Ray Stadia

I am a bit confused what the bond is for? Is it to protect the riders? The stadium owners? Tuners who haven't been paid? Or does it protect the remaining promoters?

I don't know what the bond is, but presume you either place a certain amount of money into a speedway trust or you pledge/guarantee a certain amount of money?

No, it was in Essex CR. Actually, it was described as 'Speedway on Grass'.

Surely, the ACU could be approached for them to consider another sub-regulator, with all the usual safety aspects and insurance in place, but call the sport by another name and perhaps alter the traditional speedway set-up. E.G. race over 6 laps, 350 cc engines or 600 cc engines. Handicap races. Just a thought! As for a name, how about MotoRaceway?

I remember an annual Grass Track that called the racing Speedway!

All joking aside, I don't understand why the Rye House supporters would not support a homeless team from Lakeside, using their track. If you were happy to go to the stadium to watch Rye House speedway, but were forced to liquidate, surely you would return to the stadium to watch another team? After all, most teams, as we know, are different year on year and during the season. Whatever you call yourself, is virtually irrelevant. I would love to see both teams line up in 2019, but at the moment, it is possibly neither.

In many respects, holding onto the name 'Hammers' is pointless now, as it was originally adopted to try and recreate and cash-in on the heady days of the West Ham speedway team at Customs House. Well, that ship has well and truly left Tilbury Docks!

From the radio interview, although he used Swindon as an example of speedway working with developers, the situation for Lakeside is different. They have lost their 'cash cow' and their home. An interesting part of the interview was he mentioned it could be some time before the developers start to build houses. I wonder if one or two more seasons couldn't still be raced at the track? In other words, if the track/stadium are going to sit idle, someone surely, could arrange a deal. And if Jon Cook truly has the backing of the developers and local council to find a new location, it will give the club time to sort something and provide continuity. I also feel, if the team moves to Rye House in 2019, it will be 'new' Rye House and Lakeside/Arena Essex will just be a defunct club.

South of the county, but I do wonder whether a track near Clacton/Colchester may work? I know Ipswich is sort of up the road, but there is a psychological barrier for Essex/Suffolk folk to cross the border! Many people who live in Clacton are ex London, who may have watched speedway at the London tracks. I accept a number of those will be getting on a bit now. Clacton doesn't have a lot to offer in the way of entertainment, apart from being a seaside town. There is a lot of rural land between Colchester and Clacton. I always thought Arena Essex would be 'safe' when it opened in 1984. I wonder what Chick would say?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCQ18_Vih_o Here is the link if anyone wants to see and hear it. For the record, I fully support the poppy!

You would have thought there would be plenty of opportunity to open another track in Cornwall, with all it's uninhabited land! But then, you have to find a promoter interested and of course NIMBYs are in all counties!

Where does Slough Speedway fit in, with the above plans?

I didn't know Stevie Wonder is a speedway fan! I should have realised....'Ebony and Ivory'....is all about the speedway chequed flag!

I think it is fair of the paying supporters, to expect there to be some kind of dialogue between the promoters and the fans. Keeping schtum, just makes things worse! Brexit is a perfect example!

But football is a completely different 'animal'. The media are all over football like a rash, so any news, rumours etc are not kept secret for very long. Whereas speedway has very little media outlets. Speedway Star, this forum, local newspapers a bit. Perhaps unofficial club websites, local radio a bit, word of mouth on the muddy terraces.......I have run out of ideas!

I had never met the gentleman, as far as I know, but a senior grasstrack rider, Frank Yates, sadly died after taking a tumble in the pre 75 event on Sunday, at a Ledbury Motorcycle Club meeting. RIP Frank. It appears on Facebook, he was very well thought of.

I suppose you could have 2 ambulances, but then double the cost, I imagine.

A number of people have mentioned on here that they want value for money. I know most tracks have a curfew and can't operate beyond a certain time, so something like a second half is difficult. However, is there any reason why speedway couldn't have a pre-match half that started say at 6.30 pm and had races for the juniors, which would perhaps encourage local would be riders the chance to ride and be future team riders. Now, not all speedway fans want to see the 'wobblers', but for those that want to see more speedway in an evening, they will have it and it may just entice youngsters in the surrounding towns to come and watch their mates going round.

But surely a loss is a loss? If you are offsetting profit from another company, all you are saving is the tax you would have paid on the profit, therefore, you are still out of pocket?

I think at the end of the day, it is the whole 'industry' that needs to get together to sort out the sport in the UK. All those that have 'skin in the game', promoters, riders, managers and manufacturers/tuners etc. Really, everyone in the sport that has a financial interest. After all, if the sport completely dies, so does their livelihood. For us, the fans, yes we would feel a bit sad and 'empty', but not out of pocket. The industry needs to hire a conference centre and have a serious brainstorm with all those mentioned above. Will speedway do anything resembling that? I wouldn't put money on it!

Perhaps the answer is to put a proper cap on what the promoters pay a rider. If a rider wants to blow all his earnings on 'feeding' a tuner, that will be up to him. However, if there is a sensible, laid out, suggestion/example of how a riders earnings translate into bike expenses, transport, clothing and overall profit, then a rider can have a bit of an idea, how much he wants to commit to engine tuning and number of bikes. Surely, most riders, riding in the UK, can exist with 2 bikes? Maybe also a spare engine, in case of a blow up. But then, maybe that is how they do run their affairs, but still can't square the circle?

Sorry! I suddenly thought that maybe his brother is David and just checked, yes! Many apologies BB!

Close!....Ray Davies!

Well he was a member of the SAS!

I don't know about that. I like Moto GP and World Superbike Racing, but the engines used in speedway are much much simpler. I don't have much idea about the techi stuff used in Moto GP and WSK, but love the racing. What makes speedway unique, is that the old boys watching speedway, who used to ride a road motorbike with a pre-unit gearbox and a single cylinder, will relate to speedway, as that is much like today's speedway set-up!