An Open Letter To The Riders At The Elrc

[rabbit 1]

Rabbit, can you confirm one of your earlier posts please? You said the BSPA offered the fans their money back - is that the case, or were you refering to re-admission tickets giving free entry to the re-staging?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's not the BSPA. I've been reliably informed today that the decision to make the re-admission tickets valid for the restaging is Poole's decision. However in the local paper Matt is also quoted saying '..if you can't make the re-staging date, bring your ticket to the speedway office and [they] will arrange a refund'.

[rabbit 1]

What he says on Grachan's clip is that the riders are "in full agreement WITH ME." He also prefaces this by saying "It's really coming down now." It sounds to me as though it is the Clerk of the Course who has decided it's unfit for racing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the Clerk of the Course says, "the riders are in agreement with me" NOT "I'm in agreement with the riders".

 

The clerk of the Course and referee are to blame, not the riders!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The riders were in agreement with him - fine but about exactly what? He said it was a waste of time - but were the riders in agreement with him that they could do no more? That the track was as good as it was going to get? Were we party to the further discussions between the CotC and the referee once he was in the pits? No...

 

You guys have your opinion...I'll stick to mine based on what I saw and heard there yesterday, as well as the evidence on TV. Thanks.

Edited April 17, 2006 by rabbit

[Grachan 7,362]

For those without sound:

 

Clerk of the Course: It's really coming down here.

 

Ref: Are we wasting our time here Paul?

 

Clerk of the Course: I think, honestly, we're wasting our time. So.... most of the riders are in full agreement with me, so...

 

Ref: Ok, I'm going to come down and I think we're probably going to call it a day.

 

Clerk of the Course: Yep. Okay.

 

How the hell can that mean anything other than what SCB and Norbold are saying it means?

[Grachan 7,362]

Chris Louis clip. It's very hard to understand so I've put dots it where I can't work out what is being said. It could actually be two riders talking. Possibly Chris and Ryan Sullivan.

 

Actually, the sound on the clip I posted is poorer than the original and you can't make it out. This is what I can get from the original

 

It sounds to me like: '...honestly.....this lot watching... television and, you know, either tell us to get on with because it doesn't look too bad it or cancel it and go home.'

Edited April 17, 2006 by Grachan

[rabbit 1]

Look I'm not going to argue on this. The CotC is just one person involved there yesterday and as others have said that decisions were changing as much as the weather between all parties. The blame is with the riders - they were the ones ultimately refusing to get out there when even Hancock said it was raceable around heat 7 - perhaps you'd like to transcribe that bit on here too. You have your opinions on yesterday - I have mine.

 

Can't believe you've actually sat and rewatched it and written all the conversations down though. There's a word for that...

[Grachan 7,362]

Can't believe you've actually sat and rewatched it and written all the conversations down though. There's a word for that...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That word being what? I'm trying to put people straight that's all.

 

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

 

I wash my hands of you.

[rabbit 1]

You're quoting snippets of a long session of on-going conversations between various parties - referee, promoters, CotC, riders - only bits of these were seen and heard on camera. You might want to neatly package things but unless you have the entire saga screen-written i don't see the point.

 

As for washing your hands of me - you do what you want mush. No skin off my nose thanks. I know what I saw and heard there yesterday and a few seconds of TV footage is not the whole deal!

 

At the end of the day there was only one loser there whoever you think is to blame - and that is speedway. However much it's dressed up the sport is doing itself no favours. I've seen meetings take place down there in much worse conditions - but then what would i know. I've only attended Poole for the last 17 years. If fans keep thinking they're being taken for a ride - and even the hardcore are fed up with attitudes after yesterday, there is only one way for the sport to go and these prima donnas will end up doing the sport on the continent only or on an amateur basis. I bet the Dream team would have ridden there yesterday given the chance!

Edited April 17, 2006 by rabbit

[21st century heathen 220]

And your knowledge of asphalt is how extensive?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You seem intent on picking at everything but the main point I was making.

 

Time to leave it there, while it's still amicable.

 

It's not the BSPA. I've been reliably informed today that the decision to make the re-admission tickets valid for the restaging is Poole's decision. However in the local paper Matt is also quoted saying '..if you can't make the re-staging date, bring your ticket to the speedway office and [they] will arrange a refund'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But how many people, other than locals, are going drive to the stadium for a refund. The petrol would cost more.

[rabbit 1]

Use your noddle...if you're miles away you phone or write to the stadium don't you to ask what you should do. That quote came from the local paper so wasn't intended for people away - no doubt it will be changed when it appears in the national publications.

[rusky 113]

You're quoting snippets of a long session of on-going conversations between various parties - referee, promoters, CotC, riders - only bits of these were seen and heard on camera. You might want to neatly package things but unless you have the entire saga screen-written i don't see the point.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

At the end of the day, the promoters cannot make any desicion on a meeting once it has started. Discussions to abandon should be between the Riders / ref & C of C. The situation of promoters getting involved will always cloud the issue, with undue pressure being applied for financial reasons.

[Steve Shovlar 10,439]

Todays echo.

 

POOLE chief Matt Ford has stressed he feels the Elite League Riders' Championship should have been completed at Wimborne Road on Sunday night.

 

And he put most of the blame for the fact that it wasn't on the shoulders of a minority of riders, although he refused to name names.

 

Ford, whose club staged the meeting on behalf of the British Speedway Promoters' Association, said: "I don't think it was the right decision to call it off."

 

Referee Daniel Holt abandoned the championship after only six of the scheduled 22 races had gone ahead.

 

He made the controversial decision after centre green discussions with the riders following some heavy spells of rain and a 20-minute delay during which track staff had made strenuous efforts to get the circuit into better shape.

 

Ford said: "I think an important meeting taking place in Slovenia later this week (the Slovenia Grand Prix at Krsko) is probably one of the reasons this has been called off."

 

Speaking at 6.45pm, 105 minutes after the meeting had originally started, Ford added: "The Met Office were clear the rain was going to stop just as it has done now.

 

"We had time to hold fire. Fair enough, it was a two-and-a-half hour show for Sky Sports, but my main priority was to get the meeting on for the public here in the stadium."

[Eastie 0]

In the prevalent weather conditions the same thing would've happened at Oxford, Eastbourne, Peterborough, Ipswich, wherever.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dont know about Poole but Bob Dugard at Eastbourne can relay a track in 2 hours.

But the big but is ..Sky schedules and riders flight bookings for Poland

[21st century heathen 220]

Use your noddle...if you're miles away you phone or write to the stadium don't you to ask what you should do. That quote came from the local paper so wasn't intended for people away - no doubt it will be changed when it appears in the national publications.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That was a little tongue-in-cheek. I doubt they would refuse if people were to post them back rather than actually go to the stadium.

 

Before deleting the match I watched it again just to confirm a couple of things. Based on what was seen and heard by the Sky cameras.

 

Jason was the only rider seen on the phone to the ref, just a second before the ref asked for the CotC.

 

Jason was only rider in the ref's ear when he first looked at the track.

 

Jason was certainly not intending to ride again, as he walked back to the pits on this first occasion.

 

Neither Jason, nor Mark, said it was dangerous. Scott said that they'd said this.

 

Mark said he didn't mind as he walked back to the pits past a camera, you can just make it out as there was no mic on him.

 

Chris said he was p!$$ed off waiting and he thought the track was okay, just before he suggested a show of hands.

 

There is no indication whatsoever of how Nicki felt about racing. He is only seen breifly from a distance, and there is no way of telling from the shots shown.

 

PK, Hans, David, Lee, and Charlie, are all seen quite relaxed. They all seem ready to carry on as they chat and joke amongst themselves in the pits. Non of them are in ref's ear, and non show any signs of negativity at all.

 

Leigh, Greg, KK, (virtually unseen until now), and Scott all agree very quickly not to go out and ride. At that point they should be making their way onto track. At that point the official word from the ref is that the meeting is on. At that point those four riders are refusing to race despite the fact that the match is on, at that point.

 

The ref then bows down to their wishes and calls it off.

 

I said on the other thread, and will repeat here, the interview with RR was very good. He was the only one to think of the fans, and he earned himself some brownie points in my eyes last night. I've never particularly liked the guy, although I respect the work he puts in to speedway, but he gets my man of the match award.

[rabbit 1]

Well said 21CH. I'd meant to mention Ronnie in previous posts but never got round to it. I've always slightly taken the mickey out of Ronnie before, but last night, full marks to the guy. I've heard he's a good bloke on the quiet and last night seems to confirm it. Was also impressed with Loramski's attitude - shame a few more riders don't possess it.

 

BTW..I meant to add a wink in my reply to you but in my haste I forgot. Sorry!

 

Eastie - think you've hit the nail on the head in your post about the flights. It is probably the first time ever I've agreed with something you've put.

[21st century heathen 220]

No probs Rabs. I think we've pretty much seen eye-to-eye on this one.