Leaderboard

Hard bugger on the track in the 60's when riding for the Monarchs against the Diamonds. Always entertaining, and always talked about after every meeting. RIP Dougie. NB. Actually he once rode for the Diamonds. Any guesses when ?

It's a stronger team then they may have had just a couple of weeks ago. If riders dont perform they ll be replaced anyway. With 6 sides making the play offs any side going unbeaten at home will qualify regardless of away results unless they are very unlucky. Never like to see teams written off before a wheel is turned, it's not the strongest team on paper, but nothing is ever won on paper in speedway.

Newcastle fans have got their Xmas wishes ... a team to support in the 2020 season. many other fans out there that can only dream of being in their position .. Workington. Coventry, Oxford, Rye House , Lakeside, Reading, Bradford Good luck to the Diamonds for 2020. Can't afford another team lost to the History books.

So we save a whopping £1 on last years prices for second division speedway? Terrible. A more realistic price would be £14.

Copied and Pasted off the Berwick Rangers website: The Bandits made a formal request to widen the straights by 1 metre, which of course means narrowing the width of the Shielfield pitch. Currently 64 metres wide, the pitch would reduce to 62 metres, two metres wider than that required for Bronze Club Licence and six metres wider than Entry Licence.

Must admit Dave, I thought he looked ok and smooth enough on his skid at Brough, although a know its different with three other riders on it tho.

As long as they don't emulate his away form too......

2015, Jack Holder came in on 7 and made 7.1. There’s no real sign at the moment that Smetana or Skorja are in the same class as Holder or Kurtz. Still, I agree, it’s more exciting for Newcastle fans and the league generally that two new continentals are coming in rather than Ludwig Lindgren, Bjerre or Kus.

Now that the full team has been revealed, personally I would just like to go on record and say a massive thank you to every single member of the new promotion team, and Rob the new owner, for getting this show on the road for 2020. The future of Newcastle speedway was clearly in doubt just a matter of several weeks ago, and your combined efforts have made sure that Sunday evenings will continue at Brough well into the forseeable future we hope. The team already has its detractors and some who would detract from the drama of last night's Christmas party, but I'm sure the genuine supporters will come along and support this team even if we have to hold our breath in heats 13 and 15. I think we could well surprise one or two!

How about maybe just being pleased that someone involved in your sport has been recognised by the wider motorsport world?

Me! Thankyou so much to all who voted, genuinely shocked to have won.

Former Glasgow, Edinburgh and Berwick stalwart Dougie Templeton has sadly passed away. R.I.P. Dougie

The Kent Championship line-up is a sound mix of experience and youth. One cannot evaluate how the individual riders will fare at this stage therefore it is unfair of pundits on this forum to pick holes in individuals. I have over the years seen riders expected to perform well fall back on their averages as well as others who were not expected to do well over-perform. At this stage in my speedway life I am happy to see the lads out on track doing their utmost for the team and that can also be in the pits. Keep an open mind I suggest.

Thought a few years back there were big plans for the sport in Switzerland !!! What ever happened?

Every year at the Grand National, horses are killed for 'our entertainment'. Not much difference between this and greyhounds in my view.

I have been told that there is nothing planned this winter☹

Giving Berwick`s results this season that may not be a bad thing.

Maybe they are making the football pitch smaller, so that the players don't have to run as far.

Lets get a few facts straight... Birmingham is run by a Labour council, whose decision it was to demolish the flyover in Perry Barr. The driving force were Councillors from wards far away from Perry Barr, who paid no regard to the Liberal Councillors of Perry Barr or to the people of Perry Barr, nor to the objections of Walsall or Sandwell Councils. Such is democracy in a Socialist controlled City. Andy Street is a Tory Mayor of the WEST MIDLANDS, i.e. NOT Birmingham, He has no jurisdiction over Birmingham as was shown by the fact that his opposition to the demolition of the flyover counted for nothing. Labour policy is one of "the motorist is the enemy" and people need to be coerced into using more public transport in order to save the world, or at least to improve the air quality in the inner city where most Labour voters live. As has been said, it's going to be 25 months of hell in Perry Barr, the price that has to be paid for a better future.

Here’s the link, scroll down two thirds. He’s between Jordan Stewart and Lasse Bjerre. https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/polska-2-liga-zuzlowa/statystyki

True, but at least he didn’t have twenty lasts!

Don't know whether anyone has noticed but Dave has won this award again this year and been congratulated by Peter Oakes in Speedway Star. As well as his DVD and TV work Dave can be heard most weekends, commentating on a variety of motorsport, at various circuits and other venues around the country. Well done Dave and keep up the good work!

Those who have seen them, taking everything on and off track into consideration, recommend Zane Keleher over Matthew Gilmore.

Gilmore is under Craig Watsons wing... more than ready for the Championship.

Skorja had a few rides in Poland’s third division this year, 4 firsts, 4 seconds, 5 thirds, 5 lasts: Nick Skorja 4 matches 20 rides: 4 , 4 , 5, 5,

Surprised Palovaara has not been snapped up.Maybe doesn’t fancy UK.

I agree on the Bjerre front. Not sure what money being thrown at him but heard was a good offer. The big problem is WHAT could we get at 5 i.e a proven young Dane or Czech who showed what they can do in the World U21 Finals is one risk but an untried/unproven Young Dane is quite another. Suppose what a dead on 5 gives us is a choice from the proven N/L H/L such as Morley/Woods/Hume followed by Kinsley & Bowtell. The first 3 would in the main beat many/most of the N/L reserves named in Champ which along with Josh Mac would still give a decent reserve pairing. The last 2 named should at least beat as many as get beaten on any given week against these N/L riders. The other issue we have even if we wanted 2 Aussie reserves is that we would be 0.07 short for a 5 point assessed rider which is again frustrating but that's the rules.

Someone as temperamental as Lasse Bjerre is a big gamble ,seems to have upset a few at most Teams he has rode for.

Not sure he has the money for top engines. I also think he needs to take his parents out the equation. He needs someone to tell him the hard truths.

Impressive first signing.

Don't know if this has been said but Smetana rode in gp qualifier at Glasgow and scored 6 points and looked like would hold his own in most races. Good luck to the diamonds you still have a team to support, unlike me over on the west coast

On big fast continental tracks though, they will find the tighter tracks over here a bit more tricky certainly to begin with. Personally I rate Smetana and IMO he could become a very good scorer for Newcastle over the next few seasons.

TV companies wishing to show the Nice Polska league(plus Div 2 possibly) for 2020-2024 have until January 2nd to request the tender documents. It is now suggested that Polsat are again interested in showing speedway- maybe TVP also will want some of the action again. A decision is expected by the end of January. The PZM have already discussed, in the event of the TV companies not coming up with enough cash, the possibility of pay-per-view internet streaming.

Request sent

The 4G pitch is used almost every day.

Ha ha ha ha

Bad times for motorsport on the midlands with Birmingham Wheels being shut down on 31st January. The council set up charity owe, the council 600k, after the council imposed retrospective rent increases on it's own charity!!!! All the various motorsports and experience days are all paid up to date on thier rent etc and are all going to be homeless. There is some stipulation that if the businesses were viable (which they all are), then the council are obliged to find them an alternative site. In the unlikely event that this ever happened, I wonder if getting the speedway included into the new complex would be better logistically for the Brummies. As I say I am pretty sure I ve got more chance of a Nigerian prince phoning me about a lottery win then a new venue being found. But hey pipe dreams do happen some times.

I believe it's the season where he could kick on a bit in europe and I wonder if he will finish the season in the championship if regular Polish rides start to appear. We need a few more to make that extra step to start getting a few potential Tai woffindens up to speed Think Ellis is the most likely gp rider in line behind Lambert and Bewley. Then we have a cluster of teenagers whom if they progress at current rate are hopefully 2-3:years off making the jump too. If Ellis does do the full season, I d be surprised to see him top the averages in the league.

What are you mystic meg remember the diamonds almost didn’t make the tapes for 2020 great to see how positive you are. Maybe you could have purchased the club and put a better team together I guess we will never know

I hope we do get Cookie back. I think we need him. I was going to say as back up for Robert, but TBH there wasn't much in them last season. Unless Lambo can find his 2018 form, Lynn will be stuffed without Cookie.

THJ was not the one to "let the cat out of the bag". Yes, he gave us a story with anagrams incorporated of the riders, but it was another poster that solved the puzzle.

Credit to the promotion for this change and good to see the speedway and football clubs working together. Hopefully this will give the riders new lines and a chance at over taking, hopefully the actual track prep will change to as it seems over the last few seasons all the dirt is pilled up on the outside right from Ht1 and if that doesn't change you can have any track shape you like but alas the actual racing will see little change.

As someone says, the 'new' riders will give it 100% every race, unlike some of last seasons team. Diamonds fans will appreciate that. There is a massive potential in that team to improve averages, Ondrej. Nick, James and Max alone might put 1, 2 or 3 points on their starting averages, which is what Rob wants, average improving riders. Some are saying it's a poor team (one can't even spell rubbish correctly), without even seeing some of the riders ride, which is laughable in my view. I reckon we are going to surprise a few people next year, yes there a few 'if's' involved, but it only needs one or two of those 'if's' to fall in to place and that is not an impossibility.

How fickle some fans are,Dam if you do and dam if you do not.Also do not forget injuries play a part in most teams season.Well done the promotion and hopefully a good season and a mid table position would be a good start for future years.

If you look at the styles of both riders in some of their clips they can certainly ride big tracks. In most of their rides they are last, but only just and the opposition are usually world class and sometimes GP quality. The Czech rides the big tracks very tight which is a good sign, and George Stancl, who I believe will be in the pits with his fellow countryman, has said he can ride tight tracks very well. OIven where they are now, and who they regularly ride with, I don't see them being on 5 very long. Same goes for James W, who still rides grass tracks very well, and once he gets back to regular riding will not be at reserve for very long. That would be good news, but it would also use Rider of the Year Max to go down to reserve again and that will makes us about the strongest team in depth, with heats 13 ad 15 being our only weakness. It's great, and our history to bring on foreign riders bring them on for eventually to the world stage. As Fromafar has said above, we could've been stuck with riders getting on season after season, but it's more exciting that you know you are developing riders and watch them grow as riders. We already have that success with the Gems team, so why not for the DIamonds as well again. Breeding 4 World Champions has been very satisfying in the past, so let's see what we can do with our two latest riders. Great night tonight, the PTE was packed out with several new fans amongst us, along with a nearly sober team manager and owner who also supplied the buffet on offer. Things are looking good, and there is currently a great anticipation with the return of the DIamonds and everything that is happening at the moment. I thing most people would just like the season to start now. How things change Eh.

Rightly so, although horses are treated much much better and much tightly regulated than Greyhound Racing.

Taken off Facebook: BREAKING NEWS We can confirm that the Shielfield Park circuit will be adapted before the tapes go up in 2020! Co-owner Jamie Courtney has announced at tonight’s Christmas party that work will begin to widen the entrances & exits to the corners and widen the straights in the new year! We will bring you the full story over the weekend but this is a huge step forward for the club as we look forward to enjoying the fastest Speedway in the country with lots more possibilities for great racing.

I've no axe to grind but Poole are in the Premiership in 2019 and it is still 2019.

Indeed. If anyone is interested, that blog is connected to a Facebook page I run. It's called Continental Speedway and all are welcome to join. It has mostly Polish stuff, particularly livestreams of all televised matches - not the same type of links as provided on here, along with YouTube videos afterwards. Please note I'm not trying to pinch anyone from here, merely to provide an additional method for folk to follow leagues across Europe.