Leaderboard

Considering how skint Poole are, and how they can't afford Giles Hartwell and any racesuits, I think Matt has done well with the new racejacket design for the Poundland Pirates.

Well guys thought I would drop a cheeky message in to say hi etc . Been following from a distance as always . Like everyone else I'm looking forward to finding out who the last 2 names on the team sheet are ! . I' sure the promotion are looking at every option and configuration. Who ever the last 2 guys are I'm sure it will finish the team off a treat . I'e been looking along all other teams and I think we have a good shout there is a lot of untapped strength in our guys so far . I' sure we will bring the best out in each other 100% . Team building across the the championship is kind of the same far as I can see . Most teams have a plus and I can also see a weakness . Our team so far is quite solid our guys all have the capabiliy to excel at various times through the year and we have the strength throughout to help a team member that might be struggling once in a while . If we all click at the same time there is going to be a thrashing handed out once in a while lol . As for myself I can tell you I'm in a better place mentally and with fitness . With the help of some valued sponcers and new ones I've acuired since coming Newcastle again I'm super happy with how the bikes are coming on ! . Im Looking forward to a Stella year this season riding for Newcastle in hoping the club will be able to rely on me when needed on the track and in the pits . Helping out and supprt with the other guys when needed . Im sure George and everyone else are going to finish the team the best way possible for the club . Looking forward to seeing you all soon !

Matt's searched down the back of the sofa. He reckons he's found enough money to pay for some budget racesuits for the Poundland Pirates after all.

Speedway would be far better on the TV as a highlights package. Stick on a "match of the week" with full 15 heats, all done in about 30mins then review the other match taken place that week. Just have the Play-Offs and Final live as these become the least affected feom live TV.

With this as the opposition we will not need to worry about the Poundland Pirates

Shows your total lack of respect and certainly any knowledge of speedway, was Joe useless at Mildenall ? was he useless at Workington ? was he useless at Glasgow ? was he useless at Ipswich ? the answer is NO.Your club knows the numbers game better than anyone Newman bombed out Howarth bombed out Starke bombed out all Brits best you stick to selling your Steptoe/Son junk and comment on another sport.!!!!

So, a slow day at work....: Belle Vue I think the side has a much better look to it than last year, even if not quite so strong in the big heats. Whilst I would prefer a Brit to be named @ 7, I think Etheridge is a decent capture and I expect he will surprise a fair few people, and should take some of the pressure away from Bewley. Bewley is the key man; if he can kick on, they are strong. If not, it does look like they have a long tail away from home on some tracks. Bewley struggled on some away tracks, Etheridge going to many places for the first time, Tungate not always being a great traveller, Drozdz will likely find some tracks a challenge, etc. Will also be interesting to see how Cook deals with being in the GPs too. The side should be terrific at home, but question marks over the away form. Prediction: Play-Offs + a change mid-season to increase away potency. Key Man: Dan Bewley King's Lynn Despite the Whingeathon on the KL thread, I think the side looks okay. I don't think Iversen will be quite the force as he has been, but if Lambert gets his head down and stops whinging they have a top 2 as strong as any - on their day, at least! Kerr/Rose/Proctor will also ensure there's plenty of strength at reserve allowing Andersen time to settle. It'll be most interesting to see how Andersen settles in, reports I have heard from Denmark suggest he is even more forceful than Nicki used to be - can't wait to see what Trees will make of him! For me, it's Jørgensen who will make or break their play-off aspirations. They need him to make the next step up to make the third heat leader position his, and if he can do that, they may sneak into the Top 4, if not, I reckon about 6th is likely. Prediction: 6th Key Man: Thomas Jørgensen Leicester It's great to see Leicester put together an attractive side, but they do often appear to be one of those clubs who struggle to convert good sides into points. Not entirely sure what to expect. They have the sort of side that I think could go to Poole and nearly pull off a shock win, but at the same time go to Somerset a few nights later and struggle to get over 30. May well be part of their charm. Vaculik is a great addition to the league, but @ 1, there's a fair bit of pressure on him to hit the ground running. If he performs well, and if KP takes to British Speedway, they look very strong and will probably be Poole's biggest challenges. If they struggle for whatever reason, they could struggle to make the play-offs. Prediction: Scrape into the play-offs. Key Man: Martin Vaculik Poole Ford has put together bit of a surprising side, but a very, very strong side nonetheless. The 2 new Poles may not replicate their contentional form, but have no doubt they will still make a mockery over their dubious starting averages. A well-balanced side with no major weak links. Will probably become stronger as the season goes on; think Holder being @ 1 would give the side a more natural look. As things stand, can only see injuries standing in the way, unless another side has a major improver in their ranks. Prediction: Top by about 18 points! Key Man: Chris Holder Rye House I liked the Rye side of '17, they didn't really shine as I expected, but am going to back them again! KK will make or break their season. If he can get anywhere close to his best, KK @ 1 with Harris and Nicholls the other heat-leaders look a bloody potent spearhead. They're also guaranteed pretty much to have an awesome option at reserve all year too. But they're a bit like Leicester. If everything goes well for them, I expect they will be right up there, but can also see them struggling if things don't quite work out. Prediction: Sneaking the final play-off spot Key Man: KK Somerset Top #1 and solid at reserve all year long. Will be very tough to beat at home, although far from less impossible as most riders tend to take to the track quite well. Away form could be a struggle though. They are very similar to KL in many ways, and like KL they will require someone to make the next step up (to support Doyle). My gut feeling is that Holder is the best bet, but any of the "Others" could potentially do it. Think they'll be in the mix with KL and Rye House for the final play-off spot, but ultimately finishing just short. Prediction: 5th Key Man: Jack Holder Swindon I like Mitchell, but there is no way in hell he is a Premiership rider. Waj should be, and would be a decent #7, but will find it tough @ 6. They are going to struggle in the reserve heats. Nor do I think they are anywhere near as strong at the top end. Batchelor can be hit and miss (last I heard he was without a mechanic for the year, as last year's is helping Hans Andersen), Bellego struggled badly towards the end of last season so quite what to expect of him is anyone's guess, Musielak was excellent last year but see limited improvement from him, and think Morris overperformed for Swindon last year. If, and it's a big if, they change the track mid-season, any HTA will be gone too, although like many I am not convinced it will ever happen. That being said, you just know that 7 won't last the season. When Morris' average takes a dive, and they can get a better reserve in for Davey, they will be a completly different side. One change can completly turn a side's fortunes - like last year. Prediction: 8th Key Man: David Bellego - he needs to bring the Frenchman that started the season, not the one at the end of the season. Wolverhampton Wolves are in much the same boat as Swindon, but are a bit stronger. I can't see that side lasting too long. Wolves have made changes in recent seasons to change their fortunes around, and am expecting much the same this year. Good to see Morris back in the Premiership, where he needs to be but think either himself or Heeps could be in a vulnerable position if they don't score well early on. Prediction: 7th Key Man: Jacob Thorsell - he's excellent round Monmore but returning from a big injury & @ #1 is a tough ask. Poole, aside, I think this year could be one of the closest yet for the play-off places. Heck, if Swindon and Wolves make the odd change here and there, I can imagine a scenario where there's not a lot between 2nd and 8th place. Should be a good year. Hopefully.

As a general principle because they are still having to pay for the production so it does not cost them nothing. They are still having to spend something to get something watchable. But the sport gets the exposure for itself and its sponsors making such an arrangement valuable to them. As a general principle. The most popular sports attract so many viewers they are more valuable to the broadcaster, so the sport can demand fees be paid in addition to the production costs. The least popular sports do not get enough viewers to justify the costs, so the sport has to pay the broadcast to be televised or produce their own coverage which they can give to a broadcaster for free. And those in between are popular enough that broadcasters want to show them, but not popular enough they are willing to pay extra. I have no interest in motorsports and never knew about speedway until looking at what was on TV one night and came across it. If you do not come from a family who already follow the sport or live in a town with a team that gets covered by the local paper and radio stations and talked about by school friends or colleagues then how would you discover it? Sports need exposure. Hence also the question even amongst the more popular sports over whether to receive more in rights from Sky and BT, or to accept less money in return for greater exposure from the BBC and ITV. Cricket is the second biggest sport in the country, has just earned £1.1bn (over five years) for its television coverage from 2020, yet for over a decade has seen constant criticism about declining interest because being on Sky has limited its exposure. And that still with extensive radio and press coverage and highlights on Channel 5. Do you really think British speedway would grow if it had no TV coverage at all? Or that it is powerful currently to dictate its own terms? Unfortunately I cannot use BT broadband, nor justify the full cost of BT Sport only for speedway, so I have pretty much stopped following British speedway. Instead I watched the Elitserien as I had Premier Sports anyway, on a deal, and was able to watch the SGP and SWC through the world feed. I accept it was not the BSPA choosing to leave Sky, but I have no local team so I am just not exposed to British speedway any more. They will have at least been discovered by some new viewers on BT to replace those they lost like me. That is more than they would have done had they shunned TV altogether.

So are you saying ged didn't know lakeside were told they couldn't use Scott or no one mentioned it to him or Scott himself didn't say? Can't believe any of that for one minute. I'm all for people defending Ged but I'm sorry, I can't believe any of the above.

Pleased to see that Kyle Bickley, who is 16 today, has signed as an asset following signing a letter of intent 2 years ago. Bewley and Bickley are two of the best British prospects and we are fortunate to have been able to sign them both.

Don't see the point in race suits anyway. Cost clubs money when the spectators know what riders are riding in what race and what colour helmets your team is wearing in those races. Race suits just add a bit of bling really. Good decision by Matt Ford imo.

As per usual Mr Mungo, that post is a thing of beauty.

thats because you're equating name riders with good racing. As a lifelong 2nd tier fan i prefer 2nd div riders and racing. And they'd be doubling down not up. Not everyone feels like me or you and thats fine, is just opinions

Surely it has been Ged's decisions that has caused the problems and attracted opposition, especially his actions on Holdergate. The Scott affair was deemed illegal and now been corrected, but Ged has not played a straight bat with this matter, and could and should have acted in a less combative way. I think there has been a bit of twit for tat between Ged and the BSPA, but there is a way of working with your partners in any organisation and this is not a good case of that.

Not everything makes it to the News release as well we all know. Actually I might have to revise my previous statement when I said that Ged had signed Scott in December or January. I'm told he signed him before the AGM and it was well known.

Because some Knucklehead decided to start another..

Some might think it is released on April 1st with some of the recent years rules!

But youre cheating you have 4 of them

RICHARD Clark succeeded me as Editor of SS early in 1996! Andrew Skeels has been on the staff since 1983. Since 1996 I have been both Managing Editor and Managing Director and the majority shareholder in Pinegen Limited, publishers of Speedway Star, so my responsibilities are much wider than the editorial content of the mag. We are committed to further improving the mag and Andrew (or Scunny as he is affectionately known, hailing from Scunthorpe and being a massive fan of the town's soccer and speedway clubs) is the person to drive it forward at a very challenging time with speedway attendances, and hence our potential readership, dwindling.

That's got to be a joke surely. That's surely the no1 not to do and anyone at Peterborough should know that.

i really hope the track work pays off. Far too many races were spread out after the 1st 2 bends last season and i felt entertainment was sadly lacking in far too many meetings. Everyone just headed for the wide line round the fence and stayed there with Steve Worrall i think being an exception and had a race where he passed on the inside on bend 4? Hopefully this work is the final piece in the jigsaw.

Bit harsh on a Brit lad trying to break through. Not far out ^^ Poole seem to be the win at any cost team of the Prem.How dare BV decide not to use him

No, I just know about general human nature. TV may have given them an excuse to stop going, but the reasons they stopped going lie elsewhere. Those reasons would have stopped them going altogether at some point.. tv is simply keeping their interest alive.

Are you talking about Workington your on the wrong thread

I believe Dave Jones is making statements of truths not assumptions. He understands the larger picture that is being played out between BE and slippery Mick . Good luck to the riders ,but this just doesn’t sit right with me ,equally I do understand BE will spin the situation as they seem fit . i prefer to defer support to the Save Coventry Speedway campaign and their diligent efforts to restore the Bees back to Brandon, this NL dalliance will only exist for one season i am sure the campaign group can keep the Bees name prominent for the same period of time. As for bomber slagging off Mick Horton maybe he is a mardy sod ,but he does have first hand knowledge of him. Flip this around where have you seen anyone praise Mick Horton in the recent past. up the Bees

Dave Jones and others seem to me to be making huge assumptions which are not necessarily true. For me, it does not matter a jot who is the promoter at any track. I go to enjoy watching the RIDERS and the TEAM. No matter what else, here is going to be a TEAM bearing the Bees name. Apart from physical reasons, I can see no reason not to attend.

Think the racing at Ashfield will improve quite a bit with wider track,IMO the entrance to the 3rd bend was narrow and stopped a lot of overtaking because the following rider although faster could only follow in to bend before trying a move to take opponent coming out of 4th bend which most times did not come off.Should be some good racing.

It can to a certain extent . Few years back i saw a race at Ashfield where James Grieves out gated Lee Complin and blocked his every move for four laps . Complin was exciting to watch , but one dimensional . James knew he would use the outside line . Complin was all over James' back wheel and looked to have much more speed , but couldn't get past James as he covered the outside run every lap

No I do not think it is solely because of TV coverage. But I do think it is a big reason. And for me, personally, definitely THE biggest reason for the overall number of meetings I attend being significantly reduced. On a side note .. I gave up Sky Sports when GPs left them and went without the Eite League coverage for the time they retained the UK rights. I never felt it worth continuing the subs for that alone. Until it went to BTSport when I got GB Speedway 'free' with my Virgin deal and then I watched every Monday meeting. Speedway fan for 40 years, attended probably 2000 plus meetings in that time ... But having it regularly on TV and I really do stay home more often. And every time I do the promoters lose the best part of £20. They are right to be more worried about this aspect than people here give them credit for.

Not the ONLY cause, granted, but definitely A cause - and I have proof from friends and acquaintances who no longer attend, at all or as much, because it's on tv so much

Anytime soon this season, but maybe not in the future. As i said, we have potentially a very good side this season, lets consentrate on that.. I meant to say maybe in the future.. The team we have this season is potentially very good, but the rider i feel a littl;e sorry for is magic, he was a good servant to the team for the 3 seasons he rode for us. Who knows, maybe in the future we might have both Magic and Dudek riding for us, but at this moment in time im very happy with the team Matt has assembled.

Does it matter who was coming for this season, why do we need Dudek when we have a fantastic team to look forward to watching and rightly installed as favourites. I would love to see Dudek here but that won't happen anytime soon.

There has always been the link between Poole/Dudek since the Darcy meeting at Poole and wouldn't it be great to see him over here.Cant see it happening though to be honest, but if he did fit the UK into his commitments Poole would get him I believe this getting him this year though was total fantasy nonsense.

The AGM can decide the World is flat. That doesn't make it right!

DO you seriously think that the reason attendances have dropped is solely because of television coverage?

Have you ever listened to him on radio? Sacked by at least one local station already. I only hope the stadium haven't upgraded the PA system yet.

No, that's an over statement. It was agreed at the AGM when Peterborough was not represented. Ged signed Nicholls in about December or January, when he could/should have known it was not allowed under the AGM decisions. Far better to highlight is illegality and test the decision, and not sign Scott, which really was an attempt to rock the boat rather than seek clarification of its lawfulness. Problem is when onlookers dislike the BSPA, along comes someone who breaks the rules and rigidly flaunts actions against a AGM decision , and he suddenly becomes the peoples champion. Sad Sad. Swop the personalties and substitute Matt for Ged and the speedway world would go mad with such arrogance. It is and has to be a closed shop, embracing ALL the BSPA, how else can a committee in charge of British Speedway operate ? The latter part of that para is way over the top IMO. Which is exactly what I said. They ALL need to work together to run speedway, even if they have natural leanings for or against other promotions. Again spite and vindictiveness is way over the top IMO.

Ah.....you see I don't know what's going on half of the time and struggle to understand who exactly is at fault but I think I get that one, although it's maybe true without the Stock Cars? Perhaps by the time the season starts I will be able to work out whether to support the NL team or not because at the moment I'm 50/50.

Certainly Matt is getting the seats done with the stadium's permission (and gratitude?!) - its not new seating, just sprucing up the existing!! Don't know if its reflected in the rental charges?! Matt referred to 'major' changes in the future (not 2018) but wouldn't be drawn on anything more specific!!

I doubt it, they're not yet quick enough. Maybe could try one at the Ben Fund to see how it compares? The video clips of him and Ellis racing them in France showed they may have potential.

Here, he's tried something on and been proved correct twice (I am sure that a Peterborough fan can tell me what the third one is). On the basis of what you are saying, he should simply have accepted what he was told - ie that Nicholls couldn't ride for his team - and not make any issue of it. That sounds a bit too much like a closed shop for me. Accept all our decisions - however crooked, biased, incompetent or illegal they maybe or how much they damage your business - and you're OK simply cannot be correct. There should be no reason why anyone does not co-operate with Rathbone at this point. Not to do so can only be motivated by spite or vindictiveness..........and one or two have already mentioned just how much of that there is.

It really is just 4 men 4 laps if you fancy a night out go along.It cannot be taken as a serious sport in UK. IMO .

I think it will always be a problem if you sign a rider knowing his average will almost certainly drop by a point or more. The idea is to improve averages or at least maintain them. Having said that, Nicholls might not be the only problem.

I think you're right. While its a very reasonable point to suggest that Rathbone (with the backing of the SCB) has forced the BSPA to change an unfair and illegal rule, all it has gained Peterborough is a rider on a hugely inflated average.

Swift action ? The AGM finished on 20th November 2017 . The SCB resolved the matter on 23rd Feb 2018. You seriously call that swift action? I'd call it appalling incompetence.

Give them a little credit. Their press release after a total reversal of one of their policies is almost up to political party standard.

For those that were unable to attend, here is some footage taken at the event including many interview with past and present riders and management etc. Brought to you by T2TV Media & Speedway Portal Apologies for the large embed

I think Wolves have a solid top 5, should be good enough to win at home, but do feel race winners will be hard to come by away! Added: unfortunately I see Nathan Greaves struggling, until he gets a SBGC place that is!

Dont think anything that happened last year has any relevance to the staging of this meeting The only matter of importance is a large sum that will hopefully be raised for the Ben fund