tigerowl

Great news. Well done to Neil and David for making this happen. Last year was bloody awful on the track and like a morgue on the terraces but this signing has restored my faith and I'm sure the crowds will be up in March. This feels like it did when Sean Wilson signed and heralded a great era for the club. Good luck to Steady too for the season with the Tigers and the Stars. Welcome home. Can we have Stefan Nielsen next please?

I'm not sure what Stefan Nielsen and Squalls love child would look like to be honest. I think Stefan's red hair is fantastic and suits him nicely but can you imagine an infant who looked like Squall with red hair? I'd be looking for the 666 sign.

You are certainly right about the team: Shane Parker (legend and fantastic racer) replaced by Josef Franc Ricky Ashworth (loyal servant and cracking heat leader) replaced by Richard Hall Josh Auty (complete entertainment) replaced by Ricky Wells Simon Lambert (crowd hero) replaced by Klaus Jakobsen Ashley Birks (local lad and great prospect) replaced by Joe Haines Five negative team moves (although I cannot fault Joe in the end) and more money to get into the stadium. It was always going to turn out the way it did. Anyway, on a lighter note, I would love to see Steady back as number one, but not at the expense of Thursday race nights. Other suggestions for our heat leader roles - Seb Alden would be a good shout as would Josh Grajzonek. Would also love to see riders like Ty Proctor, Adam Skornicki, Jordan Frampton, Sam Masters, Lasse Bjerre or Kozza Smith.

Rain is a major problem in speedway and fans have to accept that. In other sports it is a big issue too - cricket and tennis to name a couple. My own opinion is that we are at the thin end of the wedge if promotions can call off meetings if it might rain. Look what happened at Glasgow the other season when Sheffield were there and it was called off early, only for riders and fans to turn up and find the track raceable. I respect your view, but my own is that I was rather go to a meeting, find the weather is too bad and come home having accepted being beaten by the elements, rather than be at home watching TV when the racing has been called off due to an inaccurate weather forecast.

The weather forecasters are not accurate. The one way to ensure people do not travel is to call meetings off because it might rain. People get out of the habit of coming and find something else to do. I've been going since 1974 and if it is hammering it down, or you get to the track and its clear that racing could not go on, then I've accepted it and gone back the following week. What I can't accept is a meeting called off because the forecast is bad. Have a look back at the thread for the unstaged British Semi Final. This was called off due to prospective bad weather and it didn't rain. People were angry about it not being staged. THAT is a good way of ensuring they don't come back the following week.

The promotion could not control the weather, but to call off fixtures 'because the forecast was bad' makes it less and less likely for people to travel when the weather looks even slightly dodgy. I cannot think of one person, apart from the ones in the promotion, that thought the team was any good. The atmosphere in the Panorama Room for the pre season introduction of riders was one of complete apathy and the performances on the track did nothing to lift the gloom. From March onwards it was clear that the team was awful but the introduction of Chris Schramm to replace Klaus Jakobsen was the only change. The club should never be under threat. It was thriving and doing well until the management took their eye off the ball and made some awful decisions. However, we have been here before and the right signings can bring a renewal of enthusiasm. An earlier poster asked why anyone would not want Ricky Wells back. My own opinion is that he seemed more interested in riding for Wolves than he was for Sheffield and to hear of him beating Darcy Ward one day and then seeing him trailing behind opposition second strings at Owlerton a few days later put me off him, he just didn't seem to care that much and I wasn't entertained by his riding at all. Just my opinion, and I totally respect differing views.

Steady would provide the spark if we could tempt him home.

Never mind retaining three riders from last season. Let's have a clear out. The only rider I wanted back from this season is Joe as he fully deserves his chance but I don't want any of the others back, particularly Ricky Wells. Sad that Simon Lambert will not be back in 2013 but there is a great chance to revitalise the side again. Shawn Moran did it in 1980 when the club was on its backside, Sean Wilson did it in more recent times and we need that spark again.

Great stuff. Really chuffed with the news. I've had a crap day today and this has cheered me up no end.

I think Koppe was mentioned a season or two ago and his starting average was brought up then. Something tells me that he was a three pointer for some reason but I may be wrong. I think Sheffield have more of a history in bringing over Aussies rather than Scandinavians since our experiments with the likes of Thomas Ravn, I'm not sure about the points limit and all that but I would love to see a team looking a bit like: Steady Joe Haines Jordan Frampton (if he can be tempted back) Michael Palm Toft Sam Masters Micky Dyer Lewis Blackbird

Watching Ricky Wells made me a bit angry this year. Great when he wanted to be, awful when he wasn't in the mood. I really don't want to see him in Sheffield colours again, I just got the impression that he wasn't all that bothered and Wolves were his number 1 priority. Steady would be a fantastic number 1. It reminds me a bit of the Sean Wilson situation - no one remembers him from being a reserve at Belle Vue, they remember him from being a star at Sheffield, Steady would be the same and would attract some of the missing fans back to the terraces much more than Kauko Niemenen would - no disrespect to Kauko.

Living in Sheffield, I drive around every day and apart from seeing the pictures on the back of the Sheffield Window Centre vans, I see nothing at all. My wife lived in Sheffield for two years before she met me and had never heard of the Tigers.

The race night has nothing to do with the poor crowds. Taking the fans for granted that they would pay more and turn up regardless to watch a garbage team has everything to do with it. Other factors might include the weather, calling meetings off because it might rain and the complete lack of publicity around the city. I'm glad to see Joe back in 2013 but anyone wanting any of the top five back next year wants their bumps feeling to be honest.

Sorry, I disagree. Most of us who work for someone else are told to do things we don't want to do and we would have to expect some consequences if we don't. Nobody could make the rider go out for Heat 15 but if they refuse there has to be some comeback for the decision. The history of speedway is littered with riders taking rides with injury, bits of bike strapped together to make them go etc. and where would we be if every time a rider didn't want to take and extra ride they used the excuse that their bike was about to blow up. If the rider's bike was about to blow up, and he chose not to take the ride then fair enough. If the management had got him by the scruff of the neck, pushed him out onto the track and then his bike blew up I would have some sympathy. He didn't take the ride and his engine did not seize, but to ignore the issue and let it pass without some form of consequence would set a precedent for the others to use the same excuse, be it a genuine one or not. I am not advocating that the rider be sacked or anything like that and I see that he did get an extra ride at Somerset, so the 'punishment' was not for more than one meeting, so I still support the management's decision to give his rides to someone else for that one meeting.

I've been fairly critical of the team this season and the way it was put together, but full marks to the Tigers management for giving the ever trying and ever entertaining Schrammy seven rides, whilst the miscreant of last Thursday's Heat 15 farce was given his four programmed rides and left to rot in the pits when the rider replacement rides were being doled out.

Kev, I have got an registration list of riders from 2003 and it has Harvey Bell as holding an amateur licence and with a date of birth as 29/5/65.

Wouldn't like to manage this shower. I would end up swearing as much as your dad!!

What a horrible season. Everyone at the pre season get together in the Panorama Room was saying what an awful side had been put together and that crowds would dwindle as a result, and that is exactly how it has turned out. No local lads, no crowd pleasing riders, no heat leaders, terrible home defeats, pizza menu programme (again), no atmosphere and charging more for the honour of watching- just shameful. Joe Haines in exempt from any criticism from me and the same can be said for Schrammy who at least gives 100% in every race. Skiddy has shown some improvement but the rest have been dire.

Pete Smith 11.7.40, born Feltham, Middlesex rode for Poole 1963-77 Peter Smith 21.8.54 born in Hagersten, Sweden, rode for Newport in 1973 Pete Smith 12.3.57 born in Barnsley, South Yorks rode for between 1975 and 1986 for Middlesbrough, King's Lynn, Leicester, Stoke and Long Eaton

I have Keith as being born in Poole on May 3, 1962.

Kevin Cyril Lock was born June 3, 1958, in Exeter.

Putting finishing touches to it. Out this autumn all being well.

John Cook for me. Loved watching him ride.

1 December 1951 in Marden, Kent.

I believe Bob was born in Anglesey, Wales, in 1937. I believe he is still with us.