weatherwatcher

I have seen riders looking like mud monsters in the past and they still carried on riding. No tear off strips in those days just lots of heart and 100% comitment.

No matter what sort of tyre the put on the bikes the way the tracks are laid with no dirt would mean that a nobbly tyre would be even worse that the ones they run on as they would not hold on the slick tracks. With no dirt to bite into it would be like ridding on ice. It seems that in days gone by when the riders where nothing more than amateurs, they had a bigger heart than the guys do now. Unless the track is 100% then it is easier to just call it off.

I just shows what a farce the British leagues have become all 3 EL matches called off or stopped part way through, This 10 races to be awarded the match is stupid, if half the meeting is finished then after heat 7 the match should be awarded, that would have seen Brum win last night and well deserved better team by far on the night. Why have the rider become so soft, if it is dangerous to ride at the speeds they go then they should slow down to a safe speed and get the meeting over and done with. But with the way the tracks are laid these days they would need to end the meeting in speedboats as the tracks all seem to flood. can't for the life of me ever remembering Long Eaton flood like the tracks do these days. The are just to hard packed and slick for the water to go anywhere. If they have drainage in the centrese of the tracks then they must be poor to say the least. We need to get something sorted and soon, because it seems that the British summers are getting wetter, with May, June July and August some of the wetest months of the year. So we can't rely on the great British summers of the past to help speedway to go ahead. It would be far better to have the races in the late Autum and early Spring as these months are far drier. So if they continue to ride in the summer then they need to change the track surfaces and the attitudes of the riders and team management who are so keen to call off matches. If riders saftey is the issue slow them down..

There is no comparcance to a 1960/70's speedway track to the ones they produce now. A track was riden in most conditions other than very heavy rain. The track where far softer with lots of shale on them. Now they are more like a road than a race track you may just as well let them race on tarmac. They are so fimly packed and slick with very little in the way of shale that even a light shower stays on the surface and turns it into an ice rink. Better if they had spiked tyres as in ice speedway at least then when we had showers they could just change tyres and carry on. I think it is time that the tracks where changed back again not only to help with the drainage problems but to give us some better closer racing. Maybe the riders are getting soft these days I don't mean in a sense when the have an accident, but in the way they all stand pulling faces and shaking heads at the signs of a shower. Does the rain harm them in some way, or is it the fact that they don't like getting mud on thier kelvars

There is very little in the way of exitement in the GP's or the EL. There is far to much dick follow the leader racing, and this is from the way the tracks are laid these days and the drop down bikes. Yes when the tracks where deeper and we had the old upright bikes the racing was much ceaner. The tracks are so hard and slick now, you could race 4 double deckers around the tracks if they fit and get the same sort of results. You hardly see any sort of team racing with 2 riders from a side working together at the front close together trying thier hardest to keep the other 2 lads from getting past. All that folks seem to want nowadys is lots of overtaking. Give me some hard fort racing anyday. You can see it in most of the EL league and even in pairs racing which is very far and few these days, 1 rider goes out from the gate to be around 5 or 6 bike lengths in from his team mate is in second place with a couple of riders behind him usually a couple of bikes back, but if these 2 riders are close to him, then he has no team mate to help him out because he his miles infront and only thinking of the money and the glory of winning the heat. So yes the old way was the best with teams being teams not idividual riders, who now ride for so many teams , I doubt even if they know which team is actually the team they should really ride for.

I had the great pleasure in the 70's of owning a 1932 500cc Rudge single, what a remarkable engine that was large bore long stroke. You would never get away with how the piston was held in place these days, no retaining rings holding in the gudion pin it was just pushed through the piston and at each end was a piece of copper that ran up the inside of the barrel. Owned a couple more great British bikes a A.J.S 650cc twin and a Mk 2 B.S.A Spitfire, it was the U.S.A specification model quite rare over here. One engine that still makes me shudder is the 500cc Matchless single, it got its name from the sound a thumper when on tick over a beutiful sound that we hear far less these days. The only one to keep it going in a true British tradition is the Royal Enfield Bullet. I am sure that with modern technology they would be able to come up with a great speedway upright engine..

I think you are right there the riders need to slow down. Some of them are so out of control of the bikes that it brings your heart into your mouth to watch them. It is just a case of how as the least nerve and can wind the trottle to the max and stay there the longest. I can never remember riders in the 70's and 80's leaping arouns the track as if they are on a bronko but I may be wrong and just forget. The way the riders are getting injured these days is getting far to often with at least 2 cases of brain damage at the end of last season and the beging of this. The speed they go is bound to make the accidents worse than they ever where. One of the worst I remember seeing in the 70's was at Weymouth when 2 riders went into the fencing on the straight, one was thrown clear, the other poor lad hid the fence and the handlebars went into his stomach. But accidents like that where far and a lot fewer than now.

There has to be a happy medium between the 2. From some of the pictures from the tracks that had matches called off they looked more like small lakes than speedway tracks. They either have very poor drainage after it runs off the track or no drainage at all. Something has to be done to address this silly situatation. That matches are getting called off after a few showers speaks badly of the current situation of this country speedway stadiums. They either need to get the track situation sorted or get better drainage into the track infastructure. There are far to many matches being lost these days and all it is doing is causing a big back log of fixtures with very few days to fit them all into. There as got to be a cheap solution to some sort of overhead coving of the stadiums. Not a fixed roof but something that can be easily put of the stadiums if the weather looks bad. What they need is a big plastic bag each

From the amount of rain that has fallen in some of the area's that the matches have been cancelled. Today at Leicester for one. I checked the rainfall, and it was less than half an inch in 2 days. That was after the match had been called off. To me it looks like the tracks are packed way to tight with the surfaces so hard that the rain can;t get through the top of the shale. I know you want a surface that dosen't break upbut to have them with the surface so hard and slick that the water just stays on the top surface, then they surely have got to have something wrong. The rain offs have been getting worse these last few years. So there has got to be some reason and all I can see is it has to be down to the track surface. May be wrong, but that is my idea.

Just to let you know that Burton & Leicester Grass Track Association, have now managed to get things together again this year after a terrible end to last year when they had to cancel the races at Donnington Park, Not sure what happened. They have now built a new larger track for this year and are running a series of championship races at Donnington Park on the 9th and 10th of August. The good news is that the entry and parking are free. So I hope to see a few local speedway fans going along to make it a great day out. Got to be better to have 2 days racing and not having to plod out, around £25 or more as we have to do to a speedway meeting. Lets hope that the weather stays fine for thyem and I think that they deserve a good turn out for all th work they have put in, to get themselves sorted out and running again. At one time it looked like the whole thing was going to close down. It would have been a shame if it had. So make a note on your calendar for those 2 days and go along and have a couple of day free fast and full of action grass track racing. A bit different from our speedway but still in the same mold, with some of the top riders from around this counrty and from around the world, if anything like the one they planned for last year it has solos sidecars and junior racing should bve a good couple of days.

Well done to the Ausies for winning the best pairs. But what a last race with the Danes beeting the Ausies 7-2

Just got this reply in my mail box on the outcome of the online petition. It makes it very plain that not a lot will be done to help with the matter of the stadium, until it comes to court that is. shame that we live in a world of so much red tape these days. There was no if this to content with in the 70's, bring back the good times when people where happy to let things happen. We have followed the way of the U.S.A to close over the last few years what with, public liability and the likes. I always thought we where a free country, but it just proves that we are all wrong in what we think these days. The e-petition 'Save Mildenhall Stadium and give rights to existing activities with planning permission and local residents’ support.' signed by you recently reached 13,475 signatures and a response has been made to it. As this e-petition has received more than 10 000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response: The Government cannot comment on or intervene in cases which have been the subject of judicial consideration. The judiciary are constitutionally independent of the Government and to do so would be a breach of this fundamental principle. We do not propose to make changes to the law of private nuisance as it already enables an appropriate balance to be struck between the protection of an individual’s private rights and the needs of business. Private nuisance is an age-old common law tort, or civil wrong, which affects a person’s private rights in relation to land. The wrong is committed where an act generally connected with the use or occupation of land causes damage to another person in connection with their use of land, or interference with the enjoyment of their land or of some right connected with that land. This includes causing physical damage to property or injury to the occupier’s health and comfort. A person whose rights are affected by a private nuisance can issue legal proceedings. A civil court will deal with the case and may grant relief such as an injunction or damages if the nuisance is proven. The law of private nuisance recognises that, in general, every person is entitled to the comfortable and healthy enjoyment of the premises owned or occupied by them. The act of a person’s neighbour will be an actionable nuisance if it materially interferes with the ordinary comfort of that person’s existence when judged by a certain standard. This standard is an objective one based on what is reasonable to the average person. It is also necessary to take account of the circumstances and nature of the locality in which the complainant is living. Since the late 1800s, it has become well established in case law that once it is established that a particular act amounts to a nuisance it cannot be justified on the basis that the complainant ‘came to the nuisance’. In other words, legal proceedings can be taken in relation to issues that can constitute a nuisance, regardless of whether those circumstances arose before the complainant became the occupier of the affected premises. This principle applies equally between two business occupiers or two residential occupiers as between a resident and a business. However, as stated above, the standard for determining whether an interference with comfort amounts to a nuisance is an objective one and the nature of the locality will be taken into account by the court. The planning regime has an important role to play in helping to prevent nuisances. Planning policies and decisions should avoid noise from giving rise to significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life as a result of new development, and mitigate and reduce to a minimum other adverse impacts on heath and quality of life arising from noise from new development, including through the use of conditions. However, the grant of planning permission does not license a nuisance and in some cases businesses may need to do more than just comply with their planning conditions to avoid causing a nuisance. Where appropriate, the courts will look at planning decisions and compliance with any planning decisions when assessing whether a nuisance exists. This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100 000 signature threshold. View the response to the e-petition Thanks, HM Government e-petitions http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

You can forget the Kennets the Harrises etc, they have had thier day as far as international speedway goes. So we have to pin our hopes on the young bloods, may to do anything this or next couple of years put they will be getting the much needed track time against the worlds riders, who are 3 steps on the ladder rung against anything we can produce at the moment.

As you say we would be far better to take the risk of using young unblooded memebers for the team. It may take a few year to bear any fruit. But we can't keep going with the old guns that have come to the end of doing anything on a world speedway stage. To watch Bomber in the GP's this year it makes you want to crawl under a cushion he is so bad. He should never have been given the chance again this year it just makes British speedway look so sad that that is the best we can give them. So lets forget about them and bring along some youngsters. 18 to 24 year olds that have the makings of doing something.

We have now got some of the worst riders in the world at the moment in time. Maybe in a few years we may have a few riders to make a team that will bring so hope to British speedway, as things stand though we are well and trully in the mire. That is putting it very politely. We as a team are at the best somewhere around the bottom of the world listings. What ever happened and where did it all start to wrong.

That could be to technical for the BSPA to carry on board. I agree the refs at some meeting are bad even at GP level, with so calls that ore so bad a 10 year old could make a better job of things.

A great night of racing. Nice to see some home grown talent coming into the picture. Didn't think for one minute that he was ever going to get up and walk away from that crash. One of the worst I have ever seen.

I think people in general live life to fast these days and they either don't want or don't see people with dissabilities. The rest of the time is when they do see them they are down right rude a stare, which only makes them more uncomfortable. It so hard hard at times in my wheelchair. People just don't seem to look at ground level and see you there, they don't hear you either. My cousin was special needs he suffered from brain damaged as a child. I always took my own grandchildren to visit him just to show them that he was something special something different and all the other in the home he lived in used to love thier visits. This has made them very aware that the children that go to thier school that has also got special need children there to not shun them, which they don't, my grandaughter looks to one of them as her best friend and I am glad that they can understand, that they are no different from them. It would help if that the places that we go to or the places that we would like to go to had a little bit more knowladge of how to make our lives that little bit simpler. A disabled toilet is not the only answer if you also have to climb 6 steps to get into the building to start with. I find this a great problem if I go shopping or out to a restruant. It is so annoying when you can't get in the pklace, and someone comes out and asks if they can help you. The answer to the question should be that they should have to you should be able to get in there in the first place.

I was totally bewidered by the response I got from the Leicester managment this week. I went on Saturday night. The disabled veiwing is by the start line. The stadium is quite wheelchair friendly. If like me with week arms and can only move on flat ground. I can't get the view from the bens as that area has quite a slop at both ends. It was when I tried to get to the toilets that the trouble started. The stadium has paths of slabs as you come in and around the stands, to get to the toilet block, in my case the quick route, straight from the start line to the toilets is a no go as it is very large road stone and get get across it in my chair. I tried one way and it was by the food outlets and could not get people to make way I went the other way and this was as bad with people in the way, they just don't see you in a wheelchir, it is like you are invisible. Sad to say I failed to get to the toilets in time. I asked the management if it was possible to link the 2 path together from the start line to the toilets, as it could be easily done in a day and would only take around 15 maybe even less than that. The reply came back that they couldn't do this and had no plans in the future to do so. I was not the only one to ask for the same thing to be done and they had been given the same answer. All they said was that there are enough trained helper at hand and should ask one of those to push me to the toilets. Have they no repect of people who want to keep that last bit of independace they have left. It is a shame that a stadium as new as the Lions is never thought this out in the first place. It is also a shame they can't fork out a few pounds on a simple job to put in a few slabs to remidy the problem. I give tham the Golden idots gong of the week, for helping out disabled people.

I am afraid I can't even think of going to a meeting on Good Friday, it is just the way I was brought up. It has always been a very special day for me. Such a shame that people no longer see it as such. Just the same as Christmas. All they mean to most children these days are lots of Easter Eggs and Advent calendars.

You would have thought that they would have been given a few pointers to at least make the racing sound good. It was worse than listening to the womens bowls from Eastbourne.

The New Zealand GP was something else. What I mean by that is the commentary. It was the worst I have ever listened to. Jason Crump was bad but the other idiot who ever he was should be sent to sweep the streets of New Zealand. Not sure if he could even do that.

Well spoken Dave C

It is a bad state of affairs when a 16 year old try to dictate to the BSPA. Have an eppy fit and say you don't want to ride for the British under 21's or the Full team all because they won't let you do what you want. It is time that he stood back and took a look at himself and realized that rules are rules even if you do think you are God

It just shows how far British speedway has come over the years, that now we don't even bother to send a team to compete in the top pairs, is it that we no longer care, or is it we havn't got a good enough pair to send. I honestly thought that most of the team riding was very poor. With one rider, blasting off to the front, with his team mate stuggling to catch him up, 20 or so yards behind, with the other pair breathing down his neck. Ward tried his best to get Holder to ride the inside line but he seemed to be fighting a losing battle at times. Has the skill of true team riding gone out of the window. I think that British speedway needs to get its act together and lets hope that the new reserve pairings in the EL bring on some good riders in a year or so. Because we are so far behind the rest of the worlds riders now. That British riders are a joke. What ever happened. We had some of the best riders then it all started to turn pear shaped.