stevebrum

Doyle is one rider who gives his all for his league racing which is why he has been top Aussie for many a season. There isn’t another Aussie in league racing that is as committed to UK racing or as good at league level. Holder (Jack) and Fricke will probably finish with a lower 2024 average again.

Peterborough would be worse don’t you think? Lynn and Panthers have had an awful line up the past couple of seasons which feeds into the fact it doesn’t matter what track advantage you have. Aces and Wolves have had 2 of the better teams in recent seasons so are comparable with riders in their line ups that could be considered track specialists. So would say Wolves maybe have more riders with more small track specialism. You would think Wolves would be dominant at home season after season when in fact they haven’t and haven’t won by massive amounts week after week. Team strength plays its part but I fail to see a logic that Wolves had the most advantageous track to the home riders. Stats don’t back it up.

If the track wasn’t such a massive home advantage then they wouldn’t steam roll teams season after season. Belle Vue having the biggest home advantage has nothing to do with it being the best race track in the country. That’s completely irrelevant. That wasn’t even a point. Why you have turned it into a which is the best race track is baffling as that wasn’t even a point I made! The myth that wolves had this massive home advantage is disproved by results over the years. Lots of last heat deciders with points on the line all the way thru the meeting. You wouldn’t get that if the home advantage was that great. It’s completely irrelevant whether you or anyone rated MG as a good race track or not. The point was about the biggest home advantage.

Yet Belle Vue had much more larger home wins because of their massive home advantage! Quite a lot of close calls at MG and some defeats which kind of tells its own story on this mythical massive home advantage. Truth is most riders could handle MG very well.

By definition anyone who finishes in the top 10 yearly averages several seasons running can be classed as a true number 1. However I fully agree that I also consider riders with a 9 plus averages as a real definition of a number one. Valid point on the real number one comment. Think it’s splitting hairs on the rest of the Oxford and Leicester teams who have riders more proven to have achieved a higher average. If anything KL have massive potential. Think everyone has the Brummies down as 7th by a very large margin! Very much an unknown quantity compared to the other 6 teams.

I’d go with 1. Ipswich. If anything they have strengthened up from the side that finished last season. Key rider Adam Ellis who surely is better than that average? 2. Leicester . Probably the strongest top 5 in the league. Very reminiscent of Wolves the past 2 seasons who made the top 4 each season as well but stronger looking. Key rider Sam Masters who has been a true number one for several seasons if he can return to that standard Leicester will probably walk the league. 3. Sheffield. Ditto a very strong top 5. Woffy is a star attraction. Key rider Chris Holder who has been very hot and cold when ridden here on his last couple seasons. Should add to his average tho. 4. Oxford. Proper dark horses to me but the more I look at the line up the more impressive they look. Maciej coming back is a real boost to the league. Key rider Maciej Janowski as if he performs as the number one he is expected to then Oxford will be very potent. 5. Belle Vue. You can’t really count out the Aces who have breezed into the play offs the past few seasons. They fall just under the top 4 for me but wouldn’t be surprised if they were in the play offs. Key rider Norick Blodorn has a lot more responsibility this season who has primarily been a reserve for huge chunks of the past 2 seasons. Also Bewley will be expected to perform like the GP rider he is as he was frankly quite disappointing in 23. 6. Kings Lynn. Power packed however only 1 real number compared to the other sides and that’s the only reason I don’t put them in the top 4. Literally everyone bar Iversen and Musielak have huge potential to increase their averages. Key rider Patryk Wojdylo who looked a real winner on his few appearances for the Panthers last season. 7. Birmingham. On paper extremely weak but is a team of proper battlers and racers. Pawlicki had his contract terminated last time he was here but is a decent standard number one. Milik has had his average massively inflated but I’d like to think he would achieve 7 at least. They need Worrall or Brennan to really step up. Lampart is a huge unknown over here. Key rider…… so hard to pick one because they all need to add to their averages so I’ll go with Tom Brennan who really needs to step into true heat leader standard for the Brummies to be a force.

Quite possibly yes. Had been one of the better top riders in the top flight for several seasons however. Yes I think that’s a possibility. He went bang out of form from mid season onwards.

He didn’t get it in 23. But was mid high 8 for several seasons.

And was a true number 1 for several seasons at Wolves with one of the top 10 averages every season…… bar 2023.

Depends what you class as a top rider. Milik isn’t that far from GP standard and has established himself at top level in both Sweden and Poland. Same with Lidsey coming back last season on his old reserve average pre Covid despite establishing himself in the Polish top league for 2 seasons. None of these rulings are ever fair to all clubs. Some gain massively some lose out. That can’t be fair. Surely a sensible yardstick could be their averages from top flight in Poland and Sweden. If you are good enough to average 6-7 points in both leagues then surely 7.50 or 8 would be a better assessment when converting to the UK. As for the signings….. Pawlicki is a rider that has got Monmore within a few heats. A total natural on a considered trick track. I’d go to watch him. Ditto Milik. Thought he would be GP level by now but I find him exciting also. Definetly gonna make a few tricks to PB this season for those 2 alone as well as having some ex Wolves in the side also. I seriously hope the team gels and aren’t as poor as people are predicting. I say that in all seriousness because the Sport, the Midlands and Brummies fans need this team to survive.

Absolutely, with decent crowds.

Crowds were decent compared to a lot of teams currently running.

What on earth are you on about. The news is on the Brummies website. Another ridiculous post. The Midlands needs teams to succeed.

Not really many homes no. Whilst the current stadium is the one they used to also ride at in the very early days. The site of the one stop shopping centre across the road was its other site in the 70s mid 80s whilst the other other place was at Wheels. A decent sized gate SHOULD be possible given its catchment area however several things go against it. - The track has often been poor but it seems the guy who did do a decent job is back for 24. - the viewing is pretty poor which off a lot of those who have been in the past. - parking can be an issue and more so now that the One Stop SC is not allowing parking there anymore - traffic at PB and motorway can be a nightmare. Not any more.

Good to see Lampart in UK speedway. Hopefully he can do something similar to Musielak and if on a 5 average could do very well. With the points limit left it must be 2 big hitters surely? If Schlein is one of the last 2 that’s a dreadful team whoever else signs. If Zagar is one of those final 2 it needs to be a Lindgrenesque type signing at number one. Birmingham really need to ensure those last 2 are benchmark signings or I fear for their 2024 season. Fingers crossed for 2 good heat leaders for them!

No he wasn’t, he was technical advisor. Jim Lynch was the team manager.

Obviously weaker on paper but looks decent but has a few question marks about the 2024 version. Lidsey will need to keep the improvement but won’t add the same amount on his average of 2023 which was a real ringer of an average. Blodorn into the main body of the team has a bigger task as well. Has plenty of time on his side, is decent at the NSS however its away he will need to improve. Doesnt hit the way that Sheffield, Ipswich and now Leicester do on paper for me. Teams looking good all around tho of those announced.

They all did fine away from Monmore so I fail to see it’s an issue!.

It’s good to see Janowski back in British speedway but is one rider I’ve never been impressed by. He isn’t the bench mark signing like Emil but it’s great to see the standard of riders improving. fwiw Oxford have quite a few hit and miss signings. Probably do fine at home (which is important for any side) but may but less successful away. Good to see them in the top flight and I wish them well. Hope to make it down to Cowley in 2024.

Wolves was one of the best prepared and skilled racing tracks. More fans enjoyed the racing at Monmore than Brum. Bitter? Not at all but Brum SHOULD be one the better tracks with its shape but rides pretty awfully. Track prep has been an issue for years although I hear it’s got better. It will be bitterly exposed on TV if not in 2024.

Let’s hope so but it’s reputation is pretty poor. One hosted British finals, raved about on SKY, and had a crowd most clubs would be envy of. Was one of the best prepared tracks in the UK. The other is Birmingham. Has improved his average year on year however. Lindgren has gone on to be easily in the top 3 riders in the world over the past 5 seasons. If he was committed to riding in the UK (I doubt he will again) he will easily be high 9.

Zagar’s average was way higher at the NSS than away. Too much of a risk particularly if at number one. I doubt he is even a 7 point rider anymore given he average was topped up half the matches at NSS. For the Brummies to succeed they need an attractive team to encourage Wolves/Cradley fans to come across regular. Let’s face it they are banking on a few hundred Wolves fans coming every week to make this work. Sadly the track and viewing will put a lot off.

All confirmed at the Brummies forum meeting recently. 80% chance of running next season and if so will be a Monday at PL level. No other teams interested in moving up. 20% chance of not running. Plus a maximum of 3 to 4 years at the venue. They are already looking at new sites. They we’re looking to lease the whole stadium which would have seen both Birmingham and Wolves running but the price of a quarter of a million is too much! Listening to the podcast they really seem to be relying on Wolves fans turning up at least 200. Its clear Birmingham fans aren’t turning up in the numbers they need and going top flight is virtual suicide if Wolves fans don’t turn up. The owner admitted putting way more money in this season to keep it afloat. Costs higher in the PL. Think they have been hoodwinked to moving up. Potential new team manager (Pete Adams maybe] might persuade some Wolves fans particularly if it has a Wolves team flavour.

Little to no chance of that. Big meetings I hear with the greyhound people about the future of speedway there. It’s another place that’s likely to be lost to speedway in the near future. greyhounds already running Wednesday nights so alternatives needed for the Brummies. CVS would have said that Wolves would be running at PB in 2024. Very unlikely.

What the action showed from Wolves was as equally as thrilling. You must have had your eyes closed to not witness that or just blinkered. Monmore was always about entertainment and not just pure throttle jockey happy. Watching the skill of the riders was what made Monmore special. I just hope they can replicate that on any future track.