flemdog banned from racing at cheddar

[mightymini]

have a look at this, its shocking that someone would try to ban someone coz they dont like em. please vote if you are a current racer. http://www.bmxtalk.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=7590

[Bren Gunn]

Why is he banned?

[glov]

just seen the post on talk
i only ride reoginal races at the mo but if i do ride the nationals and have a problem and voice my opinion
will i get banned ?
i dot know flem .but it looks to me he voiced his opinion and got this sh*t thrown at him

grow up girls give him a break
better be carefull might get banned

jamie

[greentoad]

Hi all 

This is crazy and a very sad day for the sport. I haven't raced for years, but still attend and am passionate. When I spent my time and invested in sweat helping to build a track, thought that it was for all to enjoy, not for some person to decide who could race.

I have read the posts on talk relating to this and others have said a lot worse. There are also a lot of names that I know and remember voicing their concerns, this is really not good.

You have people that do not agree in society, but this should not result in a ban and so publicly.

With most tracks being on Council land and some also open (no gates) this could really kick off. You could have a group of people sitting on the start gate and their is nothing anyone could do. Race meets could be stopped, cancelled and we will become a laughing joke - has this news gone global yet?

Sounds like the governing body needs to get involved in this asap, and also a full explanation of what and why this has happened.

J.

[Bob_Acid]

politics man f-ing politics....

[jon016847]

WHAT A LOAD OF man mounds  !!!!

Everyone has a right to voice their opinion as long as its not done in a malicious / threatening way  !!

[stidds]

Trouble is National racing is as bitchy and corrupt these days as it was in the 80's.  That is the main reason I will NOT ride at Nationals.  I would rather stick to having fun on my bikes.

[baldbmxer]

I have known Tony for 20 years and been involved with BMX racing for all that time and more.

The fact that some people want Tony banned does not suprise me as the manner that Tony forces his opinions on people has to be seen to be believed.
I had a run in with Tony last year which involved threats on the phone and insulting emails to my work which didnt come staight to my personal email address but a general address that ends up on my MD's desktop! Without getting into this to deeply Tony simply talks without putting his brain into gear, he likes an arguement and doesnt thing about the consequences.

For those people who dont follow the National series dont believe all you read on message boards. They just breed conflict and Tony it has to be said uses this to his favour with his bully boy tactics of getting his and only his point across.

Dont get me wrong here i dont want to see him banned, yes Tony wont speak to me and thats just fine with me, but the sport of BMX racing will be missing characters such as Tony. He puts so much enery and drive into his racing, always has and always will but the general world of BMX racing will not put up with Tony's bullying tactics for ever and they have been going on for a while now.

Tony is a true legend in BMX folklore here in the UK and can contribute so much to the sport, but there are ways to go about this and his way is not the way around it.

These are sad days for BMX racing here in the UK as we se the 'demise' of a truely fine rider and also all the bad press that it brings.

From the other angle - the decision to ban Tony from racing at Cheddar seems to be from a persons personal opinion. I too know know Pete Phillips. Yes Pete can be firey to. Pete does alot for the sport of BMX in the UK. Yes he's loaded, yes his kids just happen to be damn fine and successful racers BLAH BLAH BLAH, like alot of people who put themselfs forward to help run and develop this sport they recieve alot of crap for there efforts, its always been the same, I saw it 20 years ago. I have had it myself as the BCBMX riders representative and as producer of TWENTY24. So ask they question why should these officials, club organisers, race promoters, fellow racers and general race goers be subjected the threats and intimidateing behaviour? Theyre/we're not here for that.

The way the ban has come around seems very underhand and last minute. Something should have been done about this long ago and banning a rider is not the solution.

Dont believe all you hear, its not all bad! If we listened to every bit of bad press about football where would football be now after the last 20 years! BMX remains a fun family sport with so many levels and something for everyone. So go out there and enjoy it and think again before making your descision about the sport after reading message boards whether it be on BMXTALK or RADBMX etc etc

JJ

[kamodo]

Keep  this childish rubbish on BMX talk .

[team_teapot]

Jumping john

ive heared both sides of the stoy about what happned. and you know what they say everyone has their side and then their is the truth.

what youfailed to include in your side was the fact that the 2024 publication is/was being controlled by thoese people that tony does not see eye to eye with. so when you let the contributors use the 2024 publication to voice their personal pro clip propaganda and diss tony, did you not expect tony to not come back on the comments made?

had the production of 2024 been profesional and above board then the tony's reaction would not have been a problem.


i guess what we need to admit is that the needs of the few are being forced on the many as is normally the case and the 2024 publication is more about self gratification than it is about promoting the sport.

as for bad press. out side of the 400-500 people that race no one gives two flying monkeys about the sport so stop kidding your self that this reflects bad on bmx because no one out side of pete philips water feature knows.

[baldbmxer]

Teapot

I sea you're having a poke at 2024 there. Yes the printing is paid for by BC but BC do not govern what goes in it. Tony took it upon himself to call 2024 a Pro clips publication which it is not. Granted there was a comment printed which personally I didnt have a problem with. Now I can honestly say I wish it shouldnt have been printed. Bear in mind that there are lots of different opinions and preferences within the sport. Much of todays troubles come from what type of pedals you use. There are those who are against clips, those who are against flats, and people like myself who dont have a problem with either.


2024 is pro bmx racing regardless of what type of pedals, bike, or race clothing you wear. 99% of racers at the nationals enjoy 2024 and I would guess that those who call it dont complain when they get a picture or coverage in it. Tony called it all sorts of names, and then bigged it up calling it a national publication! which it clearly is not! Make you're mind up fella!! 2024 was and idea a number of years ago, mainly to promote the sport of BMX racing in this country. We moved on from the photocopied crap that had been offered to the race goers for so many years, and as national publications such as Ride and Dirt are clearly above BMX racing and wont cover the sport that built the 4130 publishing empire the sport needed something else to promoted the sport to possible sponsors and potential newcomers.

Of course there are going to be people that call 2024 and the people who put the effort in to produce it. I dont know where you get the idea that 2024 is all about self gratification? Twenty24 would be a whole lot better if we had more contributors, more angles etc etc, but we dont. Every month people promise to write and supply ideas but do they?...... NO. Tony included.

There are plenty of people out there who are all to ready to sit on the or behind there keyboards having a dig at what goes on but never put themselves forward to do something positive to help promote the sport. Tony and otheres have a boat load of posative ideas which could change the sport but ones thing is for sure is that there is a way of going about getting you're ideas noticed and Tony's way isnt it. But he cant see that. Its his way or the highway.

It really is a shame that it has all come to this. The sport will get over it, its been through it before and will do so again at some point.

Shouldnt we be worried about the bad press that incidents bring the sport into disrepute? I think so. If you dont give a flying monkey (or two) about it then dont call it, go and play in the woods where you dont get you're governed/organised events. BMX racing has always been this fomat. Read the posts that just say 'boycot', 'I'm not going to get involved with a sport like this' etc etc, it is all bad press.

As for slagging of the people who put themselves forward to continue the sport think about it, without these people we wouldnt have a sport. Go figure that one out. As for 2024? yes you may not like it, are you a racer, a competitor? well I guess you wont be reading it anymore. If 2024 is such a bad thing for the sport then we shall stop producing it, whats the point in wasting our time flogging a dead horse. Lets just leave it to the online heros typing away.

But for know the racing community want to read 2024. Only sorry you dont.

JJ

[mightymini]

oi you 2, this wasnt meant to be a ventind thread, its not about who the banned person is it was just about the unfairness of the ban regardless of who they are.
p.s. jj hope your gonna be at our 1st regional.

[darren]

i heard from a good source that teapot was the cause of  this, so lets hear what he has to say on it. something to do with your comments regarding mrs moore the owner of broadway house/cheddar track.

[oldmankev]

Darren if we get banned from Cheddar it would stop us gettin hurt 

[mightymini]

i heard from a good source that teapot was the cause of  this, so lets hear what he has to say on it. something to do with your comments regarding mrs moore the owner of broadway house/cheddar track.

if thats true, why didnt ya come forward gutless

[Flemdog]

John, do you still have mental issues yowth... how sad... and the fact you believe what you have written here too...
Opinion polls seem to back me up if you take time out to get facts...

I started a campaign to rid clips from UK Domestic nationals (like 16,000 French BMX'ers did from their association), you gave a column to a clipster fanatic who slandered my name and the true facts about my clips petition did you not, I also pointed out about one issue of 20-24 with 99% clipster dudes and no flat pedals riders represented, clip shots are so forced and generic and are generic in every sense, unlike the gracefullness of a Flatster's jump / style... I know you don't get these facts....

JJ, you metioned that I force opinion, so not true, you would no if you read BMXTALK topics no and then... I use a little thing called facts and reasoning... on a debatable forum where as useing 20-24 is only a one way medium... my case and point on the issues of clips are pretty concrete, try tell Frederick King your points next time you see him in his wheel chair...

There will never be a time when I will say clips are OK as they are a health risk, prompt unethical conduct, unfair sport, create and in-accessible sport to beginners (WTF are those things! laters...) and make BMX racing into a hybrid, geberic sport... stripped of flare and grace...

Anyway dude, I'm over it and moving forward...
Flemdog.... BMX's growth, fair sport, kids safety and with integrity first... everytime...!

[baldbmxer]

 Anyway dude, I'm over it and moving forward... - AT LAST

Tony I'm glad that you're moving on at last maybe you will flow your energys into what you do best - racing.

You obviously remember our conversations from last year when I told you that personally I didnt have a problem with clips, but in my heart I would like to see BMX on flats. I guess that me not having a problem with clips means that I had already 'moved on'.

As for you not being pro Twenty24? well hey you cant plese everyone. In the timescales that I have to produce it i say its not that bad after all. Last year we asked various people in the 'loop', unknowingly people from both sides of the pedals debate to contribute to Twenty24 and I recieved little to nothing. What I did recieve only got me into trouble with you and you know that I appologised for hurting your feelings. As for the pictures it is simple, I go through all the pictures and take out the ones which are the best, sometimes this means there are not many pictures of the girls, sometimes it means that the cruisers are hard done by. But it is never intentional to do this and leave any 'group' of riders out or with lack of coverage.

As i have said before Twenty24 is 'Pro' BMX racing and does not intentionally descriminate any groups. If somebody else would like top help out by contributing that would be great, form an orderly queue! - Sadly its the exact opporsite to that. It would make things alot easier if I was at the races to get a feel and contribute my observations, but hey that would probably be wrong too!

If Twenty24 is not wanted then i wont do it anymore, i sit at a computer 5 days a week, 8am- 6pm and believe me i can do with out the extra evenings it takes to do Twenty24. I had hoped by know that things might have changed, somebody might have showed some interest in contributing etc, but no. Probably because we're all just that bit to busy.

Why dont you drop a pole onto BMX Talk and see who wants Twenty24 and who doesnt?

JJ

PS. Glad you didnt get banned fella, the sport doesnt need that. Hope you get you're snap on at the Euros and do what you do best.

[Flemdog]

20-24...? I want it!

It just needs better content, less B/S.... (you know that...) the jokes kinda are bland, the comments in pictures worse...(who writes that crap?) come outta hibernation and race a national to recall what it feels like as I feel this is a fundamental problem....

If done corretcly could be awesome tool for BMX... Jeeze, (my BMXTALK writes up's for a local regional are more fun...)
Try capturing the essence of a BMX race... the pictures you publish are so so... the camera man who never seems to capture the situation in corners, crashes, gate snap (think BMX PLus, Action bike)... all we ever saw was a hunched back clipster in the most God awful pose (picture a broom stuck up someones ass jumping )

Don't write it for little Johnies parents, write it to blow the skirt off the vicars wife!!!

PS, I have not received a copy this year at all either to be honest... there's another issue...

[team_teapot]

darren

sugar was the word left out. now why is that so bad? or was it the way someone else took it and used it out of context?

[baldbmxer]

Haha, thats more like it fella!

I think you have hit the nail on the head with many of your points and feel that they would be partly erased with a liitle help from else where.

The images come to me on disc, yes alot of them are not that exiting but sadly we dont have Buddendeck(?) Ayres or Bob Osborn snapping pictures for us!
We have to work with what we are given.

You could argue that is the state of play in many aspects of BMX racing in this county. The average race goer has a nice weekend away and little Johny gets to play on his bike durin the day and vandalise the facilities at night! Haha. The professionalism is lacking and the caravan club are oblivious to it. They want BMX for nothing and them they want it cheaper.

On a whole there are few people in BMX trying to profesionalise the sport. The whole image needs and injection of life and exitement. It relies on someone who works in printing to produce the rag, someone who works in construction to tarmac the berms, a sign maker to make the signs etc etc. Without these people look where BMX in this country would be.

What I'm tyring to say is that if we had the money it would be alot easier, we would have to rely on the same old people to help out. not only for Twenty24 but for the whole National series. Its all run by volunteers who give up alot of time and money, putting in so much above and beyond the call of duty. If the average punter at the races could see this and not just take it for granted it might be the first step in BMX in the UK to go somewhere. Its always been the same, BMX holds itself back!

The clubs need to go the extra mile, They need to build tracks that people actually want to ride. People will travel far and wide for a good track, something that is built well, challenging and fun. BITD the clubs were fighting for a National or a regional. The achieve this they built better tracks to out do the competition. Today there is none of this. That is a fundamental point about BMX in this country. The races dont have to be fancy, its a simple format, has been for years. Build good track run a good race and they will come!

Anyway I digress! I hear what youy're saying Tony and agree with you in so many ways, we have been in this sport for so long.

Twenty24 needs you and so many other people. Start writing a column for me! Something along the lines of your last post. Just a thought!

JJ

[Flemdog]

Sorry John, I don't agree with your vision... you seemed far removed from grass roots, maybe I will tell you of our plans at Preston one day...

Why did you sell me out JJ to Ria... was it worth a friendship? She didn't even know me, yet you and your mag allowed her to slagg me off saying I was conducting a biased petition...
I spoke to everyone, spent a hundred quid on flyers, made stickers, shirts... and spoke to everyone at that national where I held the petition, even Roger (Commision), even Jez (commission) even Gunner (comissio) Marco (comission), the redline team, Ria, her sister, all the pro's in the pens... everyone... yet you let her write that crap about me... (this is why I was p1ssed at you, I'm over it, you should try it)

I started this campaign for a noble reason, you played funny buggers and made it personal....

JJ, Whatever dude... Later...

[baldbmxer]

Thought you had moved on. Thats a laugh judging by your last post!

You just cant let it go. You're so hard done by.

Start you're own race series fella, maybe at Preston you have your vision and can only see your vision. Go and do it.

Laters JJ

[Flemdog]

John your retorts are like your writing skills mate.... why slag me off on here... just ride JJ.... moving on...

[baldbmxer]

I'm bored now, just like most of the people who have listened to you ranting for the last few years. They way you rant and throw your teddy out makes me wonder why you do this sport as it makes you so angry. You obviously have a life outside of the sport. Go and enjoy it.

Its your way or the highway. A few years ago I believe there was talk of Pete Phillips stating his own race series. So when you two sit down and have you're little chat maybe you could get you're heads together an start you're own race series between you.

No that would be interesting! And if you cant work that out, why not start at putting the sport you love so much right, or right in you're world anyway. I'm not saying its right but I'm sure it would be better if you sorted it!

See you for your next post, that will be the last word and you can have it. You'll like that.

JJ

[boofy44]

I HAD TO HAVE A KNEE OPERATION IN MY MID TWENTIES,THE SPECIALIST SAID IT WAS DUE TO USING CLIP ON SHOES ON MY ROAD RACING BIKE.JUST A WARNING TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT DO FLAT PEDALS.