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The track hasn’t been wrecked. The racing has still been of a decent quality and given time with the extra shale / work they are doing I’m sure it will be better than ever. I appreciate the team isnt the one we thought we had but we have a team to support at one of the best tracks in the country. All meetings so far have been entertaining with last heat deciders with crowds that appear better than last year on a race night that a lot of people thought would be terrible for the attendances. Overall Presentation has improved from running the meetings through quickly to the race suits / bike covers, Social media is far more active and we may be under strength but it is a team full of races who will entertain throughout the year. It’s not all doom and gloom ffs.

Only speedway fans would moan that their club has gone up a division in the off season and had four last heat deciders in the first four meetings of the season.

It is my belief that Ged feels he was betrayed by some previously close to him.

Surely Ged and Neil must have considered Buster to be a safe pair of hands otherwise why would they sell it to him, if as being suggested they were in a position to continue ?

That’s not the case. Ged made it clear that had a sale of Peterborough Speedway not been forthcoming he would have continued to run the Club himself this season.

Ipswich quite probably have the best reserves in the league Poole have possibly the second best Ipswich although strong at home are losing away even though the reserves are doing well .....19 point at Kings Lynn yet we lost by 14......14 points at Swindon.......yet we lost by 12........19 points at Wolves yet we lost by 10 Swindon away from home have lost by 2 points .....won easily at Poole by 16.....lost by 6 and lost by 4 taking points in EVERY away match.....The reserves in those 4 matches have totalled only 14 points Please enlighten me how teams with scoring reserves do better...............you surely have some stats to back your claim.

Thanks for this outstanding contribution Shovlar - you win this weeks award!

Poor Old Buster he is in the frame for all things wrong in the World . I even have a feeling he could be ‘H’, Baggy

Should it be down to a member of track staff two days later to explain things though? If there were issues then the promotion could have cleared things up on the day with punters.

To me the score was no surprise. It was always going to be close. Swindon have an extremely top heavy side and will always benefit from that strength. (They provided 10 out of the 15 heat winners). However, their weakness has always been their reserves, and subsequently they provided 11 out if the 15 last places. Personally, I would have preferred a team like the Robins where they have the opportunity of have many riders capable of being winners . I said all along, its all very well having a strong middle order, but without them heater leaders, like tonight, we are forever relying on Robert to win them important races.. That's not always going to happen..... There only thing good about tonight was the score...……..

I'd go with Bewley over Cookie , the experience would be massive for him for the future . Craig was out of his depth last year. When he's on form he can be a cracking rider but not riding in the pl this year puts him below Bewley for me

We have our own ex-Swindon troll Swindon have taken at least a point in every meeting - home and away including a massive 12 point thumping of Poole at Wimborne Road! Over rated my @rse

Totally agree & I'd add that the programme is much improved too. I've enjoyed it so far this year & have surprisingly been impressed (apart from the current team of course).

I would have settled for Ged, Neil and Championship personally. I haven't been this year, and with one racing line and a team 3 points below the limit I don't intend to.

shame you got the day wrong must try harder next time

I always find its much better to watch weather radar maps on the day rather then weather forcasts in advance, they might aswell predict the lottery numbers as they have a better chance of getting that right. Seems to have dramatically changed again in less than 24 hours, mostly dry in the day now. Only 25/30% chance of showers in evening.

It's a double edged sword weekend racing. It's what fans want, but at the same time the same fans dont want fixture clashes. Missing riders etc. Clubs need to find a happy medium. What that is I dont know. But last nights crowd was really bad for a monday. 1200 at most. Even with guests and R/R on a weekend we was getting 1800 average. That tells me though that weekend racing (with guests etc) overrides 2 full teams 1-7 on a Monday night

Very, very basic business practice..... If something is wrong, give some factual explanation as to why (don't for one moment use it as an excuse), and then apologise.. Maybe even make a gesture of goodwill if you see fit.... But don't ever do or say nothing.... As that makes it look like you either don't care or you are taking your punters for granted... And neither is a great way to be perceived in business..

So Johnson coming out with the same old spiel can't get all 7 going.at once It's obvious why because there all in consistent that's why they have ther averages they have . the only rider what would have won races on a consistent basis was cook . Declaring 3pts under limit is insane

Kennett, Bates, Auty, garrity, Pickering, Douglas 6 championship riders that would all be an improvement on bellego’s current performance level imo

Again proves my point about Swindon. Over rated. No reserves and their top 5 will not all click together. Musiliak and Ellis awol tonight. Teams with scoring reserves will do better.

I hope Cook is happy with the GB race suits.

Would like to put a couple of things into perspective for people on here. When turning up at the track at 8 in the morning when aloud to get in the stadium, bends 1/2 and the back straight going into bend 3 where completely underneath water, which took 3 hours to clear with a pump. Then on track prep when actually being able to get a tractor on track, we had a wonder wheel which snapped while trying to air the track out so that was one of the many issues we had to deal with in the day. Next issue was one tractor while on track the hydraulics went so was unable to fit any proper grader on the back of it. Just another one of many issues we had to deal with. But the biggest of once actually being able to dry the track out and getting it level and being lucky to even have a meeting on, the water boweser broke so we was unable to fill it with water as water was coming out faster than we could fill it. But considering we didn’t get any dust till about heat 12 and there as only 14/15 in the meeting I don’t think it was to bad. Also on the grading part if you keep grading all the time and pulling the dirt over the slick it drys it out move and without a water bowser we could only do so much so hopefully that puts and end to alll this slating with all the hard work we put into getting a meeting on for you yesterday. Come next week the issues will all be sorted and you will see a great race track. Thank you all and see you next week thanks a member of track staff!

And no one is ever happy with the team.But are you happy with what Buster has done overall. It's only April

That's your choice. But just take a minute and put yourself as a Lynn fan ( I know, the thought will pass) trust me. After 50 odd years Lynn nearly win the league last season, but for bad luck. Buster says he will go all out to win it in 2019.. He then saves the Prem by buying, well you know. Look at the Lynn team.. And your miffed off!!! Lynn could of had a stonking team with the money Buster has spent trying to save things !! You moan at your team.. The bloke is trying to run 3 clubs.. Cooke went, well cause he's better than everyone else, we know that. Not Busters fault. Harris might of been to balance it out, I don't know. Look at the Lynn team!! Is it better than the other 2? I accept going by what Neil has said the team was not dear, I can't see it, but I accept what he says. Good job your not a Lynn fan.

Mark Frost of Oxford who was really Attila Stefani.

R/ R for Jye , and Dany not likely to pick up many points , looks like a home win. If Berwick can grab a point it would be a good performance

Danish Championship

That's 4 out of 2,500 so far What was your crowds last season? If your original 1-7 was in tact and you was unbeaten, with 2,500 crowd you would be singing Busters praises.. Weather you liked him or not

My memories of the old Custom House were Ted Sear who was the announcer in a white glass fronted semi-circular box all on his own, midwat between the tapes and the refs box. Sitting in the home straight stand with my mum and dad and looking towards the first bend you could see the ships that were docked. Like City Rebel I never saw the stadium in its full glory. I can only imagine what an awesome venue it would have been prior the demolition of the back straight stand. I guess the writing was on the wall when that went. But after the demise of Romford and the short existence of the West Ham Bombers I travelled to Rayleigh on the train and Hackney with my parents. I loved the Bombers, Len Silver was of course their natural enemy and disliked the main and his team immensely. But by around the mid-seventies I began like the Hawks as the old school of Rayleigh riders moved on. Len was of course a masterful promoter. I began to take heed of what he said and did and realise now what a great showman he was, similar to the late great Mr Hoskins. Years later Bo Petersen [who was probably the most stylish rider ever to wear a Hackney bib] told me that Len was the only promoter he rode for that paid money on time, a true testament that although Len was unpopular with other tracks, that was because he wanted to be and it was great for publicity. A lovely article by the late great Dave Lanning entitled ‘when he got on Hackney’s Wick’ shows how the promoters worked along with each other to get publicity. The full article can be read here http://www.hackneyspeedway.com/DAVE-LANNING-WHEN-HE-GOT-ON-HACKNEY-S-WICK

I think most people accept that things can go wrong occasionally. Lights blow, tapes don't work, ambulance doesn't turn up, a good track is suddenly rubbish. We are, however, talking about once or twice a season. Sunday was Sheffield's 5th home meeting. Damian Bates commented in the Redcar programme that the racing 'wasn't what we wanted'. You can probably tell what it was like from that. Reading the threads on here, Scunthorpe was decent and Redcar nondescript. Leicester & Top Gun simply attracted angry and disillusioned comments. Once or twice a season, not 4 meetings out of 5. Sheffield can be a fine race track. They need to get this sorted, and soon.

Possibly a draw

That last point had crossed my mind....

Yes they do. - Buster ran that for a few years also -about 2010 to 15 I think then sold it. Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long before he sells our Club on again.

list would be a good starting point early season machine gremlins out of the way and starting to look like the rider scunny thought they were getting.

Don't think it makes a huge difference whether it's Cook or Bewley tbh. They'll get the 1 ride against the USA in this round and that's it. When it comes to the final in Russia, Cook at least has the experience in Togliatti from when he qualified for the GPs.

It's Lynn's engine room that are not firing yet. Good job MPT bagged 11. Ty is better than what hes showing right now. But a worry. He is our 2nd "heat leader" average wise. Lambo needs back up, sooner rather than later.

Indeed, although I hear last nights meeting at Lynn had two decent races out of fifteen. Not a good ratio once again.

If you look at my post it was posted Monday morning but had not been approved until yesterday evening. Think some people out forgetting that the promotion our not taking things lightly and our working hard to try and fix things, yes they may not be posting things or keeping people greatly informed but with all the problems they have encountered I don’t think they have to many spare minutes to spare while trying to sort out the problems, but when they are working so hard to get things done right and sorted and you get people on here just slating them all the time is it a wonder why you then have on another thread, that’s someone has herd they have put the club up for sale. Just need to be careful and realise that speedway is not in its strongest state at the moment and we can’t aford to let any more clubs close. So why don’t we actually get behind the club and the sport and get it back to where it should be instead of moaning all the time. They put on Facebook for helpers to help out so why not sign up for that and help the club out so it can thrive again.

And the promoters ( Associated or not ) are convinced they are right. Who are we to argue? How does that saying go " build it and they will come" in this case "put it on on Monday and they are unlikely to come".

Speedway has always been a day out. To increase the fan base it has always been targeted at families. Have a look at bank holiday numbers vs a Monday. I've often argued this and been ridiculed on here for it. First and foremost, I am supporter of speedway and then the Belle Vue Aces 2nd. I can take it or leave it so for a club to get my dollar they have got to work really hard for it. I think that point of view applys to a significant percentage of this sports fan base. It's a day trip for many families and the day it takes place is absolutely critical. I am also an avid man city fan, season ticket holder for many years, but I put my team before the sport of football and the day it takes place is immaterial for me and many others. It has that power and pull. A premier league football game for many isn't just something to do, its something that happens once a week and they will be there no matter what. The day doesnt matter. Speedway needs to start going after families and the best time to do that is the weekend.

Interesting to read in the SS the other week that Leicester's Saturday crowds in the 'second division' are up on the Monday crowds they got in the Premiership.. No GP 'superstars' riding there this year yet crowds are up? As you say, a Friday or a Saturday would get you at least 600 more I would say,... Twenty meetings, 600 extra, would equate to 12000 more fans.. At £18 that's over £200k more revenue... As you say, a great product, but not much use having something so good to sell if your opening times prevent customers from getting there.. Doesnt help itself Speedway sometimes does it?

Wolves were there for the taking tonight but the witches threw it away. Gifted an early lead they could not hold their nerve when put under the slightest pressure. Adams didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth by bring in masters as an early tactical in heat 5 which allowed the remaining rr rides to be filled without having to call upon the reserves. Hawkins use of heeps in heat 10 rather than Allen was somewhat mystifying as it meant he couldn’t go in ht14. All in all a massively disappointing night for the witches who could easily have run wolves very close.

I should have clarified my point a little more than I did. He will be, and is, absolutely fine around the wide open spaces of the NSS. It's a safe race track. Away is another matter on circuits that he wont be as confident on, where tight situations on tracks that frankly aren't prepared as well as the national stadium, will occur. Indeed Poole is probably the worst track in the United Kingdom in terms of actual prep, holes, bumps and anything else you may find at Wimborne Road.

good post from someone with some sense.i have followed sheffield ,give or take a few years, for 43 years except now, if we keep to sunday afternoon, then I am afraid my spectating days at sheffield will be numbered.having not been this season i will admit that i don't know what the attendances have been like but it appears that things have gone downhill with track preparation especially since grahame trollop stopped doing it.this together with the dust issue plus the poor start to the season does not bode well.i don't think the team is as strong as last season and look what happened.as much as i like danny king he is not an out and out number one like josh g was.losing charles wright was a big loss after only one season and the same goes for josh bates and todd kurtz.i like ty as a rider but fear he is way past his best form and the same with kyle.kemp has time on his side as does zaine.broc nicol is too inconsistant and not sure about kasper.it has been mentioned that danny doesn't team ride which is important in speedway but he's not the only one.not a lot of fixtures left now we are out of the shield comp.the ko cup looks iffy too on paper.just glad i didn't renew my season ticket.

Good second half after yesterday's meeting. Some promising looking youngsters living the dream.

Threads with titles like this are only damaging to speedway in this country . Maybe bring it up in the Sheffield 2019 thread ? I am sure all the above is correct but the way i see it is dont bother going there its rubbish . which i am sure is not your intention.

Always a problem when 2 threads run on the same subject- DGT`s posting from the other one Q1 - 08.06.2019 - Glasgow / GB GB - 2 US - 1 DE - 1 DK - 2 FR - 1 IT - 1 AU - 2 NO - 1 PL - 2 FI - 1 SE - 2 Q2 - 08.06.2019 - Zarnovica / SK CZ - 2 GB - 1 SI - 1 DK - 1 UA - 1 LV - 2 HU - 1 RU - 2 PL - 2 SK - 1 SE - 2 Q3 - 08.06.2019 - Lamothe Landerron / FR CZ - 1 GB - 1 US - 1 SI - 1 DE - 2 DK - 1 FR - 2 IT - 1 AU - 1 RU - 1 NZ - 1 PL - 1 FI - 1 SE - 1 Q4 - 10.06.2019 - Abensberg / DE CZ - 1 GB - 1 SI - 1 DE - 2 DK - 2 IT - 1 UA - 1 HR - 1 LV - 1 HU - 1 NO - 1 PL - 1 FI - 1 SE - 1

When riders admit to joining your team merely because it fits in with their other commitments between the leagues and on foreign jaunts, it shows a disconnection between the importance of the team and the fan who is supposed to travel miles after work, pay a large sum of his wage and support a group of men who act as a team for a few hours and then disperse their separate ways to act as a team somewhere else. When a rider who was part of that newspaper article used British speedway to learn his trade against genuine competition and then sits on his lofty perch and feels he isn't part of the problem, not wanting to dirty his boots racing on these shores any more... that is another problem. And the rider I'm referring to isn't the only one. But he states that he is in the best physical shape he's ever been going into this season, so get some money on him winning the GP. To me, as a former fan driven away by this type of thing, I'd say that I'm not bothered about your individual aim. You don't ride over here for a club, so how can I get excited about your chase for individual profit? When Peter Collins had to quit in 1980 because of his shoulder injury, the first thing he suffered was being banned from riding in the British qualifiers for the World Championship. I know we're living in different times, but riders have just gained too much power over the years and now, it seems, get more out of speedway than the fans who pay them. British speedway has allowed so much of its grip to slip away. The start was letting riders race in other leagues across Europe. Loyalty is a two-way thing between competitor and supporter. Somewhere in time, it's been lost. Without the feel of a connection between you and your team, that need to get up off your backside and leave the house to support it at the track isn't as appealing. I feel that is just one of speedway's current problems. Supporters must have been lost because of it. I mean, it's an instant passion killer for a fan, when a rider grabbingly states something akin to these words: "Yeah, I'm happy to join the club because it fits in with my other meetings in Poland and Sweden, as well as my commitments to my Premier League side. Sorry, I know it's a Monday track... but who am I joining?" Edited just now by moxey63

GB has priority for Thursdays - full stop!