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I've no sympathy for the current 'management'. It's the fans i feel sorry for, they are the big losers. Promoters and riders can move on. For some people it's a lifetime of support for a club. As an Arlington regular, I'm devastated by the news.

I have bouts of mental health problems, and its only over the past few months that I've "Come Out" to coin a phrase. Some people told me to buck myself up, which is the worst thing to be told. Some people don't understand the situation, and I get that, because they won't if they've gone through it. Some people are very understanding. I'm currently having a great many demons, but have confidence, and obviously hope, that the people helping me with it, will get me out of the other end of the tunnel. I like Craig Cook. I feel for Craig Cook, and I pray he gets the help he needs from this invisible but deadly problem. Please people, whether you like the man or not, show him the respect and love that both he and his family needs at this present time. With the right guidance and love, he'll come out the other end with a smile on his face. Thank You.

Rather rude and patronising to a 16 year old. The lad showed true grit and determination to get that point. The conditions were awful. He could easily have simply ridden round for a point. He didnt, he tried hard and fell. He could have given up, like several others had previously. To pick his bike up and get going again is a credit to his training at Newcastle. I was well aware of that being his first ever point at this level. How many others realised this? Very pleased he got it. I applauded his effort. The first of many many more. Personally, I love to see new riders come in and follow their progress. Archie is one whos results I look for. Being thrown in at the deep end is very difficult for him. Getting hammered as well, it wouldnt have been a good feeling for him. He performed professionally. Well done Archie. You did alright.

Mike Mike Mike Grading was proposed for the 6 man team format 5 year back where each team could have 1 grade A rider or 2 grade B riders amongst other permutations but that wasn't acceptable because two promotions had two riders each in the Band A group and weren't prepared to share because they wanted to put out the absolute strongest team they could in the hope of trying to win something regardless if they are humping weaker opposition each week... Speedway isn't Football however promoters have that football mentality but if a club is getting all the best riders and the opposition can't get anyone to put up a reasonable opposition for competitive racing then regardless fans get fed up. Now this is all well and good when there is a requirement for say 140 riders and the pool of talent available is say 540 riders however when the pool only consists of 100 riders the whole premise falls apart... Not wanting to pick on any clubs but there are teams with 3 recognised riders who could and should be filling a No 1 slot in most Championship teams yet this race to the bottom to spend as much as possible to get the absolute strongest 1 to 7 possible is an exercise in bancrupcy and it's ridiculous... I am not a big fan of American Sport however even those massive franchise's see the need for competitive meetings and contests and undertake a draft pick giving the weakest teams first pick of the best up an coming talent and unless Speedway adopts something similar on team selection promoters will always be in the rat race to the bottom... Even football have tried to achieve some sort parity across clubs with the financial fair play league... although it doesnt seem to work that well but thats football where clubs get 50,000 crowds and this is speedway where promoters get a hard on when they get a crowd over a 1000... Home fans generally don't come when they see sides that they percieve as having no chance from the start of the season and sides with three big hitters a reserve who should be a second string and two second strings rolling up who are knocking on the door of becoming a third heat leader it's a joke... Oh everyone builds to 40 points (or so) and it should balance out but we all know the reasons why it doesn't... Riders getting a ridiculous guarentee that clubs can't afford with promotions losing money hand over fist year after year and the lesson is never learned... The whole thing is corrupt from top to bottom and the big idea they will be working on this year and next to save speedway is rolling out the second rising star reserve which we all know the reasons why this is a good idea however it is just another fiddle and something that clubs try to manipulate... and why does this process need to come with 15 pages of rules ffs? I'm not often a supporter of old Len Silver but I am with him 100% when he says why do we need to have so many complicated rules in a sport that is basically 4 guys racing round a track for 4 laps and a minutes entertainment... Someone recently mentioned a circus of a show at a track well if they need some clowns I'm sure the BSPL have pleanty to go round if they are looking for any more... Here's a thing I'm with the IOW and how about a breakaway league... tell the mafia who are running the sport at present to poke it... Having been through this with Workington all Eastie fans have my heartfelt condolences at their loss... let's hope unlike Workington Eastie can make a come back and this is only a temporary blip... Regards THJ

I have bouts of mental health problems, and its only over the past few months that I've "Come Out" to coin a phrase. Some people told me to buck myself up, which is the worst thing to be told. Some people don't understand the situation, and I get that, because they won't if they've gone through it. Some people are very understanding. I'm currently having a great many demons, but have confidence, and obviously hope, that the people helping me with it, will get me out of the other end of the tunnel. I like Craig Cook. I feel for Craig Cook, and I pray he gets the help he needs from this invisible but deadly problem. Please people, whether you like the man or not, show him the respect and love that both he and his family needs at this present time. With the right guidance and love, he'll come out the other end with a smile on his face. Thank You.

See Craig Cook now taking a break from racing because of his issues with ongoing mental health! Wishing the bloke well and hope he concentrates on himself and his family only the next few weeks! Get life into perspective.

People to quick to blame speedway in general but the bottom line this was just a poorly ran business, speedway club or no speedway club

Well, he will know where to find his first clown

I have to say that from Gary May through to every rider last night they were all very polite, well mannered and a credit to their club. They had all the time in the world for autographs and photos and were very happy and approachable. Crumpy was very busy with fans and never turned anyone away and chatted to everyone. I could think of a few that could learn a lot from his professionalism and down to earth approach. Obviously enjoyed his night too and his battle with Riss, laughing and joking at the end. For all the negativity in speedway, Plymouth are a massive breath of fresh air.

Berwick only need another 5 teams to drop out of the League to guarantee aTop 6 finish.

Im guessing all assets will be seized to cover the outstanding finances? Really does need a thorough examination and publication of what, where and who went wrong (obviously that won't happen and it will all get brushed under the carpet). Those at the helm were clearly more stupid than they appeared and have destroyed a long running institution.

Well done archie freeman

It's a big occasion for any 16 year old kid

Well said.. Physical illness/disability is often visible.. Mental illness/disability often isn't.. Best wishes to Craig... And to you..

Lawson is sorted I am led to believe!!! and it ain't Glasgow Maybe Cami Brown will now go after Claus Vissing; you know; after saying how much he loved him and how wonderful he was and how he was badly done to by Newcastle in that Speedway Star article... Regards THJ

The list maybe not quite endless, but it is very, very long.. And the IOW in particular seem to make a decent fist of using some of these techniques.. Ultimately giving your punter a good value for money night out, with no self inflicted nonsense taking place that dissuades them from returning, is usually a good starter for ten.. And if you can add actively seeking out, and then reacting to feedback from your customers as to what they thought of their night out, then you are well on your way....

I second that Archie is helped by one the good guys on the forum !!,and yes it’s tough but he will get there.If he keeps at it the rewards will come i hope Archie goes along the same lines of Kyle Bickley perseverance.He is on the pace people forget he did gate in heat 2 against Poole and was very unlucky.

And a nice set up down there

Woooshhh

All the best to cookie. Having suffered myself I can't begin to imagine how it feels when putting your body on the line every night too. Hopefully comes back stronger for it and we see him in the stripes again soon

The sport needs a lower level championship and a higher level NDL. So that tracks with a hardcore of 500 fans, can offer a competitive and reasonably priced product.

Stupidest post of the day award. Well done, even tops the loonie's Buzz post

Although of course BSPL has changed the NDL model dramatically by imposing a new operating model this year - so really not sustainable for a stand alone team

I believe Oxford is already sorted with a new promoter to run league speedway once the site is all ready to open

Now that we've reached the endgame it would be helpful to understand what went wrong. Looking from the outside, at the start of the season, if asked to rank tracks most at risk of closure I think Eastbourne would have been quite low in my list (and most people's standings too)

So it's official, the Eagles have gone. Another huge blow for us fans in the South East, following on from the recent demise of Lakeside and Rye House. I really will miss my Saturday nights in Sussex by the sea.

Was a superb Brummies performance with an excellent track and a large crowd. Kids races at the interval with lots of youngsters and happy faces. All done by 9.30pm with a 2nd half afterwards. Absolutely nothing to criticise about tonight and I'm glad because everyone concerned with Birmingham deserved a night like this.

Well done Archie Freeman for the first championship point for Newcastle.

And all to try and win competitions rendered pretty much meaningless by their very own operational model and their actions... The saying often used for this kind of ludicrous situation is... "You really couldn't make this s**t up could you?'... Well, unfortunately for British Speedway, someone actually must have... And, incredibly, others then agreed with them....

But the premiership heat leaders aren't really premiership heat leaders. Guys like Lawson, masters, Ellis would be 5/6 point riders maybe if was to standard of 20 years ago. James Grieves a consistent 9 point average second division rider barely got above 4 in his Wolverhampton days. The premiership is just a slightly harder championship as apposed to the old days when it was a huge jump.

Surely there has to come a time when Promoters take a step back, put their own egos away, and realise that what they are doing simply doesnt work? Its clear that "Championship Lite/NDL Plus" is the (maximum) level for so many.. Not "Premiership Lite".. If your crowd is less than 1000 why would you be paying Premiership Heat Leaders? Premiership Heat Leaders dont forget whose very presence has delivered that less than 1000 crowd!! The sport is now down to the die hards, with the vast majority of whom willing to watch anything served up and packaged as "Team Speedway" (as is proved by their regular attendance even after well over a decade of contrived output), therefore why spend hundreds of thousands in delivering it?. For me, the sport (all sports), need a standard bearer to aspire to, so maybe you could get 8 teams to be the pinnacle with 5 man teams. Meaning the best 40 riders ride in that league.. The rest then race in an 11 team "Championship Lite/NDL Plus" level, with the best riders providing injury cover to the top league by being affiliated to the teams there.. Meaning no guests in the top league!! Grade the top 40 riders, A to E and set a mean average based on their total points divided by 40. This will then ensure no team with money can get the best rider from every grade.. Put simply, your crowd level should deliver the level you race at, not the ego of the Promoter..

Now isn't that just typical of Poole...? They lose just one point whilst others lose up to seven.... How do they manage to get away with it?.... One rule for them, one rule for the rest.... Etc etc etc

Plymouth obviously then, after all he has done the majority of home matches there this season, so will be dialled in straight away.

You're probably the only person who missed Les Collins' entire career!!!

Its truly a race to the bottom isnt it? And Eastbourne have won it this year.. With Newcastle and Birmingham pushing them close.. What a shambles of sporting administration from those who supposedly "lead" it... NDL level pre Covid seemed to be the way forward for so many.. So lets close that down and increase costs for tracks by letting them have second teams.... Whilst at the same time making these tracks need heat leaders from the top tier to be competitive, which they then have to find the money to pay.. What a plan....

I think it's common knowledge that I am not a big Cook fan to the extent that his signing was part of the reason I haven't attended the last few meetings However on a human level I hope he finds the help he needs to feel good in himself and live a happy and fulfilling life

When Poole were at Newcastle he was in a scoring position and fell. Then in the second meeting against Plymouth he led a heat for 3 laps before overcooking it on the first bend, falling and hurting his wrist. Very, very unlucky as I am sure he would have won that heat if he had stayed on. Good for Newcastle in persevering with the lad. One for the future.

Needs to be someone who fits in with the teams togetherness so Tungate wouldn't be suitable and Kildemand tends to fall every other race.

Get a life....

How did it ever come to this, jesus .

It annoys me big time that the promotion aren't saying a word, they know how much the club means to the fans but silence, not golden in this case

I don't think that IOW's 'circus' would work everywhere else. What i do think/know is that they know their audience and how best to please them / attract greater numbers. Its obvious that under the BSPL handcuffs that wasn't possible and is proving the same for a number of other clubs. I know fans can be fickle, there were calls at several NDL teams to step up to CL level for multiple reasons and yet the step up has brought financial issues to most of these (publicised or otherwise). What has often been needed is a brutal dose of honesty, we would like to move up but we just can't afford it or this is the best team we can build without breaking the club. Circus or otherwise IOW have two ringmasters who are calling their own shots, riders prepared to entertain and not be intimidated by the mafia and the only ones left looking like clowns are the BSPL.

And you would have added the Aces to this list as well if it wasnt for Messrs Gordon and Morton.. Who truly pulled out something quite extraordinary to get the NSS funded and built by Mcr Council..

Plenty for Mark to play with should he choose to do so.. Provided of course obstacles put in his way aren’t too insurmountable.

Kent have done naff all against EB so will lose no points, but Leicester will lose 7. Sixth play off spot starting to look interesting ?

I'm sure the current Eastbourne scenario would have played out like this over seasons gone by had it not been for the Dugard family/business, especially the driving force ( no pun intended) of the late Bob Dugard. Without them, probably could have happened back in 2014/15, can't think they would want to get involved again on the speedway side without Bob and all the BSPL shenanigans going on.

That was positive but were there any things which changed what was on offer to the person who attended, or was it "some intro music, riders appear on bikes/line up and are introduced, toss a coin, 15 races interspersed with hits of the 80s and a bloke driving a tractor and someone saying it's Bert's birthday next week, next up is heat 3 etc. whilst the person stands around in the cold checking their social media and writing out their shopping list/picking their nails." This is not a criticism of Eastbourne because that's exactly what I see at many other tracks. 'Kids go free' has made me attend and a friend of mine but when there are are looking for something else to do, not just watch the racing.

I think there is a lot to be said for not expecting our young riders to match those from other countries at the same age. Generally speaking Polish, Danish and Swedish riders that I know of and maybe other countries too can have hours of bike time to every minute a British lad can get. Therefore experience wise they are bound to be behind age for age. To my way of thinking we need to be trying to produce decent league riders in higher numbers and from that will come the odd superstar, much like it's always been. Think how many thousands of kids go through MX where they can ride far more often and we only produce a couple of genuine World class riders each generation. Yet some expect 30 or 40 Speedway beginners who get to ride for 6 or 7 minutes once a fortnight to produce World Champions or they are considered failures. If you got 10 capable of riding in a professional league that would be an incredible success rate.

Reported that Tuesday’s TV match is Vastervik v Piraterna. If it is what a waste of time showing that !!!!

And the truth of this is.... we have based our "circus" on my experience travelling to speedway in the US, Canada, across Europe where with the exception of Poland it is run very successfully... I know its not for everyone but there is no reason AT ALL, why the "Circus" cannot be run at the same time as a league meeting... We do not proclaim to be the font of all knowledge, please remember we were in our view bullied out of the BSPL and then took the bull by the horns and sad no, no this isnt right and decided we will now run speedway how we wanted to run it 6 years ago but were stopped. There is no one to stop it now, and it will, without doubt, grow. Enjoy your speedway wherever you view it and keep supporting your clubs.