Peter Craven/grand Opening

[Trevor 270]

I was there on Saturday night and was also at the Belle Vue v Poole meeting some years ago when with the SKY cameras there and Poole needed the win to get into the play offs so the match was 'raced' on a far worse track than Saturday night.

[speedwaysliders 176]

Anyone know who the ref was?

Really cant understand why they didnt try to stage heat 1,did he not have the balls to make them try?

Also just out of interest does this new track come with any high tech covers to safeguard other important meetings?

[Pinny 2,536]

The track was laid by people with no knowledge of laying a speedway track?!

 

In other news, its rumoured the meeting was arranged by two imbeciles with no knowledge on how to run a speedway meeting...

[Bagpuss 10,802]

Yes 'cause Kings Lynn would never have a track issue during a high profile meeting with GP stars in it would they? #purubbishthroughforskysake

 

If you are referring to the ELRC of 2007, as embarrassing as it was the difference is that the track was sorted on the night and the meeting ended up being a very good one.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Gordon Bennett

[ouch 1,197]

ELRC mate.

[Dornier 797]

In my opinion its the Belle Vue managements fault. After the track had been handed over as finished by the contractors it was down to the Aces track prep team to give it the final seal of approval, I would have expected the Aces management and track staff to be on site watching the final build of the track. A full scale track testing should have taken place days before the proposed meeting was attempted to be run. The stadium ran away with them and they forgot the track bit.

[baba 562]

Are some riders bikes tuned up that much that if they hit a rut they would have no control at all ?.

I just watch the awful crash when Darcy got injured, it looks like he hits unexpected grip and lifts coming out of fourth bend. These guys know their wringing the neck of the bike exiting bend four could this have been a majority gut feeling amongst the riders after discussions.

[Tsunami 10,219]

 

If you are referring to the EL pairs of 2007, as embarrassing as it was the difference is that the track was sorted on the night and the meeting ended up being a very good one.

And the difference was that the track had held successful meetings for years previous, and the stadium had the personnel and equipment to repair the damage. BV had not been used for a meeting which, in hindsight, they should have tried something like Cardiff did last year with a trial meeting on say the Tuesday/Wednesday before.

[OveFundinFan 4,145]

The standard for GP tracks was set by riders at the postponed Warsaw GP fiasco last year. After that, all temporary tracks were constructed better - for Cardiff the track building time was extended from the usual one week to two weeks.

 

The standard has now been set by riders for tracks in the UK for 2016.

Sounds like more then a few promotors and track curators need to be quaking in their shoes.

It should be an interesting year.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I got to know Ian Thomas through knowing his lad and he told me that story. He told me the story after a meeting at Sheffield on a very wet night when I asked him how they managed to finish the meeting.

Can't expect important riders to just put on a show though, although I doubt IT would book important riders for an open meeting unless he could trust them.

In that case they're not important, just well-paid.

 

It's all about the money to be earned in Poland and in the GP. Every thing else is just a practice/pin money. As ever, when large sums of money start flying around sport goes out of the window and greed takes over, as witnessed in Manchester and Warsaw.

 

But you can't just point the finger at one scapegoat. The whole of speedway should have worked together to make this work Instead all you hear is a cacophony of blame and protestations of innocence.

 

There were many causes for the fiasco, but as usual the focus is not on putting right the damage but finding someone to kick.

[TonyMac 720]

In that case they're not important, just well-paid.

 

What today's so-called 'superstars' should remember is that the vast majority of them - including probably the world champion - would not even be recognised if they walked down the street in their own town or village.

 

But then you have to blame the promoters for paying them what the sport clearly cannot afford.

[Bagpuss 10,802]

ELRC mate.

 

Indeed, corrected.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

What today's so-called 'superstars' should remember is that the vast majority of them - including probably the world champion - would not even be recognised if they walked down the street in their own town or village.

 

But then you have to blame the promoters for paying them what the sport clearly cannot afford.

When I first fell in love with this sport, it was all about my team, not individuals, not 'names'. Yes, I had my heroes, but only for what they did for my team. It didn't matter that there were much better riders appearing down the road and that there were world titles to be won.

 

It was all about my Rockets, my Rayleigh Rockets and I was so happy to have them in my life. Now people worship 'stars' and seem to think that if they watch 'the best' then somehow it makes them superior beings.

 

I didn't choose my speedway team, it chose me and I think they were happier days. Now there's too many egos to be satisfied and pride to be fed.

 

Let's just get Belle Vue fixed and working and try to find a way to compensate those damaged by the fiasco.

 

Tony, you advocated 'back to basics' earlier. I'd adjust that to 'back to sanity'.

 

I'm old enough to have seen speedway work and thrive, but it wasn't achieved by the suicidal path now being followed.

 

It is indeed time to let go of the 'names' and find new heroes like Birmingham and Eastbourne have, and maybe start running British Speedway at a level it can afford free from the corrosive effects of Poland and the GP circus.

 

Maybe the likes of Poole and Wolverhampton can focus on more international fare, running occasionally with 'name' fields to satisfy their and their fans needs, leaving the rest of us to enjoy or our league racing at a saner, affordable level while we rebuild and wait for the overseas house of cards to fall.

 

We need to attract new supporters. They don't know who the 'names' are nor do they care, just as I had no idea who Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen were in 1971.

 

I'm pretty sure Hugh Saunders and Geoff Maloney would have had a good go at getting round Belle Vue on Saturday ;-)

Edited March 22, 2016 by rmc

[Tsunami 10,219]

In that case they're not important, just well-paid.

 

It's all about the money to be earned in Poland and in the GP. Every thing else is just a practice/pin money. As ever, when large sums of money start flying around sport goes out of the window and greed takes over, as witnessed in Manchester and Warsaw.

 

But you can't just point the finger at one scapegoat. The whole of speedway should have worked together to make this work Instead all you hear is a cacophony of blame and protestations of innocence.

 

There were many causes for the fiasco, but as usual the focus is not on putting right the damage but finding someone to kick.

Totally over the top reaction. In any walk of life, if something goes wrong it is natural, and expected, that the person/persons/organisation responsible is identified to dealt with the aftermath.

[beesknees 23]

Does anyone know if the refund process has been released by Belle Vue as yet please and if so where I might find it? All I can see on the Belle Vue website are press releases pointing the finger of blame elsewhere rather than looking after the fans who paid good money for no show, hopefully it's me who has missed the announcement rather than those in charge showing contempt for the fans.

Thanks in advance.