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I’m sorry but does Hans have to have 4 rides? If not Carl Johnson needs to take some of the blame for the poor end to the meeting. Because if Summers was going to go in heat 14, which he did, why did Hans go out in heat 13, we knew before heat 13 that Summers was out in heat 14 yet had not ridden since heat 7. So the track was going to be completely different to then, surely common sense for a team manager is to replace a rider who is so obviously off the pace with a rider, who was going well in the beginning of the meeting, therefore giving them a better chance in heat 14 by having a run out in the heat before?

I agree, not an outstanding meeting by the standards of the NSS but still some decent racing. The crowd was better than I feared considering the United match and the very cold weather. It's one of those meetings that we never looked like losing. To me the highlight was to watch Dan Bewley showing that he is well on the way to being able to carry on where he left off after his serious injuries last season. He had three wins, good race times and didn't back out of a tight first bend. Lidsey showed enough in his first meeting at the NSS for us to see what a talent he is and Bradley Wilson Dean was impressive for Peterborough.

100% spot on there.

Just as well they didn’t last year - all those suits would have bankrupted them

Harris was probably shipped out by bluster to strengthen one of his other clubs ipswich. No conflict of intrests though.

All going well in Buster's Pantherland then? As Blackadder said " Well it started badly, it tailed off a little in the middle & the less said about the end the better ... "

My point is this team is not good enough..and Johnson was suggesting we are..which I disagree with.

What like they smashed Lynn tonight

You’ve been spouting the same rubbish for weeks now - time to take off those rose-tinted glasses!

It was 2008 when speedway began its current decline. Before that is was having something of a minor revival, with radio 5 even running a report on how Speedway had become "cool" at one point. Then, with crowds relatively healthy, the introduced low points limits and "cost cutting" measures time after time, and each time they did it the crowds dropped. So, each time the crowds dropped, they did it again. So they dropped again. It always amazes me when people say that the future is about cost cutting. That is what caused the trouble in the first place.

He might even have had a pay rise !

Looks like Hans may have more that 1 night to forget, possibly a season.....

Hope your internet goes down for a while

I very much doubt we will have any "extra" points to play with by the end of June so will have to exchange (if we wish) like for like. Anybody who is under 40 is going to be bottom of the table by a long way

Maybe the topic heading should be Leicester Track Best It's Ever Been!

i think your timeline is a little skewed it was well into the 2000’s before the top boys all upped and left. To illustrate here’s a list of a few riders that rode in the elite league in 2005: tony rickardsson, Chris Louis, hans Andersen, Leigh adams, Ryan Sullivan, Antonio Lindback, Pepe Protasiewicz, Billy Hamill, Greg Hancock, Jason crump, Nicki Pedersen, lee Richardson, Scott Nicholls, Sebastian ulamek, Greg Walasek, Freddie Lindgren, Peter Karlsson, Michael max, ales & Lukas Dryml, Mark Loram, Andreas Jonsson, Kenneth Bjerre, Joe screen, David norris, Chris Harris, Kris kascperzak, many others that arguably worth a mention, Troy Batchelor, Matej Ferjan, Jason Lyons, Mads Korneliussen, Martin Smolinski my memories of the late 90’s as a witches fan is the team of 98 - gollob, rickardsson, Louis, Svab, nicholls & clouting!

Same thoughts struck me... I have a fairly decent salary but not sure I could afford (or justify) £100+ per month for four Speedway meetings out of my disposable income, with the inevitable teenage requests for food and drink on top! There are so many other costs these days that have to come first.. Kids aged 13 - 16 are conspicuous by their absence at a great many tracks, maybe charging for them to get in also dissuades parents to attend who otherwise might go if their teenagers got in for free? Use free admission for their teenage kids as a 'loss leader', as let's be honest you don't see many teenagers now at many tracks so hardly a huge income loss... Do those who let teenagers in for free now I wonder see a reasonable amount of them there? Someone needs to replace the ageing demographic over the next ten years or so..

Who next Ben Hopwood? Don't get me wrong Phillips has had far more time at this level than many riders ever get and still shows no signs of making the step up but if a change is going to be made i would at least suggest a rider who could become a real asset but the ship has sailed on the majority like Jason Edwards etc. Luke Harris is a fair shout although also still a little too early. Would think the best opportunity is Jordan Jenkins as suggested and as a wild card i would say Danyon Hume would be a better option than Simon Lambert. However at present the diamonds issues are far bigger than who fills the number 7 jacket.

20 years ago there were many more clubs, league fixtures and at least 50% more regular paying supporters on the UK terraces, so I am not quite sure what the better shape is. Thinner? It isn't better quality racing, not from where I have been standing anyway. As for a Barry Hearne type figure, I can't think anyone would appear as there is no way to make promoting UK speedway profitable again. Is it Buster Chapman, when he increases his ownership to 8 - 10 clubs? Do you know, although I do not like his operating methods, he could be the saviour by cutting down costs and increasing the likelihood of semi-pro racing here if he did increase his holdings? No-one else is likely to do anything like that unless some 70 year old diehard fan wins £100 million on the Euro lottery and wants to blow it on wine, women ( or men ), song and speedway. Instead of doing something useful with it!

When the fixture mattered, in what was the biggest match of the Stars long history, we still succumbed to 4 consecutive 5-1 's and later trailed by 18 points . Now, in a match of little importance , and already 10 points adrift, this has to be the most uninspiring match possible... If you could think of reasons why this sport is in such low interest , this match highlights them all. I will be most surprised it the Pirates don't rattle up 60 points, at least....

I'd assume the licence that Horton held is no more which means one less hurdle to cross if we ever get a track to ride on.

After reading season preview in speedway star, Mr cammy knickers wants Tigger's to have more luck this year !! Think last year you were beat by a better team !! Now thinking Berwick side this year resembles that better team from last year, good luck bandits in Tigger land. By the way just over 1 week to cookies testimonial any riders known yet ? Got my h18tory tee shirt to wear next week !!

Andersen is done at the top level. He won’t win the big races when you need him. Solid 3rd heatleader these days. Tungate performed better than he will elsewhere as a number 1 given the track he was on tonight. I’d keep summers, let Barker go and get a proper number 1. Then becomes a much better team.

I think this is the best race I've seen for a while (I know it's off topic for this thread) Partly because it's a hell of a race, partly because it's a match winning race and mostly because Chris Holder finished at the back ...Oh, how I would love to live in Poland...

Weather is set fair for tomorrow. Both teams full strengths. Kings Lynn need to make up a ten point deficit from the first leg. Can they do it? Poole have their first meeting of the season and Holder, Busk-Jackobsen and Covatti need time to settle into their new track. Pirates could be vulnerable if Lynn fire on all cylinders. Will it happen? Will it hell. Poole easy winners.

So many people want riders sacked after just 2 or 3 meetings. Its ridiculous to manage that way, all riders must get a fair chance of 10 meetings minimum. The team won. The league hasn't started.

Boro reserves 17 wolves 4

Good on Kasper! unexpected result with Poole looking iffy at home.

And the Poole unbeaten home record lasts ............. about 90 minutes

Hans Anderson 0,0,0,0 WTF!?

He is clearly in the majority regarding speedway non attendees......A laal town like Workington had a high percentage pro rata re population who used to follow the Comets, I base this on the comments re Belle Vue on Wednesday. Because I was just amazed to read on the Premiership area of this forum stuff regarding Belle Vue attendances....it seems only around 700/800 turned up on Wednesday night...an obvious clash with local top soccer match would have certainly affected that figure. But what really astounded me was a guy writing "we didn't manage our usual 1800".....blimey usual 1800????.. this is for speedways most famous team in a brand new(ish) stadium....and held in the UK's third largest city to boot. It just, if ever needed, confirms speedway is in rapid decline. I can recall going to the old Hyde rd. stadium and being sat amidst 10,000 fans, but never less than 2,000.... ....oh by the way great to see that young Dan is on the way back to top form. And another 'by the way'....I see on the Town RL forum talk regarding the upcoming Allerdale council elections...it is apparently feared that if Labour do not gain the overall majority of seats on the council the 'new stadium project' could be seriously hindered by the Cons' and Independents....

No it doesn`t matter but its one of the reasons Speedway is on a downward spiral. It portrays a poor image.

For me Chris is still one of the top 5 riders in the world on natural ability. It's always been the other bits that have let him down. On Ability he's the best rider in this league bar none. The more he can involve people like Matt Read in his backroom staff the more his results will improve.

LOL...not sure why I made the comment about 'Gate 1' ? (being a dipstick...) just feeling sorry for the boys They tried their best and that's all you can ask !

Pretty much spot on except that Ben Wilson will be donning his finest tunic & sandals this year as a Plymouth Gladiator.

Honestly Ben Wilson at 33 and not rode since "who can remember when" will be on an average of about 4.50 pints a night if he has any sense sitting in his carpet slippers; dressing gown and smoking his pipe each evening filled with a good rough shag!!!! (isn't that right Bill) Nothing will happen team wise I would suggest (unless possibly a bad injury or "Force Majeure" is inflicted on the team) until the 30th of June when the following rule kicks in 18.6.4 A Championship declaration must not exceed 38.00 points in any declaration following the issue of established CMA’s for 2019, thereafter from 30th June must not exceed 40.00, except where the MA of the introduced rider is equal to, or lower than the rider being replaced. Once the above date arrives it gives greater scope to amend the team and if current averages were the averages on that day then I would suggest the vulnerable rider (in this make believe scenario) would be Simon Lambert as I can not see young Phillips getting the chop (if he was to go it would have to be of his own volition and his own decision) So.... NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS Starting Ave 2.5% Red (if app) Current Ave 2.5% Red (if app) 1 Steve Worrall 8.17 7.97 8.21 8.01 2 Thomas Jorgensen 7.66 7.66 7.59 7.59 3 Lasse Bjerre 7.08 7.08 7.01 7.01 4 Matthew Wethers 5.78 5.78 5.88 5.88 5 Simon Lambert 4.45 4.34 4.15 4.05 6 Max Clegg 3.25 3.17 3.11 3.03 7 Danny Phillips 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 Total: 38.39 38.00 37.95 37.57 So if the current rolling averages above of today 11/04/19 were actually those on the 30/06/2019 by dropping Lambert you would have 6.64 for a Brit and 6.48 for a foreign rider; so it is crazy to start talking about changing team members this early in the season as it just will not happen. Furthermore; if say the two Danes and Steve W got their acts together each could add a near point each on their averages reducing the figures above available to replace a rider; by nearly 3 points so it is all speculation, Lambert could drop into reserve and start banging in double figure scores, Who Knows it is all speculation, The averages will change at the end of April; May and June and as stated who knows now what they will look like. All of the riders could loose a point off their average the way they are going and we could bring in Freddy Lindgren if he doesn't get a GP wild card and finally if my Aunt grew a pair she will become my Uncle One thing is; it is all speculation; and the potential options and permutations open to the promotion could be endless; and it wont be an easy task for them and the numbers will ultimately dictate the options available. Like many often state on here nothing in Speedway is straight forward however these type of conundrums are the ones most like to ponder. You cant beat a bit of speculation and mine is Bradley Wilson Dean who would come in on a 6 point average (might as well pinch another rider Workington would have had) and poor old Simon Lambert to get the chop. If today was tomorrow that is; however; and hopefully Simon proves everyone wrong and ups his average by a point or three (as opposed to two). If we ended up with a 7 point difference by dropping someone as Sings4Speedway points out an asset would be good and that could bring in a potential new Dane "Who Knows" So instead of talking about changes back the team to the hilt and hopefully they can pull things around themselves sooner rather than later; however as stated it is early days yet that's for sure So another quite day at work (doh!!!) roll on Easter and all the clients have there budgets sorted for 2019 and start spending money and stop using Brexit as an excuse not to spend Regards THJ

Yep but you can't blame buster for what he did even if did bugger panthers up

Very alarming that the top spot is occupied by two teams who are not top flight. Plus a NL in third is equally disturbing. In fact throughout the list there is little to suggest that admission prices/attitudes reflect the levels teams compete at. It has to be said that everything for the £18 bracket down "seems" reasonable and extra credits to those who admit under 16's foc. Certainly not shocked to see IOW as one of the best yet again.

Our glory days are over - for the foreseeable future ( 10 -15 years at least ). The huge challenge is to survive for the next 10 years and keep 70% of the current clubs running. Journeyman riders are expecting and getting far too much for doubling up and that is not the future because the on-track racing value has so diminished. Major structural changes will have to be made to costs and what is offered up as racing entertainment before the tide of falling attendances turns ( it is can be turned). Riders, like all of us, will go on taking what they can squeeze out of promoters, that is human nature. Even Tai Woffinden riding regularly here for a UK team would make no difference after the first few meetings. I am someone who would love to see him do that but he could not pull in enough new fans to make it viable.

Would you see Wright shepherd round Atkins for his first win and talking to youngsters in the pits. Doubt it tbh.

Likewise, especially at reserve. Cant think who would have tapes problems!!

Yes Jack Holder and Covatti don’t know the Poole track lol. That’s the same Nico Covatti who got paid 8 points twice last season from number 3 yet is now a reserve ..... can’t see him struggling. Poole to hit 60 or they won’t be as good as Ipswich

I'm just going to paste amazing races now Enjoy... R.I.P Tomasz <3 What a lovely memory

Here’s a few minutes footage I took this evening of the riders having a practise session.

I would suggest the 'natural level' of the attendances you can get determines what league you race in rather than the standard of riders in view... Somerset and Leicester for example, are for me traditional 2nd tier teams... Both have recently had a dalliance with the top league and decided that they couldn't justify paying out for a higher level of rider as their crowds didnt increase sufficiently (or maybe even at all), to cover their costs.. Every team has its 'natural level' and it is quite pertinent that teams always need their 'arms twisting' to come up, such is the risk their crowds won't increase, and their lack of belief and confidence that increased crowds will happen... I actually think the Aces for example would still get 1300 - 1600 or so on a Satuday night charging circa £15, riding at a '2nd tier' level as that is their 'natural crowd' level.. Clubs such as Poole, KL, Swindon, and Wolverhampton are all for me similar to the Aces in that they will get 'the best crowds in Britain' regardless of whether 'World Class' talent is on show or not, (as long as they are allowed to ride on any night that is best for them)... Hence the top tier is the 'natural position' of these teams... Most teams who average 800 - 1000 are therefore naturally 2nd tier, and regardless of who gets brought in, their crowds will pretty much stay that way I reckon..

That's a very childish remark

If your No 1 and leader is going well it inspires confidence. It also allows him to perhaps spend more time encouraging and passing tips on to other riders. If things are going badly, he'll have his own problems to deal with and the rest of the team can be somewhat rudderless. That's basics surely!

Fair play to Paco - I was quite blunt about his inclusion. Two good wins in the first meeting is already more than I expected he would get in the first month He is a great character and if he continues to add a few decent point hauls to that would certainly justify his place I wouldnt be unhappy to be proved wrong!

Just thought I'd have a quick look to see how Swindon's new stadium was coming along, but I seem to have stumbled onto a Belle Vue slanging match thread.

Blimey, one challenge match and you want Ulrich out already! Nothing like giving a guy a chance!