Crump99

And it's not even September.

Panthers away in days gone by I'd agree but not these days. We turned up confident and it was just a question of how many. We've been arguing for years against our massive home advantage (irrespective of track preparation) on the basis that the track is fair for all and everyone can ride it, but that always fell on deaf ears. Now all of a sudden we don't have any home track advantage and everyone visiting is comfortable riding the place - funny old world innit

I'll leave hansfan to comment on the value of those away wins. I don't think that he'd agree and I'm no student of such things these days. Don't agree with the second part. You just need riders who can ride the place (and are happy to do so), have a track record of regularly consistent trapping (which would have excluded MPT for starters) and tell them that a consistent level of shale on track is part of the deal. Don't see why that costs an absurd amount.

Ironic that you mention Klindt as he was the 2013 stick with him and he'll come good signing until Sullivan arrived and he wasn't quite as patient. PETERBOROUGH have swooped to sign Danish International Nicolai Klindt as they look to get their troubled season back-on-track.

Yup, that's the attitude that means that our last trophy was in 2006. The old stick with it they'll come good Tetley philosophy. Successive home defeats with few race winners is a heck of a blip in April. Paying decent away scores on the back of diminishing home crowds who like to see their riders and team win at home would suggest that the delivery of a new rider or two is equally important as the delivery of new shale.

It did.

That sort of backs up his argument in that Perry just gets on with it at this early stage in his career whereas the older heads know what they want but if it doesn't suit then they start with a handicap before the tapes rise (although seen a quote saying that the riders wanted it slick - which isn't good if you're trying to attract supporters). Just prepare the track well and those who don't want it like that or genuinely can't ride it can find a new track?

And everyone thought winning at home in the EL for £17 was expensive

I'd agree with that but it's clearly not seen as an issue. Good thing though as with decent presentation etc I'd have seen 13 away heat winners on my own circuit

He acted on what was in his control and couldn't do much in the world of shark infested custard (BSPA/SCB etc as we know it). Since those in charge have presided over a worsening product year on year and wasted a decade of Sky interest, Bratters would say, and he usually does, that we can't afford an EL (as it was, not the crap it now is) and the affordable product he would probably go with is a PL/NL combo of some sort. I think your last point is a good one. Peterborough have the facilities but don't do the consistent entertainment part. Frost and Mahoney put on a decent show but forgot about the team (until 2013 part two) and wondered why people didn't turn up.

Steady on, you'll get yourself thrown out Or is that only violence aimed at officials and not our gifted fellow Panthers contributor

Worth reading Mick Bratley's final blog - nothing much changes, the decline in general speedway terms just continues: Bratters' final Panthers blog on "Lovespeedway24" Panthers, Witches, Eagles . . . too much in common And so….the final curtain…. The revelation by current Peterborough owner, Rick Frost, that the club lost money during the 2009 season, does not come as any surprise to me. Losses, helped by shrinking attendances and spiralling costs, year on year, had brought me personally to the crossroads where I felt that I no longer wished to bang my head against this particular brick wall and led me contemplating a fresh challenge or simply just walking away from a sport that I have always had a great deal of passion for. It was not a decision I took lightly, but in truth, was a decision I was contemplating from June of this year onwards. In a slightly perverse way, I have felt a degree of responsibility watching successive owners “burn” their money and sometimes, well mostly actually, when I looked at the attendances for the majority of our home meetings, it was a source of personal embarrassment and you begin to ask the question, do the Peterborough public want this anymore? I certainly hope for the owner’s sake, that the people of Peterborough do, and that they show much better support for him and the club in 2010 and beyond. 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?!?! In all fairness, it has been a pretty turbulent time at Alwalton since the departure of the Lynch, Jarvis and Wing promotion in 2002. There have been many, far too many, dark days and I think those guys made their wisest ever decision to quit, after a phenomenally successful period and at a point in time where costs spiralled in the sport, whilst income remained pretty constant. It also comes as no surprise to me that the clubs who continue to bemoan their particular struggle in the EL along with Peterborough, are Eastbourne and Ipswich. These three clubs geographically are similarly insular. By that, I mean they are pretty much on their own, not massively populated and with no connecting cities or populous to attract, close by. Coventry, for example, can call on a much wider populous to support them, with not only the large Coventry population, but also nearby Rugby, Nuneaton and Leicester. Wolverhampton, Poole and to a lesser extent, Lakeside find themselves in a similar position. Swindon, however, do buck this trend, but the reasons I feel they do is down to some pretty aggressive and successful marketing and additionally they have been able to tap in to the misfortunes of their close rivals Reading and Oxford, who are of course, sadly, no longer with us. I think EL Speedway can these days only survive in geographical areas where large conurbations can be easily and readily tapped into. Obviously Birmingham, my new club, meet this criteria and I certainly hope that the BSPA can see sense at their forthcoming AGM and realise the potential that Birmingham has to offer the EL rather than what the EL has to offer Birmingham, which is, to be honest, a subject for debate. It has been good fun writing this blog for my old mate, Mike (Chris P) Bacon. I hope you have enjoyed reading this and my other inane ramblings and I give thanks to those of you who took the time to write to me about them. Actually, none of you did that, but it kind of sounds impressive. Whatever team you support, I wish you well for 2010, but more than that I wish for Speedway to survive and thrive through the next decade, so that the next generations can witness what a great sport and product this is; that we all have been so fortunate to have found. taken from Lovespeedway.com

Good at fishing though. Shame that you don't like football. It'll be nice and warm watching today's offerings. Just been checking the FAQs fo Truckfest next weekend. I can't see a similar warning so we await to see if it's one rule for speedway and another rule for those who shout louder

Depends whether you're talking about 15 minutes action or the complete entertainment package? Peter Oakes is the new head of Peterborough Speedway and will run the club as Director of Speedway on behalf of Owner Rick Frost Peter explained that his role will be to run the club for Rick Frost and in conjunction with staff that are already in place. He will be bringing in fresh ideas on the presentation side and he will be looking at improving attendances amongst other things. Peter Oakes said: “I will be looking to add a more complete entertainment package and we have discussed and we will be exploring new ideas.

As someone once said "‘Just rejoice at that news" So you think the 6th place finisher is going to do what?

Problem is Palm Toft's gating is like Corporal Jones on parade:half a step behind everyone else.

Indeed. Must be a touchy subject on an Ipswich thread where a boiled potato would be considered gifted

Unfortunately we have not added to the Panthers Team Manager Entrance Form the requirement 'must have intellectual capacity of a boiled potato.

Team manager supremo, next! Tetley odds for the job on I'd imagine although he's been very quiet for a while?

It never caused quite such a stink then though (apart from Hodgy), requiring a club news item and threat of consequences. Also the bloke in charge now can't say that "We are considerably richer than yow! mate so take your rule and....

I'm a Panthers fan and have no idea why you are getting so wound up about this. Perhaps you can clarify what consideration and respect I should be showing because I'm buggered if I know what that is? As an access route to and from the stand if people choose to use the back exits I'd say that it does impead. If all of the seats were taken then I think that some common sense could be used but the former is unlikely and the latter is fantasy these days.

I shall be looking at the local press with interest and scanning any stand shots for infractions, of which I expect will be many. At the end of the day we know that it's been the case now for about 15 years that the EoES says jump and we ask how high? However, with their tough new stance on H&S I'd imagine that we're within our rights now to ask for a safety net.

Will be interesting to see how the new health and safety regulations apply during Truckfest on May 1 & 2. Perhaps someone who goes could report back. I'd guess that it's a speedway only problem. Having said that, just sit down or stand elsewhere, it really isn't worth getting upset about. I'm sorry if that sounds patronising or disrespectful (not aimed at you spencebel) but in the bigger picture of Peterborough Speedway this really is chicken feed.

Standing at the back has been an issue for a few years although seemingly ignored and not fully enforced. A new season and a new push on the issue. Wouldn't most speedway fans give their right arm for a free seat, right next to the action in a 2200 seater stand? I appreciate that some people like to stand but there are plenty of other options to do that. It's not a big issue going to cost you anything so why should it part of the season ticket T&Cs. If you're a regular you'd know about the situation. If not you'd just sit down or stand elsewhere. More often than not officials are jobsworth types so you have to allow them their power trip.

What's perfect about it?