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Is it only me that feels a tad sympathetic towards Plymouth? They sign a 7 MSN team and through no fault of their own the number 1 is injured pre season. As a result of moving to Saturday race night there are few, if any, suitable replacements. I wonder if it would have been easier to get a replacement for Tuesdays? They do a load of work on the track, and are met with a very wet winter, meaning, perhaps unsurprisingly, it hasn't dried out in time. Who'd be a promoter in a sport that is not a great money earner if not a loss maker?

There was not many positives to take from that performance was there. Berwick moved out from the white line where the Comets riders bar Vissing were not interested in going out there. Heat 3 mind needs noted Comets on a 5-1 and stopped because Berwick rider had not cleared the track, staning on fate one !!!! He should have been fined for that.

If Workington are relying on the present day Cook and Batchelor then it’s going to be a very long and hard season for them.

I shall be buying the stream tonight. I live in Ipswich so there is no chance of me going to watch live but it will help swell Berwicks coffers by purchasing the stream. Every club should do a streaming service.

Really..I would like to think that most speedway fans turn up to watch good speedway and not fret whether they have guests or not and aren’t really talking about the championship being left behind..just enjoy the entertainment that’s on offer and try to be happy

Also good to see their NJL team wearing the same team suits really smart looking suits too

Newcastle’s track is smoother than this, awful.

Poor from Kemp just leaving his bike on track

I admit when we started the track work back in October, we had some nice weather and we were cracking on with everything nicely, then the weather changed and we've had to endure the wettest winter for 250years apparently. Definitely effected moral, then losing nico through no fault of our own was very disappointing however we have stuck to it and I reckon it will pay off in the long run. We might not be fancied for any success, but we won't stop trying.

https://x.com/glasgowtigers/status/1774024585924563210?s=20 Looks a bit better in reality thankfully!

After all the negativity he got on here, he deserves his plaudits.

Health and safety has now got to stupid levels of stupid. So for that reason it was probably H&S.

Transponders are only 99.9 percent perfect.

Rained pretty much every day for a week. The track was in good condition considering the battering it’s taken

there will be a lot buying the stream from workington who could not afford or have the time to travel 200 people streaming is good revenue for the club and money they wouldn't have got otherwise from travelling fans. I'd have been looking at £80 fuel plus admission so most away meetings would cost over £100. A lot of money for a speedway meeting

He comes across as a really likeable guy. was joking with the track staff before meeting.

The haters said he wouldn't get near to scoring 4 and first meeting too. So I would say that is a win. Only going to get better when used to the track imo.

It's the fruits of the nice Mr Russell's labours in playing the viability card and stepping aside to leave a clearer path. Removal of the covenant leaves the greyhound position in their own gift and leaves them able to cease them and leave the stadium to rot until the council relent - which they will.

Links for Edward Jancarz Memoriał: http://kergel.ucoz.lv/index/live_stream_2/0-12 https://vk.com/wall524629028_43 https://vk.com/video524629028_456239281 https://vk.com/wall-19139906_185026

What happens when you have two seven man teams, not even using RR, and there's a four-man pile up in Heats 1 or 2? It's then five a side.... And if they are using RR it then becomes four a side (exactly as it would with six man teams).. However, as four man pile ups occur once every Preston Guild, the vast majority of meetings would never be impacted.. And if it does then "tough luck, but guess what? That is sport"... And, if you run six man (I mean rider teams, sorry Celina) you would then have "subs on the bench" to come in and not need RR in the first place.. The issue facing the sport is too few riders being available at the right ability level that Div 2 want to race at... Div 1 are "just about" getting away with it by having only seven teams in the league.. Any more and they would struggle too...

Everybody's got a great plan, a superb solution. Until they get punched in the nose. What happens when you have two six-man teams, each using r/r, and there's a four-man pile-up in Heats 1 or 2?

Yes. It wasn’t a good look for us. Very rare indeed. the start Marshall’s were standing in as our normal ones were away regarding the track. And this is a massive bug bare of mine and this is my opinion why a lot of riders never make the step up from NL to premiership. that track was absolutely spot on yesterday despite all the rain we had. The premiership boys would have loved that. but because the youth system and NL give all these youngsters tracks like motorways they don’t know how to ride when there is a bit of grip. they then have to learn how to ride with grip in competitive action thus knocking there confidence and eventually being lost to the sport. so I dont like doing this but I blame the riders for not having the skill to race and not the track itself.

This didn't age well :-)

With a fit for purpose RR facility another to add to the solution.

Very disappointing travelling 180 miles for a rain off which was ultimately caused by a heavy shower about 30 minutes before start time. The second shower which came after 6-30pm only lasted a few minutes and made very little difference. These are my personal observations and thoughts : Hard to understand why the track was watered with dark clouds approaching. The PA system wasn't functioning properly so nobody had a clue what was happening, we just stood around cold in excess of 70 minutes after the advertised start time before people started walking toward the exit. Not a great advert for Rob who was just saying in the Speedway Star how they are trying to raise the profile of the sport. The track staff did a good job with the track to the point were I believed the track would come to the riders after 3 or 4 heats if racing had got underway. It was observed that the drain on the 1st bend was higher than the track, this contributed to the large puddle of water that formed there. We appreciated getting a refund quickly. It was made known to us at this time that the riders wanted to give it a go but the referee ultimately called it off.

I think Poole should have given Perry a 4th ride, surely it's more important to give him track time than to win by 32 points instead of say 30?

Beaton fair and square but that ref was awful stopped a certain 5-1 for us then batch won by half a bike length was given to berwick rider.

The amount of guests pale into comparison with the number that double up and I think the latter is far more detrimental to the way the sport looks to outsiders.

Remember there is no passing at Poole Few races like this to choose from last night.

thank you everyone for the help . hope to see a decent performance from our new/old team members up the bendits lol

Is that Mr Benn Cook ?

Great start for Poole. Oxford may as well use the next three BSN matches to make sure they're ready for the league. But hopefully they don't work it out before we meet them in the KO Cup.

I think it means that Osbourne is trying his usual tactic to get the council to rubber stamp retrospectively his failure to comply with the s106 milestones so far with the new stadium buildings and painted containers for kennels and pits. It all rests with a new administration in charge at SBC to stand firm and insist he completes them as originally intended and more importantly completes the remaining site to original specs. This is why it’s important for anyone who cares to submit an objection on the sbc portal

Well that turned out to be an interesting night. I left home ( about 10 mins from the track) at about 6.30. It had been a glorious day, none of the predicted showers had appeared thus far. A minute or so into the journey, the rain started to spot on the windscreen. Looking at the sky, most of it was clear, but off to the south the sky looked black and was slowly approaching. Within seconds it was torrential, ever the optimist, I continued on, there was always the chance the rain could miss, and sure enough by the time I passed the Riverside stadium I was in clear skies and the road was bone dry, although off to the right there was a clear dividing line between clear sky and torrential rain. As I got nearer to the Ecco arena, I started to see all the cars parked on the main road, and then I realised it was a Bank holiday weekend. Fridays on a bank holiday weekend. can be chaotic, especially if there are other events taking place at Moto X or Kart tracks as well. With yesterday also being a bank holiday as , it was even worse, most of the car park was taken up by large vans & motor homes etc. Being of limited mobility, parking on the main road is not an option, so I made my way to the car park entrance, and was informed that parking was limited, but there might be an odd space. I made my way through the car park just as the rain was reaching the arena, by the time I found a parking spot the rain had got heavier. Not wishing to get wet I decided to wait in the car in the hope the rain would pass over quickly. It didn’t pass over quickly, it got worse. I could see that everyone in the stadium had made their way to any available cover. I sat in the car waiting more in hope than anything else. Eventually, it dawned on me, the chances of the meeting taking place was fast diminishing so I decided to cut my losses and go home. When I got home just after 7.30 I checked the updates site to see the meeting start had been put back to 8.00pm, followed by a further update a few minutes later to say the meeting was Off. Decision vindicated. Normally, when I go to the Speedway, the wife and daughter settle down and watch a movie, so yesterday I had the double whammy of not getting to meet up with two friends who only get to Redcar a few times a year, and having to put up watching the last hour of a s*** movie called Black Adam, so not a “Good” Friday for me. The trials and tribulations of being a speedway fan, eh. but I still love the sport.

Here is the statement The owners of the Blunsdon venue have been quiet since April last year, but broke their silence to provide a statement offering 'clarification' during an extraordinary meeting held by St Andrews Parish Council, prompted by the latest planning application. The statement, spanning two A4 pages, said: "We wish to be absolutely clear that the request currently under consideration by the council does not seek to remove the planning conditions which mandate the completion of the stadium complex. "We understand the council's planning portal refers to the "deletion of speedway and greyhound racing requirements* - however, and importantly. our request seeks to remove the existing covenant that requires 'continuous operation of speedway and greyhound racing throughout the period of the milestones'. "This request is made because it is no longer relevant given that speedway racing ceased at the site several years ago." It is reiterated that Gaming International is asking for an updated milestone programme, deletion of the ultimate longstop, deletion of the speedway and greyhound racing covenant, and an updated land ownership position. It adds: "The Deed of Variation request ultimately serves to update the current project timeline, update the details of the site owner, and reflect the fact that • motorsports racing has now permanently ended at the site. The statement then says that the borough council granting this changes will allow them to move forward with the next steps of the new stadium build. "A revised S106 agreement will, in fact, ensure the delivery and implementation of milestones 11 to 15 and secure a pathway to the sustainable regeneration of the site. This includes finishing the acoustic fencing, demolishing the old site, adding a new car park, landscaping and handing over a new youth training facility. "We understand the widespread interest in the future of the site and regret any confusion around the purpose of the Deed of Variation request," it adds. The extraordinary meeting concluded with St Andrews Parish Council choosing to oppose the planning application.

To ianb. It's not tracks can't afford sawdust, it does grow on trees you know, but they're not allowed to. Thanks to the enviornmentalists for that, same with dropping oil onto the track.

I think when all the riders come out and start kicking the track your just as well to go home.They should just give you your readmission ticket as you leave.If the riders don’t fancy why should a fan.

It's always a shambles at Scunny or seems to be whenever I choose to go, being brought up on the era of around 10 matches to choose to go to on a Good Friday this year I had a choice of 2! Poole too far away as a neutral with a 7:30 kick off or the 80 mile trip to the omnishambles that is Scunny. In recent years it seems to be the track I've spent the most time at waiting for Speedway to actually happen, usually I've been kept waiting due to inadequate medical resources. There's no way Rob Godfrey should be anywhere near the top table of British Speedway, he should step back and look at getting his own club in order. At the risk of sounding like a Tory... Where is the plan? There's no plan! Like you say it's not the first time this has happened... anywhere! And it will happen again, we know what our climate is like and it'll probably only get worse before it gets better. A stadium full of punters, who were happily let in to be greeted by the sight of a track that everybody knew, deep down , was never going to see any Speedway ridden on it that night. There should be a set of procedures to work through, that have been proven to work, if a meeting is going to be attempted to be saved. Credit to those that tried to get the circuit into some kind of condition and clearing the pools of water on it but even after that work was carried out nothing was done to soak up the water that wasn't standing in pools but still quite clearly visible. I wonder if any research has been done into finding a financially viable absorbent substance that could be used on tracks in such events. Back in the day it used to be sawdust but the sport probably can't even afford that anymore. Blading the track and relaying with fresh shale would have been another option, just getting on with it may have been another option... or just calling it off after the downpour. That's my point there doesn't seem to be a set of procedures to run to in the event of this happening, it's generally nothing happens for a while, then riders start appearing, kicking the track, then work starts, the the ref, captains and managers walk a lap of the circuit, then there's more faffing about, everybody disappears for a while, then the ref, captains and managers appear again to walk another lap of the track, everybody disappears again, punters are stood around waiting, those who know, know and have already gone home... eventually it's called off... we've all seen it at our local tracks before and we'll all see it again! Added with that on this occasion was the ridiculous "music" being blasted at the elderly crowd, not a single update as to what was actually happening, an annoying loud humming noise emanating from the PA when the "music" did cease and even more ridiculously a large queue to actually get out of the stadium!

I've got photos of the statement. Too big to upload here though.

Beautiful start to Saturday, sunny and not a cloud in the sky.

Indeed, but it's one meeting against a, for whatever reason, woefully underprepared opposition. Masters and Boughen in particular are much better riders than that, really odd that they scored so badly. As always Poole are going to be there or there abouts. Although I think they are going to find it harder away from home this year.

Looks like the Ox were Cooked and roasted. Masters hasn't got dialled in yet. Shame the Poirates are not in Premier, not the same without them and Swindon in top league.

Good post. I did feel for Rob and the team because it was such an unfortunate time to pour with rain on the season opener. He was indeed very proactive with track work and gave it his best shot. If that track had been at a more prestige event then it is my view the meeting would have taken place. You sum up well were things need to be improved from the point of view of the paying public. I feel that the crowd have the expectation of a call off decision in the circumstances experienced nowadays so either the referee has to be stronger in getting the meeting going or the decision not to race taken quicker. It was a hard call but with everyone already there I think the riders should have given it a go, the track would have only improved.

I think they probably are, only potential weak link is Jenkins, now he's not a RS, but I think they have a better RS than Sheffield & Leicester who have similar number 6s. So plenty to like about this Ipswich team.

6 man teams instead of 7 - that is the first solution

Massive crowd, live rock band, top quality racing, Tobias the new Zetterstrom, bonkers 61-29 result........awesome quality blend of everything u could ask for from an entertainment venue..... WINborne Road! Well done to all the Pirates, take a bow C'mon the Boys

Agree this isn’t to damn our sport but it’s pointing out the obvious which need addressing, how can a club that has a promoter in such a position operate that way! ? No miles or loss of money will ever stop me attending speedway and I’m fully aware this isn’t the norm! Let’s get things run like a professional sport and do better then this !

Absolutely spot on! Not only is he the promoter part of the BSPA, he runs the whole 5h1t show, is it any wonder the sport is in the state it's in? There should be some kind of time window in place to run meetings, much like they have in F1, to stop all of the faffing and dithering. It's the same today as it was 40 odd years ago when I first started attending.

I’m more annoyed what it does to the “general “ speedway fans it looks horrendous and like I said although it’s disappointing surely communication with the fans will help a bad situation. He’s my gun shot my foot !

Try running Poland with a guest system... The sport ends over there right there and then.. We "need" guests due to the way the teams are set up... For example, less riders per team would mean a surplus of riders to use to replace missing riders.. Put simply, if you haven't enough of a certain level of rider, then don't organise the sport meaning that you need so many... Guests are just an easy cop out, rather than having to find a way of running a team sport "properly".. No matter how it gets "sold", having Bomber, for example, riding for all and sundry, does nothing but devalue and erode the credibility of any competition that he does it in.. If someone like Pawlicki did it in Poland, then the fans, the national company sponsors and the prime time TV coverage (that gets sold to the highest bidder), would disappear in an instant.. It can be truly great to watch Speedway in the UK, but, until it can be taken seriously as a "proper team sport", by fans, media and investors alike, it can never deliver its true (untapped), potential... I think Phil Morris is savvy enough to realise this...