Halifaxtiger

To be fair, it does make a great deal of difference where you stand. I was the 1st/2nd bend and got the full impact of the dust. I doubt if there was any of the 3rd/4th bend.

Nonsense. Getting covered in shale dust is not 'part and parcel' of the game. I went to three matches last weekend and at only one was that the case. Exceptional weather conditions can lead to dust at the best prepared circuits but that wasn't the case on Sunday. When a track is awful the actual people you should be questioning about whether they are bothered if a track survives or not is the promotion, because they are doing nothing to attract fans and and a great deal to put the existing ones off. Yes there were rocks sticking up and no, it isn't normal at Buxton. Quite simply, the inside of the track had worn away so much it was down to the base.

Your choice, but I think that's unreasonably pessimistic and there's a chance that Sheffield will keep this reasonably close especially if Albin bangs in a decent score. Plymouth put in an incredible backs to the wall performance on Saturday; no reason why the Tigers can't do the same. Weather permitting (and the forecast looks good now) I'll be there.

If I was to give a message to the Leicester promoter I would say that the racing at BP has been miles better in my visits this season than any (with one exception) in the past. I'd give him a great deal of credit for that.

I think you are dead right. If water isn't in the shale it won't bind properly and you get dust, stones and blue lines. The week after the Mildenhall match (see above) Hackney were at Hi Edge and, as I sponsored Barrie Evans at the time, I went. About an hour before the start there was a short but heavy shower and the track that day was the best I have ever seen it (if memory serves me correctly Paul Starke said the same thing).

As always, comaprisons with other sports only have limited value but its rare that there isn't some sort of play off - entry to the arguably the biggest football league in the world is partly decided by one, for example. While we might all have our own individual preferences, it is surely what benefits the sport as a whole that counts and what must decide the way to go. There's no question that the play off matches pull in bigger attendances, create far more interest and generate more excitement - as Rob has accurately said, the contrast between the damp squib ending of 2011 when a large number of meaningless matches were played out and the fantastic end to the 2012 season is a stark one, and I think it is clear that in terms of what is best for the sport play offs win hands down. For myself, I was a dyed in the wool fan of top of the league wins the league until I went to the amazing Scunthorpe-Mildenhall NL play off final in 2011. The second match was undoubtedly the best I have ever seen and had the effect of completely changing my view. Does anyone know when the cut off is ?

I agree and am certainly not like that. Partly due to fact that it is comparatively close to my home over the last few seasons I have been there more than most and usually like going there. It simply isn't true that the track is always dreadful, but it has been in the past and was on Sunday.

With respect to Scribbler, I think in her case its Rob Godfrey. He posts as Moorwell. Its a lot more prevalent in the NL with Jayne Moss, Dale Allitt, Malcolm Vasey and Laurence Rogers all getting involved.

The problem is Bryn that in my experience some of them do bite. I'll never forget Dave # Name Removed #'s aggressive, abusive rants on here when confronted with criticism and I myself have been on the end of that, despite the fact that everyone I have spoken to agreed with what I had said. I can just imagine someone approaching David Hemsley after a home defeat and the reaction they would get if they were critical. Its not true of everyone, though. Dale Allitt, Laurence Rogers and Dave Hoggart have all given patient, reasoned and persuasive responses to questions and comments I have made in the past and its why I have a lot of time for them all. I think I would be immodest if I am claimed credit for that but I did tell Hoggy that he was 'missing a trick' by not using the BSF to engage with fans. The reaction to his post was very favourable indeed, both with Sheffield fans and those from other clubs. Its absolutely true that there are those who will never be satisfied, who will want to know the ins and outs of everything or who just have an axe to grind or a hidden agenda. As I also said to Dave, its a matter of sorting out the wheat from the chaff, the reasonable from the unreasonable. You are never going to satisfy everyone but the more thinking members of this forum will soon grasp what is being said, what the limits are and appreciate the comments made. The thing is at the moment I think that the members of this forum are just seen as troublemakers, ignoramuses and simpletons by most members of the BSPA, and that's simply not true - most of us care as much about the sport as they do. To me, its better to engage with your paying public and take the stupid stuff on the chin than ignore them altogether.

Don't ever let ignorance stop you posting, will you ? I am not a Mildenhall supporter (I would have thought the fact that I have been there twice this season would make that clear), nor is Rum Old Bird Adam's mum. I am struggling to see where I said that the track was 'downright dangerous' or make the connection between Buxton's track and me being a team manager's guest at Belle Vue. I was there yesterday, you weren't. Enough said, I think. Its the last bit that really sticks in my craw, though. If a track closes down because of bad reviews from a fan, its entirely the fault of the fan and absolutely no responsibility of the promotion concerned whether that review is entirely accurate or not. That's the kind of ridiculous nonsense pumped out by some members of the BSPA and a few of their closest supporters - take what you are given, be grateful for it and don't complain when the product is crap . To me, its that kind of arrogant, condescending attitude that has contributed to the sport in this country being on its knees.

Perhaps he should have said semi-impartial. I notice you have not deemed to contradict my comments about ruts, rocks, stones and dust. That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I am in no position to contradict you saying that no-one from Kent complained, but Steve Boxall was definitely on the phone to the referee at one point. As I said before, I doubt if he was on about coffee from the food wagon. I was there that day against Mildenhall and Michael Lee's comments were absolutely justified. If anything, it was worse than yesterday and I certainly know of two fans who haven't been back since that day. The last time I went to Kent the track was poor (although not as bad as yesterday). It puts my views into perspective when I say that despite being Adam's long time sponsor and regarding Nikko as a valued friend it didn't stop me being publicly critical about their track either. As Moosetash has said, I call it as I see it without any bias, favouritism or hidden agenda's. Boxall maybe experienced but isn't infallible. As for the others riders fall al the time. You can't take back something that has been said. Absolutely.Count up how many other times he has fallen this season, how many riders he has knocked off and take into account a long phone call he had with the referee and then judge. Was there any forecast for rain? Not according to Met Office and XC Weather and it didn't rain at all during the meeting. Ruts are part and parcel of all tracks. Your experience should tell you that as are slick surfaces In my experience (which as you can see is pretty wide) ruts are part and parcel of crap tracks, not all of them. He doesn't like losing either: I dare say he doesn't but as I have said I was there that day and his comments were spot on. How can you call yourself impartial when you make statements such as' lost us'? I think others called me impartial, not me, and those are Michael Lee's comments, not mine.

To be fair, I should retract the 'unsafe' remark. That was made in the heat of the moment after a series of falls - Ryan Blacklock definitely came off - and riders losing control, including Liam Carr and Adam McKinna. It says everything that one of the riders who did come off - and indeed later withdrew from the meeting due to injury - is one of the best and most experienced in the NL. I'd like to have heard what he was saying to the referee when he was on the phone shortly after, although I somewhat doubt that he was complaining about the price of coffee from the food wagon. If the track wasn't unsafe, it was certainly bloody awful and that's anything but the first time that I have seen that at Buxton. I got home an hour or so ago, absolutely covered in dust from a track that was watered just once before the meeting (unless you count the dribble that comes out on grading) on a breezy and intermittently sunny day. I was also battered by a series of sharp stones that came off the track surface (despite standing well away from the circuit). Nikko is absolutely right in his assessment of the first bend - it wasn't a blue groove, it was far worse than that. Indeed, large rocks (which presumably constitute the bases of the track) were sticking up on the inside line after about heat 9. In addition, I was told that there was a huge rut on the third/fourth bend. I was listening to Dean Felton telling me about his plan's for the Fence Fund meeting and he deserves a huge amount of credit for the effort that he is putting in, because he is leaving no stone unturned in order to ensure that it is a major success. To be blunt, it is a pity that the same sort of effort is not put in on match days to ensure that they are a similar success, because what I saw today has ensured that I won't be going again for a while. EDIT: It was the sort of track that caused Michael Lee to make these comments in 2011: "The track conditions were very disappointing and the falls and crashes caused by that, lost us at least seven points. It's shame as, if the surface was right, it could be a great little speedway.......... but to be honest, in the end I am just glad the boys are all in one piece after riding on a track like that."

To me, two points dropped by Somerset and one gained by Plymouth. The Devils really were there for the taking and Somerset just didn't take the opportunity. Having said that, it was a real fighting performance by Plymouth and they fully deserved a point. There wasn't a lot of passing early on but witthe score so close the meeting was always good and heat 15 was an absolute cracker, with Doyle chasing after Lemon and Davies and Jensen passing and repassing.

Usual decent OTA meeting with some good racing from Newman,Bech,Jensen,Morris and Nielsen. Somerset were very impressive and will be a real handful for anyone in the play offs. Plymouth seem to have a winner in Jensen and the way the Devils have stepped up from the Bowden era cannot be over stated. Big thanks to Pirate Nick.

From what I saw yesterday before the meeting - young lads raiding a bottle bank and throwing them at each other - not much.

It was the collective groan on the back straight when he said 'time for a war cry' and of the subsequent comments 'bugger off' was about the only one I could put on here. Not so much apathetic as dispirited if you ask me, but it still made me laugh. Not a bad meeting - not much passing, but close enough to keep things interesting. Grajczonek never looked like getting beaten, Aspgren & Bunyan were impressive and Thomsen looks like a good signing.

Definitely one of the best gates I have seen at Berwick and very encouraging to see. I also noted posters all over the town, another sign of the significant efforts made by,the promotion. Not much passing but still entertaining, Bellago especially impressive.

While I think Pandorum is wrong and that this will be built I can very much understand his pessimism. It seems bizarre to me that the council has appointed the builders but are waiting for planning permission............from the council. While I recognise that the circumstances are different, it seemed to take 5 minutes for Tony Mole to get planning permission at Odsal.

Dead right. Occasionally, things are entirely out of the control of the promotion but some can't wait to blame them anyway.

I don't want to say i told you so but.................... Great post, Dave. I was going to say how much such posts are valued but SCB said it better than I could. Absolutely spot on , I couldn't agree more. Sometimes I get the opinion that promotions regard fans as a set of imbeciles, tolerated solely for the money they spend. In actual fact, the overwhelming majority of fans genuinely care about the sport, are concerned about falling gates and income and want it to grow and prosper. In that, the only difference between supporters and promotions is financial involvement. So when we get a honest, fair and reasonable opinion from a member of speedway's management that interfaces with us all and treats us as fellow fanatics it is greatly valued and appreciated.

I don't I'd say that every team having an equal opportunity at the start of every season is one of the sports strong points, particularly when successful teams can use their financial muscle to ensure that they stay successful. Its something Poole, for example, have managed to do with the odd exception for many years despite the restrictions of the points limit. Better that than having a football style situation where 5 or so clubs are guaranteed to dominate and the rest are nothing more than also rans season after season after season with no prospect of winning anything meaningful.

Rules and in particular the bending of them annoy me intensely. But there's no way I'll give up on the sheer excitement of 4 nutcases on bikes without brakes because of that. If that's adjudication of disputes, completely agree, Strip off next week at Foxhall and run round the track naked. Everyone will know who you are then !! The media took speedway very seriously indeed in the 1970's when it was Britain's second most popular spectator sport, despite the fact that guests were permitted then. Its not taken seriously now because it is a minority sport. Two of the best reasons why people go : good weather and good racing. Completely agree. Prepare tracks for your paying customers,not your paid employees.

I would have thought that if there was one fan in speedway who is definitely not (and indeed won't be) 'billy no mates' its you.

I have heard next season they are introducing a rule in speedway where certain riders can only go on certain parts of the track at certain times depending on where opposition riders are, the opposition riders trying to catch them out all the time. Could you possibly get anything more ridiculous than that ? Football has it, its called offside (so any speedway fan can be thankful we don't have stupid rules like that). My point is not to show that football's rules are stupid, but that any comparison of the rules not just between speedway and football but between any two sports is utterly worthless.

My view is (and will remain)that I will support anything that makes our sport more attractive to paying customers and if that involves contriving matters (your word, not mine) so be it. There are few more races in the sport that are more potentially exciting than last heat deciders for the match points. What that rule change does is substantially increase that possibility. As an example, the Somerset supporters at Rye House last Saturday week went nuts when their team got a 5-1 in the last heat and thereby gained a point. Without the scoring system, the match would have been dead about heat 10.