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Why on earth would anyone post this on a speedway forum? This forum is all the better for the many fans of defunct clubs who still follow GPs/Poland/Sweden/other clubs, but why bother coming on here when you've admitted to having no desire to attend another speedway meeting after a 15 year absence? I know your posts get a lot of stick on here so it should be expected, but this is just such a strange way of thinking.

Good to see the Bees back on track at Leicester on 11th April. I am sure there will be a large Coventry crowd to roar the lads on and be good see the team back on track albeit for one afternoon. Be good see Cov maybe do some more challenge fixtures when dates and riders are available to keep the name out there and show BE that there is support for the club and sport http://www.savecoventryspeedway.com/news.php?extend.4176

You would think he would be hot property then....

You could say the same about Nicholls Harris etc riding in the championship.....

And I was a fan at Coventry since the late 50s and he was the worst manager we had in my opinion

Ooh I'm so sorry forum police..I hadn't seen it mentioned..or I couldn't be bothered to sift through all the negative crap on here to find it.

Clearly, but based on firm evidence.....

Yes, sounds right to me. Anyway, I think we can say that Lionel Wills was the first domiciled Brit to ride proper speedway as we know it.

All is far from lost at Rye House. The Car Park has been completely re-laid with tiles (at a great expense) and there are major plans to work on the stadium. The fact is that the site is now owned by the Kart people and not got a Bellway sign up should tell you a lot.

Passed away 16 years ago today. RIP Les.

Kemp spent the majority of last season as a second string for Sheffield, so should definitely raise his average at reserve for the Eagles!

Hopefully Drew has got his confidence back after last season and will kick on this year. Jason is really a season behind the other 2 and hopefully will get nearer their level this year, although still think his bike control is amazing for someone so young and relatively inexperienced, don't think I've ever seen him out of shape. If the speed progresses he will be some rider as well.

Yet he wont shut up about how hard done by he is..

Yes you are right Steve, Wilson/Wyer came through the system from div two Reg at Worky Doug at Berwick.Then Bob Valentine came along he was a very good rider until he got injured can't remember how ?? hand gliding i think? he was never the same rider after that.

Ben Wilson

Will there be subtitles as personally I cant understand a word Havelock says. Must admit I find this a very odd decision.

Team GB enjoyed a good 50-39 win against Australia this morning in which Leon Flint scored 8+1.

Commercially there is a need to have big scorers to keep the team in the meeting, and to set an example to the youngsters . Youngsters thrashing around without guidance will take a lot longer to get where they want to be. If a group of youngsters are getting thrashed by full strength opponents at home, it doesn't please the home crowd who might withdraw their support as some fans insist on a victory whenever possible. Old hands can give advice with riding lines and bike preparation, and also give the give team a lift with their encouragement and experience.

Lewis Kerr.

Your opinion

I’m a Kent fan & you are spot on. I understand they are trying to work around both teams racing on a Wednesday but come on it don’t take a lot to let the fans no what’s going on even if no riders names are given out. I would take it that either the promotion don’t care about the NL team or don’t care about the supporters.

Time to move on though - the past is the past

Tungate won't be welcome at Foxhall anytime soon if the rumours going about are true, he done something to upset the Louis family the last time he rode at Ipswich, he seems to be another Rory Schlein anyway and moans a lot and always has a face like a smacked arse

I always remember Sheffield fielding a strong 1-7 during the early middle seventies but not necessarily an out an out number one. I recall Doug Wyer at reserve! Arnold Haley proved a trump card at Ipswich in 1974 when "The Tigers" won the first leg of the Final of the Knock Out Cup...super competition in my view and left many memories to look back on!

It does seem / feel strange from Kent. I fear for this level that there could be some riders signed up already and it has left hands tied with available points left over? I can't see Mulford anywhere other than Kent, Clouting likely also as looks strong value on a shade over 3. Can Jenkins & Kemp be without places likewise the ever present Spooner? If so the side might not possess the power of recent seasons and despite decent home advantage it could be a rel feeling of a 2nd side at Kent (TBC) this season.

Cant speculate but what has actually be done is impressive and the Kart track is kept very smart, so lets just hope we can get speedway back. There are people who have still not given up.

Thinking about it, maybe it wasn’t a coincidence Wills turned up in Western Australia, as I think by then Hoskins was also there. So maybe renewing acquaintances? And might explain why he was given as ‘the English rider’ instead of ‘an English rider’ if Hoskins had given the info to the press

Are you having a laugh main man advise him on everything he makes so many mistakes his self just ask brum fan's?

It was one hell of a achievement BOBBATH for Rick to quality from the 1967 West Ham British Final for the world final.In a way it was an equivalent of Martin Yeates qualifying from Coventry to the Overseas final at Belle Vue in 1984 the underdog prevailing Rick did achieve more though. Briggs 15, France, Mauger, Wilson. E.Boocock, Pratt ( did brilliant) qualified--- non qualifiers were Trigg, Ashby, Maidment, Betts, Hedge, Airey, Luckhurst, N.Boocock,Broadbank, Hunter great days.

Totally agree Steve that is why the core of the 2020 Robins team of Doyle,Batchelor,Jensen,Ellis, Perks is refreshing to see some sort of continuity from last season.

I was glad someone finally remembered to mention Rick France and Jim Lightfoot. I think I recall Boocock, France, Mountford and Lightfoot as the 3 or 4 heat leaders in 65-67. Clearly Nigel was the outstanding superstar-but lets not forget that Ron (62) Jim (63) and Rick (67) all made the World Final. How would other forumlanders rank those three???? - I think I would make it Rick, then Ron and then Jim. Pretty sure Ron and Rick worked together -a garage and repair shop maybe?. Ron was a tough customer -no question. I think he wore contact lenses. Jim I recall at the end of his career maybe riding for Long Eaton?. I attended the British Final in 1967 at West Ham where Rick qualified for the World Final-bit of an outsider to qualify I thought before the meeting. I would consider Rick as a Prov. league graduate. He advanced from West Ham at that British Final while more favoured riders e.g. Terry Betts did not. The 1967 British Final was a great meeting- a very warm evening as I recall-am sure maybe Norbold, Andoutt and Celticman could have been there. Of the Bees second strings mentioned I tended to think Col Cottrell was the best, I certainly recall Roger Hill starting out. I know that Ron Mountford has passed away, also that Rick France has been quite ill. Is Cap'n Jim still around? Think Col Cottrell has passed away-not sure re Roger Hill. The Bees were always great visitors to Somerton Park, Station Road Long Eaton and of course Leicester-always smartly turned out and always ready for a great night's racing- I think their closure was a tremendous loss to British speedway.

Didn’t Main Man advise him on everything including filling in is program for him, I know he never left his side during a meeting

Only applies to a race. Sometimes announcement of changes to a race lineup are not made in time or are indistinct. And lighting at some tracks is poor enough to make helmet colours hard to pick up.

If ever a man looked like a snake.....

Ron Mountford suffered a bad leg break early on in the 1968 season, which meant he missed all of the rest of that season and was never the same rider when he came back.

I know Chris Louis was keen to have it at Ipswich.

Poole

He's got a CL average above 4.00 and has a CL team place? Or am I misunderstanding the rules... If he is eligible... GET HIM SIGNED UP AS THE NUMBER 1 Forgot about Kelsey... Good shout, although if he's spannering for Nick and Nick is in Heat 15... It'll be a bit tight for Kelsey will it not? Wouldn't say 3.35 is a bargain, but he'd be a solid reserve imo... When was the last time he rode Brough? Don't recall him doing second halves? Dean is not ready imo... He should stick to the NJL for sure... No offence to him but it would be like Danny in the CL... In the deep end too soon, and he'd get nowhere

Honestly Kelsey Duggard must be a shoe in for the Gems; he is living in the North East now; will be swinging the spanner's for the Slovenian GP rider this season and comes in on a bargain 3.35 average. Also if you are looking to give local talent a go... Don't forget Dean Douglas... (No relation to Kieran) Regards THJ

Fantastic news for the promotion and the club on getting the British Under 21 championship final. The work put in behind the scenes fully justifies the MPA as one of the best venues for such great events. Roll on March.

Sweden's top division consists of nine teams again meaning some will take place on Thursdays.

Les Owen rode from 1957- 1973 for the Coventry Bees a real stalwart for the club which is nearly unheard of these days.I read that Les and Col Smith both used to turn up at the Brandon stadium and try to get a few laps in until the great Charles Ochiltree chucked them out.Mr Ochiltree told them both if they went through the right channels ( i.e.) the training school they would both be considered the rest is history.I know when you think of Coventry you think of the great Booey boy blue and rightly so and in later years Olsen/ Knudsen but LesOwen, Roger Hill, Ron Mountford, always make me remember that brilliant Coventry race jacket RIP Les.

Lambert all day long. Zero debate.

Newcastle Diamonds Official now launched on YouTube. Please subscribe!!

What like they did with Readings bid to race at Swindon, giving the NL another much needed team, exposure for a homeless club trying to increase interest with a view to finding a location for a new track while giving more NL opportunities for British youngsters??

Ahhhhhhh, those were the days.

In true BSF a pretty good thread has gone to the dogs. Shame.

Will Wolves make a pre-season change and replace Nicol with Nicholls?

Ooooohhhh, the anticipation

That would be crap. Can you imagine a sport that allows a few teams to have a massive spending advantage to buy the best players and thrash the poorer teams? It’d never catch on. Off to watch the football now.