Halifaxtiger

I don't think the intolerance of over long meetings is restricted to those of us who are feeling their age a bit. In truth I think its everyone that wants to proceedings to run as speedily as possible and I am not convinced that all tracks make as much effort in that direction as they can and the same applies to referees.

There's no doubt that 3 hours for a speedway meeting is too long. People get restless, bored, fed up and don't come back. In this case, though, aside from the referee failing to hurry proceedings along enough and the constant track work there was nothing that could be done. To be fair to the trackman, he did extremely well on a hot, breezy day and there was no blue line and no dust which is quite an achievement. I'd echo those who have criticised the water bowser, though. Not enough went down so watering had to take place after every race. I must admit I am surprised that Eastbourne run on Sunday afternoons when Saturday night would resolve most of the problems created by the weather conditions. On a final note, I was impressed with the new announcer. Some of his language was a bit modern for me (being the wrong side of 50) but he tried hard to get the crowd ongoing and took in some interviews which helped the monotony caused by the long meeting a bit. Get him a straight man in the box to do the team line ups, two minutes and results and I think Eastbourne will be onto a winner.

Keep it positive, Mick (Believe me, if I wanted to be critical I could be so very easily).

You need to go there As far as I am concerned, they do - or at least try to do - everything right. The tracks' reputation for excellent racing is well deserved (if I had to pick my top 10 meetings, 3 or 4 would have been at EWR), there is as little delay as possible (no intervals) and their presentation is a two man job, in my view the best way to do it. The drop in their attendances was down to one thing: results. They had an absolutely disastrous start to the season, losing 12 matches out of 13 including 5 out of 6 at home, some of them heavily. It was only when Rob Godfrey made public the possibility of closure and the team line up improved slightly that people started to go back, a number neutrals like me who simply loved the quality of the speedway and were aghast at losing our best track. It proved to me that winning (at least at home) is more important than the actual standard of racing to most speedway fans, something I had long suspected.

I'll keep it positive: Best track : Scunthorpe Most improved track : Coventry, Buxton. Best Food: Berwick Best programme: Sheffield Best Presentation: Workington, Mildenhall, Scunthorpe. Best meeting: Scunthorpe v Ipswich Best team performance : Plymouth at Somerset. Best individual performance : Craig Cook (Edinburgh) at Glasgow, Ben Barker (Peterborough) at Sheffield. Best single ride : James Shanes (Kent) at Buxton, George Wood (Eastbourne) at Rye House. Best race: Alex Davies (Scunthorpe) v Kyle Newman (Plymouth) at Scunthorpe. Best novice:Zach Wajtknecht (Birmingham) George Wood (Eastbourne). Most improved rider : Jason Garrity (Sheffield/Coventry), Danny Ayres (Kent). Most exciting rider : Jack Holder (Plymouth), Kenneth Hansen (Workington). Best fans : Sheffield, Plymouth.

Completely agree with that. It might be OK for those at home watching the box but if you are in the stadium its a nightmare. Just over 2 and a half hours is simply too much on a cold night.

Cracking meeting with the highlight being an astonishing ride from George Wood in heat 5.

I don't think it was intended as a PR stunt (although it seems to have worked rather nicely as one) or a cock up. I think its a case of Sheffield saying that it was going to be that date either without consulting Peterborough or having consulted them and been refused and then Sheffield refusing to budge. To me, that's not quite the point, though. The point is Peterborough said they could not do it knowing all along that they could (albeit at the expense of changing travel arrangements). No such thing as bad publicity, though. This spat might just add a few more spectators at both venues.

The problem is there's absolutely no reason why they could not ride this weekend. Why on earth would you leave it until October when there's more chance of a rain off and less chance of recovering if you have one ? This is especially important given the distance between the two teams.

Got to be the Devils or the Yorkshire Tigers simply because they have the best fans in the business.

The simple fact of the matter is that Peterborough (and its supporters) said that Barker, Grondal & Thomsen could not ride that night. They complained to all and sundry, wailed about how unreasonable Sheffield were, how they'd be understrength and how all fans were being cheated. In fact, the truth of the matter was that all three could and indeed will ride. What's worse is they must have known that from the beginning, yet backed three riders having a day off (call it what you will, that's how it is) instead. As far as I can see, the only people in this instance who have treated the paying speedway public badly are Peterborough. They put the interests of three of their riders above the needs of the sport as a whole. I suspect the BSPA did sympathise with Peterborough but one things certain : if they thought Peterborough were in the right this match would not be taking place on Thursday.

I have to agree, Rob. Shunting it back that far simply means there is more chance of a rain off and less chance of recovering from it. The situation is made all the more ridiculous when neither team have a meeting this weekend. SCB suggested a cut off date for play off matches the other day - he's right.

I don't think its anything to do with the sport whatsoever. Its about Peterborough and their riders putting their interests before those of paying spectators. We have had 6 pages of Peterborough fans wailing, gnashing and slagging Sheffield off when in actual fact the three concerned could ride after all and there was not - despite all the statements coming from the Peterborough promotion - any need to change the date at all. Scotsman's 'they wanted another day in bed' is just about spot on, and he's also absolutely right about what can be achieved when one side won't back down.

For 2016 at Workington I hope I get the same as I got in 2015...........with a lot more people there to see it.

Its a bit daft when neither team has a meeting this coming weekend (and I do accept that both would be without riders).

I can't see that being accepted. There would be potentially two matches after that which would mean 11th and 18th October - one rain off and you'd be running on 25th October.

We'll have to agree to disagree, I think. To be fair, I haven't read his comments elsewhere. Of course comments count but I think is better than the rest because, for the most part, others simply regard the BSF as a haven for ignorant imbeciles who have no right to criticise. In a refusal to make remarks on this forum about an issue - safety - that rates the most highest, the Kent press officer, for example, described it as being 'utterly without credibility'. While I don't doubt there's a lot of rubbish on here, there are also an awful lot of absolutely genuine, decent fans who spend a great deal of money watching speedway and who have every right to voice their opinions for those reasons. Neil at least tries to respond rather than treating us with contempt and, as I know only too well, abuse. He deserves credit for that. I know ex Sheffield promoter Dave Hoggart a bit and I tried hard to get him to respond to comment on this forum and do so without any side, hostility or aggression. I can remember one occasion when did just that and got 15 likes, simply because as a result of what he did he looked upon the likes of you & I as paying customers, not as unfortunate necessities.

According to current green sheets, Wells average is less than 0.1 of a point below Grajzconek's. It seems to me that if Grajczonek is a 'decent no 1', so is Wells.

I thought it was another highly entertaining meeting at DP - despite the fact that I was outed by the Hogster over the mic The highlight had to be Hansen's brilliant ride to pass Sedgmen in heat 8, because he tried everything before succeeding. Fantastic news that the Comets will be racing next season, and two very good signings - Wells in particular, because he has stepped up to be a genuine PL no 1 this season. I don't apologise for saying again that Workington have the cheapest speedway in the PL, excellent racing, good presentation and little delay. Fingers crossed that they will get the gates they deserve in 2016.

While I completely agree with that view, I don't think what Neil has said on this thread is either unreasonable or put in a way that might give offence. I agree with Gem, too. Its most unusual (and equally most welcome)to have a member of a promotion come on this forum and give their side of the story and while I don't always agree with him I think Neil deserves a great deal of credit for it. Speedway fans are always complaining about the lack of interaction between them and promotions and his comments on here are most valuable. When I was critical of a certain promotion this season (after a meeting was abandoned due to the state of the track) all I got from a co-promoter was a refusal to speak to me - even though I was perfectly prepared to speak reasonably - and, eventually, a load of abuse. What's worse, that's not the first time its happened. Needless to say I haven't been back - nor will I be doing so. That's how you drive people away, not by at least attempting to communicate with them.

I have to agree. They are very powerful at home but away is a different matter and 'form team' is nonsense. True, the result at Somerset was extraordinary but the defeat at Redcar convinced me that they are nowhere near as good as some have made out. I thought last night that they lacked the fight - Holder & Fisher perhaps aside - that I would have expected from a team who had a play off place in their hands. They could do it tonight but I won't be betting on it.

Probably most of the people in the stadium, given the huge advantage of gates 2 & 4 last night. Spoilt the meeting a little................but only a little and it was still very good. The star of the show for me was Jack Holder. I thought Scunny's superb racing track would suit him and it most certainly did. Brilliant win in heat 14 (shame about the knob who started on him after the race) and a fantastic ride in heat 15 to lead only to fall whilst way in front. One of the PL's top riders next season. Can't argue about heat 6. Fantastic stuff from Davies & Newman. No doubt if the situation had been the other way around - with Scunny going for a play off place and Plymouth treating a rider as 'withholding his services' and bringing in a guest - you would have held Ashley Taylor as the best promoter in the business. Truth is what happened is shabby at best. Pijper just chose not to ride and I fail to see why Scunthorpe and, in particular, Pijper himself should not suffer for it. As it is, it will affect neither of them. Perhaps riders should be banned for matches, not days. The only thing is Penny Cross is spot on. Word I got was that it was Trump - promoter or not - who was kicking off about it when he wouldn't have hesitated to do the same thing (or worse) himself - as would virtually every other promoter in British Speedway. Its not so much the promotions that are in the wrong as the lack of control that allows them to get away with it. On a final note, I am becoming all the more optimistic that the best racing track in Britain will be coming to the PL tapes in 2016. TFFT.

Merely thinking aloud, Robert. I'll be supporting the Devils on Friday and will be wanting them to get the 4 points they need. Nothing against that 'other team' but I think they deserve it. I am reliably informed there will be some Plymouth fans coming up

Subversive thoughts this afternoon............ I can think of one team Scunny might not like very much after they almost certainly got 3 points at EWR thanks to the actions of one rider after a race, actions which cost the Scorpions their number one rider and which were not (some might say) adequately punished. If Scunny lose by 7 on Friday - and they have nothing to ride for - that team will be out of the play offs. I somehow doubt there will be many tears shed by anyone at EWR - management, riders, fans - if the Devils do pull off a 4 pointer.

I thought £15 for 23 races and most of the league's top riders competing would be good value even if there was no concession price. It did turn a bit cold near the end, glad I was wearing a jumper and a fleece.