wandersome

surprised Lemon made heat 15 as i thought his 7 points prior to that flattered him. He didnt look ant better than last time he was at BP.. Not quite as surprised as when Blackbird took his 4th ride but still surprised nontheless! Mick.

I have to say it was good to see a meeting that moves on as it should! I did a quick walkround headcount again and the crowd was actually just over 450, maybe getting on just sub 500 with the people in the boxes. Still, for a meeting for sub National League standard riders (which i don't mean as a dig) it was an amazing crowd i'd say. The reality is that the crowd was probably still on a par with what half of the Premier League teams would expect for a league meeting!. well done to all, especially Dan Greenwood. Mick.

whooosh!

I had also heard neiminen was one of 3 riders from the current squad that agreements had been reached with. If Nielsen also returns then let's hope the final three are more inspiring than what we currently have as good home form notwithstanding our team are probably the least inspiring bunch of riders I've ever supported. I agree, which is why I don't!

That info sounds more like rewriting history to me.. very bizarre indeed. Certainly different to the info I was told by someone much closer to the situation. Unless 'pit crew' is a euphemism, in which case it differs from what I was told at the time by the another member of the 'pit crew'. Mick.

As a Scunny man are you attempting some reverse psychology here. If so I can't see Newcastle falling for it .

choosing Leicester would be better. big travelling support and absolutely hopeless away!

I heard at least one sub 6 point ex-newport second string without a team spot was asking £65 a point to join a premier club mid term this year. Not sure whether he got it elsewhere. Mick.

My understanding was very different but i think i'm past caring anyways now! I just want a decently shaped and prepared track, a Clerk that can get on with it when it needs to be got on with and a team manaager that can make the correct decisions at the correct time.. Not too much to ask 2 years into the return is it, that's my form filled in early! Mick

Break even crowds is clearly very subjective when it's your own stadium and you've paid for it's construction. How are you defining it? Enough to pay the bills accrued in running a meeting or enough to pay the bills including actually building a stadium. Or you just don't know but it sounds good saying it? The last league match on our normal night against workington i would estimate had a crowd of 1300-1400 and in the context of the current recessionary plight of speedway it shows itself in a good light against almost all others. It was one of our biggest crowds of the season. I'm afraid you always come across to me as a chancer, taking any opportunities to have a dig (i'm guessing in the name of Sam but who cares) and you always leave the caveat that should someone, such as myself, reply to your guff then it's just forum bullies doing their thing. Whilst i don't agree with the amount of times he tells us the same thing I have more respect for robert72 as at least he is passionate about Leicester Speedway, which is the subject your posting about (and the reason i don't respond to him in this fashion). There is no substance at all in your posts as far as i can see other than you want to let us all know you told us so. Maybe it's you who needs to take the bow.

to be fair fanmale, you asked me that as it was me that mentioned it a couple of weeks ago and i did respond. I was also told at the same time, from the horses mouth so to speak, that there was none anymore and it's all water under the bridge. Maybe we needed a bit of animosity between them on tuesday as one or the other certainly needed a good kick up the jacksy ! Mick.

I agree, well done by the promotion for doing this. Unlike how some people would like the promoter/s to be percieved, in my eyes they've always appeared open and have always stepped up to the plate with regards to issues surrounding the club. I'm not sure how much blame can be laid at their door for tuesday, they looked as non-plussed with proceedings as me when i saw them heading for the pits mid meeting. I think they probably do have to take some blame for not controlling the clerks and tractors actions but i don't see what they could have done about the ref. I suppose the main issue is that any problems such as we encountered on tuesday just exaccerbates the lack of on-track entertainment problems we generally put up with and the whole thing gets very depressing for all concerned. If the entertainment on track was better the pratting about that happened on Tuesday would probably just have been another side issue. It would be nice to see the promotion put in writing their assurances that track alterations are still happening this winter. Oh, and the final slap in my face on tuesday was the chicken and mushroom pie i bought to eat on the walk back to my car being cold; but in it's defence it had been there waiting to be purchased for longer than anyone would have expected!. Mick.

So whose fault for the unbearable delays?. Constant lack of switching the two minutes on would point at the ref, the lack of coordinating the tractors and riders would point at clerk of the course. Either way it seemed to point at a mexican standoff between the ref, the clerk and the fans patience. As the fans were the first to hit the floor can someone tell us who was last man standing?

cross posted from the GB vs Australia thread. Got to say that this meeting was a trully appaling advert for speedway. A very good job so few people turned up. For the first time in my life i actually left a meeting early due to boredom (i'd had enough at 10.10 and heat 13, my uncle baled after heat 12 but what seemed a 1/2 an hour before me!). Who was the referee because i can't find out who it was anywhere. Shocking display by him/her and it ought to be the last meeting they officiate. I missed why Josh Auty ended up back in heat 3 but whatever the reason it would have to be classed farcical. A farce that removed the importance and meaning of the meeting. In heat 12 Grajczonek and Campton were sat at the tapes for what seemed like 10 minutes with no sign of the GB riders, or more importantly the 2 minute warning. Did he forget. By that time did we care! I'm not even going to mention the tractor coming out for a 10 minute grade of the track 1 heat after a 20 minute delay (whilst they fixed a fence panel because of a crash) when no sign of the tractor was seen. Sorry, i just did mention it! The track was/is hopeless, Not a single proper overtake until Auty in heat 12. A depressing sight to see the effort Lewis Bridger was putting in without any headway being made on clearly slower riders. Next year's season ticket money and sponsorship money are staying firmly in my pocket until i see those physical track changes made. I'm afraid the track shape has no redeeming features. My money isn't being spent on promises or benefits of the doubt next year, it will be out when i can see those changes. finally, due to the crowd being so thin and the extra time we were getting before the start of the meeting and between heats i decided to put my old concert promoter head back on for the night and do a walk round head count! There were between 650-700 people watching last night. Anyways, hopefully, with a couple of weeks off, i'll be forgot all this and feel passionate for the Lions (if not for the track) come the next Leicester home meeting but not holding my breathe. Mick.

Got to say that this meeting was a trully appaling advert for speedway. A very good job so few people turned up. For the first time in my life i actually left a meeting early due to boredom (i'd had enough at 10.10 and heat 13, my uncle baled after heat 12 but what seemed a 1/2 an hour before me!). Who was the referee because i can't find out who it was anywhere. Shocking display by him/her and it ought to be the last meeting they officiate. I missed why Josh Auty ended up back in heat 3 but whatever the reason it would have to be classed farcical. A farce that removed the importance and meaning of the meeting. In heat 12 Grajczonek and Campton were sat at the tapes for what seemed like 10 minutes with no sign of the GB riders, or more importantly the 2 minute warning. Did he forget. By that time did we care! I'm not even going to mention the tractor coming out for a 10 minute grade of the track 1 heat after a 20 minute delay (whilst they fixed a fence panel because of a crash) when no sign of the tractor was seen. Sorry, i just did mention it! The track was/is hopeless, Not a single proper overtake until Auty in heat 12. A depressing sight to see the effort Lewis Bridger was putting in without any headway being made on clearly slower riders. Next year's season ticket money and sponsorship money are staying firmly in my pocket until i see those physical track changes made. I'm afraid the track shape has no redeeming features. My money isn't being spent on promises or benefits of the doubt next year, it will be out when i can see those changes. finally, due to the crowd being so thin and the extra time we were getting before the start of the meeting and between heats i decided to put my old concert promoter head back on for the night and do a walk round head count! There were between 650-700 people watching last night. Anyways, hopefully, with a couple of weeks off, i'll be forgot all this and feel passionate for the Lions (if not for the track) come the next Leicester home meeting but not holding my breathe. Mick.

and that not mentioning Newports! talking of which, it was interesting to hear Gareth Rogers talking about the demolition of Newport on the centre green as i've not seen him take the bait on any newport threads so far. Whilst be interviewed about all things Newport he made the point of how the failed backing meant Steve Mallett had to pull the plug on a what looked like it would have been a championship winning squad this year. When asked about the demolition he seemed to put all the emphasis on the failed deal being the reason their isn't a stadium in Newport any more rather than Steve Mallett unwillingness to sell on to another promotion. He definately seemed sympathetic to the plight of the Malletts. That's how it came across to me anyways. Mick.

Good meeting. Good win. Meeting ran in good time as the new shale seemed to mean less tractor driving. Magnus and Lewis were doing the business. I think the crowd were physically willing those performances out of them. Heat 2 with Lewis and Ashley was the best race i've seen at BP. Opponents manager failed to make the TR call rather than Leicester for once. I fear saying it but i took my rose tinted off and the crowd still looked to be a very, very, very good. Richard Lawson and Rene Bach were as good as ever at BP. Hate to tempt fate but my guess would be that everyones reasonably happy, no? Mick.

Great win, wish i'd gone now! looks like Glyn has picked up a few of Jason's tactical nuances though! If you go 10 points behind you've got make the TS especially if your up against their weakest pair. Mick.

Kind of links the two meetings. Anyone know how the relaying of the track has gone?

I think it was because a previous team manager and a previous track curator got together and talked the promotion into the idea that if he changed the then track curator they could improve the track and gain home track advantage without having to make the alterations. Genius. Sometimes, you'd have to agree, it seems hemsley appears to listen too much.

My point has been that ever since the parting of the ways certain individuals have taken every conceivable opportunity to put the knives into the promotion. I mean every single opportunity. However lame. For all I know they might be rightly aggrieved but the attitude they have taken doesn't engender confidence from me that they wouldn't have been a disaster had they still had an involvement in the running of the club. My view is totally based on how these individuals have put themselves across on forums etc such as this one, in letters and articles to the mercury, what these individuals have told me with regards to letters they have written to the council etc. I certainly don't like your rather simplistic 'translation' of my view but if that's how you read it then there is little I can do. Mick.

That would all be fair enough comment if it wasn't for the fact that they are now making a big deal in papers and politics about the complex. They are now espousing views that I've not seen them promote previously and appear to be politically motivated with a view of doing damage to the future of speedway. That's my view anyway. It should also be remembered that both steve and ken appeared to have no issues with the project until they fell out with the current owners over personal money issues regarding certain aspects in the construction of the speedway stadium. I would thank ken for getting us where we are and I don't doubt that without him i'd be still sitting on my settee on a Saturday night but at what point do you stop lionising him and say enough is enough. When they've found a way of closing the stadium back down?

Cheers for that detailed response. I see the error of my viewpoint now and its all down to you TMW.. Thanks!(!!!!!!!!) Mick.

Serious question to lionsden as you're always up for an explaination. You have to admit to the average Leicester fan such as myself, that on reading the mercury about how you and ken have 'nothing against speedway but want to see the other parts of the complex you campaigned so hard for come to fruition' , along with the those 'helpful' letters you write to the council, that it could appear that you are trying to jeopardise the future of speedway as part of your own vendettas against David Hemsley. As a speedway supporter on a speedway supporters forum can you explain to me what yours and Ken's endgame is? Now we have a speedway back in Leicester It appears to me a very big and high stake gamble you are taking on behalf of us leicester speedway fans to get us that velodrome that you and ken now appear to want so desperately. Forgive me if I don't give you the proverbial pat on your backs for your efforts Mick.

Please check the local lost and found as I think you'll find that stray dog wasn't stray at all and belonged to the wildlife you saw behind the leisure centre!