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Team to be called Middlesbrough Tigers. Number 8 is Katie Gordon. Ben Rathbone also named, so too Jamie Halder and Elliot Kelly and Archie Freeman. Danny Phillips announced and as captain. Ben Trigger last to be announced. Trigger also will ride for the Bears in the Championship. Team Manager Stuart Swales.

Really enjoyed Tom riding for Glasgow and am surprised he wasn’t kept as I don’t think he’s peaked like some others have suggested. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in him at Poole as he’s capable on his day of beating anyone in the Championship. I’ll try not to hold it against him, riding for the Pirates……lol

I would have waited for Birmingham to finish there side but I predict it won't be strong enough anyways to make a big impression. These predictions are based on if every rider stays fit (un likely I know) 1. Sheffield - 9/10 side. Super strong top 3 at home and real hard chargers in Howarth and Pickering.. Good reserves with room improvement also. Can Chris Holder do the business away from home though? Not so sure. Still a great team though. 2. Ipswich - Best two riders in the league plus plenty of room for improvement with Ellis, Thompson, Jenkins and Rew. Great side and will annoy everyone in heats 13 and 15. 3. Leicester - Basically have 5 heat leaders at home. Fricke, Lawson, Masters, Douglas are track specialists. Abit like Oxford we have arguably the best 2 and 4 in the league. Weaker at reserve but Thompson will have plenty of practice in the NDL. Becker is the secret weapon here. Like wolves team last year which everyone rote off they still finished in the play offs. 4. Oxford - Set up like Leicesters but with a stronger number 6. Just lacks a little quality to support Majec. But it's super solid with smart signings like Bomber, Wright and Klindt. Like this side a lot. 5. Belle Vue - Could easily have put this side in third and will probably will regret it. Great heat leader trio but can't see Blodorn and Cook improving much on those averages. Home form is crucial for the aces. I'm torn on this side and il keep changing my mind. 6. Kings Lynn - Much better than last year, but still not enough. Great number 1 and will be strong at reserve all year. But there's too many inconsident riders in this side for me. Outside chance of the play offs but won't win enough away from home. 7. Birmingham - Unless Lingren signs they don't stand a chance. Based on previous seasons Tolley doesn't know how to build a good side. Flint, Brennan and Worrall are good riders but that's it really. God I hope they pull off a surprise signing but I doubt it.

Max developed well in 2023 and can ride Edinburgh very well, He was only at reserve last year due to him being in such a successful Leicester team with Thompson x2, Boughen and Max Perry in another team he would have been higher in the team. Max has immaculate equipment,Good sponsors and is very keen to listen & learn I wouldn’t have doubts about away meetings he can regularly beat the likes of Harrison,McGurk,Perry,Hagon

Sorry can't agree with that at all I've never seen such a magician on s/way bike I always thought Mauger was the best but IMO Bart will become the GOAT !

Australia bound apparently.

I'm surprised that there has been no comment regarding the article printed in the latest Speedway Star which reports that the FIM is to be petitioned to re-classify the 1946 1947 and 1948 British Riders' Championship Finals as World Championships. These three finals all featured the 16 best riders in the World, and the three winners, Tommy Price, Jack Parker and Vic Duggan should certainly be entitled to claim the status of "World Champion" which has been denied to them. These three events were conducted in exactly the same way as previous and later World Championships with Qualifying Rounds which featured every rider competing in the British Leagues. I'm not 100% certain about 1946, but the 1947 and 1948 Qualifying Rounds included a number of European riders who were not attached to British Clubs, and the fact than none of them were good enough to qualify for the Wembley Finals is immaterial - the best 16 riders of the day were all in the final! Every speedway rider of quality was competing in the British Leagues during those three seasons, so why these event were not described as "World Championships" in the first place is a nonsense - and this ought to be rectified. Tommy Price perhaps, had the advantage of riding in the final on his home track, but there can be no question at all that both Vic Duggan and Jack Parker were the outstanding riders of the time. Parker, who rode speedway from 1928 until 1954, and was one of the country's leading riders for all of that time, was a very worthy World Champion, as of course was Vic Duggan, and it is scandalous that they have been prevented from being accepted as such. I was pleased to read that the campaign is being supported by Tommy Price's wife and by the sons of both Jack Parker and Vic Duggan, and by a number of respected senior promoters such as Len Silver and Reg Fearman, and I believe speedway enthusiasts everywhere should also give it their backing.

Thanks. (tried the thank you through like thing but it isn't working for me!)

Didnt want to hear that !

I don't know. What comes next? Declare the winners of the Star Championsips of the early 30s as world champions as well? Don't mess with historic facts. Those meetings never were contested as world championships. I am against any retrospective change of historic facts.

The silence is deafning,come on boys give us some clues!

Pretty much the team I expected to be honest. Gavin Parr did say they thought they had a rider but he signed somewhere else (think we all know who that is) but not a bad looking team in a weaker league. Few riders coming back from injury is obviously a concern but hopefully they’ll be ok. If Bailey, Edwards and Mulford can push on should be a decent season.

No 7 Ben Trigger. No 6 Jake Mulford Jason Edwards next announced. Charles Wright (confirmed!) who also says his Testimonial should be Sun 17 Mar (To be confirmed). Next announced Thomas Jorgensen. Then it's Connor Bailey next. And completing the 1-7 is Danny King.

No money changed hands apparently, allegedly Butterfield (shrewdly knowing that retirement beckons for his PR man) promised Chapman a place if needed in the older person’s Care Village - within the 280-bed care home, to provide supported care, which will be built in The Care Village. If ever part of the project isn't going to see the light of day then that'll be it. Only an unsubstantiated rumour of course. We're still awaiting Chapman's version of events for his sterling efforts throughout the 2023 season regarding the future Peterborough Speedway. At the same time of course as keeping an eye out for Hell freezing over.

I'd have Belle Vue ahead of Oxford but otherwise looks right to me

His away GSA was higher than his home GSA this year, so I suspect you might well be correct... https://britishspeedway.co.uk/2023-rider-statistics/

Could have had the top 3 +Wright Cook and Mountain and Bailey stronger imo.

Need 2 big guns at 1 and 5 ..to make the difference.. To challenge Ipswich and Sheffield..

It kinda was . Harris was in the pits with him at Cardiff when he rode in that SGP2 event on the Sunday after the main GP . I think having Harris in the pits with him again will prove beneficial

Really like Alfie returning. Great bloke and really good at Plymouth, away form has improved over the last season too.

Good signing.IMO.

I think having Harris as a teammate again will be a big bonus to him and Glasgow

Haha but although he did say liked the track. Think he will get plenty of points at leicester.

If its a choice between Brennan and Rowe then it's Tom all day long for me, as for Newman I don't think there is value in his average at all, I expect he will be back in the future if he goes elsewhere and his average dips

0.40 left a perfect fit.

Rosco was certainly in the frame and would have done a decent job. Maybe it was a money or a control issue but I don’t see Sam as the answer. Zagar will do a decent job at number 5 but the Brummies need a strong number 1. Is that Polish lad Zmarzlik still on their books? He seemed like a decent prospect for the Brummies in his one (?) meeting for them several years back

If we ever get back on track I wonder what this could mean for us. Pete isn't getting any younger and it would be a very Wolves thing to do for Chris to step into his shoes Brummies need a marquee signing IMO.

Ah makes sense

As a Wolves fan I've never thought of Ermo as team manager material, wish him well though I'd have tried to get Rosco personally but he'd have certainly needed to be involved in selecting the team

Good side for me, if Wolves can get to the play offs which they did easily then Leicester with Fricke should certainly do that and potentially compete for the final

Could put a little on his average but wont go above 8 in my opinion

Good start to team building imo. Welcome aboard max.

Don't see him getting a Premiership place. Only Birmingham now needing riders and I cannot see them taking Riss.

Agreed 100% racer.

He did, biggest collapse ever I seem to recall, just don't mention engines

Oh good. I do love a shock signing Which no one has really had yet as everyone seems to be rumoured way in advance!

Brennan had plateaued at Glasgow. He was often absent in the big heats and had a prolonged slump this season where he just looked tired. Perhaps too much travel. He came back to life when Harris took the captaincy from him and he was switched to No2 but he's better than that. I wish him well but don't think you'll find many GLA fans unhappy he's moved on. Replacing Vissing with Flint is perhaps a different story.

There never is & never will be a "4th heat leader". Three heat leaders, two seconds strings & two reserves.... is a speedway team. Team is Ok, don't see it being able to challenge, may scrape the Play Offs. Other than possibly Blodorn & Bewley I don't see any improvement.

Yes, I'd have rather had Claus back....his home average was 8.00 and away average 7.07 and that was paired with Ben Basso. Rolling average 6.24 Leon rolling average is 6.40.......home average for Berwick, 7.35 and away 5.37.

Think he needed a change.

Pretty sure they signed him to be a reserve not a heat leader and as a 2 pointer he will definitely increase that with a good run in the team. I like his riding style and he seems to have a good set-up so at the moment it's looking like a good signing for the Scorpions

Be prepared to be very surprised because we've already told you it's happening

They’re more than just “marginal” changes and Ipswich finishing fourth is a bit deceiving. The issues with Erik Riss are well documented, Ellis is a huge upgrade. Jenkins isn’t as big an upgrade on Hume but still an upgrade all the same. And there’s a third factor here and that’s the Rising Star. Over 10 meetings last season Joe Thompson had a GSA of 1.18. His string of zeros were a big factor in Ipswich’ poor form early on along with Riss’ struggles. When Ipswich finally got a rising star in that made a contribution in Dan Thompson, the narrow defeats turned in to victories and they were probably THE form team by the end of the season which coincided with them winning the cup and narrowly missing out on the title. It would be interesting to see a league table from the moment Dan Thompson joined. Starting next year with Ellis Jenkins and Dan Thompson instead of a struggling Riss, Hume and Joe Thompson isn’t marginal improvement, it’s huge. Belle Vue for example look to be weaker than last year whilst Ipswich have strengthened. Ipswich will rightly start as one of the favourites IMO.

Just had a look at other clubs and Wolves to me seem to have pitched it perfectly previously. Under 7 free, 7-12 £1 and 13-18 £6. That eliminates the issue of groups of teens walking in for free, under 7’s no charge as they’re not going to be attending without a paying adult, and a token quid for the 7-12’s. Sensible pricing.

To British parents, and he's British U21 champion.

I have been to Monmore Green & Perry Barr many times, had season tickets at both over the years. I used to enjoy the racing at Monmore Green but it hasn't been as good as it was in the last 10ish years. When Wolves had Peter Karlsson & Lindgren you could guarantee good racing weekly, before that when Ermolenko was in his pomp especially when Cradley visited with Hancock & Hamill. Perry Barr was a decent race surface when it re-opened, I think it deteriorated after Tony Mole departed the club and the last time I was a regular visitor in the 2021 season it was awfully dusty almost every week.

It would, still baffles me how Glasgow got Tarasenko on a 5

I have watched lots of meetings at Monmore and Perry Barr and in my opinion the better racing has been at Monmore, for whatever reason Perry Barr does not lend itself to overtaking except on the odd occasion, whether it's down to track prep, or maintenance I don;t know but the Monmore track has had far more time and money spent on it than Perry Barr has, one of the reasons being that Perry Barr is limited by access issues and another would be lack of money plus inferior equipment, another from reading comments are riders don;t know what to expect from one meeting to another, I read Nigel intends to spend time on the track in the close season, it not only needs time spent but money and for goodness sake lets see more banking on the bends..

It's awfully sad that Wolves have closed, but let's not rewrite history, it was a poor racing track. "Raved about on Sky" - Nigel Pearson would've raved about speedway in someone's back garden, it was his job. "Hosted British Finals" - so did Kirkmanshulme Lane, it was still a crap track. God knows how crowd size comes into the track argument, I suppose you had nothing else.

You got lucky. You won't be able to do that again whatever lawyers you employ!