Davet
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Posts posted by Davet
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But would Chapman sell to anyone who wanted to drop down to Championship level?
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I can see where you're coming from, and I would have happily got behind the team Ged put together. However, after Buster cannibalised it to prop up his other clubs, I lost interest. It is clear that he has no ambition for the club other than to make up the numbers, and if he doesn't care, why should I?
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But it was the Bomber replacement that apparently led to the departure of Ged and Neil, since when things have gone down hill with the loss of T Balfe sponsorship and then Cook.
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Absolutely. Now we have a team which is not only under strength but which can't be brought up to strength.
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I would have settled for Ged, Neil and Championship personally. I haven't been this year, and with one racing line and a team 3 points below the limit I don't intend to.
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7 minutes ago, Stoke Potter said:8 Grand in 4 and a half months! 1800 quid a month...
How many meetings is that?
We'll call a meeting a full days work and then add another day's work for meeting prep...
So many "days" work to get 8 grand?
On the bigger picture, I've not yet read this weeks Star cover to cover bit I've not yet picked up on anyone saying the tracks need to be fixed, apart from Andy Meredith wittering on about everybody getting decent shale - that won't help with the poor size/shape of most of them.
But most of the tracks have been the same shape for years and there have been no complaints (or not many) until recently. If the modern bikes cannot be properly controlled on British tracks then surely it is the bikes which are not fit for purpose, not the tracks. This trend towards slicker and slicker tracks just to accommodate the lay downs is ruining the sport.
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Flappy, if you're reading this can you please re-title the thread (totally stupid or something similar) and start a new one for Panthers 2019. Thanks in advance.
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I don't understand how people can believe speedway was better in the past but also say you can't turn the clock back. Surely it's clear that, if you're going in the wrong direction the sensible thing to do is to turn back.
19 minutes ago, Stoke Potter said:There have been rule changes to deliberately reduce the smell?
Who mentioned rule changes? Technology has reduced the smell, but has also detracted from the overall experience.
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I take it, Orion that you don't regard yourself as an older fan, and consequently you don't realise how much better speedway was 30 or so years ago! Sure, the racing was probably no better than it is today, but the noise, the smell, the atmosphere and most of all the fun has largely been lost from the sport to its detriment.
Speedway today takes itself far too seriously. If you have ever watched stock cars or bangers you would have to agree that the "racing" is nothing special. Difficult to tell who is winning, if you even care, but these events seem to attract far better crowds than speedway, simply because of the noise and the smell, etc. which speedway has systematically eradicated due to "technological improvement".
I know that, unfortunately it would be difficult to reintroduce the noise and to a lesser extent the smell as this would upset the environmentalists, bit I can't help thinking that reverting to deep tracks so that rider ability was more important than horse power would be a step in the right direction. How you bring the fun back is another question altogether!
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That was a memorable meeting - for the wrong reasons in some respects - but I would swap the speedway served up then for the sanitised, present day offering any day of the week!
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I was there too and there was no possible excuse for Howe's action. If Jeremy Doncaster had reacted it would have been understandable if not excusable. It was nothing to do with Howe. Fortunately he seemed to disappear off the scene shortly after and good riddance! There's no place for such stupid behaviour in an already dangerous sport.
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How did Nicki come to be brought into this?
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Read it again! It was the deliberate nature of Howe's action that was unforgiveable. Ronni Pedersen was, to my best memory an awkward rider, and he was certainly guilty of some unacceptable moves, but I don't believe he was ever guilty of deliberate foul riding.
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You weren't there though were you? Ronni Pedersen's trouble was his confidence exceeded his ability, but I don't think he ever deliberately fenced or otherwise impeded another rider. Ben Howe, on the other hand deliberately used his bike as a weapon, forcing Ronni to collide with the fence. I don't understand, to this day why he didn't receive a ban. Speedway is dangerous enough without idiots like him being allowed to act in such a way.
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People seem to ignore the fact that electric vehicles are not "clean"; it's just that the pollution occurs somewhere else. You can argue that these are beneficial in an urban environment where local air quality may be an issue, but petrol / diesel power is more appropriate for non urban environments where journeys are generally longer as well.
The same thing can be said for hydrogen power. Hydrogen itself can be said to be a clean fuel, but where will it come from? I suspect by reforming hydrocarbons, as gas companies did in the past, but this results in the production of carbon dioxide which is released to the atmosphere so, again, the pollution would simply occur somewhere else!
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I'm not disagreeing with you - I'm simply making the point that noise reduction, along with H and S and other factors, while perhaps inevitable, is making speedway less attractive to many.
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During the '60s and '70s, the noise and the smell and (I'm afraid to say) the crashes were a great part of the appeal to many people. Closeness of racing and league success was less important than it is today as, win or lose the spectacle was enjoyable. Todays sanitised product, with the loss of the smell and much reduced noise level has greatly reduced this appeal and I believe is the reason for the disenchantment of many fans and the consequent diminishing gates.
I believe the introduction of silent, electric bikes would be the last nail in the coffin for the sport, if indeed it lasts that long!
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I think the question should be WHY, not WHEN!
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Seems to me that:
1. The modern, highly tuned engines cannot cope with a grippy track, and tracks have become increasingly slick for that reason.
2. Grippy tracks generally lead to faster heat times than slick tracks.
If we accept these observations, it seems to me that, if tracks were consistently prepared with more grip, the need for a highly tuned engine would be negated, without sacrificing speed.
I think for too long track conditions have been prepared to suit the machine, whereas it should be the other way round.
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During the Frost years the blade came out during the interval almost every week to scrape the loose dirt from the outside to mid track, after which the whole track was graded. Didn't seem to cause much reaction then!
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Had it ever occurred to you that perhaps the Tactical Ride is responsible for more than just me not going? There will doubtless be other Rules that some folk can't stomach and refuse to put up with.
I would bet I am not the only one.
The fact it has been going since 1955 - does not, necessarily, make it right.
I had thought that the present scoring system, which favours the away team, offsetting any home track advantage would have removed the need for tactical subs / rides. I agree that it is time for them to go, although it won't stop me from attending meetings.
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Don't think anyone would argue that being fit was anything but a good thing. It's just that the modern, professional, sanitised version of Speedway is less appealing to the average spectator than the unsilenced, smelly version of the sport which existed in the 60s and 70s. The fitness regime is just one symptom of the professionalism which has reduced the appeal of the sport in my opinion.
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As I see it, riders and promotions take things far too seriously these days, and, as a consequence much of the fun has gone out of speedway. A few years ago, riders seemed to take part because they enjoyed it, and, apart from the top riders payment was a bonus to supplement their income. The fitness thing is, I feel down to the need to maximise earnings rather than to enjoy what they are doing.
It's all about money now, and, although the racing is probably as good as it ever was, the "fun" atmosphere which predominated in the 60s, 70s and 80s is now in short supply.
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PETERBOROUGH are rewarding their most loyal supporters with a terrific deal for 2017.
The T Balfe Construction Panthers have frozen season-ticket prices for existing holders.
That means an adult can renew for £300 while the concession rate remains at £200 even though there is more racing in prospect next year.
It is a generous gesture from promoter Ged Rathbone and a token of his appreciation for the super support the club received during a difficult 2016 campaign.
We had record number of season-ticket holders last season, said Rathbone. And their backing is hugely important to us.
I dont want to go over old ground, but we all know the 2016 season didnt turn out as we all hoped it would.
Therefore I felt it only right to give our fans with season tickets a little something back and by freezing their renewal rates for 2017 they will get more speedway for the same price.
The season-ticket package for 2017 includes entry to a guaranteed minimum of 20 meetings. A programme (worth £3) and car parking (worth £1) is also included for every meeting whereas any prestige fixtures such as semi-finals or finals will be offered at a discounted rate.
And season tickets are now on general sale to new customers ahead of next term.
The purchase price has been set at £330 for adults, £220 for students and £75 for juniors (thats children aged between 10 and 16).
Kids under the age of 10 will again receive free admission to all Panthers fixtures in 2017 when accompanied by an adult, who is either a season-ticket holder or paying on the turnstile.
Rathbone added: We feel the season tickets represent outstanding value again.
They proved to be extremely popular last winter and were hopeful that will be the case again given we will have so much more racing next year.
Season tickets are now on sale and will remain available until January 31.
Applications can be made by clicking here
So if I understand this, the season ticket concessionary rate for new customers is limited to students and not available to over 65s? Is that right?
Tigers v Panthers 22/07
in SGB Premiership Speedway League
Posted
Don't forget if you build a top heavy team your top two can each take 5 rides - 6 if tactical substitutions come into play, which one could argue is equally "unfair". The problem is that their number one is struggling for form; the way things are going he could find himself at reserve before long, and taking 7 rides.