Stoke 2013

[Scunny Stag 72]

I see.. so Tommy gets a team place before he is ready and someone else who IS ready misses out , then because poor old Tommy could'nt quite learn on the Job that's a reason to carry him for another season while lads who are ready to score miss out again , and the paying public at whichever team is benevolent enough to take him on, watch their team struggle week after week , good logic there . certainly beats the idea of letting him ride in the amateur leagues until he is race ready and then giving him a chance . I suppose that's why I'll never be a team manager and you are .

I will put it in simpler terms. I believe Tommy Fenwick IS already ready for the National League. He has already acheived a 3 point average from the main body of the Scunthorpe team and has ridden most if not all the tracks. By my reckoning he has already done his initial 'learning on the job' and Stoke need a reserve. For those who haven't seen Tommy ride as much as I have my opinion is that Tommy would be a good signing. There may be other candidates but for the record who would you suggest to fill the gap at Stoke?

[Greg 123]

if he fit it a easy choice for me Lee Geary.

[Hector Austin 51]

I wouldn't dream of offering my opinion on who would be a good reserve signing . especially not in such exalted company as on this thread , you are a team manager and from reading your posts can see that talented kids will continue to walk away from speedway frustrated that despite showing their ability and commitment they lack the one key factor to success in the sport being the favourite of a team manager , maybe I should get a TM job and then I can have my choices . one thing for sure there won't be anyone in my teams who have had a whole season in the NL and still can only manage to attain their assessed average and cant even hold his own in the Amateur leagues

 

 

C'mon who's ya son man! Obviously got ya nose outta joint because he hasn't a team place

[Baldy 69]

''Some very good riders in the league at times''

 

But even the best of them are only good enough to hold down a reserve position in the P.L and still they expect people to turn up in a rubbish hole of a stadium, with crap food (and charged the earth for) and still pay near what we were paying to see the top lads in the PL. Get real, most of the riders in the NL are going nowhere except the NL ,fact. Maybe if they were to advertise the fact that they are still running Speedway there they may get the odd few going, but every time I speak to anyone in Stoke and say anything about Speedway, they are always surprised that it is still running. Let me ask you this , would you be pleased to take anyone there for the first time ,in that stadium, and tell them what a good night out this is , stood around ,sometimes for hours in the cold just to watch a bunch of no hopers, and pay good money for it. I think not.

I think I have "got real". There is nobody with a pile of money to turn it into a top sporting stadium regardless of Premier speedway or not. I'm not a beef(horse) burger chips and that type of food fan so your description is correct, again that will not change in the Premier; although them may move up market with pickled eggs!!. Quite right that a lot of the riders are probably at their level but to call them no hopers is grossly unfair. Watching Ben progress last year was very rewarding and Liam Carr will be a bright star if given the track time. The track craft of Richie, Ash, Tom Perry, Adam Roynan, Blackbird, Jacobs, Heeps...the Scunny boys and the development of riders like Richings is great to see. Ok the times were slower in majority of races but when they are all going at a similar pace then the racing is just as close. Would I invite someone to Stoke as a first timer with everything in the poor condition it is in? Well, yes because that's what we have at present. Yes the meetings are drawn out and other things could be better and it is a little expensive but I'm enjoying it and I want it to continue. We do need the profile of the speedway team raising in the city and we can all have a hand with that. It is cold up there but a curry on the way home normally sorts that. I had to do that in the Premier too.

[comebackkings 113]

The crowds at Stoke could be so much bigger if the promotion and staff had not driven so many away. Good publicity takes time to work, but bad publicity spreads like wildfire. If there was a promotion change at Stoke a lot more would go.

[Neil H 63]

I wouldn't dream of offering my opinion on who would be a good reserve signing . especially not in such exalted company as on this thread , you are a team manager and from reading your posts can see that talented kids will continue to walk away from speedway frustrated that despite showing their ability and commitment they lack the one key factor to success in the sport being the favourite of a team manager , maybe I should get a TM job and then I can have my choices . one thing for sure there won't be anyone in my teams who have had a whole season in the NL and still can only manage to attain their assessed average and cant even hold his own in the Amateur leagues

Tom Woolley 1 2 6 0 6 12.00

Oliver Greenwood 4 12 32 0 32 10.67

Adam Kirby 9 25 47 2 49 7.84

Daniel Phillips 3 10 18 1 19 7.60

Tommy Fenwick 4 11 18 1 19 6.91

Max Clegg 1 3 5 0 5 6.67

Simon Allan 4 8 6 3 9 4.50

Martin Wrathall 3 8 7 2 9 4.50

David Holt 6 19 16 3 19 4.00

Michael Neale 1 2 2 0 2 4.00

Michael Faulkner 5 15 11 3 14 3.73

Interesting choice of stats that you chose to show that you don't rate Tommy Fenwick. Seems from your choice of stats that Tommy did better than Max Clegg, the same Max Clegg that signed for Dudley (and they don't usually sign duds). Come on, you seem to be very opinionated so let us know who you want.

[lkaakl1 14]

Max Clegg has not had a full season in the national league when he has if he still has not increased his starting average it will be time for him to step aside and let someone else have a chance BELLE VUE

RIDER MAT RIDES POINTS BP TOTAL AVERAGE

Max Clegg 8 24 64 0 64 10.67

Chris Widman 2 6 15 0 15 10.00

Andy Mellish 1 4 7 1 9 9.00

Tom Woolley 7 17 34 2 36 8.47

Shaun Tedham 4 9 15 3 18 8.00

Adam Kirby 1 3 4 1 5 6.67

Niall Strudwick 1 3 4 0 4 5.33

Jack Kingston 1 3 4 0 4 5.33

David Holt 11 32 30 8 38 4.75

Michael Neale 9 26 27 5 32 4.92

, heres another set of stats for you possibly the reason why Max got snapped up by a team that don't sign duds and Tommy Fenwick didn't

shows what you really know adonis as Max has been in NL for a full season and with all due respect riding alot longer

[bigred 187]

Max Clegg has not had a full season in the national league when he has if he still has not increased his starting average it will be time for him to step aside and let someone else have a chance BELLE VUE

RIDER MAT RIDES POINTS BP TOTAL AVERAGE

Max Clegg 8 24 64 0 64 10.67

Chris Widman 2 6 15 0 15 10.00

Andy Mellish 1 4 7 1 9 9.00

Tom Woolley 7 17 34 2 36 8.47

Shaun Tedham 4 9 15 3 18 8.00

Adam Kirby 1 3 4 1 5 6.67

Niall Strudwick 1 3 4 0 4 5.33

Jack Kingston 1 3 4 0 4 5.33

David Holt 11 32 30 8 38 4.75

Michael Neale 9 26 27 5 32 4.92

, heres another set of stats for you possibly the reason why Max got snapped up by a team that don't sign duds and Tommy Fenwick didn't

look at max,s starting average for 2013........ So unless I,ve lost the ability to count,starting on a 3 and finishing on over 4.5 = increase.for a 15 year old kid in his first year of racing,also like tommy in the main team not reserve is pretty damn good I,d say......good luck to max at dudley,and to tommy in finding a ride in 2013.

[big lad 7]

thats grest Steeplejack, I am glad that you are enjoying it, but I was trying to explain why me and a lot of others don't like NL and the way in which the club has gone, and as such have voted with our feet.The sad fact is that once people find something else to do on a speedway night, you will not get them back, and that is what has happened at Stoke.The thought at one time of not going to speedway on a saturday night never entered my head, and I would rush back form doing other things to ensure that I have loads of time to make it to the stadium and have a chat before the meeting. These days I never give it a thought, and the only time I miss it a little is when I hear the bikes (I live in Chesterton)racing on a saturday night. So if that is how I feel and I live on the doorstep, how are you going to get people who live miles away to come.

I never felt that I would ever fall out of love with my sport, after going most of my life,supporting the club and helping the riders out with at times a few pounds, its all very sad and I dont know how we can turn it around, so that Stoke will one day be back were they belong in the PL.All so very sad for the club and all those like me who thought the world of it.

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

''Some very good riders in the league at times''

 

But even the best of them are only good enough to hold down a reserve position in the P.L and still they expect people to turn up in a rubbish hole of a stadium, with crap food (and charged the earth for) and still pay near what we were paying to see the top lads in the PL. Get real, most of the riders in the NL are going nowhere except the NL ,fact. Maybe if they were to advertise the fact that they are still running Speedway there they may get the odd few going, but every time I speak to anyone in Stoke and say anything about Speedway, they are always surprised that it is still running. Let me ask you this , would you be pleased to take anyone there for the first time ,in that stadium, and tell them what a good night out this is , stood around ,sometimes for hours in the cold just to watch a bunch of no hopers, and pay good money for it. I think not.

 

Lets face it, whatever league Stoke would be in it would be a 'rubbish hole' of a stadium with 'crap food' (your words, not mine) and the 'top lads' aren't in the PL, they are in the EL - in fact, comments like yours are made by EL fans in respect of the PL, and many PL tracks are now only £1 or so cheaper than their EL equivalent.

 

If you look through the British riders in the EL or PL, virtually every one started in the NL (or its equivalent, the CL). Our GP rider this season started there. I'd maintain that if PL & EL promoters gave British youngsters the opportunites that they give to foreigners there would be more.

 

Its an absolute myth that the quality of the entertainment in the upper leagues is better than the NL. Stoke often isn't the racing track that it should be - I still believe it has the best shape in British Speedway - but when its good, its very good.

 

What I would say on the subject of taking new spectators is that there is no doubt that I would take them to Mildenhall rather than Belle Vue (as an example) every time.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Halifaxtiger

[ChubbyChesgire 9]

Yes at it's best the racing is fantastic - sadly the stock cars have messed it up a bit, but I understand the financial reasons and accept that.

 

As for the state of Loomer - it is the 40th anniversary of the Potters moving there this year and it it doesn't look like anything has been touched since ! But with money so tight, nothings going to be done for some time so we have to get on with it....or hope for a rich benefactor !

 

I brought some new recruits down at the end of last year - I warned them of the state of the place, but they didn't come for that - they came to see decent racing - and they got that - it may not have been as fast as EL/PL and we lost (see my comments about last years home performance earlier on in the thread)- but it was competetive and exciting and they're hooked and coming back this year.

 

BTW have a look at the comments re 40th anniversary on the Stoke Speedway Facebook page - they're quite funny - Malcolm needs to be wary of anyone carrying scissors !

[villiers210 61]

I've said this many times before, but not on here. I well remember Loomer Road opening and it was a fine stadium. I don't think a single penny piece has been spent on it since, and it shows (even down to what now passes for carpet in the bar). OK, fair enough, there isn't the money available to spend compared to what Ladbrokes have down the road at a much older Monmore Green.

 

But really, how much does a coat of paint cost? The place could be made look a whole lot better for very little cost.

Edited January 17, 2013 by villiers210

[Neil H 63]

From memory, Loomer Road is owned by a Bookie. Maybe he ought to invest a little in his asset, since when have you ever seen a poor Bookie?

[big lad 7]

yes it's owned by the Corbetts, the bookmakers.

[jim the whipper 231]

Leicester was built by volunteers except for the skilled work like bricklaying . I know there's not many who would help out a business for free but at the end of the day Stoke speedway is your club and if you want it to continue and even get back into premier league one day , why not get some work parties together to do something about tidying the place up I'm sure Dave Tattum would be glad of offers to help . I did not realise it was owned by a bookmaker group and as such that would be a source of worry for me , almost as much as the huge buildings that are starting to surround the track ,one day they will open the rolling shutters and simply swallow stoke speedway whole .