thebaron

Right; I missed yesterday so I am taking reports of us being outdone at our own game on a 'daytime track'; when our boys want a 'dusk time track'?. Can we try and get this imaginary barrier out of our heads ?; it is the same for both teams and we have to get to grips with it and find a way. The riders do not need you or I to point this out; they are professional; and know best what it takes on all types of race tracks. Not blaming Fritz who clearly was having a right old go at it; but coming off in three heats has been costly and with Josh Bailey feeling his way in 2pts from the reserves has made the difference here. We have to maybe reign Fritz in a tad; as he just goes for it from tapes up; when there's still four laps to make his move. But that's in him; he's a racer and you don't want to drum that out of him. I understand that the crowd was decent yesterday; certainly we do not want folk like the last poster; saying they'll be going to Redcar?. Come on fella give the lads a break it is one meeting we have a whole season ahead of us. This team demonstrated its potential for a third of last season; we have not just thrown this team together. Certainly Rob and the managements belief in the riders is not unfounded and it must not disappear overnight we need to give things time to settle down. Ryan is on new machinery and has his own injury to overcome; and Josh Auty has been open about the need for this to be a year where he finds better consistency. As I say Edinburgh and Workington away; interjected by Glasgow at home next Sunday will again be tough meetings. Honestly I can not see us winning either away?. That's not being defeatist that's being realistic; but we should go to both and try to keep in the meeting and try and restrict it to a six point margin where we collect a point. Then set about restoring confidence with a home win against Glasgow; no worries if its a last heat decider just win the meeting. This league is really competitive this season; so we are going to have to get used to it. Lets stick together; believe in what we are doing and back the team; they do better when they know we that we remain behind them.

Will miss this on Sunday; as I am away in Germany; brushing up on my Deutsch. Reading the Star; practically universal is the opinion that we will finish rock bottom of the SGB Championship. Looking at this Panthers look tough opposition for opening night. If you can it is best to get off to a winning start to 'take the crowd with you' as the season unfolds. Simon Lambert is a bit of an EWR specialist and Ostergaard; Hansen and Holder will be a danger, and I always rate Starke. They do look to have heat winners so we will need to be taking some ourselves and packing the seconds and thirds. Ryan and Josh Auty will need to be on top of their top four and take some pole places. Maybe a tough return for Josh Bailey and expect Fritz to be worked hard. One thing is guaranteed; a closely fought high action meeting.

I don't think it will be massive; but looking on paper at the two teams; you got to say that we should be able to get about that Glasgow team given the 'experience' advantage over the likes of Bewley; Smith; Perry and Nike Lunna. I would not under estimate those riders but at this stage of the season; we might have a chance to catch them out before they get into their stride ?.

Had an inkling last Friday that JB wasn't ready after his plate removal. I though Campos quit speedway last season ?; didn't he ride his 'last ever' meeting for us at reserve ?. Remember last season; going down to Peterborough and getting a right 'pan handling' ! came back thoroughly hacked off. Don't see it this way this time; a few changes to the Panthers 1-7. See Lewis & MPT as key men; Lewis had a decent meeting there last week for Coventry so should be dialled in. Might stick me neck out and say we could nick this.

Hi Ian Looks like a half decent forecast for tonight; so plan to get over for the P+P; so may see you there ? Would not disagree with the Home order. Can see the logic in Ryan being the No1; then we are showing some belief in him and that he can make the next step this season. Big Josh at 5. for me too; takes the "monkey off his back" of being No1. I think MPT will be a big scorer in this league this season and will surely get a Premiership ride as the season unfolds. Wonder if David Howe will be practicing this evening ? reading Robs enthusiasm for his comeback makes you think he's our 'go too rider' in the event of any hiccups. Wish the club legend well for his return; but really hoping we will not be needing to change anything. Speedways Back !

Reading the Star this week there is clear frustration amongst the riders over the demise of Coventry. This has impacted the on likes of Danny King; Lewis Kerr and James Sargeant. For me this has moved the goalposts (sorry Cov fans they've gone as well !) in terms of the Premiership team line-ups. Sargeant a British rider does not have a team place at all; while Kerr and King now only have a team place in the Championship. Surely this cannot be right; when the likes of Josh Bailey and Ellis Perks have THREE team slots this season across all THREE LEAGUES. ? With respect neither rider is of the standard of Lewis Kerr or James Sargeant just yet; so would it not be common sense for Kerr and Sargeant to come into the Premiership team of the two riders?. I know we want to push forward British talent (actually Perks is Australian) but neither are at Premiership standard (yet) so arguably the racing would be better if Kerr and Sargeant replaced Bailey and Perks ?. Sargeant at least would then have one team to ride for. We really are cutting our noses off to spite our face with this. There are a number of very capable riders who will start the season on the sidelines through no fault of their own. Surely there has to be a bit of fairness and consideration given where some riders have THREE TEAMS. No disrespect to the likes of Bailey and Perks who clearly have potential. But Kerr and Sargeant are definitely more on the pace in the Premier League for sure. Is it too late to look at the teams again?; it would not be the daftest thing the Speedway hierarchy had come up with by a long chaulk.

I have ended up with both BT Sport and SKY. I am BT for broadband; and phone but the chap reckoned he could do me a deal to bring my phone costs down and throw in a free BT View box and BT Sport for free. All in £60. But the thing to be wary of with BT Sport is that the subscription channels are through the Ethernet cable. I am using Plug Adapters to send the signal from Router to BT View Box. But do need a direct link to your BT View box from the BT Router to avoid the picture pixelating; so where your Router is positioned is crucial. Ok if its directly behind the TV but for some daft reason BT positioned our Router in a bedroom so I need 25ft of Ethernet Cable to get a watchable picture or I need to pay £200 to have the Router moved to the back of the TV set downstairs. So for now I just stick the 25ft of Ethernet cable in to watch BT Sport on the BT View box. I also have BT Sport on the SKY box but if this is right and SKY have ditched League Speedway then I'm ditching SKY and will put up with the 25ft of Ethernet cable for now. I like BT Sport; to be honest it kind of mimics ITV World Of Sport for being prepared to cover motorcycling; US sports etc. Yet still throws in some Premier League football and most of the European Football. On the downside it shows where Speedway is when at a time when the sport is trying to re-launch as a product that the long standing TV partner is pulling out. I read that SKY cannot sell advertising when Speedways on and when you think about that; its probably correct. Think of the adverts you see on TV today; that's right picture them; think of what is being advertised and who they use in the adverts; stay with me and then ask yourself why those same adverts that run between say Ant and Dec's SNTA and The Voice just do not run in the intermission between the Speedway heats. Are we together on this ? Lucky if BT Sports picking up the gauntlet; but with two weeks to go to tapes up on the season we seem to be in a right old mess to me.

The demise of Coventry Speedway is a sad indictment of where speedway has ended up. You can mess around with League branding and all you like; but you have to say that the professional structure of speedway in the UK has been declining since the mid 1990's. There is no sense of the Speedway Governing body being able to place a 'stake in the ground' and stop the 'slide' (pardon the pun) by holding existing ground; or being able to reclaim old or new ground. In a nutshell we're in a 'right two and eight'. Speedway has allowed itself to be shunted out into the fields; on back of the 'green' staszi's' relentless drive to close down anything that perceived as not environmentally friendly. Look at all the proper stadiums closed to speedway since the 1980's including my local tracks Bradford and Halifax. What has to happen to save Speedway is for the governing body to get a grip of this extremely precarious situation and make its own statement of faith in the sport here in the UK. What I am suggesting is that SpeedwayGB after the loss of such a historic venue as Coventry should counter that by re-opening at another legendary venue to show its own faith in its own product. SpeedwayGB needs to enter into negotiation with Bradford Council and the RFL to re-introduce the sport to Bradford and that would be a clear statement that the Governing body of the sport is prepared to reclaim a lost major stadium for the sport. Speedway needs Odsal Stadium and what is more it will never be easier to revive this historic track. With the Bradford Bulls RLFC on their backside financially; Odsal Stadium crying out for regular use here is a great opportunity to start reversing some of the damage. We would have Cardiff; Belle Vue; and Bradford as major venues for the sport and that would help put the handbrake on what looks like a slide into professional sporting oblivion otherwise.

The demise of Coventry Speedway is a sad indictment of where speedway has ended up. You can mess around with League branding and all you like; but you have to say that the professional structure of speedway in the UK has been declining since the mid 1990's. There is no sense of the Speedway Governing body being able to place a 'stake in the ground' and stop the 'slide' (pardon the pun) by holding existing ground; or being able to reclaim old or new ground. In a nutshell we're in a 'right two and eight'. Speedway has allowed itself to be shunted out into the fields; on back of the 'green' staszi's' relentless drive to close down anything that perceived as not environmentally friendly. Look at all the proper stadiums closed to speedway since the 1980's including my local tracks Bradford and Halifax. What has to happen to save Speedway is for the governing body to get a grip of this extremely precarious situation and make its own statement of faith in the sport here in the UK. What I am suggesting is that SpeedwayGB after the loss of such a historic venue as Coventry should counter that by re-opening at another legendary venue to show its own faith in its own product. SpeedwayGB needs to enter into negotiation with Bradford Council and the RFL to re-introduce the sport to Bradford and that would be a clear statement that the Governing body of the sport is prepared to reclaim a lost major stadium for the sport. Speedway needs Odsal Stadium and what is more it will never be easier to revive this historic track. With the Bradford Bulls RLFC on their backside financially; Odsal Stadium crying out for regular use here is a great opportunity to start reversing some of the damage. We would have Cardiff; Belle Vue; and Bradford as major venues for the sport and that would help put the handbrake on what looks like a slide into professional sporting oblivion otherwise.

Another week and another Scorpion gracing the Star front page - this time its Josh Auty and an article previewing his season. Just 5 to go for a 1-7 full house this year !

The answer is; it is weaker. However I have always believed that for British Speedway to survive it had to find its level here. There is simply not the numbers coming through the turnstiles to sustain teams with 1-7 top riders; like the European Leagues. What we have now is a bone fide League structure that offers up the possibility of promotion and relegation creating another interest for us all. We will still be watching some very competitive racing at PL/CL tracks this season. I made a hypothetical point on the Leicester thread just now about Scunthorpe v Leicester being far from done deal for the Lions. Indeed the Scorpions would win the EWR leg in my book. To me its a bit like turning the clock back to 1965 and the British League formation where 20+ tracks; aided by Rider Control I grant you; arrived at a balance amongst the teams. I understand the point about losing some of the bigger names; but we have a very productive National League/Youth structure here that is managing to feed into the PL/CL and out of that we create new British 'stars'. The best way for the rider to learn is for them to be actively racing in these leagues and then 2-3 years down the line your not looking at these lads as make weights; no they're bone fide competitors. Now we have committed to this re-launch of League racing we have to resist the desire to revert to the old structure. I think that a more cooperative administration of the Leagues was needed to secure the immediate; medium and long term future of the sport on this Island.

I'm looking at the Leicester team; and thinking hypothetically; say with us (Scunthorpe) having first call on Josh in the event of a 'fixture' between both teams ?. My money would be on Scunny to take out this Lions team at the EWR; and I reckon we would give you a run at Beaumont Park. One trick you and the rest of the Premier League seem to have missed is Michael Palm-Toft; a quality rider who demonstrated last season in EL outings his ability at that level. To me he was the rider to have 'on your list' Even more so with a 'levelling out' of the leagues following the re-branding. Surprised you guys didn't see that; but then we're not complaining. Good luck for the season; if it gets bad; you can always latch on to Coventry I suppose.

Manchester United and all PL teams could let supporters in FOR NOTHING - the actual gate receipts for football at that level are a tiny proportion of the income for a football club. The income for PL football is generated by TV and sponsorship deals where the vast amount of it goes into the pockets of the players and agents. So to try and draw any comparison between Speedway and Football is hopeless on that basis. But look at it this way; if its £50 to sit and watch a PL football match for 90mins that you should actually probably have paid £10-15 quid for (see my point above) then it would then compare to £15 for 15mins of Speedway. Then you might argue that Football is better 'value for money'. But even then I would say 15mins of action around the EWR Scunthorpe knocks 90mins of Manchester United 0 Hull City 0 into a 'cocked hat everyday of the week.

Check out this weeks Comic..errr sorry I mean Star..Its a Scorps delight one for your bedroom/office wall - cracking pic Bullet doing great work again? Wliko's got himself smack bang on the front cover ! Running an article on his 'age being no barrier' Good sign that Speedways just around the corner. An Evening with Nigel & Kelvin next Wednesday for us at Halifax Golf Club too. Anyone seen that Leicester Lions 1-7 ? - if we raced them; and Big Josh rode for us - anyone else think we would be beat them ?; because I do. Just a thought.

Any idea how long it will take to land fill Odsal Stadium for development ? Your looking at a century and more ! Odsal Stadium is a massive asset for Bradford and surrounding district sat on the end of the motorway with ample land surrounding it. Think Veltins Arena Gelsenkirchen for the blue print.Absolute bugger all going on in the former Rheinland German mining town but the great arena home of FC SchalkeO4 rises like a citadel on the landscape. Odsal offers similar to this former great Yorkshire woollen City but no one seems to understand this. When Speedway was lost to Bradford in 1997 it was only supposed to be a temporary hiatus. Speedway was to return in 2000 in a Toronto style Skydome. That was the plan and we should have stuck with that. The spin offs economically and socially over the last two decades would have changed Bradford for the good forever. Instead all we got was a hole in the centre of the city and two decades of waste and decay.

Steady Iris thought police will be round to see you. Look I'm not daft speedway cannot survive in Odsal on its own. Nor would any would be promoter just slush money down the drain trying a revival. But in a wider use Odsal that includes rugby; stocks; cycling; athletics; football; large crowd events and hospitality there is definitely a place for speedway in an area barren of it for over two decades. Crowds were poor even for an Elite League winning team but pitched at the correct level I am sure West Yorkshire speedway fans could sustain a revival.

Well the future is that there isn't one ! Odsal Stadium is to all intents and purposes empty. Whilst the freehold rests with Bradford Council; the Leasehold is owned by the Rugby Football League. What is important now is that the Council as freeholders should look to secure some medium to long term future for the site. Rugby at some level could play a part in the future of the stadium but it is and has always been completely blinkered to use this 'public facility' for 14 second rate Rugby games every year. Odsal needs to be open for business; not just for Rugby but for wider use; so to me unless you are going invest money in creating an Athletics and Cycling Arena then the re-introduction of a Speedway and Stock Car racing circuit is the best way to get the place back up and running. There have been structural changes to the stadium since Speedway was last there; including the building of a large hospitality suite where the Speedway pits used to be. But the problem is not un-surmountable; by moving the Rugby pitch and hence the perimeter circuit further out towards the opposite Rooley Lane end of the ground. This would create the space to refit the track; which of course would now include an 'air fence'. It is one of THE legendary tracks of British Speedway and you would think at a time when we are trying to re-ignite interest in the sport and develop it; that a golden opportunity to re-establish Speedway at one of the all time great venues; in an area that is literally 'crying out' for a Speedway track is just too good not to explore. If the Speedway powers are not all over this story; and potential promoters are not casting an eye at what is going on with this classic speedway venue; THEN THE DARN WELL SHOULD BE !.

Slight change of subject; but how many of you think that the new Leagues have missed a trick ?. Is it me or does the Premiership look pretty much the same standard as the Championship ?. If the Scorpions rode at Somerset; I might expect we could lose it; but not by mile. Reckon we could definitely give some of the Prem teams a match at Scunny for sure. I suppose we were never going to get a full blown amalgamation this season; but it is certainly heading that way; as the Elite has been watered down. So for me a cross league KO Cup competition would have worked and added a bit more variety to the fixture list.

Said it before; that when Glandford Park bites the dust we need to be in there nabbing some fixtures and fittings; and I don't reckon it would cost the earth to cover the seating area in front of the start gate either- maybe linking the existing stands to the right and left ?. If we covered that; pretty much the whole of the home straight would have covered accommodation; then we have our new hospitality cabins on turns one-two and the EWR is evolving into a tidy little stadium. Today; many folks want the option to sit if they feel like doing so; personally I am happy standing but that extra bit of comfort; especially for those who might be less nimble these days does not go amiss. We will all be there one day remember and hopefully so will Scunthorpe Speedway !

Ryan's tweeted that he's done a metacarpel!. A hand injury that can take 6-12 weeks to heal!. Oooch !.let's hope that clears up soon. Happy Christmas.

Going to try and keep the thread a live so please join in when you can. All it has to be is Scunthorpe Speedway relevant. Alex Davies has gone home to Oz; so does anyone know if he is coming back next season; and does anyone see us operating a 'squad system' whereby we keep a rider like Alex 'up our sleeve' so to speak. In case of need. Realise he is still recuperating from his bad injury last season; so a mid season return in 2017; might be suitable arrangement.

Very pleased; this was definitely the right way to go; its not about sentiment or anything. Why when you have actually had the chance to 'trial' the team last third of last season would you not give it the chance to start next?. Especially when we have riders who some other tracks would clearly desire and the team it did prove itself. For me Lewis and MPT can be top riders in this Championship; and surely Ryan and Big Josh have all the ability to move their averages up. The team ticks the 'entertainment box' and keeps with the ethos at Scunthorpe; so there's a lot to be excited about. Great to see Li'l Josh back; a lot of good ground work went in for him last season and he can double his 2+ average. Wilko and Fritz are 'experienced riders who can equally be in the main body of the team; or be a potent reserve. Plus both have the added thrill a minute factor round the EWR. I think we're set up chaps ! Santa's done us proud. Just had another thought; when was it a team ended the previous season and the exact same riders took to the track for the next ? I certainly cannot recall this in a long while.

Here's my final shout at the 1-7 .. Josh A 7.01 Ryan 7.18 Wilko 6.12 Lewis 5.98 Fritz 4.00 Josh B 2.05 and.... Tommy 7.45 39.79 If you go onto the Berwick thread there are few mentions for Tommy Jorgensen in their 2017 team. Today they did a deal to bring Lewis Bridger to Bandit Country and there's a link to Jason Garrity. So is it possible that we haven't done a deal with MPT but we have done a deal with Tommy Gun as the No1 ? Has all the ability to be a big hitter in the Championship....

Just learning Berwick have signed Lewis Bridger and Kevin Doolan. Assuming that Tommy Gun is back in Bandit Country shows you where the bar is set. I trust we can respond with our own forces on Thursday but we can't be going to Berwick half cocked with those three coming to the start line that's a fact. !

He's a 5.00 Roman ..as I understand it.