tigerowl

It was a decent meeting to be honest. Not a classic but some decent racing and it was just nice to see speedway again. Simon Stead was superb and the rest of the side were solid rather than spectacular. Josh Bates was probably the pick of the rest and Taylor Poole was unlucky with his engine failure and a tapes exclusion. Glasgow fought back well but had 11 last places which killed them a bit. Three of the four last places Sheffield had were when Taylor had engine failure when second, Josh pulled out at the first bend with his back injury and Ty was off 15 metres and couldn't make up the ground. Kevin Wolbert was great value - one astonishing first lap when I thought he was in the fence but kept it on and blasted around everyone. Christian Henry started off poorly but came good Anders Thomsen I was very impressed with - looked fast and smooth with a lovely style Rusty Harrison was disappointing - kept missing the gate and when it looked like he might win heat 14 he was passed by Andre around the boards Theo Pijper was OK - rode better then his score suggests Kasper Lykke wasn't as good as I expected but looked quicker as the meeting went on Rafal Konopka did OK and had an engine failure when third in one heat

Are we going to ride again this season? It doesn't feel like it with all this bloody rain. Looks like four home rain offs out of five if the forecast is right.

I've got really mixed feelings about this. I think the team is stronger with Ty Proctor in the side but Adam didn't deserve to be dropped at this stage of the season. The other thing is that Adam was riding for Sheffield and was committed to that but Ty is riding for Wolves as well and, as happened with another Wolves loanee last season and the season before, there seemed to be a drop in commitment when riding in the Premier League. I'll still be there on Thursday though and wish Adam all the best.

He does still do the track. I saw his face last night so many times I think he turned up in my dreams somewhere, spinning round and round like something off the Exorcist.

Full credit to Scunthorpe, they wanted it more than Sheffield and fully deserved their win. Ryan Douglas was fantastic to watch and Josh Auty was superb. Tigers were a shambles and the presentation was awful. Blading the track after a week of just about perfect weather after just two heats was awful. Two hours to run 15 heats of racing equals over 100 minutes of standing about doing nothing and it's is not good enough. It was the same last week, messing about with the air fence. The crowd was much better but people aren't going to put up with it week after week. I was sick of seeing the tractor going round and round and am sick of the riders gardening at the start, walking to the tapes and digging the track up like its a bloody Grand Prix final. GET ON WITH IT!!!!

Ah yes, the Germans. One speedway World Champion, on a track set up for him to win (good rider though), a Grand Prix rider aged 30 this year, no World Finalist since Gerd Riss in 1993 (21 years ago). Great prospects who may have ridden their 500cc bikes at 14 that did fantastically well in the British League, Busch, Helfer, Dilger, Maasen...

For the Diamonds fans that didn't go... Your team looks pretty good and will be there or thereabouts this season. Lindgren was hit and miss - looked good when he made the gate but did nothing from the back Henry was excellent in heat 1 but was a bit disappointing thereafter Robson was, as ever, excellent. Great to watch and always in the thick of it Kerr didn't do anything then looked good when he made the gate in heat 14 Rosen - my first look at him and I have to say I was impressed. Let Simon Nielsen through in heat 6 and was last in heat 15 off graveyard gate 4 but was otherwise excellent Schramm - a typical never say die display Rose - looked OK. well on the pace The crowd was disappointing but I am sure the weather put off a lot of people. The programme is poor and they had run out before the start. Other than than, full marks to the riders for giving it a go and giving us a decent meeting and the team spirit looked great. A massive improvement on last year's miserable spiritless side.

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Greyhound racing was on the TV last night from Owlerton. The air fence (blue and yellow) was in place and ready to be inflated.

Good luck David. I am sure the vast majority of fans appreciate your efforts for the Tigers over the years and I think the consensus is that you were approachable and had the best of the club at heart. I hope we see you on the terraces and I, for one, will shake your hand and buy you a pint.

I'm not. The link with King's Lynn didn't do us much good last year.

I still went last year but it was out of habit rather than anything else. Sometimes I didn't know who we were riding against until I arrived but I still love the atmosphere and standing with my friends on the first turn. I will miss the visits of Leicester this season but will still be there whenever I can.

Josh Bates made amazing progress last season whilst Facundo started well enough but wasn't much better by the end of the year. I think the new management have put together a side with youth and experience with a bit of excitement thrown in as well. A team with Steady / Leigh / Andre will be a great boost to riders like Adam / Josh / Taylor plus the seventh mystery (?) rider.

Great comments from Leigh. I think he's just what we need - steady, experienced and a team man. I'm looking forward to him being at Sheffield this year as there were too many in last year's side who seemed like they couldn't care less about team spirit.

I think I have got a weekly speedway magazine for every week from 1935 to the present day and, in my opinion the Speedway Star is better than it has ever been. If you want gossip, discussions about the bad things in speedway, good opinions, mad opinions - they are all contained in this forum somewhere. If, like me, you want a record of the sport, great pictures and reports from the furthest flung places in the world where speedway is held, the Star ticks all the boxes and is worth every penny.

If Taylor Poole is joining the Tigers then it will certainly be an entertaining side. Any team with Stead, Roynon, Poole and Compton in it will be worth watching no matter what the league position.

Excellent appointment. Welcome to Sheffield, Joe. I would have loved to have seen Screeny ride for the Tigers at some stage in his career but I am sure he will instill some team spirit which has been sadly lacking these last couple of years and hopefully have the same sort of effect that Shane Parker had on the team, albeit in a non-riding capacity. I'm pleased with the signing of Josh Bates, a local lad who has made great progress recently and should be a decent number seven for us this year.

Nick Morris is a good rider but I'd rather have someone who just rides for Sheffield. I'm sick of all this doubling up nonsense with Jason Doyle being number one at Leicester AND Somerset and Craig Cook captain of Edinburgh AND Belle Vue (I think). It's just stupid and needs putting a stop to.

Can we have a proper programme as well please. Consign the Machin Pizza Hut menu style race cards to the bin.

I disagree with this too. It's not a race to sign riders. Some of the teams that have been put together so far look unimpressive to me. Number 1 priority is to have speedway at Sheffield Number 2 is to have a team that is entertaining and Simon and Adam are a good start in that respect (as well as Mr. Not Very Entertaining going to Workington) Number 3 is to have a league winning side There are plenty of good riders without a team place but, as others have said, a fit Simon Stead and a fit Adam Roynon will do for me so far.

I quite like the idea of Magnus Karlsson as the third heat leader. I've got a feeling that Peterborough will be in the PL with Lanham, Bjerre and North as basis for their side. It will be an interesting few weeks ahead though.

I don't think Andre and Adam were part of the disaster of 2013 to be honest. They were part of the attempt to put it right (albeit unsuccessful) and I think they added to the team. The mistakes started way before that with the return of Richard Hall, Koppe and Albin being on inflated averages and Jake Knight being a bit out of his depth. If we had started last season with Adam instead of Richard Hall, Andre instead of Jake Knight and Damien and Facu on lower averages, the season might not have been so bad. I know that there has been some negative comments about Cory Gathercole on here but we have had our fair share of similar riders in the past who have not been afraid to dish it out and if he did sign, I would welcome him here. However, I think Leigh Lanham would be a good addition although it may be that riders like Leigh and Lasse Bjerre / Dakota North end up at Peterborough if they are running.

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Delighted with these signings as well. Two exciting crowd pleasers who want to ride for Sheffield. If they both stay fit, they will be a pleasure to watch next season.

It's my opinion. If you have a different one, then fair enough. He scored some points away last year and was much improved, but his first season at Owlerton when he was moping about the pits with a long face in his Wolves kevlars, not looking like he was interested in riding for us, made it difficult for me to be won round. He didn't quite manage it and I'm not all that bothered he has gone to Workington.