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what pees me off is the knocking of speedway riders on the forum when 99%of us on this forum wouldnt have the balls to do one full speed lap on a speedway bike

For me this should be a watershed moment for people who ru(i)n our great sport. When a young British talent who 2 seasons ago could be seen whacking round the NSS beating all manor of genuine international level riders on sky sports, who ups his average and is able to compete at Elite level has to miss a season due to his high average, punishing the lad for developing and improving. And a season later faced with the same fate decides to hang up his boots. Something is seriously amiss with the way the sport is being run.

Yes, let's lose a quality production, expertly presented by an experienced presenter with a solid speedway pedigree and programmes shown consistently as advertised and matches covered reliably and complete. Let's go for a service that can't be relied on to show matches reliably in a regular time slot and often delays coverage until late at night, often cutting out heats and whose basic presentation leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. It's also a station that rarely actually covers the meetings themselves, relying on taking the World Feed from BSI when they showed the Grand Prixs and simply took a feed from CMore when they showed Swedish speedway. The only speedway they've covered themselves has been the OneSport SEC and Pairs events. Yes, let's go from quality to third-rate and unreliable.....

No snow but just seen a couple of polar bears trying to break in to my hut for a heat. Ive left the fridge door open to heat the Kitchen also.

WHY? Who would do the production?

And no doubt this has contributed to Perks, Jacobs and any other British lads who miss out not getting a CL ride in 2018. Marvellous.

Holder to Rye House??????????!!

I couldn't agree more. Great work by the promotion Fingers crossed the all steer clear of injury and we might have a good season. Looking forward to the season and midweek race nights "Give us an I" Shirl

How do you know Smith won't be good anough??? honestly you talk some crap at times a young lad who will come again last year Jack would of learned alot.As for Jacobs he has proved he can cut it in the EL and now the league is even weaker so i don't get your point.His home performances were terrific ok he struggled at times away but with a doubling up spot he would of improved the Aces fans seemed to like Joe and they see more of him than anyone.You have real double standards you knock those two young lads yet supported Newman to the hilt when really Kyle has had more chances than most Brits.

Top final signing by the Lions. This is easily the most balanced lineup we've ever assembled so huge credit must go out to the management and with many of the riders knowing each other I'm hopeful team spirit will be really good. "Give us a L". If anyone should be dissatisfied at this lineup, then there's really no hope.

Stunned Poole have let Hans go, great team man and captain and always likely to maintain his average. MInd you Poole let Newman go last season , loyalty doesnt mean a lot these days

His 2016 top flight average was 5.14. Perks is the one who can't cut it at a higher level. I remember people saying fast Freddie was a one track pony for years. Jacobs has always done ok as a number 7 in the top flight, and more than done his job.

Best top flight side Leicester have built!

I'm not a Workington supporter but I think that's good team, simply because it has a huge amount of potential. Klindt aside, the whole of that Workington team can improve their averages, with Bickley, Bewley & Proctor looking most likely. By the way, Proctor beat both King & Schlein at Derwent Park last season.

The most important thing is that British Speedway remains on tv and the clubs really need this to keep their commercial partners happy. As it turns out on this occasion there is no need to worry about production

Eurosport isn't free.

I see he has announced his retirement on Twitter. Assuming this isn't another Josh Bates style incident, then it's certainly a shame. There is something very wrong when our own riders can't get a place or can't double-up, yet quite a few untried or low grade overseas riders will be in the starting line-ups and plenty of overseas riders will be doubling-up. Priority should be with all home riders until they all have a place.

I understand it isn't easy for those who have difficulty grasping facts but as Jacobs has said he needs to double up to continue racing it follows that Belle Vue couldn't have had him instead of Drozdz unless he was also offered a CL team slot. My opinion is that the culprits here are the BSPA who have abandoned the two Brits per team rule. They should've instead implemented it in both the PL and CL instead of encouraging teams to sign more foreign riders. That wouldn't necessarily guarantee Jacobs a team place but certainly helps British riders to get places and to progress.

Irrespective of whether his name is Joe Jacobs or Mr X, it is sad to see a young British rider, who has potentially ten years in the sport ahead of him, retire. The sport needs as many young British riders coming through as possible for the future.

Joe Jacobs can't make doing one league pay. There are second tier clubs that wanted him but he also needed a team in the top flight. He is sensational at the NSS and I agree that no other top flight top team would take him on that average. He has been the victim of his own success as his average is to high. Still its good to see the chuckle brothers , Shovlar and MattFordFan showing that they still have opinions that are polar opposite to the rest of the forum bless them

thought i.d help. points....................rides 7...............................5 2...............................4 7...............................4 9...............................4 8 +1..........................4 12............................5 11.............................6 8...............................4 7 + 2.........................4 9 + 3.........................5 not the kind of scores from someone who is no good. Think you and SS need to think again.

Surely Sarj was very consistent - he never failed to pee you off

Woffinden and loyalty

I was told tomorrow (but that was before Xmas so it could easily have changed.)

Think the biggest problem is that 260 foreign riders have been given assessed averages, some being reduced, to help them get a side in England this year, but Jacobs, Grieves & Perks are stuck with their old averages. What's happened to helping British riders ?

One of the most pathetic comments I have seen on here and thats saying something. Seems to me the older generation have stuck by the sport through thick and thin and have been responsible for introducing newbies (Grandchildren) along the way. As for the last part of the comment re Funeral services...is that funny?

Ask Adam Ellis (or his dad) and Kyle Newman how they felt with regards to the loyalty shown by Poole

do me a favour buddy and read the thread and posts properly!! Mr Shovlar said that Jacobs isnt good enough to ride in the top flight. Quite obviously that is total rubbish as his average of over 5 in a harder league proves. Yes nobody has signed him as his average is probably to high to get a place in the top flight and if you read things you would realise he wants to ride in both leagues as he cant afford to just ride in one. Im fighting no losing battle ....just your inability to read and understand things

Awesome team. Title contenders

You could well be right and I don't think he helped himself having a year out a few seasons back but if a club invested some time and effort in him he may well be able to achieve more. He showed in 2016 at Belle Vue that in the right environment he could score decent points. Just doesn't sit right with me that there are British lads struggling to get a ride yet we seem happy to make is easy for foreign riders to get team spots, the Brits need to be put first.

Get in touch with Lakeside as there might be a way to get some of our riders on old averages

How can people say Jacobs isn’t good enough?! It’s the fact he did well and his average went up that he struggled to get a ride, like Greaves in the Championship this year.

It said in SS that it's because he hasn't ridden here before so are making an exception for him. Along of course with the 2 Poles at Poole and of course Clegg who gets a new average having only ridden 4 top flight matches. Just when you think the averages farce can't get any worse.

Incidentally, can you imagine the uproar on this forum if Poole had signed Vaculik and then had his average reduced by a point?

Some of the comments on here regarding JJ , completely missing the point . Joe Jacobs was more than capable of holding down a place in a championship team , but for one reason or another never got the chance ???

Joe Jacobs not good enough!!! Your talking absolute tosh as always. Averaged over 5 in the 2016 season. If anything he did to well!! Another Brit lost to the sport....... Steve Shovlars idea of a rider not good enough is as follows: 9+3 v Wolves .........main reserve Howarth 8 v Swindon.......main reserve Wright 7+1 v Poole...........up against Pedersen and Newman 10 v Leicester...........main reserve Auty 8 v Poole.......Pedersen and Newman again. Wont be up against that calibre this season yet Shovlar thinks he isnt good enough lol

don't think anybody talking about Joe Jacobs ability on a speedway bike but another British rider lost to speedway except ss and pb shame on you

If it was cheaper..do you think more people would go???? I'm not sure they would...not in enough numbers to counter act the price drop...those that rent stadiums won't see their rent go down to compensate lower admission prices...and would lower admission prices make the sport any more appealing and cooler???? again..I don't really think so. The whole thing needs completely re branding to create a new and different audience to the one it attracts now.....and even that may not be enough...but maybe just maybe it might.

I'm assuming the new promoter is new to speedway, if they are already involved then due diligence will already be in place. Regarding the lack of any news, the promotion are advertising season tickets for sale without any information regarding ownership or team lineup, It's a bit like asking you to buy a ticket for a stage show without telling you which show it is and who's appearing, not very good promoting!

Most British riders can’t compete with foreigners in terms of equipment as sponsorship seems so hard to come by in the UK. Until a foreign rider turns up that that is and then his bike will be covered in British sponsors. Sigh

I totally agree. Is it not time that the sport in this country looked after its own. It is becoming slightly frustrating that the up and coming riders who really deserve the backing are cast aside and the British promoters are falling over themselves to bring in overseas riders who cannot generally hold down a team place in their own back yard. People might winge about the old foggies who harp on about the 70’s and 80’s but back then the decent promoters took pride in home grown talent and we did see some real British characters. No point in naming them because most will know who they were. Sad that today few have the courage to take on riders and build for the future. That is one of the reasons why support is dwindling. Promoters think on. You have lost the plot and are signing the death warrant of this once great sport.

The amount of times I needed them extra 2" has been the story of my life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In more ways then you might think

I remember watching an old Speedway video from around the early 80's (1982?), cant remember which track but they showed the turnstiles with people queuing up and Adult entrance was £3.00... If it was 1982, that £3.00 entrance fee is now worth £7.40, (not Eighteen quid).... Add in the cost of Satellite TV, Internet, Mobile Phone contracts, increased car ownership, inflation busting higher house prices and rent, higher cost of Petrol, Gas and Electric, Higher cost of Home insurance, Life insurance, etc etc... And the bottom line is for so many people their disposable income percentage wise is so much reduced from the early eighties due to the cost of basic living... £18 today is equivalent to £7.29 in 1982... I would suggest if Speedway charged £7.29 back then crowds wouldn't have been anywhere near as good as they were.. Clearly perceived high admission costs are a huge factor in the demise of the Sport.... How it finds a way to reduce them to attract people who either used to go or simply have no knowledge of the sport is the major barrier it needs to overcome..

Cook has got to the GPs very quickly. He was a new NL novice only about seven years ago. He’s late to the sport and older but he’s the equivalent of a 23 year old who started at 16! He’s got there faster that Brady Kurtz or Jack Holder will. Poole have cornered the win at all costs “brand”, based on mercenary opportunism every year, but it works only because no other club does that well or adopts real branding which is a longer term strategy of creating a club culture that fans and potential customers in the local community can identify with.

Despite all the negitives of last season I am guessing that most of of us will be back next season to sample the fayre that is on offer. Some will arrive with the glass half empty and some with the glass half full, but ARRIVE we will

So Nicholls and some dodgy 4 pointer

I've missed something here clearly - Why all the fuss about Sundstrom? I thought Poole were holding out for someone like Milik or Madsen and they're likely to end up with Sundstrom

But surely , this idea is directed to only a few clubs. That is the reasons why our sport is in the troubles it is, too many promoters thinking about number one.. Any ideas has to be aimed at the sport as a whole, one that can be sustainable and be beneficial to all parties. Most supporters are sensible people and can see the numbers don't add up, they know the days of top riders has gone. others, just bury their heads, thinking that don't mean us, we're alright Jack !! but I would rather we restructure now and continue to watch some speedway in the future, than see more clubs fall by the wayside...... If that means only a single league then so be it.......

I feel like I'm back on the playground