stevec

Well said that man. I saw another comment somewhere suggesting that Eastbourne should let MH have the title! I hate the idea of playoffs and always have done but if we can make them work for us just this once, after 18 years of hurt, I will take it. We have got to do it first and I am not sure it will be that easy at all!

Its such a shame we have these discussions every year. It really isn't just this league in question. I mean, how can you take a league seriously when a team in the bottom half of the table (4th) could win the title? I watched 'once there was a jolly swagman' the other day and then watched some youtube videos of speedway back in the heyday. Jeez, it would be amazing to see that again but it will never be. When I was between 5 and 12 there was only one thing that mattered outside of my family and friends and that was speedway. There was not much else outside of homemade go carts and scalextric. Now days you have to drag the kids away from PS4 and social media. They have better things to do. There is one thing speedway needs and that is to find a way to get people track side. And nobody really knows how to do that. You can chuck money away with advertising, you can reduce prices and all that does is make you worse off as a club if it doesnt work. You can tinker with the format and still have ftg racing. Sure everyone likes to have a moan at Eastbourne about the track and lack of racing but I have been to big wide tracks and still sit through a load of ftg racing. Just maybe with the added bonus of the home star that misses the gate but just opens his throttle for an easy pass down the straight! Hardly racing! As for this league. I was so anti it when Eastbourne joined but I ended up loving it. I was watching 7 guys, all British with smiles on their faces all enjoying what they were doing....and some great racing. I wish I knew how to fix it so that all leagues were watchable and profit making. Maybe speedway is just what is is. A low level sport where we have to accept it and try to run clubs cheaper. I just dont know. All I do know, is I will be there, trackside until its gone!

Ditto comments on Richard. Not only did he ride well but he just looked great, real action packed style. Loved him when he rode for Eastbourne and I hope he carries on going well.

Remarks like this made as a one off judgement do annoy me. All three of these riders are more than capable of controlling their bikes and worthy of being put in front of the paying public. I have seen the best of riders (even in the top leagues) made to look amateur on certain tracks or conditions. To suggest they should be hidden away somewhere and get more training is stupid. (What number is Tom at again)? I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion, most likely by the shocking looking accident that Nathan had. It is never nice to see a rider slam into the fence like that and emotions can run high when its due to being taken out by an opposing rider. I have seen a lot worse in my years of watching speedway. Lukaz Dryml being taken out at Birmingham by Daniel Nermark springs to mind and that left Lukaz on the sidelines for some time. But, we got over it, thats speedway. Then there are suggestions that little ole Tom did it on purpose. Well, maybe he is pretty skillful after all? To take the risk at that sort of speed and take someone out of the meeting but know that you will end up okay, thats clever! Oh but yeh, your gonna get excluded!! Time wasting? Well how many times has someone watch their team and a rider goes down. Under your breath or sometime out loud you say "Stay Down" get a re run! Again, I have seen my team on the bad side of the rules. Well up at Arlington when the rain starts to come down, home riders at the tapes while the away riders are standing looking at the track and asking for a referee inspection. Or the opposing team purposely getting a 5 - 0 to bring in a tat sub in the next race! But, we got over it, thats speedway. So, we have a team with a crazy curfew. Our riders have thrown away points and we are down. Sorry, but I for one was looking at the time and thinking, hopefully we can get to 8.30 before heat 10. Dam right the Eastbourne management should be thinking that same thing! It up to the ref to control this, as soon as the riders go over the tapes at the end of four laps, get the 2 minutes on. If a rider is doing a lap of honour, whats stopping the four riders getting out for the next race? I am told that the race after that, the Kent rider did a lap of honour for winning as race (but that may be hearsay). Seems like get got their justice and won the match. Would they have gone on an got the 4 points without the Eastbourne 'time wasting'? Well I would say that heats 13 and 15 may have looked pretty good for Eastbourne and once Jason and Tom stopped throwing things away, maybe we would have overturned the lead, who knows? Just move on everybody!

the trouble with that is, they would then get slated for not running a match just because England 'might' do the unthinkable and get through to the third place playoff in the World Cup...yeh right!! It does seem a strange thing to do but why cant people simply understand that the club have done what they think is right for the club?

Yeh, Georgie was great in those two races. It is always great to win and being a massive eagles fan, I want to win every lap of every heat.....but that was not top drawer speedway....except heats 13 and 15!! Local rivals they may be but I would not wish that on ANY travelling fan

Attended this as a neutral and really enjoyed it, despite the temperature. I felt sorry for the Kent fans travelling all that way to have such a promising start but end up with quite a heavy defeat. There was some good racing and clearly a couple of racing lines. Leon Flint!! Good find. Cracking gater and has some real pace. One of those finds at reserve that can make for a good season for the team. Not sure Brum will be as strong looking when he cant have 7 rides though.

No idea, usual drivel I expect. Yeh, sods law it will be off and hotel TV it is!

Not a fan of either club (Eastbourne is my club) but I am in Wolverhampton on business tomorrow evening so may pop along for this. Bit of speedway or night on my own in a hotel room? no brainer really!

Mmmm, I must admit, it is missing from this link but was mentioned elsewhere. Could be it was simply left out or an issue with promoting a new website on the old one? http://www.eastbourneeagles.co/news.php?extend.1174.1 As for you question about why the new website, I kind of agree, why not just rebrand the old one? I am guessing its easier to buid a new one so they can keep the old one running or maybe, they are using someone else to build the new site. Could also be that the old website does not lend itself to the rebranding I often aurgue the need for new website and things, including my own company, I was outvoted on changing and rebranding our company website and making it 'mobile friendly' but I do get the augument that if you dont keep with the times, you start to look dated. Personally, I just want to see the Eagles riding as a team at Arlo for as long as I am fit enough to attend. If the management deem certain cganges are worthy to keep things going, I will always support that. As much as I am a tranditionalist, I am nt a great fan of blue and yellow together as colours anyway.......ooops, did I say that out loud!

Where do you look for Eastie news? It was in their website, they made a press release to the likes of the Sports Argus and on social media. Noit trying to pick an argument but I am not sure what else they could have done. BBC certainly would not do anything on it!

They did make a big announcement across social media about the website and change of colours when it happened.

So then general opinion is Eastbounre will be second, again! NNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!

NOOOOO! Not the toilets debate again! We have been having that for years!

Just looked. Great to see them riding in Eagles colours!

So its Baseby.

Not sure I agree its liked by most supporters. Yes, going into play offs and the such, any team is glad to use a flying guest, wherever in the team he is but I think we would much rather a reserve that is going to do well for us full stop. I think most would have liked to see more of Charlie Saunders then see what guest we would be getting each week. I am a little surprised everyoine is assuming Charlie Powell will get a place as he looks a little at risk with his average, in my opinion. But the fact that he has not gone public saying he has not been signed, maybe means he is. Personally, I would like to see Georgie, Mark and Daniel Spiller complete the team

Agree with Midly but dont see why Eastie cant have a good side as well.

Blimey....on the condition they leave a 'quiet' part of the stadium for us 'over 40's!!! I can put of with a little Taylor Swift but club music is best err, left in clubs!!! Seriously, I do get where you are coming from though. I remember Terry Russel trying this once. Had some BIG speakers all round the stock car track but they lasted about two matches! I did hear it was due to complaints from locals but if I believed everything I heard. Martin Dugard would have had about 5 comebacks and we would be riding our meetings at the Amex due to houses being built at Arlington!

Tom, according to sports argus.

Anyway, moving on. Looks like eastie are not using Jake Knight as his average is too high so I am guessing thats been discussed and decided.

Lol, just when you think you know it all! Now I get why Kelsey is back on such a low average!

Is there really that much manipulation going on now we have the rolling averages? I know people talk about it but I am not sure it really happens

Completely disagree. Its so much more than just a colour change. Its a complete re-branding and new approach to marketing. Maybe it will all fizzle out and all we will see in a years time is the same ole, same ole but just a different colour. BUT, the talk about the need to market and re-brand to get people to come to watch is what we have been wanting to hear for years. Its also a relief. For me the rumours and guesses that the Dugards were selling would have felt a little like the beginning of the end for me.

Well they are saying something that has not been done in 89 years. Speedway started at Arlo in 1929. If you assume thats the beginning of 1929, thats 89 years ago. So it could be a move to a new stadium or ownership or both!