mikebv

"Broadsword to Agents Doyle, Bewley and Cairns"... "The geese are flying backwards over Helsinki"... "I Repeat. The geese are flying backwards over Helsinki"... Repeat.

They should just get a room...

I wasn't convinced at first.... But by the third time ....😁

Sheffield were favourites... Then Leicester .. Then Belle Vue .. And bookies don't often get it wrong, with Belle Vue's lack of middle order strength being mentioned on here by fans of other teams as the reason they would "struggle" .. And Ipswich, even it they had kept Doyle, would still have had a huge Emil sized hole in their team to fill... With no one of that level wanting to ride over here to fill it, so they would still have had a big challenge on their hands to retain their title..

Plenty of "throttle jockey's" now in their team....

How is it "fairer"?... Northampton and KL won't have a big hitting No1, due to no one of that level wanting to ride over here. Ipswich will have two, like the Aces did last year . Is that "fair?".. And last season Ipswich, regardless of the takeover, basically only missed out on Jason Doyle as, same again, no other top level riders wanted to come over... Meaning they couldn't have signed anyone anyway... And they still ended up with two of the top eight riders in the averages, so, didn't do too bad... The only "fair system" is to distribute the top level riders to one per team, as currently, the teams with two have a big advantage in heats 13 and 15, (as the Aces showed often last season)... Kurtz, Doyle, Bewley, J Holder, Fricke and Douglas should all be the No1's if you want "fairness"... And it would mean a much more competitive sport..

With weaker rising stars, and also looking like weaker No 6's, and also no sign of any new top level riders coming over, this year has to be weaker than last surely?..

Not true... In fact quite the opposite .. The Aces are one of those teams who seem to not increase their crowds massively when winning, nor lose large amounts of their fanbase when losing.... They have had some truly crap teams down the recent years yet 1200/1300 still attend most weeks...

Just as long as the crowd isn't too noisy... And the race times can be heard after every race... And I can stand in my usual place without anyone being in front of me...

I hope they do... As if Brady gets injured the Aces will be using them both to take turns and guest!!!

Ipswich have won ONE title in 30 odd years ... "Your biggest threat???"....

Agree with that, don't agree that lads who have been developed to No6 level then get left out... These lads could be second strings in two or three year years of further development, instead we will end up no doubt bringing over loads more journeymen foreign lads just like has happened for decades.. And the UK lads then leave the sport, just like has happened for decades..

And lads that have progressed through the scheme, and would be ideal for a No6 position, will now struggle to get a job... The purpose of the scheme wasnt to find World Champs, it is to find more "OK" UK riders to take spots in teams, with several lads now who could do that... Still, as long as the UK make Poland happy.... (Again)...

Could Ashton Boughen be tempted back as a Number Six given the level he will be racing against...?

And if any are missing on international duty or get injured, they can only be replaced by a rider on the RS list but not attached to a team... Looking at the list above, most of whom will be attached to a team, their replacements will really struggle... And, as yet, it doesn't appear too many foreign U21 riders have been mentioned so we could end up with more UK U21 riders at number six... How much will it be to watch? £30 or so next season....??

Didn't Jason Crump get his average lowered so Plymouth had a decent No1 when they went into tier two in 2021?.. He got it converted to 8 points in the Premiership so it became a 12 in the second tier.. Made up nonsense .. The UK Speedway way...

It is barmy that you deliver success then cannot maximise it financially... Basically you win the play offs and then?... The sport stops... And you then lose riders that fans have had an affinity to, so go into your "Champions" season looking nothing like the team who actually won... You can actually spend half a season winning meetings comfortably, and your home crowd reduces due to the lack of jeopardy of victory or defeat. After June we seem to always know the PO teams, and you get nothing for topping the table .. They should stop "dumbing down" and start to "level up", and that way fans can build affinity with riders, and riders can build an affinity with fans, as they know it won't be a one or two season visit... You should only lose your place in a team for not performing, and definitely not for doing "too well"... Currently, what is actually the point of winning the league? Given financially, you are not getting the opportunity to earn from it, and cannot build a "dynasty" for further success... And after all the Mickey Mouse, contrived, pi**ing about to make things "even", the same four teams qualify anyway!!!😁

And they need to... As, sadly, the six months leading up to them seldom deliver either....

Plenty of Ipswich fans on here were very unhappy that Doyle signed for the Aces, given they were desperate for a "proper" No1 themselves... With the over riding narrative being they should let Brennan and A.N Other go, (whoever's average worked best), to bring in Doyle and "someone else"... With Mayfield's "loyalty" being held up as the reason it won't/didn't happen, which, as they let Brennan go anyway, was, in hindsight, an opportunity missed... However. The other way of looking at it though is that by keeping their team together last season it has meant plenty of opportunity to bring in two top level riders for this season coming... With Cairns too it looks a very decent team, and should bring in a few non regulars to away tracks in particular...

Pretty much a completely new track next season at Ipswich too... Might take a while to get dialled in..?.. Knocks two points off his average and the Aces have him back in 2028...

Looking at the overall picture, sad indictment that it is, but five teams appear to be the tipping point of whether the league will be competitive or not... Oxford and Birmingham were out of their depth in 2025, and Northampton last year, (with KL just about hanging in there).. The sixth (and heaven forbid seventh), team, just dilutes what the fifth team could be given so few riders of a "decent level" ride over here....

The Aces have only around 8 points left for two riders so no chance of any "big hitter" coming in.. The progress shown by those "lesser lights" retained for next season was certainly impressive... (I remember "someone" on here, before last season started, saying that the Aces could be ruled out as they would "struggle badly away from home")... Home advantage is the key that Mark Lemon will be basing his decision on.. That, and having two teams weaker...

Another ultra competitive season.... Exciting stuff!!!!!

To be fair, Poole do have a different fanbase to the Aces, and have shown "success" keeps them attending, and "no success" sees them drift away, hence those who run it know their business well, and try to ensure their fanbase is given every reason to keep attending .. The Aces do have a pretty decent "hardcore" who have attended down the years, regularly, each season regardless of the level of teams put out, (and a fair few have been dire). and not having to lay out for Bewley/Doyle will also help the coffers I would think, and, just as long they win most meetings at home they will maintain that 1200/1300 or so who attend each week.. It certainly is a track that provides significant home advantage when riders get dialled in, with visitors usually taking several races to find the set up, and some never actually finding it!!... Fourth is as good as first, so building a team that does that will be the priority this season I would imagine, with the end of the season being often very different than the start, rider wise from team to team due to injuries...

Good luck to Dan... Great to see one of the world's best, (and most exciting), riders, choose to keep riding in the UK...