hulvik

Firstly saying he didn't see the incident then agreeing with Ipswich promotion in saying it was an accident yet fining the rider and reporting him to the SCB one thing is clear from all of this Mr Peter Clark isn't fit to referee a a game of tiddlywinks let alone a speedway match

One man's hard racer is another man's dirty rider and this goes for all levels of the sport and Josh certainly falls into this category. We as fans like to watch hard exciting racing after all isn't this why we pay out admission fee every meeting. Had the original incident happened during the race it would have been accepted, all be it reluctantly by some as one of those things that happen in speedway But bring a rider off after the end of the of a race is out of order. However what happened at Scunthorpe last night can only be blamed on one person and that is Peter Clark. As referee he was in charge of the whole meeting and not just the racing. Having witnessed the incident experiance should have told him that feelings would be running high. Having felt the Rohan's actions warranted the maxium fine and reporting to the SBC. Peter should have then removed him from the meeting if for no other reason than to calm things down. HE DIDN'T. Had Mr Clark had the courage of his convictions, we as fans would not be on here debating the farcical goings on at Scunthorpe be talking about a decision that on hindsight was hard but fair

Once again we have no consistence with Refereeing when Richard Hall kicked a rider that was lying on the track he was thrown out of the meeting fined and suspended, Surly knocking another rider off on Purpose is worst. Speedway is a Dangerous enough sport as it is without riders going out of their way to injure others, and referees should have the Courage to enforce the rules to the full existent off the rules and any ride who is just fined on the night and doesn't receive any other punishment is getting off very lightly

Good luck Dave hope it all works out for you and you dont trip over any more toys

Following weeks of speculation and rumour it looks like we finally have our answer with the announcement from Mr Howe on twitter and the Glasgow Tigers website that Dave is joining them.

Think I may be able to shead some light on this I went to the Priemer league riders final a few years back at sheffield and met a similar situation. Having been to sheffield on several ocassions and having no problems asked why and was told basically it was down to the fact the event organisers had allowed food venders inside the the stadium ( no doute charging them an arm and a leg for the privilage) that weren't there on a normal race night. In other words just a way to make people pay over the odds for their burger and chips.

just heard the great news that Andre as been released from hospital after last nights crash. We breed them tough in speedway unlike the footballers in the Andrex preimer league

There can't be many rules that are simplier in speedway than the 2 min rule so how come a certain scots ref managed to muck this on up twice in the sunny meeting on friday

Personally I think the Refs are as much to blame for this having watched the sport since the 70's I've seen a fair number of rolling starts and a fair few were the rider just antipated the tapes going up only to be called back. Added to this the fact some refs have a reputation for holding riders at the start longer than others. It's my understanding that there can be up to 5 seconds between the green light and the tapes rising maybe if the Human element was removed and this was made more randam electrionicly it might help

Unlike others sports football and rugby league fo example speedway as never traditionally had a set night in this country. This isn't just as a few have stated down to ground shareing and landlords but local councils too, stating in planning permission nights and times which teams can run. How many teams have a cerfew ?. While it would be nice to see a set night in this country It will never happen. The other problem is sky it's self the only reason they want speedway on a Monday night is to fit in with the summer schedules. Anybody who as sky sports will see that as soon as the football season finishes rugby league is suddenly on the TV thursday to Monday in the few weeks were the seasons overlap your lucky to see an oval ball. Yes Sky bring money into the sport but at what cost you only have to look at the wage bills in other sky sports to see were the bulk of the money goes. A similar arugument is raging in football about the state of the national team with people saying limit wages and the number of overseas players only to be told if you cap the wages the top players will leave the domestic game and the perimer league will die as a result Yes all of us on here love our speedway and if you ask each one of us we'd all have a differant way to fix the problems. But some of the problems we have these days are caused by desicions that were made with the intention to bring the sport to a wider audiance and like many other sports before us this as become a desicion we have lived to regreat

So long as rob isn't wearing shorts we'll be ok

one man's hard and exciting rider is another man's dangerouse and dirty rider

A great meeting spoilt by some very dodgy reffing to say the least. Having read the match report what the Ref seems to be saying that a rider in the lead can not defend this position in the race from riders behind him. But instead just wave them through.

Back in the Day when Belle Vue in Manchester had a zoo , fun fair and concert . The league riders final was held there every year. one year it was rained off. It had been a late call and most fans were there. How ever the same night wrestling was on in the concert hall with some of the big names from the telly on the bill. I don't know who got the bigger surprise the local wrestling fans or the wrestlers themselves to find the place packed with noisy speedway fans complete with air horns

In the days when team sponsorship was a new thing Ian Thomas did a deal with Lada cars to sponsor the Hull Vikings. Part of the deal included the Hull riders been given a car each for the duration of the season. Something that Lada regretted when they got the cars back, all showing the signs of a hard year’s motoring and the boots and interior covered in oil and grease

Eric Boocook while riding for Halifax was once excluded from a race . On his return to the pits heard a loud cheer and though he'd been reinstated. this wasn't the case. The cheer was for his mother who had climbed the ladder to the ref's box and demanded an explanation

The old Scunthorpe ground at Ashbyville (now a supermarket) was a little make shift to say the least. Built in a dip,the safety fence was made out of old bed frames for a start and the ref's box was an old double decker bus. But the most notable thing was the roundabout above the ground always had a policeman on duty to keep the traffic moving and stop people just parking up and standing on the roadside and watch the racing.

on reopening Workington Ian Thomas found the pipe across the drain allowing access to the ground was still there so it got "painted" with oil, grease and anything else Ian could find to put off anybody trying it back in the Boulevard days it was a regular sight to see riders been put in the back of the ambulance with their legs bandaged together and arms hanging over the strecher only to return the following week with arms in pot and nothing wrong with their legs.

over the years we have all put money in buckets at matchs be it for the BEN fund , St Johns or to help a rider (and their family) out when they have been injured or worse. If people want to support these causes that is up to them. As for Fish, being away from his loved ones must be having a toll on him mentally and this at some point could effect his riding. To know that he isn't going through this alone and the teams promotion and the fans are behind him during this difficult time must be good moral boost for him and give him that boost to try that bit harder when things look bleak for him. No doute some will say he will have made his families arrangements as part of his contract. But It would appear the the Fisher family have found themselve caught up in the same visa clamp down the effected other overseas riders this winter.

Didn't Honda once try to introduce a bike inh the mid ninties backed by Mick Grant. If my memory seves me correctly each track held a challenge night with another Club (Hull and Sheffield were paied I seem to remember) Wth Honda supplying the bikes. The Bikes kept breaking down and the whole thing was a flop

Recently I was having a conversation with somebody and we started taking about the incidents we’d seen at speedway that had made us smile. Such as Ian Thomas been escorted of the centre green at the Boulevard by the local constabulary, following a “heated discussion “with a fellow promoter. Cyril Crane measuring the width of the track at one ground because he was adamant it was too narrow . Or more recently the track staff and co looking for the keys to the ambulance on the track for ten minutes only to find they were in the door of the vehicle concened (Thankfully the rider inside although swearing a lot wasn’t badly hurt). I’m sure there are plenty others out there that people could share

Personally I thinks that as a product Speedway is still basically sound the problem is some of the knee jerk desicions made in the past. Such as the 3 league system it wasn't that long ago that we only had 2 leagues and it worked well enough. But we also have to give value for money. people. While speedway is still cheap to go to in compasison to other sports. £15 plus for 15- 20 mins racing could be seen as a bit steep, Maybe it's time to bring back rider of the night and other things like that. I accept that this is not always possible on very race night and with some clubs having curfews meets can be curtailed as it is. But for clubs to keep going they have to give the fans a reason to go to the track rather than just watch it on Sky. In the past I have seen ice speedway backs race, the vintage lads racing the bikes of yesteryear on other things as well. All things that have added to the night. Yes Sky as a place in the sport. But as things go Speedway is going to go the same way as many other sports that Sky show the top league falling over themselves to give the brocaster what it wants when it wants it at the exspence of the lower leagues

You, Me and every other fan at every track the feel the Ref got it wrong

The solution to the rolling start is easy. A line beam alone the white line, activaited when the green light goes on. if it's broken before the tapes are released the red lights come on. The Ref wouldn't have to be involved and a perfect start wouldn't get pulled up.

I Totally agree with you half the problem in my view is the EL it's self the racing on the whole is not as exciting at that in the PL anybody who as seen the PL matches that have been shown on SKY last season and this can't fail to have enjoyed them. I Know not all matches are like them it's the same with any sport but as an advert for speedway they were great. Maybe a step backwards on this one is whats needed and go back to 2 leagues and do away with the EL altogether