Crump99

Apparently he did say no. The question is why it didn't stop at no. We know some of the answer but I suspect nowhere near enough.

People are only assuming because I don't believe that anyone knows what the reasons were as mentioned on Aug 6: "If the rider had gone to Poland and raced without the permission of his club he would have been banned for withholding his services for 28 days - this is not the case with Jack Holder as his club have given him their blessing and we have evidence of the true reason. They have sold British Speedway down the river. Hancock's injury caused the problem but Holder knew his future diary just as anyone else does. He didn't need to instigate anything but did need to say that he's already committed on the dates required. I guess that he didn't when approached? Whether he did but something was still cobbled together by those involved, who knows? Guess we'll never know!

Just means a visit from Delroy Anglin and Elmore Victor!

What are we looking for? That brings up "LIONS SET FOR RACENIGHT CHANGE" - as much as I'd like that to be relevant to Peterborough, it's unlikely to be of any relevance. The Rhodesia solution

It stopped being an internal matter on Aug 6 and has been somewhat of a public slanging match ever since. Lack of transparency and communications lead to the speculation that does damage, or unnecessarily adds to it. They could have put something out like that with an end date. (I see that matey above already said the same!)

Jeez it's started already. Any day but Sunday please!

Holder's only sitting pretty because Rathbone waved him on (but why is the crux of the matter relevant to the thread I guess) when it should have stopped at the phone call we were told came from Poland making the enquiry. If we can't talk to you had meant that, and that's where it stopped, then Holder wouldn't be sitting pretty if he'd still chosen Torun.

C'mon Rodders, you've been around too long to second guess anything with this lot. Plenty of negotiating still going on in the background and any outcome still possible.

Good job that you didn't turn up a few years ago when they actually had rugby posts erected on the centre green, that would really have confused you. Still on about the gates I see. Specsavers have a £10 offer on for eye tests, it might be a good investment if you visit us again

Agree with much of that. Peterborough isn't too bad to be fair although always room for improvement in all areas. It's the lack of consistency that P's me off. Sometimes good presentation, next time plop. Sometimes music ok at a good level. Next booming dross at high level. Next the music back to ok but you need the ear trumpet to hear it, as well as any announcements. Invisible tedious pit interviews breaking the atmos do my head in. I'd ban the roving mic from anywhere but the centre green. Meetings are often run swiftly but also sometimes strung out through lack of urgency, for which the ref is often pointed out as the problem? If I was promoter I'd be requesting that they not irritate the punters and run the meeting efficiently, of course checking with a BSPA official first to see whether such advice would incur a fine? That's of course if it is the ref that's the problem? That short changes punters. 28 day ban is fine although I'd make it 56 to focus the mind. Teams should be allowed a like for like guest so that the meeting is as competetive as it should have been. It's certainly getting to the point where you have to question why you're turning up to watch a constant stream of select sides.

You and they must have done something to upset them. Never bothered me. I'm sure that they'd had plenty of private conversations about the guff I post but that's as far as it got apart from some of Bratters nice PMs when he wasn't happy, which is most of the time

I don't think anything has been successful attendance wise at the EoES since 2002 when Panthers were last a primary and valued regular user of the Showground. The distress signals usually appear at some point. The only ones who could have stuck with it are Frost and Mahoney. It has broken everyone else since. Bratley was in post from 2003-2010 and his final Panthers blog he said: "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 (then he lists a load of examples before the summing up): You name it and I’ve pretty much done it and all the time, our attendances have remained constant. Constantly poor. He also said that Panthers can't survive on gates alone and need a thriving commercial section. Don't know how thriving it was then compared to now?

It all went pear shaped as expected Rodders but he did save the club to some extent to be fair. The school report from RF was quite damning though. Whether there were other options, who knows? We're still here atm though, just, so there was something positive!

Since Mercer first arrived (now moved on) to run the EoES it was always the case of we take what we're given because we're happy for the dates. If the EoES really do want speedway as we're told and they knew that it now runs on set nights then who knows how flexible they could suddenly become? As I feared when we dropped though, the mindset throughout the club has now become lower league and unless someone with money to burn for a few years comes along then it'll be status quo (posted with a due sense of dread for the status quo jokes! - not from you Rodders).

Been done before: THURSDAY night will be speedway night in Peterborough in 2006. THURSDAY night will be speedway night in Peterborough in 2006.Panthers chief Colin Horton has thrashed out a deal with the East of England Showground to stage the club's home fixtures on a Thursday next season. Horton said: "The Showground management have been superb to deal with and are understanding of our needs. "I'm delighted with how successful our negotiations have been and this reflects the excellent relationship being forged between the club and the Showground." Horton has already rubber-stamped a series of dates for next season and speedway will be staged every Thursday apart from the traditional June break for the East of England Show.

Sunday is always going to be an issue with Poland. Even if you don't think that you have a problem then there's always one waiting round the first bend, as we found out this year to our cost!

Good point. It popped out of nowhere (probably from the Twitterati or happy clappers). If Rathbone carries on, and I expect him to, then there is only one place that'll be and it isn't the top league. That'd mean moving from Sunday for starters and that's not gonna happen.

You never know, we might see Vaculik visiting!

The resident looney isn't that for nothing. Nigel Botherway's a big fan.

Unless you know something nobody else does!

It's not guilty until proven innocent. Nobody has to prove anything, especially based on third party rumours and mischief making.

Thought you'd be used to it now Dick, we've had the same cobblers for many many seasons. I'd say that riders being owed money at some point during the season is pretty standard in speedway where cashflow for those paying the bills is less than consistent. It's a useful forum filler though when things are quiet: just say that someone is owed money!

Most of the things I read about the 4TT were how good it was, well organised and big crowd. On any other day that would have been a distant memory and this thread wouldn't exist. Holdergate, the BSPA press release on the day and subsequent trial and continuing mud slinging are the reason for the negativity. If you can see the upside then I'm sure that we'd like to hear it.

What if he added that it's against the rules as well. Don't think that your complaint would go too far.

We had the same a few years ago with FrostMahoney & Batchelor/Andersen etc and the same was said at that time but nobody learns. Not quite sure of the point here? You have to go with the rules in place at the time. What would these supplementary rules added to the situation. This (HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO) was on the BSPA website two days before the event when it must have been clear to everyone what the situation was?