Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2010 10:09:36 GMT
TRACK preparation was high on the agenda at Peterborough Panthers fans’ forum at Ebeneezers with club management in agreement that a more consistent surface is needed next season.
Panthers came under fire after their Elite League Play-Off semi-final defeat by Coventry at the Showground and also following the KO Cup semi-final reverse against Poole due to the contrasting track surfaces.
Team manager Trevor Swales admitted Panthers management got the track preparation wrong against Coventry but revealed all seven riders turned down the opportunity to practice on it ahead of the meeting.
He said: “All the guys were offered the chance to practice but felt there was no real need. You can bring a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
“But we accept the blame for the track that night. We should have taken the loose shale off.”
Owner Rick Frost said: “Dean Wyers is still learning his job and he does a great job but it was badly prepared that night.
“It’s management’s fault and unfortunately it meant the riders had the wrong engine set-up.”
Director of speedway Peter Oakes insisted the club need to get a more consistent surface next year. He said: “To get a home advantage we either need it to be slick all the time or grippy all the time.
“I appreciate it’s difficult to achieve that consistency though because of the weather.”
OAKES revealed he still hopes to put on a meeting to celebrate the club’s 40th anniversary, after plans to stage one this season did not come to fruition.
Oakes had been the driving force behind plans to put on a spectacular event this year but with his wife Pam suffering a serious illness he was unable to devote as much time to the club.
He said: “In the end we decided the Elite Open Riders Championships would be a fitting way to end the season and you could not see a better meeting than that, but we plan to stage something to celebrate the anniversary next season.”
ALTHOUGH the season ultimately ended in disappointment with defeat in the semi-finals of both the Elite League Play-offs and the KO Cup, Frost insisted 2010 was a decent campaign.
He said: “We were aiming to improve both on the track and off it and I think we did that.
“We made the play-off semi-finals and were beaten by a very good Poole team in the last four of the KO Cup.
“Had Coventry not sneaked into the play-offs I think we’d have made the Grand Final. I think we’d have come up against Wolverhampton in the semi-final and would have beaten them while Poole would have hammed Lakeside, if you pardon the pun.”
Oakes said: “We’ve added greatly to our asset base with Krzysztof Buczkowski, Norbert Kosciuch, Taylor Poole, Rene Bach, Dakota North and Troy Batchelor all being signed. That’s nearly a full team.”
PANTHERS’ team plans for 2011 will depend on what points limit is set and Frost expects it to be 42.5.
He said: “I think 42.5 is the most likely although some have said 45 and one club even wants 37!”
ON why meetings can’t finish earlier, Frost said: “There’s no reason why meetings can’t be finished by 9pm although if it’s on Sky we run to their schedule.
“The play-off meeting was chaotic with Sky saying ‘Go’ or ‘Don’t go’. I wouldn’t want a repeat of that.”
Oakes said: “Generally the referees dictate how quickly a meeting runs although if you have rider replacements where there’s an extra break between races that can add time on.
“But I was at one meeting where the red light went on and the announcer said it was because there were two rider placements and the referee hadn’t finished writing down who the riders were!”
FROST labelled some of the club’s biggest critics ‘worthless’.
Attacking the fans who slaughter the club on the forum section of Panthers’ official website, he said: “The ‘keyboard warriors’ are sad people with big mouths and empty pockets. They are worthless.
“We have fantastic supporters on the whole but the keyboard warriors just criticise us at every opportunity yet none of them were prepared to come to a fans’ forum and discuss things face-to-face.
“We try to be honest with the fans and we’re prepared to listen to constructive criticism but I’ve no time for them.”
boroet 22 Oct
Panthers came under fire after their Elite League Play-Off semi-final defeat by Coventry at the Showground and also following the KO Cup semi-final reverse against Poole due to the contrasting track surfaces.
Team manager Trevor Swales admitted Panthers management got the track preparation wrong against Coventry but revealed all seven riders turned down the opportunity to practice on it ahead of the meeting.
He said: “All the guys were offered the chance to practice but felt there was no real need. You can bring a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
“But we accept the blame for the track that night. We should have taken the loose shale off.”
Owner Rick Frost said: “Dean Wyers is still learning his job and he does a great job but it was badly prepared that night.
“It’s management’s fault and unfortunately it meant the riders had the wrong engine set-up.”
Director of speedway Peter Oakes insisted the club need to get a more consistent surface next year. He said: “To get a home advantage we either need it to be slick all the time or grippy all the time.
“I appreciate it’s difficult to achieve that consistency though because of the weather.”
OAKES revealed he still hopes to put on a meeting to celebrate the club’s 40th anniversary, after plans to stage one this season did not come to fruition.
Oakes had been the driving force behind plans to put on a spectacular event this year but with his wife Pam suffering a serious illness he was unable to devote as much time to the club.
He said: “In the end we decided the Elite Open Riders Championships would be a fitting way to end the season and you could not see a better meeting than that, but we plan to stage something to celebrate the anniversary next season.”
ALTHOUGH the season ultimately ended in disappointment with defeat in the semi-finals of both the Elite League Play-offs and the KO Cup, Frost insisted 2010 was a decent campaign.
He said: “We were aiming to improve both on the track and off it and I think we did that.
“We made the play-off semi-finals and were beaten by a very good Poole team in the last four of the KO Cup.
“Had Coventry not sneaked into the play-offs I think we’d have made the Grand Final. I think we’d have come up against Wolverhampton in the semi-final and would have beaten them while Poole would have hammed Lakeside, if you pardon the pun.”
Oakes said: “We’ve added greatly to our asset base with Krzysztof Buczkowski, Norbert Kosciuch, Taylor Poole, Rene Bach, Dakota North and Troy Batchelor all being signed. That’s nearly a full team.”
PANTHERS’ team plans for 2011 will depend on what points limit is set and Frost expects it to be 42.5.
He said: “I think 42.5 is the most likely although some have said 45 and one club even wants 37!”
ON why meetings can’t finish earlier, Frost said: “There’s no reason why meetings can’t be finished by 9pm although if it’s on Sky we run to their schedule.
“The play-off meeting was chaotic with Sky saying ‘Go’ or ‘Don’t go’. I wouldn’t want a repeat of that.”
Oakes said: “Generally the referees dictate how quickly a meeting runs although if you have rider replacements where there’s an extra break between races that can add time on.
“But I was at one meeting where the red light went on and the announcer said it was because there were two rider placements and the referee hadn’t finished writing down who the riders were!”
FROST labelled some of the club’s biggest critics ‘worthless’.
Attacking the fans who slaughter the club on the forum section of Panthers’ official website, he said: “The ‘keyboard warriors’ are sad people with big mouths and empty pockets. They are worthless.
“We have fantastic supporters on the whole but the keyboard warriors just criticise us at every opportunity yet none of them were prepared to come to a fans’ forum and discuss things face-to-face.
“We try to be honest with the fans and we’re prepared to listen to constructive criticism but I’ve no time for them.”
boroet 22 Oct