PHILIPRISING

YOUR last line is the most relevant. MCC are correct in.saying that Gordon and Morton were responsible for the track along with the safety fence. But, what we are really talking about is the track surface, not what lay beneath it which was, of course, the root of the problem. It would help if MCC released the Arup report, which they still refuse to do so. Why?

MCC haven't actually said that the BV promotion were aware of the material used for the sub-base on turns three and four. They did, however, as per the April 12th document sent to ISG, insist that the material should be left on site when it was dug up. It wasn't and 'mysteriously' disappeared who knows where.

SOME good ones online, too, at speedwaystar.net/Xtra.aspx

THANK you ... it is frustrating when copies don't arrive on time.

WHAT do you mean by 'review' issue? Bumper pre-season edition is out next week.

WE contacted the sorting office (Feltham) where Speedway Star subs are taken after collection in Surbiton but, as expected, they say that the fault must lay with those at the end of the chain.

PERMANENT terracing and toilets (and concession facilities) on the south side of the NSS should have been installed by MCC as part of their original agreement with Belle Vue Arena Limited but the Council by their own admission ran out of money. This is one of the reasons why BVAL never officially, took 'possession' of the stadium. It was incomplete ... in other respects, too. Temporary terracing and toilets were put in place by BVAL (Gordon and Morton) and paid for by them which formed part of the loss assessment of £690,000 arrived at by an independent company. No doubt the company that supplied them were among the creditors at the end of the season which is why they were taken out. Presumably Belle Vue 2017 have insisted that MCC complete the south side of the stadium as part of their agreement and to ensure that the stadium, if necessary, can operate at full capacity which it could not in 2016 including for the SWC. BVALs agreement with IMG for staging the 2016 SWC was for a stadium with a capacity of 9,000 but because of MCC restrictions placed on attendance on the south side this wasn't possible. It is the view of IMG that they would have sold 9,000 tickets for the Final had that been permitted and there was a serious loss of revenue because of that. INCIDENTALLY, some on here have accused me personally and Speedway Star of slanting our original story on the NSS fiasco in favour of David Gordon and that we have been biased in our coverage. I refute that, not least because in the weeks and months before publishing the interview with David Gordon, MCC refused numerous requests to make a comment and also threatened legal action unless we withdrew a number of passages in the piece, which reluctantly we did. However, now MCC have put everything into the public domain with their official report and, as such, a number of areas that were 'off limits' are no longer so, which is why you can expect a forceful response from David Gordon sooner rather than later.

AND toilets I believe...

Presumably this lot is being paid for by MCC and not Gordon/Morton (BVAL)...

HAVE been away but will check with the office on Wednesday. Sadly, I have no doubt what your local office will say: "It's not their fault." But there must be something wrong there because literally thousands of other people get their copy either on a Thursday or latest Friday. Once it leaves our office at 10am on a Wednesday we have absolutely no control over its delivery schedule... more's the pity. I do sympathise and we don't like to lose any subscribers but it is out of our hands. Is there not another local newsagent that will take a regular order from you?

THE five people listed invested as part of EIS - Enterprise Investment scheme which provides a 30% tax relief -but the money had to be effectively 'used' with a two year period to have any effect. It wasn't because of the two-year delay in construction of the NSS caused by MCC belatedly discovering that there was a covenant on the site and plans for the stadium had to be redrawn. More of this in SS shortly.

NIGEL will be alongside Kelvin ...

FANTASY Speedway League fans can now enter the 2017 competition online at www.fantasy-speedway.com. The new league season launched two weeks ago and would-be promoters can begin their team building by logging onto the website and registering to play. There is a first prize of £1,000 awaiting the eventual winner, plus many more prizes for managers of the month and the winner of the end-of-season play-off competition. Speedway Star is happy to endorse this year’s competition run by our friends at fantasy-speedway.com but we would like to stress that the magazine and publishers Pinegen Limited no longer have any involvement in the FSL. All inquiries should be directed to the FSL via e-mail to: admin@fantasy-speedway.com

MARK Lemon comes from the same town as Sedgman, has known him from birth and believes that he can get the best out of him on British tracks. If anyone can, he can!

We haven't changed anything that I know of ...

INCIDENTALLY, our website (speedwaystar.net) has been given an overhaul by Andy Povey who will be looking after it from now on.

THANK you ...we have been making a few changes with our freelance editorial contributors. The winter series with Phil Chard has been terrific and Peter Oakes new column has been outstanding every week. Don't know hoe he does it.

WE do complain but are always told that the complaint should go to the local sorting office in question.. Although they do not guarantee next day delivery it is an expectation.

APRIL 1st...

SORRY you are having problems with delivery of your Speedway Star. Think that Royal Mail are simply passing the buck. Nothing we can do beyond paying for a first class service and hoping that Royal Mail literally deliver.

AS yet we haven't heard from BT about their plans. I'm sure we will when they have all their ducks (production, commentators, presentation, etc) in a row. Would be extremely surprised if Kelvin and Nigel are not the commentators. Will Natalie be the pits interviewer, will Chris Louis come onboard? Have a pretty good idea who will handle the TV broadcast and it will be good although perhaps not quite along the lines flagrag suggested. Presume BT will be able to interject some SGP highlights into a domestic meeting should they so wish. Does the 18 meetings mentioned include the British Final? If so, perhaps a change of race might would be a good idea... staging it on a Monday at Belle Vue is not a good, traffic, late night and all that. How about a Saturday afternoon ... would that appeal more?

IF the council were to release the ARUP report it might prove interesting. We did ask MCC on several occasions what happened to the £690,000 but they wouldn't comment.

HAVEN'T had a chance to fully digest the document yet but still many unanswered questions on both sides including what happened to the £690,000 MCC didn't pay to ISG.

SOMEONE has to negotiate a deal and Terry is very good at that.

LOOK at ... http://www.bbc.com/sport/speedway/39183123