torpointfanatic22

I hope Anders Rowe is nowhere near Plymouth personally

Classic! I still cannot understand the farce that is the governance of our sport. No active promoter should be anywhere near the management committee or decision making for our sport. It's an utter disgrace. I for one am delighted to see Oxford return, not only is it a returning track but it will turn out to be my local one too! I hope they go championship so I can see the Gladiators there!

I think we need to see what teams actually come to the tapes before looking at the Plymouth septet. Wouldn't want Kelleher back and I'm on the fence over Bowtell and Ruml - I'd love to give Alfie the shot but he'd have to be in the main body and that would worry me. Lawson, King, Barker, Atkins, Bowtell, Ruml and maybe Newman could be a 7 that fits. What's for sure is Plymouth will surely be more competitive next season and need a stronger all round team.

Not to go off topic but as racing goes, I've found Peterborough to be absolutely brilliant for racing on the few occasions I've been there. I recall a Premier League fours there a few years back and it was one brilliant race meeting.

Hang on, isn't the idea of a much lesser rider, keeping better riders behind them a good spectacle? Maybe that's just me and my routing for the underdog but I'd much rather watch close racing whereby anyone of the 4 that lines up at the tapes can win rather than knowing who will win each time the tapes fly up. It also means that no matter who visits Plymouth, they've got a chance of winning and I'd choose that every time over knowing the home team will win easy each week. But then my priority when watching speedway is to see close racing and entertainment 1st, my team winning 2nd. I've been to Poole a fair few times and would say the racing has varied but there is no way I'd say it produces far better racing than Plymouth (or any other track for that matter). Poole will probably batter Plymouth tonight and I bet the racing will be nowhere near as close as it was in the reverse fixture.

This is spot on. However I cannot help but think this is about finding a way for certain promoters not to lose out rather than any greater good. If I were in the Eastbourne team I'd be seeking legal advice for loss of earnings as right now they could be signing for other clubs and earning money, something they can't do while those while the BSPA / SCB mess about trying to find a way for them not to lose out.

And while there are many issues with British speedway, one of the biggest remains current promoters sitting on the committee. It's completely shambolic and has been for years. Until a genuinely objective committee sit at the top table our sport will always remain a joke. Ex-riders / referees with an objective not speedway official should look after the sport to ensure decisions are made by people without a vested interest. This of course takes away from the incredibly sad news that is another institutional brand in our sport has gone. I only hope the Eagles can find a way back to the tapes in 2022.

On his away form I'd completely agree but at Plymouth he's done well, that would keep him in the side. Besides Plymouth have far more pressing concerns with Ruml. He has been shocking pretty much ever since we signed him and I'd much rather have kept Goret, who in my opinion has a much higher ceiling. I appreciate there may have been other issues with that one. I get it's his first year in British speedway and all that but enough is enough.

This is very true, the promotion at Plymouth have done an awful lot of good things over the past 12 months, I really think they need to push to secure more time for riders to use the track even if it's in the afternoons of a few weekdays. I appreciate planning takes time and costs money but this would be huge for Plymouth to aid the development of any upcoming riders as well as new riders they bring into the club.

Plymouth Gladiators have completed their 2021 line up with 19-year-old Frenchman, Steven Goret. Marmande born Goret is something of a motorcycling all-rounder, having competed in speedway and longtrack events across Europe, as well as being a keen Motocross rider. Back in 2015 Goret also competed in the FIM World 250 championship when one of his rivals was Gladiators’ teammate, Henry Atkins, the duo striking up a good friendship. ‘There’s a lot of people saying good things about this young man and he’s certainly a rider with huge potential’, said promoter Mark Phillips. ‘I’m impressed with his track record and am thrilled to have signed him. The lad has a great future and the fact that he also knows Henry will help him settle in’. As well as riding for the Gladiators, Steven, who has been riding since he was nine years old, will continue to race for his French club Lamothe at their track in South-West France, which is owned by his father and where a Speedway Grand Prix Qualifying round will be staged at the end of May.

I said 'if required'. Also nothing stopping us strengthening with another youngster is there.

I reckon the last rider will be a bit of a surprise that none of us see coming. As for the team, I think it's great to have young riders that can develop and on 4 point averages they aren't too big a gamble imo. For this team to be competitive you have to think that one of Cook, Ruml or the final rider will have to hit the ground running and score big points early on but that said I do think at home Plymouth will compete. After the first set of averages when Crump and Pedersen likely free up about 4 points, Plymouth should be able to strengthen considerably in the middle order, if required.

I bloody hope not

As far as the track goes, as a Plymouth fan I've seen the track look and race appallingly and I've seen it look and race brilliantly. There are so many things that influence tracks, the base, the location in respect of surrounding areas etc. As I've moved away from Plymouth I've seen less home meetings in recent years but have to say the track was always inconsistent prior to Mark taking over the team. I know Mark has invested heavily not only in the infrastructure of the track but also the quality of material that goes on the track and I've heard and seen the track be far more consistent since Mark took over things. I'm sure with riders such as Crump and Pedersen there each week the track will have to be at a high standard, can't see them having it any other way! Everyone has their preference when it comes to racing and what they like to see, in my experience, and I've been to a few tracks in my time, the best racing I've seen has been on smaller tracks that aren't too tight, where you can get a bit of grip on them. Weymouth was a belting track for racing back in the day. The exception to that rule and arguably the best track in the country in my opinion (I've not been to the new Belle Vue mind) is Peterborough. The racing there has always been brilliant on the times I've visited. Anyway back to the team, I fancy the rest of the Plymouth team to mainly be younger riders with a couple of from the NL team that was set to line up last year. Hopefully we'll get some news this week.

Plymouth are unfortunately in a position where despite the brilliant news that they are moving up, they have slim pickings with available riders given the amount of riders already signed up, so clearly the promotion are having to be creative and I just hope that whatever team we are able to put together, we can hopefully be competitive and sustainable. The Bjarne signing for me isn't a particularly good one if you look at his average and what he's likely to achieve (I reckon he'll average around 8), but he's always been good off the start that will help him massively at Plymouth and he should entice punters both at Plymouth and away to see a former world class rider and someone I've always thought of as a decent bloke. In addition Bjarne will, I'm sure, support any younger riders the team has. He's a 'name' and that's never a bad thing. I'd expect Plymouth to have a bottom end that includes 2 of the 3 heat leaders that would have lined up last season in the NL (Stoneman, Bowtell, Atkins), personally I'd go for the latter two. Yes that wouldn't be that strong on paper but they are improving and would be competitive at home for sure. If Crump turns up, well, I think every promoter in the CL should give the Plymouth promotion a massive thumbs up as it would surely swell crowd numbers whenever Plymouth are in town. Crump or no Crump, my worry is the middle of the team, there just doesn't seem much around in the 5-7 range so it might be a case of taking a punt or two and hoping someone can be unearthed.

Interestingly my view on the Plymouth forum was similar and I got shot down by pretty much everyone on there for suggesting the team was pretty disappointing. As a Devils fan it's great that speedway continues in the City and ensuring that going forward is paramount so building to a budget is simply a must. If you look at that side I can only see Bradley and Henry improving their averages. Adam will win races everywhere but outside that I think Plymouth look vulnerable. Away from home we'll get some tonkings. Looking at the teams being put together so far I can see it being two leagues in one; IOW, Plymouth, Buxton and Stoke look like being the bottom four with the rest looking much stronger (on paper). This is of course before Belle Vue and Coventry show their hands but I'd expect both to be competitive. As ever, time will tell.

Very impressive top 2 for Lakeside and fair play to them but the signing of Morris is exactly what's wrong with the sport in this country. A guy finishing 3rd in the Premiership can double down to the Championship is shocking to start with but to then potentially come in on a lower average than he would in the Premiership is a joke. The double up rule was supposed to be about helping young Brits to develop, it's now basically anything goes. You guys are only playing by the rules and fair play but it absolutely stinks that this can go on in the sport.

No they shouldn't have - Nor should they have signed Andrews, Smart or Compton but hey ho. Was offered a deal at Plymouth but KL is rather closer to home for him given he lives up that way now and I agree re the comparison! Given Compton lives Leeds way I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't last that long - Leeds to Plymouth on a Friday = a long ruddy way! 8.95 - Christ alive I thought it was a poor signing and that was when he was going to come in on 5-6.

Dropping out of the PL has all but finished Plymouth anyway. Whether it's two, three or a few more years - This is the beginning of the end. I pledged my hard earned cash last year like a number of the fanzine to keep the club afloat - That was a damn sight more than entrance money! I did that to keep my club running and then discover the total dishonesty of the previous promotion. What I love is Bowden going into the papers saying he's trying to save the club. Of course he is, how much did he pay to walk in every week last season? Not a penny. The guy is in it for himself and I won't support that. I'll pop along to the odd away meeting and I'll visit some meetings around the country to support the sport but I won't do that at the SBA.

I'll be honest, if it's Bowden or anyone from the current promotion I'll not part with any money at the SBA.

Plymouth has struggled to break even in the PL because quite simply they have tried to survive purely on gate receipts and a few people sponsoring heats. That isn't enough. Many teams in the league have struggled for crowds over the years and its commercial revenue (or a rich owner) that has enabled these clubs to survive. Plymouth's crowds were falling before we went PL, I've said it before and i'll say it again. The club could survive in the PL on it's current crowds but to do so it needs a promoter and a team of people to commercially bring in significant revenue. If this can be secured I think we can survive in the PL. With the greatest respect - I don't believe that can be achieved with any of our previous promoters.

We couldn't get 800 in the PL with number of engaged fans, what makes you think we'd get that in the NL (poorer product) with Bowden (who few people trust) at the helm? I'm not sure if you know Mr Bowden personally or if it's just that his offer is all you are aware of but I'm hopeful that we will get the right promotion in and also retain our PL status. I love speedway but I will not put any money in Mr Bowden's pocket.

Quite agree, it was. but they weren't the right people for the job either it seems. No inside information required - It was clear for everyone to see!

If Mike Bowden were our best chance of survival we might as well not bother. Yes he brought speedway back to the City and no-one can ever fault him for that. However Plymouth's crowds were diminishing before we went to the PL and that was because he never once seriously promoted the club or sought to generate any decent commercial revenue. To be fair he never needed to because the club had a bubble around it for the first two / three seasons which allowed him to collect with very little outlay. We are in a very different world now. What the club needs is not a one man band, it needs a team of open and honest people who can invest some case and have a bit of savvy about them to ensure the club is well managed and promoted. Basically we need people we can trust, Mike Bowden lost that trust a long time ago. I sincerely hope someone else is out there.

There is and will always be more than meets the eye to all stories. Plymouth has closed for the second time in a season and quite frankly it's down to poor management and poor promotion. Imagine where the club would have been if the fans hadn't raised circa £25,000!? Crowds haven't been great for a few seasons and perhaps that is down to a lack of success - That said on paper I thought we had one of the most exciting teams in the PL at the start of the year. Top to bottom we need fresh faces - People who know how to run a speedway club, people who manage effectively and transparently and ultimately make PL speedway viable, because it can be!