Leicester Lion

Although the two words do perfectly describe Nicolai Klindt.

Absolutely agree about people expressing opinions. Sadly some seek to stifle debate. Better quality riders might not improve the quality of the racing - fewer mistakes, riders taking fewer risks because they're already thinking about being ready for their flight to Poland. Anyway, even if we stay in the Premier League, the promoter can simply say we're racing against Elite League opposition and a lot of our gullible fans will believe him.

Cheeky little lovable rascals, those speedway promoters.

Genuine question: is he offering a one-off training school under another name, or is it a structured approach that enables riders to develop their skills over several months, mixed with opportunities to race competitively while not burning themselves out?

Not all of us were members of the clutching at straws brigade.

Seems to me that ongoing help is the next step. Leagues such as the MDL encourage young riders and give them excellent initial opportunities, but when a rider shows the ability to go further it seems to me he is left to develop his own skills and is put into so many meetings at varying levels that he burns himself out or gets badly injured. At least 10 of those MDL final riders would surely benefit from a structured development programme that could take them beyond MDL level. It would need sponsorship to set up some type of academy, and the right ex-riders to pass on the skills, but the benefits would be quick and meaningful. Maybe even link up with other countries such as Denmark to share the facilities and development opportunities?

I thought it was probably the most entertaining speedway I have seen at BP in one meeting. Often such meetings are dominated by one or two riders, but all of the semi-finalists and one or two others had a realistic chance of getting onto the rostrum or even winning. There were several exciting races as the riders pushed themselves to the limit and beyond in some cases, with some remarkable bike control on display at times. A few spills are inevitable in a meeting like this, but they obviously came from genuine attempts to try just a bit too hard. It all adds to the entertainment, provided everyone walks away of course.

It has everything to do with Leicester - it's taking place at Leicester and it's promoted and advertised by the Leicester promotion. It's not about whether it will be a good meeting or not (who knows, there might even be a genuine pass or two). It's about the promotion advertising a fixture filler as an inter-league challenge against Belle Vue when it is neither of these things. It falsely raises people's expectations. It devalues speedway, it devalues the name of Belle Vue. Non-regulars will see the name Belle Vue and expect a standard that is not being provided. Once again the Leicester promotion shoots itself in the foot.

That's it - you didn't shout then and you still made your point. Well done.

I'd walk away.

Ahhhh, the gullible people taken in by advertising campaigns with cute little meerkats! You could always try emphasising your points without resorting to shouting. I'd take you more seriously then.

In a way you did by saying you hope someone knocks his block off (your words). Hoping for something that's not ok seems wrong somehow. It's a matter of opinion what Freddie was thinking. To me his line did look tight as he came into the home straight compared to the racing line if it wasn't the last lap, but at Monmore it's not all that unusual to see a rider take that line to deter a possible pass on the run-in.

So that's ok then.

"Taking someone's block off" wouldn't cause any injury of course.

I wonder what Doyle's team manager thinks about riders using dangerous tactics.

While I don't disagree with the sentiment, which you've expressed ad nauseum, unfairness and immorality are matters of opinion - they can't be facts. And please stop using capitals, it's the discussion forum equivalent of shouting.

Even as we speak Matt Ford is looking into ways to force the other teams to do it!

Seems right to me. The BSPA are hardly going to give a play off place to a lower placed team. There's some desperate clutching at straws going on.

There'll always be something else to shout about.

Using that logic, every team's last match should be void. But even that wouldn't be equal as some teams' last matches are easier than others. As much as I hate the play-offs as a way to decide the winners of a league season, we all know the rules at the start. If we hadn't dropped so many home points we would have made the play-offs on our own merit rather than hoping for other teams' results to go our way and for matches to not fall victim to the weather.

I remember Leif Wahlmann's crash, his bike suddenly slowed going into turn 1 and he was hit from behind by another rider close to the inside line. I'm not so sure that an air fence caused his head injury, it may have been caused by the initial impact from the other rider or the resulting melee before reaching the fence. Without knowing exactly what the cause of his head injury was, it can only be speculation about whether an air fence would have made any difference. I expect the airfences probably are safer if the riders feel they are, but I think proper research should be carried out. Impact at various angles, different velocities, different materials behind the fence, etc should be scientifically tested to identify any areas for improvement. Even with detailed testing, it would be hard to draw any meaningful comparison with fences from the past as there have been some significant changes (for example, the machinery, the riding style and the racing line) since those days.

If you found it condescending, I think that gives you the right to flounce out.

Insightful.

That's intended to strengthen the team? If the management ever had the plot they've certainly lost it now!

Maybe you're taking his posts a bit too much to heart...