Accusation, Assumption & About Damn Time

I’ll admit, it’s been a while and I’ll also admit that it’s good to be back.

Truth be told I haven’t been away, I’ve just been a busy boy and something has had to give and unfortunately it has been my regular content on here.

Thank goodness I hear some of you cry, and that’s okay, you are of course entitled to your opinion.

Now I’ve been accused of a lot of things in my time, being a happy clapper, a terrible insult by the way, and no longer speaking my mind are a couple that have come from recent times.

Some have even accused me of being a journalist, and that simply couldn’t be further from the truth!

A journalist I am not, but what I am is a speedway fan who was lucky enough to be given the platform where I share my thoughts on all thing’s speedway, and that’s generally what my mantra has been ever since this whole mad journey stared.

I say it’s been a mad journey because that’s exactly what it is, and it doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon, and I’m perfectly alright with that.

Those who know, will know and I’m not here to go over all the old ground as to how all of this started, but where we are is pretty cool from my own point of view.

Tuesday night previews, programme columns, Speedway Star features and commentary duties on our live streams here at Shielfield Park, all of which if you said would happen and I’d be involved in I would have laughed at you, most people would have laughed at you.

All that said, a journalist isn’t what I am, what I am is a guy having a go.

Have I any qualifications? I do, but not as a journalist, that’s for sure and likely fairly evident. But what I lack in that department I more than make up for in enthusiasm and dare I say knowledge and everything I do here is written with passion, a passion for this club and a passion for this sport.

Absolutely every word I type here or anywhere else is written purely out of love for this club and love for this sport. Believe it or not, at a time when I had little else to be happy about, I’ve always had speedway and the friends I’ve made through it are the reason I’m still here and still kicking today.

So, when I read things online about nails, coffins and all that grim reaper stuff, it kind of sticks in my craw and when I see people trying to pull the sport down, there aren’t words strong enough that I’m allowed to print here to express my distain for it.

There are also those armchair team managers who simply go out their way to make a noise and criticise absolutely everything that ever happens at any track up and down the country?

What exactly is your game? Who benefits from it?

Nobody and just because you have a social media account and the means to put your opinions out there for all and sundry to see, it doesn’t become a right. Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.

Am I saying British Speedway isn’t without its faults? Of course not, I’m not stupid. But what I am is a realist and I firmly believe that British Speedway still has a future, and it can still have a say in world speedway. Ask me this in the street, ask me over an email, hell, ask me on any podcast that wishes to have me on, and I’ll tell you all the same thing.

Do I have all the answers? Of course not, I don’t actually think anyone does.

One thing I do know is that the sport can ill afford to lose any more tracks and with Peterborough, Wolverhampton and Edinburgh all apparently on borrowed time in terms of their home track status, that makes for worrying reading.

What was also worrying was the recent statement from Kings Lynn which was equally worrying, however they appear to have sorted out their issues, at least for now. Now for Kings Lynn, it’s no secret that they have had a torrid season and results have been worse than poor, something we can all relate to at some point or another.

Now, during these times what a team needs is support, what the riders need is support and those poor times at least have a chance of becoming good times.

I know there will be plenty who will scoff at this but let me give you an example.

Yes we were beaten by our old rivals Edinburgh on Saturday and over the years we’ve taken some beatings from them and fair to say we’ve administered some too. The point is there have been ups, there have been downs, there have been highs and there have been lows. But without those low points, the high points don’t matter so much.

Without down, there is no up.

Without ying, there is no yang.

Without agony, there is no ecstasy.

Without the sour, there is no sweet.

Without the bad, there is no good.

Without losing, there is no winning.

I’m sure the Monarchs fans will also agree that they’ve had their share of good times and bad times and they’ll want the rollercoaster to keep on going because once it’s off the track, it might be the end of the line.

I’ve said it time and time and time again, YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU, it’s very future depends on it. Now, I’m not here to scaremonger, I’ll leave that to the coffin nail enthusiasts, I’m just spitting facts, something I’ve done from day one.

Stop me when I’m telling lies.

If you wish to agree, or disagree with the Mythman, have an idea for a feature, or you simply wish to chew the fat over all things speedway, you can email me jbspeedwaymedia@hotmail.com or get in touch via the JB Speedway Media Facebook page. If your compliments, or indeed gripes can be contained to limited characters you can tweet @Mythman666.

Until next time…and there will be a next time.

Right, I’ll hae’tae gan.

Mythman