Halifaxtiger

I don't think you have missed anything but there is definitely an opening at Berwick. Tsunami spotted it earlier; if Ashworth isn't going to Plymouth, where is he going and would he have backed out if he had nowhere else to go ? Maybe it worked out very nicely for him when Mr Bowden (apparently) changed their deal.

I have been told Bowden changed his contract. You have to wonder, though, whether he would have pulled out had he not had the opportunity to go to Berwick. Whatever the case, it appears that the infamous Plymouth promoter strikes again

That was provided for me...........to be fair, SCB is right. While Mr Bowden can be criticised in many areas, asking for volunteers to paint the fence isn't one of them.

Well said Its hardly unheard of to have volunteers in. In fact, I once painted the whole of Mildenhall's fence.

I think you are right about the viewpoint of PL (or EL) supporters regarding the NL. In fact, the majority of them care more or less about their club and their club alone. I don't think its true that necessarily pay to see the big stars. If they did, no-one would go to PL racing, either. Most go to watch the team they support or, alternatively, good speedway and many NL clubs are above there bigger cousins where the latter is concerned, as Dudley, Mildenhall & Scunthorpe are up there with the best. Very difficult to disagree with that but short of opening new tracks or persuading more promoters to accept the losses that a third tier team will almost certainly create I am not sure what can be done. There is a possibility that the NL will increase in size by 50% next season (and I will be surprised if it does not increase by 20% at least). I doubt if that will apply to the PL or EL. Fair point, Dean. To a degree, its window dressing anyway. Most double up clubs do lose money on the second string team. Its a question whether the losses are sustainable and the numbers of riders produced make it worthwhile. Scunthorpe have shown that you can make a success of it. I asked Main Man that very question and he agrees

Thoroughly deserved That clash with Dudley looks pretty good, too.

Actually, I am not so pessimistic. Huge crowds at Dudley, the spectacular rejuventaion of Mildenhall, the introduction of NL speedway at Isle of Wight and Stoke and the continuing commitment to the third tier at Scunthorpe, Rye House and King's Lynn are all positve signs. We are told that Sittingbourne, Bristol & Cornwall will all be NL. One has planning permission and is starting to build a track, the other two are in the stage of obtaining that planning permission (indeed, I am reliably informed that Cornwall looks very good indeed). Tim Helm has confirmed that there is interest in reopening Weymouth, and there must be at least a possibility that all 4 will come to the tapes in 2013 (I am further advised that Cornwall may even be racing this season). Most of the NL tracks that have closed over the last few years have either been double up teamclubs that coufd not afford to run two teams (Newport, Belle Vue, Redcar, Edinburgh) teams that have been promoted (Plymouth) or those who have lost the use of their stadiums for one reason or another (Oxford, Wimbledon, Weymouth). Its not financial losses as such that forced closure (as an example, the Newport NL side lost far less than its PL equivalent). While I greatly regret the loss of teams and in particular the loss of places for young riders, do not believe that sufficient care and attention is paid to the NL and would be the first to admit that everything is not perfect, in some ways the future of the NL is far brighter than either the EL or the PL.

Agreed . Cockle could improve significantly too; he had a nightmare start last season but was doing very well for Plymouth by the end. Team full of young assets, Mallett to return at some point, potentially some real improvers (especially Lewis Kerr; very impressed with him at times last season). Best of luck to Dale and his team.

Very surprised by that. Maybe he will be a track expert at Plymouth Whatever, I wish him well.

I don't agree with the opinion that he is a one track pony for a second, Spinny (he was a favoured guest for Mildenhall for a start) but I equally don't believe that anyone would suggest that small tight tracks are his favourite - and that is exactly what SBA is. Once again, I hope I am wrong.

We'll see - I genuinely hope you are right. I have a few mates down there and they are top lads so they deserve it. Just got my programme out for the last meeting of the season at SBA. The team was: Barker, Hawkins, Kristiansen, Starke, Wells, Franchetti, Cockle. Discounting Cockle & Barker, Boxall is clearly better than Starke, and Ashworth will be better than Wells. Hawkins (albeit a guest) is better than Holder and Kristiansen is better than Werner. Accepting that Glanz and Franchetti are the same, that doesn't amount to a massive improvement in my view. I think the point is how good the side might have been with the financial resource available to the club (they do, after all, get the biggest gates in the PL). To accept a team that in comparison with the others certainly doesn't look to be anything above bottom 4 (I haven't seen anyone predict that they will make the play offs) would be difficult if I were a Devils fan to stomach.

We'll agree to disagree on that one. I have no doubt Somerset or Berwick would have liked to see him in their team; whether Rye House would is another matter. I think you are right about the team being strengthened (just) but the point is it could have been so much better. Any Plymouth fan has a right to feel disappointed, and I think that is reflected in the opinions on this thread.

'Sadly' for a few others, I suspect. Mind you, you might be wrong. After all, a track that loses money, has just £4,000 assets and a valuation of -£31k can't be worth much, can it ? I am not sure Barker speaks for himself. Glanz will be better than 3.00, and Cockle was averaging much higher at the back end of the year than what he is on now. Boxall could do well on a track that isn't that different from Rye House. Holder seems to me to be better on bigger tracks - good at Isle of Wight, poor at Newport - and he appears to be going backwards. Werner is supposed to be the third heat leader but he wasn't that before he took two years out and Ashworth is a somewhat of a gamble. Lets not forget he went to Plymouth because there wasn't anywhere else, that he faces a 700 mile round trip for home meetings and that he has always been a big or fast track specialist - and SBA is neither. I think the thing is that Plymouth fans could justify feeling disappointed by that team and that they deserve something better.

I don't think you are - in fact I think that is a very good guess indeed. It certainly comes close (taking in higher PL pay rates) to what I heard he made during the first few seasons. As Mikeyt says, its complete nonsense to suggest he is losing money. Nobody believes a word he says, anyway.

One thing about Plymouth is that there is never a dull moment - I have regaled fans as far away as Redcar and Newcastle with the happenings at SBA. It must be said that if Mr Bowden does leave things won't be quite so entertaining, even if that is not always for the right reasons.

Small, but on my experiences last season its one of the best racing tracks in Britain

Things might be looking better for 2013/ later this season. Sittingbourne are marking the track out and there has been some more good news about the track in Cornwall (just had a text that there do not seem to be any problems with the noise issue). Add in the possibility of Weymouth and Bristol.................

R*ger me with a prize winning leek: A Bowden fan. Why not start a fan club - in a year or so you might find someone else. I don't think anyone has stated that they want to buy the track. That does not prevent them from saying that they want someone else in charge at SBA if the circumstances justify it and here most would say they undoubtedly do. It remains to be seen whether Plymouth Speedway will be sold or if Bowden is just throwing his toys out. Word I have is that there are at least two groups interested. I also can't help but wonder how much he wants for it. Based upon his own confirmation that it makes a loss (he says in Speedy Star he pays to go to work), has only £4,000 in assets and a valuation of -£31k, how much do you think ? £5,000 ? £500 ? 50p ? Further word I have is £100k. I am no expert, but that sounds a little pricey given his assessment of the financial position. The thing is Mr Bowden has created an exceptional situation: he is despised by almost everyone in speedway. The BSPA have no time for him, and that was the principle reason why they were initially excluded from the PL. Read Tsunami's posts and he has apparently had the hard word about future conduct from them. As I have said before, I haven't heard a good word about him from anyone at SBA, so he has created a unique position where the BSPA and the fans are united in their views. I genuinely hope that new buyers for the track are found and that Plymouth go from strength to strength. There are some terrific people there and they deserve nothing less.

I think that is precisely what should be done. It is unreasonable to suggest that the double up clubs run 14 home meetings so a competition for stand alone teams allows them to have some meaningful meetings towards the end of the year.

Be interesting to see how much he wants for it, but I doubt it will bear any relation to the valuation he himself has stated. I'll get hold of some of my contacts down there...........

For a forwarding thinking promoter trying to develop assets for his senior side and prepared to accept a loss in doing so, maybe. Doesn't sound like Mr Bowden to me. One thing about Plymouth is that it is profitable so Bowden isn't going to shut it down because he makes a lot of money from it. You also have to understand that while all fans complain about their promotions from time to time, aside from the fact that he is undeniably responsible for the Devils being existence I have never heard a good word about him from anyone, and the closer you get to Devon the more vitriolic the criticism becomes. It is possible that the club will shut down because of the loss of their lease but, from what I have heard, that is far more likely if he is still there at the point that it is renegotiated because along with everyone else he has apparently upset the college that own the site too.

Brilliant Is it the licence to run speedway at a particular track that costs money then ? I know the one at Mildenhall was sold in 2008. I actually believe Bowden would walk away - providing someone paid him about three times what the speedway is worth. I somehow doubt that that value wouldn't be reflected by the figure that he has previously stated, either.

That's a question that has been interrupting my work all day. As I have said, I got told that Bowden has made a near 7 figure sum since opening Plymouth in 2006. The thing is, that's entirely believable on the gates I have seen at SBA. I have to say it also makes no sense that an NL club attracting around 1,500- 2,000 spectators every week is worth - £31k, and I suspect that the reason for the sale is probably made on the same basis and with the same motivation in mind as that ludicrous valuation.

From what I have heard, profits are a lot, lot higher than that (albeit based upon NL speedway). As to your first point, I have had dealings with directors of speedway companies paying themselves large salaries

While the asset valuation is about right, I'd say the £100k company valuation is more accurate that -£31k (although I'd accept the first figure appears to have been plucked out of thin air). How anyone can value an NL track (because it was that at the time) getting gates over the 1,000 mark every week as having a minus value is beyond me. I'm no expert, but surely the value of a company is reflected as much by its profitability as its assets ? Profitable or not, I'll be amazed if anyone buys any shares.