Somerset Rebels 10 Year Anniversary Meeting

[bolly 96]

Well I prefer Len Silvers early call offs to a 400 + mile round trip and a hotel room, checking web every 15 mins on internet to be told as we pull into car park at the track to be told its called off.

 

Yours

 

P***** Off of Rye House.

[Steve Shovlar 10,439]

Couldn't believe it was still on. Been quite heavy rain most of the day.

[Shadders 4,135]

It's OFF..

 

Should of been called of ages ago, could have saved people time and money.

 

 

Well I prefer Len Silvers early call offs to a 400 + mile round trip and a hotel room, checking web every 15 mins on internet to be told as we pull into car park at the track to be told its called off.

 

Yours

 

P***** Off of Rye House.

I hope that everyone who made a fruitless journey to Somerset tonight thanks Len Silver next time he saves you time and money by calling off a fixture early.

All indications were that there was no way that tonight's meeting would take place.

[skippy 26]

all i can say is what a farce that was (memorial apart) and not the 1st time its happened to me at somerset and ive only been there 3 or 4 times. waste off 200 miles of fuel. 5pm track inspection, yeah right try 6 30. lack of communication to the public. i asked a steward what was happening and he had no idea.

[Diesel 26]

I hope that everyone who made a fruitless journey to Somerset tonight thanks Len Silver next time he saves you time and money by calling off a fixture early.

All indications were that there was no way that tonight's meeting would take place.

You're damned if you do, damned if you don't in these situations.

 

If you call it off early and the weather clears up, people moan. Leave it until the last minute and people end up making wasted journeys.

[drew2 252]

For everyone whinging out there please bear a thought for the Somerset promotion and tonight wasn't just about a speedway meeting for the Somerset faithful. They had managed to assemble the best field ever for a meeting at Somerset and with it held a memorial service for Emil, one of the Somerset legends.

 

Typically the English weather decides that all that hard work was going to go to waste but as has been stated before the Somerset track does take the water well and it has excellent drainage. I work at the golf range next door and had a look over the banking behind the third/fourth bend at about 3 o'clock at the track looked awesome with no puddles at all. I had some people texting me for weather updates and I replied as I saw it. Why would they call it off that early when the track was fine? I am sure they realised that it would be difficult to get a similar field in the future especaily with the GP riders commitments and made every effort to race the meeting. The rain did get heavier as I left the stadium at about 4pm but IF it had stopped then the track would still have been raceable by start time. I have witnessed some excellent meetings at the OTA when on the day of a meeting it has rained steadily or heavily during the day. Ok it didn't stop this evening but I am sure every promotion (even Rye House's) would have done the same as Somerset did tonight in a similar situation. The English weather had basically put them in a no win situation. Ok a few of you are cheesed off by travelling some distance but it is a risk we take for speedway in Britain (unless you are going to Cardiff). I seem to recall reading similar comments about people being cheesed off at Rye House on Sunday by the poor racing but then the weather was almost perfect! No pleasing some people.

[Starman2006 2,356]

I must admit, i made a phone call at 4.15 and was told it was still on, To be quite honest when i arrived at the track had there been no more rain the track looked raceable. The Emil Kramer Memorial went well and was quite touching.

I feel sorry for the promotion who put in a lot of time to asemble a superb field, and also for the fans that travelled from all over the place to get there in appaulling weather.

although im a stoute poole fan, i really hope Somerset have a good season, and it imo would be fitting if the club went on to win their League, and do it not just for themselves or the Club, but for one man, Emil Kramer.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Starman2006

[Dirt Junkie 5]

 

What a shame - see you Friday!

[Matt Davis 156]

Me and a mate went down to Somerset for this meeting after Newports P&P (also rained off!). We got there about 4ish - when it was raining, and it didnt stop raining until the meeting was called off

I think the main reason the meeting wasnt called early was because most of the riders seemed to think the track wasnt in too bad condition.

[Najjer 2,890]

You're damned if you do, damned if you don't in these situations.

 

If you call it off early and the weather clears up, people moan. Leave it until the last minute and people end up making wasted journeys.

 

Think that sums it up pretty much.

 

As Drew and a few others said, it was the best lineup ever at a meeting at Somerset and will probably not be anywhere the same standard when the meeting is rerun at some point this year. Tragedy really, but that's what Speedway for you.

[Cliffeboy 577]

I hope that everyone who made a fruitless journey to Somerset tonight thanks Len Silver next time he saves you time and money by calling off a fixture early.

All indications were that there was no way that tonight's meeting would take place.

 

Shadders my friend were you there,and how would you know.

I live in Watford and made the trip down,and booked a B and B for the night.IMO the meeting was still on right up until the memorial service started at which point it absolutely bucketed down.I think if it hadn`t had rained so hard at that point we would have been ok.Even at that late stage the riders were STILL continplating giving it a go,but as explained to me by Shane Parker it was just a little too risky at this early part of the season to get injured.

However after it was called off,quite a few of the riders stayed after chatting with the spectators and posing for photographs and signing autographs.In the OTA club I saw Crumpy,Emil the Russian,Lemo,Shane,

and most of the rest of the Rebels,Neil Collins,Mad Wellie Bish,Brent and many others.Hans Anderson also stayed,but he was out in the pits area with some other riders.The annoying thing was that at about 9.30 when I left the weather was lovely,no rain,wind nothing.

This isn`t the first time that I`ve travelled to a meeting and it has been called off and it will not be the last,but thats the deal with Speedway.I know some of the people behind the scenes at Somerset,and they have busted a gut to get this wonderful meeting together( the programme was superb)to see it all go up in smoke through the only thing they couldn`t control must have been a heartbreaker.

I have to say that I thought the Service was very moving,especially as the people who were attending did so through what was probibly the worst shower of the day,but I didn`t see anyone running for cover.To anyone who follows Speedway and you are thinking of making a bit of a journey to a meeting where there is a chance it might be off,make your own call,then if it is on you can only blame yourself,cos no one not even Len Silver can control the weather!

Edited March 21, 2010 by Cliffeboy

[PTDragons 22]

For all those on here slagging off the Somerset promotion with a late call off, well both they and the riders wanted the meeting on. It was understandable that Debbie Hancock waited as long as possible, given the amount of time and effort that had gone into arranging the meeting, which would have enabled us fans to watch world class riders at PL prices. There were constant inspections of the track from 4.00 onwards when I arrived and until the memorial service at 5.45 when the heavens really opened, the meeting looked like it could go ahead, as the track drains well and from 5.00, the rain was light and even stopped.

Personally, I feel they did the right thing by waiting as long as possible. For those who had a long drive only to be told on arrival it was off, then perhaps you could have erred on the side of caution and stayed at home. I travelled 180 miles myself but to be honest, although the meeting was a high class field, my main reason for attending was to pay my respects to Emil.

[kelvyn william hemborough 2]

The riders really wanted to do this, as we were going back out of the gate from the memorial service i saw mark lemon getting all his gear out then we waited outside for 15 minuites and then the referee decides to go on a track inspection as the riders thought the track was ok.

 

Before the service the track looked as if it could have been salvaged as it looked good but we had a very heavy downfall during the service which just was too much for the track. This is no fault of anyones just the weather.

[Starman2006 2,356]

Shadders, read my post mate! Also as Startline Kid says, ALL the riders were very keen to ride on Friday, and when i arrived at 4.30 had there been no more rain the meeting would have gone ahead, as the track was very raceable.

Eventhough the weather was appaulling i take my hat of to the many, yes i say many fans that travelled to the Oak tree, coming from as far away as Peterbourgh, And all came not just for the racing but also to pay their respects to Emil Kramer. The meeting was only called off after another downpour after Emils memorial.