marko

They would have averages too high to ride at reserve Addio, Ben maybe could if the top five was very so so, but we could do with a couple of big hitters, I see Ben and Zach as second strings as they will be around 5-6 point riders.

Totally agree and whilst i will never likely see eye to eye with the current promoter, I would actively support the club at this level, would rather it not Friday nights but if everything else set up nicely then it’s something I will put up with, after all it’s not the race night that draws in the crowds, it’s the whole product on offer.

This could be a clever move, if the top division is racing Monday/Thursday and Lakeside are racing Friday or Saturday then we could have the odd double up/down rider without too much risk of having said rider double booked, of the riders who could double up, without a doubt Rory Schlien would be a very popular signing and I would like to see Justin Sedgmen too as he was quite popular the last time he rode for us, Ben and Zach would be second strings, and I would suspect Zach would push on more than Ben towards the heat leader bracket. This would be the first time since 2003 that the Hammers have raced in the second tier, and 2003 was a very enjoyable season, I have found memories of that one.

Do Ipswich have more vulunteers then? as they are in the same situation and they race on week night. I don't know if its me but if I cast my mind back or watch videos from the 80/90s we seemed to have more staff then, starting gate staff/rakers etc

So what do they do Cityrebel? Friday just isnt an option, not only because of the traffic but also restrictions on certain riders having to travel ahead of weekend commitments abroad, Saturday for the latter also, Sunday is Polish speedway day, Grasstrack and heaven knows what else. Monday or Wednesday or Thursday is not ideal but i have always felt if the product is right people will come, you only have to look at previous seasons of meetings by SKY TV, most Mondays played out in front of near empty stadia, but come the play offs when something really counts all of a sudden being a Monday is no longer a problem, fans flock in their droves and not just for the home team. I would sum it up as this, if a meeting has enough incentive about it, fans will come no matter what day, however if the meeting means nothing and is full of guests etc, the day, even if its perfect for travelling and no school the next day, it wont make any difference, it won't even draw flies.

I don’t think BT pay out, it’s a deal which gives speedway exposure in the hope of attracting more fans but in reality is only watched by current fans who would go but watch it at home or people who only watch it on tv but have no intention or don’t live near a track. Must admit I don’t think that our league is a good advert a lot of the time, the Grand Prix though, yes.

Ok, if Ipswich move up then being in the same division as them and Rye House would be a no brainer financially.

But how many actually defected to Rye House? Don’t forget the Kent Kings factor too, a few from south of the river supported Kent in the third tier and us in the top, when we dropped to Kent’s level they stopped supporting us because Kent was already there third tier club and loyalty was to them, some of them I heard even turned on some of our riders so I guess they showed their true colours there. I still think the second division would be the clubs best bet.

I would imagine that there is as much chance of plans being know at this stage as there was about the club dropping down at the end of last season, so basically a very good chance

Are there still gypsies still resident in the car park at Arena Essex?

I’m behind Kev The Rev, neither of us want to see the club close but I suspect both want to see the club moved forward, whether that is with the current administration or another. As it stands there are a lot of unhappy fans, even some who used to back the club vehemently have in more recent times been critical of certain elements and then you have the ones who are never seen or heard from again, are they gone for good? Who knows? But let’s get one thing straight, no one is going to put up with something they are not happy about, sure the likes of myself, Kev and Vor could dissapear into the ether never to be seen or heard of again, does that help the Hammers?

So what are you saying? Jon Cook is loaded and he will pay for a new stadium? money will have to come from somewhere if the Hammers are to carry on long term, does not matter whether we are getting 500 or 5000 fans.

If the current promotion shut down there is nothing to stop someone else finding a site in Essex and running, obviously that can’t be done now because so long as Lakeside are running another licence would not get approval in the same county. But and it’s a big but, if Arena Essex is doomed and there isn’t another place in Essex to stage speedway then all this talk and debate is for nothing.

So are you saying there is no point because we are going to lose the raceway sooner rather than later?

I don’t agree that if people vote with their feet a club will close, first thing that the current promoter does is place the club up for sale to try and recoup loses, if and only when a buyer doesn’t come forward is there a danger of a club closing. A new ownership could be in the form of an individual, a small group or even a collective of fans, just because one management structure can’t make it work, doesn’t mean others won’t be able to.

The end of season meet up is only for limited numbers and I know from previous fans forums Jon does not like questions which have a negative undercurrent. People can claim that those who are outspoken but don’t go must have sad lives but it would be even sadder to moan but then go anyway knowing nothing will change. The only way to try and enforce change is to vote with ones feet and I don’t mean just Lakeside but speedway as a whole because it’s a mess in this country no matter the level of racing. If your happy with the product as it stands and those things like irregular fixtures, guests etc don’t bother you then good for you, your obviously a very tolorent person but you are in a group of dwindling numbers. But for purely all things Lakeside, if Jon will not stand down and allow a new owner to come in (if there is one) then he should at least bring in another promoter to help run the club and reinvigorate it, I don’t know what happened to Stuart Douglas but we really need him back, he is the one man who could talk me around, I trust him, I don’t want the club to close, I won’t it to be a pioneer, a leader and a example of how things can be done and done well, not half heartedly.

I think VOR means facebook, they used to have an active page on that but I don't use facebook anymore so can't confirm whether it's still going.

Wonder who the team manager was that night for Eastbourne? Same guy who no doubt demanded that Josh Larsen’s second bike (which what Rob was using) have its engine tested, and people wonder why I have historic issues with the man.

Promise after promise, lie after lie Cook OUT

The crowds were dropping off before the club dropped down, most of the group I used to stand with had stopped going, they are not going elsewhere instead either to my knowledge. People say many went to Rye but how many used to double up between Arena and Kent then saw no point in going to Arena as they were already supporting a NL team in the form of the Kings. What crowds would have been like had Lakeside stayed in the top flight we will never know. What we do know though is that as it stands the numbers are not sufficient to carry on with the current practice, no matter what those with their heads in the sands try to spin.

The words of the chairman is a clear indication that the sport will just eventually fade out in this country, if those in charge can't even see there is a problem, then nothing will change. OK, if you want to end up bankrupt, with a black mark against your name for the rest of your life and probable loss of all your worldly assets go right ahead, keep that head in the sand and see where it gets you.

Will BT Sport opt out of showing the second leg? this is so very one sided and i must admit i did not expect it, I am sure Sheffield are better than this however the score is what it is and there always has been a sizable gap between the first and second divisions, I think even if Kings Lynn had finished bottom they would have enough over two legs to take on the best of the Championship teams, its down the order where it really shows.

Indeed, and whilst of course the fact Kings Lynn pulled out is beyond the control of the club they did nonetheless pull out of the Koc which further deprived season ticket holders of another match they had already paid for. The fans at Lakeside are treated very badly and it’s one of the key reasons I have not been able to grab any enthusiasm to go this season, it’s literally the first time in 30 years I have not been to at least a few meetings during a season, most of of those 30 years I went to all the home meetings or at least 90% of them.

As someone who has been around long enough to remember them, I think the old second half junior meetings had there place, an extra six heats of action, it also helped ease the flow of traffic at the end as not everyone watched them but it was still important track time for the riders. Now I’m not a fan of NL racing on its own but I will always stay and watch it when it’s part of something of a higher standard, I know that sounds snobbish and it is but I prefer to watch primarily a higher level of racing, no disrespect to any rider but you can’t beat watching the likes of AJ tear it up from the back. And these junior teams can make riders of the future, I recall Ipswich at one time having several kids come through at the same time, notably Leigh Lanham, Lol Hare, Savalas Clouting and Ben Howe, I think they were the four?

Everyone says about Lakeside joining the NL late but I am pretty sure they knew what they were intending to do long before most so I don’t think they were that short in planning, they came up with a decent side in a division where good young riders are far and few between, plenty of old hands and riders who are still learning but not maybe as a natural talent as others.