Ipswich v Sheffield Thursday 4th June

[Roger Jacobs]

3 hours ago, ShanoXtra said:

Why do I clearly have a solution? I’m not the one slating the sport, you are! Thursday and Monday you race. Same as other countries have fixed race nights, but the thing is, UK weather is awful compared to Poland so they don’t need many alternative nights to re run cancelled matches. <snip>

You don’t re-run cancelled matches, only postponed matches.

* SCB Regs CHAPTER 1 – DEFINITIONS & ABBREVIATIONS

 

 

[YeOldPitGate]

1 hour ago, DSC67 said:

Yes , May 2nd was the last home meeting at Shielfield 

My god is it any wonder that no one (other than the Fords) can make a quid out of the sport how are you expected to hold onto a fan base with a month and half between home match's.

[mikebv]

6 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

My god is it any wonder that no one (other than the Fords) can make a quid out of the sport how are you expected to hold onto a fan base with a month and half between home match's.

Any business, regardless of industry, cannot hope to succeed when your "opening hours" aren't regular...

Expecting your customers to have to constantly check when you are open, rather than just knowing due to consistent opening is asking, and expecting,  a lot...

 

[Spencer]

Hard to expect riders to be at their best when they are not getting regular track time.

[IainB]

6 hours ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Track has been/is currently under water following torrential downpours in last 24 hours

Check out the picture on the website post notifying the postponement 

https://ipswichwitches.co/sheffield-clash-postponed/?fbclid=IwdGRjcASNB_5jbGNrBI0H0mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhRpHhjwnrY1UONANNQC6Stoet_HzD5t61ACn8rWkz7awjY8zxPAPk6WD2BK_aem_bD6tBxUUHu-rP0l9uq9gYQ

We had absolutely biblical rain in Leicester for over an hour during the night before the Sheffield match last week yet the track was dusty after a couple of races, yes we did have 30 degree temps during that day but with the wind we're having at the moment and around 15 hours of daylight I do feel this was a bit of a premature postponement. 

5 hours ago, ShanoXtra said:

I mean the fact that Ipswich town had localised flooding yesterday and it hasn’t stopped all day today kind of tells its own story 🤷🏼 easy decision I’d say for this one! Our garden was full of hail stones yesterday and puddles and we only live a few minute walk from the staidum

 

4 hours ago, ShanoXtra said:

Can people just go about their daily business and not constantly moan about speedway in this country. What are you moaning about… the fact it’s raining and we can’t race? That’s the weather’s fault not the promoters, can people give it a rest for a bit please jheeeez. You want them to be able to just race Friday now because it’s raining Thursday? Please sit down and tell me how you can make that work. And if you can’t, don’t bother commenting just for the sake of posting.

When you've sat and watched a GP qualifier from Glasgow at the weekend being ridden, often in driving rain, on a wet track you have to wonder why Ippo meetings get called off so easily... like the BV match the other week! Have the Foxhole drainage problems resurfaced?

[IainB]

6 hours ago, DaveWayne said:

Will be interesting to see if this thread gets the same hour by hour analysis of the latest forecasts as the Lynn thread did on Monday, or was that just special treatment because people don't like Buster ?

I assume the Ipswich fans who were all over it, despite the meeting not involving them, will be equally critical of their own team if the forecast rain doesn't arrive. 😉

Well,  there's ckall else to do with every speedway match in the country being called off this week, when they mostly could have been run with some effort from those involved. 

[WembleyLion]

4 hours ago, PhilTheAce said:

No, I know it's the correct decision, not saying it's not, but Coleman made a stupid statement. Which he will learn from. Hes still new. 

 

Its always better to postpone early than later. And Coleman will learn this. 

Agreed others have also discovered that the hard way as often it can be a big gamble leaving it late especially when you then bring the riders into the equation who may well be less than willing to ride. 

[GeneralMelchett]

4 hours ago, PhilTheAce said:

No, I know it's the correct decision, not saying it's not, but Coleman made a stupid statement. Which he will learn from. Hes still new. 

 

Its always better to postpone early than later. And Coleman will learn this. 

Interested to know why you feel his statement was stupid - having read his comments in full he was addressing the entire issue of meeting postponements / rain offs and the habit of postponing things perhaps on a whim.

I was at the aborted BV match and I personally felt the track would and could be ridden - the bikes never warmed up and not one rider either offered or was asked to test the track, or at least not one bike even rode a lap to test things. - came away feeling not enough had been done on that one! The annoucement said they were going to scrape off the surface and then after some token efforst the annoucement was its off!!

He was really alluding to was a lack of professionalism and consistency - he cited that in almost 200 SGP etc events they had only 2 rain offs. If the sport is to be taken seriously and thrive which is, i think what we all want, then somehow things like this needs addressing. Yes there is perhaps a element of the (naive) newbie having a say and perhaps ruffling a few feathers etc but, in part his comments were perhaps aimed at both promoters and riders. 

If things don't get more professional / improve etc etc blah blah waffle piffle and Mayfield decided to say exit speedway in 2031 etc everyone will be back about missed opportunities and why won't the big money men touch our little sport! The change (largely in attitude) has to start somewhere!

 

 

 

[GeneralMelchett]

8 hours ago, DaveWayne said:

Will be interesting to see if this thread gets the same hour by hour analysis of the latest forecasts as the Lynn thread did on Monday, or was that just special treatment because people don't like Buster ?

I assume the Ipswich fans who were all over it, despite the meeting not involving them, will be equally critical of their own team if the forecast rain doesn't arrive. 😉

Well lets see what it like on thursday shall we - I refrained form putting the boot into Buster (tempting tho it was) and it just about proved to be the right call!

 

 

[TB1]

Of course years ago every track had its sprinkling of individuals, test matches, 4TT etc. However, hardly anyone runs them now so we end up with massive gaps in the calendar. 

[mikebv]

8 hours ago, TB1 said:

Of course years ago every track had its sprinkling of individuals, test matches, 4TT etc. However, hardly anyone runs them now so we end up with massive gaps in the calendar. 

Which is why call offs are so frequent...

Fixture pile up pressure used to focus the mind on getting meetings on, due to often running weekly..

Now you still have plenty of Mondays and Thursdays left to run those postponed meetings..

Mondays and Thursdays later in the season which, (with a certain irony as the clock is suddenly ticking to compete the season), often get run in very ropey conditions!!!

So much of what all this self policing does is show how important an independent governing body or person would be, as if they decreed, (as they would), "one point each, move on", so many more meetings would take place...

Also, so many more riders wouldn't be allowed, (without proper sanction), to duck out of UK meetings whilst still riding elsewhere, and domestic meetings wouldn't be allowed to be planned in against other meetings elsewhere, when you 100% know riders will be missing...

Hence, we will never have an independent body or person in charge..

Edited 15 hours ago by mikebv

[PhilTheAce]

10 hours ago, GeneralMelchett said:

Interested to know why you feel his statement was stupid - having read his comments in full he was addressing the entire issue of meeting postponements / rain offs and the habit of postponing things perhaps on a whim.

I was at the aborted BV match and I personally felt the track would and could be ridden - the bikes never warmed up and not one rider either offered or was asked to test the track, or at least not one bike even rode a lap to test things. - came away feeling not enough had been done on that one! The annoucement said they were going to scrape off the surface and then after some token efforst the annoucement was its off!!

He was really alluding to was a lack of professionalism and consistency - he cited that in almost 200 SGP etc events they had only 2 rain offs. If the sport is to be taken seriously and thrive which is, i think what we all want, then somehow things like this needs addressing. Yes there is perhaps a element of the (naive) newbie having a say and perhaps ruffling a few feathers etc but, in part his comments were perhaps aimed at both promoters and riders. 

If things don't get more professional / improve etc etc blah blah waffle piffle and Mayfield decided to say exit speedway in 2031 etc everyone will be back about missed opportunities and why won't the big money men touch our little sport! The change (largely in attitude) has to start somewhere!

 

 

 

stupid was probably worded badly by me, but he must understand that with speedway, a sport where weather plays a massive part that promotors have to go go with what the weather apps are telling them, any rain that falls, can be as little as 0.1 mil can affect the attendance 10 fold. 

 

im sure he wants to change the way the sport is run and i hope he is successful in doing so, hes got good vision it seems but having a little bite at teams early postpoments was not necessary for me

[IainB]

3 hours ago, mikebv said:

So much of what all this self policing does is show how important an independent governing body or person would be, as if they decreed, (as they would), "one point each, move on", so many more meetings would take place...

The only other league sport, that I can think of, that is so badly effected by weather is Cricket, they don't faff about trying to rearrange matches etc. Points are divided up and everybody moves on... Cricket seems to be doing quite well these days with their £880,000,000 4 year TV deal 🤔.

... still, we know best 👌 

[mikebv]

44 minutes ago, IainB said:

The only other league sport, that I can think of, that is so badly effected by weather is Cricket, they don't faff about trying to rearrange matches etc. Points are divided up and everybody moves on... Cricket seems to be doing quite well these days with their £880,000,000 4 year TV deal 🤔.

... still, we know best 👌 

If it ain't broken...

Etc. Etc. Etc..

Edit. And Cricket also ring fence their elite players and direct them as to where and when they can play through central contracts..

How much longer will it be before Poland do the same?..

Edited 13 hours ago by mikebv

[SPEEDY69]

I quite like the suggestion of awarding one point each and not re-arrange, this would focus minds a bit.  It would also mean fixture lists could stay as they are for the season.  There would need to be exceptions for playoff meetings and cup meetings where that wouldn't deliver a victor and then if clubs have commitments for x number of meetings they could fill them with other events, like clubs used to hold.

I'm not in Ipswich today so can't give the weather picture but it's currently sunny here in Stratford.  

[Badge]

1 hour ago, SPEEDY69 said:

I quite like the suggestion of awarding one point each and not re-arrange, this would focus minds a bit.  It would also mean fixture lists could stay as they are for the season.  There would need to be exceptions for playoff meetings and cup meetings where that wouldn't deliver a victor and then if clubs have commitments for x number of meetings they could fill them with other events, like clubs used to hold.

I'm not in Ipswich today so can't give the weather picture but it's currently sunny here in Stratford.  

10 mins away from track and it's hammering down 

[GeneralMelchett]

3 hours ago, PhilTheAce said:

stupid was probably worded badly by me, but he must understand that with speedway, a sport where weather plays a massive part that promotors have to go go with what the weather apps are telling them, any rain that falls, can be as little as 0.1 mil can affect the attendance 10 fold. 

 

im sure he wants to change the way the sport is run and i hope he is successful in doing so, hes got good vision it seems but having a little bite at teams early postpoments was not necessary for me

NO worries - given the comments were the next meeting after the BV postponement he was in a way having a bite at his own sides situation as everyone was there and ready to go!

Edited 10 hours ago by GeneralMelchett

[chun]

its been raining a lot the past 2 hours from what i can see on the radar.  good call to call it off day-ahead

[Roger Jacobs]

5 hours ago, chun said:

its been raining a lot the past 2 hours from what i can see on the radar.  good call to call it off day-ahead

Another very noisy and heavy thunderstorm around 4-5pm for an hour, and then heavy rain for about 10 mins around 6pm. More black clouds over Foxhall at 7:40 - although I’m a couple of miles east and the sun is shining.

Ipswich fans will be delighted that it’s off, because they’re desperate for a chance to see the Holder Bros flying on a slick dry Foxhall, instead of their usual pootling around on a damp and grippy field.

[SPEEDY69]

No doubt this would've been on, in the 80s, but not these days.

"Can you come to play badminton/marbles/tiddlywinks this week?" "What night?" "Thursday." "Oh OK yeah, i used to have speedway that night but it's rarely on these days so I might as well."