Mike.Butler

wondering if you've considered these issues that have affected other tracks on opening night that I can recall making the spectator experience less than perfect (and in some cases extremely frustrating)..you get one opening night thinking of issues around:- starting gate malfunction P.A. not being heard in whole of stadium running out of programmes (no!!!!!) slow admission to stadium (with tight curfew this being particularly relevant here) announcer who was new to Speedway lighting in stands (on/off at right times) tractors/other machinery obscuring view club shop with no pens explaining rules for newcomers (+ page in prog) setting sun delaying heats track issues generally track grading when natural breaks if poss communications between ref and pits referee knows where 2 min buzzer is (lol) fence repairs well practised and spare parts required to hand aware of latest local weather forecast re-admission tickets provided enough toilets enough refreshment outlets - (incl different q for a cuppa so not behind someone waiting for onions) litter bins overflowing mud everywhere after rain newcomers mass relocation after heat 1after they find themselves plastered contrived result (surely not!) riders interviews not being heard as they pretty all well mumble..get them to practice in advance! traffic management before/after meeting advance notice of 'no claxons' or other planning reqs cost of admission/prog/parking known in advanc suitable music (no long periods of silence please) scoreboard being made best use of for info if poss people gaining free view from outside without paying two ambulances would be a godsend to minimise embarrassing delays in front of probably your biggest and most impressionable crowd telling everyone when the next meeting is (obvious I know!) Sorry if i'm teaching you how to suck eggs but all of above have been a cause of frustration to me in the past...and you are in a decent stadium after all so good luck, m

It was a DH - Leicester followed in the Midland Cup final..Coventry operated R/R (as if the needed it!).

Slough to Aldermaston is 30 miles, King's Lynn to Norwich is 43

on first look this is an eye-catching site and oozes professionalism..well done.

neither Clark Kent nor Bruce Kent have been named in NL lne-ups yet to my knowledge..

it is well known egon muller had the norden track prepared to his liking in 1983 and look at the result...so i certainly don't under-estimate the advantage the poles did have whilst riding at home back then...its all about familiarity..same apples these days..look at expectations of team gb riding at kng's lynn against when riding abroad...

definitely keep name Cradley as a carrot..

If they want more fans from the mainland they must think about their return journey as a priority...An earlier start is fine as loing as it doesnt mean an extended interval and tardy running of heats so that I arrive back home again at the same hour as now....

hey Gary, pure co-incidence i'm just looking at a Long Eaton v Mildenhall prog 17MAY89...It ended as a 48-48 draw but you'd have won if you hadn't lost to Preben Eriksen in heat 1! your only defeat...

i'd watch...especially if 13 heats and 2nd half...

if climate change in nthe UK continues as it is then cricket will struggleas well as speedway...footy goes on all year now then..June with the Scottish Juniors andJuly with the europ league qualifiers

Agreed, and then on to a Beiekeller where i got to dance with Andy Smith when he turned up....but then the coach journey from hell back to the UK.. And did you ever read such comical english translation of the rider profiles!.....Surely the foreign GP progs have moved on a notch...I haven't my Prague one to hand at the mo..

Ferry good

well i'd rather see leicester in the elite league than a club who only want to run 14 meetings in a whole season..this is going back to the 70's when new promoters had to pay a very substantial fee to join the top table......can't be right that a team who cannot complete fixtures has priority eihther just because they are already in...if this was Rugby League they would seriously be looking at revoking a licence I'd have thjought..maybe this is the prob..run a porr show and short change the fans but never mind....we'll still get the money and be here next year..

are they running? some announcement due on wed i read somewhere..

..and out of those riding in Britain they were 3 Reading Racers 3 Oxford Cheetahs 2 Coventry Bees 1 Bradford Duke 1 Cradley Heathen 0 Poole Pirates (lol)

world championship final line-up 1989 Munich: Doncaster, Smith, Tatum, Wigg Brhel, Matousek, Riss, Adorjan, Maier Correy, Olsson, Shirra, Tyrvainen, Butler Nielsen, Gundersen I would wager this was one of the least inspring world finals ever..Jan O was out injured and Neilsen cruised it after beating only reeal rival Gundesren in their 1st heat..talk about a meeting not reaching any sort of climax..we knew the winner after heat 4! Was that the best the continent could come up with! how times change...

I remember a Dr Foster was involved at the time but heard it rained too much there to consider it seriously..very wise in light of flooding affecting the city in recent years..

hope the new non-stand alone teams are prepared to accept the NL as a training league which is what Buxton need to be able to compete..If not, then why don't the Coventry or Leiceter promotions financially support the Hitmen (and maybe Stoke)and race there instead of at home? Seems to me Buxton./Stoke/IOW need to compete at MDL level and that means a 4 tier structure... Stand-Aloe teams could run 2 x dev lge matches on same night + rider of night semis and final to give 15 heats.. Or why can't all EL/PL teams introduce junior racing at that level and get PL teams to run 2nd halves to bring on youngsters? trying to think of alternate ways to include everyone who wants to ride and at a level they can afford...

Sport England list Speedway and under their 'What we do' section it says..."Work with national Governing bodies who will continue to play a pivotal role as the stewards of their sport' If they can be convinced the current governance model is not fit for purpose could we get a another 1965-type judicial review perhaps? Short sighted self-interest is destroying the sport in this country..the promoters do not seem to have anyone above them looking after the sports general well-being...what the heck are the FIM doing for instance? Couldn't they or someone put a long term plan in place that won't change every year? I lknow this sounds like desperation but i'm not sure I can stand another winterconference where the only change is that a double double T/S is allowed in heat 15 next season..

i was there last night and thought heat 14 was the best race involving all 4 riders I have seen live all season.. That is what woud bring some pounters back if repeated regularly.; four riders of equal ability and not knowing who would come where with passing on every lap.... Last October I saw the October KL DH vs Buxton and after 27 heats an end was called at 11.45 p.m. This year i was home in Sussex by that time!

Michael Lancaster.

...expect it will be the EL KO Cup final..

You're starting to show your age Tony....Along with Paul!...Neither he nor you being able to manage two meetings in two days!..re the atmosphere i think it was always going to feel flat after friday... at least I got a prog! I now need one from Rico's meeting thanx to them only printing a quarter of the demand...i'm not an e-bay man tbh....need someone to keep an eye out for me please...

Juts wanted to add that CityRebel and i both thoroughly enjoyed the 30 heats and the track preparation was excellent. well done to all concerned + those getting the meetings through in good time. Back home in Burgess Hill by 11.00.