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If they were stopped from signing someone because of Poland, and no other immediate options who would blame them. Don't think a certain neighbour up the coast and countless other teams would have given it a second thought not to do the same.

Hope no ones playing the fiddle when in Rome ? ( one for the historians....)

Saw this morning that all tickets gone for Oxford opener. Fabulous news. Obviously will some there for the occasion and wont be regulars but hope they can keep a big proportion of them. Off to a good start and hoping they have a great night. I've missed out!

Yep he certainly seemed to have flatlined against Premiership Panthers on Wednesday!! - Not!! 7+1 beating Ostergaard and MPT too!

And no one wants to be wasting energy from today

I think its a rumour one of them heard. I wouldn't worry until its something to worry about, it's wasted energy until then.

Whilst this is what the majority of us purists want, the reverse is that the Glasgow promotion have significantly increased its attendance (certainly pre-pandemic) by having entertainment during the interval mostly aimed at kids. Having this means kids bug their parents to go and there are far more youngsters at ashfield regularly than I've seen at any other track. And while I have my issues with it and can extend the meeting beyond 2 hours often, the long term goal is to get kids interested and more people through the gates so you stomach it.

I think Brummie fans might need to lower their expectations of Auty, his 7 point average is inflated by his exceptional Scunny form, realistically he's a 6point man. Don't forget when Scunny got rid of him last season he was a bit down on speed and its hard to test equipment in practice. In all the time he rode for Scunny there was never any lack of effort or entertainment from him.

You won't find anyone who rode for him, having a a bad word said against him, he backed his Riders 100%, the BSPA thought he was easy pickings, like most new Promoters, they treat them like a meal ticket. Trouble was, he was far, far smarter than them all put together, they called his bluff one to many times and lived to regret it. Always remember the night Tatum was trying to get the meeting called off, as it was pretty damp, after a couple of track inspections, and a big pit meeting, Sandhu walked in the pits, explained to everyone that if the meeting was called off, Speedway would end for good there and then, end of conversation, Kelvin sulked, Bees won and crowd loved it.

Leicester may not have the best race track in the UK (there can only be one of them) but a more accurate statement would be "people always use to say it is the shape that causes the problems" - Given the changes made over the past few years to the shape, length and banking of the track , the only folk who now continue to cite the track as "poor" or "wrong" are those who have not attended a Leicester meeting in recent times or expect something which frankly speedway never deliver's anywhere - ever - i.e. 4 laps of racing with many multiple passes in all races. Meanwhile those who have attended meetings at Leicester will have seen comparable racing/passes to that seen at most UK tracks and not just for the front two places but also for the minor (but just as important) third place.

Opening meeting SOLD OUT

R and R Bookmakers the worlds top Speedway Bookmaker !!! are placed to announce the 2022 Beat the Bookie competition. This is the 10th year of the competition(where has the time gone !!) and again there is a prize for the winner. Nicely spread out this season from April to October(November if Australia takes place) I will post the spread for round 1 in Gorican on April 30th when the wildcard is confirmed and i have studied some Polish league form !!! For the 3rd year the spread is now under the new scoring rules 1st 20 2nd 18 3rd 16 4th 14 5th 12 6th 11 7th 10 8th 9 9th 8 10th 7 11th 6 12th 5 13th 4 14th 3 15th 2 16th 1 Positions 1st to 4th in the Final Meeting Classification will be according to the result of the Final (Heat 23). Positions 5th to 8th in the Final Meeting Classification will be according to the results from the Semi Finals (Heat 21 & 22). The 2 Riders who finish 3rd in each of the Semi Finals will be 5th and 6th in the Final Meeting Classification, with the higher ranked rider from Intermediate Classification 5th and the lower ranked rider 6th . This rule will apply if both riders complete, or fail to complete the Semi Final. If only one of these riders fail to complete the Semi Final for any reason, he will be placed 6th in the final meeting classification. The 2 Riders who finish 4th in each of the Semi Finals will be 7th and 8th in the Final Meeting Classification, with the higher ranked rider from FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship Intermediate Classification 7th and the lower ranked rider 8th . This rule will apply if both riders complete, or fail to complete the Semi Final. If only one of these riders fail to complete the Semi Final for any reason, he will be placed 8th in the final meeting classification. Positions 9th to 18th will be according to the Intermediate Classification after 20 heats. The start amount is £500 with the maximum bet per GP still set at £200.- minimum bet per GP is £50 minimum bet per rider £25. The minimum bet doesn`t apply if total remaining is less than £50- all must be bet. As the World`s leading Speedway Bookmaker one would naturally expect super incentives in line with my standing. 1 On 1 occasion during the season punters will be able to use the " spread stretcher"(SS) to move the spread to their advantage by 1 whole point.- THIS IS FOR 1 RIDER ONLY 2 On 1 occasion during the season punters will be able to use the " double your money " card( DYM) ( i`m old enough to remember Hughie Green and Monica Rose) when a total bet for that GP can be up to a maximum of £400 I know it`s foolhardy but both bonuses can be used at the same time !!! Rules Each contestant MUST place bets in ALL the rounds -in the event of having no money left they are out of the competition All bets can be edited up to the advertised starting time of the meeting. If a rider is injured before a round starts then the bet is voided on that rider, or bets can be amended up to the meeting start time. If a rider starts a meeting but is injured and cannot continue THE BET STANDS but any points scored by the reserves count towards the injured riders score. If any rider is excluded for a starting offence the reserve points scored do not get added. To ensure fair play bets for the final round may be required to be PM`d to me instead of normal posting. If a meeting is called off at heat 16 then the spread will be adjusted to 4/5th`s of the original. If a meeting is called off at or after 20 heats the spreads stand. HOW TO PLAY One must bet on a rider to score MORE OR LESS than the spread-the HIGHER figure is taken for MORE bets and the LOWER for LESS bets-the mid between the two is what I expect them to score-and they add up to 146 which is the total points available in a GP Example Zmarzlik might have a spread of 15-17 for the 1st GP Player A might bet £100 HIGHER than 17) and he wins so would win (20-17)=3 X £100 = £300. If he finishes 4th he would lose (17-14)=3 X £100 = £300 Player B might bet £100 Lower than 15 and if he finished 8th(15-9 ) = 6X £100 would win £600. If he won the meeting he would lose(20-15) =5 X£100 = £500 If using his "spread stretcher " Player A would move his spread for MORE to 14-16. Player B would move his LESS to 16-18. A final message regarding the 2022 competition to you punters. M more value in 2022 U unique format from the no 1 Bookie G great bonuses S simply the best competition in world speedway

LEICESTER: Nick Morris, Connor Mountain, Kyle Howarth, Dan Thompson, Richie Worrall, Anders Rowe, Joe Thompson. SCUNTHORPE: Ryan Douglas, Simon Lambert, Jordan Palin, Tero Aarnio, Jake Allen, Ryan Kinsley, Zaine Kennedy. I'm surprised this hasn't been called off already, it's forecast to be wet tomorrow, it's forecast to be cold tomorrow evening and there's Football on the telly... all reasons used to cancel in the past.

I agree the BSPA rule has been increased to 40.00 However we are not racing to their rules in this project. On the first post it states as Usual we are running to a 35.00 limit. & as yet Islander has not sent us an update. I have built a team to the 35.00 limit & don't want to be at a disadvantage so I would like the rule's for this season to be released prior to submitting my lineup. If we are to move to a higher limit so be it. Islander has already said he would organise the game & I am waiting for him to do so.

Facebook Page says "We will be looking to re-arrange this for the 3rd time later in the season and will keep you all updated."

When one of them is against a team in a higher league, I think it's okay

I think and hope he'll have a breakthrough year with two new clubs, however the comment is valid based on last season ie competitive fixtures, not sure warm up meetings are an accurate barometer for any rider.

Weather forecast looking OK for Sunday's opening meeting. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcybsr236#?date=2022-04-03

Apologies though it was the Redcar return match.

Newcastle have just lost a much loved,liked and respected fan, so maybe that? Also, THJ doesn't get on here much these days, he was always good value for a few pages of waffle-crack. Where they on at like?

that may be the scenario though .guest or r/r just maybe a better option

Don't need a watch as these days the mobile tells you everything you need to know ha

100% with you on that one. Races not starting to 7.45 or even later when everyone can see the weather closing in is my biggest peeve with it these days

Yeah it works very at Glasgow as the promotion there have persisted with ( hats off to them )for having the weeins on the centre green for a race against the Tigers mascot.. I remember Kevin keay at redcar doing interval entertainment a few years ago which also was good so maybe if there was entertainment at intervals It would be ok.. but like I said when it says tapes up at the proposed time it will be good to see all 4 riders at tapes ready to race

1) Glasgow (Basso and Brennan could be 2 of the biggest upwardly mobile movers all season)2) Leicester (strong 1-7 and one of the Twins will be at reserve all season)3) Poole (weaker at reserve than some - Kemp seems to have flatlined -)4) Redcar (dark horses for me strong all through and underrated improving reserves)5) Oxford (solid if they all click - will have to see what home advantage they have if any)6) Plymouth (4 heat leaders if Kennett delivers and 2 improving reserves - reliant on a few staying fit)7) Scunthorpe (very strong at home very vulnerable away)8) Berwick (solid at home vulnerable away)9) Edinburgh (not as strong as 2021 home form should be solid)10) Birmingham (I don't believe Ellis will be available most of the time and without him will struggle)11) Newcastle (will surprise a few at home and certainly wont be whipping boys at Byker)

And now it's glorious sunshine

Scunthorpe won't be that far down think they'll surprise a few people

Totally agree !! No intervals + when it says tapes up at 7.30 or whatever time the meeting starts riders should be at the tapes & ready no 5 or so minutes after

It was the outrageously bogus claims the former promoter (and track designer) used to make, which probably did most to annoy and drove many away although the strung out processions of course did so too. But even then an away rider with brains could figure out how to pass, including using an outside line (Joe Screen). Same now

Already witnessed Poole winning at Plymouth last season.

Tickets now available on the website

Just signed up... No speedway in the Brighton area this year so, bar Cardiff, worth it so see some Speedway... Now, who to cheer on ??

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/speedway/speedway-grand-prix-2022-what-it-is-how-to-watch-race-calendar-who-is-taking-part_sto8867362/story.shtml Eurosport2 then.... HOW TO WATCH? Discovery+ will provide live, ad-free coverage of every race as well as interactive services. Race action will also be live on Eurosport 2, with highlights and reaction on the Eurosport website.

Monarchs fans are welcoming this amendment.

Add in the risk of the track freezing later in meeting. Had an abandonment at Lynn a few years back as the moisture in the track froze as temperature dropped. Hate to think what real temperature would have been when you throw in a significant wind chill. Right call imo

Mark Philips has clarified and confirmed that in the S.Star today.

You're absolutely right LionsFan. The shale that is now used has been sourced in Edinburgh and brought down at great expense by the lorry load. (don't start me off on the cost of diesel)!!! I was speaking to Hugh (Stewart's friend and right hand man) on Saturday night, and he was saying that it combines better with the clay that gives a much better race surface. This promotion have thrown a shed load of money at the track, what with altering the shape and banking and experimenting with different types of shale until, they now appear to have found the best material for the job, and had it brought down to Leicester at goodness knows what expense. Anyone who is still involved in knocking the track and the racing has clearly missed some excellent meetings last year and I suspect if they bother to turn up this weekend will witness a close fought contest with some good racing. No disrespect to Birmingham, but sadly because of circumstances during the winter, they were precluded from forming a highly competitive side which therefore made for lack lustre racing last week! It had nothing to do with the track or it's shape!

Again, i think todays promoters would love to make the sort of money earlier promoters did. They have luck if they don't make much of a loss

The fans might get behind him but most of the riders will be in front of him unfortunately.

I think a different type of shale has been used in the last season or two which has also improved racing.

We did not have a internal. Only breaks in proceedings were for track work and when riders had two on the trot. Redcar have a policy of no intervals after listening to what fans wanted last year.

Good send off for Bjarne last night, only a challenge match, but pirates look good, Ben and Zach Cook very impressive

100% agree but he won’t come cheap!

Just seen some photos from Oxford's Press and Practice Day...Great stuff! Welcome back the "Cheetahs!"

Line-up Ostrow 1 Gapinski 2 C Holder Leszno 3 Doyle 4 Kolodziej Wroclaw 5 Janowski 6 Woffinden Grudziadz 7 Pedersen 8 Prem Pawlicki Lublin 9 Michelsen 10 Lampart Poznan 11 Holta 12 K Golimski Res Seifert-Salk Gorzow 13 Zmarzlik 14 Vaculik

In speedway, if the best riders gates first (which is a contributory factor as to why they are “good” in the first place) then the “not so good” riders will finish behind them. On Saturday there were very few times the “not so good “ riders got out of the gate first & when they did, the good riders passed them. Hence why 4 of the Lions team achieved paid maximums.

Thats not even an option anymore as there seems to be not enough Tarmac to go around for the pot holes let alone a whole speedway track .

Well I've waited and waited to do my Championship predictions, waiting for 11 full 1-7s and it's the end of March and it's still yet to happen. So I am just going to go ahead and do it now anyway, sick of waiting!! 1. Leicester - In my opinion the team that looks the strongest for a full season. Easily unbeatable at home with home specialists throughout the team and the second strongest heat leader trio in the league, particularly at home. Connor and the Thompson twins also know Beaumont Park like the back of their hands and Anders will only get better I'm sure, he's a good prospect down at reserve. I think over the course of the full season they will be the strongest team and will take some beating. 2. Glasgow - Have a solid team through 1 to 7, have decent enough reserves and a very good number 1. Ben Basso and Ulrich should provide endless amount of entertainment and Broc is a very decent number 2 alongside Cookie. Don't think they're quite as strong as Leicester, but they will probably go unbeaten at home and get many points on the road also. 3. Poole - THE strongest heat leader trio bar none in the league, the only thing that lets them down is their second strings might struggle on the road, they're not the strongest and don't have the most experience of other tracks. Nathan Ablitt is also a bit of a question mark for me, I think he should do alright at home on a track he's riding week in week out, but away on tracks like Shielfield and Brough, he may struggle, is it a year too early for him? Time will tell. Poole however are my favourites for the end of season tournament we all refer to as the playoffs (vs Leicester). 4. Redcar - Very solid heat leader trio and two decent second strings, I was gutted when Adam didn't resign with my beloved Diamonds. Kasper Andersen will surprise a few this season I think and the two lads at reserve, particularly Jordan, should fly at home this season. I predict a very good season for the Bears this year and I wish them all the luck in the world, being our nearest and dearest, should comfortably make the playoffs imo and all four of the top 4 I have named are a class above everyone else. 5. Oxford - Have named a solid enough team for their return season, Scotty and Troy should be able to beat anyone in this league and provide all the experience needed for the younger riders in the team. Kyle and Cameron is a decent 3/4 partnership and I am interested to see how Jack Thomas kicks on this year after coming on so well last year. Josh MacDonald and Dillon Ruml is also an impressive reserve partnership, I think Oxford should make the playoffs this year. 6. Plymouth - Quite hard to tell without them having a complete septet however, based on the six they have named so far if they can add even an average rider as their final rider they should be a pretty strong outfit. I think Dan Gilkes and Henry Atkins will be 2 of the most overlooked reserves in the league this season and I feel they will both be pushing for a position in the 1-5 (oh well, just means Alfie Bowtell at reserve instead!!) Ben Barker and MPT will provide years of experience and plenty entertainment and Hans should be a solid enough number 1. I expect Plymouth to be the underrated dark horses of the league this year. Would love to see young Ben Trigger getting a couple opportunities at reserve if the chance arises also, think he's one of Britain's biggest talents coming through and looked just as good, if not better, than Henry at the P&P already. 7. Berwick - Yes yes, Jye and Kyle is the best reserve partnership in the league as every Berwick fan likes to keep reminding me and I do agree. However, they do have a couple of ageing riders and a couple who have a lot to make up for after disappointing season last year. Ricky Wells is not a number 5 and whoever the hell Chris Allen is?? He's not a number 1 either In all seriousness, other than Leon and Chris (Harris ) all the 1-5 need a downgrade in the team really (Ricky 5 --> 3, Theo 3 --> 4, Ty 4 --> 2 etc...) Berwick look ok, and maybe they will push for the playoffs, but I don't see them quite making them. 8. Edinburgh - Another brilliant top 2 by the Monarchs, Sam Masters and Josh Pickering is brilliant for this league. Joshie Pickering is probably the most entertaining rider in the league. However beyond this, the Monarchs offer very little for me. There will be a lot of pressure on Kye and Paco to help along the team, taking pressure off the 2 new lads (Lasse and Jacob) and heaven forbid either of them two turn out to be terrible for this level, Edinburgh could find themselves even further down the table imo. Sam and Josh basically need to go unbeaten in even meeting just to take pressure of the incredibly long tail that Edinburgh have almost become famous for. I do generally like the Monarchs, so I hope I'm wrong. 9. Scunthorpe - Scunthorpe have gone for a very familiar team, they've got decent reserves and Ryan Douglas should be a brilliant number 1. Hopefully Jordan Palin can carry on how he finished last year, another pretty average team for the Scorpions who do admittedly have the potential to finish higher if all the riders click. 10. Birmingham - Pretty bad looking side by the Brummies, although who can blame them due to their circumstances, it could have been an awful lot worse for them. There's a lot of pressure on Ashley and James (Shanes) to perform as second strings most of the year, although I feel Stefan will probably want one of they spaces sooner rather than later. James Pearson looks like a good prospect, but there should hopefully not be too much pressure on him while he finds his feet over here. Adam Ellis and Claus Vissing is a very good top 2 considering what it could have been at one point. All of this being said however, I don't see them finishing any better off than the teams above them in this list. 11. Newcastle - I'll always be as positive as possible and as optimistic as I can be about my Newcastle Diamonds, however in this list I have tried to be as honest as I can be. We are so far under the limit once again and our team is pretty disappointing tbh. Yes, we have had some difficult situations over the winter and I am as delighted as anyone about actually having a team to support again when it wasn't looking likely at one point, however we haven't constructed a team as good as we could have done imo and for that reason, I see the same situation planning out next winter too. I'm sorry but BWD as number 1 doesn't impress me at all. Positive point about the team however is James, Matty and Max are always pretty decent value for money at home and Paul Starke is a solid rider also (yet not really a number 5) Will be interesting to see how Lee Complin returns, he should be fairly entertaining and hopefully George can ride well at reserve, although early signs at Redcar don't look as promising as I thought they could be. I predict another bottom of the table finish unfortunately I seriously hope I'm wrong... I have tried to be as open and honest as I could be with this list, please let me know what yous think, what yous agree/disagree with. Will be an interesting discussion Thanks for reading my post, the length of which @TotallyHonestJohn would be proud of.

Worse case scenario I'll HDMI it!

All a bit too rich for my blood I am sad to say, £17.99 a month is unfortunately not affordable or justifiable for me personally. I'm actually probably part of the target market, strangely despite my involvement on Updates, I haven't been to a live speedway meeting for around 3 years now because of my disabilities and affordability (costs a bomb to take a carer to push you around and I was too exhausted and in pain to enjoy it anyway). Obviously I am not 'lost' to the sport in terms of wider involvement, just in attendance. Hope it is a huge success though and it will be great for those unable to get to meetings either due to distance, home commitments or disabilities.