Crump99

Thought the dreamers from another world amongst us had already agreed that position

So someone fails for a second time, bails out at half-time and leaves the club at rock bottom. What sort of nice comment are you looking for?

Did you not read #606 "Just to clarify my position on this. I support what's going on because it keeps the club going and that's the only way that we can get back into the EL. I do not support the direction that we've been going in during 2014 & now 2015." It is the best track in the country with some of the best facilities which is why it should be at the top level of British Speedway. Not being keen about being in the PL again (although to be fair, Lakeside and Belle Vue turning up twice isn't appealing either) is nothing like wanting the club to close.

That's not enough for Tsunami! You have to offer to pay double on entry, buy 5 programmes, come up with useful suggestions to keep your club running and also say how you are going to fund those ideas and when? That's what being a true fan is all about. Just turning up on a regular basis for years and paying the basics through all of that time just isn't good enough is it? It's all those fans fault you know, and even more so if it really ends in tears this time.

It'd be good if each track had to pay the BSPA a 40k supporters funded registration fee each season, then we'd see how much support is out there? We'd be down to a Norfolk hand of tracks before you could say Good old George.

Did it? Don't recall anything being made clear. If you can point to a report of events then it'd be worth a read.

Don't recall them saying so if that was the case. If that was me I'd be shouting from the rooftops to bring it out into the open.

Surely these meetings are minuted and agreed before the AGM so it's hard to see how such things could happen? Oh silly me; it's the self interest BSPA clique, not a modern transparent organisation

supremo or Tetley then? The security guard responsible for locking the meeting room door called in sick, that was the unknow factor as the devious bunch moved the goalposts from their previously agreed position!

Just been in touch, said that he'd seen your post and that you are a nob! Bit harsh I thought but then again he is Australian

Well after 3 Horton promotions at Peterborough and associated plus the annual will we won't we saga of the last few Frost years, I'd say that anyone who doesn't realise the situation shouldn't be allowed to handle money anyway. IMO If it doesn't work then the options for 2016 will be: new owners, Frost & Mahoney get their mojo back or the club folds. Peterborough will not be in this position again. Just to clarify my position on this. I support what's going on because it keeps the club going and that's the only way that we can get back into the EL. I do not support the direction that we've been going in during 2014 & now 2015.

All seems fair enough to me. Not sure what you expect him to say? Nobody is forced to contribute and they are trying to save the club for those who want to watch PL speedway, what's not to like?

What do you mean if? It's had cash flow problems for the last 10 years at least!

It may be a fair question but is it relevant? Even I'm not sure that it is. If it was a new broom with new ideas and a vision (such as Martin Rogers, Oakes & Easter, Colin Horton & Rick Frost when they first arrived at the EoES) then Rodders etc might be more positive with it all, but it's not which might be more of an issue for some?

As someone who's turned up and paid at Peterborough for more seasons than I care to remember, I've contributed plenty and am not the reason Peterborough Speedway is in the mess it's in. I even had a season ticket in 2014; what a mistake that was. I don't particularly enjoy PL so why would I want to contribute more without a forward plan, rather than just "beyond"?

Much like last year's loan fees and the supremo I'd imagine?

But yesterday after a dire run of results and the fans not getting the exciting football or fortress London Road that management aspire too, Posh could only attract 3,168 which shows that when people have to dip into their pockets the product has to be worth turning out for. Agree about the location, would be so much easier for all if we were at the dog track or Mick Horton's motorsport complex, both in Fengate (just off town centre) I hope it works this year so that the club builds itself back up so that Rick and Julie think about returning (understand that Swales said that we might not have seen the last of them) to return us to the highest level; whatever that is at that point.

Bratters final blog (of 5 years ago, so you're not saying anything new!) said it all really, although if the product is right then people will turn up IMO as the last few months of Frost's tenure in 2013 showed; before we/he got stitched up by our lords and masters as per usual. Shame it took him so long, he might still be here and the begging bowl would have stayed in the cupboard? "During my time at Peterborough, I have done everything humanly possible to attract newcomers to our sport and all I might add on little or no budget. I have presented to over 2500 kids in various schools road show initiatives, I have invited and hosted whole organisations along for free and whole streets along for free. I have put up banners and posters, I have given away 1000’s of (sponsored) car stickers and more kids goodie bags than you can shake a stick at. I have offered free admission to members of the thriving local Polish club (one person came – once), 2 for 1 offers, Kids for a quid and Kids for free. We have on occasions been overrun by hundreds of Scout groups and I have undertaken umpteen radio interviews and quite a few local TV vox pops. I have put leaflets in newspapers, I have put leaflets through letterboxes, I have handed leaflets out in shopping malls and I have put 1000’s of leaflets on cars (with apologies to the owner of the Blue Vauxhall Astra in the Peterborough Railway Station Car Park in September 2007, honestly, it really did come off in my hand, so it must have already been broken). You name it and I’ve pretty much done it and all the time, our attendances have remained constant. Constantly poor. A successful team will bring you big crowds, but this is only a short term fix and as all Speedway aficionados’ know, and only to well, success in Speedway will never happen, year on year, it can’t, for the sport would simply die. People 'in the know' within the entertainment industry suggest that all Speedway clubs will lose 8% of their core support every year, through a variety of differing reasons. That in itself is quite alarming. And, I do believe this stacks up, in so much as, whilst I may have contributed to overall increasing our attendance by 5% or more each year, I was actually seeing shrinkage of 3%. Two things however, will always stick in my mind about whether Peterborough as a city will support Speedway in the 21st Century. 1) It has always concerned me that an inordinately high percentage of season ticket holders never had a Peterborough post code, this frankly, is shocking. 2) 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?!?!" Well Belle Vue never did but a £5/10 offer on the back of Grand Final attendance might have? (speculate to accumulate) Does give some idea of what the new consortium have taken on!

Not many of them are really the good people of Peterborough in the recognised understanding of the phrase. This is taken from the website of a school local to me: "A significant and rising proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups and the largest groups are Pakistani and Eastern European. A large proportion of the pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The school has families and children from Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, amongst many other countries." It looks like that is the situation across much of the city, now transpose that into paying speedway customers or sponsors.

"supremo" was the popular term used in the press.

That looks expensive. It's Swales & Rathbone potentially in charge, not Frost/Mahoney!

I know that you're a big fan of Wayne Sleep but none of our members have requested the need for such a category. They can create a thread should they so wish

Slight maintenance but open again.

It's looking a bit like Del & Boycie's poker game or Fletcher and Blanco playing Monopoly! Anyway better go for lunch and fresh air bearing in mind our agreement

What effort does being a sponsor need? It's a financial issue, not a time one, In fact it could be delegated to someone in the marketing department? The company makes a lot of money (not my words) and this wouldn't scratch the surface so I don't quite understand what the problem is to be in no position?