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Can see. a slow progression in stadium facilities and team structure , Rome was not built in a day , if we can win home meetings be entertaining to watch then that is the main thing.

He is a Heat Leader in Strangeways.

Never really lived up to the hype and potential that was talked about early in his career.Best wishes in retirement.

[Narrator] Josh Auty announced his retirement hours later.

Each season does seem to start with a "whimper" rather than a "fanfare" doesnt it...? And then just seems to "amble on", in a disjointed fashion, to its conclusion in September... I mean October... Or possibly November.. Even the first TV meeting is usually a fair old while after the season has started which doesnt help any "launch".. A five match Ashes series with £150k prize fund in total, split £90k/60k, whilst not "big money" in the grand scheme of sporting reward, should get some wider publicity surely? And kick start the UK version of the sport.. Traditional 6 man Test teams over 18 heats.. £10k each for the losers for five nights riding isnt too shabby either, and £15k each for the winners even better.. The PCMM each season shows that getting a decent line up can bring in a large crowd early doors, with usually over 2000 there, which, with sponsorship added to it, brings in around £50k I would think given the slightly higher than usual entrance fee.. A more structured national launch for the sport, with a well planned and executed national marketing strategy, surely would give the whole season a kick start and positive momentum..?

Maybe do a five meeting series BEFORE Poland opens up? Over a week... Glasgow to Poole, calling at the NSS, Birmingham, and Ipswich. Brum simply to get their season up and running with big publicity behind it which might get more punters in to watch their own output. And, being central, could get a decent amount of Wolves, Coventry, Cradley, Leicester and even Swindon fans. Glasgow and the NSS for the racing and Poole and Ippo for the crowds they can generate... A major start to the season which gets momentum into it which can be then built on..

They'd be stark raving bonkers to go anywhere near that knob!

4.00 and believe he’s at Berwick.

I don't think I read a single comment saying he was coming back, just people suggesting he'd be an option for the team. Gotta go for Vissing imo

You can't win if you don't gamble. They obviously think it will work (otherwise, why bother?). All we can do is wait and see how it all pans out. As I've said before, I wish them all the very best for the coming season (see where I was born! When Newcastle were running, Workington became my "second" team!)

Just looking at Workingtons team and wondering are they sponsored by Ladbrokes or William Hill as it looks like a massive gamble there taking in there inaugural season back in the Championship . As a speedway fan I really hope it works out for them but I can see a few team changes during the season .Good luck Comets on your return.

don't underestimate Vuolas, he's looked good each time i've seen him

I'd go for Rowe.

Georgia Smithson and I looked at NL and PL attendances for the early part of the season in the course of research for our book on Sunderland in 1964. The East London Advertiser suggested that the crowd at West Ham on opening night was in the region of 12,000, although Speedway Star claimed 15,000 were there. The Advertiser subsequently reported that the attendance rose to 15,000 for the third home meeting, against Ove Fundin and Norwich. When Barry Briggs and Swindon visited West Ham on 26th May, the Swindon Advertiser estimated 8,000 attended.

Wow. Garrity even available? That would be a crazy signing.

No not yet- rest assured they will be posted on here when released. They did say they were waiting for Poland and Denmark to announce their’s which they have done, so i expect an announcement within the next couple of weeks.

Interesting that some would be disappointed using a 4.57 Fredriksen when they have 5.27 left, but others would take a 4.00 Borke.

I went to an England v USA test match at Crawley Heath which was held on a Saturday afternoon. After the Speedway I carried on to Coventry for the evening BriSCA F1 Stock Car meeting. A very enjoyable day which I think was in the early to mid 80s. The Cradley meeting was sadly the only time I visited the home of the Heathens. There was a very good crowd. I am sure that with proper promotion such meetings could be run successfully but the importance of proper promotion must be understood by those involved in running such a meeting. I have just looked at the international speedway website which shows that such a test match took place on 5th May 1984 which being the first Saturday of the month fits in with the Stock Cars racing at Coventry in the evening. Not a happy series for England as they lost 4-1 in the five match series. The Cradley meeting was the third in the series and started with the series even at 1-1 after England winning at Sheffield in the second match.

You often wonder in a world were money is a driving factor especially in sport, that the current speedway board don’t come up with innovative ways of promoting speedway. There are multiple ways of growing the sport especially when it comes to a National team. Can you imagine for example, a season starter of GB v Poland and a summer against the Aussies! The big names riding in the UK on a weekend I’m sure would pack out a place. Make it accessible for the kids. Everyone would benefit. I really think this year more than any needs to see a real shift change in all aspects, sure we will see some with Phil at the helm!

Neither do we , building to 38 points was always going to be detrimental on team strength.

Redcar Poole Glasgow Workington Oxford Edinburgh Scunthorpe Berwick Plymouth

Speedway Researcher quotes a report from Speedway Star claiming their were 15,000 there but I don’t know how accurate that is. The Researcher also says that for the second meeting the crowd were so many that it took Bjorn Knutsson half an hour to get into the stadium.

As expected. Not the strongest top 5 in the league.

The attendance for the opening meeting at Norwich in 1964 (v West Ham) was reported as 8,026. A few weeks later 4,677 saw the Norwich match against Swindon, but the average in the opening weeks of the season was around 7,000. According to the Hackney Gazette around 4,500 saw the match between Hackney and Poole in June.

The last time I went to a "test" match it was at Leicester and I think it was an U21 vs Australia... it was terrible and I left with about 3 races to go lol I think that was more to do with it being run at Leicester though in the bad old days of FTG and meetings taking around 2 hours to complete... they're was quite a healthy crowd though if my memory serves me correctly

Believe he still would fit at Berwick.

What I've seen of anders Rowe Id not be too worried Infant id rather have him than batch

I just recall my first test match of the new Millenium A Denmark U21 v Sweden U21 at Esbjerg I made the mistake of thinking it was a meeting between bitter rivals and turned up well before the start time. And to my utter surprise i was about the only preson, maybe a couple of others apart from riders family and track staff that was there And Denmark included Madsen, Klindt and Hougaard among others, although they were just starting out on 500cc

Er... no.

Josh Auty must be a tough lad, he was often in the wars but walked away from some of the nastiest incidents I’ve personally seen. Hope he enjoys his retirement.

There’s number 6 announced for you no surprises Sedgy the next announced. 5.27 left to play with.

Seasons in the past would often start with a touring team from Sweden or somewhere...

Spot on, to sign a rider with this attitude is madness

You have to be joking surely! as much as he was great to watch , he was absolutely a dirty and reckless rider. Ask Dave Mullet and Craig Watson for a start! And Simon Stead !

Like a few on here got reservations about our last signing, yes a big name (was) but probably an expensive signing living on the big name, but several under performances last year leave a lot to be desired, like his show at the pairs !!! Hope troy proves me wrong, I will be supporting home and away whatever team we have UTC

Look at any development league in most sports there's older players/riders whatever you wanna call them. There's not an unlimited supply of kids in any sport... experience in the team is always a good thing too...

And wouldn't we all hear about it if he did...

Because of the points limit, every team will look weak, but I do feel the Belle Vue team looks especially weak. I know they have 2 riders to sign, but think they need a big season from Harry McGurk.

You're right, I should have said all! 4 riders on assessed averages, 3 of which have not raced in Britain (regularly) before Cook, big question mark whether his head is still in it... and Batch for that matter. There's really no forecasting how that team will perform!

if workington go through the season and it pays its own way i see that as a good season then the new riders will be club assets and be stronger for 2025 no one wants to finish bottom of league and get hammered at home but if they have good racing and decent crowd then ill be happy enough

Welcome to Workington Troy! Good for the team to have some experience in there and Troy has plenty of it as with Cookie. So we now have 2 former GP riders. In response to the negative stuff about batch that’s in the past he’s a Comet now and I’m sure he will get the backing of the fans. Only one more rider to go I can’t wait to see the new team on track! Scunny away is our first trip let’s get behind the team!

Thoughts with everyone at Workington, it was all going so well.

Troy Batchelor signing number 6

lets hope its batch at ed/bra and not workington

Come on young man stop trying to fool the public it doesn't become you

Muff and Shimelt have signed

Because you can only have 7 rides in a team, and since everyone expects Will Cairns to come in once he turns 15, someone would have to make way.