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quite agree, i think it is essential that when a speedway club holds a public meeting for supporters that everything is kept secret,we dont want every tom,dick or harry in the area hearing about poole speedway

Dan Bewley had his first practice today on a 125cc at Steve Lawson's track.

No they want to give Ipswich half a chance

Obviously plenty left in the Ipswich budget. Still doesn't mean he isn't grossly overpaid. Plus the Witches were desperate for a big name rider in the side or risked fans not turning up. Harris would need to end the season on a 10 plus average to make himself considered good value.

cant advise you on the direction , but come up the night before and place a towel a parking space of your choice !

Quite agree dont want to many queuing to get in and filling up the car park

Strange you say that, in the village where I live , I noticed this morning, on the way to the local shop, there were no less then 6 bill boards advertising STOCK CAR racing from the same AFA. yet you never see one for the Speedway. I hate Stock Cars with a vengeance, but I couldn't help but notice the Adverts..

As opposed to all seven looking a complete shambles from the get go? Some people still live in the past and that’s part of the problem Speedway has these days. I suggest everyone takes a look at the link to the Look East programme posted on the Ipswich thread. Ipswich look like a professional outfit of a professional sport, exactly the way it SHOULD be, instead of people harking on about the good old days of the 70’s when riders had individual identity with race bibs and numbers made out of gaffer tape that was half falling off. As I said, people need to stop living in the past.

Hawks Kestrels 1. Barry Thomas 1. Barry Thomas 2. Bo Petersen 2. Andy Galvin 3. Bengt Jansson 3. Mark Loram 4. Dave Morton 4. Paul Whittaker 5. Zenon Plech 5. Alan Mogridge 6. Finn Thomsen 6. Steve Schofield 7. Garry Middleton 7. Trevor Banks

Or is it something to do with the relationship between Chris Louis and Tungate?

Pretty straightforward I’d say, he had a budget for each track and a need to get punters through the door so each team needs to be competitive. Ipswich look stronger with Harris in for Tungate without the other stuff rumoured to be in play.

I used to think that was great until I got to my 60th birthday and can now do it for free!

This changing of the track could be the best news the fans have had for along while it is quite exciting really.The track might take a while to develope but hopefully we will get better racing than we have been served up recently the widening of the straights should help anormously.

To be fair in type you cant tell if there was a breath in the middle to separate them

That's why I posted the link to the Youtube channel - good advert for Redcar speedway and the quality of racing. Keep checking as more videos are being added this week I believe.

So we start our season against what looks a very strong Wolverhampton side in a challenge/charity match. With funds also being raised for cancer research on the evening.

This is a 447 page A4 sized book that I have compiled which includes heat details from all Newcastle home and away main meetings that were available at the time of printing. Also includes seasonal league tables, riders' averages and statistical appendices. It is NOT a picture book and only the front and back covers are illustrated. Available now for £22.50 costing £18 plus £4.50 postage and packing within the United Kingdom. Payment by PayPal and any enquiries please to joewake55@gmail.com

This is a 447 page A4 sized book that I have compiled which includes heat details from all Newcastle home and away main meetings that were available at the time of printing. Also includes seasonal league tables, riders' averages and statistical appendices. It is NOT a picture book and only the front and back covers are illustrated. Available now for £22.50 costing £18 plus £4.50 postage and packing within the United Kingdom. Payment by PayPal and any enquiries please to joewake55@gmail.com

1st of the new season Saturday`s training match Torun v Ostrow

Its been a long long closed season for Ipswich fans Looking forward to a first visit to Leicester on a mini Massif road trip Up the Witches!

You may be right, I was just going on the configuration and positions of the existing ones around the rest of the track

Think there is a lot more than we know or will ever know.

After a long, long winter break, our annual speedway fix is just days away. i wish all riders, from all the Championship teams, a safe seasons riding. There will be some great meetings this season, ( as there always is), we supporters appreciate what risks you take to entertain us. Oh, and one further wish, Redcar Bears to do," a Workington 2018", and do the treble. COME ON !!!!

would make more if they put blobby in the stocks and charged a tenner a sponge, weegies would be queuing up.

I'll agree with you there. Wisbech is not the sort of place I like to go any more. Some streets have changed that much you question your desire to walk down it.... Wisbech has been going downhill for years The culture has now changed to something you wouldn't recognised... , but must say the new Tesco store is one of the plus factors.... When they demolished the stadium it hadn't been used for years, it was just a dumping ground for both people and rubbish..

I think we have long reached the point where we have to stop pandering to the regulars....they are a ever decreasing band will not provide a sustainable future. We all know a pub that had a hardcore of old men who didn't like the jukebox or loud music and has closed its doors. That's where league speedway finds itself now, serving pints to the same hardcore with no new punters coming through the door.

3 riders at Peterborough were offered no1 money (Harris , Andersen and Cook) by Ged. At no time did Buster agree to this which led to Peterborough being over budget. Ipswich had room left in their budget for a rider on No1 money. Maybe all 3 were asked to move and Harris agreed to as he would be on same deal. The other 2 took a possible decrease to allow Tungate (who would never be at Ipswich for various reasons) to sign...... Maybe Allegedly

Very sad to hear of John Chaplin's passing. He was, like myself, a lifelong Birmingham supporter, but his reporting was always impartial and his many speedway books were always interesting reading. He and I both rode for the same Cycle Speedway club - Birmingham Lions (who in more recent years changed its name to Sandwell). I started riding in 1953 when I was 13 when John was one of the leading riders in the club, but as a beginner, I was in awe of the senior club members and didn't really get to know him then. Later on, through our mutual love of all things "Brummies" we became good friends. I knew that he was battling against a very painful illness, but didn't realise that the end was so close. John will be sorely missed by not just those who knew him personally, but by everyone connected with speedway. Rest in the peace of the Lord John - and thank you for your friendship.

Mind you, I've got the Heat times as well if you're desperate!

Yes i was there, but im not putting anything on here..

That's interesting to know, but I don't think an event 60 years ago should be used a suitable test case for what might or might not work in 2019. I take the point that additional entertainment put in front of a crowd there for the speedway often has little merit. But a properly marketed "SpeedFest" or "TrackFest" model with different activities on the hour (pick and choose which ones you do and don't wish to see) with surrounding barbecues, food stalls, bouncy castles would - I think - have a chance of drawing in much more families than the current model. The consumer is much more transient these days and we have to create something that has much broader appeal for the family. The sport is heavily reliant on a dying demographic (literally) attending out of sheer habit and blind loyalty. That's clearly not sustainable. It doesn't take an Einstein to say it, but....actually it does take an Einstein to say it..... "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Haha, I believe the saying is...….. Don't believe everything you read in the papers. I think there is some reverse engineering going on

They are looking to save time and money by not having to repair or replace the airfence during the meeting, so they are putting the airfence behind the block wall

Yes we will get behind him but respecting each other is a two way thing . Rightly or wrongly i expect his machinery to but up to scratch as a minimum . To be fair i do not think that David Mason would tolerate such poor machinery and preparation to often.

Looks to be a great reference source for 'Diamonds' fans and those with an interest in the history of the sport.

have to say im hugely in favour of this an have made similar suggestions in the past. I see the future of the sport as more of a travelling show rather than a weekly team sport. As you said various classes / formulas all run on the same day. Grasstracks can draw strong crowds with a lesser standard product. Make it a full festival of shale based sport but as the most suited Speedway would finally be the headline act.

they have moved the track the width of the old track about 30 feet ? just shows how desperate they are to fit as many rabbit hutches in as possible , this is just a guess from an old cynic ,but I sincerely hope I'm wrong , smaller track, Portakabin stadium , lifespan of 5 years , while they work on closing it and building more rabbit hutches over it. more than likely already have a plan for Stadium Avenue drawn up ,

I think you know the answer. My suggestions are quick wins that could be done to improve the current product. But I am glad you ask about daytime meetings. My longer term strategy would be much more radical and explore the collaboration of speedway with other track sports - sidecars, short track, stock cars, go karts, greyhounds for a really full family experience and deliver a full value day out to attact a bigger footprint of people, for a longer time and to broaden appeal to sponsors. What’s your big idea?

When you look at there Championship side Steve it does not look breathtaking there team ephic and spirit must of been good.

You're missing the point, Obviously the news is out there if you go looking for it, but the idea of Promotion, is to the promote the sport to people who don't know what's going on... Its very difficult to discuss any issues with you as you're one of the converted and see absolutely nothing wrong with Lynn Speedway. I admire your work and enthusiasm but it's just a pity it blinds you from the apparent problems with the sport......

1971 Gordon Kennett stalking John Louis and eventually forcing his way up the inside. 1973 Neil Middleditch passing Arthur Price on the last bend to win the match 40-38 against Boston 1974 Martin Yeates breaking the Arlington track record in Heat 2 the reserves race. 1978 John Barker the Eagles number 7 winning Heat 8 against the Newcastle Tactical Substitutes Tom Owen and Graeme Stapleton All time favourites were the second half finals in 1971 and 1972 which usually featured Malc Ballard, Gordon and Dave Kennett, Roger Johns and occasionally an opposition heat leader. They were like stock cars on bikes. I don't think the Kennetts and Ballard liked each other much.

Adams has 9 titles, 2 at Coventry, 2 at Cradley and 5 at Wolves.

Just seen my first speedway races from Redcar via video and really enjoyed them looks to be a cracking little track you have up there.

How professional do the witches look in them suits ,first class ,love the clubs attitude,not like some

Bears now have a youtube channel - a few races from last season on there already. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCArroFXv3grFM29EAjfdUng

Glad to see the work being done and hope it produces good racing but from this angle. The corners look a little narrow to me

Just read that Dennis McCleary is stepping down as Co promoter and cutting back on his work with Bandits and Football,wish him all the best,his contribution to the Speedway over the years was immense and will be greatly missed.A gentleman IMO.

our pictures from saturday: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tfTj6nnX3phuu8sD7 our pictures from sunday: https://photos.app.goo.gl/37rFz8MRPZ3pCTU77

The point is that should ( some say when ) support for speedway dwindles further at Saddlebow Rd, Mr Chapamn has a ready-made well-established tenant sport for his stadium.

Coming up from Plymouth for this, can someone please confirm what time it starts.