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Sorry to disagree Steve but there were three viable sites and one deffinite front runner at Seaton Burn and with support from the Local Authouity however ya man objected to one of the people who was prepared to put money in and his huberous got the better of him (and just for Mala... Huberous means arrogance and excessive pride) Pride comes before a fall and he was offered all the help and support he could have wanted but Billy Big Balls wanted to do it all himself... so now he's reaping the rewards... Two humpings in following weekends how embarrassing is that and Leicester put Edwards in at the end to give them a chance otherwise it would have been 26 - 64. Furthermore riders don't want to come to Newcastle because they talk to each other and there is an impression that they don't get paid on time and also that the club isn't on a firm footing and is continually on the brink of collapse with the ramifications of that being they "don't get paid" if the clud goes pop and I know that's not ya man's fault "per se" but he ain't doing anything much to change perceptions... Oh and come back George Congreve son because regardless of what you were told it's definitely not your fault bonny lad... All very sad... Regards THJ

This coming Saturday... mid summer's night, plum night in the Speedway calendar, weather likely to be fine, 2 matches on in Britain both at NDL level, Leicester & Berwick. Absolutely pathetic from all British Speedway so called promoters!

You should know by now that certain Promotions and BSPA only look after themselves.GB speedway is going down the tubes just to suit the riders and not the fans and nothing will change anytime soon.IMO. In a sport with no credibility regarding structure how do they expect fan base to improve.Answers to the Chairman,see if you get a response.

Really? So when have this management or promotion been considered top dogs then considering we have only won a few matches in a season and a half? It always makes me laugh this attitude that for some reason anyone involved in speedway is doing supporters a favour; unlike any other sport. Supporters are entitled to their own opinions, it’s what makes sport so great. Let’s not forget that speedway is no different and anyone is entitled to have their views on teams, riders or how the team is set up. Yes the promotion don’t make money and some work on a voluntary basis to help the club and good on them for doing that but let’s not forget that is their own choice to do so. If you are involved in sport at any level you will get people questioning decisions ect. Even as a junior football coach at under 7s you get questions and challenged by parents on line ups and tactics. So why should speedway be any different? The RR one for today is certainly a strange one but at the end of the day it is the managers call.

My opinion of the young Kiwi was about on the money. But to take him out at this stage & replace him with Jack Smith who has proved time & again that the Championship is beyond him. I think if that was my option I'd stick with Congreve, at least you still have hope that he can improve.

Poor signing and worse than Congreve.

Obvious.. But not to some it would appear.. When you can pick and choose your leagues to compete in then it seems crackers to not have some kind of quality control by those in charge.. When teams decide that the pinnacle of the sport in the UK isnt worth competing for, and for them they feel better off competing in a lower league, then it speaks volumes as to the low amount of merit which winning any league has in their eyes.. Therefore, at least make every league competitive... And if that is by some contrived system which allows a fair spread of HL talent across every team then so be it.. We have contrived teams happen virtually every night so it's not as if it would be a unique situation for the sport.. No surprise Newcastle are uncompetitive given everyone said at the start that they were uncompetitive... A hard task for the Promoters trying to sell the least competitive team in the least competitive league I would suspect... And that is both home and away promoters. With many away teams having the double whammy of scoring big away and suffering lower crowds when poor teams visit.. But... It isnt like this wasnt pointed out well before a wheel was turned is it?

Whilst I think that is probably true the point is, if the authorities want an evenly matched league or even just want to maintain then number of teams in the league, then they needed to give each of the 11 teams the opportunity to sign competitive teams. By allowing two teams to sign half of the league number 1 heat leaders that was never going to happen. We just don't know how much money Rob Grant was offering heat leaders during the winter but given 2021 it was never going to be anyones first choice. Regardless of the standard of teams it just makes no business sense to have a scarce resource able to dictate terms in the pursuit of 'sporting greatness' or whatever winning the CL gives you. From everyones perspective, apart from the riders, it makes entire sense to manufacture supply over demand as then everyone can benefit from the resulting more realistic terms.

lets hope they see the season out, they must be losing £££. I feel for them, its a canny stadium which, if it wasn't operating, people would be clamouring for it to open. TBH its time for the league to pull together and somehow make sure the talent is shared - Poole can't play Glasgow or Leicester every week

Good to have two GB riders who now go into these meetings being feared by opponents rather than "hoping they can do well", which has been the case for too long in this country when riders reached this level.. They both now seem very comfortable at the "top table" suggesting they both truly now believe that they are "naturally" in their rightful position... Which can only bring further confidence and reward...

Glasgow, as is the way of the Faceena brothers paid top wack for the best Streaming Production available to them at realistic costs. Clearly it must not have made them any money and why should any Club lose money to stream speedway to people who lets be honest are watching on TV as it's easier to do that then get off their backsides and go and watch it live. There will always be genuine and worthy exceptions and away support for whom its more practical, no point denying that but surely it has to be both profitable and sustainable but also not be detrimental to reducing/eroding attendence for the Live version any more. A number of Clubs are doing good streaming but unless in the final analysis it makes them some net profit why would you sell a product for 12 quid that probably 2-3 people watch for one subscription of 12 quid; when those 2-3 people could be spending £50-£60 to come in and another £20-£30 on food and drink and possibly merchandise. They would have to buy probably 5-6 streams to generate the possible income from ONE actual visit. It's a sad fact that too many of us, and as a collective it's a trait in Speedway seem to expect hard working Promotions to just keep on subsidising the Team for them to turn up as and when they feel like it. Its not nor has it been for a few decades a sustainable business model.

(My) press release: Newcastle v Leicester (today) The Diamonds will take on the top of the table Leicester Lions at 4.00pm, don’t miss this one, get there early to avoid the disappointment of being turned away. News of both teams to be announced prior to heat 1. ……well it’s better than anything I’ve seen on the club’s website or twitter page!

Also like a football manager and player has to speak to the media after a match I think ( unless you have 2 on the trot ) a rider who wins a race should be made to take a victory lap so the fans can show their appreciation

Least Congreve could stay on for 4 laps at Brough and I would of kept Congreve over Smith any day.

No buddy I don't unfortunately... I think all that goodwill has been lost and the momentum that was gained out of the adversity that was last season has totally gone down the pan... Grant should have rode that wave of support instead of trying to do the King Canute routine and hold back the tide... I still think he is the best man to run the club and one of the few who could make it pay... or at least make a profit where all else failed... he just needs his "passion" reined in a bit and channelled into the right direction... However he wants to do it his way and made that quite clear... (like a spoilt kid who is running the place into the ground just like the previous man who he so despises) therefore he needs to get on with it and good luck to him... it will either sink or swim but I dont think it is a lost cause yet... but is heading that way fast... Regards THJ

Well that was embarrassing!! Been going 39 years and can’t remember ever seeing us lose by over 60 points at home until the Poole result last season, but now it’s twice in 2 weeks. Maybe they need someone to advise them because anyone who thought bringing in poor Jack Smith in was a good idea is so bad it’s ridiculous. Yes we needed riders but if could not find a rider in this country, we had to try unknown Dane, swede or whoever to at least get wrighty back to reserve which makes us stronger all round. I totally agree about we need to find new track, Rob wanted that at the start but apparently now doesn’t, so we carry on at brough where no rider wants to ride apparently and are stuck to the same race night. Onto the Poole match we go…. All you want to see is a bit of fight and that was a disgrace tonight!

Is Palin going to need to leave EWR if he is to improve? Should be doing better than that imo. In danger of becoming a one track pony

So that proves my point. Even though Newcastle offered more money to heat leaders than Poole, who have 3 number 1's, they still choose to ride for less money because they were all able to obtain team places and presumably preferred the security of an established track or didn't like home matches on Sunday's or the track. However, had each team been restricted to 1 rider over 8 points then one of those riders would surely have signed for Newcastle on those better terms. Now Poole would still have signed the best team because they'd have signed the best under 8 point riders. That's entirely fair as they're a better run more knowledgeable club but at least all 11 teams would have had the opportunity to have at least one competitive rider in heats 13 and 15. The fact that Rob Grant had offered these heat leaders terms would suggest he realised that the team needed a number one so has he picked a poor team or has he just picked up the pieces of what was left over. Still nobody can come up with the name of a feasible number 1 rider he should have signed. I'm not here to defend Rob Grant as I do believe he's completely out of his depth and has been 'ill advised' and regardless of availability of heat leaders the team/club is a shambles. But the point remains. If the BSPL want an attractive league which retains all of its members then they needed to ensure each team could track a competitive team. They've failed miserably in that and I suspect will have 10 teams in their league next season. Maybe that's what they wanted? In which case job probably done.

Rob Grant has the best of intentions and put his money where his mouth was, unlike most people on here. Unfortunately for Newcastle supporters he saved the club from extinction but doesn't have the knowledge or the skillset in how to run a speedway business

This is my point, same people on criticising this decision would be on saying it's ridiculous calling it off based on a forecast. You can't win.

I'm guessing that riding order means Newcastle have read comments by fans on the forum / Facebook & decided to use r/r for Starke & not Wethers?

he' going to be the next Jack Smith, always the one with promise and potential but basicaly still where he was 3-4 years ago. A good NDL rider who can score a few ponts as a CL reserve. May be a focus on improving in to a CL second string instead of wasting time and money in Poland whould be good advice?

That’s because after you have been people think there is nowt left

Afraid speedway is a dying to virtually dead sport. I started going in the early 80's and there were about 35 tracks in the UK then and maybe 250+ riders competing in the UK at all levels. Now we are down to what, 17 tracks in the top 2 divisions and only 6 in the top division which is desperate really. Ok there were the heady days but in the all the years since I can't remember any period where there was such a dearth of riders competing. Back in the those days there was no doubling up either. These days when you watch a match you almost feel it's like a random selection of riders v another random selection of riders. We don't even see the volume of overseas riders coming over like they used to. Even going back say 10 years the decline is alarming. I have no idea how you solve that problem. Maybe training tracks and development programmes is the way but that should have happened years ago as it obviously takes time for anything like that to bear fruition. The bottom line is it's a very dangerous sport and there is no money in it unless you get to the very top. Perhaps that wasn't the case back then; youngsters have so much choice now. Newcastle's current plight is a result of this problem. It's easy to criticise Rob and the promotion but they are obviously desperate for new riders but even with such a small number of teams there are so few if any available. Honestly fear the worst for the sport. Wouldn't surprise me if in 5 years time we are down to 10 teams or less.

Entertaining meeting despite the lengthy delay…….glad I waited. Track was made good by the staff to provide some good racing…..well done. Right decision.

There were places mentioned and ideas at the talk in when thought we were closing but Rob didn’t want to move from brough.

I dont think its working out for complin, yes he tries. But this outside thing leaves massive open gaps

It's heartbreaking to say it, but I have believed, for a few years now, that if Newcastle speedway, stay at Brough park, they are on death row. Analysis of it shows, the stadium owners, merely tolerate the speedway. Charge a whopping rent for the privilege and literally give the speedway the lickings of a dog, for that. Due to the constraints placed on the promotion, they cannot attract top riders, most are not happy riding there, as it is a relic of a bygone era. The time that it can run meetings does not make it appealing to riders either. If Newcastle speedway has a future, then it is away from Brough park. It needs to be able to have some control, over its own destiny. I am certainly not saying, this is an easy option, but the alternative is a certain death, ( probably fairly quick).

I wonder who you mean?

There is a difference between 'enjoying watching racing' from the living room on tv and internet and actually setting off and travelling to attend a meeting in person. Tbh i have had numerous disappointments in travelling and getting to a track only to find the meeting is cancelled or the meeting is called off during the meeting or the meeting is held but racing is non existent or team chnges have been made without announcements etc. These aren't excuses, but real situations that happen and on such numerous ocassions that i do now think twice, three times and more before i decide to spend time and money on attending in person now Last weekend was such a case. A double header at Vojens. A 500cc meeting in the morning and an 80cc a few hours later. Such meetings which i used to love a few years ago. Trouble was two fold for me. Problems at the border and the high price of fuel, plus the added problem in the media that the fuel price was going to drop and they expected supply problems. In the end i decided not to go. Listening to the radio and there was a 30 minute delay at the border and later i heard that the petrol stations around the border ran out of petrol because of the Danes coming to Germany for the reduced price.... The thing was, i had been stuck in traffic jams 3 times that week on the way home from work, and the thought of yet another one or two at the border was a deciding factor. i decided not to go and am happy with that, although i hope at some stage things are positive for me to attend

Well I'm unsure of the process and there is always the issue of Poland on Sunday but surely riders like Keynan Rew, Michael Haertel, Nico Covatti, Matthew Gilmore, Brandon McGuiness are worth trying even if Covatti has said no, make him an offer he cant say no to

Sitting here with a glass of wine having followed my team for what was surely their biggest ever way win, I should be delighted, but feel saddened by the state of Newcastle Speedway and the state of the sport. Hats off to the enthusiasm of desperate promoters and supporters, but at what point does the saying ‘well at least we are running and have a team to support’ finally take its toll? How many Newcastle fans are now making plans for their next meeting? Next Sunday is Fathers Day. Don’t know what I’d think of my son if an afternoon at Brough Park was my present!

Yeah, I can believe that! No matter what people say on here, Poole never pay over the top for riders. Though I think percentage of silverware in the past and the sponsorship and being paid on time helps. There is a YT video of an interview with Matt Ford saying along the lines of, he makes sure he never owes anyone any money even if that means he doesn't get much himself. Anyway I really hope Newcastle can make it to at least the end of the season and beyond as well.

I do know. Which is why I'm pointing out what should have been done rather than throwing all the blame at Rob Grant. Clearly he's not blameless and is at this point surely damaging his non speedway business either via funds or reputation but you hit the nail of the head. Self interest to win a competition which has become a joke that nobody is interested in. Simple measures could have been put in place to avoid this sort of scenario. Although I still fear the Diamonds would have been wooden spoon candidates with some of the other team building decisions but at least they would have been able to secure someone to carry the fight in heat 13 and 15.

By all accounts, while frustrating that I've now missed the meeting, looks like correct decision was made, times seem about usual and seems to have been something approaching racing. Well done to track staff, riders and the supporters patient enough to have sat through the delay

Peter Craven Memorial at BV at the start of the year on a Monday night in March was a near sell out... So it can be done

Brandonapolis and Midland Riders Championship Final were two of the highlights of a Coventry season

It's as simple as this, it wasn't making money therefore wasn't viable to continue. Those smart folk with all the answers go tell the facenna's today and volunteer your services

Streams are almost exclusively bought by away fans who cannot travel to the meeting. With, for example. 100 watching, that's £1200 per meeting of extra income. If you're spending over £1200 per meeting on the production of the stream, then you're doing something wrong.

Two great matches in the Ekstraliga tonight, Czestochowa v Torun, and Wroclaw v Lublin

Newcastle manager reads the forum lol

Line-up for today amended. Kasper Andersen at 2 for Matty and R/R for Starkey at 5.

Probably missed the gate

Individuals stopped being attended when the promoters decided to dilute the product by only using 12 riders and often that was 7 home riders and a few second strings/reserves from other clubs. The super national marathon at Arena Essex was once a highlight of the season, seven hammers plus nine others often made up of NL heat leaders from teams like Rye House, Hackney, Ipswich, Wimbledon, Eastbourne etc, only half the field would qualify for the 8 man final and only the top four would get to start off the front in said final. it was very competitive, it meant something and so the fans brought into it and this was second division. Oh and those 16 riders, you could bet everyone of them had jobs outside of speedway and they worked those around their racing commitments.

Plymouth deserved a point last night . They showed alot of teams how to attack the track and you will get results. They will up there challenging for the title based from what I saw last night.

Wouldn't take much doing. His pre match team talk is just simply " Go out & enjoy yourselves" No motivation whatsoever.

As a Wolves football supporter I can tell you that you are way off the mark when you say that they have gaps in the stadium for home games, the only gaps you will see are the gaps between the 4 stands or a few gaps separating home and away fans, I think maybe a 2/3 home games didnt sell out last season, but back to Speedway the Sport itself has a problem in attracting any new blood at all, and its having big problems retaining what little support it still has and having a poor team doesnt help, the Brummies are falling down on all three counts, its a chicken and egg situation for them with regards Team strength invest in the team costs money dont invest support dwindles, I will say again Birmingham has a history of not supporting poor teams.. which brings us back to the Chicken and Egg.

If King's Lynn are serious about wanting to win the league, they should approach Connor Bailey or Dan Thompson to become their RS. Not sure Belle Vue or Sheffield would be keen to let their riders go, but I imagine the riders would rather race every week than be a non-riding number 8! If their clubs won't release them Jason Edwards must be best option! Tbh Mulford should go too, mainly because if Thomas had got injured just before the play-offs, Lynn would have to draft in number 8 Mulford, a rider who has only ridden in the NL for Belle Vue. While using Mulford might be considered what the number 8 position should be used for, if you wanna win the league, should be looking at riders like Shanes or Clegg. These two may never make it to the top (Mulford could) but they'll score more in the Prem just now!

Great match tonight, Plymouth pushed the Lions all the way and to be honest, nobody would have begrudged them of the point they narrowly missed out on. Plymouth are easily play off semi finalists in my opinion but the Kennett guest facility that is still in place continues to make the Gladiators stronger than they would otherwise be. I can’t remember Kennett ever having a decent meeting at Leicester and he would never have scored what Nicholls did tonight. Rider averages are only based on league matches and Kennett hasn’t ridden in one this season! (Yes I know, it’s rolling averages that count). Can’t blame their management for playing the system, but there surely has to be a timeframe for milking a facility for a riders absence whose average is in decline. Is he actually even injured or did he just have a one meeting agreement? Hopefully not the latter as that would make the sport look (even more, if that’s possible) amateurish.

So even the managers in the stand can see it