Leaderboard

Lawson isn't number 1. The signing is already online in the local Echo. Dan Rose left yesterday and it looks like Tom Crocker - another regular speedway reporter - is now covering Pirates. Not sure why PL and EFL fixtures today and tomorrow are relevant? Cherries and Saints both played and lost yesterday and there are no EFL teams locally/regionally. Danny Ford promised a New Years announcement and delivered accordingly.

Very good point home track advantage isn’t down to always being small and technical. Open fast tracks like belle vue and Glasgow have just as much as an advantage cause if you don’t have the right set up you’ll get swallowed up by the home men who are dialled in as seen last season.

I certainly feel it was a huge mistake to reverse the decision for 2 home 2 away for league matches in 2023. Was the vote taken by the whole committee or as it should have been just Championship promoters? Certainly not the choice of the fans.

He basically disrespected you twice and you ended up saying “thanks” to him! You write what you want to write about, it’s not his own personal forum or thread.

Last year, Birmingham season ticket sales were based on promises of having a team, including "the new Darcy Ward", capable of reaching the play-off's, a team with a genuine #1, and the assumption that riders contracted to the team were available to ride at least all the home fixtures that the season ticket covered. Within days, the #1was off to pastures new, with the blessing of the club, having fulfilled his task of boosting season ticket sales, another rider became injured and ended his season / career, the Darcy Ward pretender proved to be a huge disappointment and Birmingham only had partial access to the rider whose priority lay in the Danish league. Not the kind of legacy of broken promises that inspire people to invest again.

Agree,giving up to suit NDL seems to be the excuse.Disappointing for fans. IMO.

Doesn't mean there's no advantage though. We had the highest home average total in the championship last season. And the team imo looks set up for the same this season as basso, nowak, vissing will be far better at home than away. Just because we have a good racetrack doesn't make it less of a home advantage. Otherwise how did belle Vue ever win the prem?

You have to laugh really, only Poole supporters can come up with the tripe that one of their precious little riders is better than a rider who comfortably has a better average than him. Good luck to both Wolves and Peterborough fans because their threads will now be swarmed by the Poole mafia who’ll make it all about them.

Is it always about the value or what you can get out of it? Without season ticket sales I'm sure some clubs may not be able to start the season without that income. Not everybody is looking for a freebie.

How dare you express your opinion on a forum about speedway with regards to speedway riders, you’ve been told who the team is and your not allowed to speak again until Steve says so!!!!

Impossible to predict until all line up are confirmed

Sadly so many excellent local print journalists who supported speedway in their localities have vanished in the past decade and not been replaced. Many wrote for Speedway Star before the "Jack and Jill" corporate brigade arrived. Very few good local ones remain, we are lucky to have a chap called Richard Willford and Brian Dick who do what they can for Brummies and West Midland Sport. With the exception of Peter Oakes and Paul Burbidge in the Star very few proper writers remain.

I've just got to the chapter when Peter states that England Manager John Berry decided not to select Peter during the 1985 season. Having read John's excelent book there was a different twist if I recall. Peter had made it clear at the start of the season he didn't wish to be considered for selection but changed his mind at the time of the World Best Pairs? John, however, felt it unfair and stuck with his original choice of Carter & Tatum.

Decent riders can ride any track.Most riders have been around long enough to have visited most tracks more than once.Now put a bit of dirt down and see who the decent riders are.!

Very difficult to do while not all teams have been filled. But here goes. (1) Belle Vue (2) Sheffield (3) Wolves (4) Leicester (5) Peterborough (6) Kings Lynn (7) Ipswich But that can change depending who Ipswich and Peterborough bring in.

Behave cast1m We are all good which is the important thing. Maybe I have been a bit heavy on comments regarding Tate but time will tell

I really don't get why Poole fans can't follow the progress of our assets when they are also signed up by other clubs because of their racing abilities?! Just for the record Zach's last 6 meetings - at the business end of the season - scored 13+4; 7+2; 11+3; 9+1; 10+1; and 9.

I'm with what Taps said a bit back,,, it's the inside line that's too good.

Have a happy new year everyone when it comes!

For anybody who’s interested, the latest satellite images on Bing Maps show the new track in all its glory. Nothing yet on Google Maps.

Sure I read somewhere that Dan Rose is leaving the Bournemouth Echo. Maybe he wants to cover the announcements before he goes?

He’s hardly a steal that’s his average.He looks “after” his average just like a few others.

Lawson is a steal on that average. Great rider. Thankyou Poole letting him come to the lions

Tongue in cheek mate,I'm sure they'll come back all guns blazing.lol

Not too late to change the decision" in the interests of the sport".

Great to see"pc" on the tv looking well,had the book a month aint going to read till feb on a beach in mexico

And Lawson is back

Only because he's foreign, not because he's better

That is true. Redcar are the ones that don't have home advantage.

Very much 50/50 on that. Nor did Fast Freddie…… didn’t stop him becoming one of the worlds finest.

There was a few meetings from memory, I’m thinking the Wolves meeting where the inside wasn’t working and the outside was literally the only place to be. Was definitely inconsistencies there which isn’t surprising as that’ll be the same for all tracks. Weather obviously plays a huge part in that. Can be a pretty thankless task prepping tracks.

Your probably right about the weather & prep. The issue seems to be that riders like Heeps & King who are both very experienced & talented riders seem to be lacking one vital piece of track craft & that is to ride different lines when their preferred line isn't working. They seem incapable of being able too. Good old Morten Risager would have been almost unbeatable at Foxhall last season with his stuck to the white line style. Again someone else who was hugely talented but stuck to one line.

Small wager towards the Ben Fund peeps

A bit like Nicholls at Ippo. Rylan can push the boat out and sign a big name if he wants to.. We will find out soon enough..

Let's see who gets the higher average for Wolves then. Even Wolves fans say Leon struggles round there, he does better in away meetings. Which I think Zach will do as well. Will be better away especially in the first six weeks of the season whilst he gets used to the track. So could see a few sneaky Wolves away wins? Maybe! Also I don't get this obsession with age!!

Absolutely spot on

Not quite sure why Skidder and Shovlar find this funny? The fact Flint is already averaging more than Cook at 4 years his junior makes the above spot on. Don’t see the fuss with Zach Cook to be honest. Flint will again average more than Cook next season IMO.

Thanks for the defence HG, but I think Steve and me have kept it amicable after his other reply and my subsequent response. Yes I do tend to go on about Tate to the point of obsession and time will tell if my view on him proves correct. Hopefully if Poole finances allow some time in the future we may see him at Poole and at 17 (18 on 30th July), plenty of time for that and who knows by then we may even be back in Prem Lge, but that discussion is for another day. I will let others comment on that in the future if and when the rumours are strong enough going forward.

Loved trips to Hackney. A proper race track

Zach Cook is a better rider than Flint. Flint might have a higher Champ average but Zach Cook came on leaps and bounds in the second half of 22. Check out his scores on the Speedway updates.

He's damn good at Foxhall

Is this thread purely a "Let's Have a Go and Call Each Other Names" thread or Poole 2023? Some people need to grow up.

That’s about as official as you can get

Good to have home. Went a bit awol for a few years and realised he needs to return back to the good side. Be a good battle between him and josh for the number 1 spot.

I've not read the book yet but how many freebies did PC want. Agree he should have got a lifetime pass not sure of hangers on tho

I worked at Tesco's for 4 years as a student. Can you believe they won't let have free food now? There's a difference in your comparison. No one would question the right for PC to enter for free as a lifetime guest of honour. But riders who were paid for their time back in the 80s and 90s....Mark Crang, Bernie Collier, Barry Ayres, Paul Embley and hundreds of other wannabees, why should they get lifetime passes - that's the issue.

In truth, PC has no knowledge of that. He wasn’t part of the consortium and, despite his recollection, his views on the NSS were never sought nor offered. My understanding is that his only involvement has been his well documented reaction to being refused life time passes for nearly 200 friends, helpers and employees, very few of whom had ever had anything to with Belle Vue.

Cos he's a danger to every other rider and they can do without that!

If he sees the season out before being replaced I will be amazed - that said I hope I’m wrong

To be honest can’t think why any British club would now go anywhere near KK he’s had his day now