Crump99

We can't be too far away from a 4TT where a team turns up with 4 guests

Panthers haven't had that mentality for 8 years, hence a total lack of success and loss of status. Rathbone seems to get everyone on board but it does seem that he will make the difficult decisions on the team front.

It does always help to clarify what you're talking about doesn't it It's like posting: I was talking someone in the pits last night and they hit the nail on the head.

That may be true but not until it's confirmed "The club will announce their team plans for the crucial Premier League showdown against Sheffield tomorrow (Friday) in due course." - unless you're Mr Due Course of course?

Has he told us? "Lambert’s new average of 8.53 has taken effect, but captain Ulrich Ostergaard remains at number one on his mark of 8.63. That means the youngster can only be covered by the rider replacement facility" Unless Blackbird being out changes things?

not according to the website, but that'd be nothing new! "Panthers will operate the rider replacement facility to cover the absence of Lambert,"

I don't think it was. He just went for the white line to stop the rider inside him. Mick Poole used to do that week in and week out for Panthers, as Andersen did here at 2.16? There's a bit more room at the EoES but you get the idea. If the bloke inside keeps the throttle on to try to barge through (it can work at the EoES, as I watched Lambert do in our last home meeting) then that's the gamble, this time he got it wrong: that's racing!

It was interesting watching F1 last weekend and the Ron Dennis interview. I just transposed what he said to the BSF and thought of you, so a timely post from our village idiot to start the day with a smile: "I consider F1 a family, families live in villages and there's always a village idiot."

Wasn't that his point though, in that fickle fans can only be fickle if the club is there in the first place and people should remember that? If the overall entertainment package was better than tractor racing, extended breaks and invisible people on microphones for example, then a few poor home performances might not be the be all and end all of the situation. If we want to compare highlights then how about this one from Mick Bratley? "I will never forget that the 2006 Grand Final, arguably the greatest modern day meeting ever, watched live by over 6000 people and by thousands more at home, was followed by a Craven Shield fixture attended by less than 700 people. If that Grand Final won’t pull people in, then what will?!?!" They might turn up for the new Glasgow or Ward but overall speedway is a mess.

Speedway crowds are dwindling because the sport's a mess and as an entertainment package it's poor value.The sport is also down to the bare bones of the "because it's there" hardcore fans so I'm not sure whether that threat works now, even if it's true in that respect.

Popular as always I do agree though, and you missed one: "One of the best things about the PL is that with a couple of idiotic exceptions we don't have the type of 'supporters' who pollute the EL, and some of whom have brought their poison into this thread." - how did he know that stevebrum was going to post

I read a book once - green it was - his real name is Mr Heslop

Well it did in a way I suppose because it got a reaction, but now that you explain you're reasoning I can see that I was out of order. We should be helping you to get the support that you clearly need rather than criticising. At the moment I'm totally indifferent to the PL, and British Speedway itself come to that, so couldn't give a fig who won tbh (you might struggle with that concept) but as long as you're happy

Just reading about Scunthorpe's problems leads me to think that this sort of thinking (surprisingly liked, or perhaps not, by the northern oracle) is partly why speedway's in a mess. Just put any old meeting on and cross your fingers, it might work! That's not a go at Berwick or Scunthorpe, more at the because it's there brigade!

Steady on, that'll be fighting talk in the world of the BSF's very own Gareth Keenan: Assistant to the forum idiot, wherever they went?

Why would I want to do that.? Anyway, I doubt you'll do the Friday rush if it's the 17th & yesterday confirmed my dislike of Sunday, so I'll not do the 19th, so should either of those materialise then we could be struggling thankfully

Not the most factually accurate post I've ever seen

Ostrich was just lucky that wasn't Hancock he'd just given the shut off or smack into the fence option.

Nothing to do with being a homer. Just make the sensible decision. Heat one was messy, just put all 4 back, easy option, no brain needed. If the bloke in the pits wants to do one decent interview then he could have gone up to the box while Bjerre was being treated in heat 15 and ask the ref how she worked that one out? (I don't mean excluding white twice).

It's on its way as forecast if you've just watched Silverstone.

Easy mistake for the terminally thick Yup. Diet coke and low carb popcorn which has never seen corn!

This could be good, better get some popcorn and a coke

When you read stuff like this from Nick Morris then is it any wonder? "“I’ve just got some new engines from Peter Johns and I have them at Swindon. I’ve been using some older engines at Glasgow but I’m bringing one of the new ones and I’m going to start using that, because I don’t feel as if I’ve had enough speed there recently.” - (See more at: web glasgowtigers) - how much does that cost him, and how much for those trying to match it?

He didn't say that speedway isn't a sport. It is part of the entertainment industry though. People pay their hard earned to be entertained. Considering the overall product I think it's clear that promoters don't think like that (or at least see the big picture). Frost & Mahoney did but continually got the team on track element wrong, not helped by those in charge who like losing money making business decisions on their behalf.

But life and many sports work like that. Hard working people spend their money without ultimate control. Why should speedway be any different? The only stupid thing is to continue with a system which has delivered British Speedway's current product and loses the promoters money. However, with the mentality of independence will only make it worse so we'll not make the effort and cope with our losses and customer discontent, then good luck to them, they'll need it. As a self proclaimed success story yourself who's seen it from both sides of the fence, you're surely just the type of bloke they need at the helm. Sustainable speedway (until they break that) of one big Prem/NL combo can't be too many years off.