Plymouth Devils

[liverpool chad 2]

plymouth is only 200 miles from the midlands ,80 miles past somerset ,hardly the end of the earth is it , if it was refused it wasnt because of location

 

Thats a fair point. All PL teams would only have to travel to Plymouth a couple of times a season at the most, whereas Plymouth would have to travel the long distances every away meeting!

So if it was denied because of it's location, then that is quite un-just.

[ancient mariner 540]

plymouth is only 200 miles from the midlands ,80 miles past somerset ,hardly the end of the earth is it , if it was refused it wasnt because of location

 

Besides, how far away are the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow for instance?

 

There must be some other reason, surely?

[jeffster 60]

plymouth is only 200 miles from the midlands ,80 miles past somerset ,hardly the end of the earth is it , if it was refused it wasnt because of location

 

Any ideas then?

 

Does seem odd that Plymouth, with 5 years membership of the NL, have been refused entry to the PL, while Leicester, whose stadium and track construction is not yet fully complete at present , have been granted entry to the PL!

 

All very odd ...

[BobC 664]

I have heard that travel was one of the considerations.

 

If thats the case,how the hell did Trelawny get to ride?

 

From a personal perspective,one of the more difficult tracks to get to is Kings Lynn.I love to watch racing there,but getting to and from there is horrible.I can get to Sheffield and Scunthorpe with a much easier drive.

 

I have also heard (unconfirmed) that Mike Bowden didnt present a good business plan.

 

Whatever League the Devils race in,I will always enjoy my trips down there.Ive met some smashing folk down there,and made some great friends.

 

At first,I didnt enjoy it there,however,they have sorted out the track,it does provide for some superb racing.NL wise,certainly more entertaing than provided at Bournemouth.

[Pirate Nick 1,801]

I have heard that travel was one of the considerations.

 

If thats the case,how the hell did Trelawny get to ride?

 

From a personal perspective,one of the more difficult tracks to get to is Kings Lynn.I love to watch racing there,but getting to and from there is horrible.I can get to Sheffield and Scunthorpe with a much easier drive.

 

I have also heard (unconfirmed) that Mike Bowden didnt present a good business plan.

 

Whatever League the Devils race in,I will always enjoy my trips down there.Ive met some smashing folk down there,and made some great friends.

 

At first,I didnt enjoy it there,however,they have sorted out the track,it does provide for some superb racing.NL wise,certainly more entertaing than provided at Bournemouth.

 

Still not over it then Bob?

[torpointfanatic22 268]

Speculation as to why we were refused will continue until Mike Bowden explains to the fans, I agree in that I dont think travel would have been the issue. Our facilities would have been my main concern, given the restrictions we have for example no permanent structures allowed at the SBA, ie concrete terracing or stands, but as a few have suggested on the AGM thread, it wouldn't surprise me if the PL didn't want Mike Bowden rather than the Plymouth Devils!

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Any ideas then?

 

Does seem odd that Plymouth, with 5 years membership of the NL, have been refused entry to the PL, while Leicester, whose stadium and track construction is not yet fully complete at present , have been granted entry to the PL!

 

All very odd ...

 

 

I guess the fact of the matter (albeit seemingly unfair and illogical to some...) is that if one opens a brand-new track and say you want to race in the PL, the authorities will bite your hand off and allow immediate membership at that level. This is because there ain't nothing in this sport more precious than a brand new venue; and it would, indeed IMHO, be folly not to give the people putting their hard cash into that new track what they wanted. This is all the more so when the track is in a major city and a Speedway hot-bed of the past.

 

I'm certain IF Plymouth had asked to go straight into the PL back when they were about to open, this would've been allowed.

 

Most new or returning tracks of recent years HAVE started in the CL/NL (Carmarthen, Wimbledon, Scunthorpe, Weymouth, Plymouth) but Redcar went straight into the PL with an operation very akin, I reckon, to what we'll initially see at Beaumont Leys... And not at all unlike Plymouth's.

Of those, Scunny have built up their venue superbly and moved up. Plymouth are suffering from the strange situation that now the authorities see a venue which regularly attracts 1,000 plus crowds at NL level (and who else can in truth say this at either that or PL level?!) so I reckon, unlike Leicester who will clearly be encouraged and nurtured, the BSPA think, "well Plymouth doesn't need PL to survive so with a fairly full second tier and a dwindling third one, we'll let them stay where they are". They then cite apparent weaknesses in Mike's presentation and concerns (unjustified IMHO) about stadium facilities...

 

Which is indeed all a lot unfair.

Mike is possibly now doing the right thing in threatening possible closure unless this elevation is allowed but what will be the outcome of such a stand-off we need to wait and see.

Plymouth's SBA is my FAVOURITE place to visit bar none for all the reasons Bob mentions - it would be a TRAGEDY if the place closed..

[greenheathen 1]

Having read what Mike Bowden had to say in this weeks Speedway Star it is a total disgrace that Plymouth have been refused PL status.

[Ben91 1,743]

What utter twaddle

 

Malcolm Vasey

 

This is where we have a problem Malcolm, you shoot posts down however you do not support your argument with a point.

 

I only know that what was written about Stoke is a complete fabrication.

 

I was not at the AGM and it is the role of the BSPA Press Office or Pymouth themselves to make any statement they wish. I only comment that any decision made was nothing to do with Stoke and the unsubstatiated notion put forward by Rocket Ben is completely out of order.

 

Malcolm Vasey

 

Sad to see a new team come in and jump straight into the PL when Plymouth have been looking to move up and have been around since 2006. Not to sound petty or accusation-al but it could well be a move by Stoke, letting Leicester take their PL licence, to ensure they have at least 1 more opponent in 2011 in the National League in the shape of Plymouth.

 

Read the bits in bold, I supported my argument with an opinion, a sound one too, not facts, I was not 'fabricating' any 'notion' merely stating something which could be true. If I had stated that these were the reasons Leicester had been accepted over Plymouth then you would have a point to argue, however I didn't so you haven't.

[Fiesta 3]

I would have loved Plymouth to be put into the PL, but if a PL club moves up and we are invited it obviously means the reasons why we were refused in the 1st place are utter crap! If our facilities weren't up to scratch or the BSPA felt our track wasn't good enough or the travelling aspect was a problem (all genuine ish reasons for refusal) then surely no matter what happens we shouldn't be invited anyway as none of these things will have changed!

 

If Lynn do move up and we are asked to move up I dare say Mike Bowden will do so, but it will just prove most peoples theories right, that the BSPA are a bunch of self centred, arrogant people that function on a basis of who you know not what you know. The sooner they are removed and an independent body comes in the better our sport will become!

 

Well said, but it's all about face fitting with the BSPA, presume Mr Bowden isn't in with right people.

as I've said elsewhere - whilst British Speedway is self regulated it will never be taken seriously!

[Swift Saint 186]

This is where we have a problem Malcolm, you shoot posts down however you do not support your argument with a point.

 

Sorry Ben my point, which I cannot prove to you because there never was what you claimed, is that your so called sound point was based on your imagination and had absolutely no basis in truth whatsoever.

 

It was completely and utterly without foundation.

 

Sorry

 

Malcom Vasey

[Fromafar 10,375]

If Plymouth meet the standards set out for the PL it is a disgrace they are not allowed to move up.Speedway is in a total shambles these days,it is no wonder fans are turning their back on the sport it just cannot be taken seriously the way it is run.

[tubby 3]

I for one hope plymouth do eventually get accepted into the premier league sooner rather than later,if the travelling is part of the reason they hav'nt then that is complete rubbish,what's the difference in NL side's travelling to the SBA to the PL sides.It was also a pleasure to meet devil's supporter's at scunny they were a great bunch and a credit to plmouth.

[Ben91 1,743]

Sorry Ben my point, which I cannot prove to you because there never was what you claimed, is that your so called sound point was based on your imagination and had absolutely no basis in truth whatsoever.

 

It was completely and utterly without foundation.

 

Sorry

 

Malcom Vasey

 

What? Have you ever thought of being a politician? You're good at dodging a question. There has to be a reason for your argument, you can't write something off as "twaddle" and expect people to accept that because of who you are. My comments were opinion, rather than a blunt, pedantic answer which there was no need for, you could have simply pointed out that my view was in fact not the truth in an adult manner.

[Tsunami 10,219]

Speculation as to why we were refused will continue until Mike Bowden explains to the fans, I agree in that I dont think travel would have been the issue. Our facilities would have been my main concern, given the restrictions we have for example no permanent structures allowed at the SBA, ie concrete terracing or stands, but as a few have suggested on the AGM thread, it wouldn't surprise me if the PL didn't want Mike Bowden rather than the Plymouth Devils!

 

Hmmmm.