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VOLUME 71 NUMBER 11

NDiamonds’ track task the aim of preventing this from happening again.

EWCASTLE bosses have immediately sprung into action to fix significant track issues that caused Sunday’s abandonment and subsequent defeat to Glasgow. With just ten heats completed on Tyneside, referee Graeme Hunter deemed conditions too dangerous to continue after the circuit appeared to be worn down to the base with an old kerb appearing on the inside of bends one.

“We want to be seen to be willing to get stuck in for the good of the club and sport in general. That’s why we got straight down to Brough on Monday and began the process.

“Postponing a meeting is never an ideal option but on this occasion it’s important we give ourselves enough time to make sure everything is under control.

Track work commenced in earnest at Brough Park the following day with new material added to the surface.

The Diamonds’ promotion are working alongside the Speedway Control Bureau in order to complete the work to a suitable standard and hope to gain their seal of approval in time for their home Championship fixture against Redcar on Sunday, May 29 – meaning their scheduled clash with Scunthorpe on May 22 has been postponed.

Keen to outline their commitment to turn things around, club owner Rob Grant and his fellow co-promoters were present at the stadium on Monday afternoon drawing up plans and even grabbing a shovel to help out here and there.

“We are aware of the issues and already had work scheduled in for this week,” explained Grant. “Drainage has been an issue along with an old kerb from years ago coming through the surface sometimes.

“There are a few options that we are looking at to correct the issues so we will work alongside the SCB to determine which route is suitable – all with

“I must say a big thank you to my fellow copromoters for coming down, picking up a shovel and getting stuck in. Access to the stadium has been an issue for meeting track preparation, but they have been great with us the last few days.”

Whilst acknowledging the need for remedial action, Grant was left frustrated by the lack of opportunities given to his track curator to attempt to rectify conditions with the aim of completing Sunday’s meeting.

“The track on Sunday was 100 per cent no worse than in previous meetings and there was absolutely no need for any of what followed,” added Grant.

“The frustrating thing is that the referee didn’t even give our track curator, who is one of the best in the business, a chance to attempt to rectify the issues that were preventing the meeting from continuing.

“Up until that point there was some cracking racing, arguably some of the best we’ve seen here this year, so it’s hugely frustrating that it ended the way it did – in more ways than one.

“I believe we had every chance of going on to

GIt was madness says an five centimetres deep and a back tyre in width.

LASGOW team boss Cameron Brown slammed their Championship clash at Newcastle as “madness” and “dangerous”. The Allied Vehicles Tigers won 31-29 on a farcical and fiery evening at Brough Park, a meeting abandoned after Heat 10, despite perfect weather conditions.

Tom Brennan was forced to withdraw after a Heat 4 pile-up with Paul Starke while Connor Bailey, Matthew Wethers and Ben Basso were also involved in crashes.

The track cut up badly with the original kerb of the circuit visible after just two races, a rut up to

Brown blasted: “I had a look from the pits and I thought it looked terrible. I wanted to wait to see what the riders said on the track walk. They said it didn’t look very good but it was the same for both teams, so they’d give it a go.

“Within two races you could see that the track was unsafe then there was the bad crash in Heat 4 with Tom which ruled him out of the meeting.

“The original kerb of the track started to appear after just a couple of heats. I asked the referee Graeme Hunter to inspect the track at Heat 8 and he said no, he wanted to finish a couple more races.

WHAT’S ON WHERE & WHEN

“Even if we were losing after Heat 10, I would have wanted the meeting to be abandoned. I didn’t want any more riders hurt.

“There were further crashes in Heat 8 and Heat 9 and I asked Graeme to come down and inspect the track again, he agreed with just the team managers and captains.

FRIDAY, MAY 13 Edinburgh v Leicester (Championship) 7.30 pm Redcar v Poole (Championship) 7.30 pm Scunthorpe v Oxford (Championship) 7.30 pm SATURDAY, MAY 14 Berwick v Redcar (Championship) 7.00 pm Leicester v Belle Vue (National League) 7.00 pm SUNDAY, MAY 15 Kent v Leicester (National League) 12 noon followed by British Youth Championships round 1 Mildenhall v Plymouth (National League) 3.00 pm MONDAY, MAY 16 Belle Vue v King’s Lynn (Premiership) 7.30 pm Ipswich v Sheffield (Premiership) 7.30 pm TUESDAY, MAY 17 Oxford v Birmingham (Championship) 7.30 pm Plymouth v Berwick (Championship) 7.00 pm WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 Birmingham v Oxford (Championship) 7.30 pm Poole v Berwick (Championship) 7.30 pm

THURSDAY, MAY 19 King’s Lynn v Belle Vue (Premiership) 7.30 pm Sheffield v Wolverhampton (League Cup) 7.30 pm FRIDAY, MAY 20 Edinburgh v Redcar (Championship) 7.30 pm Glasgow v Poole (Championship) 7.30 pm Scunthorpe v Newcastle (Championship) 7.30 pm SATURDAY, MAY 21 Berwick v Kent (National League) 7.00 pm Leicester v Mildenhall (National League) 7.00 pm SUNDAY, MAY 22 Redcar v Edinburgh (Championship) 5.00 pm MONDAY, MAY 23 Peterborough: Premiership Pairs round 1 7.30 pm TUESDAY, MAY 24 Plymouth v Leicester (National League) 7.00 pm

“I told them that we are going for Play-Offs and the league title, this is madness, this is crazy, it’s just plain dangerous. I said we have to call this off, someone is going to get badly hurt here.

“The home management said they could fix the track, but I said that could take hours. We are not going to keep fans waiting all night.

“So the decision was made to call the meeting off. I told the boys it was off. Then the home promoter got involved and verbals were exchanged with the referee and our co-promoter Michael Max, which wasn’t very nice at all. It got really stupid.

“The track curator was then asked if there was anything he could do. Again I told the ref it would take hours. Finally it was called off.

“As we came off the track, I told James Wright and their team manager that we came here for four points but I was willing to take three. But to be perfectly fair I’d come away with no points as long as my riders walk away in one piece.”

Brown admitted that it will be a big let-off if Brennan is given a clean bill of health.

He added: “If Tom has managed to come away

4 speedway star May 14, 2022