Dave Stummings

Despondent Dave Stummings here can only see one of two winners here, either the rain as Shadders has said or the Twipswich, another disappointing meeting for the Rockets I predict….. The post-match report from Dame Hilder Sampford will be the usual rubbish, Garrity this, Lambert that, Bunyan, you know the rest! God I’m getting like that Chris feller……..

Indeed a taxi is required. Morley in for Lambert, can we bring in Ty Prictor for Garrity? Indeed a taxi is required. Morley in for Lambert, can we bring in Ty Prictor for Garrity?

Press release makes it sound very iffy Quote The Silver Ski Rockets may yet be forced to return to the Rider-Replacement facility for Saturday’s home League Cup fixture against Somerset. Having operated the facility to cover Jason Bunyan’s absence due his Grand Prix Wildcard spot, the Rockets had hoped that the captain’s return would give them a full strength team for the first time in 2014. It has now become evident, however, that Jason Garrity – who returned from injury last night in a Fast-Track Elite League role for Coventry at Birmingham – may well have done so prematurely. Team manager John Sampford is therefore quickly re-formulating his game plan to provisionally employ the Rider-Replacement option should the 20 year old be unfit to take his place against the Rebels. As he himself admits, “It is not ideal by any means, but it is our only option. There are not many riders like Jason, who are capable of producing scores that are radically different to their average, so we are now praying that he will be fit enough to ride.”

After last week’s performance, can’t see anything other than a Rye House loss here, especially as there is no Jason Garrity. Somerset could win by 10 plus after last week’s performance. The Rockets have an outstanding number 1 at this level in Eddie Kennett. But there seems to be little or no back-up as such. Are we continually going to hear the lamb excuses from Hinge & Bracket [silver & Sampford] about this rider had that problem, that rider something else? As for the fish ’n chips, they are awful. I made the mistake of buying some last week and I have to say they were awful. Will be either eating beforehand or taken sandwiches, won’t be eating at Rye House again, think many other people will be thinking the same. It’s been the fish bar I recon that’s kept Rye House going over the years along with alcohol bar. But what a joke, the drinks bars that only sell tins, now an awful fish bar, crappiest PA system ever, stale presentation, do I need go on…….

PA system was awful. The smooth Craig Saul sounded like he was announcing in a tin shed. The roving mike held by Len Silverman at the start was just a distorted mish mash. The fish was dyer and the Rye performance. The excuses, no Garrity & Bunyan, and poor old Simon Lambert getting slated. One rider don't make or break a team. It's the whole team that either win or loose matches. Trouble is Rye have a outstanding number one and quite honestly the rest are second strings/reserves. Fluke in my opinion winning at Peterborough and it's going to be a long hard season for Rye. Crowds will drop unless wholesale changes are made, but that's I unlikely to happen. A cheap team, no traveling to and from Europe hence all English bar the ferry crossing for the Frenchman. Hinge and Bracket (Silverman & Sampford) it's time to move on, but we all know that ain't going to happen.

This isn't Lamberts type of track and most people in speedway will know that. He will score on the larger away tracks in the PL and that's the reason why he's in the team. As we all know Rye have a habit of struggling on the larger tracks. Important that we didn't pick up any injuries and remember Bunyan will be returning in a couple of weeks to!

Well I’ve been reading the comments on here and all the squabbling that’s seems to be going on. I’ve also read on my friends Facebook all the squabbling that’s going on the Kent Speedway Group. Can I be reading about a speedway club here? This is worse than being at school. Grown men behaving like spoilt kids. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but come on, some of the stuff I’m reading here is even more farcical than watching Eastenders! If anyone has issues or they don’t like a set up then move on, its quite simple isn’t it? I was always told in my upbringing that you don’t wash your dirty linen in public, or words to that effect. What’s happened is certain people have issues with other people, wow, that’s the same in any walk of life. But to view these in public is damaging for Kent Speedway. There are so many positives in the return to speedway in Kent. Yet the main focus of attention is the back stabbing that’s going on here. If some of this garbage I’ve read is to be believed [there’s no smoke without fire I guess] then quite frankly I despair. I would urge those who are bitching at each other not to take the bait and reply. I’m looking forward to the season opener, with or without the afore mentioned people to whom I don’t know any of them to talk to. The track should have benefited from the first season’s racing and I expect to see some good meetings at Central Park in 2014. Simon Lambert will have a lot to live up to as a replacement for Rye House bound Steve Boxall, but he has the ability to become a big hitter at this level and sure he’ll be able to fill the departed Boxall’s steel shoe. Let’s hope for a rain free season, a traffic jam free A2 from London and most importantly an injury free season for the Kent Kings and all riders though out the land

Looking at the team, I’m sure it has potential.......... I hope Simon Lambert proves his worth. He is keen to return, so let’s hope it proves a astute move. On the larger away tracks he should prove to be a major asset which is probably why Len has signed him. If he can get 4 or 5 at home will be a trump card. Luke Bowen, well again he can do it around Rye, still struggles a bit away from Rye, let’s hope for an injury free season. Jason Bunyan, for me a key player. Excellent in the pits, that’s potentially worth a couple of points straight away. Again let’s hope for a injury free season and will keep his average or maybe increase by a point. Jason Garrity, can be a big hitter if again he steers clear of injury. Could quite easily average 8 plus average a meeting Tyson Nelson is a make or break season for him. Has all the balance and skill and although I believe he is nursing a nasty leg injury sustained in Aussie, let’s hope he’s fully fit for the start of the 2014 season. A common theme in the 2014 team this riders who are coming back from injuries. Steve Boxall has the ability to do well at this level. He has the skill but machinery has been an issue, generally stays fit, so let’s hope 2014 is no different on the fitness front. Edward Kennett will be good around Rye House, should be good away to, has a heavy average to live up to. If the team has a bit of luck, which has sadly eluded them over the last few seasons then Rye could surprise a few. The worry is ‘what if’ we have injuries and out of form riders but I guess the same can be said for all teams….

Similar artical on facebook/hacknespeedway. Done on the cheap, two tier speedway teams rubbish times ahead for the Elite[laugh] league, but i thought it wouldnt get any worse and it has, how wrong I have been.

Have really enjoyed being able to relive 1968 this year. Many happy Friday nights spent at the Wick. It was great at the time, something I look back very fondly and of course will never be repeated. Dave Lanning, or as he was known by everyone as 'Cynthia' certainly livened things up when he used to have his Hammers visit the Wick and of course Len Silver did likewise at many many tracks as well. Both two great pros. The Swindon Incident when Len felt aggrieved at his Golden Boy Zenon Plech being excluded and Len stormed up to the referee's box, the referee, slipped of his chair and Len was accused of knocking him off! Banned for a month, Len of course made headlines from that then became a Hackney fan for a month mingling with the crowd. How I wish we could go back in time......speedway now is i believe on its lasts legs, which is such a crying shame. Thank you speedway [especially Hackney, my team] for your memories and great times.

No Allen. He's been released. Kennettt in opinion a backward move. Would love josh g but can't really see that happening

Just read this on hackneyspeedway.com an feel old Birdie has probably got it spot on! I have to say I do miss my Friday night fix at Waterden Road even after all these years........... Hawkeye asks was it a masterstroke, chequebook speedway, or may be a bit of both? I would like to make a few points. Point 1: Poole are this season's Elite League champions; point 2: hold on, there's the second leg of the final still to be contested; point 3: see point 1. Yes, only the most optimistic (or most foolish) would stake any hard-earned cash on Birmingham overturning the Pirates' 21 point lead the team built up in the first leg at Wimborne Road on Monday evening. The play-offs are money spinners to the four teams who reach that stage; and for the two clubs that contest the final, the nest egg is usually even larger. Mind you, if many fans believe, like I do, that the second leg is a foregone conclusion, Birmingham's potential money-spinner may be somewhat diluted. The speedway regulations are, in my opinion, too convoluted for an old fogey like me to have any chance of fully understanding them. What I do know is that the meeting at Belle Vue when the Pirates secured their place in the play-offs should never have taken place. The track was barely rideable let alone raceable. If I remember correctly, the Aces were without their star man Craig Cook and Poole skipper Darcy Ward openly admitted that his team would rather meet Belle Vue without Cook than with him. On a night when the referee and clerk of the course should have declared the track unfit for purpose, the Aces had no incentive to compete whereas for Poole, there was a place in the play-offs up for grabs. It is quite possible (perhaps likely) that Poole would have beaten Belle Vue if the conditions had been perfect for racing. However, for the officials to allow the minimum of ten heats to run and then, when the Pirates had sufficient points in the bag, to call a halt to proceedings was a total disgrace. Then we have the situation with Poole and Greg Hancock. I don't keep records, but I imagine that up to the time of Hancock's capture, the Pirates used a guest or the rider replacement rule to cover for the injured Chris Holder. Poole promoter Matt Ford should, perhaps, be congratulated for his master stroke in signing two-times world champion Hancock. After all, he doesn't appear to have broken any rules. Is there a cut-off date in speedway after which a club cannot sign a new rider? You know, similar to football's transfer deadline date. Here again, if such a rule exists Poole didn't break it. If they had done so, other promoters would have soon shouted. One assumes that Wolverhampton and Lakeside could have, by dangling a big enough carrot, signed a big name to replace their respectably injured riders Tai Woffinden and Peter Karlsson -- names such as Jarek Hampel, Nicki Pedersen or Andreas Jonsson spring to mind. Did those clubs not think that way or was it a case of affordability. Poole is probably the best- supported team in British speedway and can, I imagine, afford to open the chequebook and entice the big gun. I doubt that many folk know just how big the carrot waved in front of Hancock had to be to get him to Dorset on a short-term deal, but it surely had to be quite considerable. Whatever the outlay I feel sure Ford will, in the final analysis, receive a significant return on his investment. The team I supported is, like numerous others, now a distant memory. They've even knocked the old place down, so I've no axe to grind in a competitive sense. However, Birmingham, Swindon, Lakeside and the rest battled it out with RR or guests, only to lose out to the short-term fix. Luck plays a big part in most sports and Poole had plenty of the bad kind with an early season injury to Ward and then the long-term loss of Holder; but recent happenings do, I believe, leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. What's gone before are just a few thoughts from a silly old so and so who knows it's water off a duck's back, but at least he's got something off his chest.

Should be quite a one sided affair this. Had intended to go to Kent, but its Rye now. Let’s just hope Terry Eldridge is back at the starting gate after his absence last week. We need you back Terry

What! No sidecars! Will travel to Rye House then to see Berwick and the 125 kids. Thanks for the info Parsloes 1928 Nearly, are there planes to have sidecars anytime at Central Park [ideal day to have them as there wouldn't be time on a evening meeting] or did they, the sidecar people pull out? I know not many people would go just to see the sidecars but I would have been very upset to arrive and find out "no sidecars!". When as you say Parsloes 1928 Nearly it was advertised in last weeks programme. Poor show in my view by the management.

They say you become blinkered when you go to the same place on a regular basis. I like many other fall into that trap. My visits to Rye House are the same virtually every week. Park the Stummo mobile pay to the delightful young ladies at the turnstiles. Walk to my position at the starting gate terracing. Maybe get some supper from the fish bar, although that’s quite a rarity now. So last week in the drizzle I decided to have a walk around the stadium [why last week heavens knows] to view the racing from a different position. Conclusions are the start terracing is probably the best place to view racing from. What did concern me around the rest of the stadium was the general condition of the old place on the bends. The seats that were put in a couple or three seasons ago needed a bit of TLC as do some of the structures they’re fixed on, large weeds seem to be getting hold in certain areas. The back straight seems a bit too close for comfort to view racing should a rider or riders decide to have an argument with the safety fence. With a new air fence on order for the 2014 Rockets, plus any other club who want to share the Hoddesdon raceway [i refer to Midland Development League Milton Keynes as they rode here this year] I wonder what the view will be like from the bends. I know the arguments will linger on as to whether Rye needs an air fence [or similar] but the FIM say, and Rye along with every other league track have to play ball. Of course I guess that could potentially include Iwade [sittingbourne] if they hold junior meetings? Of the 2013 Rockets who’ll stay and who’ll go? Oliver Allen no doubt will stay to spearhead the team, although he wouldn’t be my number one choice. Jason Bunyan should he decide to continue racing then I hope it’s at Rye. Anders Mellgren, he’s not had a gooder season as I expected. He seems to have been lacking a bit of power. Maybe the new silencers are affecting him and he’ll bounce back next year. As a Rye asset now I expect to see him back next year. Tyson Nelson, as long as he wants to return and gets his visa’s all sorted hope he’ll be back. Pontus Aspgren, hope he’ll don a rockets jacket in 2014. Kasper Lykke hasn’t lived up to expectations, needs to up his gating and expect him to be riding elsewhere in 2014. Jason Garrity 2013 season was going to be a good year for him until that broken leg at Sheffield. Will be very surprised to see him racing anymore this year but expect a fully fit Garrity to do well next year. So who will Hinge & Bracket [that’s Lenny Silver & Johnny Sampford, whose who though? You decide] pick for the 2014 season? Interestingly the current averages, unless I’m wrong and I’m sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, are:- Mellgren 8.77 Aspgren 5.25 Nelson 5.99 Garrity 5.35 Allen 8.77 Bunyan 5.73 39.86 So by my reckoning one of those six has to go assuming the points limit is kept to 42? I’d like to see Allen released and Josh Grajczonek in as a replacement. His average surprisingly is lower than Allen’s at 7.53. So that’s my thoughts and no doubt some will think otherwise of the mighty words of Stummo!

Oh dear there seems to be a lot criticism of the Buxton track again. This I am afraid stems from Rye House’s Hinge and Bracket, that’ll be Len Silver and John Sampford, although I’m not sure who’s who. There is no excuse I am afraid. Hinge & Bracket have never liked Buxton. They’re defeated before they even get to the track. This then of course rubs onto the riders and they are defeated before they even turn a wheel. Hinge and Bracket can’t be that interested in the Kings away from home otherwise at least one of them would have bothered to turn up yesterday! Are either really that interested in Kent Kings? Yes Silver’s [is he Hinge or Bracket?] co promoter, but will he be there at Kent next year? Will Pottinger was the team manager for Raiders, sorry Kings they are not Rye Houses Raiders team are they! This in my opinion today was totally unacceptable. Yes Rye House had a match, yet I was able to both! Got to Leicester at 6.30 and that wasn’t pushing it either! Earlier on in the season in the NT in which Kent got a point, the track looked no different to me, it always looks the same. However that is the view of someone who has really never ridden a bike faster than about 20mph! Let’s be honest here. I do like Buxton. Grass roots speedway at its best. If these riders want to progress up the speedway ladder, they’re going to have to ride far worse tracks than Buxton. It’s a small technical track. David Mason rode sensibly perhaps on a difficult track, but I guess the Kings youngsters have that to learn. Boxall’s attempt on a pass was perhaps poorly timed, when he had another three and a half laps to come from the back. When [note I said when and not if] I win a few million on the lottery, I’ll run a speedway track, support the likes of Iwade, Buxton, Northside the grass roots of British Speedway. And do you know what will happen? No doubt I’ll get criticised and moaned at left right and centre. Yes Buxton's Leicesters and Kent’s track could be better, so could a lot of things in speedway, but we’re never going to have it perfect are we, well until I win the lottery that is!

Do I or don't I? Weather update anyone?

With relation the weather! As a fan for many, many years I've spent hundreds if not thousands of hard earnt cash on going to rain offs. If you’re going to Scotland from London or my local track at either hammersville or dryhouse we all take the chance the meeting will be on. Hopefully weather will be kind, not only tonight but for the rest of the season!

All honesty my statement is all basic stuff! No reason why Len of course couldn't be around but he has to pass or get someone to run it! Maybe the club will move to Kent next season and Rye will be back to NL or just a training track and that's if we're lucky!

So after the awful luck [or was it the badly prepared track?] of both Bunyan and Allen having to withdraw from last Saturdays meeting against Plymouth, those tigers from Sheffield are next to race in Hoddesdon. Even with injuries I think Stale House should win this one. Are Sheffield at full strength? But the question is how many people will actually pay to come and watch it? Low crowd lousy atmosphere! We’ve a decent website, [13 years too late] let’s have competions on there, interviews with the riders both current and past, and let fans ask questions to the promoter via a blog! Ask questions to the extremely dull John Sampford, yawn yawn! Sheffield do similar for example on their website! Let’s see concern for riders when they fall and are maybe injured! How many times have you see a Stale House rider or more importantly either the promoter of the Sampford feller go and see how a rider is? Rarely is the answer! Well, I recon loads more fans would attend if Rye had a decent PRO, a centre green/pits interviewer along with Craig, a full parade of riders [well not sure that’ll bring in more fans I want that], a bar that actually sold draft beer and not tins, a fish bar that didn’t run out of fish, a realistic admission price, [it’s only a quid more to watch Elite League racing at boring Lakeside] a well organised car park, a Supporters Club, dolly birds selling raffle tickets always make me by a quid’s worth or two, a decent programme, a decent club shop, a decent track [on my few visits this year it’s deteriorated] and with no dust! The last thing, a new promoter please!

So did Robert Mear, but he's back, well at least for the time being!

Been stated loads of times before, but Len needs to retire from Rye. Bring in fresh blood, it’s so clicky at Rye, Len don't like being told he's wrong and he don't listen! Len can’t even remember to bring the microphone out to toss the coins! Incidentally for those who watched the second half Max Clegg looked a real star in the making, he's good! With Allen injured [hopefully nothing more the bruising and not a fractured arm] we need changes. Recon a phone call to Adam Roynon a must! Yes injury prone but a racer. Robert Mear, well he just didn't look interested last night when he missed the gate, so give him back to Lakeside and bring in Roynon. Get Garrity back fit, hopefully he won’t come back to early. R.R for Allen, that’s a tough one, but if and it’s a big if we can get consistency, have no more injuries we could make top six, but changes need to be made now…..

I’ve forgotten what happens at Rye House on a Saturday night and on a bank holiday Monday afternoon! Last year there was a meeting every Saturday, weather permitting of course, oh and not on Grand Prix night at Cardiff, oh and not when there’s something of a televisual feast on a Saturday night on the goggle box, oh and when the Olympics are on, you get the message. This Saturday see’s the return of those Plymouth Devils. Same team two weeks [as the Cardiff GP was on tele last Saturday] on the trot, that’s not good or is it? Surely Plymouth could have been re-arranged for later in the season? But it hasn’t so what do we think the meetings going to have in store? Well the illustrious John Sampford recons when the devils where last in town at Rye Plymouth won because of the Rockets lack of meetings. Well I wonder what the excuse will be this Saturday as I believe they’ve [the Rockets] not had a meeting since then! With the Devils sacking [opps sorry that’s what Len does] releasing Ricky Kling and replaced him with a far better rider in Mikkel Bech and with messer’s Bunyan and Lambert trying to get match fit I recon this could be a hard one for the Rockets. Weather forecast is looking good for Saturday’s dose of traxcitement [sorry going into Hackney mode and there is no comparison] and I only wonder If I can remember how to get to Rye House! The crowd level has dropped dramatically in the last couple of years and obviously lots of people have forgotten what Rye House Speedway actually does Saturdays at Seven!

Well I think the whole thing stinks! The man at the upper end of the BSPA is a certain Sheffield Official, who was at Rye last night, bet he was on the phone to the other cronies who run the sport in the UK stirring it up as well. Sheffield should have wiped the floor with Rye last night, boy oh boy they were awful. It's about time the sport had a independent body running it. Lovely quote I've read on facebook Speedway! In 2013 British Speedway is run by a bunch of clowns, yet again who suffers? Yes you've guessed it, the paying public, well the few at rye house who've bothered to turn up. I really do fear for the future of my beloved sport, time for a massive change at the top in Rugby or bye bye Speedway...

So the Kent Kings have completed there first meeting. I don’t want to be negative but there weren’t that many positives today. Certainly the crowd was a positive, as was the main grandstand. Have to say the terracing especially around the 3rd/4th bend was extremely bad under foot in parts. No wonder why there where signs saying entering at own risk or similar. The PA system didn’t work on either the 1st bend or the 3rd/4th and that was also the same last week for the behind close doors meeting. The PA system in the main grandstand was worse than Cardiff. So they need to be addressed, and what I find hard to believe that it wasn’t addressed before today meeting. The presentation was poor as well. The new people around me had no idea what was going on when the Harley’s just seem to ride around. There where a lot of new people to speedway and quite frankly they hadn’t a clue what was going on. The track cut up quite badly and the inexperienced riders showed. The top boys attacked the track, the others struggled. They'll sruggle to get a meeting over by 8.30. I think it’s going to be a very hard year for Kent Kings. The paying public deserve better to be honest. How may will return next week? Well I guess if we new that we’d have won the lottery by now. Will I return? Honest answer probably not…..