Crump99

All the more reason for the club management and supporters club (and even the BSPA now that they suddenly found a voice with Wolverhampton) to start making a public stink now to ensure that that doesn't happen

Ashley Butterfield, chief executive of AEPG, said: “Peterborough is massively under supplied for leisure, fitness, health and wellness and sports." Well it will be if you get your way. We await sight of the planning application with the retention of Peterborough Speedway or its relocation, at AEPG's cost, elsewhere in line with LP30 “There is a huge need for everything we are doing and we are making sure that is what the council wants to see in Peterborough. “The appetite of operators is enormous for such activities because they know the demand is there. “These activities will be incredibly popular for the people of Peterborough.” “We want this to be something that Peterborough is incredibly proud of and which stands out as unique and UK leading.” Can't knock him effort 18 months and 3 years? That timescale is surprising and give up plenty of hope, but with only 16 weeks of existence left you hope the efforts are seriously ramping up behind the scenes. IF AEPG are allegedly "working closely with Peterborough City Council" then we need to be as well.

Without making it easy for people they'll not get hundreds so the club (possibly the supporters club if Chapman doesn't want to rock the boat) need to draw up a downloadable template/s, with the addition of the details of where it needs to go (preferably e-mail for ease), so that supporters only have to enter their personal details and date it. That should bump up the numbers, especially if the request is circulated elsewhere via social media.

Not according to LP30 he doesn't. I think that's the battle ground, if he is interested in buying a speedway club, which I'm not convinced that he is (didn't Frost say that it seemed like a good idea at the time, based on a bit of sponsorship and a visit? And that was in the good times of Skysports Elite League) along with whatever agreement the club's owner made with AEPG when we got a full 2023 when initially the doors were going to close mid season?

On the BSF. LP30, m "The proposal includes the provision of a new facility of a similar nature and of a similar or greater size in a suitable on or off-site location." - that's the bit that you need to focus on - AEPG and PCC need to be held accountable for that local plan provision. If you want fans to do something then get them to contact their councillor and MP with that request, that's not too difficult or taxing. It's the club that's being silent and you'd hope that they are working behind the scenes on this? Who is actually up for the fight and willing to stick with this long term? Can't see the owner being up for it and apart from that we're seemingly rudderless. AEPG having issues and their development slows, giving us a stay of execution for 2 or 3 seasons at the EoES is the only hope IMO. It'll be important that someone keeps an eye on the speedway infrastructure at the end of August to ensure that AEPG don't damage any of it. They can't do that without meeting LP30.

He's been around long enough to know that it comes with the territory. I'm sure that he's had plenty from Lynn. Peterborough had the Swales laying in to forums, Frost calling out the keyboard warriors many times, including calling some supporters (although he'd dispute that) worthless, and Hans saying that he has better things to do than read & bother about internet forums. Bratters had his moments with forums as well. Running two clubs on a budget to make up the numbers might have been laudable at the time but even you must see that speedway for the sake of it without ambition or success isn't going to receive high praise and thanks. Yes it's always great to be running but it always goes pear shaped pretty quickly (2021 was a lucky/freak year when everything fell in to place) and that's how it stays.

That's true. "Holdergate" and his reaction was still fresh in the memory. You make it sound like it was our choice and we should be pleased with sustainable speedway and under achievement apart from one fluke year.

Is there a lot of hate? A few people are disappointed and are looking for a target. The BSF is like Twitter, not the real world. MT set himself up to being that target by communicating with seemingly unresolved issues still hanging around. A shrewd businessman he may be but that's usually a negative where speedway is concerned as you delve in to the shark infested custard of speedway promotion and its owners. It's a steep learning cure.

And the cord snaps back! I'm not sponsored by Bratters by the way but what goes around comes around as our captain once said - and from a over a decade ago when it took real effort without electronic assistance : Bratters' final Panthers blog on "Lovespeedway24" 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. It should be noted though that Panthers crowds now usually look fairly decent considering and have held up well, although not sure that will last in 2023 without a no1?

Hopefully it will all filter down and the interest and resistance will grow now that the cat finally seems to be out of the bag. As long as those mentioned keep at it, and others hopefully join the fray, then those communications will naturally follow. Bratter's interview was really only the starting gun that woke everyone up to the reality of the situation so it's important not to get ahead of ourselves.

I'm not too fussed by a further statement to be honest because they've covered it already IMO (open wording highlighted): "In terms of the future, as things stand at present, very sadly this will be our last year. We have a contract with the Showground until the end of October, and at this stage it is highly unlikely that this will be renewed. "We will continue working hard to secure a replacement for Nicki and fighting for the continuation of speedway in Peterborough, but this is the truth of how things stand today." More detail would be nice but not at the expense of showing our hand and then disappointing in the final outcome.

It's been poor since he took over to be honest. I never got the feeling that it was more than sustainable speedway without ambition and speculation but to make up the numbers. I hear what Bratters says about it being more about mitigating financial losses but most clubs seem to manage and still offer hope with the objective (probably misplaced given the reality) of success. Given that the club is fighting for it's future then the last thing that it needs is another crap season sucking the life out of it. The buck stops with the owner I'm afraid, irrespective of what other members of the management team or sponsors say.

Agreed and a great strategy if true. We may go down in the end but it's not a done deal, there is hope (and questions to answer) and the club needs high profile people like Michael Tomalin, Bratters, Councillor Julie Stevenson etc in their corner. Developers want a smooth ride and thankfully people are waking up to the detail of their application and the PCC planning document and process to ensure that all are held to account.

Of course it isn't until it's a pile of rubble at some future point.

That's why I'm giving MT et al some slack. As the news item said: " there has been an enormous amount of work going on behind the scenes, and sometimes you cannot jeopardise that work by ‘saying nothing’ just for the sake of it." although 'saying something! sounds better. So there would be disposal organisation and costs with the grandstand if they offloaded it to us? You've got to admire the effort!

You're not related to BassoRacingFan are you

I think that we just need to focus on what Mick has highlighted, holding PCC & AEPG to account now with the planning application and process.. Without that it's irrelevant whether or not MT or anyone else is interested and I'm pretty sure that he hasn't got the time or inclination to take up that protracted fight. Apart from getting Flappy excited, what has MT really said & done that has got people excited and come to fruition? The club statement suggest that they are not up with things either: "We have spoken to several people regarding the potential for a new site, but the club would need significant help with that as it would essentially involve building a new stadium." - Why? If the developers want to throw the club out then according to the local plan then that's down to them, not the club. Didn't they offer us the stand? Good, take it down, buy some land and rebuild it for us. Job done then you can build a track equal to the EoES

That is a reasonable request but timing is everything and communication skills are paramount. Is it really the time to be showing your hand (if he has one?) or just preaching to the converted with something that they want to hear without delivery? Isn't that partly why we are where we are.

We only need to hear when something is agreed and in black & white. Drip feeding rumours, speculation, decisions not agreed and a wish list helps nobody and just seems to rile people like Buster. When will people learn?

It's an age thing. We need more thinking time as we lose brain cells: speaking personally of course and not for Bratters! Mick's the man in such times of crisis and you want to be on his side. Only orion and a few from the former fun palace of WWoS thought differently AEPG clearly thought/think that this will go through with a nod so it's great that people like Mick are now waking people up to the fact that only AEPG seem to feel that they've got an easy run through. They don't want a fuss. Just look at a quote from Monday's meeting with the locals: "At one point AEPG asked residents not to discuss matters on social media" - which shows a lack of understanding of the world we now live in, that was the response from Cllr Stevenson as mentioned in Bratters interview.

Listen here https://audioboom.com/posts/8284634-bbc-radio-cambs-20-april-2023-concerns-about-the-closure-of-peterborough-panthers-mick-bratley-in

Thankfully some people are waking up and realising that AEPG throwing their weight around and everyone off site, and turning it into a car park, does in no way mean that they are anywhere near the prize of getting their plans approved. We are now in the trenches stage with hand to hand fighting next up. Mick Bratley just gave an excellent interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, talking about what the club means to him (as a 50 year fan which included his promotional tenure with the unforgettable 2006 (although not mentioned)), what the situation currently is as we all know it, and what could/should be the final outcome? Basically that means incorporating Peterborough Speedway in any new development or relocation at the expense of AEPG or their masters as detailed in LP 30 (amusingly PCC were reported not to be aware of the protection order in their own plan )

Agreeing twice with Bratters in one day, that's a collectors item!

Which is why the PCC Local Plan has to be highlighted now along with the provisions within it. If AEPG don't wish to accommodate Peterborough Speedway then LP30 "Existing Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Community Facilities" means that such an act of vandalism will result in a relocation cost to them with both land purchase and construction: "m - The proposal includes the provision of a new facility of a similar nature and of a similar or greater size in a suitable on or off-site location" It certainly isn't a done deal as you say: The depot is a temporary use because AEPG has also submitted an outline planning application for a £50 million leisure village and 1,500 homes on the Showground - I assume that that's not been agreed so they have nothing yet? The resistance is growing and as far as we know they have nothing but the artists impression and glossy brochure? Much like the POSH ground on the embankment Someone needs to keep an eye on them though because if this is how local residents feel after Monday's meeting with AEPG then we've got a bit of a problem: "But their overall attitude suggests they will just push on with this regardless and they are not interested in residents’ feelings"

True and diplomatic Bratters, will save that one