spin king

I remember just before the start of the season and guys that have taken over the club at Sheffield were asking for suggestions to make improvements or changes that the fans and what would get fans back to the speedway at a Supporters Club meeting. There were some good suggestions and ideas, but one of the new Promoters Peter Mole stood up and said " One of the ways to get fans back, is to put together a team that wins." Basically sums it up really, if the team does not win and keeps losing then you can expect the crowds to go down.

I can also confirm that there was a sighting of Shadders at Sheffield on Thursday, he was stood with me and the rest of our usual crowd. He was here last year twice. And the year before that. And the year before that as well.

Eddie or Edward as he likes to be called has never been prolific or comfortable around Sheffield, even when he has been on form. I think that we saw last night a rider who is still trying to get his confidence back.

Pleasing meeting to watch last night by the fact that all riders bar Andre Compton started to look far more comfortable on the track, and the Rye team were very competitive. Nice to see my old mate Shadders once again and he took away a bottle of Henderson's Relish the taste of Sheffield. The pleasing thing about last night was the fact that the team did not fold when Steady dropped some uncharacteristic points which is what seems to happen this season. Another pleasing factor last night was Ty Proctor who not only started to score points that we expected of him, but it was the way he won those points, some spectacular, entertainment wise he was box office last night (Proper Speedway) One of the talking points was the Taylor Poole incident and not clearing the track, not going to make excuses but I don't think it is just a Sheffield/ Taylor Poole problem lots of riders/ clubs do it to take an advantage and the authorities should really look at it , few suggestions come through last night, give the referee's the power to do; . (1) Shoot the falling rider at dawn the following day (A very irate Shadders) (2) Award the team the other team penalty points (Me) (3) Make the offending teams remaining rider go off 15 metres for the re run (A more rational and calmer Shadders). But overall very pleased with generally with what I saw from the Sheffield team last night.

The words "You ain't seen nothing yet" spring to mind.

I think everybody knows that something needs to be done and we going have to make changes. I am not too sure where I would make the changes but I think that realistically to improve the team and who and which riders would be available is not clear. But looking at the riders true averages for fixtures for this season, these will be nothing like the rolling ones that they use for Team Building purposes, but give a true reflections of the scores that when they have ridden for Sheffield this season. Simon Stead Home Average 10.22 Away Average 8.91 Overall Average 9.58 Leigh Lanham Home Average 6.30 Away Average 4.88 Overall Average 5.60 Ty Proctor Home Average 4.33 Away Average 4.44 Overall Average 4.38 Andre Compton Home Average 6.50 Away Average 5.63 Overall Average 6.13 Taylor Poole Home Average 4.14 Away Average 3.23 Overall Average 3.67 Simon Nielsen Home Average 3.38 Away Average 3.27 Overall Average 3.33 Josh Bates Home Average 3.60 Away Average 4.16 Overall Average 3.85 Adam Roynon Home Average 5.85 Away Average 5.33 Overall Average 5.60 All of those averages do not include bonus points. Looking at those figures only Simon Stead, Andre Compton and Josh Bates are performing to their true potential, the rest were or are not doing that and that is where we possibly need to see changes.

Well it has been a nice day and sunshine and alcohol don't really mix.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the Promotion need to make a change unless thinks don't improve, but the timing has to be bang on and the right riders have to be available. If what I have been told is correct that Ty Proctors average reduces pretty drastically then that is when we need to look at replacement riders or rider. The one thing that we do have going for us at the moment is that although we sit at the foot of the table we have until tomorrow only raced 4 league matches, the most of the league have raced either double that amount and three times that amount. My guess is that the Promotion will make a change early July, and if they get the right rider/ riders in it could change our fortunes rapidly.

Okay then for what it worth here we go. I thought we started well, and up until heat 11 I did wonder what all the fuss was about the Edinburgh team and thought we would win the meeting. The difference after heat 10 was we faded and Edinburgh stepped up a gear, and I have to admit that they are a bloody good team. You don't go on a unbeaten run like they have and not be a very good team. Onto the Sheffield team, the one thing that has been lacking all season for the vast majority of the team (Stead and Compton apart) is consistency. I do agree that Ty Proctor form is giving cause for concern, he has not put in one decent performance since he came to the club and only in the Glasgow fixture did he manage a race win. I don't agree with dropping 5 of the 7 riders simply because I don't think that there is 5 riders out there that will make any significant difference to the team, if you can name me 5 then tell me who they are. I have been told that Proctor's average will go down considerably in July and we will have some points to play around with, and I think that ie where I think that we could make a significant change, and we would possibly see the team much improved and lot more solid. Then I think you are possibly looking at one of the lower end riders making way so probably looking at either Poole/Nielsen or Bates making way. I cannot see any reason to drop Josh Bates, the lad has upped his average he is a young Brit and now an asset of the club. I think that you are probably looking at either Poole or Nielsen going and my money would be the one Nielsen go, and that would mean giving Poole a reserve position If we can get the right rider in on the right average we could be looking to shuffle the riding order around and take some the pressure of some of the under performing riders. But although things have not gone so great this season, I think that we do need to put things in to perspective, yes we have tasted defeat 4 times this season, but only two teams have beaten us. Scunthorpe have done us 3 times, but they have a team who it can be argued ride Sheffield better than their own track, and Edinburgh who are this season simply humping every team this season, and have gone a record breaking winning streak. But I do think that we need to make a change, yes I think we do, but not until the July and lets see how far Ty Proctor average drops and then we could could make a significant change. .

I think we can beat the Edinburgh team, but I think we don't have any chance of progressing to the Final. But a win by a small margin is possible if everyone rides to their potential and chips in with the points. One thing that we could do with is Simon Stead winning the coin toss at the start of the meeting, I don't think he has won yet at home.

Not your job to do that, Newcastle have resident team builder on this forum.

I see people's reasoning why they are talking about Richard Hall back, but I think New Promotion, New Future.

Storm in a tea cup, not even worth talking about.

Also I think you will find that most of the fans would not be interested in the club going Elite.

Okay if you want to get all high mighty the statement should have maybe read and track specialist as opposed to or track specialists. Funny thing is that I don't remember saying about any other rider or team that rode at Sheffield season.

I think that you need to read the sentence again as yes I did say that but there was another fact added to that as well. Here you go this is what I did say. The present Scunthorpe side is littered with riders that are ex Sheffield riders or Sheffield track specialists and to beat them we needed to have the team at full strength and everyone fit, I certainly would not judge the team on 3 performances against the Scunthorpe team.

Some interesting points made, but I would point out that; Fortress Owlerton; Only one team has beaten Sheffield at Sheffield this season. Bottom of League; Yes we are, but look at the meetings rode and you will see that on average most teams have rode nearly double the amount of meetings we have. Out of the KOC; Not yet, I still think that we can pull that one back. League Cup; I give you that one, but it was Edinburgh who are looking as though they could go through the League programme losing very few matches. Josh Bates; No secret that he is carrying an injury, so that is probably hampering him. Okay I would not disagree with the fact that the team are not performing as they should or could, but the fact remains that was only the 6th home meeting that raced and we have reached mid June, generally you would expect to have seen the team race double those amount of meeting by this stage. The present Scunthorpe side is littered with riders that are ex Sheffield riders or Sheffield track specialists and to beat them we needed to have the team at full strength and everyone fit, I certainly would not judge the team on 3 performances against the Scunthorpe team. The one thing that the Promotion have shown is that they are not afraid to make changes and if things continue where we are losing matches at home then I think that we might just see a few if the right riders become available.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and generally I will respect people's opinion. Sorry but yours I don't. As per usually you come on here spouting off, funny is it not we don't hear anything from you when the team has won or are winning. No we don't. Just for once think about what you are saying. The new Promotion did not take the club over until mid February, when every other team had their 1 to 7 sorted. Apart from two riders who basically gambled on signing for the club, we were left to build a team form what effectively was the scraps left over. But from that team, we made the Semi Final of the League cup. And now boast a British Champion in the team. Okay things are not great, but they are not doing to badly with what they have got, and unusually for Sheffield in the past the new Promotion are not scared of making a change. They now have signed one of the best prospects in British speedway, one that the British Team Manager had enquired about taking back as a fast track rider for his Elite League team, even though he knew that he would miss most of that teams home meetings Like I say things are far from perfect at the moment, but I am confident that they will get it right, and maybe just maybe for once you will come on here and be positive rather than only coming on to be totally negative. Rant over.

Latest news is that; To level up the teams in the Premier League Edinburgh have agreed to swap Craig Cook, Sam Masters and Steve Worrall for Simon Stead, Leigh Lanham and Simon Nielsen.

It either a rider signing as a asset which would mean either Simon Stead or Josh Bates. If its a rider change, the clue could be in the claim that they want to make Owlerton a fortress. Which if that is true then I reckon some Sheffield fans make get a kick out of who I think it is.

Totally correct. Lets look at the fact. Yes it is the middle of June. But we have race only 4 times at Sheffield as a team, okay we have lost twice but that was to the same team Scunthorpe who have a team that give any Sheffield team a run for their money at Owlerton. We have raced 5 times away and won 2 of those meetings we have won at Scunthorpe and a pretty convincing win at Redcar, we were humped at Newcastle (we usually do), beaten at Rye House (we usually do) and to be fair a disappointing performance at Berwick. But we have made the Semi- Finals of the League cup. And we have a British Champion in the team. Not bad for a team that was put together at the very last minute. Okay things are not perfect at the moment, lets see how far this team can go and lt have a fair crack at the whip before we start to write them off.

There is no doubt that Facu was entertaining last season. But the one thing that became abundantly clear that his equipment was sub standard. If the new Promotion were to consider bringing him they would need assurances.from Facu himself. (1) He has invested heavily in some new equipment. or (2) He has found a very good sponsor to back him with some new and better equipment. If the answer to either or both of them questions is no then I think we should forget about bringing him back. If was planning on coming back on the equipment that he had last year or the equivalent then as exciting as he was we only see a rider who spends all night chasing other riders back wheel. And at the moment the only rider I would consider dropping for him is Simon Nielsen to suggest the other two is sheer madness..

As far as I know we don't have one, but think we can run the occasional Monday nights.

Don't give up the day job.

The new promotion have shown that they are not afraid to make changes and if SCB is right and is very good with the figures that leaves Sheffield with a lot of points to play around with. My view is that if they do make a change they maybe keep one eye any moves that Scunthorpe make when Anders Mellgren returns to racing.