Sir Sidney

You make me laugh Gustix. You know the answer because you asked exactly the same question / made the same comment on Facebook. You asked 'The puzzles is how after the end of speedway at Plough Lane did Spedeworth Motorsport and short circuit car racing survive there for I think another 11 seasons?' and Ian Perkin responded to you ' the reason why cars continued and speedway did not was because to run speedway the BSPA require that you enter into a contract with the stadium you use to help provide assurance that you can complete the season and not pull out mid season. Once the GRA sold their stadiums to Risk Capital Partners they were no longer prepared to lease Wimbledon Stadium to us anymore. The cars on the other hand never had a lease with the stadium they ran on a week to week basis as the didn't have to produce a contract to get licensed by their governing body so Risk Capital Partners could end their events whenever the re-development started. Ian'

I was a bit later than you - late 80s I think. I wasn't trusted with multi tasking! Someone else did the scoreboard. Lionel was still timekeeper at the time. Lovely man. Some years later I also did some of the timekeeping and incident recording. Working with the ref certainly gives you a different perspective on things

Only just catching up with this thread! Dear old Ken Tozer - not unknown for him to ask a rider who he was during the introductions. Happy days

For a time I had the pleasure of being the person who turned the lights out and then back on again at the end of the race. A vital job!

'Loved to get one over' and 'nobbling ' have very different connotations I would say.

Excellent Jon. Really looking forward to it

F1 - Red Bull and Torro Rosso?

I note the statement on the Birmingham website about the incident. I trust those who criticized Buxton and Jayne will now be offering apologies

Surely all Birmingham had to do was show the BSPA permission to the referee and that would have sorted it out. If they had written permission where would the argument have been?

I haven't checked and followed through the link to verify but this seems to allude to examples of music venues https://thebristolcable.org/2018/01/agent-of-change-nightlife-music-thekla-fleece/

Thanks Steve. I can see my spot!

My memories are very similar to Prodons. Standing on the pit bend was fantastic. Such an atmosphere. In the later years I had the pleasure of assisting on race days. What a venue. What a club. What riders. What supporters. It's a measure of the love we have for the club that there are still active Facebook groups, regular catch ups and active involvement with the riders. Gone, but never forgotten.

Very sad to see yesterday that the demolition of Wimbledon stadium has started. I have spent so many happy days there supporting the Dons. An important venue in the history of speedway is being lost and I doubt we will see a new stadium for speedway in London. A sad day

Thanks Richard, I think Jake has been hard done by here. He tried to do the right thing and has lost out as a result. I'm glad he can move on. Let's see if the rule is enforced in the future

Yes, I was just being a bit flippant - however, depending on just how bad a rider's machinery really is, the method of turning up but not being able to compete might vary. At National League level how many bikes and engines can a rider be expected to have, and what is a realistic timescale for him to get competitive equipment in place if he has had genuine issues? As HA said, the regulations need to reflect the realities at the particular level.

I would think Ond is referring to when Wimbledon were in the Conference / National league,so comparable to Eastbourne now. I find it incredible that this rule has been enforced against Jake Knight (I can't imagine he was pre warned that he would get a ban) - let's see if We get consistency in the future. Of course, any rider in similar circumstances will now just turn up and go through the motions - 5 exclusion s under the 2 min rule?

As someone who followed Wimbledon from the times the team included world champions and international stars, to the Conference League days I can only say that I was prepared to pay to watch my team regardless of the league they were in. My team was My team - and I suspect that throughout that time frame were much more stable and likely to have a greater deal of continuity,Not just from week to week but also from year to year. I don't believe I would have enjoyed the current doubling up rules

I am in the area this week on holiday and was hoping to go tonight + really looking forward to it as I have heard so much positive feedback on the racing at OTA. The weather forecast was pretty poor, but has improved as the day has gone on, and we have only had a couple of light showers earlier today. I understand making an early decision, but it does seem to have been made very early today. Unfortunately, I won't have another chance to go this time

My recollection is that Mike was like a breath of fresh air at Wimbledon. Mike was certainly very different to dear old Ken Tozer who preceded him. It was not unknown for Ken to have to ask riders on parade who they were! I think Ken was happier on greyhound nights Sure Mike would wind the opposition fans up a bit (!) but I think you'll find that, when Wimbledon fans went to away tracks where Mike was the presenter, he did the same to us - which we took in the spirit intended. If Mike was like Marmite I think there were plenty of Marmite eaters at Plough Lane - now cue the Vegemite likers to respond.

That might explain why the lease has yet to be signed (if that is still the case). I don't expect the new promoters will take on a lease with terms that are unfavourable or unaffordable. Manchester City Council may have the 'whip hand' but the new guys could just walk away. Very sad, no doubt but very true - no wonder we are such a minority sport

Whether all the info ever comes out I don't know. There seem to be two main camps on here. Those that say CM and DG knew there was a problem and should have cancelled the opening meeting and those that say the true problem could not have been known at the opening meeting and only fully came to light once the excavations had happened and the real issues uncovered. However, putting that aside, I would suggest that if the proposed new promotion do take over they come with a level of business expertise not seen for many years (if at all ) and I would not expect them to tolerate the shenanigans and manipulations that have gone on in the recent past (nor any nonsense from the Council). Interesting times ahead I think.

Not sure I follow your post Gustix. Post #427, which you quoted in your previous post, suggests plans are being made so that speedway is represented on the last night. What makes you thinkk that it won't be?

Thanks Matt,on that basis you are probably right that the Council Tax income will be greater than the business rates income - even allowing for all the info that's unknown (rateable value of the new stadium if built, Council grant income from central govt etc). Let's hope the Council really wants speedway!

Interesting. Thanks Matt. Is that an extra 200 properties if the stadium isn't built or just the number that are included in the current plans? Sorry, I'm not up to speed with the numbers, but as a Wimbledon supporter sympathise with Swindon fans re the uncertainty. The figures from the VOA website that you have quoted are the rateable values rather than the amount payable (which is roughly half of that). At present Swindon Council only get a % of the business rates,but that % is likely to increase in the next few years. All a bit fluid for Councils at the moment!