Aces51

I understand what you mean and why you think that and he is not a natural in the style of the Moran's or Darcy Ward. You say he can't just do it but if you look at the progress he has made in a relatively short speedway career then it is plain to me that he does have a lot of natural talent. Many of the FTR have more experience.

Some honest comments by Cookie which dispel the impression some seem have about his opinion of himself. http://www.bellevueaces.co/newsitem.aspx?id=1295 I think it's a win, win, situation for the Aces with either Cook or, Stead, as a second string throughout the season.

Good signing as a second string. I think Craig will improve significantly in 2015.

Have a look at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=North%20West%20Tonight It starts at about 19 minutes 28 seconds in and is available until 7pm tomorrow.

It was the point comparing him to FTR riders that was a nonsense but there is no denying that Cook's away form was poor. However, there is no doubt that the new race format made things more difficult for heat leaders, which is why most ended up with a lower average. Also,your point about racing the same heat leaders and second strings at home as he did away ignores that virtually every rider has a poorer away average than at home. It is almost bound to be so because most riders have a significant advantage when riding their home track.

Do we know how many people have voted, maybe I have missed it but without that information the percentages are meaningless. Having said that Kyle is a good signing and should improve his starting average.

There was indeed a Coventry team pre-war but like every track, apart from Belle Vue, closed during the war years. As I mentioned they re-opened, I think as the Bees, in 1946, in one of the lower leagues. They can certainly be regarded as one of the main clubs and have had more success than the Aces in recent years.

That'll teach you not to have a lie in.

The only valid comparison between Cook and FTR riders is that quite a few of them have been riding for longer than he has. His poor scores away last year were the result of riding against heat leaders not second strings and FTR riders.

Using that criteria, Wolves are relative newcomers to the top division, Coventry have a good pedigree but they did start after WW11 as a team in the lower division which Belle Vue supplied with riders. Belle Vue are the only team remaining who have always been in the top division. But as I said, it is where they are today that is the most important factor.

OK, so perhaps I should have spelt out that my comments applied only to stadiums that operated within the terms of their planning permission. I thought unnecessary to include that qualification on the basis that most people would realise that it was not intended to support anyone who might act illegally in that regard.

I was joking. It is nice and something of which to be proud, to have the sort if historical record that Belle Vue has achieved. I should also point out that it was not just in the 70,s and 80's, like that football club you mentioned. Historically, Belle Vue is the most successful club in the history of the sport. However, history is exactly that. What is more important is the here and now and in those terms we are one of the also rans. Hopefully, we are about to start a new era and with the new stadium, increased finances and proper practice and training facilities the opportunity will be there to become more successful.

No, he's talking about the real biggest club not some temporary pretender. 😋

An issue I suspect many of us will want to support. It is ridiculous that people can buy a new house close to an existing stadium and then take successful legal proceedings over the noise.

I could understand if every team has to have at least one Brit in the 1-5 and hopefully, some of those would be riders from the ERD. However, it makes no sense if they all have to be from the draft because it is unlikely the 8 riders will have progressed sufficiently. The result would be a great imbalance in the standards with some teams having someone like Kerr, assuming he continues his progress and others a much poorer rider not yet ready to move into the team proper.

Pleased to see Simon back. Overall, he had a good year last year and there should be healthy competition between him and Cook, assuming he is going to return, for third heat leader. I'll be sorry if there is no place for Richie Worrall but there's lots more to come from him and experience at another track will benefit him in the long run.

The main reason for our poor performance last year was the poor reserves but plainly Cook and Worrall had relatively poor seasons which didn't help. Apartt from Michelsen, who is a good prospect, none of the others inspire me as heat leaders. Watt is unpredictable and blows hot and cold, JK is as poor away as Cook was last year and Lindback has never maintained the form he had in his early years. Where I sort of agree with you is that the inclusion of any of those with Cook would make us stronger than last year and give us the benefit if Cook progresses this year, as I think he will. I wouldn't want two of them to the exclusion of Cook.

Of course. No problem.

It's all relative and subjective but if you are talking about value for money and not whether people can afford it then, to me, it isn't, as some say, 15 minutes of entertainment, I enjoy the whole 2 hour experience. Attending speedway is an event made up of the racing, enjoying the anticipation waiting for the match to start and then each race, the atmosphere, the banter with other fans, meeting friends and then remembering the most enjoyable parts afterwards. With travel, admission, programme and parking each home match costs me about £60 and the only time I usually think that I have not got value for money is when I have been in the stadium or, arrived at the stadium and a match has been called off when the decision was obvious much earlier. I would like to see the world's best on a regular basis but my test is whether the racing has been good and whether I have enjoyed the other aspects detailed above. Those who want more stars back have to consider that, as presently structured, the EL cannot run on one night a week. I also suspect that a reduction in matches to the level some of these riders want would probably lose more fans, who would get out of the habit of attending, than the extra stars would draw in. Crowds were falling long before some of the stars departed these shores and although their return would bring in some extra fans the financial gamble is whether the increase in crowds would cover the increased running costs. The evidence of my own eyes is that neither the loss of Crump or, the arrival of Zagar had a dramatic affect on the crowd size at Kirky Lane. Similar financial considerations and gambles also arise with job sharing to get the stars back. It is common sense that the costs of two riders setting themselves up to ride here is going to be greater than it is for one and it is the clubs who would have to pay those costs. We have to be looking to clubs living within their means as the only certain way to guarantee the long term future of the sport.

Good to see Matej back. Like Scott he obviously enjoys being at Belle Vue. Contrary to what some stars think Matej believes that riding in the EL has made him a better rider and he has resisted pressure from his Polish club who wanted him to give the UK a miss.

Sorry about that but, as you know, we Aces fans are always fair and above board.

Not so fast. I've just added the Swedish second division. See amended post above.

It's there on the same website http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/elitserien/statystyki/2014 and here http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/allsvenskan-league/statystyki/2014 However, if we are talking EL then Lindgren is plainly the better rider.

I think there will be some continuity with Zagar, Nicholls, Nielsen and hopefully, Cook back. The question will be whether Cook is the third heat leader or, a second string. No question he would improve his average as a second string but I think he will move on and improve even if a heat leader. Last year he faced tougher rides, which affected his average but this year he can continue the swift progress he has made since he started. I think we have a good reserve pairing, unlike last year when we had one of the worst and if we can sign Fricke and someone with a slightly higher average than Cook asa heatleader, we shall have a good season.

Great news. Scott seemed to enjoy himself last year and his efforts were certainly appreciate by the fans. He brings so much to the club not just his points contribution but his professional attitude on and off the track and the way he relates to the fans. A racer in the tradition of some of the Belle Vue greats.