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Here's a quiz question: When was the last time Panthers fans saw the quote "it’s a team we wanted" and actually thought that they'd settle for that without question as well? It's over a decade at least but management have cracked it this time

Instead of attention seeking it would be a good thing if you got yourself informed on what the petition is for. It is not for a debate. You can go on the Thurrock council website and keep up with the news if you are genuinely interested instead of putting stupid post on here, so toddle off.

There is nothing wrong with the new conversion rate or its longer term intention which is to create a recognisable gap between the 2 league standards It will also make doubling down less attractive Where (as often) it falls down is that the inplementation creates as many questions as answers and therfore anomalies as per this situation At the moment the difference in standard does not warrant a rate of 1.5 Boro have worked out this team superbly to take advantage - its not their fault the figures are currently skewed! There are other issues too which havent been addressed such as riders having lower 2nd tier averages than top tier - this is far more of a challenge to the set up and longer term aim It would be relatively straight forward to combine results from both leagues for riders doubling up, use the agreed conversion to weight the relevant part, and provide a single average to be used in both leagues

Tim Stone at the track on a race day and away from the track was two completely different people. For sure the stadium was his baby and he wasn't going to let anybody else play with it but given that following years of working all over the world on really good money only to put it all (and some) into the stadium you can see why. No matter what the fans stood to lose he had literally everything he had at risk. Nobody could ever accuse him of being a people person on race day! However he'd been a fan, had a go at riding Speedway then been a mechanic for years so by the time you took his promoting experience into account he had as good an understanding of the sport as anybody and far more knowledge than most of his critics. Away from the track he was one of the funniest people you could ever meet with a never ending list of stories told in the most deadpan style followed by his loud belly laugh. A very decent bloke who always dealt with Sam fairly and honestly. The few months before he died he would be on the phone for hours chatting about how to get other revenue streams for the stadium and there were some deals already in the pipeline that I am convinced would have subsidised the Speedway for years to come. He'd finally got to the stage where he wanted a life away from the stadium as well. His detractors were always saying he had to speculate to accumulate but given what happened after his death when just about everything the fans asked for was put in place I would say he was proved right that a tight budget was the way to see Speedway continue in Newport. Whatever else the Mallets did they did improve the track and facilities and spend a lot of money on riders to build a winning team but it didn't work financially. I can't imagine the bridge would have made much difference although it would have saved a few quid on the wages bill.

No one will be able to live with Belle Vue according to acef

Well done to all involved in putting the team together

Peterborough Panthers 2019 Chris Harris 7.59* Hans Andersen 7.56 Craig Cook 7.54* Bradley Wilson Dean 5.27 Charles Wright 5.14* Lasse Bjerre 4.72 Ben Barker 4.58* Total 42.40 * After 2.5% reduction All averages subject to ratification

I remember him guesting for Lakeside. He fell and dislocated his shoulder . He still went out I his next race, in a lot of pain to crawl round at about 20m.p.h. To collect third place in a three rider race to collect the single point that gave Lakeside the narrow win. Considering the amount of pain he was in, and the fact that he wasn't even a Lakeside rider, just a guest, it was one of the most courageous rides I have ever seen. He would have been quite justified in withdrawing from the meeting. If ever a rider deserved more success, Adam did. Best wishes for the future Adam.

I was there in 1970 with Ray Glover's party, and can confirm that that achievement by Ivan, in the face of everything the Poles threw into trying to get their man to win, just cannot be overstated or underestimated - it really was an amazing victory behind the Iron Curtain. Special mention to Trevor Hedge as I recall it, taking a ride late in the meeting when clearly not fit so to do, in order that a Polish reserve did not take his place who might have had a say in the outcome. Anyone else on here with similar memories of the day? Sad to hear of the passing of Pawel.

Remind us....How many Elite League teams have you managed to the title?

The point whether Severn tolls affected Newport speedway is a valid one. When I mention I'm off to Scunny to watch speedway folk will exclain "but it's across to Humber Bridge on the other side of the river !" as if it's the other side of the world. But it only takes 40-45 mins, whereas it could easily take 35-40 mins getting across Hull to Craven Park, or to the Boulevard before that, would be longer with Hull's 2018 traffic. Back on a side topic; when I visited Newport quite at few riders 'straightened up' going into turn 3 and finished up battling to avoid the turn 4 fence with a couple ending up on the ground right up against it. But it still has to be said that Tim Stone did blooming well building the stadium and running it right up until his sad passing. On a footnote; the suspension of Newport's matches in 2008, temporarily I believe happy to be corrected, the next was away at Sheffield on 8 May and saw a Sheffield v ex-Hull Vikings challenge staged at Owlerton with a certain Tai Woffinden 'guesting' for Hull . A guest for a sadly non-existing team . An enjoyable meeting for sure, it defo means waaay more when it's 'one's own team', just a huge shame the circumstances which led to it taking place....

If Pawlicki sign's i certainly would of kept Jacob, Pawlicki , Jacob,Masters what a three that is ok you might not of signed Morris but either way you will be a force in 2019.

Mondays are much much better for me (and others I know)….my visits on saturdays would certainly be far less frequent.

Think you misread that, wasn't 6th in the Wolves team, but 6th highest away average overall in 2017.

Well done to the Panthers promotion for astute planning , it looks a very good side on paper but unfortunately nothing is won on paper with luck and injuries that cannot be foreseen along the way as they found out towards the end of 2018 . I think its the best team planning I have ever seen at Peterborough , there doesn't appear to be any weak links IMO . So well done Ged & co excellent team planning.

I did feel guilty about it at the time and appolgized to Ben but he was fine about it, he understood it was an accident and it happens, you can’t dwell on these things, it happens and if you are thinking about crashing or other riders then it’s time to retire

That's one 44.5 point looking team. Ah, the new conversion rate. Hmmmmm.

Just think oh heats 13 & 15 in the Cradley / IOW fixtures. Worth the admission money alone.

Doesnt matter who owns it or what work has been done it wil be forever Compost Corner to some of us

Who gives a monkey's where we finish in the league ??? We're finally going to see some exciting speedway down at PB again! My only wish for the season is that 'financially' we remain viable! Well done Peter and David Mason, you've definitely surpassed my expectations from a supporter's point of view! Shanes as our last signing is great.....equally as good as Tom Bacon around PB and rides more lines imo!

Would you not consider Pawlicki as a rider that is a true number one and a rider capable of winning big races away.

my cash is on Phillips cos he can gate and will come good as the season progresses .

One has to be impressed with the team the Panthers have assembled. They have 3 top experienced heat leaders, all able to compete for that No 1 spot. Each are of proven pedigree who have experience on each of the tracks. The remaining 4 riders will all be of similar quality, who no doubt will be swapping places within the team. Just imagine 2 reserves of the quality Lasse Bjerre and Charles Wright . they would make a mockery of the other teams. No, they probably haven't got a Robert Lambert, but they have every other base covered. I admire people who show initiative and activity in moving forward, No doubt every speedway fan will wish their team was as good as this ... Give the management a pat on the back... Impressive......

Yes, Tim could upset everyone at any time. He needed exclusive control and virtually ran a one man show. In saying that, you have to admire the total commitment and his forward planning like buying up the Somerton Park seats and storing them for years, knowing he was planning to build a stadium/track one day. I believe he had been Phil Crumps mechanic, which presumably would explain the unique relationship he had with Neil Street, who always made a point to speak to me on my visit with the Diamonds even though I usually only saw him once a year. Lovely man. As adonis has said, the track could be very problematic even for big meetings like the Premier Pairs/Welsh Open. It always had a double hollow going into the third bend, one was bad enough but a second hollow was always there as riders jumping out of the first hollow landed and created the second hole. The track material was very unique, sometime being like oatmeal in colour and packed hard, but soft only inches below the surface. I remember James Birkenshaw once tyre warming on the home straight and he dropped into a hole having gone through the top crust. Of course Tim was furious at it, and he made sure it never happened again. I personally had a lot of respect for him, talking with him for hours at the stadium, and him sharing his thoughts on setting up our original Gems team in 2002. On his advice we combined the Diamonds and Gems meetings and added a £1 on the entrance with good results. His team and the our Gems were about the only teams to stay with the original concept of why we had the Conference League, and that showed in the league positions we were in by giving new youngsters their first rides and persevering with them. We never tried to take on the moneybags teams like Mildenhall by hoovering up the top junior riders for the promoters personal glory. Tim will be remember by many for both good and bad reasons.

Oh dear that's a shame. Hope it gets better soon

So you keep saying, but and it’s a big but only you and Sidney seem to think so

CLASSIC SPEEDWAY Issue 43 of our quarterly magazine is out now. Here's a small taster of what to expect . . . TONY LOMAS – rookie to World Final in three years Tony Lomas was one of the first stars to emerge from the fledging second division in the late 60s. In this exclusive interview with TONY McDONALD from his home in the Yorkshire Dales, fast-starting Lomas recalls happy times before going on to top flight stardom with Coventry. POOLE: 50 Memorable Moments Poole are the current big hitters in British speedway, winning multiple top-flight titles over the last 15 years. ROB PEASLEY looks back at the early years at Wimborne Road, when the likes of Ken Middleditch, Brian Crutcher, Tony Lewis, Geoff Mudge and Pete Smith rode for the south coast club, and recalls how Pirates shocked the speedway world by winning the British League in 1969. CHUM TAYLOR – King of Claremont to Prince of Wales PHIL CHARD catches up with former Australian Champion Chum Taylor, whose impact on speedway in Cardiff remains to this day. SPOTY and the 'vote-rigging' scandal DOUG NICOLSON rewinds to the mid-60s, when a speedway superstar twice gatecrashed the elite sports party. MAUGER BREAKTHROUGH MARTIN ROGERS, who was at Gothenburg to report on the 1968 World Final, reflects on Ivan Mauger's first individual World Championship victory at a special family reunion half a century on from the Kiwi's maiden triumph. TRAGIC TOMICEK It's just over 50 years since Luboš Tomíček lost his life in a crash at Pardubice. In this special anniversary remembrance, VITEK FORMANEK spoke to friends of the former Czech great and the son who witnessed the accident and went on to follow in his father's tyre tracks. IN BILLY LAMONT'S OWN WORDS When JOHN CHAPLIN wanted to discover the truth of the fantastic Billy Lamont legend and find out more about one of the sport's pioneer superstars, there was only one thing to do: ask the man himself. PRATTY'S REWARD There was an uplifting end to 2018 when the World Speedway Riders' Association honoured Colin Pratt with their Lifetime Achievement award, just days after Pratty's 80th birthday. TONY McDONALD pays tribute to a dedicated man who has given the sport such great service over the past five decades. SLIDING DOORS AND BIKES DOUG NICOLSON looks back to his boyhood and a series of extraordinary near misses. Plus . . . obits on Bernie Leigh, Pete Munday, Allan Kidd and Pawel Waloszek, crossword, your letters and full-page 1953 West Ham team photo. To order this single edition or subscribe, please visit https://www.retro-speedway.com/classic-speedway-magazine

Tickets sorted.

Jacob was 6th best away average overall in 2017 so not traditional at all.

Sunday’s and some Saturdays when the lions don’t have. Meeting

Ruddick and Halder are two good solid signings for Leicester. Glad they have a team spot in the NL.

Exactly that, he'll do the job he has been brought in to do. 6-7 at home and 5 away would be what I'd expect. On a 4.58 average.

Haha good old islander I rate two riders in the warriors team not many other though...

Can’t see how it can be standard of tracks a rider of his ability can ride any track.

You mean discussing the merits of the average of two riders signed up to Peterborough’s 2019 team? Of course it’s the right thread!! Hardly going wildly off topic take a day off for Christ sake. If you want this thread to just be filled with fluffy wuffy comments from Panthers fans about how wonderful your team is then you’re being totally unrealistic. Every thread will now and again veer slightly off topic but discussing two Peterborough riders averages isn’t even going slightly off topic so I’ve no idea why you’re getting your panties in a twist People discussing the merits of Swindon and Belle Vue is a different matter but again this will happen on most threads now and again. It’s Christmas, have a mince pie and a glass of Mulled cider and chill!

Fairly solid team and lots of entertainers in this line up.

Putting finances aside, It is not important to the fans who owns the stadium, there only concern is the entertainment that is promoted. You could have the best venue in the country , but if the show was rubbish it would remain empty.. I have always praised Buster for his acquisition of Saddlebow Road, and the constructional changes he has made. It is of my opinion AFA is equal, if not better than any other venue in the country. What a pity the same cant be said about the actual track...

A few grand!!!? Busters paying - it'll be a few hundred

Halder is at Lesta I think

Both - that would be an interesting pits!

No doubt the advertising spots in the programme more than makes up for the outlay. Forward thinking is imperative when promoting a top entertainment. You cant knock Polish speedway for holding all the aces... Probably, when the UK ruled the world, we should have been more proactive in keeping our lead, instead of taking it for granted...

Out of order Dick

there WILL be a big financial crash in Polish speedway, there are teams that struggle to pay riders now, give it time

Polish speedway is the epitome of organisation. every thing is run to a time table. Four races is quick succession then an interval. pop to the loo, or dash to the shop, even enough time to quench you thirst. At the same time the track is given a good going over. Right on the dot the racing starts again. Everybody knows the schedule, the Riders, the fans, the referee, and the meeting flows so fluently. I except the track are tailor made to suit the high powered bikes, but the shale they use generates exciting races... No sooner is one race finished the riders are out for the next. Of cause the spectacle is better, but that is because the way it is organised and not because of better riders... The TV are at every meeting where they can advertise sponsors in every interval . More sponsors, more money; More TV goes out to encourage more fans. From your comment you obviously think they are very similar, but to me they are a million miles apart…. We sure have a lot to learn from them Poles...

With many visiting riders not having ridden Eastbourne before..your bottom four may well exceed expectations expressed on here...For sure they will also improve as the season progresses.......

Francesco Molinari and Billie Jean King are not British either but got awards. Ivan and Ronnie have MBE and OBE between them, so nearly British.

Ronnie Moore and Ivan Mauger are not British (and few will remember they rode for a 'British' team), and were involved in a sport that ranks somewhere alongside cheese rolling nowadays. I'm not sure why people are surprised by SPOTY each year - it's never been much interested in sports it doesn't cover. Yet every year there's the predictable letters from 'outraged of Tunbridge Wells' about the omission of so-and-sos favourite sport. Why do people bother watching it?

Didn't Craig Cook start racing at 21?

Local Wolves newspaper is reporting " ''SPOON MUSEUM TO BE BUILT IN WOLVERHAMPTON " Initial fears that a phone box was being converted into the Cradley Heath trophy cabinet have proven unfounded as thankfully the report says JD Wetherspoon are putting a National beer museum into the "Moon Under Water" Pub in Lichfield St, Wolverhampton.. Footnote: Wolves fan stalwart Stal asked me to remind fellow Wolves fans that:- 1) Cradley have never won a top league title when Wolves were in the league at the same time. 2) Hamill & Hancock did not win World Titles in Cradley colours! Have a Merry 'Flange Free' Crimble Lefty

Well done Dave, well deserved. A different type of commentating. Agree with you Steve re his interaction with the fans during meetings.