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Unless you're a deliveroo rider... hang on... I've just had a thought 🤔

Cash only is due to the unreliable signal/lack of phone line to the arena. Say what you will about this but as a business owner myself, I know how much each transactions costs to take a card payment. If the management team are spending time counting cash rather than paying transaction fees on card payments. then I don't think that is unfair or illegal. It just means they are getting every penny that comes through the gate. And most teams will certainly need that right now. To call the team running the club crooks is completely unfair. They have achieved something spectacular at Workington and they deserve every success and good luck.

Or simply a promotion that is passing on its experience in growing its fan base to give Worky a fighting chance of becoming the success that it deserves to be. Since the Facenna's took over Glasgow, they have spent 10 years trying to build the fan base in a city that only see's green or blue and have seen what works and what doesn't work, if Worky can benefit from that 10 years experience along side the business experience of Allied then that can only be good for British Speedway.

When are the King's Lynn fans really going to question this club?? We cannot keep blaming Poland. Baggy has said Cook is fully committed to British Speedway. Yes, until he came to King's Lynn. Musielak - never let British Speedway down, yep, until he came to King's Lynn. In 2023 - Pickering did the same, never let anyone down until he came here. Laguta & Tarasenko too, couldn't wait to get out. Year after year after year somebody can't be a$$ed to come back. Which other Premiership teams suffers with this every single season?? The most common denominator is this club, not Poland.

As some of you may know, for my sins I am Director and minor shareholder in Birmingham Speedway. Now isn't the right time for me to comment on the rights or wrongs of Promotional decisions on team building etc. Nigel Tolley has bankrolled the club for the past few seasons and for that the Brummies fans and sport in general should be grateful, otherwise the club would have folded at the end of the 2022 campaign and a poor team is still better than no team at all as I am sure many fans of defunct tracks would agree. With 2025 being the final year for the club at Perry Barr, Nigel obviously wanted it to be a successful one, so his plan was to put together a side that on paper looked as if it would be in with a shout for the play-off's. As I say the make-up of that team or planning around it isn't for me to comment on at this time, but what I will say is that unfortunately the support in terms of numbers coming through the doors and promised commercial deals have failed to meet expectations. I am not sitting here typing this to disagree with anything people have said on this thread, far from it. I am just highlighting that intentions were for the best even if execution wasn't and that expenditure had to be reduced to ensure that the club continued to fulfil all it's obligations. Cheers, Paul.

i still think the downfall of British speedway started when Rye House were allowed to track foreign riders. if we still had a division of British & Commonwealth riders we'd be in a much healthier position. if, and from what i'm hearing is true, it goes to one league next year, then riders will say thay can't make ends meet if they can't double up. in my day we had jobs and took one bike to a meeting. so many riders never use their spare bike anyway, they jump on a team mates bike when they have a spare in the pits! tracks should be allowed to ride on a night that suits THEM, not be forced into changes. and years ago when the sport was successful here, how many teams raced on a Saturday. not having time for supporters to go to away meetings due to work etc has had a serious knock on

This is where people who know nothing about the situation simply do not add further rubbish into the conversation. This is a hard working man trying his damndest to hold speedway in the town against the current speedway dilemma in the UK. The level of speculation/abuse on here is insane and needs toned down. The press release told fans as much as they need to know at that moment. Once further news is known im sure this will be done via the relevant channels!

Cook, ban him, revoke his visa too, kick him out the country, we don’t need tossers like that taking the pee out of British fans, sick to death of riders thinking they are bigger than the sport

Despite the comments made on here by others I am willing to give you an overview of the improbables of answering your questions from an ex promoters point of view. In 2018 my heat leaders in my championship team were earning less a than a certain rival clubs number seven. I had two riders on a ‘minimum guarantee’, i.e. if they crashed in heat 1 and didnt ride again then they got a minimum wage. One of these was to satisfy a work visa criteria. Some got a bonus if they scored over a previously agreed points score. Heat leaders got more than second strings and they got more than reserves. Travel was paid to all at the going rate of certain pence per mile. Now all clubs pay different rates depending on their income which includes turnstyles takings and sponsorship. Some clubs did not pay their riders weekly, I did and I never not paid on the agreed pay day, some clubs paid when they had the cash to do so, some didnt pay for weeks. The whole of speedways finances are a secret and a mess. No two clubs have the same income or outgoings because of stadium rents, riders wages, staff wages , maintenance costs etc and everything is dependant on regular home fixtures as you pay your own riders home and away so if you have one home fixture and two away, then you have three wage packets to pay but only one income fixture. So the basic answer to your question is….. depends on the club, the riders, the scores, the attendance, the sponsorship , the bills etc etc etc. That is why Im an ex promoter !.

I’d say Andrew and the rest of the promotion are entitled to alot more respect than the label of a “Crook” Im sure you’ve witnessed the amount for efforts and money that has been put into Workington Speedway at Northside , regardless of what people speculate this promotion have done everyone proud in the work they’ve done.

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/people/peterborough-city-council-urged-to-rethink-decisions-for-1500-homes-and-leisure-development-of-showground-5217002 AI Generated content. Check important info as it can make mistakes: **What does a “pre-action protocol letter” mean?** The article mentions that solicitors for Forever Panthers have submitted a *pre-action protocol letter* to the council — and that’s actually quite a big deal. It’s the formal legal warning shot before taking a council to court through judicial review. It doesn’t mean the case has started yet, but it puts Peterborough City Council on notice that their decision (likely the approval of the 650-home plan or the way the call-in was handled) may be unlawful. The letter gives the council a short window — usually two weeks — to respond, explain themselves, or fix the problem. If not, the group can then ask the High Court to intervene. It’s about whether the decision-making process was legal and fair, not just whether the outcome was unpopular. In short: the legal wheels are turning now, and the pressure is officially on.

It was an awful crash. All four riders were still pretty bunched coming out the last bend, and when Jonatan Grahn whacked the fence on the home straight his bike careered straight into Danyon's path. He somersaulted right over it, coming down on his head or neck, with his bike (which may have caused the real damage) landing right on top of him from a height. While seriously hurt, the news that he is awake, and has full movement is a great relief. To the person, the idiot, who complained about the meeting not concluding, I can only say that while the club operates dual medical cover, the severity of Danyon's injuries meant that both paramedics and their staff were quite rightly fully engaged in working with him, right there on the track. Some things in speedway are more important than getting the next race on. Get well, Danyon. You are one of the happiest, friendliest chaps I've ever met. Why do bad things happen to good people?

Even in this keyboard warrior social media semi delinquent age, I cannot seriously believe what I am reading here. Top Class Rider Top Class bloke Credit to the Sport and very Club he has ridden for. Clearly has a serious neurological issue that affects his eyesight. Just dwell on that for a minute! Clearly has a serious neurological issue that affects his eyesight. Yet we have people with no compassion no care and probably no understanding of the seriousness of the situation arguing about whether he sould get a 7-28 day exemption, is witholding his services and other clap trap. The guy is in a potentially life changing situation for christs sake. Think of him, his family, his friends and Redcar Speedway. Give your heads a wobble and lets all support Erik and hopefully see him back once he is fully recovered.

It is time for one league. One of the reasons why I've only been to my club Leicester once this season is down to the lack of variety, it's the same riders every other week. There is zero incentive for me to watch Ipswich one week when I know in a few weeks time we could be facing them in the KO cup or the play offs. People will say there isn't enough riders and that's it, but is that my problem to fix? No it isn't. I don't go to watch speedway for GP stars, I go for the speedway. I love watching Fricke every week at Leicester, but I also loved watched the Thompson twins come through the ranks taking on the senior pros. That was just as exciting for me as watching a GP star. Let's be honest we only have a few GP stars anyways? Were missing Lambert, Bartosz, Laguta, Lingren etc. We only have the riders that are allowed here by there polish clubs lets be honest. They just come here for fun some would say. Let's not forget how expensive they are as well. Costing thousands every week! We can manage one big league, how? Maybe look at what some of championship clubs have done this season, some brand new riders to the league and promoting the youth from the NDL. It would lower the standard but I don't care, let's back the kids and give them plenty of riders and pay them a reasonable wage so riders like Sonny Springer can get back into speedway.

You know you're Glasgow's bitches now 😂

I’ve sat back and let people crack on but after reading through page after page, I’m gonna say my bit. The amount of people first off running there mouths saying some disgraceful things about Andrew etc is ridiculous. There’s absolutely no need for it. People thinking they’ve got it cracked what’s going on, throwing about silly rumours just to get everybody riled up doesn’t help the situation. I suggest you’s all take a back seat, and await further information. 99% of you clearly haven’t got a clue what’s going on and think you’s do. Wind your necks in, stop abusing the promotion that’s put their hearts and souls into bringing speedway back to the town and stop acting like an entitled bunch. The only people who should know what’s going on at this stage is the promotion, then comes sponsors and when’s the times right, the public will be updated.

Anyway enough cackling about what we don’t know let’s just get Workington back to the tapes and wish them well in this current hiccup

How has speedway been allowed to get into such a state? Riders in this day and age and I'm not talking big names here. Riders in the 2nd division and even the 3rd division turn up with kit that a GP rider would be happy to have. Paid mechanics, Big fancy vans. It's a fantasy world. You say we can't change back. Well if we don't address the elephant in the room. Speedway won't have long left as a professional sport. Promotors have got big decisions to make this close season. Sticking their heads in the sand and thinking " Theres nothing wrong with product," will not wash anymore. We have come to a watershed moment. If nothing changes, then it won't survive. 1) Do they still carry on paying riders wages that far outweigh the amount of people who come through the gate. Clubs will have to cut there cloth accordingly. Meaning riders will have to be paid a realistic wage for what the sport is. If riders want to turn up with all the kit, no one is stopping them, but the clubs cannot afford to fund their fantasy and before anyone has a go. No rose tinted glasses, but pure facts. In the 80s Most riders worked. They got wages according to their standard. The Leagues were a lot bigger. The crowds were a lot bigger. 2) Do they take the sport by the horns, and make it one league. There are 16 clubs, god knows how many next year. but you can't run two divisions with such a small amount of clubs. " yes they have done, but look where it's taken us" 3) The pricing has to reflect the quality of what you're paying for. Riders will have to make drastic changes. If there is to be one league, I would imagine the top riders would disappear. So the one league would be mainly made up of British riders. Clubs have to stop paying bang average foreign riders, flights and mechanics. People who say it will water it down. Well the standard can't get much lower at 2nd division level. This season most 2nd division clubs have filled their 6 and 7s with 3rd division riders. The top league is made up mostly of 2nd division riders. The standard has been getting lower every season for a while now. if that means a couple of more riders from the 3rd division replacing expensive foreign riders, then that will have to be a price the sport will need to pay to survive. More importantly. two home and two away meetings would stop the silly practise of clubs not having home meetings for weeks on end. The sport needs a reset and It has got to far out of hand and only a massive reset will save it. IMO

Was this the picture?

Best news for speedway this week. Will be great to see the Comets back on track and all the best to Andy and the team.

He pulls out so frequently it makes you wonder how he became a Father 😄

I would just like to express my thanks to Glasgow Speedway and the Facenna family for their help and advice given to Andrew and Workington Speedway through what has been a very difficult time.

Do you know anything is getting 'conveniently brushed under the carpet' or is this pure conjecture. Who are these ' creditors of the old trading company who will have lost out financially'?. Who won't get a penny back? . Perhaps you can clarify with examples what you mean by 'so many business practices are accepted as normal and acceptable' . if this is all assumption then with respect you should keep it to yourself instead of trying to make out the Comets have cheated fictitious creditors out of money.

So what should the SCB do, ignore rule breaches? However what it does need to do is explain what rule has been breached.

Workington isn’t my team and I don’t particularly care what the issues are. I am however very pleased to see positive signs with the new company being formed and report of bikes being heard on track. I can’t honestly believe any true speedway fan would want a club to go under, even if it’s for no other reason than it’s one less home meeting for the other championship clubs. Hopefully this is a sign things are being resolved and normal service can resume promptly. I look forward to Workington’s visit to Berwick.

It's simple really. Ride speedway and get a job. There is not enough people coming through the gate to class it as a full time job. Reality has to hit with the riders. They've had to good for too long and look where its got us! Year after year one less club.The day they introduced d/u was the finish of speedway. Not only in pandering to the riders, but also the credibility of the sport, but then again there wasn't much credibility left!!!!

Oh hokey hokey cokey Oh hokey cokey cokey You put your RS in , you take your RS out In ,out , in out , move them all about!

Erik is clearly very ill. He has not only stopped racing in this country, he has withdrawn from the long track championship where he was expected to be a front runner. I've read reports that he has pressure on his brain which sounds very scary. I hope people join with me and wish him him a speedy recovery.

Not good enough, signed for Plymouth first, you either ride here or you don’t, sick to death of crap like this, taking the pish out of British speedway, things have to change

The guys involved with Coventry and particularly Jeff Davies have poured huge amounts of time into getting speedway back, and have already confirmed members of the consortium. You are correct that Brandon will need a lot of money to make it usable, but money won't be an issue with the individuals they have got on board - they're issue is getting the site out of the developers hands, but I think their efforts deserve applauding and our support, not constant mocking.

And therein we have the the major factor when you talk to non speedway devotees. I try, or certainly used to, to persuade folk who stand with me at Derwent Park rugby matches to have a dabble at watching speedway. Hard bloody work I'll tell ya. They respond with, for example, the main one currently in fact "so how many teams does Chris Harris ride for"?.....It's often followed with - "doesn't the first rider to lead at the first bend always win the race"?. ..My answers are -Well Chris is a popular guest rider..doh. And second point - yes if the rider is good enough to stay in front he'll win..doh. So sadly two major drawbacks to stop a fan liking speedway. The rugby lot won't shift opinion on those views. But us regular fans know of plenty more for sure. How often down the years have we stood around for 40/50 minutes between heats without a tannoy update to keep us happy? Usually awaiting first aid cover ? There are lots to deliberate as speedway's downside. BUT seriously it's a smashing sport which I've enjoyed since 1970. When 6000 plus welcomed the Comets versus Berwick. And Friday nights were just brilliant. I don't know how to recover those who have lost faith, wish I could find a cure. Hopefully the current Workington problem is sorted asap and I can watch another 50 years. UTC, marras.

Some very valid points there. The Rye House thing was a few years before I got into speedway but when I look back at my Programme collection its noticeable that all the riders in the National League we British or Commonwealth and there were plenty of rides to go around. I think the doubling up policy was the most stupid thing the powers that be ever did. I appreciate that from a riders view it means more earnings but it has killed club speedway. Once upon a time a rider would be identified with one club only. Now all you see is the same riders against each other in a different race jacket depending on what night of the week it is.

I'm not sure they're trying to win something with very little kudos, I think it's more like they're trying to win races to get noticed by Polish clubs. If it were down to me, it'd be ultimatum time, riders commit to this country in something like a 40 match calendar or clear off and earn their bacon elsewhere. Our clubs need to be riding on the nights that suit them... not the riders.

the problem partly is there are no promoters anymore just people who run speedway tracks glasgow do the kids race like it or loath it but how many others do anything before or during the meeting in the ian thomas days he would get stunt riders ,fire eaters circus performers even rally cars trying to beat lap record amongst other things most tracks now just long periods between heats with nothing not even a rider interview

Covid 🙄Was thinking of coming to this but instead I will spend my hard earned money going to see the loch ness monster, funny enough that doesn’t exist either, at which point does British speedway start treating its customers with a bit of respect

ONE really good race all night in the last race after 14 heats of a processional yawnfest and Tatum spouts on about a "superb night of speedway and a great advert for Premiership speedway"!!....the man needs sectioning!

Whatever the good folk on this forum think and you can read many a worthy suggestions that could make a difference to the sport, the problem is it is a niche product run by a closed shop of promoters looking primarily after their own interests but trying to market a sport with no level playing field as far as machinery used is concerned with riders basically dictating what days they will race because that have commitments elsewhere around Europe. On machinery, back in the day when the bikes were roughly the same a rider could jump on the track spare and still win races and was partly down to rider skill and not the power of the bike. Up and coming riders using the same type of machinery could often run heat leaders close and sometimes get that surprise win. Today you have throttle jockeys on highly tuned machines that cost an absolute fortune to maintain trying to negotiate a range of tracks that were just not designed for today’s machinery. Wholesale changes are needed from the way the promoters run the sport to presentation, machinery, rider attitude and lot of thinking outside the box to take the sport to another generation. The trouble is no one on the top table is either interested or has the balls to rock the boat because of the ramifications from the closed shop controllers. One can only fear for the sport and the sad decline due to so many factors some of which could have been avoided/stopped in their tracks but no one could step up and say no. It probably says more about the lack of respect on the top table for the fellow owners of clubs that no one listens to each other.

Excellent post... Rozelle was initially a properly disliked Commissioner by many owners, (and some players with big personal sponsorship)... However, he knew that so many working in a "I am all right Jack" SILO, couldn't ever be successful for the sport overall... As he knew that one day the historically successful teams would end up playing themselves and no one else!! Which would mean sponsors and TV deserting in droves.. Sharing revenues equally, inc official merchandise regardless of which team sold most, and having national league sponsors front and centre, in front of any local, or personal agreements, (and sharing the money equally), saw the sport generically move forward... The historically big teams are still pretty much the same ones, as, organically they are the biggest, but the "cannon fodder" teams nowadays at least have a chance, and big money coming in from shared TV, merchandise and sponsorship agreements, regardless of position in their conference... A perfect blueprint for UK Speedway I would suggest... In fact, I suggested the same thing well over a decade ago on here!!! British Speedway should be "The Brand" with one overarching "leader" who is given complete autonomy, but held accountable by the owners, with every track being a franchise that can be lost if that franchise doesn't meet the standards expected of the overall generic business of "British Speedway Ltd"... All TV money, sponsorship and merchandise money, pooled with each team getting an equal share regardless of their own sales or TV matches... UK Speedway will fall together, if they don't work together as a collective...

Think you need to read the statement, comets return with help from allied mobility. So thank you to the owners of Glasgow speedway 👍

It’s great to read that Danyon Hume’s surgery yesterday has been classed as successful. Here’s hoping for a full and speedy recovery for someone who always gives their all irrespective.

My reading of Hawkin’s comments are that the Witches proposed to apply the same approach to the RS position that the Stars have been/are being allowed to use and that this request was refused. If that is correct, then that is a terrible state of affairs. A regulation either applies to none or all. If the Stars have been granted an exception to the regulation then great, but again that exception has to be applied to all.

Good points in that reply. I remember when Workington first came back to the sport and it was only the top heat leaders that had two bikes and even half of them never used the 2nd bike it was just there. 2nd string riders and definitely reserves had one bike each. Most riders had another full time job. Fast forward to now and every rider has 2 bikes and not many work during the season which then makes there income from speedway there sole income so needs to be at a level to pay for tuning cover spares and a van. I'm not knocking any rider for getting out of the sport what they can financial wise. What I am saying is it's clear the sport as a whole is not viable going forward at this level. There is not enough money coming into the sport through sponsorship and gate money to cover the costs of the stadiums and riders. Meaning in the not to distant future the sport at this level and costs will simply not be there, no clubs for riders to ride for. Speedway jumped ahead of motocross and most other motorcycle sports in the pay structure for riders but it's going to bankrupt itself as a sport because promoters have pushed rules to help there own ambitions not the sport as a whole to the point we have a handful of clubs who are sort of financially viable the rest loose money every year.

Thoughts with the Birmingham fans at this difficult time. Maybe he was signed as he still has his Brummies kevlars in the workshop, whether he can still fit in them is another matter.

Unexpected win today against the league leaders. Thought 44-46 but was delighted to be wrong. Some cracking close races with every point being scrapped for, which is how it should be. It takes two teams to make an entertaining meeting and Poole played their part so thank you. It was the Comets fantastic start that ultimately proved too much to overcome on this occasion which was nice after being put to the sword at home twice last season by the Pirates. Congrats to the mechanics, not one mechanical failure during the meeting. Thank you to members of the wider Speedway fraternity who turned up to show their support for the Comets, it was much appreciated. Let's hope we can get the message to more local people to give it a go while trying to improve the quality of entertainment on offer during the 2hours or so of the meeting. It was great to see the riders coming round today almost without exception when winning races. Congrats to the Comets on a solid team performance without exception- brill ! That performance was just reward for Andrew Bain who has had a tumultuous couple of weeks, thank you.

They not heard of air con works wonders.

If it really matters that much, get up to Workington on Saturday and try and find out..

I remember when I was involved in the junior speedway scene back in the 2010's and know exactly what you're talking about. Robert Lambert and Max Clegg always turned up with top equipment and looked the part. They could get away with that because they were good. It was obvious Lambert was going to something special. Then we had other kids turn up thinking they were the next Darcy Ward or Tai Woffinden with the attitudes to go with it. You could say all the gear and no idea. One lad who I won't name thought he was gods gift to speedway (apart from he wasn't that good at all and struggles in the MDL) I witnessed him having a right old hissy fit at his dad one time and throwing things around in the pits. I was thinking if I was his dad I'd be giving the little sh*t a good clip round the ear and be selling his equipment the next day.

That’s no excuse having a track prepared like that abomination tonight.

Probably never find out the reason for the 7 day suspension. But if the comets pull through this, the main organisation body (bspa) may have made it worse, 3 clubs without a meeting a short notice, these meetings may then have to be rearranged, then you have fans who may have paid hotel costs to travel in the next few days, or like me, in the North East on way to berwick 2morrow, but at least I can enjoy the north east coast and the puffins . speedway shoots its self in the foot yet again !!