New Year Classic

[Diesel 26]

The more I read about this, the more it smacks of cold money grabbing opportunism.

[colincooke 0]

The more I read about this, the more it smacks of cold money grabbing opportunism.

I thought this myself Diesel, but then stood back a second & thought maybe the Reading promotion have hit a snag with regards to running at QM.

Only & only if the proceeds of this meeting go to Tim's estate would i find this exceptable.

It's his baby & that would be the only morally decent thing to do.

 

Matt has said himself that Tim is sadly missed, so he should prove those sentiments by respecting it.

Edited October 16, 2008 by colincooke

[Vince 9,458]

I thought this myself Diesel, but then stood back a second & thought maybe the Reading promotion have hit a snag with regards to running at QM.

The application was in long before they got the opportunity to find out about any snags. The three days after Tim's death rumour is looking more likely the more I think about it.

Only & only if the proceeds of this meeting go to Tim's estate would i find this exceptable.

It's his baby & that would be the only morally decent thing to do.

I would apologise to all concerned unreservedly if that were to happen (and I don't mean a small, token payment) however I really don't think I will be making that apology. They might pretend to honour Tim's memory but I suspect it won't be in any real financial terms. Besides it would benefit the estate or the new owner a hell of a lot more to run the meeting.

 

Matt has said himself that Tim is sadly missed, so he should prove those sentiments by respecting it.

Gordon Brown says he was a good chancellor - doesn't mean jack!

 

 

[jim the whipper 231]

The rule is that permits will be granted for one meeting per calendar month.

 

So November is vacant, December Brighton, January (up to now and I hope it continues) Newport and Feb is Telford.

 

However there is nothing to stop the BSPA deciding to change the rule, either as a matter of policy or as an 'exception' to the policy.

Theres no Brighton this year so december is free , Christmas Cracker anyone?

[2ndBender 28]

I never, ever thought I would see the day I prayed for torrential rain before, or during a Speedway meeting!

Edited October 16, 2008 by 2ndBender

[rabbit 1]

Sorry but that doesn't really wash when the person in a position to object was dead! No other promotion was in a position to go ahead because the future of Newport was uncertain, given the meeting is not until January no application even needed to be made at the time. Or the application could have been made on the grounds of 'if Newport is unable to hold the meeting' It is greed - no more and no less that saw the application go in.

 

If you view the possibilty of an improved line up as reason to behave in this way then I think you must understand Matt Ford far better than I do and I am glad I don't understand him.

 

In response to your opening paragraph - fair enough; your opinion. I'm only repeating what I was told.

 

In respect of your closing comment, I assume it was not directed at me as I have no opinion on line-ups whatsover. Improved or otherwise.

 

[Vince 9,458]

Rabbit, the closing comment was made in reply to the comment by Ferndown Racer who seems to think that the possibility of a good meeting will make up for the way it was 'obtained' A view with which I can only strongly disagree. I do understand that you are telling us what you have been told.

 

In the main I sympathise with Promoters and tend to put forward what I see as their side of an argument as I understand that their job is nowhere near as easy as it might appear. However this time I am appalled by the way the Poole promotion have acted in the chase for a few quid. For the first time in the 40 years I have been going to Speedway I want a meeting to be rained off or fail. I considered Tim a good friend and to my way of thinking this episode shows a complete lack of respect or decency.

[Diesel 26]

Its not often I agree with Vince, but....

[Tsunami 10,219]

Unfortunately the Poole, Swindon and Wolverhampton promotions seem to be running the show on everything, to the detriment of the rest. It's more money to the rich and sod the rest. Well it is the 'rest' that is needed in speedway to still keep the sport viable not the top three.

Their greed is not good for the sport.

 

[HBKPCNBob 5]

Sorry but can you please tell me where it states Matt Ford has applied to hold the meeting at Poole??

Now its been announced, you can carry on slating him

[tanya 0]

I hope Poole are proud of themselves and enjoy all the extra money to top up their accounts. Not only do they host most of the big meetings held by the BSPA and WTC they want everyone elses chance of holding a meeting too - in my school that is called greedy and is frowned upon.

 

Tim Stone did a tremendous job holding a meeting that nobody else wanted, he put up a decent field of riders, riders that wanted to come and ride at Newport in all conditions. Matt Ford go get your GP riders see how they want to ride when its chucking it down with rain and the winding is cutting through them.

 

And if Matt Ford had that much respect for Tim Stone then why didn't he attend his funeral...oh yes sory he was filling in that application

[M08 0]

The 16 Lapper is next week. Are Poole going to steal that too? Very, very poor news for Newport especially, and I'm sure many non Newport fans would've turned out for this meeting for Tim Stone at Queensway Meadows. But at Poole, nah.

[Shadders 4,135]

A bit of a ridiculous statement. If Poole hadn't held it it would not have taken place. And it's only for one year.

 

Newport don't have a current promoter and until all legalities are sorted there won't be any speedway at Newport so why be bitter?.

I'd rather see this meeting run at Poole than not run at all. Plus it'll give me a chance to check out a track I've yet to visit.

[colincooke 0]

I'd rather see this meeting run at Poole than not run at all. Plus it'll give me a chance to check out a track I've yet to visit.

 

 

Trust me Shadders make sure you take a good dustcover.

Or if you're staying bar- side, make sure they've cleared the taps.

Edited October 16, 2008 by colincooke

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

If there was a practical chance that the plans to stage this meeting at Newport using the Reading promotion could have worked then all efforts should have been made to ensure that the meeting went ahead in Wales. Only if there was no chance of this happening should the event be allowed to be staged elsewhere.

 

It's bad enough that the Newport supporters lost their promoter and most of the season but to have the hope of seeing the track open again in January dashed like this is just wrong, unless there was no chance of the announced plan (announced via the Speedway Star not via internet gossip) going ahead.

 

Now Poole can clearly see a fast buck here and their supporters are, as usual, giving their blind support to the promotion, irrespective of the ethics of the situation, and I hope they enjoy their meeting. I suspect they may not have too many viositors to worry about though.

 

Whatever the truth of the situation though Poole's handling of it has been appalling. The announcement should not have been made until it was clear and in the public domain that the plans to hold the meeting in Newport had failed. They have unnecessarily left themselves wide open to criticism.

 

This year opened with a P.R. own goal in the alleged "Winner Takes All" event at Wimborne Road. It seems no lessons have been learned.

 

Yes Poole are successful and a professionally run set-up but why on earth does a set-up with such good media relations shoot themselves in the foot so often? Is it complacency?

 

If the Newport plan was a non-starter they should have waited to announce this until that story came out.

 

If not then it's simple greed and a very distasteful end to what has been the most appalling season for the top division I have seen and which was already dying on its feet with the farce of the relegation play-offs.

 

Of course if you're a Poole fan everything is wonderful. However the success of the sport depends on far more than pleasing them, remarkable as it may seem to them.

 

Rob McCaffery.