bluebee

Why do you answer your own questions? I suppose that's what you're used to doing. It has been well documented that Poole have bent rules, consdiered only their own interests (after all Matt Ford stated as much at the beginning of last season) and have had mysteriously poor performances, pulled out of matches - conveniently - and there have been many other instances well documented for almost every season for at least 5 or more years. Please don't bother replying to me as I will take your advice and "Shudup" - usually spelt with two d's but that's a bit pedantic (hope that's not too obscure a word for you!) And I would suggest you do the same and leave this thread along with your putrid signature.

Haven't asked for anything - and certainly would not expect anything remotely symapthetic from certain diections. If you meant something different then please enlighten me. The situation at Coventry is pretty dire. It is a well supported club and many will be feeling paricularly apprenhensive at the moment. If Poole were in the same situation - and don't read anythingin that supposition - then I would be careful not to rub salt into anyone's wounds by making superior comments in a Poole thread about how well my team is managed. I did at one time support Reading before returning to Coventry. But hey, perhaps I might comment if I had a signature for my posts like "Always a Bee, never a fan of rule bending, speedway shaming, self-centred, cheating team". But then again, like many on this forum I have a bit more class!

Reading posts from Steve Shovlar about Coventry would be a bit like reading a Vladimir Putin post on the historic architecture of Allepo. Perhaps that's down to his infamous post with a "tastefully" crafted picture of road layout for Brandon after Sandhu took over many years ago. His contributions do not come without a certain history and what appears to be a general loathing of Coventry. As a Bees fan I am a grateful for the sympathy expressed by many. From steve Shovlar - well, leave it out please!

A true supporter of speeedway who obviously left a deep impression on the people he met. I only hope that there are other friends of his high standard who can help the sport in the future. My condoleneces to his family. I hope they will read this thread and understand how highly he was respected by people - even those who only read his contributions on-line. RIP

Indeed great news. As a Coventry fan I hope this is a portent for better news about Brandon in the new year. It would be fantastic if we could be build up some rivalry over the next few years. That's what's needed to keep people coming through the gates - good, close matches and fans giving each other a bit of stick! I'll come along with the Bees, I hope.

I side with the pessimists but I hope this could be a move by Brandon Estates and Horton to prompt Sandhu to get his finger out and start repairing the damage and restoring the equipment. That is, I hope, the case butI clutching at straws I fear.

My email to Councilllor Stokes. Dear Mr Stokes I am sure I am not the only Coventry speedway fan writing to thank you for all your hard work in sorting our an extremely difficult situation regarding the running of the team nest season at Brandon. It is a sport with a rich history in the area and to see it disappear would have been very sad. Many leisure activities and sports are under threat, not just speedway, and it is only through the efforts of resourceful and generous people like yourself that they manage to keep going. It would be a poorer society if it became the norm for more and more people to retreat behind doors to only experience sport and the arts only on the TV screen. Once again my thanks for all your efforts. Kindest regards Rod Young If any Bees fans haven't messaged him then they should asap. Speedway needs to make as many allies as possible in the political sphere and in other sports and activities. Thanks to all supporters of other teams who have expressed sympathy and support. I hope that the difficulties that speedway has faced at the beginning of the season can galvanise the BSPA, promoters and even riders into thinking about the future of the sport as a whole and not just focus on their own narrow interests.

Absolutely spot on! Obviously Ford stuck it up them and told the toe rags to do as they were being told. In the best intersts of the sport, of course. (op. cit Kenneth Everett )

Cheers, thanks for that. Haven't been able to get to a meeting so far this season so looking forward to seeing what could be the last Brandon win over the Pirates

On paper this looks like a big Poole win. Fortunately the teams don''t ride on paper so hoping for a Bees win by at least 6 points. Would be very grateful if someone could post a weather update. BBC weather suggests light cloud and doesn't mention rain so fingers crossed for a good match tonight. I'll be setting off about 6.30 from Northampton.

Signed and will urge my family (including the daughter in Holland who spent her teen years attending Brandon) to do the same. I came back to speedway in 1999 watching Reading Racers. Hate to see the Bees go the same way. There were promises to rehouse Reading and look what happened. The more pressure the better as it will confirm there is a fan base for the sport in the area and even if Brandon does go then the effort for a new site will be increased. I hope supporters from all speedway teams will sign as the loss of such an historic and well supported club can only have a poor effect on the sport in general.

The same old crap in defence of Ford from the blue tinted ones. To paraphrase: if only all promoters were like Ford and cared sod all for the sport then we would have a lovely level playing field. SCB has done a fine job of detailing the manipulations of the Poole promotion. There has not been a single rebuttal or argument to deny the fact that consistent regulation changes have favoured Poole. You can't blame Sandhu for turning his back on the sport. Let's face it, the days of Elite speedway are numbered and the countdown was started some time ago on the south coast.

You can admire the chutzpah, the razor sharp brain for spotting weakness in the regulations, you can applaud the Machiavellian mind that bends and distorts the situation to the advantage of one team but then you are supporting the death of the sport by a thousand cuts. The run of Poole championships has been like the successive hammering of nails in the coffin of British speedway. Each win has made the sport weaker. Each championship has been followed by a diluting of the sport in this country. Each trophy has left bad feeling amongst rival supporters. I doubt if anyone in the future will look fondly on this period of Poole dominance. They will only reflect on a time of decline. Matt Ford likened Poole to Man Utd but they are really the Don Revie Leeds United - The Damned United. Cynicism and underhand craft were the preferred methods of both managements. Until a real competitiveness is achieved across the league the sport will continue to decline. Speedway is such an exciting sport at its best - unfortunately, that is becoming rarer and rarer.

Where did Gemini state that she is offering an opinion based on the views of all OAPs. Certainly the poster she was responding to was. As an OAP she was representing my view but I know that is not shared by all over 60s. This concession business is getting ridiculous. It seems to me that it is a path strewn with pitfalls. Once it's offered to one section of society then it aggrieves another. Perhaps it would be better to have none at all - particularly if they are going to be abused. The free entrance to under 16s must be a massive financial hit. Where else is such a generous offer made? Isn't that a very forward thinking move? Mick Horton must think that he can't win whatever he tries.

I am amazed at the vitriol poured out on this forum about these concessions. Why do some people feel that speedway owes them privileges and discounts when it is obvious that the sport is not in a financial good health? I don't know Horton but i doubt if he's acquired a Panamanian offshore account for his speedway profits. If the club was being ripped off with the NUS cards then it makes perfect sense to suspend the discount. There seems to be a mentality that demands special favours regardless of the economic consequences. Compared to other sports speedway is a cheap night out and the admission fess have not increased exponentially over recent years. How many speedway tracks have found it difficult in the Elite league? I used to go to Reading and where are the Racers now. Anybody seen Oxford Cheetahs recently? Are Peterborough Panthers still racing Elite. Support it or look forward to your nights at the keyboard reminiscing about the good old days when there used to be speedway in Cradley Heath - no sorry, should that be Long Eaton. No of course the good old days when we had a speedway team in Coventry where all the OAPs and students got in for free, had a bag of chips for nothing and a pint of Bitter thrown in by the promotion.

As a semi retired pensioner I fully accept the price increase and understand the reasoning. I also have every sympathy with the younger fans, particularly those who are working on low wages or having to budget carefully because they are in some form of education and not working full time. They younger generation are not so well catered for as far as sport is concerned. The average age of a football fan is over 40 and that must surely be attributable - in part at least - the high cost of tickets. So well done speedway for considering this demographic and it's a forward looking move to welcome new, young supporters. However, it's not a good idea to disillusion a significant part of the fan base. They are the loyal ones who have been going for years. If they feel unappreciated then they won't come. I personally think it would have been better for under 16s for two quid and an increase for the OAPs but not full adult price. Whether the OAPs can afford it isn't really the point. It's will they keep coming. I'd like to see Larsen in Bees colours. Whoever comes in should be a gater. We need a balanced top three

Who the hell cares! In a year or two's time there will probably be no Coventry speedway. Poole will still be pulling strokes to bend the rules if any team dares challenge them but not noticing that the league has wasted away. In other sports we've had the drug cheats (cycling) and bent hierachy (football). In speedway we have the rule manipulators, the tricksters, the win at all costs and sod the sport mentality. There is only one answer and that is a strong, independent and active ruling body. Enjoy your victory Poole. Pity about the stench of rotting fish that seems to linger over that stretch of the south coast.

Went as a neutral and in many ways a good meeting. The race of the night unfortunately had Richard Hall injured. Hope he recovers asap. He looked good and could have made it closer at least for the Bandits. Richard Lambert looks a fine prospect and I hope he continues to progress - we all know that isn't a given. Big moan of the night form me is for the start gate gardening and prolonged meditations by the riders under the flapping arms of the marshall. The meeting had been interrupted by the sun and Hall's fall and was destined for a later finish. We all appreciate the need for rider safety and understand these necessary delays but the riders could do their bit by getting on with the racing instead of indulging int the start line shennanigans. It spoiled a good evening's racing. I just got too cold to appreciate their efforts and was wishing the meeting over when I should have been enjoying it. But apart from this, well done to both sides.

Hey I was having a larf when I mentioned KK as a replacement for Pederson. If you don't know what he's like then ask a Bees fan. Outside of Poole he's more cold than hot. In fact he's mostly bleedin' freezing

Just gor back. What a great win for the Bees. They looked like a side high on confidence and were able to control the match even after a T/R win from Rory Schlein. After a bit of a revival from the Lions they just settled it all down with a string of 3-3's. They definitely rode as a team shutting out any Leicester threat. Wouldn't like ti single out any one rider - they all chipped in. Hopefully, this is a sign of more to come. For the Lions - well, I'd be planning for a Pedersen replacement. Kasperjak perhaps . The Poole pedigree shines through.

I was there and the fights must have quicker than the speed of light. The only person losing their cool was the woman who was screaming blue murder about Jacobs fall in heat 15. And that wAs no big deal - the fella just slid off. My first Storm meeting and enjoyed the effort from both sides was laudable.

Thanks Waco. Reckon I can make it to West Row to savour the local derby. Looking forward to seeing some National League action, Haven't yet managed to get over to Brandon yet for the Storm. Shame becuase I've heard positive reports about the youngsters.

On my wat to Cromer for a few days walking and camping so will try to get in a visit to the Fen Tigers. Can anyone tell me waht time meetings tend to finish. I'm thinking of pitching the tent first then heading down for the meeting. Cheers Rod

A good point and until we get to the bottom of it there will be no improvement. I'm sure Cook tried - and Kennett and Barker and Bridger - but they were SLOW!!! When Barker rode Harris's bike there was a definite improvement. Is it down to a lack of investment by the riders? Surely the BSPA should be able to set up an advisory team together to help British riders get the right equipment. Next year have 2 experienced riders and get a group of promising youngsters together. Make it clear that the youngsters get a place only for experience. It's not a right! Stay off twitter, learn from the opportunity, be a part of a project to bring British youngsters on to a world stage.

It's not just about money it's also about product. Speedway still suffers from first out of the gate wins view from outsiders. And to be honest, if Brandon last Friday is anything to go by, it might not be from the gate but first out of turn two lap one usually wins. The other three laps could be dispensed with - unless you have Kasperjack (sic) in your side and decided that the run to the lan on lap four wasn't woth bothering with! Efforts to improve the racing would not be wasted.