Steve Shovlar

Actually it wasn't. It was a direct cut and paste from the Poole website. And I agree the Poole website is functional but dull. Years old and needs a big revamp to bring it into 2017. I personally rarely go there unless there's a big announcement.

Who says Poole are still looking for a sponsor? A deal could already have been struck for all you know, and as usual Matt Ford is waiting for the right moment to announce it in the press for maximun exposure. If the pattern follows then it will be a large deal on 6 figures a season and won't be Dave's Pet Foods or Heather's Poodle Parlour. Oh but wait. More Poole chat on the Coventry forum! Shock! Horror! Probe! Steve Brum Should I have waited several weeks before answering to not upset Coventry fans? Lol!

How can it be poorly timed when its replying to a Coventry supporters post? What you expect me to do? Not reply to it for a few weeks so that the post is not relevant anymore? You couldn't make it up.

So Stevebrum and the self righteous see themselves as some defender of the "right", while none Coventry fans are now not allowed to post on a Coventry thread unless its to wallow in self pity. I have every right to post on this thread as others have to post on the Poole thread. My posts were not gloating, just responding on topic to to a post from a Coventry fan about social media. If others don't like debate and the topic of conversation then don't reply. Its simple. To say my post was wrong about having a successful website and online presence is frankly laughable when using the argument that Coventry might not run. My point is relevant regardless of club, sport or business. I am fully aware of this having owned websites in the past with over 250,000 unique visitors. A day. But in speedway terms not a bad score. Rarely go there myself.

Why should I apologise for the crap way their club has been managed over recent years? Seems to be a Coventry thing. Their football team is just as badly run. May as well shut down this thread if no one is allowed to post unless its to placate Coventry fans. We all hope everything is sorted out so they can run, that's obvious. But to be moaned at whilst I am posting on topic is laughable.

Lol! This started because a Coventry fan was moaning about the lack of an online Bees presence, and I responded to the post by stating what Matt Ford had posted just the day before on the poole website. It was a direct response to the post and bang on topic, yet its jumped on because its a success story and that can't be allowed on a Coventry thread. The point being that if the Poole website can have 100,000 hits week, so could Coventrys with some serious work. But success has to be frowned upon, right?

Fundementally the whole shambles was the Belle Vue promotions fault. Did they know there was a serious problem with the track before the opening meeting? Yes. Did they open the gates on the opening meeting in the knowledge that there was a chance the riders might refuse to ride? Yes. The whole debacle was the Belle Vue managements fault. Not the fact there was an issue with the track but the fact that they decided to run a meeting knowing of this issue. Thousands of people wasted hundreds of pounds attending a meeting that should have been postponed. Totally the Belle Vue promotions fault.

Chapman stated the bleedin obvious and what 99% of the rest of us thought. The blame, 100% of it, was down to the Belle Vue promotion. The whole shocking day was their fault. I recall making a post a couple of weeks before the opening event, where I said that I hope track testing is being carried out before the meeting, as the last thing we need is the track to be unrideable. The response was that the first time the track is going to be used is heat one. I was shocked and said so on here. The whole sorry mess could have been completely avoided but the BV promotion dived head first into oblivion. Their lack of experience came crashing down around their heads like a stack of cards. They just didn't have the finances to promote Belle Vue in their new home and I guess they knew this very early on with crowd numbers nowhere near the required level to sustain the sport in the new stadium.

I don't think so. Think Matt would rather leave it blank than undersell it. But pretty sure we will have a team sponsor in place before season starts. Anyway as this is a Coventry thread when are we going to hear some news from Horton?

No team sponsor for Poole? Pretty sure that will change before tapes are up! Remember, its over £100,000 a season to be Poole team sponsor.

AFCB matches are sellouts. If they had a bigger ground they would be getting 30,000 attendances. But it doesn't matter as afcb have huge amounts of MONEY, MILLIONS, and as they are in the Premier League and likely to stay there, the huge sums of cash just keep rolling in. It wouldn't matter if Coventry had a bigger attendance than afcb. It would be peanuts of extra attendance money compared to the massive sums Bournemouth currently have. The two clubs are the proverbial mile apart. If a sport like ice hockey can get people in the door, the Bees should be doing better than that. Ice hockey doesnt even have Sky Sports, does it?

So we musn't respond to a post about poor online presence with a post on the same subject, to show what can be done, because Sandhu has wrecked a stadium? You couldn't make it up.

So basically in the last month the workmen have done about half a days work, looking at that.

As it is in response to a post it has every right to be here. Shows what can be done with the right effort. No excuse. The Bees should not be kowtowing to an extreme minority sport the UK in ice hockey. The football team are nearly league 2 now so again nothing compared to AFC Bournemouth which is in Pirates doorstep. Wasps rugby I have to admit I know zip about as its not a sport I follow at all. Thought they were at Watford? Making excuses is easy. Poole have to deal with other sports like sailing, surfing etc but I doubt Matt Ford worries about anything other than his own club and how to get fans through the turnstiles.

Interestingly Matt Ford released this message earlier on the Poole website. Club owner Matt Ford has issued the following statement, ahead of the fast approaching New Year. "I would personally like to wish all supporters and those associated with the club a very Happy New Year, let's hope 2017 is slightly more successful for the club on track than the outgoing season"Off track however I can announce good news." "The club's official website has increased in popularity dramatically over the last few years, and I'm delighted to announce that over the last 6 months we now have in excess of One Hundred Thousand hits every week . When Steve (Allen) set up the site all that time ago, I never dreamed it would become so popular. My congratulations go to him, what an achievement!" "We believe that now is the time to press ahead, and we are working on updating the site even further as we seek to make the site even bigger and better. At this point we have yet to secure a new Main Team Sponsor, and news like this can only help in that search. It's encouraging to hear success stories for any business, but especially within our wonderful sport. Thank you to all of you." "Lastly, Helen, Gordon and Giles and myself would like to take one final opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you in March. Stay positive and most importantly Safe ! "

Correct. As has been stated Lindgren has won a GP. Lindgren more steady but less spectacular than KK who has very high peaks and very low troughs.

RIP Bryn. Very sad news to hear. Speedway has lost one of its greatest supporters.

As a Brit it would be good for him to progress. But as he is the main reserve he has to do well. He has no real back up, the same as Klindt at Poole. Both Shanes and Greaves will find it extremely tough and any points scored a bonus.

Pooles top two are stronger than Wolves, Wolves third heat leader stronger than Pooles, I think Kurtz and Newman have the edge over Howarth and Skornicki, and Klindt has the edge over Clegg. Our number 7's are of equal strength. Where Poole have the advantage is that Holder, and Kurtz have improvement in them. I just don't see any improvement in Skornicki. Howarth hasn't improved very much in the last couple of seasons. As for Gavans comments you quoted, well how ridiculous. So all those points Poole's reserves scored in the playoffs don't count because we lost? Reserves points in 2017 are just as vital as any other year. If the reserves fail to score you have at least 6 heats where you are not going to get any heat advantage!

CVS probably meant the leading reserve in the Wolverhampton team. Thing is without strong reserves you are stuffed if members of the top five aren't pulling their weight. A scoring reserve taking 7 rides can do untold damage. Is Clegg capable of taking 7 rides and covering for a rider in the Wolves 5 who is having an off night? IMO Wolves won't be challenging unless Clegg has a leap forward in ability. The other reserve is just making up the numbers.

I don't know where this 'reserves are not as important' nonsense has come from but a scoring reserve is vital to a teams success.if a team has no decent reserve, he won't be used to replace a rider in the top five who is struggling. Meaning the team would be down to only 4 scoring riders and against a team with a scoring reserve will struggle. Absolutely. A good scoring reserve adds pressure on riders in the 1-5 to score or be replaced in one of his rides. And as you say a scoring reserve will no doubt take one of the other reserve rides plus replace a top 5 rider. They are essential in bringing success. And part of the reason why I have been critical of the Wolverhampton team and don't rate them very highly. There is no one to replace Howarth or Skornicki if they are having an off night.

Never understood why some people think fans won't turn up to watch speedway if its not on a weekend. Are the residents of Wolverhampton different in some way to the residents of Leicester? I doubt it other than their accents. So how come Wolverhampton ride on a Monday, or Poole on a Wednesday? Leicester fans will turn up on a week day just the same if they are fans of their club.

Well I for one am happy to bet £100 that Poole will be in the playoffs. Anyone want to go against me? Loser pays srbf.

Lindgren was a rider who was almost impossible to beat around Monmore. Went weeks without dropping a point. Remember Davey Watt getting a tied heat with him which was an achievement at the time. Nowdays a maximum from him is a rare occassion. In a weaker league. Still, if you think he is just as good as he was several years ago that's your perogative.

I have passed Blunsdon several times since the end of the season and everytime its 2 or three guys there in hard hats sitting in a cabin drinking tea, or pushing a broom about. Zip being done. Two diggers pushing the same pile of dirt about and the blokes moving a pile of railings from one spot to another, then back again. Think those guys are there for show. Answered an advert at the job centre. Wanted. Tea drinkers. Must wear yellow reflective jacket and hard hat. Be able to read (a newspaper) listen (to the radio) and look busy when anyone approaches. Hours. Monday to Friday. 9-4. Tea breaks 9.10-10am, 10.10-11, 11.10-12. Lunch 12-3. Tea break at 3.10 -4pm.