HGould

It's an easier trip for me now to be honest, not getting any younger and get a lift to Oxford. I'm very keen for Brummies to get through this though and thrive. I think a new venue though with better viewing and more control for Promotion though is vital and land is not cheap and planning permissions very hard.

In a nutshell Nigel has thrown a good couple of hundred K at it and has yet to see any real upturn in Crowds since Peter and David left. Peter and David had lost a substantial sum and were worn out physically and mentally A weak Team last year and a weaker one to start this off a slightly reduced budget meant losses were mounting. Two options Stick - aim to survive until end of season and wait and see what future of Stadium is. Lose more each week. Twist - bring in new Manager, at a cost, bring in new riders, at a cost, be brutal and aim for Play Off and hope that we are as strong then as we can be. Hope that may be a Play Off semi or Final generate a couple of Crowds the like of which not seen for a fair while....by brummies standards that would be 1000+ Then pray that Stadium is available next year and a wave of enthusiasm generates a few hundred more to regularly come through the Gates. ITS VERY BRAVE and Nigel should be given credit for it ; ITS VERY STUPID and he joins the list of newer Owners who have tried and failed on the basis that their model is NOT sustainable. The overall model is only sustainable for a few and Birmingham is no longer capable of supporting CL or PL level Speedway and NDL level is not viable given set Stadium Costs. Whether it's brave OR stupid is the choice of any supporter to make, one thing you can't say is that Nigel isn't trying! The competition though for diminishing "recreational disposable income" is massive locally, Villa in Europe, Blues new multi billionaire Owners, Wolves and WBA selling high levels of ST's, Edbaston a sell out at any T20 and Test Match, other Sports vying for support and participation. Nothing else to say really other than good luck nigel!

The whole article is CRYSTAL CLEAR! "No certainty" beyond end of 2024. 2023 and 2024 he asks fans to "enjoy" as there is no certainty beyond that. It may well be a window could open for 2025 but give people credit for having read the whole article about which Matt Ford HAS BEEN incredibly frank!

I saw it on Dorset Live Source article Bournemouth Daily Echo about 4 hours ago

Article on Dorset Live from Matt Ford. Has confirmed Poole certain to run in 2024 and fans should enjoy this season and next. No certainty for 2025 or beyond. Very frank words.

Plymouth and Kent wanted to run NORA with CL and NDL respectively and basically told they couldn't in collaboration with IOW. Some Clubs run NORA on amateur basis with SCB blessing it seems but others can't.. All very messy. Wouldn't be a massive surprise if NORA gained 2 Clubs and BSPL lost 2 more as a result. Crazy though when likes of Morley, Bowtell and Edwards all of whom have ridden CL for Plymouth and Trigger can ride NORA on IOW but not at Kent or Plymouth

Seen an appeal from Mark Phillips.. "bring a friend bring an enemy, bring someone" seems he needs a few hundred more every week or 2023 could be last season in CL. A shame as a great little set up there. I wonder if he'll jump to NORA with maybe Kent too. Can use CL and NDL riders far less costs and focus on a summer season.

Terrible news as he had really found his confidence and form on shale. Do you know whether right or left leg as obviously right leg break would require full strength to control the bike. Shame for him and his Clubs

The Carr Brothers - Peter and Louis always looked the part , anodised frames and wheels and engine plates and matching leathers, in the upright era well ahead of their time before those stupid engine covers covered all the interesting parts of the bike.

If you get off at Great Barr J7 M6 it's literally a straight couple of miles down the hill past Alexander Stadium. One of the easiest to find. Much easier to find than Glasgow, Edinburgh, Redcar as an example.

If Wolves don't run it would be interesting. I wonder as he's done a few GB meetings there if he might be the focal point of Glasgows long mooted step up? He's done coaching for GB Academy at Leicester and close to 2 Airports and his home base.

Think he drove off at a Kent fixture when told on arrival he'd been chosen for a drugs test. As a result banned for 2 years. Got a recollection he'd caused a massive Pits bust up a few weeks before when trying to assault a then 15 year old Jason Edwards who had just beaten him.

Maybe! Basically what's to stop one of the Play Off Teams who may perceive they aren't as strongs as another perming the best 2 available reserves from the Clubs not in the Play Offs IF any of their reserves would strengthen them.

Playing devils advocate here and asking a serious question? What's to stop a Team NOT making the Play Offs releasing a reserve / low average rider prior to final Match they have in the League? Would that enable a Play Off Team to pick up the released rider prior to the Play Offs provided it was before transfer cut off date and the averages fitted.

Maybe Phillips should dump May, save himself a tidy sum, and become Team Manager. He could rise out of his coffin in his Undertaker suit in the Pits He's clearly woken Barker and Howarth up.

Has someone bought him a cushion so he can see over the steering wheel

Plymouth had massive bad luck last season. Lost Gilkes when he was flying but somehow still kept winning, only de-railed when Barker over prescribed on painkillers and Lawson decided to maim MP-T... This season it would appear the balance of the team was never right and for whatever reason it has never blended. Mark Philiips must pay Garry May a fair dollop to sort the team, pick the team and motivate the team. If it's taken Mark Phillips to kick May up the arris publicly to sort things then ultimately he probably needs to do what Nigel Tolley has done and bring in a Team Manager who CAN do his job. Time and reputation waits for no-one!

Concur with all of the positive comments. From the moment you park on the very secure car park and get on the modern coach and get dropped within a few hundred yards of the track. Good entry points, food much improved from when I was there last year. Massive crowd, great atmosphere, good hard racing , great work from paramedics sorting out the guy in the crowd and hope he's ok. Poole below par and a disappointment but not to take anything away from Oxford, top 3 rode very well, especially Kerr, others chipped in, especially Atkins who is riding very confidetly and as he says in a place where he feels valued and with senior riders mentoring him (no body better at Scott han that) A lad I've long thought had potential - he suffered shoulder injury (not leg) at Somerset in 2019 just as he was performing better than Anders Rowe, missed a large chunk of season and ended up at mildenhall I remember in NDL. I recall going to one of 2 meetings at Plymouth in Covid year 2020 just before 2nd lock down in the September when he was outstanding against Young Lions outperforming Brennan / Edwards / Thompsons etc. He then did his shoulder fist NDL meeting in 2021 after winnign 2 rides and needed season off for a very serious op (like Kyle Howarth had) , obviously rusty at start of 2022 and big issue between his dad and Gary May (that goes back to 2019 I'm reliably informed and perceived lack of care by Somerset) so he left and unsettled last year. He's clearly at home at Oxford and riding NDL giving confidence for CL, acid test will be when he moves to top 5 - if he does - but he's certainly finally fulfilling potential. Glad to hear Brummies won but I'm told again not a great crowd, probably 400-500 mark. I've no idea how many at Oxford last night - I'd say at least 1500 may be more, and obviously when Oxford can draw crowds like that then the sky is the limit for them in terms of potential. One match doesn't mean Poole aren't still very strong favourites at end of the season, but at least now they know they are not invincible. Just a great night of Speedway and a reminder of what it can be and used to be in the late 70's and early 80's. I'll be back!

Hopefully not. In a recent article he talked about his best friend's and soul mates. Michael Fabricant and Chris Pincher. I suppose you could turn one upside down and clean the Pits and the other to do the touchy feely meet and greet on the Turnstiles.

Isn't all Pits communication via Clerk of the Course with the Referee?

He's a complete waste of space and a publicity seeker. Far better had we had proper Elected Council Officials there, ones who actually make decisions relevant to our future. It's made me decide to get a Ticket for Oxford as I can't stand Street poncing about, far better match in prospect at Cowley. Decision made. .

An ethical dilemna for a machine examiner. Do you tell the rider he has no dirt deflector or do you wait for his to enter the track with Pit Gate Closed and then call the Ref, or wait for the Ref not to notice and then alert the Ref??. Heat of the moment in a tight match a tough call and there are some promoters who would see helping an opponent and a Referee as a dismissal offence.

The team manager drove him out, like he did at Somerset. Simple as that and a matter of fact. He didn't want to leave, he was fine there until May arrived, but May made his position untenable.

Well done Henry Atkins.

Not hard to envisage Henry Atkins having 6 rides at least here. The irony of being nurtured and appreciated and scoring points for fun at Oxford v being used as a pawn and ignored by May at Plymouth might not be lost on the more understanding Plymouth fans tonight. Oxford win