spin king

I think that it looks like a very competitive, with lots of good and decent teams. Like it previous seasons I think that injuries will play a large part of who will do well and who won't. But I think that you can also add to the equation this season how the doubling up effect will have bearing on who is successful. With that in mind Glasgow for me have the upper hand as their top three as it stands have to give priority to Glasgow fixtures Will be interesting to see how Edinburgh going with th rest of the team building, cannot not imagine them not going with Masters, so adding him to their line up it is difficult to try and piece together a decent line up, but they usually pull something out of the bag. The two teams that I feel may struggle is Scunthorpe and Berwick, and dependant on who else to get in Edinburgh could well be down there with them.

One the question of Bjerre and Kurtz lowing their averages and not trying for their 2016 teams. Nothing can be proved and no one has any concrete evidence that both riders did. In Bjerre's case their was the on track disagreement he had with Andersen, the Redcar Promotion appear to take the side of Andersen, and stripped Bjerre of the captaincy and handed it to Andersen, to which Bjerre publicly state that he did not plan to be with the club next season and would be looking for another club, and fair enough his heart may not have been in club. Did he not try, well if he was not then why did the club not release him. The Kurtz one I think the blame lies firmly at the Promotion at Plymouth at the time. They signed the riders at the start of the season, and just before the season was due to get underway they then decided that they are broke and cannot afford to run. A rescue package was found, and they came to the tapes, and we find out later on the season that riders are not been paid. Is any wonder that a riders or others did not put in extra effort if they are not getting paid, is any wonder with all of the broken promises from the promotion. In answer to the Halifax Tiger question how would I feel if that was Sheffield, as much as it would hurt as I love my speedway I would walk away. I would not support a team where the riders were not been paid, and I certainly would not blame riders for not giving 100%.

And don't forget that at the time the Plymouth riders were rumoured not been paid, might just have had some bearing on it.

Todd Kurtz and Rob Branford.

Kurtz and Branford. https://twitter.com/TigersSpeedway/status/805873986722787328/photo/1?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=TigersSpeedway&utm_content=8058

Brady Kurtz said last season that he did not want to Premier League and only did some meetings last season as a favour to Plymouth. I will be very very surprised to see him ride in the newly formed Championship this season.

To be fair I think that the time is right for the PLRC to change venue. Personally I am not fan of individual meetings and the last couple of years I have seriously thought about not going to the meeting, but because it is at my home track and the fact that I have had friends coming down and gives me a chance to meet up with them and have a beer or two. Will I got to Glasgow, probably not, but you never know I might just have a change of heart, and experience a bit of the Scottish hospitality. But I definitely think that the Scottish fans and thos efrom the far North deserve a chance to have a venue for the event closer to home.

Not concerned in slightest. The Heatleader trio is as good as any others. Josh Bates will next season I blieve prove to be a solid second string. And at reserve I believe we have the best newcomer to the league JPB. If its Branford for the senior reserve position then I believe that we have the best all round rider in that position in the league. Just need a solid second string to fill in the final position.

Not a bad side. I think that Jason Garrity will be very popular at Redcar, and if they can keep him fit he will do well for them. Barker is a solid heatleader not quite the out and out number 1 he was a few years ago. Both Wright and Andersen should do well. Not so sure about Busch and the reserves, that is where they may come unstuck. But it is a marked improvement on the previous Redcar teams over the last couple of years.

Its not a bad team overall. Cook is one of the best if the best rider in the league. Jorgensen I not totally convince if he can get some consistency then he may go on to the next level. Proctor is a bit of a gamble, but if he rides like he did prior to been asked to leave the country when he rode for Sheffield they may have ride who potentially could put a decent amount of points on his average. Roynon is a rider who I have a great deal of admiration for coming back time after time from injury, but I do wonder whether he he has had one to many knocks. Campton, its obvious that the Workington see or feel he has potential, don't see it myself. The two reserves could be a little weak especially away from home. Overall it has possible potential, I think it will be a team that will do either really or fail miserably.

Signing for a Polish club does not always mean that you will be riding week in week out as they very much use the squad system. And the Danish League don't race every week, so I don't see there been somuch a problem.

Nice to see Steady brought in as the new Team Manager, will be interesting to see how he fares but cannot be any worse than Booey as Third man says his dog could do better. Sheffield cannot sign James Sarjeant as he has already signed for Coventry and we already have Josh Bates and Lasse Bjerre riding Coventry.

Take a look at both Kurtz and Klindt websites and you will see both riders have Drillerman connections.

Sad news but not unexpected, he has suffered 3 bad injuries since his return to Sheffield, and the body can only take so much. Hopefully the club can offer him a non riding role and maybe we could see him doing more work for SKY Sports as I think he is natural. Good rider and great guy Happy Retirement Steady.

Excellent signing. I think we will see Steady retire, his speech at the end of the season had a farewell speech. Much as I love watching Steady and Garrity around Sheffield the amount of meetings both missed through injuries has stop us moving on the next level and winning trophies has meant we really needed to look at a new number 1. Grajczonek is someone could fill up that and does not have the recent history of injures.

Not just rostrum he is good at winning as well. If you read his comments after all of his British Championship wins you would have heard him say thank you for the advice from certain people. 2014 British Under 21 title winner at Wolverhampton limited experience of the track listened and took the advice from Ty Proctor. 2015 British Under 19 title winner at Berwick struggle badly when riding at Berwick previously listen and took the advice of Simon Stead and storm to victory unbeaten. 2016 British Under 21 title winner at Sheffield Robert Lambert head and shoulders and looking like he was going to walk the final, Josh again enlists the advice of Simon Stead, and when it counts out guns Robert Lambert. Not only does he seek out for the best possible advice, he listens and can actually put into practice what he has been advised to do, not many youngsters can do that .

I think that you are pretty spot on with what you are saying. He is far from the finished article, and with the average that he is on I can only see him make some improvements, if he can iron out the over riding he culd put some serious improvement on his average.

Very pleased to see Kyle back, there was a point when I wondered whether or not that Workington might try and lure him back. On the subject of Josh Bates, he did have an in different season last season for Sheffield, but he started to show what he can do towards the end of the season and I think that the starting average in my opinion attractive proposition for the team and I would welcome him back with open arms.

Sissis rumoured to be going back to road racing, plus like many he will carry a 4 point average.

I think ts more of a case of a bit of an impatience on somebody's part. Mosthave taken a look at the signings so far and what is left out there and happy so far.

Still plenty riders out there. 4 clubs out of 10 have not signed a rider yet where as we have signed 2. And over the last 3 or 4 seasons Rye House have been the first club in the league to announce their 1 to 7, and the early bird really did catch the worm then.

And Berge to Berwick.

After his end of season speech at the last meeting of the season I would say that it is pretty much nailed on that he is ready to retire.

Kyle Howarth is owned by Workington, but in speedway that means very little, and riders will ride for the clubs that they want to ride for the clubs that want them. I would be very surprised if Kyle not in Sheffield colours next season. Josh Bates may well think about a move and maybe a move aay from the club may prove beneficial for him, but I do think that the family ties within the club may pull stronger and again I would be surprised if he did choose to move on. Chris Harris, is a pipe dream some Sheffield fans, he would probably prove very expensive, the one rider that did think that might be able afford him is Glasgow but looking at the first two signings I doubt that they could shoe horn him nito their team. Josh Grajczonek is a rider that would fit the bill for Sheffield the average is just about right and he rides the Sheffield track very well, I would be very surprised if the club are not trying to get his signature, but there are probably others that they maybe talking to Rory Schlein maybe Davey Watt or even Nick Morris. could be another

I think it fair to say it is highly unlikely that Brady Kurtz will ride in the Championship this year, he only rode for Plymouth for a few months and left at the first available opportunity. He did say at the end of the 2015 season that he was not interested in the then Premier League. Chris Harr is is likely to want massive money and could prove very expensive. Grajczonek is the one that interests me and thinking of the team budget and the average he is on he would prove to be a solid number 1 for the club. Like most fans at Sheffield I am sorry that Jason Garrity has not been asked back, he connected well with the fans and had started to mastered the track and was capable of beating anyone around Sheffield, but injuries and some of his away form was not great at times, and the one thing that has held the club back over the last two seasons has been injuries to our top rider. As for Steady if anyone had listen to his interview at the last match of the season would have known that it sound very much like a farewell speech. Either way will be interesting to see how the Promotion go about building the team for next season.