Gemini

Blimey! I'm glad when I put an action photo up of Darcy Ward (?) I didn't disagree when someone said it was Chris Holder.

I think I know one track who should get their name down for a two minute clock then they might not have so many problems with imaginary curfews.

Thanks Dave. Never heard of him but he must be doing his best to help Sandhu shut the place down.

Which previous track curator do you mean? I think the previous one to this one, whoever he is, was the Polish chap and we don't want him back again thanks. Incidentally FTM says his name is in the programme so if you have one can you say on here who it is because I don't buy a programme these days as I'm supposed to be getting rid of any unneccesary junk not adding to it.

Many thanks for the reply FTM. I know you are as passionate about a good track as I am about Speedway....or was....I'm hoping the Winter break will get my enthusiasm back. I think someone has discovered a secret ingredient for difficult tracks now - cement. Perhaps Poole should have tried that in their hole. Hope you've had a good night's sleep.

I like to think I'm not biased and won't defend Coventry when clearly something is wrong. A poor racing circuit is inexcusable considering all the years Speedway and Stock Cars have been at Brandon and standing around for ages watching tractors/staff trying to get the track in some sort of rideable condition after a match has started, as in the previous Storm meeting, or worse still before it's even started at the N.L. Fours is pathetic. So yes I'd had enough and didn't intend going to the play off final. I changed my mind when I heard it was going to be held at Leicester and they did everything right - well prepared track at short notice, brilliant atmosphere and the match all over by ten past nine. I know you are a well travelled speedway fan and promoters should be taking notice of what you and I say but they won't (with one or two exceptions) and then they wonder why fans stay away. Edited for a spelling mistake.

You'll be lucky if you get an answer to that one being as no-one seems willing to even say who the track curator is these days and everything is shrouded in secrecy. Sod the paying fans who have to put up with this all the time.

Isn't it strange how simple questions can conveniently just be ignored. FTM to his credit responded earlier to a couple of posts in detail about the track preparation but seems to have disappeared now. No wonder fans get paranoid, cheesed off and cynical.

Can you just answer one question please FTM. Has Colin Pratt been in charge of the track preparation for the past two/three months or not? Actually I've thought of another now, which of course no one answered on another thread. What exactly has to happen to prepare the track for Stock Cars being as the Storm match had to be cancelled? What would take 2 days preparation because all I can think of is removing the air fence?

Brilliant thanks. I'll have to come in this section more often.

What more could you want? Absolutely nothing is the answer. Brilliant night.

Supposed to be Colin Pratt but who knows? If it is him I can't believe, with all the experience he has, that he would prepare the track how it has been recently. But as he is presumably employed by Sandhu perhaps there is an ulterior motive. I've got very cynical in my old age.

Well I've never seen it so thanks for adding it to this thread. What an amazing little 3 year old he was on a motorbike.

Well I must say I really enjoyed my 'Saturday evening' at Beaumont Park. Good crowd, well prepared track and some excellent racing. Just shows that you don't need G.P or so called star riders to provide entertainment as that was as good as any E.L. meeting. All done and dusted by 9.10pm too. Credit goes to the Leicester promotion, the referee, riders and all the track staff for putting on such a good show with so little prior notice. Congratulations to Cradley on becoming the National League Champions.

Not a lot I shouldn't think that would take two days to prepare. Remove the air fence and what else? How the track was on Sunday I should think it would already be in perfect shape for the Stock Cars because it certainly wasn't for Speedway. The Storm have ridden on a Friday before but strange how they can't this time. I agree with you the owners are doing everything possible to get rid of Speedway, next on the list will be the Cars so it's not being used as a Motor Sport Stadium. All to pave the way for planning consent for housing on the land.

On the whole National League speedway is great and just as competitive as Elite League racing, BUT and it's a big BUT if they are provided with a diabolical track to ride on like the last two meetings at Coventry then a fair few of them will be in trouble. However, as the track preparation has more than likely been done like that on purpose at Brandon I'm sure you will be fine at Eastbourne and get to love N.L. racing.

I tend to get that idea from how you come across on here, but I'm sure you are a very nice lady in person. Not really an odd question, but probably used more on Facebook when someone asks 'Who's going?' And I agree that there will probably be more at Leicester than there would at Coventry after the goings on at the last couple of N.L. meetings. I for one wasn't going to Brandon, voluntary for the first time this season, but I am now it's at Beaumont Park. I'm sure there will be a lot of Leicester fans keen to see a bit more speedway and the chance to see The Storm slaughtered. Just one of several directors on the board of Midland Sports Stadiums so he didn't do it personally on his own, but usually gets the blame anyway.

With a reply like that from TMW you should work out that the 'fella' is a woman and usually a stroppy one as well. Anyway, I'm going so that's one. By the way your unedited post was best, not the watered down version.

Unfortunately I think it has worked for a lot of fans. I'm as keen as anyone and have been to all the Bees and Storm matches, apart from when I've been on holiday, but I wasn't going tomorrow as I have been so cheesed off at the last two N.L. meetings.

Is that definitely true? I always thought houses had been built? Perhaps they're not exactly on the land where the stadium stood but no-one would want to buy a house right next door to a stadium anyway so it couldn't stay.

Well, I hate to say it but this really suits me as it's only up the road. The only reason I wasn't going to bother going to Brandon was because the track for last two National League meetings has been diabolical and I resent paying out any more money without knowing it will be any different. So I'll be there cheering on The Storm but unfortunately without Lucy as dogs aren't allowed.

Pity I'm not going as I would have been able to print the perfect programme tonight.

Where was he yesterday then because there was no sign of him. Surely if he was in charge of the track he would have been out there sorting it out.

I think we all accept track grading is necessary every few heats but what is irritating is when it has to take place shortly after the match has just started because the track hasn't been prepared properly beforehand. Unfortunately this has happened too often at Coventry this season and we are standing around watching endless laps of tractor racing rather than what we have paid to see.

What not even a biscuit and cuppa at the interval? I think I'm right in saying Coventry's track staff were allowed free entry but that was a few years ago - it might be different now.