Leaderboard

Excellent.. Look forward to lots of different surnames for the riders.. If you listen to Sam, you would think there must be approximately 36 riders on view..

you mean when there were 120,000 spectators at Katowice in the 70's!!

First off its kept the Speedway banter going and secondly if it does happen you can say well the fat lad was right... and if it doesn't well it's filled a couple of pages where we have been in the limelight Regards THJ

Diamonds statement in full: https://newcastle-speedway.co.uk/latest-word-from-the-2020-diamonds/

How desperately sad and depressing. Such a shame. Camera work and drone operation are very good though. I hope the Speedway can be resurrected - if not - thanks for the memories.

No!!! . I just think that there are levels of decency honour and integrity that should be the norm for everybody. If that makes me a trouble maker I can live with that appellation.

Have u had your eyes tested lately the glass should be 1 inch thick

Seriously Ref, replay clearly shows contact

The site will already have plans in place regarding restoration which will have been passed & agreed by the local authority, probs ponds with plenty of biodiversity. On a separate note, if they are planning on running the dogs on a Sunday, would Rob not be better to just scrap this year (like Glasgow), save his cash and just return in 2021. I know everyone wants to see speedway this year but the sensible option might be not to have any and just come back next year with some money in the coffers.

I’ll be there either Sunday or Monday. Now that my dad has passed away I would even volunteer to be track staff. With regards to track location how about the open cast mine to the west of Cramlington? Being below ground level would mean no visual, and much reduced noise, issues. Being mined by Banks but due to end next year I think. The land I’d owned by Viscount Ridley(Blagdon Hall) if I remember correctly

Poole I read somewhere the only main Greyhound track not to re-open on 1 June when others like Perry Barr did. If the Stadium staff remain furloughed until October hard to see what Speedway can do, unless they pick up cost of Stadium staff as you can work for someone else while furloughed.

I'm no defender of Chapman but all I'd say is, there's nothing to say that's already been said, which is; "All clubs want some kind of racing if possible in 2020." Until there is word from the Government & the BSPA I'm afraid there's nothing to tell season ticket holders. It's also been suggested that season tickets may or may not roll into 2021 etc but no club can answer that for definite. The threat of small claims court doesn't stand when businesses have been trying to work or not work in an unprecedented pandemic environment. Plus the fact that no claim could possibly be made until the season completion at the end of October anyway. All I'd recommend is just a bit of patience rather than trying to bash & threaten Buster when he doesn't know WTF is going on himself. That goes on behalf of every other promotion in the UK.

https://newcastle-speedway.co.uk/latest-word-from-the-2020-diamonds/ Well there you go the dogs don't want to run on a Sunday... So safe for the moment... But old cynical here... let's wait and see... Regards THJ Oops didn't see Steve Park's post above... but it shows I am not the only one who had heard the rumour... in fact folk wouldn't believe who I heard ithe rumour off but never mind... that's spewed that little thread... let's see what the next topic is we can discuss....

You've been going long enough to know that you're in the wrong sport if that's your criteria and you've certainly had an unfortunate choice of team recently.

That's exactly what I thought

Best speedway rider in history ???...it looks that you were born too late to appreciate the earlier speedway masters .

In response here is a Newcastle Diamonds Statement: https://newcastle-speedway.co.uk/latest-word-from-the-2020-diamonds/

Good 2nd for Robert Lambert. Great to see him becoming world class.

Watch Madsen win this

One of my strongest memories of speedway at Eastville Stdium in Bristol was seeing Maurice touring the track by tractor, after racing had finished, taking up the shale to expose the sand for the next dog meeting.

"Coventry Drone" ? That's no way to talk about Peter York!

I can't imagine anybody would disagree with that. The guy was a genius on a bike. My bias would always put Zenon Plech 2nd!

Yup. He's nowhere close to the best speedway rider in history Tomasz Gollob. Gollob dominated whole world speedway even when he didn't win SGP

I don’t get why the commentators said it was a controversial decision. Michelsen was already ahead and cornering, Woryna completely lost his place and run out of room by his own fault. Michelsen didn’t do anything wrong so it was an easy decision for me.

Bizarre decision from the referee.

It reminds me in some way of the Titanic, a once great and glorious thing, now resting and rusting at the bottom of the speedway ocean!

Fans in Poland don`t though because they know there are very few race starts called back as the riders know they cannot mess about !!!!

Exactly

Now that’s the way to deal with it..well done Kent and Eastie!

No, Rick Frost settled it when he took over at Peterborough

I'd be happy to watch any level, if I'm honest.

Certainly did, if memory serves he started the season in the main team before having a spell at reserve, arguably the best reserve in the Premier League as he ended up topping the Berwick averages come the end of the season. I believe Matej was quite happy to return to Berwick for the following season, sadly for him Havelock snr had other ideas and he went to Redcar.

It's a bit unfair to say all. I'm sure some do give a toss but you don't take on the mafia. You go with the flow or they'll get you in the end as Frost/Mahoney and Sandhu found out to their cost, as did Rathbone.

Well said, exactly my point, it’s the arrogance of the promoters and Chapman in particular that really annoys me, they moan and complain about crowd levels and fans walking away from the sport...AND they wonder why!! They don’t give a toss about the fans!

Put it this way, I'm on holiday from the 17th July (which should have happened in May by the way) & I've sat & waited patiently for information from the holiday company. The holiday cost me £800 & I've not complained once because I fully understand the situation. It's an unprecedented time & if you don't have the patience to wait for an outcome during, what still is, an ongoing pandemic, then I think you need a long hard look at yourselves rather than blaming others. Get a fooking grip FFS.

It`s not really that bizarre as Premier Sport is now involved with the channel and have not space to show the Polish Speedway on Premier/Freesports tomorrow. Somewhat similar to what Eurosport did when they showed GP Speedway on Quest.

ITV showed every major event for years when England were having success and I dont think it was coincidence that this was a boom time for the sport. Virtually every fortnight there was a meeting beamed into literally millions of homes. Riders were household names, standing alongside the most famous sportsmen of the day... As a kid growing up in the 70"s, weekly magazines like 'Tiger' and their annuals, had full pages dedicated to the likes of Peter Collins, with posters and interviews.. When PC won the World Title in 76, the Sunday Mirror (for one) ran the story on their back page sharing the lead headlines with the football.. In fact, as an 8 year old kid, I remember being in Rhyl on a day out the day later, where outside one of the newsagents was one of those 'A frame' boards advertising certain papers and "PC lands World Title" was the message on it..(Things you remember as a kid).. But that very advertising board showed (just by being there), the awareness level of the sport in the nation at that time, and would have been replicated all over the country in front of newsagents premises that morning as it was the lead corporate advertising from that newspaper.. However, when any domestic team won their league, hardly any coverage was given to it nationally, and I can guarantee that many of those who attended domestic speedway in those days did so because of the national team's success, and subsequent major coverage in both written and visual media. In fact, I know we had the race fixing scandal which would have had some impact but, for me, the stranglehold of the Danes and the Yanks in the 80's did the most damage to the sport in the UK, as no longer was there a 'success story' to be shown on TV or written about in the Newspapers, hence their coverage reduced massively.. And when World Of Sport went, ITV obviously didnt see any mileage in keeping showing Speedway as a 'stand alone' sport nationally like they did with others.. As I said before, the media love a national success story, (its good for viewing and readership numbers), and both rugby and cricket realised this and radically changed their focus to ensuring their national teams became successful. Because they realised that it didnt matter how many times the likes of Leicester or Saracens won their rugby titles, or Middelsex or Essex were County Champs in cricket, it would only deliver 'local coverage' in a major way, and that it was only by having success globally as a national team that their domestic leagues would benefit from that 'feel good' factor.. This blueprint has subsequently been attempted to be followed by Basketball and Ice Hockey who have both tried to increase the number of 'genuine not flag of convenience' UK participants to try and improve their national teams standing, in the hope more coverage and money comes their way, which can then filter down into the domestic game.. Speedway wont become successful again whilst promotions all do their own separate things in splendid isolation, all trying to out do each other in trying to win competitions hardly anyone cares about.. However. Win the SWC three years on the bounce, and have three or four riders in the top 10 in the World for 10 years or so, and I can guarantee domestic Speedway would benefit..

Gambo is waiting for official confirmation.

Based on general concensus the "other club" is named elsewhere in the article. There is also clear indication that Poole may not have Stadium clearance.

Seems like a strange move to go PL but, in view of what THJ said about the dogs intentions, Rob may be trying to at least give us some speedway, given it will end up as a filler for this year and just to get to the end of the season. If he doesn't, and THJ is right, Rob could not run speedway, so it could be a good thing to keep things going. OK, no amusements and all the bells and whistles that Rob was going to introduce, and no possibility of the junior teams, but we would have speedway for a short season and it might be fun to see the standard of the PL. Could be good.

We will have Sudden Sam's commentary to look forward to tomorrow on Eurosport. !!!

24 points difference going into the last heat and they all race their knackers off. . Got to love Polish Speedway haven't you?

Very impressed with Lambert this year.. Especially considering he got excluded for the Lebedevs crash which resulted in him getting injured.. He has showed great resilience , maturity and belief to seemingly put that out of his mind, and not let it impact his racing, which isn't easy considering it's a team mate.. And whilst never a 'big lad' by any means, he looks like he has trimmed down a couple of kilos or so too.. Heading towards the top level without a doubt..

Rybnik are out of their depth at Ekstraliga level.

Hopefully Newcastle can survive and continue - I don't think a full track share is a valid option, but what should be seriously considered regardless of changes at Newcastle is Newcastle & Redcar sharing a junior team in hosting the meetings - seems totally logical to me and has so many advantages given what both promotions and venues can offer

Not for me- exclusion

Premier Sports won't pay for a second commentator, it's a mega-cheap production for them.

Difficulty with Mondays also is, at the moment, we put the sheets down on the doggie track on the Sunday, due to the sheeters working on the Monday. Very late night for them also on a Monday plus a late night for the air fence people. In making decisions, nothing can happen unless an army of new track staff can be found to work these hours. Plenty of talkers, but when it comes down to it nobody wants to red flag, be a sheeter, add to the air fence crew who can't always be at Brough every week due to BYC Sunday meetings for juniors like Archie and Danny. I pointed out these obvious requirements to 'Mr' Phillips when he first started, but as expected he did nothing about it, hence we have very few track staff. Getting staff could well be harder to do than change nights or find another stadium.

Craig Cook said a few years ago in an interview that it cost £35k to set yourself up over there... And I presume the British lads (effectively initially on trial), won't be getting big signing on fees and 'top money' until they prove themselves. Also, by doing Poland, they lose the DU potential (and money) as they will be required to ride Fri, Sat or Sun in a normal season.. And then of course you can get replaced very quickly after just a couple of bad meetings, meaning your investment is now bringing in no money at all.. It is a big risk for those who do it, and truly a world away from the 'comfort zone' of riding in the UK, where when you get to a certain level you become 'bomb proof', with absolutely zero chance of losing your place in the top division, and you also get the opportunity to pick up lots of race win money in the 2nd Division.. There is no doubt though that if your ambition is to reach the top, then you do have to race out there as it gives you a true barometer of what level you actually are at, and where you need to improve, as well as delivering true pressure to perform against the world best.. You can only sink or swim, hence those who swim are the ones who move on to the highest level..

Has anyone been to look at the stadium in storage?