g13webb

One of the reasons we finished top of the league this year was that in MPT, we had a quality rider, able to have extra rides when it mattered. losing him was always going to be a massive lost. But when it come to chosen bad guests the Stars must be up there with the best of them. There can be no excuse this time, everybody knew MPT would be missing following last Monday, after being taken out by Jakobsen. Surely, in 9 days, we could have chosen a better replacement than a 2nd division rider.. Not riding for a premier league shows what a bad selection it was. We should have been looking for someone who is efficient and be able to take those extra rides, not someone just to fill a space.. Booking him for both legs obviously show how the management thinks. Buy one and get one free... Congratulations to Somerset who done all that was expected of them. I cant see them losing a 16pt lead now. Yet again we have shot ourselves in the foot....

No ! that's not how it was described to me. I was told, by a high ranking BSPA individual, because a rider would be more accustomed to riding on his home track than a guest, it was therefore agreed all guests replacing an home rider would be granted an additional 5% CMA to offset this advantage.. When riding an away track, a rider would not be so accustomed and therefore the 5% was not applicable....

It sure has. It would appear that if both managers agree any rule can be changed to facilitate any rider...… Thinking back through the season, I wonder how many teams could have changed their guest if they were offered a similar privilege...,

There were many reasons why we lost that Play-off final, the selection of the guests was only one of them. It was unfortunate that Niels got injured, as it was unfortunate that MPT was taken out , both such important members of our team. These are unfortunate instances that happened. In an ordinary league match guests serve a purpose, but when asked to perform in vital final it takes a special rider to step up to the plate. It is a massive gamble expecting a rider to up his game to the same level of expectation that the competing teams. So I was surprised that Lynn contested the services of Ellis from Poole when it was so obvious R/R would have been more beneficial. I had been impressed with Ellis's form this year but this was a big ask.. It was always going to be difficult for Ellis to deliver. I was disappointed with his application in the first leg, but that was nothing to what he delivered in our home leg. He was poor, he rode like a novice, and was never in contention and that is what I find hard to accept.. I find it difficult to accept that all our problems are down to luck and that Poole benefitted from every situation, even to the point of having a guest over and above their allowance... When you consider all the problems, injuries, bad decisions, poor guests we suffered in those finals. To win by only 4 pts shows how poor Poole were. With that amount of bad luck, any team would have beaten us in that situation.... It made a mockery of the whole importance of the play-off finals..

Congratulations and well done on producing a value insight into the decline of British Speedway. We have waited a long time for someone to come forward with positive ideas and address ways of moving forwards. Its very difficult to argue with any of your ideas as all seem to be proactive in the way the sport needs to survive . Whether the BSPA take on this report, is another matter. but like you say we haven't much time left before it will be too late...... 10 out of 10 for effort...…

I didn't ridicule NKI for riding in Thomas Gollob charity meeting, I just questioned him putting everything on the line in a charity meeting , when the next day Lynn faced the biggest meeting in their history.. I can understand the importance of star performers at the meeting drawing loads spectators, but it would have made little difference to TG if Niels had won the meeting, But it all but destroyed Lynn chances of success in the Playoffs.., I appreciate you say Lynn can fight another day, but we had waited a long time (53 years) for this to happen , so who knows, if or when, Lynn will get another change.... There will never be a better opportunity than the chance we had this year.... Didn't realise speaking as you feel makes you a bad person, but apparently so, sorry if I offended you...

Too true, I'm probably the worlds worse loser but I make no apologies for take. I will also agree the Lynn riders gave their all, and cannot complain of the effort they applied. They didn't deserve to be on the losing side.. I will also agree how difficult it must be for any guest to join in at the final stage of any competition. which adds to the question why use them. It appeared we bent over backward to sort out a bad ruling on guests , at the expense of making our team weaker,... and Poole team stronger.... Just another convenience that is hard to swallow..

It is very difficult to prove either way, you can only go by what you see. There were so many deciding factors that went Pools way, you have to question your own sanity to believe them . I cant believe I have been so gullible for so many years. I have tried hard to justify all the inconsistencies that happened over the years, but there comes a point when you have to face all your doubts. The truth is I don't believe in it any more, and question the integrity of it all. I can understand why so many fans have deserted it. I cannot continue supporting something I don't believe in anymore.

I wouldn't bet on it . He has ridden our track well in the past and only recently scored 11pts when used as a guest. In that 1st leg every race he tried to jump the start and subsequently got warned & excluded, Yes I appreciate the had 2 race wins but only when we were 18 pts adrift. when the team got back into contention he conveniently went missing again.. In the second leg at Lynn he was seen consistently shutting off so early going into that first bend, ensuring he was never in contention. So noticeable, it stood out a mile. Matt Ford is such an astute manager, I'm in not doubt he had all these bases covered. Probably that accounted for the big smile on his face all evening...

Employing guests to cover for injured riders should be the way to go, but they need to be of a reliable nature, not someone like Ellis who clearly had other intentions. Had we used R/R in the second leg, after his obvious performance in the first, we would have won that Play-offs no problems. I will never understand the reasons why Lynn used a guest who had so much history with Poole... With Robert, Rizz , Proctor and TJ all going well , they would always score more than a dubious guest.... I hope NKI is fit to ride, but if not, don't lets go down that same road as last week. Leave it to our own riders who wont let you down......

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the STARS riders for a sterling effort this year, you done us proud. You did all that was possible, to achieve a lifetime dream, but unfortunately the sport let you down. Our fate was sealed the moment that Ackroyd became Father Christmas. Nobody dishes out those kind of presents unless it was pre-calculated. Also, I feel, the team had been let down by NKI at a time when we didn't him most. and I will never understand why we opted used guests in preference of R/R. Guests are always a gamble, and can be subject to conspiracy, Adam Ellis certainly fall into that category. Having waited a lifetime for the opportunity, the task then became impossible when we were forced to compete with only half a Team. Never giving up, the team battled to the end but eventually losing out by those points dished out by Father Christmas. I cant bring myself to congratulate to the Poole Pirates, they represent everything that I dislike about the sport. The fact they picked up the trophy last night merely illustrates everything that is wrong in this sport. I sat in the stands last night, watching people instead of the lost cause. It was warming to see fans of all ages getting excited and shouting their support as they faced the impossible task. Unlike me they thought we stood a chance. With a full team we undoubted would have won this final, so it was heart wrenching seeing their disappointment when again our so called guests let us down. I left before the end, I had seen enough to destroy any love I may have had left...

Pleased to hear opinions from a sensible Poole fan, and I can except most of what you say. but you seem to forget the importance of the situation when making that mistake. We as a club were dealt a savage blow losing our top SGP rider and forced to use a 2nd string replacement, making us considerably weaker , We had started this match terribly losing out in the first five races, but clawed our way back into contention, when the Ref makes the most almighty blunder, rewarding the reckless riding of Jakobsen and gift wrapping Poole 6Pts. . MPT was penalised for doing nothing wrong. It was a monumental error of gigantic proportions gift wrapping Poole success. There can be no excuse for making a mistake of this magnitude. It wasn't even a difficult decision.. But it don't stop there, the consequences of that move by Jakobsen, , means we have lost our (ace in the hole) MPT, for the rest of the final, a double whammy , that to me all but seals our fate. So when you consider all the issues and problems that have incurred, with this our first final, it is of little wonder people feel unhappy how its all turned out. If we had a full team overcoming 16 deficit would be difficult, but doing it without 2 of your ace riders is near impossible. That mistake and those 6 pts blundered by the ref, has made this second leg a foregone conclusion.. NB. The replacement of Howarth for the injured MPT is insane... MTP, quick gater, smooth rider, likes grippy tracks would have scored at least 12 points from his many rides, Howarth wont score half that...

Another one fed up with you constant rabble. They're not many left. soon you will be able to play POOLE against Poole every week, assured of always winning...

I have been told that when it was first reported of the situation of 2 riders riding for both clubs it was suggested that Poole used Ellis for both legs and Lynn used Morris, as allowed with their respective CMA. Ford rejected this straight away saying he had first choice on Morris.. , Dale only suggested us to use Ellis as a common sense solution... Ford not giving an inch was the reason for the whole debacle. As for the fans being in charge, Had I been the Team Manager, at the decision of the Ref after that ht12 fall, I would have gathered the riders and protested with a sit on the track. If the ref refused to change his mind, then we would got up and gone home... . if the Ref can pull stunts like that, we don't want to be part of it...

After what happened last night the sport is corrupt to the core.... I can understand when, sometimes a ref makes a wrong call , but last night it was so clear-cut,. It is impossible to make the wrong call, it was that obvious EVERY person who saw it recognised it straight away. Even Kelvin Tatum, the Die-hard Poole supporter, said it was Jakobsen who took MPT front wheel and caused the stoppage , He has to go. So you have to ask yourself why did the Ref make such a bad call at an important point of the meeting so gift wrapping Poole 6 points and effectively ending the meeting.... ??? I don't suppose anyone would come forward with an answer....

You obviously don't know me. The times I have stuck up for the sport against the millions who rubbish, I've lost count. How can a sport have any integrity when, imagining the FA Cup at Wembley, and the Referee scores a hat-trick against your team , that's what happens last night...

After 54 years, the end is neigh. No way can I continue to support a sport that destroys common sense values for their own being. Week after week, year after year, I have stubbornly resisted the temptation to pack it all in, but what I watched last night was truly destructive of this once great sport. What should have been the pinnacle occasion of the season was turned into a circus... Everywhere you look, you question the integrity of what you see. Every decision, you wonder if it was pre-planned before hand, or was there any underhanded dealings that we don't know about. I have always refused to accept how bad this sport has become, but last night everything hit home.... We have battled all season to climb them dizzy heights to win the league. We did so by winning more matches, home and away than all our competitors, but it means nothing. the achievement is superseded by a tin-pot competition where teams are able pull any tricks they want, and with referees on board to promote the team they want to succeed. To expect us to compete with 2 of our main riders missing merely outlines the ridiculousness of the situation. It makes a mockery out of its own existence... I cant believe I have been blinded for so long. I have preached many times to those who once went to Lynn with no success. I have beaten my head against the wall questioning my own sanity, but now I have made that decision. Whether we win or lose, this will be the last year of my involvement. No way can I continue to support something I don't believe in anymore. A love affair that lasted 54 years......

That one line explains why everyone on here rubbishes you. You are so blinded with Blue Tints, it is pointless conversing with you... What a sad world you live in !!!

Please you find my comment enjoyable, unlike some I always speak as I see and feel. Tonight is no different, Having watched a another replay of the occasion. I am amazed at what we saw... I was amazed Poole were allowed such an easy start before the Stars were able to find a decent setup for their bikes. Giving anyone 18 point start is a massive task to under take. Amazed how brilliantly the Stars clawed their way back into contention. Amazed how the Ref can get such a simple decision so wrong is beyond belief. Having looked through BSF, Tweeter, and updates, there is not one comment that backs the decision the Ref made. Yes, Like Middlo says you win some you lose some, but not at a crucial time as this. To make a wrong call of this magnitude, a decision that gift wrapped Poole a min of 4 points (could've been more) was criminal. When points are so hard to come by it is so wrong that a referee decision can have massive consequences. Up to that point the Stars were back into contention, but where we could have been going into ht12 just 6 adrift , this one decision added another 6pts to Poole total... We had all the upheaval about guests before the start of the meeting, but not a word was mentioned of the referee, but he afforded Poole more points than either guests attained.... I was also amazed at Dale's attitude , last week he wanted to take on the world, to show passion to his riders, yet when a situation needed that passion he simple accepted the Refs decision. When the cameras interviewed him, he hadn't looked at the tele, he merely said it was a close call. Had that been Middlo he would be going spare and the ref would have no doubts about how they felt.. It seems we are the nice team who always gets trodden on.. Amazed too at heat 13 when the Ref excluded Ellis. This was a closer call that couldn't be seen with just the naked eye. Both Harris and Ellis moved, but the Ref immediately blamed it on the Lynn rider. The BT sport could have been more helpful by slowing the replay down. I inched the replay through and it clearly shows, although Ellis moved first, it was HARRIS who hits the tapes. I agree, it would have been difficult split them, but why not penalise both riders when clearly both were at fault... This was another decision that guaranteed Poole points. It wasn't Poole team who stemmed the tide of the Stairs revival, it was the one sided decisions from the Referee. The tie now is all but been decided. only a miracle can save the gallant Stars . Those smug Poole fans will go on about how good they were and add another title to their long list. but we all know how lucky they always were... Of those 16 point they have, the Ref can be thanked for most of them. and that is where the real shame is. A meeting ruined by one individual...

What could have been a close call the Referee has turned it into a joke with his bias exclusions. I'm surprised he dare show his face... An utter farce, ruined by incompetence and back handers.... I had hoped this final could have been run fairly, but I should've known better.....

We as a club have bent over backwards supporting Niels over the years, and am disappointed that he never considered how important the play-off was to this club this week. I appreciate he wanted to compete in the Gollob Charity meeting, but at what expense. He has let the whole of the club down with this injury. and its not the first time we have suffered this season, because his cavalier attitude. The time is fast approaching when we have to ask, is it worth a club spending big bucks for a top rider when they only put importance in themselves. Very disappointed with the way it has all turned out....

Not the first time we have been let down by Niels this season, but there are no guests who can replace world quality. He is irreplaceable when the chips are down. He virtually guarantees 5-1 in both heat 13 and 15 that usually ensures a winning position. Because of his low CMA we could never benefit from a guest like Poole have done with Kurtz . When comparing the losses of each team, you have to question the necessity of the Play-offs at all .

Cant help thinking they will have at least 2 GB riders, being a fair representation for the British support. Thinking along them lines, I wouldn't be surprised if Lambert got the nod. My other three choices would be: Dudek, Pedersen and Zagar.

Am I right in thinking that usually when the tele is doing a double meeting, they have a big screen at both venues for the fans to keep up to date of what's going on. We ware fortunate at the AFA as we benefit of a big screen installed on the 1st and 2nd bends enabling us to see the other meeting. I never gave it a thought that Poole was any different and were watching the Lynn semi, when waiting for the ambulance to return, but apparently not...... To hang about waiting for over an hour is, like you say , not the best way to encourage new supporters... when with a little bit of forethought, would have benefitted this situation....

Probably because we have never been regarded as winners, it is assumed we haven't got the fight and determination to succeed against a seasoned winners like Poole. But I don't get this crap. Whatever Poole have achieved in the past has nothing to do with the team the have now. The only remaining members are Middlo and Ford and they don't even ride a bike. Looking back the over the recent years, this must be one of the worse Poole teams I can remember. The only problem we should be concerned about would be their track, but apart from that we should be really confident of doing well. I will be disappointed and surprised if we lose the first leg by more than 3 or4 points. We finished 10 pts clear of Poole in the league, (that's more than 3 match results better) yet fans and posters on here talk as though they have some divine right to always win... Bomber magical win in heat 15 hides the embarrassment of losing to a severely weakened Somerset team. Had they had a full team, Poole wouldn't even had reached the final. This is probably the best team Lynn have had for many a year, and represents a wonderful opportunity to get our name on that trophy. Our close, united team with loads of spirit has more than enough strength to win this, …….. Both teams are made up of predominately Championship riders, the main difference is that Lynn have 2 world class riders in Niels and Lambert to spearhead the team . On a good day we will win with points to spare. A person who talks about a 14 point deficit, watches a different teams than the one I see...….