Pitgate Gate Scandal?

 As I sit down to write this latest blog, and it's been a while, I think to myself, "what a glorious night for some speedway?"  And it could, and probably should have been.....

I don't hide away from the fact that King's Lynn Speedway is my life, I am truly one of the most passionate fans this club has, and this is why I am also one of its harshest critics.  For as long as I remember, I have stood, shoulder to shoulder with my parents, on the backstraight of Saddlebow Road.  I have cheered, I have groaned, I have aimed venom and I have joined in pure jubilation at the very few moments of ecstasy that King's Lynn has offered me.

You cut me open, and I bleed blue and gold, even when on and off the track, King's Lynn have let me down.  But I wouldn't have it any other way, this is my club, and despite what you hear from me, this is my club, and I love my club, its a tribal instinct.

Periods of time have tested my patience, and this week, an all too familiar feeling has drifted over my body.  I have tried to avoid social media, because I know what too expect, but in this age, that is easier said than done.  I have read comments which are ill-informed, comments of stupidity, and comments of pure vitriol, but the common factor is, you cannot argue with the subject matter.

On Monday afternoon, I went to Ipswich to support my club.  A bank holiday, afternoon meeting at Ipswich is what I was brought up on, THE biggest derby for me, 2 clubs who detest each other, racing for supremacy.  The fans turn up in force.  But hang on?  I turn up, and I struggle to find 1 Lynn fan, let alone a group.  I walk the outskirts of the track 2-3 times, but we really have no fans left.  It brings me sadness, that fans can't even come to a local derby, and because why?  They know what is going to happen.

At Saddlebow Road on the previous Monday against Sheffield, the crowd was sparce, they knew what was coming, and they won't accept mediocrity but we were served a humiliating, disgusting, desperate and humbling hiding, by a strong and powerful Sheffield side.  Men against Boys, Lions against Sheep, Passion and Desire against a sheer lack of effort.

I went to Ipswich with no confidence, and no belief that we could keep this tight.  At heat 5, it was that familiar feeling, and my blood pressure was boiling.  We had no fight, no passion, no desire, no belief in ourselves.  Riders were giving up, just like they had at the embarrassment of Sheffield at home, a rider was popping wheelies at the back, and guess what?  The same rider also throttled off into bend 1, as we have already seen this season.  An utter disgrace to his profession.

We moved on, and I will never reveal my source, but I was made aware that King's Lynn had postponed their meeting at home to Ipswich on Thursday by Tuesday.  At this point, it was just a matter of waiting for the press release as to why.  Then we came, finally, to Wednesday, late afternoon, and the dreaded statement.  Now, I've been around the game long enough, and I've heard some excuses, but you cannot help but cringe and what you read.  I knew what to expect in terms of a backlash, and its why I stayed clear of social media for some time.  One again, my club, has made themselves a laughing stock.

I've learnt, over time, to break statements down, and read between the lines.  Lets begin, even before reading the statement.  I knew, an ordinary fan, at least 24hrs before anything was released that this meeting was off, just like I knew Lambert would not be appearing at Lynn last season.  Why?

The first line, "unfortunately we have just been informed", what does this mean?  Kings Lynn are not tenants of their track, they own it.  How have you only just been informed on a Wednesday that their was damage to the stock car fence from a Stock Car meeting on a Monday?  For the record, there is significant damage to the stock car fence down the back straight as well, but this isn't mentioned.

Parts won't be available until Friday morning for repair?  Where we getting them from, China?  There will be more than enough merchants or contractors who, I'm sure, would be able to fix whatever needs repairing.  Do we have pictures?  Phil Morris talks of transparency in this sport, lets see transparency.

Speedway supporters aren't stupid, every man and their dog knew that Kings Lynn were missing Josh Pickering and Nicolai Klindt tonight, and we couldn't find suitable replacements.  Lets be honest, we either couldn't find the guests, or riders no longer want to ride for this club.  Lets take a look at the options.  Leicester were riding Wolves, which means guests were only available from Belle Vue, Peterborough and Sheffield.

Lets start, Bewley and Kurtz were too high, and Brennan was already riding in Poland.  Charles Wright the only real option.  Peterborough, and Iversen was also riding in Poland, Benjamin Basso and Richie Worrall the only real options, maybe Hans Andersen at reserve for Pickering.  And finally Sheffield, Holder and Musielak too high, Ellis injured, Howarth riding for Ipswich and Kerr out with concussion.

And this is only if these riders wanted to ride.  Is it too hard to believe we have taken the easy option here?

It pains me to say that this club has lacked direction since 2018.  I don't think we have ever recovered from October 2018 as we lost out on both the Play Off and KO Cup Finals.  We continue to rock from one nightmare to another, and the lack of direction is evident in the signing of Krzysztof Kasprzak, it wreaks of no game plan.  For me, this club needs an overhaul from top to bottom, if we are ever to recover.  No more jobs for the boys, and we need strong, powerful leaders to steer the ship.

But do you know who the mug is?  Probably me.  I will be at Leicester next week, I will be at Peterborough a week after.  And why?  Because I love speedway, and I still love my club.  Despite what happens, I will never turn my back on my club, I will let my club turn their back on me first.  I am a realist, and we are where we are this year, but we cling on to our own beliefs that the tide will turn, but it needs drastic changes all over the shop.

I apologise for my anger, my venting on a single topic but this really is my life, and my love.  Kings Lynn Speedway, I love you, and I will always be there for you but make the right choices now, before we have nothing left.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are for your speedway this week, enjoy it.  Take a look at our latest Podcast on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts and join us next week where we will have 1993 World Champion, Sam Ermolenko, joining us on the show.

Till next time

Nathan