Little Thumper

Where do you get this information from? I look on the Buxton website and it doesn't tell me. All credit to little Buxton for doing rather better than I had anticipated and only losing by 11 rather than 18. Lee Geary even won a race.........hooray! You have got to say that the Clegg & Morris combo is pretty damn good. Congratulations to the Heathens.

In his latest sparsely paragraphed monologue, Jason Pipe suggests that Buxton may "just pip them!" Looking at the Hitmen's team, I think that the chances of that are slim to nil. At this stage (7 a.m. on Sunday), there appears to be nobody in the No 1 slot, Shelby Rutherford has had his bikes stolen and dumped in a ditch and Kean Dicken may find himself a little out of his depth. I'm sure Cradley will show some mercy and use their No 8 for the RRs but even so, I predict a Cradley win by 18 points. I think that the good people at Buxton will be glad to see the end of this dreadful season and I hope that the Buxton Hitmen will still be around in 2017. Just my opinion, obviously.

That is very good news. I hope they are not damaged. The guy is doing his best and doesn't need yobbos nicking his stuff for their small-minded amusement. Sad thing is that they won't do anything if they catch them.

Well, it was only 14 points in the end but that's close enough for me. And as Ommer Mon quite rightly predicted, an excellent night's work for young Mr Armstrong. I'm sure Jason Pipe will be able to put a positive spin on this latest escapade.

To be honest, I think Belle Vue could be in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Act (1988)! A Colts team with 3 guests and 1 rider replacement isn't a Colts team at all. It is no wonder supporters lose interest in their team when the line up comprises a selection of various hired hands. If I didn't know better, I might think speedway is on some kind of self-destruction mission. Just my opinion, obviously.

Sadly, this may turn out to be a rather one-sided affair and only the efforts of Tom Bacon will save some face for the battling Derbyshire boys. I really do feel for the reserves who seem to spend a lot of time hitting the deck and doing damage both to themselves and their machinery. Hopefully, it will be a safe meeting and I predict a Belle Vue win by 15 points.

Not quite sure I agree with you here, topsoil. In which of you your two categories would you place Buxton and Stoke? They are not exactly built around success and I'm not sure that they could be lauded for bringing riders through. Just my opinion, obviously.

I was at school with Ian and we lived round the corner from each other in the back streets of Macclesfield. Sad day when he took his own life. Miss you "Hammy". Hold On To Your Friends

I always find it hugely cringe-worthy when they play a special tune for the first aid bods to march (usually totally out of step) on to the centre green. I seem to remember in my Hyde Road days that they used to play "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap quite a lot. Times have changed just a little since then what with Jimmy Saville and his chums. Probably not on the play list at the new home of the Aces. Piccadilly Palare

At Buxton, they seem to play a mixture of Mantovani and the Bachelors. As the PA system doesn't work a lot of the time, the guy has to stand on top of the shipping container and shout out the results. Fortunately, he has not felt the urge to burst into song yet but I have heard it rumoured that he is planning to do a duet with Jason Pipe at the last meeting of the season in December.

Well, I never! I have spent all day at Oulton Park in lovely, warm sunshine for most of the day. Amazing that less than an hour away, the weather has been so bad that the track is flooded. You must get really fed up being a speedway promoter when even the weather seems to have a grudge against you. November Spawned A Monster

My friend, you are clearly correct in your assertion. Choosing between options is often difficult. But invariably, doing nothing rarely solves any problem. For any organization to succeed, it needs a strong, charismatic leader(s) who has a vision of what can be achieved. Casting my gaze around the world of speedway promotion, I have yet to identify any such great leader. The National Speedway Stadium presents a golden opportunity for a re-birth of speedway in this country. But for this transformation to even begin, the NSS must be far more than a concrete, cash-generator. When the Manchester Velodrome opened, it immediately became the nerve centre for track cycling in this country. It became the focus for track racing but at the same it became fully inclusive and truly National. It spawned similar such velodromes in Wales, Scot;and and London and as result, track cycling has become a sport in which we excel but at the same time it has encouraged thousands of people to become involved, either as participants or spectators. I had better stop there, as I'm even boring myself to death. World Peace Is None Of Your Business

steve roberts, that is a very fine contribution indeed. Whilst, some on here will not agree with some or all that you have said, I certainly recognize the validity of your arguments. If this discussion topic has shown one thing, it is that speedway can arouse passion in people because they love the sport despite all it's limitations. Speedway in it's present form probably has a limited future and as in other sports, the differential between the top teams and the bottom operators will become ever wider. The top few will reap the rewards in the short term and the strugglers at the bottom will slowly fade away. Speedway can be saved but at the moment, there is no indication that those in control of the sport have the vision or motivation to steer the ship away from the rocks and instead we have various crew members who, perhaps quite understandably, are only focussed on bagging the best seat in the lifeboat. The one thing that this topic seems to be showing is that there is some good thinking to be found on here and the canny promoter would do well to at least consider that there may be more than one way to crack an egg. In The Future When All's Well

I know it seems an strange question but do we know if any of the people who promote our sport come into this forum and read what people are saying? From time to time, the good people on this forum make some good and constructive comments and observations about both the clubs that they support and the sport as a whole. Looking at how some of the promoters go about their business, it makes you wonder if they pay any attention at all to what their customers (us) might be saying and thinking. I am not aware that clubs are in the habit of carrying out any kind of customer satisfaction surveys, so you would think that they would pop their head in here from time to time just to get a feel for how it is all going. I cannot believe that promoters of any sport would have such an unshakable belief in their own abilities that they would plough on regardless and pay no heed whatsoever to how the product that they were providing was being received by the paying customer. Whilst, it would be unreasonable to expect promoters to get involved in some of the passionate debates that take place in this hallowed arena, it would be nice to know that at least somebody was listening and possibly even learning. Just my opinion, obviously. You're The One For Me, Fatty

Been having a few drinks with the butcher's daughter? Paint a Vulgar Picture

Were there? Remind me what they were. The velodrome has always been well promoted and well-utilized. The Revolution series started there and packed the place out from the outset. The place is in use 7 days a week from morning till all hours. I've ridden there at 10 o'clock at night! And most importantly, nobody has stopped me taking in my own butties! A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours

uk martin, you are wise beyond your years but sadly on this occasion, your favoured clichés were not used in Jason Pipe's most recent monologue. "Speedway is full of surprises" is probably as good as it gets on the cliché front but even the redoubtable Mr. Pipe is struggling to inject the slightest glimmer of hope of Buxton winning anything more than a prize in the raffle. Even if Birmingham show some mercy and give all the rider replacement rides to the team mascot, TurnTwo's prediction of a sound drubbing for the valiant Buxton boys could prove highly accurate. I do hope that the hired-hand for the day, Rob Shuttleworth turns up because Mr. Pipe has devoted the best part of one his enormous paragraphs to bulling him up! Come on Buxton, GIVE IT LARGE!

Have you been imbibing some kind of hallucinogenic substance? If not, I would certainly give it a go. Hope it all works out for you.

Well. they would have to be brave kids to play football inside that place. I think, Mike, that they will be playing football on the pitches which are just a little further down Thornton Road, just before you get to the boarded-up pub.

Darcys Onion, I think you have got yourself in a pickle here, friend, because I haven't got a clue what the point of your post might be. Perhaps you would elucidate? Hopefully, you will get that security job that you are after. You'll be in with half a chance then - girls just love a guy in a uniform Now, don't you be overdoing it.

Ouch, you are a kind person. My religion does not absolutely prohibit or allow me but rather helps me find enlightenment that provides guidance in this challenging world. We are encouraged to find a middle way and obviously, followers of all religions and beliefs may place their own interpretation on that which is before them. For me, many things such as eating animal product, consuming alcohol or indulging in sexual practices are activities from which I choose to refrain. I haven't always been this boring and indeed my earlier life could be described as rather more exciting. Namaste.

I sympathize with your predicament, maneacat but as you say, in this day and age most service providers are aware that different people have different dietary restrictions and requirements and hopefully go that extra mile to ensure that people are not discriminated against on the grounds of medical conditions or religious conviction. I had hoped that when I contacted Belle Vue Arena and explained that my religious beliefs dictated that I was unable to eat that which had lived and breathed, they would have acted in an inclusive non-discriminatory manner and issued me with some kind of permit to consume my own food. Clearly, this "opt out" could have been applied to all of us whose genuine dietary needs are different to the norm. Sadly, I was informed that the venue was not able to assist with this matter and therefore, maneacat my friend, you and I may be considered to be treated in a manner less favourable than others. Not the end of the World but you would hope that anybody operating a venue with "National" in the title would have the ability and foresight to be able to implement policies and procedures which are inclusive and fair rather than divisive and hurtful. Best wishes to you and your family, maneacat. Just my opinion, obviously.

Sadly, I will have to give this meeting a miss as I shall be otherwise engaged at the Gold Cup at Oulton Park. If the meeting is spared by the weather Gods, then i think it would take a very brave man to place a wager on Buxton emerging as the victors. Anyway, that is irrelevant. What I am awaiting with bated breath is Jason Pipe's lengthy, paragraph-less preview of the meeting, in which he will try to put forward a case that would suggest that Buxton are in line (yet again) for their first home win of the season! He will have to spin it more than one of Yogi Blair's Weapons of Mass Destruction spin maestros to convince many punters to rush off down to Ladbroke's and wager a few shekels on a Buxton triumph. But please, please, please let me be very wrong. If there is anyone up there, please listen to my prayer - Buxton to win by 15 and Jason Pipe to get his picture on the front of Speedway Star. :party: :party:

I would be surprised if he is because his blood pressure was going through the roof when I stood with him at Hyde Road all those years ago. He had, shall we say a ruddy complexion. I know someone said that he turned up at the Dog Bowl a few years ago but I would be amazed if he is still with us in the flesh. But even if he has passed through the Pearly Gates, you can be sure he will be dressed in his smart brown jacket (with elbow patches), brown trousers and properly polished shoes looking down from the celestial terraces adjacent to the start line, smiling benevolently at the gleaming new home for his beloved Aces and thinking, " I can't believe they won't let you take your own bloody sandwiches!"

Thanks for that, racers and royals. I'd forgotten about the stand on the back straight. No sign of it on the photos that I took this morning, so it must be long gone Probably, one of the locals has taken it to build an extension. I don't think that the camera shooting that footage was over-endowed with mega pixels