Post by admin on Jun 16, 2007 22:06:39 GMT
Philip Rising of the Speedway Star has sent a message to the BSI forum regarding various postings there. I hope they'll forgive me for re-producing it here, which, as an arch-critic of BSI, I do to provide a little balance.
So, here's what Mr Rising has to say:
WE live in a democracy and that entitles people to freedom of speech but some of the ill-informed comment that has been appearing on this website does it perpetrators no credit at all.
I am no apologist for John Postlethwaite but I know the man personally and professionally and he certainly does not deserve much of the flak that is being thrown in his direction.
He certainly did not waltz into Smallmead hoping to earn a nice packet. His objective was to break even and, at the same time, develop a winning team racing in a new stadium that would help showcase speedway. He was also desperate to provide a facility that would help nurture young British talent.
Whatever people may think and whatever mistakes he may or may not have made he tried his best and, unlike so many other promotions that have thrown in the towel, is not leaving a trail of debt behind him.
When Oxford closed recently their riders were owed tens of thousands of pounds. Programme printers and the St. John's Ambulance were amongst others not being paid. Whether these bills are ever settled remains very doubtful.
The Reading riders are not owed any money, nor (as I well know) are the companies that produce Reading's award winning programme.
Efforts to make the pits more attractive were relatively inexpensive in the general scheme of things but were felt necessary to try and paper over the appalling state of the stadium.
Reading have lost huge sums because their rider wage bill is massive and they have to rent the stadium and, in return, only receive revenue through the turnstiles and from some modest sponsorship deals.
Rider costs have spiraled alarmingly in recent seasons to such an extent that some in the Elite League collect more than £500 for a race win. You don't have to be an Einstein to do the maths.
The SWC was brought to Smallmead on the back of real belief that improvements would be made.
JP had a real vision for Reading Speedway once in the new stadium that would have made them the envy of the sport.
He is big enough to take the criticism that will inevitably come his way but it would be nice if a few more of the website regulars showed a little more appreciation and genuine understanding of what actually happened.
He could quite easily have bankrupted the whole venture but has bent over backwards to ensure that a new promotion can come in and move forward.
As for the postponement of Monday's fixture: SKY matches have typically cost the home promotion around £20,000 and neither the old nor the new promotion would wish to be saddled with that at this critical time.
Thanks
PHIL
So, here's what Mr Rising has to say:
WE live in a democracy and that entitles people to freedom of speech but some of the ill-informed comment that has been appearing on this website does it perpetrators no credit at all.
I am no apologist for John Postlethwaite but I know the man personally and professionally and he certainly does not deserve much of the flak that is being thrown in his direction.
He certainly did not waltz into Smallmead hoping to earn a nice packet. His objective was to break even and, at the same time, develop a winning team racing in a new stadium that would help showcase speedway. He was also desperate to provide a facility that would help nurture young British talent.
Whatever people may think and whatever mistakes he may or may not have made he tried his best and, unlike so many other promotions that have thrown in the towel, is not leaving a trail of debt behind him.
When Oxford closed recently their riders were owed tens of thousands of pounds. Programme printers and the St. John's Ambulance were amongst others not being paid. Whether these bills are ever settled remains very doubtful.
The Reading riders are not owed any money, nor (as I well know) are the companies that produce Reading's award winning programme.
Efforts to make the pits more attractive were relatively inexpensive in the general scheme of things but were felt necessary to try and paper over the appalling state of the stadium.
Reading have lost huge sums because their rider wage bill is massive and they have to rent the stadium and, in return, only receive revenue through the turnstiles and from some modest sponsorship deals.
Rider costs have spiraled alarmingly in recent seasons to such an extent that some in the Elite League collect more than £500 for a race win. You don't have to be an Einstein to do the maths.
The SWC was brought to Smallmead on the back of real belief that improvements would be made.
JP had a real vision for Reading Speedway once in the new stadium that would have made them the envy of the sport.
He is big enough to take the criticism that will inevitably come his way but it would be nice if a few more of the website regulars showed a little more appreciation and genuine understanding of what actually happened.
He could quite easily have bankrupted the whole venture but has bent over backwards to ensure that a new promotion can come in and move forward.
As for the postponement of Monday's fixture: SKY matches have typically cost the home promotion around £20,000 and neither the old nor the new promotion would wish to be saddled with that at this critical time.
Thanks
PHIL