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And so we come to speedways second biggest issue, fans that bury their heads in the sand, as long as its their team that benefit.

Was going to have Newcastle as my Championship team, after the positive impact Rob Grant has had on them. Now Plymouth have come into the league at late notice, & I'm impressed with their enthusiasm as well. Just hope that both teams get a full season with fans, for all the effort they have put in.

Totally agree I’ll just be pleased to get back in the stadium and watch some speedway, win or lose this year won’t be my main concern

It’s known as the Poole Syndrome Me too. Would be pretty annoyed and embarrassed if Lynn signed Bates or Bacon or some of the others on the list. I’ve no specific gripe with Sheffield directly but more with the decision making promoters collectively who have turned a great idea into a dogs dinner.

Not jealousy at all. Bates should be a PL rider in 2021 just not as a rising star. He is experienced and talented enough to have a place in the main body (certainly No6 at least) of any of the teams this coming season The fact that he was included on the list is just a continuation of all that has plagued speedway in terms of self interest and manipulation for too long now Worry doesnt come into it as victory is close to meaningless anyway so good luck to you if you win the league as your victory will be hollower that a cheap non brand Eater egg

Newcastle and Plymouth have the odds seriously stacked against them i think both have done remarkably in assembling teams to be competitive i,m with you pp Plymouth my team then I will be rooting for the diamonds!

Looks like rye house on a hot bank holiday Monday

Looks a bit slick on the inside...

Palin is one of a few riders that looks extremely promising for the UK future.

Fair call. My local supermarket has designated aisles for Polish, Asian & Gluten Free foods. I'm told if you use the Polish aisle you can only then go in one of the other aisles.

Think this season isn’t totally about assembling the strongest team possible it’s equally important to get the season started hopefully in May but in my opinion May is too early and more likely 1st July but the most important thing is to get riders on the tracks and fans in the stadiums team’s strength isn’t the be all and end all in 2021 build towards March 2022 .

there sounds like a lot of jealousy on here over our signing of josh, and i dont think he should of been included on the rising star list, but somehow he was,and hes now in our 7, so let the moaners moan cos it sounds like we have em all worried.

If Queen Nicola has her way the English will have to quarantine for 14 days in Edinburgh or Glasgow before they can race their fixtures

They are doing brilliantly so far!

Thanks for the explanation both. We know we can’t rely on the BSPA to be clear on rule or procedure.

Questions & Answers: Having a brief review of feedback on social media, always a good barometer, I selected the below as my pick of the day! 'The pictures of the shale being laid at Bradford is one of the best sights seen anywhere this side of 1997. According to Steve Rees, it's proper red shale. Only the best for Odsal. And top track curator, Andy Meredith is overseeing the operation. '' I have also read with interests 'expert views' on how a track should be laid, but didn't recognise any of the names as experienced track curators so perhaps for the layman, a few words of 'how it works'! 1. First and foremost is drainage, and Odsal has an extremely efficient Dutch drain system with pumps, some reparations have been done in servicing and cleaning the system and getting water away is key, and the efficacy of the system was thoroughly tested last month with heavy rain and deep snow and thaw - Drainage is key! 2. How you lay the track is first down to procuring the right material - and 6 months went into this. There is no exact science as the terminoligy of what is 'shale' is a misnoma as basically it is a waste by product from quarrying / extraction. At some point brick kilns were a source of bi product mixed with clay and other aggregates hence the 'redness' but most product used is either mixed with a clay content or granite percentage. Clay can come white or black. 'Red' shale has become increasingly difficult to source, one of the biggest suppliers, Breedon in Leicestershire effectively ran out as the seam became unproductive and curators have had to become more ingenuous and look at different solutions and more latterly a lot of material has been 'grey' - After looking at several types of material my experienced track man concluded that what we are using is amongst the 'best' available and with the right proportion of clay mix - All tracks are different, for example, for exclusively speedway, they can be of a lighter construction and composition however for sharing with cars as the surface may be more robust. 'Experts' try and compare the UK with the how the US build dirt tracks which is an entirely different scenario. Tracks are bigger, wider, different wheel dynamics [ F1's are not Sprint cars on wide wheels - god forbid they ever become that, tyres are currently a major issue in track wear] and most tracks are Clay based to a reasonable depth. That is because of size,shape, racing dynamics and hot temperatures typically as during the week tracks are harrowed deep and 'flooded' to hold the water and the water tyre packed in. When it rains in the US quite simply meetings are 'rained out' - UK has different dynamics, sizes and needs and bikes needs to slide and not suddenly 'grip' so comparison is odious. Picking up too much grip in the wrong place has serious consequences for a man on a bike with no brakes! 3. Every track is different as to how it is constructed and it's base - In Bradfords case, we are building a clay/shale base to be durable to around 6 inches [ deeper on the corners as you go out ] and as the tarmac itself has degraded over years, it is beneficial that is abrasive enough to 'grip' - we hope! Some tracks are built on different levels of aggregate. In this country with unpredictable weather too much depth of shale can also be an issue in wet weather and create it's own problems. 4. The first job in laying a new track is getting the material to site, a huge logistical [ and costly ] experience, haulage by far the biggest cost and, it has to come over a number of days - and then be laid. As in the update photos from Odsal, the first job is to spread the shale around as it arrives as vehicle movement to unload is a big planning consideration and for this we have two machines on site - again, not cheap, to lay it, pack it in and eventually, with the excavator fitted with a grader bar, to level it out to an even spread. Effectively by mid next week, that is it the, initial work done to lay the track, but not the last! We had heavy rain last night and we are supremely pleased with how the material handled it. When this part finishes, between then and opening another 300 tonnes of 'lighter material' will be added to further build it up and then it will be graded back and forth to 'mix' it and tyre pack it in and that process will continue until we open and thereafter. We cannot expect perfection day one, weather is a bigger factor as is 'settling down' the track which in itself takes time. Fingers crossed it's about the 3 P's - People, Product and Process - we have attempted to get those right as part of the other P - planning! We always welcome feedback and if any is useful and helpful and the individual has the proven 'street cred' in prep work, we will welcome them on the team, more experienced hands make light work! Some comments have questioned why did we not paint the fence first and the direct answer to that is that it is primed and greased, it will be the last job we do to spray and paint it after all the 'mucky' work is done - It will always oxidise but at 10mm thick is not going to rust away! and the track side will for appearance require a refresh after every meeting as one of the downsides of shale!!!! Hence, one of last jobs to be done Hope answers some feedback.

Young lads being used and abused yet again to bring costs down, hidden under the cover of we care about young British speedway riders!! But..Josh Bates a rising star? Do me a favour, Hes been around for years. Theres hope for Wilko and Geoff Pusey yet!!

The old gentleman's agreement maybe...

I think your right, I believe speedway in the UK has to take a couple of steps backward to be able to move forward to stand a chance of survival. Semi professional / amateur riders with weekend racing where possible I think would be a good starting point. A professional league with there super fast expensive laydown bikes and the rest on upright machines and before anyone says another bike is more expense remember many riders today have 3 or 4 bikes to run and maintain back in the 60 /70s most riders had one upright machine that they used and kept going for a full season. I wait to be shot down by some.

An absolute farce of a system in my opinion. Bates has been around far too long to be even considered in a system like this but isn't his Dad or Uncle part of the BSPA? Say no more. What could of been a superb program for British Speedway now has been made to look a laughing stock. And who the hell came up with the name "Rising Star"? Dear god.

It was never 3. The intention was there initially, but ultimately he never owned Ipswich. Buster owns Kings Lynn and Peterborough.

Me to,,,,, I want our sport to be credible, and not the laughing stock it always seems to end up being. And anyone that knows me, knows I will always question my promotion when I think something dodgy may be going on.

I can’t and won’t speak for Baldyman or anyone else for that matter, but personally speaking, I would have EXACTLY the same opinion as I do now if it benefited Ipswich and would be on here stating my displeasure. Not everyone is the same obviously!

I'd think the main problem is that the UK government has proved totally inconsistent and unreliable when it comes to deciding something. We were all told that 'Christmas wasn't cancelled' and everyone made plans, only for that to be changed a couple of days before. Same with the schools 'definitely opening' and then being closed one day later... Even the whole story about the vaccine is inconsistent and has changed several times, with one minister saying one thing and another saying another. What sensible business is going to plan events that rely on spectators - with the inherent costs that entails - in this climate? If I were speedway, which is pretty much totally reliant on spectators for its income, I wouldn't even be bothering to try to run this season.

The tracks were similar to each other in size at just under 100 yards per lap. Specially produced 175cc machines were used. Much slower than outdoor speedway, with times around 50 seconds for 4 laps. Some of the races were very eventful, with riders bouncing off the fence and going sideways on the straights. In one race with only 3 finishers the third placed rider fell and carried his bike, rather than pushed, for the point. As with the Telford meetings in later years, it was a welcome speedway fix during the winter months. Arthur Browning adapted really well and was one of the leading exponents.

The 2 riders you mention-Lee & Lambert are totally different gravy. Riders like that don't come along very often

Nobody knows what happened here but at the end of the day there's always conséquence for actions. If I owned King's Lynn & a rider decides somewhere else is better for progressing his career, they'd 100% be my last choice for a team place every time. King's Lynn have chosen a rider that reaaaaally wants to be there.

Trouble is its only a matter of time before he punches a brick wall and misses half the season with a broken hand...

No problem at all, unless a family member (say an uncle) was a member of the management committee. Oh whoops!

Meanwhile at Sheffield the 1-6 can learn from former GP rider Josh Bates

Very conveniently Bates was 25 on Feb 1st...... has a Prem ave just under 5.50 ......and a Champ ave just under 6.50 ........ Is everyone getting it yet....... Looks like the criteria were written using the Bates career bio as a template

Fan-Dabi-Double-Dozi!!!

Maybe we should be promoting the virtues of speedway to the 'gluten free community'

In Kelvin Tatum's book he mentioned the 'demographic change' in the East End of London that he felt meant the crowds were never going to be enough to keep the sport going at Hackney... Since then, the demographic make up of the whole of Greater London has become even more hugely diverse... Similar to a great many city centres in 'Speedway places' such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and Wolverhampton for example.. And 'ex Speedway places' like Bradford.. Getting those ethnic minority communities who now live practically on the 'doorstep' of several tracks (some actually being the majority ethnicity in that area around the track), to take interest in the sport has to be a huge opportunity for UK Speedway.... We have a shop in Bradford that has 20,000 customers a week with over 90% of them who class themselves as 'Asian'... Guess what? We target them by offering a large range of goods that they want, and also provide offers on their 'staple purchases'... Speedway should try and engage these communities as a key part of their strategy in certain places...

Isn't that the rule they use in America for their draft system, not sure they are classed world wide as a joke

What about the”young lad” Cuthbert at Glasgow

So, with Sheffield having first choice as the new boys & final 2019 standings, in reverse order, being the other, another rule made up that makes our beloved sport a joke to others. (although footballs offside & VAR take some beating).

Bjarne has 2 teams in UK 1 team in Denmark with limited amount of fixtures,his UK teams will give him alot more meetings so I would guess if current travel restrictions remain he will base himself over here.

You could have said that was the case all along, but that hasn't prevented the country from being locked down under the guise of 'protecting the NHS' (which actually is a legitimate consideration). Whilst that philosophy remains and the government's scientific's advisors continue to predict doom, I don't see a lot changing until much later this year.

Never understood Wilson he was a good solid fast rider without needing to be over the top .

There's loads of them on the list. And on the basis that the whole idea is to encourage the progression of more young UK riders it seems obvious that you'll pick an available rising star from the list while your star is injured. So yes, it'll definitely be guests and Jordan Palin will have ridden for every CL team by the end of May

So is "being related to one of the directors of BSP Ltd" one of the criteria?

The rising stars signings for the Premiership clubs makes sense in most cases, but with no dis-respect to the riders intended, how on earth Josh Bates and Tom Bacon can be described as rising stars is beyond me. They have clubs yet someone like Leon Flint is left on the sidelines.

Amongst the last that those of my vintage that we can relate to as Speedway as we first knew it

We have more categories to come fallen star,shooting star and wandering star

That’s incorrect - Jordan stood next to no chance of avoiding Garry Stead, due to the way Stead bounced back off the fence right into Jordan’s path.

From 31.5.84, Sheffield v. Halifax Junior KO Cup Sheffield 1) Rod Fidler 3 2 0 0 2 = 7, 2) Rob Manchester 0 0 0 = 0, 3) Jamie Young 3 3 3 1 3 =13, 4) Mark Hepworth 0 2+1 0 1+1 = 3+2, 5) John Walmsley 1+1 2 1+1 3 3 = 10+2, 6) Peter McNamara 2 2 3 F = 7. Halifax 1) Peter Clegg bt 0 1+1 2 = 3+1, 2) David Clay 1+1 3 3 2 3 + 12+1, 3) Gary Clegg 2 1 ef X2mins ef = 3, 4) Lee Edwards x2mins 0 3 1+1 1+1 = = 5+2, 5) Gordon Whittaker 2 3 2 2 2 =11, 6) Jim Graham 1+1 1 1 0 fx = 3+1 Ht.1 : Fidler, Whittaker, Graham, Hepworth, P.Clegg bt exc, Edwards x 2min 3-3 70.0 Ht.2 : Young, G.Clegg, Clay, Manchester 3-3 69.0 Ht.3 : Whittaker, Fidler, Walmsley, P.Clegg 3-3 89.8 Ht.4 : Clay, McNama, Graham, Mancheser 2-4 68.9 Ht.5 : Young, Hepworth, G.Clegg, Edwards 5-1 69.7 Ht.6 : Clay, Walmsley, Graham, Fidler 2-4 69.7 Ht.7 : Edwards, McNamara, Walmsley, G.Clegg (ef) 3-3 69.8 Ht.8 : Young, Whittaker, P.Clegg, Hepworth 3-3 69.4 Ht.9 : Walmsley, Whittaker, Edwards, Fidler, G.Clegg (X, 2 mins) 3-3 69.7 Ht.10 : McNamara, Clay, Young, Graham 4-2 69.0 Ht.11 : Walmsley, Whittaker, McNamara (f), Graham (f.exc) 3-2 68.7 Ht.12 : Clay, Fidler, Hepworth, G.Clegg (ef) 3-3 68.5 Ht.13 : Young, P.Clegg, Edwards, Manchester 3-3 69.9

The heat times from my programme from the Halifax v Sheffield meeting on 28.5.85 are : Ht.1 : 68.4, Ht.2 : 70.6, Ht.3 68.2, Ht.4 71.0, Ht.5 69.5, Ht.6 68.8. Ht.7 68.1, Ht.8 70.2, Ht.9 68.7, Ht.10 71.4, Ht.11 69.8. Ht.12 71.3, Ht.13 69.3. In the second half they were Ht.1 71.1 (2nd place 72.0), Ht.2 69.7 (2nd place 71.0), Ht.3 69.8 (2nd place 71.0). Unfortunately I have no time recoreded in the final (maybe awarded as there was a faller?)

Was Anders Rowe ready? Was Leon Flint ready? If they're good enough, they're old enough.

Fair call. I would put a speedway track next to the house builders' chairman that shut Cradley.... and I'm a Wolves fan!