Belle Vue 2016

[Mike.Butler 601]

fancy having this as the first event..a low key start would always be my choice letting patrons in for nowt so that they understand it's a test meeting.

[Aces51 2,778]

What a cringing statement from the BSPA and Chapman. It went wrong so we wash our hands completely and totally distance ourselves from it as much as we can, even from it being called the Natonal Stadium.

 

Does anybody doubt that if it had gone well they wouldn't be saying it was nothing to do with us, it was a Belle Vue fixture and all of the credit goes to them.

 

As for it damaging the sport nationally, how many fans are going to say I'm not going to my local track because of what happened at Belle Vue? If that were true then where were the similar comments from the BSPA after the fiasco on live TV at the Coventry, Poole and Belle Vue,Poole matches.

 

The SCB are carrying out an investigation. I have no problem with that if it is impartial and fair but can't help but mention that it seems odd that when Belle Vue are involved action is immediate but other instances that cry out for investigation either result in deathly silence or are put off and never dealt with.

[sparkafag 746]

It is a poor statement that attempts to distance it’s self from a member club while also laying the issue at other clubs door (needlessly)

 

Belle Vue should have been advised how to act first, a Belle Vue statement then followed by a BSPA statement with commentary of the actions taken by their clubs and the steps that will be taken to stabilise the intro of the new stadium.

 

An “investigation” is little more than lip service, at best it is going to result in punishment for a club who already face an uphill task to solve the reputational damage of the postponement.

[geoff 100 17]

i wonder if the phrase "rider safety" is used when the superstars take there engines to the tuners and tell them to give me more speed.the modern riders dont want to know if the track isnt the way they like it ,and i suspect its a certain dane and an aussie "brit" world champ who are the worst culprits,ironic they can ride through a pain barrier when in a grand prix but not on a surface that has a bump on it,many riders from yesteryear must be laughing at these super stars of today.how soon after it was called off were they knocking on the office door for there guarentee money ??

[Aces51 2,778]

It is a poor statement that attempts to distance its self from a member club while also laying the issue at other clubs door (needlessly)

 

Belle Vue should have been advised how to act first, a Belle Vue statement then followed by a BSPA statement with commentary of the actions taken by their clubs and the steps that will be taken to stabilise the intro of the new stadium.

 

An investigation is little more than lip service, at best it is going to result in punishment for a club who already face an uphill task to solve the reputational damage of the postponement.

Any organisation like the BSPA should be supportive of it's members. What was needed was an apology for what happened and comments that they were going to offer Belle Vue whatever support they could to ensure that the problem is solved.

 

You can just imagine what happened. Someone on the management committee said, hey lads this could have a knock on effect you know, it might affect us, we'd better distance ourselves from it and quickly.

 

An interesting consideration for the SCB is that the Belle Vue track curator is one of their two track inspectors.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Aces51

[Star Lady 5,400]

I wonder if the tone of the BSPA statement is coloured by the reported warnings from various riders/officials etc that all was not good. It's even been said that BV were warned to cancel earlier in the week but chose not to. IF, and it's conjecture, they were warned and so advised, you can understand the frustration of their fellow promoters.

 

I doubt the fans will ever know the truth.

[semion 2,192]

Should Buster really be allowed to make public statements on behalf the BSPA ? He certainly has done himself nor the Controlling Body no favours with comments like this.

[Star Lady 5,400]

Should Buster really be allowed to make public statements on behalf the BSPA ? He certainly has done himself nor the Controlling Body no favours with comments like this.

As chairman , it's his job and I cannot believe that the rest weren't aware of what he was going to say. If they didn't I'd suggest his tenure as chairman will be a short one.

 

For years folk have moaned that the BSPA fudged things, glossed over them etc. this statement doesn't do that. People can't have it both ways.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Star Lady

[R87 476]

I have read the various comments and had time to consider the unfortunate events yesterday. Let me say straightaway that the stadium and facilities are magnificent, way beyond my expectations. The track is going to be brilliant, the practice laps gave us a taste of the how fast it is going to be and how many racing lines it will produce. The design of the stands gives excellent views and close up proximity to the racing. Anyone claiming we should have stayed at the dog track is talking from ignorance, as is anyone trying to make a point by referring to the Good Friday debacle or claiming the track there was never well prepared. The promotion tried a number of track curators and eventually appointed Colin Meredith who consistently prepared a good racing surface during the last couple of years or so.

 

People are claiming that the promotion must have known that there were problems with the track and should have cancelled yesterdays meeting on Friday. I have no inside knowledge but do know there were concerns about the 3rd and 4th bends. Remedial work was being done on those bends on Saturday morning and my belief is that the promotion and Colin Meredith must have believed the problem had been solved. I think that for a number of reasons. If they didn't think that surely the work on the track would have continued right up until the last minute. The riders did their usual track walks and I didn't notice anyone paying particular attention to those bends,as usual most of their attention seemed to be at the starting gate. If the track problem was so obvious and serious I doubt they would have wasted their time checking out the starts. Likewise, if the promotion knew the meeting was in serious doubt I cannot believe they would not only have held the parade of riders walking round the complete circuit but then gone on to make speeches of the nature they did, it would have been very low key, saying as little as possible, not how much the new stadium meant to the club and the sport. The crowd applauded them for what they had achieved and David Gordon walked immediately in front of where I was sitting acknowledging the applause. He looked pleased and emotional and would have to be a very good actor to portray those emotions if he knew or believed that serious track problems were very soon going to be revealed. You had only to see them and hear what he and Chris Morton said when announcing the meeting was to be abandoned to realise they were genuinely shocked and upset.

 

Having said all of that plainly a disastrous mistake was made. I feel sorry for all those who attended, the promotion and the riders. I do not know whether fault lies with delays by the contractors, the weather, the track curator or the promotion. I suspect a combination of those factors. To suggest the promotion are incompetent is way off the mark, their work over 9 years to achieve what many thought impossible is evidence enough to dispel completely that allegation. However, like the rest of us, they are human and like the rest of us, get things wrong. at the end of the day they have to take the responsibility for yesterday.

 

What happened cannot be changed but talk of the final mail in the coffin of Belle Vue, the EL,or speedway in the UK is silly. We have a fantastic stadium, a track problem that can be solved and a track , which as many riders commented yesterday, is going to be brilliant. We shall recover and go on to reap the benefits of what David and Chris have provided.

It's not ignorance to suggest that a facility that's had 7 million spent on it should be ready in time for its first meeting. It's not as if it's been knocked up the last few days. They've spent over a year building the thing.

[SUPERACE 440]

It's not ignorance to suggest that a facility that's had 7 million spent on it should be ready in time for its first meeting. It's not as if it's been knocked up the last few days. They've spent over a year building the thing.

Yes it is ignorent to suggest that. Facts are the stadium completion was behind, happens a lot in construction. The issue and only issue for Belle Vue was that they didnt postpone the meeting earlier knowing delays to the build had effected bends 3 and 4 from settling properly

Edited March 21, 2016 by SUPERACE

[stevehone 3,437]

I'm looking at the bigger picture here, but I'm hoping people can now actually start to get behind Belle Vue with things.

 

When the track has settled it WILL be the best RACEtrack in the country and the facilities are outstanding.

We don't have an awful lot going for the sport at the moment, so possibly it's time now to let the SCB do their investigations, but for the rest of us to do our bit and go along and support the venture.

[Garry1603 353]

Based on the 'evidence' so far, I think that Colin Meredith's position is untennable.

[Stoke Potter 242]

The inference from that BSPA statement is the SCB would not withhold a track licence based on concerns with the suitability of a tracks' surface:

 

"An official SCB track licence was only granted on Friday as it met the necessary requirements in terms of track dimensions and facilities including safety fence."

 

Sounds unlikely to me that no account is taken of the surface when inspecting a track and issuing a licence?

Edited March 21, 2016 by Stoke Potter

[markyb 323]

Taken from official Belle Vue web site - SATURDAY 19th MARCH

 

It is with great sadness and regret that tonight's Peter Craven Memorial meeting has had to be abandoned.

Although the weather has been dry in the past week, the winter weather has played a significant part in tonight's proceedings and with safety being our number one priority there was no other conclusion but to abandon the meeting.

We fully understand the frustration and disappointment of the many fans who travelled to witness tonights's season opener and must be wondering what happens next.

A full statement with information for ticket holders will be made shortly

 

 

Now 12.45 Monday 21st and still NO FULL STATEMENT (or even partial) . - Come on Morton and Gordon get you f'ing fingers out and attempt to make some sort of amends.

 

Call yourselves promoters - yeah, you promoting how NOT to run a sport event you thieving gits .

 

Shame on you both.

 

I'm looking at the bigger picture here, but I'm hoping people can now actually start to get behind Belle Vue with things.

 

When the track has settled it WILL be the best RACEtrack in the country and the facilities are outstanding.

We don't have an awful lot going for the sport at the moment, so possibly it's time now to let the SCB do their investigations, but for the rest of us to do our bit and go along and support the venture.

 

No thanks -already made 1 too many visits to the new Belle Vue

[dabbsjoe 149]

with the money being spent on the facilities and the track. has any money been spent on track covers ?