john birch

They will be supposedly doing what I have suggested for years - leaving one week a month free to quickly restage any rained off meets. Expect 40 meetings but less pay per points therein. I read that in Poland that riders on tac.SUB riders would be paid at half their normal rate. An idea for here worth trying. Double points rule is a total joke®.

Wouldn't be too surprised to see a 12 team league with say a 38 point limit. I'd get rid of all the GP riders with an exemption for English ones thus allowing Woffy to ride though i'm not sure why he'd wan't to do a 40 match schedule. Just one plea to the promoters - if we do have a 12 team league the temptation might be to have 6 teams in the playoffs. Fine but please use the Swedish formula and not the Premier League dogs breakfast elongated weather challenging borefest!!

Anton Rosen was one we should have signed, possibly also Lebedev. Also would like us to sign Milik now. I'm happy with who Horton has signed so far for 2014* including the rumoured third signing given the likely standard of the league, but my biggest beef with him is the complete lack of a signing for the future. Bech Jensen ought to be on our radar with supposedly 40 matches this season (he wanted the extra matches the PL brought). I don't believe money to be that big an issue - Horton has paid riders on time and so I hear the away team's standard portion also. But who is there in the current management team to identify and tap up young emerging talent. Another reason I would have liked a different team manager. Blayne and Chris (Anderson) are apparently to be involved again but presume that's for race nights not team building. *Actually think Horton has done the right thing signing Hansen and possibly a similar guy now as in a 12 team league with a reduced points limit 5 - 6 point guys could be like gold dust. As for Auty gating is too big a handicap so no, would rather have Wells (if not already on Wolves books) or Allen of riders on similar average. Hard to speculate on the other heat leaders until we know points limit / pay scales. Larsen if recovered from injury, Kennett and Barker could all fill heat leader spots in a watered down league. Not sure whether he'd come in on a 3 but if so how about Manzares at No.7?

As a Coventry fan I really enjoy my visits to Beaumont Park to see Premier League racing, particularly given the waste of time it was supporting Bees this year - but with one caveat. Whilst I give kudos to Dave Hemsley for getting the Lions up and running, building a great little stadium and putting out a good team (give or take the reserves), it could be so much better if the track was made more like Somerset, with a rounder shape and wider entries to the bends. Three years in, it really is time for meaningful action re the track shape.

I seem to remember he had two serious injuries followed by a further two in 2013, making a total of six serious injuries including two life threatening ones if my memory serves me correct. Cannot believe Horton would seriously consider re-signing Roynon unless league looks more like the Premier League is now. Sorry but it's time to move on.

Even speculating on team members is fairly pointless given the state of flux the league is in at the moment. Having said that I approve of the Harris signing (should fit in any team permutation - where depends on strength of league). Yes Hansen did look good at Brandonapolis (tho track was v.grippy after the right amount of rain) and bikes were fast. Also if the points limit comes down to 38 riders like that will be like gold dust. But I take issue with Meatloaf when he said two out of three aint bad. Havelock being retained as team manager is unfathomable. We were probably the worst Bees team away from Home since 1975. If Horton thinks he did an acceptable job, then that suggests Horton did a bad job putting the team together in the first place! Also we clearly need a number one that has a higher average than Harris or Nicholls. We need to sign someone with potential after missing out on Bech/Mickelsen/Lebedev/Rosen/Porsing and Cook and Worral. Milik is the obvious one.

Interesting webcam from West Somerset rly. We are/were planning to make a day of it with a visit to the steam railway followed by the Oak Tree arena. Sympathise with Monarchs fans.

Got an idea for next year's elite league fixture wise. Most people think it should be 2*home and 2*away. That's 40 matches if Leicester step up. Can they be fit in, especially if it's a wet summer? My idea is this: if the 'A' fixture is called off, then stage 2*12 heat matches on the date of the 'B' fixture. Charge a fiver extra (hopefully if costs are reduced regular adm. should be £15 quid next yr making 20 quid max.) and actively market it as a mega match. Advantage you wouldn't need to check if johnny foreigner was riding in the Slovenian super league on any given date and cost savings by not having hts 13 + 15 in particular. Wouldn't need to go off-night either.Season tickets would need to take this into account and their could be issues if the second match was abandoned. But it's an idea. What does anyone else think?

Alright I hate the tactical ride anyway. But having them in two legged matches is lunacy. The 2006 final wasn't the best thing since sliced bread, it was a joke. And it didn't exactly benefit the two promotions involved either.

As I wrote the SS recently there is a direct link between the decline of the national side and the doubling up rule. Since Harris, only King and Woffy have become int. standard riders. Cook scored a max.at Leicester in 2011 and should have moved up two years ago. Worral this year and Kerr next. Maybe even Lambert. All the best Brits of the past 30 yrs did one year or less in lower tier Eg Lee, Carter, Havelock, Tatum, Nicholls and Richardson. It,s even worse if you support a Friday night track with numerous opposition riders missing due to PL commitments.

Absolutely not. I had a letter published in SS recently where I pointed out that since Chris Harris/Danny King went full time we've only had Tai Woffinden do likewise and make heat leader status let alone an impact on the world stage. Try watching at Coventry on a Friday night when four PL tracks operate - you are lucky to ever see two teams at full strength. It's a complete joke , the PL needs to be de-strengthened and the elite league likewise and it's fixtures increased. As i pointed in the SS Craig Cook got a maximum at Leicester in 2011- shouldn't be in the PL and neither should Barker or Doyle.

I'd have the top six but use the Swedish formula instead of this dogs breakfast. 3 Vs 6, 4 Vs 5, winners to face 1 and 2 in the semi's etc. Might generate more excitement and crowds too.

Prior to typing this , the thread isn't even on the first page. We are so irrelevant now even we are not interested in ourselves! Anyway how about Zagar, Harris, Zengota, Fisher, Summers, Milik (fantastic results in FIM events and still possibly on 4.00) and a sub 4.00 pointer at 7 (Eg Garrity). Would like Shamek but unrealistic. Based on lower points limit than present. Team manager Tatum, failing that Morris if available, Loram OR maybe Will Pottinger given how Dudley (and I know it's the third tier) have done or if he can fit it in Jan O. Pedersen.

Er, he did pick the team and appoint Gary Havelock as team manager. Incidentally will Havvy be there on Sunday given Fisher is in the team. Ps Can we have Ryan in the 2014 team, if it's a glorified PL+ set up next year.

I admit that i'm not a fan of Mick Horton's ownership. I also accept though that it's not my money keeping the team in business. Now if as I said earlier we are heading for a PL 1 type league I can understand why Robson and Allen were used this year and Roynon persevered with. And if this sort of league doesn't include many of today's heat leaders I can understand why we might look at guys like Kenneth Hansen. But if the league continues at a similar standard it's incomprehensible that we would sign a journeyman like Hansen. Look at the teams he's ridden for - Malmo and Krakow - hardly giants of European speedway and not signed by anyone here since 2009.

And along with Kildemand, Harris, Morris and Andersen all Rosco era riders (+Smolinski) who have just scored about FORTY points between them and made their teams favourite to make the play off final. If only we could have a new owner.

No surprise there, ask anyone who works with large numbers of them. As regards next year (if the league standard remains similar) I'd try AJ for no.1 if he isn't be in the Gp, Shamek or Larsen and Harris. Absolutely no way should we sign Sundstrom. No real progress at Peterboro - remember they were bottom when he was in the team and zoomed up the table after he got injured. Has found his level a bit like Kennett. You've already got a home track specialist if you include Zengota. And no Roynon, it was questionable to include him this year after two serious injuries in 2012 and after another two this year it would make even less sense. The only caveat to that would be if his average particularly fits a league pitched at Pl+ level. But in that case i'd like Fisher and Barker. But of course Fisher was involved in that crash with Havvy a few years back.

Something crazy has happened in my front room. It's been hit by a 30 yr time warp and I'm watching Finn Thomsen replace Tommy Knudsen (83 Ko Cup Bees v Cradley). Oh hang on it,s Niels Kristian Iversen replacing Woffy!

One thing the top league must do ,if it continues to exist, is condense the race nights into one or at most two (wed/thur). I maintain it is no accident that Poole are the best supported and successful franchise. They can attract top riders with the Wed. racenight and the opposition turn up full strength making the whole thing look more professional. At Coventry on a Friday night it's been a total joke this year with Swindon minus half their team on FIM duty, Wolves minus Lindgren at Togliatti, Belle Vue minus Craig Cook doubling up. Keep the current points limit, maybe increase the league to 12 teams and race 22 fixtures on fixed night(s).

I live within earshot of the bikes at Brandon but wouldn't attend on Friday due to the makeup of the Swindon team. Got rewarded with a fantastic match at B.P. Would have preferred a Lions win, but speedway was the real winner with the match showcasing everything good about the sport at it's best.

Haven't seen the incident on the TV at home but I thought the track more than Freddie was responsible for the crash. And Vaculik should have gone with Tai - crashes independently IMO. Two man rerun with Freddie and Nicki would have been my decision. Would like to have seen KK ride full four laps around the outside in the final. Could only have cost him one point at most and seemed faster than Emil. Thought he (KK) had the best package of gating and top end speed throughout the meeting. Hadn,t gone since Bomber's win and thought racing wasn't that good.

Dudley look like having the edge at reserve. Would like tohave seen a 15/16 hotshot at reserve for Storm.Top five looks decent though.

Just waiting for the Superbowl to be shown,then gone.Elite league without Gps not worth the money with Swedish league a much higher standard on Premier sports.

One thing they need to do with individual meetings like the British Final is go back tothe old 20 ht top scorer wins formula.If they must then seed Nicholls,Harris,Woffinden and A N Other into ht 20 and draw the gates out of a hat.At last years Brandonapolis Mick Horton tbf put together a decent line up.The result-a 2.5 hour borefest waiting for the final.