Tsunami

Just an interesting senario. - If Morris hadn't been signed, and we went with RR at say 2, and Victor at 6. - First meeting at home or away, Victor is injured sufficient to miss the rest of the season. What would YOU do, and how would you judge George's actual decision then.

Tero I am informed hasn't had his op, hasn't raced since and his average is too high. Like him or not, Morris is the best available as you would have seen against us at the Peterborough home meeting. Good gater and rides Brough well. What assures me that we have done well, is the number of non Newcastle fans who wish him well and sing his praises after he had ride for them. You will soon see if your doubting is right or wrong. When getting rid of any rider, you have to try and improve on what you have. He has to be young, 3 point average and prepared to ride ooop North every week. Other teams have tried and failed to do what you are suggesting, but in the eyes of most folks not attached to Newcastle, there is no-one out there that would make an improvement. What we lack here is the name of that rider that was going to good enough for us to sign.

It should be today.

All the problems at Leicester have been caused by DH. He had to go and lose his licence through his own unsavoury behaviour. Obeying the rules and acting properly seems beyond him. BSPA didn't cause that. Usual jaundiced slant on things Speedway.

19th September.

With signing Ashley, surely he will be first reserve and Victor at no 2.

The bond is used to pay all speedway debts. The BSPA, Riders and other clubs.

See my post above. It's all true.

If things could have been as you suggest yes, but by whom. The poster called HalifaxTiger was standing with me on Sunday and he does many meetings every week, and takes a great interest in the youngsters he has seen in NL meetings. His opinion is that there is nobody out there that could do a job for us, and Ben Hopwood was probably a good gauge to believe that Statement. Jake Knight was mentioned, but when he guested a few weeks ago he was miles adrift of any of the riders. There is a huge gap between the usual reserves and the NL best, so I can't see a quick and snappy solution. Remember we can't all unearth Dan Bewleys. Even Edinburgh just took him initially to plug the hole spot reserved for Mitchel Davey until he got his UK passport. The fact it took so long allowed Bewley to flower and become the sensation we saw on Sunday. In speedway you sometimes hit lucky, but this year there is not a queue of good riders ready to take others reserve spots as has been proved by other teams. Really, it is as said by Rough diamond in a previous post "yesterdays milk is now cheese" so we need to move on with what we have got.

Thanks for that. We were convinced he stopped more sudden like a seize up, and someone I think on here said there was a snapped chain, which of course could have snapped with the blow.

Yes AOF,. He is that sort of rider. On his day he can beat almost anybody, but I still can't fathom out why he is not say a 6.5 rider. As I have said earlier, he has been on Newcastle's radar for a fairly long time and has come up with his stepdad, a former 90's Diamond Neil Paynter, for second halfs.

Yes, I think it could have been available as you don't have to use a guest. But anyhow, as you say, the milk is cheese now.

Certainly does look like the gamble didn't came off, despite Bates recent good scoring run. But who to replace I couldn't spot anyone. But it's not against the rules as both dropping and appointing are in the right order. I agree with Leander.

I think you will find that George was on the phone whilst standing next to the Ambulance. Ashley is no stranger to Newcastle Speedway, and I bet George would had have somebody in mind for every position prior to Sundays meeting, just in case. Certainly recently released riders would have been known and top of the list. Given that Lewis has had an operation on his triple broken collarbone, and with shoulder damage, I would say his season is over and he needs to concentrate on a full recover to come back here next year. I am still not convinced that his rapid stop on Sunday was in fact caused by a hole in the track. As the Speedway Updates updater said, if it had been a hole, there would haver been more movement of the bike and possibly Lewis fighting to visibly stay on. Instead the bike stopped instantly, and Lewis was over and shoulder first into the shale. Yes it was reported that both Robert and the unfortunate Bewley said there was a soft spot, but that's different from a hole. At least one mechanical, with me and HT, think it had to be mechanical issue, probably a Primary Chain. It is for most people Neil as well, but you have to consider each meeting has to be approached as winnable in a playoff system. As others have also said, early injuries especially to VIktor, and a poor guest, ie, Bates for Stevie) would/could lose that meeting, and we could be out of the playoffs. With a 7 man team you are better prepared for injuries, as long as it is not Ashley. I think you are about to be surprised at what Ashley can do.

Hit the nail on the head. More injuries, especially early in a meeting, would be suicidal and could cost us the meeting. In the Playoffs you have to be potentially looking to win any meeting. I am not disappointed with Morris, but let's not think he is anywhere near the form of Lewis has had recently. There is not a rider at his average at the moment capable of outscoring him IMO. Morris has had brilliant spells with other clubs and showed signs of being potentially a much higher average rider than 4.58. This is now his chance to show us that previous times, when he has been considered for the Diamonds, were justified. Think how many similar riders like Schraam, Tero, Mills, Simon, Pepe, and now Viktor were written off and dropped, only to come to Brough and restart there careers to become much better and higher averaged riders. Why Ashley hasn't kicked on in say the last 4 to 5 years I don't know. He has usually been the one dropped from teams, to get a higher averaged rider in to strengthen a team, so that is hardly failure. I used to watch him in about 2010, and at that time his entry into the bends was a la Kenni Larsen and Will Lawson. Full on and sideways, making it easier to be in line ready for the next straight. Let's hope he remembers that, because if he does, we might have a real find on our hands. But not of course to the level of Lewis I add. Suit being made for Ashley I hear, but sadly Lewis's kevlars had to be cut off him to be examined, prior to being despatched to the hospital. Welcome Ashley, I really hope you will surprise many.

He shouldn't as the rider needs to be an asset.

Good tune. One used at many Ice Hockey matches.

Newcastle Speedway have always played "Diamonds" by Jet Harris and Tony Meahan(ex Shadows), since we brought it back in 1997. Probably the best and most appropriate, than at any other tracks music.

Yes, and look at the many problems they have with that system. Riders don't at the moment always know where they will be, especially if they ride abroad and take guest bookings at short notice which is what happens, Riders being riders would not want to, or put up with, the updating that that system needs to be workable. Even Olympic athletes with their pretty predictable timetables, don't always complete the necessary so how are speedway riders going to handle that. As I originally said, and there are others agreeing with, at least with starting at the track unannounced is a major step forward and could cause grief to some riders. Once the tests become normal, we should then look at ways to make that arrangement more bullet proof and target suspected individuals.

Yes, they have the right but how do you know where they are, especially riders who ride abroad and guest a lot.

Hello Hancock again then.

Don't agree. Knowing there is random testing, by both location and riders, is a pretty good deterrent to stop people doing it. That is the main aim rather than catching culprits.

Who expected a win at Scunny ? Answers on a post card will do.

i think it was Southampton track staff that worked at IOW when the first reopened in the 00's. A track staff bus was laid on to get them to and from the track and then back to mainland.

Yes, after the 31st Aug. No, if we sign another rider though.