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To be fair, you’ve got to admire how Buster’s done this for maximum media exposure. He announced the KL team one by one over several weeks and now he’s sacking the Boro riders one by one. Genius

Nicki took Pawlicki wide. Didn't leave him much room at all, and Pawlicki bailed. I'd agree with an exclusion for Pedersen as he ran him up just that bit too much. But nothing to comment on beyond an everyday run-of-the-mill exclusion. As for Ward, well I hate to see him the way he is now. I'd love to have him fit and well and back on a bike racing. I don't want to see any rider suffering the effects of serious injury. But as a person, he was an obnoxious pillock before his accident, and he's still an obnoxious pillock now.

O.K. I know he was very badly injured, but, now to wish others were as badly hurt as himself comes over, to me, as pretty sick.

Now everyone knows Nicki is no angel but Darcy didn’t seem to mind him when he wore a replica suit to help raise money for Darcy.

I think it says a lot that he appears to be the only rider out of twenty one employed by Buster tracks who has an issue with the sponsor arrangement.

When the weatherman said on TV this morning that Summers coming, little did we know it was a hint to Peterborough signing a rider. Media Genius Or What!!!

I suppose it is the 'good nature' of decent human beings to be reluctant to 'lay into' the opinion of an ex rider who has suffered enormously at the hands of fate. And we cut him a lot of slack. in the last few weeks the Ben Fund meeting was a reminder of the cruel way in which this dangerous sport can take down the most decent and noble of the speedway fraternity. Guys like Garry, Wilkie, Joe et al. I suppose this Twitter rant, which advocates causing another human being deliberate harm during a race, does show that tragedy doesn't just strike the good guys.

Happy to take the love and support from those who provided then kick them when it suits. He always was and still is an odious character.

A rider brilliantly blessed with riding talent but sadly deficient in human compassion and common sense.

If anyone was wondering why Wright didn’t have a racesuit. He left it at home by accident.

I'd rather say it was a typical Pawlicki fall, like he has performed many times. Certainly nothing to justify Darcy Ward's twitter comment, what's wrong with him? There nothing dirty about Nicki's riding in this race.

Might have been a good racer, but as a good human being he fell short.

Moron

you know what,some folk may go to the showground this year and be really well entertained and enjoy their speedway with a fine team back in the top flight,,,,,,,,regardless of whom is in charge Try it,you might even enjoy it yourself

Cook needs another visit to his head shrink,he seems to think people owe him a living on his terms these days.Thats not how it works in Speedway.IMO.

Seems like he has learned nothing. He really never knows how to keep his mouth shut. What a pathetic comment to make

Well that was as good an opening team fixture as you could possibly hope for - the quality of the racing throughout was excellent, with a couple of stunning races. Bears looked like they would run away with it, good fightback by the Diamonds and then a last heat 5-1 gave the Bears a 12 point advantage. Not sure it will be enough but cracking entertainment. For the Bears Wright was superb, MPT excellent (Heat 10 fantastic ride), Stewart looked improved from last year and Ben gave his all as usual. The other 3 all battled hard and showed promising flashes. Looked like a decent team tonight. For the Diamonds the 3 heat leaders started poorly but picked up and Wethers, Lambert and Clegg chipped in. A very good start and a decent sized crowd.

That's right blame Ged now he's gone no wonder he pulled out when he did can't say as I would blame him for that he could see what was coming. Now the puppets have got to paper over the cracks by announcing a rider who has never really pulled any trees in the top league, good at championship level but a replacement for Craig Cook in the premier league is a joke I feel sorry for all those that were conned enough to buy a season ticket.

Aaron Summers!! Really? !!!!!!! Crowds will flock in now.

How anybody can side with Craig Cook in that saga is anyone’s guess. Speedway is struggling financially and whilst there is sponsors pumping money in keeping clubs afloat they should get every preference available to them. The fact Cook said he would of signed on for more points money and milking the club even more null and voids any slight argument he had. Clubs need extra revenue and if riders aren’t happy then go and ride somewhere else. All the other riders have got on board including more high profile names like Andersen, Lambert and Harris.

You are the only one that sees things way differently to you. That’s why I put the emoji that I did. On paper one of the strongest sides this year and haven’t seen one other prediction that thinks Wolves will be bottom. We are only making predictions on what we see at the start of the year, irregardless of how pointless this is. FWIW my pick would be. 1. Wolves. Very solid with plenty of riders on bargain averages. Jacob (when fit) and Nick both started last season as number ones, now find themselves 3rd and 4th in the averages. Howarth had an injury wrecked 2018 and will easily add a point to that starting average. Ash Morris really improved at both levels last year including a spell in the main team. Now starts as lowest averaged rider. Key riders for me are Kyle and Becker. If Becker lives up to half his promise I can’t see this team having any weak links at all. 2. Swindon. Strongest top 3 on paper and average. Will always be in with a chance at the tail end of meetings. Doyle is just class and whilst his other heat leaders can blow hot or cold at times I still see them as a huge danger. Ellis is a strong second string and i# getting better every year. Make that a strong top 4. Key riders are Lampart and Zach. Think Zach will add well in reserve. Definetly improved last year and good to see him progressing nicely. Lampart seems an odd signing but perhaps Rosco knows more than the rest. 3. Belle Vue. Again on paper very solid. Can see Fricke becoming dominant at number one. Kenny will have the odd stinker but should be solid otherwise. Every rider like Wolves have improvement in them. Remains to be seen if Worrall can start 2019 the way he did 2018. If so I’d have to make them top favourites. Dan Bewley is a real talent. Ricky is a good solid middle order rider. You will a good 5-8 points from him week in week out. Key riders. The fitness of Bewley remains to be seen but should be superb come end of season. Lidsey, much like Becker, comes with huge expectations. Can see the NSS being a fortress. 4. Poole. Still no real leader but another solid looking line up. A decent top 2 whilst Klindt was massively rejuvenated at Poole last season. Needs to be solid all season. Josh is promising a much better season (see this weeks SS) whilst Richie should do a good job too. Both reserves look solid in that department. Key rider. Grajczkonek. 5. Kings Lynn. Lambert is a complete class act. Thank god we have the pleasure of watching him again this season. Then it’s a real struggle to see who will step up to the plate to support him. Proctor did a decent job and has always been a decent top flight rider. Riss I really rate but is he going to step up to the plate and step away from the comfort of the number 2 berth and Lambert partnership? Jorgensen and Kerr have done little to show they can step up yet. Key riders.Toft and Kerr. 6. Peterborough. Would have been top 4 if they hadn’t have got rid of Cook. I’m basing my assumption that Gomolski is replacing Cook but would have to think again If it’s NKI! Hans is still a decent rider but not a great number one. Tungate has a high average due to his home form at the NSS. Can’t see any improvement there. Lower end looks solid but one of them needs to step up if the Panthers are to be in the hunt. Key rider. BW Dean. 7. Ipswich. On paper look the bottom side with no real leader. Difficult to drum up many positives I’m afraid! Lower end looks more hopeful than the top end. Key rider. Jake Allen. Top 3 look well clear of the rest. Poole stand a fair bit above the bottom 3. FWIW.

At least Barry Hearne knows what he is doing

For years speedway fans have yearned for a Barry Hearne type figure to grab the sport by the short and curlies and sort it out. Now Buster has sort of half done it (or what he believes is a more professional image) some fans are up in arms and shouting riders should rule the roost. You can''t have it both ways so make your mind up before the door finally smacks you on the bum! The above is only half jesting BTW

Naturally, especially with Buster Chapman at the heart of it, pulling strings and lots of wool over supporters eyes.

I think it’s very short sighted to talk about the cost of racesuits being prohibitive, speedway needs to be more open minded and recognise that there is a need to improve the image of our clubs and how professional they come across. In terms of sponsorship, image, getting new people in to watch and just looking like a proper team then matching kevlars if not bike covers too are an absolute must. How many riders who whose club just have race jackets will be wearing brand new kevlars underneath anyway this or next month? Lynn, Peterborough and Ipswich all look fantastic and the Premiership has missed a trick with the other four clubs refusing to get involved too, it would have given the whole competition a proper identity and they could have done a launch day with a big fanfare involving a rider from each team in team racesuits and matching machines. Looking like a bunch of waifs and strays was all well and good in the eighties and nineties but this is 2019 and sport has moved on. Speedway is obsessed with dumbing down when it needs to go the other way to get itself out of its hole.

Jon Armstrong would be within budget

It's friday, the sun is shining but there is no meeting at Lakeside tonight. It's on days like this the reality hits home. Another of my local venues have gone, unlikely to return. Enjoy your track if you still have one, because you never know what's around the corner.

What ya blaming Ged for? He had the team last year going great and even though he sold the Panthers on if Buster had left him run it and done as well this season you would of been singing his praises. Ged Rathbone is dammed when he does and dammed when he dosn't.

Don't knock the Provident my mother kitted me out for School every year using a Cheque from the Provy Then Christmas and Birthdays it was Parrish's Cheques Never seemed to get many Green Shield Stamps though? Regards THJ

Play-offs - Wolves; Swindon; Poole; Belle Vue. Thanks for turning up and looking smart in your kevlars: - Kings Lynn, Peterborough, Ipswich

Maybe Gomolski remembers being left in the $~it by Buster last season (or was it the season before?)

Could be a long tedious season if every race takes as long to get the riders lined up ready to start.

Bit in bold.....I am far from that! My comment was very tongue in cheek but he has put money in the sport and is trying to standardise it, which I assume is what all the Hearne wishers want If you think anyone would step into the sport a la Hearne and not tell riders what they can and can't do, frankly you are living in cloud cuckoo land

Why are we all surprised by his moronic statements? this is the guy who slagged off King's Lynn fans during last season's play-offs conveniently forgetting that they, like fans from every other speedway team, all generously donated to help him in his time of need after his accident. The guy obviously has to keep himself in the spotlight somehow so making crass statements is obviously his way of feeding his ego.

Harsh on Perks and Thomas in a Premiership meeting when they are CL and NL riders.

We will defo get better as the season goes on,,,, but could be a bit ropey early season. Shame peanuts wasn't there last night, cos I heard he was pretty awful p and p day. Pleased to see cam fit and looking fast.

Nothing wrong with that whatsoever.

I remember that meeting at Belle Vue - it was a double-header with Wolves and Oxford. We commented at the time how good it would be to have a reserve like Munkedal. The following year we had him and he was shocking. You'd have Hans Nielsen slowing down the whole race, by pinning the other two riders to the white line on the second bend in his trademark style, and Munkedal would turn the throttle off and stay at the back. Munkedal had some talent, but either lacked the belief or the desire.

If they can perform as well as they look, we should be in for an interesting season...…

Typical Pedersen manoeuvre. Never known him to be anything different.

The VAT is refundable so is irrelevant for a Ltd company to a certain extent so the figure without VAT is what is relevant. As has been said previously clubs have managed to do auctions to pay for the suits and actually turn a profit from it. Look professional, attract more sponsors AND make money - why would you not??

That's £5k with the VAT.. At circa £20 a punter it means you need to use 250 punters worth of admission money to cover it... Over a season would you gain/lose 250 punters by running with/not running with race suits.? Probably not I would think.. It's good to see clubs starting to look at their businesses as something more than a 'play thing' and trying to get them on a firmer footing.. And as has already been said, regularly one, two, three (and sometimes four and more), guests per meeting renders race suits an irrelevance anyway...

Getting-drunk...

Why ? What's wrong with speedway why are attendance levels such a secret ?Other sports are quite happy to let people know how many season tickets they've sold or how many people are at a particular match , so why should speedway be any different ?

Didn't like the yellow helmet covers though, difficult to tell apart from White - else my eyes are failing. Although I think ref was fooled in ht15 as I had 1st/2nd the other way around.

I’m sure Swindon fans are loving having sh!t stirrers on their thread.

What's the difference... someone is paying their wages... I have tradesmen with 1000 of pounds worth of tools and mechanical gear what they have to buy to carry out their trade.... their day job... on my site... if they want to use that at weekends or other jobs I can't dictate what they have on it but if it's my job my contract and my customers they are branded up to advertise my business not someone else's and if they don't like the well... oh hang on that's just what's happened... Regards THJ

Not sure I agree Mike I employ subcontractors on a self employed basis and they wear my livery on their vans, my logos on their hard hats, my hi vis jackets with my company name on, my uniforms on their backs... they are branded up as my employees whilst they are working for me as I am paying their wages after all... Why should I be dictated to? If I didn't have the work they wouldn't have a job... of course they could always go and work for someone else but you can't have the tail wagging the dog? Or can You? Regards THJ

Surprised Reading haven't approached Swindon about racing there due to locality, especially with the situation now where they will be running standalone meetings following training schools at Arlington.