups. Then the medical room was built which was approved as a secondary holding unit so once an injured rider was transferred to this the racing could resume. No idea what has gone wrong tonight to create this long hold up.

  9. Posted

    14 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

    FAT lady not signing yet but she is certainly doing her warm up. Fear there will be more to come before October. British speedway is in a very parlous state right now.

    I feared a few clubs would hit the wall this season after seeing the outcome of the AGM.

    When I was in 'the club' I was always amazed at the amount of ideas coming from promoters which increased costs and when ever I had an idea that increased revenue they would turn their nose up.

    Seems the boat has now sailed and nothing but a complete reset will fix the mess the sport is now in. 

    When the whole lot collapses I may put a plan together for a few clubs to break away and start a new league based around British riders on club supplied equipment with standard engines.

    Numbers drawn out of a hat for who rides what bike before the start of a race with team selections made after practice.

    From there the sport can grow again.

    • Like 12
    • Thanks 1

  11. Posted

    17 hours ago, micman said:

    Back in the days of the PL when the club were feared home and away it was 'Welcome to the jungle' that became the parade truck theme tune and even that sounds dated now so, for what it's worth, whoever came up with this idea. . .maybe ask the paying public for once - or as that just stating the blindingly obvious?

    Wishing everyone a safe and successful season ahead. . . now where did I put my Vera Lynn records????

    seriously.jpg

    I feel sorry for any new promotion team at Lynn, as I think it is hard to meet the expectations of fans who supported the club during that era... and for good reason. The parade track rolling out to the intro of 'welcome to the jungle' always made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, and everyone involved (from fans to riders) were emotionally immersed in the club. 9 titles in 4 years (from memory) is as good as it gets and shows what the club was all about back then. 

    Unfortunately since then the club has lost yourself, Rob Lyon and me and personally I do not believe any have been appropriately replaced... although not through lack of trying as I did recently read a job advertisement for a centre green announcer who must like wearing illuminus shell suits ;)

    • Like 1
    • Haha 2

  12. Posted

    13 hours ago, bigcatdiary said:

    I remember a certain Jonathan Chapman coming into the sport looking to make a difference

     

    Not everyone appreciated it did they Jonathan

    Nope, however this time he has the chairman on the same team so fingers crossed he can make a bigger difference than I did.

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    30 minutes ago, Mr S Bear said:

    Looking at the drawings for the revised scheme for the redevelopment of the Abbey Stadium on the council web site I would comment as follows

    It does not help that some of the descriptions of the drawings/documents do not match the actual drawings/documents which suggests a less than professional approach or a rushed and unchecked submission. This is further reinforced by the fact that there are two different car park layouts/size and shape of grandstand shown on different drawings- the one on the master plan dated May 2017 is different from that on the site plan dated December 2017. I would have expected that the relevant consultant would revised the drawings so that everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet and the planners know what they are approving, the builder knows what he is building and the developer knows what he is paying for.

    Whilst the first floor hospitality area is large (approx. 37.5m x 19.5m) I would question how useful it will be for speedway or greyhound fans who want to watch the racing. The floor is flat and the two projecting wings at either end of the viewing balcony limit the amount of the speedway/greyhound track that can be seen and anybody viewing the racing from the balcony will further restrict the view of fans in the hospitality area. I assume that its main function will be to generate monies from conferences/functions etc

    There are two stands shown at either end of the main “grandstand” building 11m x 10m and 25m x 10m but the submitted drawings gave no further details. Judging by the perspectives of the grandstand posted on this forum these stand appear to be temporary stands similar to those at Leicester but with no cover! Other than these stands and the first floor viewing balcony fans will have to stand on the hardstand which runs round the outside of the greyhound track but as there no site sections are included in the submitted documents it is impossible to say if the hardstand is flat, sloping or terraced so viewing could be a problem -remember the complains about the viewing at the Belle Vue Greyhound Stadium

    There are two rooms at either end of the viewing balcony which are I assume control rooms for the speedway and greyhounds. The one at the east end is approx 4m back from the first bend and the one at the west end is in line with the end of the fourth bend. The drawings state that the length of the new track is 420m and the home straight measures some 38m and if we assume that the start/finish is half way along the straight then the east box is some 12m in start of the start/finish line whilst the west one is some 26m behind the start/finish line. This could be a problem as some refs have trouble making the correct decision when they are in the traditional location in line with the start/finish line. Also the ref’s boxes are accessed from the main public stairs so I trust the doors are strong and have good locks.

    The site plan show a total of 469 car parking spaces plus space for 24 motor cycles, 5 spaces for mini buses, 3 spaces for coaches plus a bus stop/lay-by. I understand from the last season eve of season Speedway Star special that the Abbey Stadium is not served by public transport. It is some years since I saw 8 buses or coaches at a speedway meeting so the number of spaces for buses/coaches does appear to be excessive or maybe they are required to encourage people to get to the stadium by other means than car as required by the transport plan for the previous scheme. The buses/coaches appear to have a separate one way exit route from that used by cars but all exit routes join together and exit onto Lady Lane. This may be a problem when a large crowd tried to exit at the same time.

    There appears to be no access from the ground floor reception area to the main spectator area without using the stairs/platform lift so I assume that the public access to the spectator area is via turnstiles either side of the “grandstand” but the submitted drawings do not give any information. Also the riders have to cross the hard standing to access the track so measures will have to be taken to prevent riders riding into spectators.

    Considering that the reason for the decision to redevelop the current site of the stadium rather than move the stadium is due to problems with drainage it does seem strange that it appears that the relevant consultants have not discussed or reached agreement with the relevant statuary authorities which has resulted in the Lead Local Flood Authority recommending that the scheme not approved as it does not comply with current guidance or there is outstanding information.

    Although it is not part of the planning application the question that does need asking is when the developer /contractor hopes to build the development. The scheme involves changing the size and shape of the speedway and greyhound tracks, building two car parking areas and associated access road and junctions, demolishing the existing grandstand and erecting new grandstand and if the speedway/greyhound racing continues during the construction period ensuring the safety of the public who will be attending the speedway and greyhound.

     

    An excellent review which raises more questions as to how genuine this is. I remember having a new building designed for kings Lynn (although never built) and every single one of those points plus more where discussed and put into the design. 

    Seems likely to me that this will sadly emulate the Coventry saga.

  14. Posted

    2 hours ago, semion said:

    Hope the Club gets it GDPR in place, same with the Supporters club.   Is everything sorted on that Trees ?

    At last I might be able to help the club from a far, please click the link below for a free 'introduction to GDPR' e-learning course and if anyone at the supporters club wants a complimentary upgrade to the full course just send me an inbox message and I will provide it.

    https://uk.bablearn.com/introduction-to-gdpr-knowledge-awareness-

    Communication with stakeholders is key to the success of any organisation, and I would hate to see the stars get on top of this and then fall foul to a fine of up to 20million euro if they do not handle the data correctly.

  16. Posted · Edited by jchapman

    2 hours ago, g13webb said:

    I think it's too late for that now.  No doubt it was a consideration, one that had to have serious thought.     Probably at the fans forum, Buster will enlighten the fan, all the reasons why we stayed in the top division,      probably it was became a condition of having  Brundle on board,    probably he had this assurance that Niels will be back, who knows.       

    When looking back over the years,  the majority of matches that are remembered are always those with close neighbours.     Local derbies  were the highlights of the year and created so much passion and excitement.    Most of these derbies were packed out with many fans travelling away to the nearby venues....    When we done home and away on the same day, the roads resembled a massive convoy.   Horns blowing, flag waving, banner in the back windows,     sure was wonderful times and  great memories.         

    I've got nothing against teams like    Poole, Swindon, Somerset, Wolves,  or BelleVue,   I've visited them all many times,   but these distances represent a step too far to travel for the working man, for those midweek fixtures.  so any thoughts of getting many away visitors is mostly pie in the sky .  It wont happen.    

    In these troubles times,  we need to run a viable structure that could work in making the club more appealing.      I am in no doubt,  Stars matches  against the Panthers or the Witches , would draw a bigger crowd then ones against  say Poole or  Wolves,     Likewise ,  I cannot see the Stars being much of a draw down South.    So had the ideal of local rivalry been uppermost  when thinking of the season ahead,    probably,  everybody could have more of them local derbies....    

     

    The biggest crowd during my tenure was vs Coventry in the elite league when Emil Syvutidnov made his debut. Don't think anything would have come close to beating that since.

    The second biggest was against Poole in the elite league on a good Friday when the turbo twins were spearheading them.

    In the league below (premier when we was in it) the crowds against Ipswich and Sheffield were always good, and rest of the matches were pretty consistent week in week out. However they did grow considerably in the semi finals and finals of competitions no matter who we were against.

     

  17. Posted

    13 hours ago, Haza said:

    Then you will understand exactly were I’m coming from - some have there heads in the sand there is a wide gap in finances the way I see it ok a new co promoter Robin Brundle may bring new sponsors and cash into the club hopefully he will - but with no tv or a clearly reduced tv contract is going to have a massive effect on all clubs in the Premiership- call me negative or whatever I think I’m being realistic.

     

    Realistic 

  18. Posted

    38 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

    One would suspect that the addition of Mr Brundle will result in that 'shortfall' being made up, however much that may be. Not sure how any of us who post on here can know with too much accuracy what the financial state of the club is anyway.

    I have fair idea...

  19. Posted

    1 hour ago, PHILIPRISING said:

    BT have offered a one-year deal (don't know the details) but presume the ball is now in the court of the Premiership tracks.

    Yes aware of that philip, however my guess is the BSPA are going to say thanks but no thanks, hence why Thorsell was picked over Lindgren... I assume the cheaper option 

  20. Posted

    2 minutes ago, Steve Shovlar said:

    You couldnt charge £10 fornl and break even. £10 is a nonesense. 

    I think we all know clubs would go bust if they did, however it does not stop people having the view that what is on offer should only cost £10 to watch.

    Luckily for clubs it seems their loyal fans are happy to pay whatever they wish to charge, however I do feel people would attend more matches and new fans could be attracted if admission was reduced. I think £12 is about right including a free digital download of the meeting programme through a BSPA app (if not attending then the download is available for £1).

    • Thanks 1

  21. Posted

    1 hour ago, Haza said:

    If there is no tv deal or even if there is it’s rumoured to be £3000 a meeting covered by tv which isn’t going to go far paying Iversen Doyle or Lindgren each meeting to make up the short fall we need a major sponsor but after last seasons farce who will go near the club and if no tv that will have a knock on effect on sponsors - and rumours I’ve heard we lost money last season think we need to accept reality we are in for a low budget team similar to the one we ended last season with . 

    Now wolves have signed Thorsell the writing must now be on the wall with regards to the TV deal as BT made it clear their offer was conditional on 7 GP riders being present in the league.

    My guess is reality has now set in at clubs and the delay in signing riders is down to an adjustment in value of what the riders believe they are worth compared to what the clubs are willing to pay them.

    The main thing for all of us is that every club survives so I for one will not criticise if Lynn or any other club come to the tapes with an understrength team in 2018.

    However i would hope this is the wake up call required to finally start working on a complete restructure of the sport for 2019 rather than the inept tinkering we get every year.

    • Like 7

  23. Posted

    Interesting interview with Lindgren on Speedway GP.

     

    He said: Obviously I know about the TV deal and theyre still working on it I think. At the moment, it looks like they dont have a TV deal for next season, which means theyll have less to spend. The budgets for all the clubs will be lower.

     

    For me, I love being able to race in Britain, but I have to look at all aspects is it worth it money-wise? I also have a budget to go with my race team, so well see.

  24. Posted · Edited by jchapman

    Interesting quotes from Lindgren on speedway GP.

     

    He said: "Obviously I know about the TV deal and theyre still working on it I think. At the moment, it looks like they dont have a TV deal for next season, which means theyll have less to spend. The budgets for all the clubs will be lower.

     

    For me, I love being able to race in Britain, but I have to look at all aspects is it worth it money-wise? I also have a budget to go with my race team, so well see."

     

    No surprises for me to hear, and as I have previously said costs will need to be cut to keep the clubs in business this season.

  25. Posted

    However it has to be remembered out of the 128k that BSPA received they had to contribute £8000 per meeting towards BT production costs so if they accept the 2018 deal although they have not got the money coming in for tv rights they are not paying out 8k per meeting so what BT have offered is an improved deal.

     

    Do you mean each club received £128k as I can assure you that was not the deal when I was involved?

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