*JJ

Probaly that was due to having joined the Championship at the last minute, resulting in the very weak team!

Actually, the present Brummies promotion is trying to help new riders, with some success. However, the previous Mole/Drury promotion didn't care and wouldn't do anything.

I have attended winter meetings in the amateur speedway: at Scunthorpe! This country isn't Alaska, you can have good days in January, just as much as midsummer.

But who was going to pay for that? They cost £5000 each: which meant that practically every rider in the country would be ten grand at least out of pocket! As for upright engines: they are exactly the same as laydowns, except for the oil breather. I sold one to a rider (who posts on this forum), and he fitted it to an upright frame and won amateur races with it.

Have you any reason to believe that the Brummies will go bust? The season ticket is not likely to be much use this season, as there is likely to be fewer matches than originally planned. Or is this the usual BSF negativity?

I don't see this. In my team, when we went into the Elite League, two 'star riders' made themselves cordially disliked; and they didn't cause any increase in attendances. Then, when the team dropped into the third division, there wasn't any drop in the crowds. More often, IMO, what causes the crowd to diminish is perpetually losing teams, like another team in the Midlands.

They certainly do: and it's not even a car park, just a grass field!

Kent aren't the only ones: with parking, entry and a programme, it cost about £25 for Somerset, no concessions there either!

Maybe because they don't know if or when the season will start, and how many matches will take place? As far as I am concerned, they can roll my season ticket over to next year, and I can pay for the few matches which are likely to take place later on.

Named after an aeroplane!

There was always plenty of riders paying £40 to practice at Scunthorpe and other tracks: somewhere in the north west should do just as well.

That's spelt with an A! Though I notice that "Heedthebaw" (whatever that means) has not replied ...

What is your source for saying this?

But where would they ride? The BSPA would 'black' any tracks with breakaway teams.

True. At least the Birmingham promotion are trying to do something, even if no-one else is!

That will be the day ...

ONE each. I spent a couple of years helping a rider in the MDL, and had to pay to get in. (It was I who paid as I am a pensioner and so paid less than the rider's father).

Definately bad: there is no way that new riders - unless they have been riding grasstrack since childhood - can go straight into the National League without serving an apprenticeship in a Development League team. The fact is, that promoters couldn't care less about DL teams, even though it doesn't cost them a penny to run!

And I gather that Tony Mole had to pay off his debts, and was not best pleased about that ... and the promoter in question did not seem at all bothered about all of this when posting on facebook!

That was a Cradley promoter!

I doubt it - he wasn't very good as a rider! But I may be wrong.

Nothing! Chips on the pier ...

Only arses: it's not true!

Which is what we did for one match last year. Set out early, had a day by the seaside ... mind you, I am retired

National League matches tend to be completed more quickly than those in Higher leagues: the riders do as they are told!