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As exciting as Tiddler was he should never ever be compared with either of the Moran brothers . Morans were both class riders in an era when the yanks ruled the world. Whether they gated or from the back both were world class . Turner never reached them levels. Hindered by his size he gave 110% all the time. His gating was nothing special, nor was his ability from the back, but it was his effort that the fans warm too. In the 10 yrs he rode for the Stars he started off as a Reserve, progressing to 2nd string before reaching the dizzy heights of a heat leader with Betts and Lee. He won a lot of points with his way-out style and if the truth be known the chasing riders chicken out trying to pass for fear of not knowing where he was going. Tiddler was not a maximum man, but could sometimes be a match winner. What you always got was magic entertainment that enticed the fans.... We could sure do with a few more like him , now....

You're missing the point. My fears is not about the Coventry team's ability to ride the Leicester track, more about the financial burden that goes with it. If the promotions had troubles with the viability of racing in Coventry then the rewards from riding 40mls away will be non-existent. How long will the promoter be able to keep the ship afloat????? The situation doesn't fill me with any optimism at all.

The side COVENTRY have assembled would surely be in the reckoning for the Play-offs had they be riding at BRANDON. As it is, using the Leicester track as a temporary base is all very well but as soon as fans can see nothing is happening at their iconic home then the interest will diminish. Unless their supporters can see light at the end of the tunnel then they will not continue with their extra expense, time and effort to support the Bees on a full time basis. It is imperative that the Brandon situation is sorted QUICKLY, else it will be yet another club fallen by the way side..... For that reason, I don't see them lasting the season out...

The difference between them 3 is that although all will possibly increase their scores, only Lebedev will definitely move out of the reserve berth. The others can perform better but for them to move out they will need to out perform decent 2nd strings. I'm in no doubt Lebedev will be a Leicester heat leader after the first set of figures out... He is more than capable of being Lions top Man this season.....

I rate Rye House as a team who will be in contention and are capable of creating a few upsets. They should be a force at home where their advantage should enable them to beat most teams. However. although on paper they appear strong, each of the top four are not renown for consistent scoring at the highest level... It is for this reason I can't rate them as high as others who have stronger heat leaders and reserves. If they make the Play-off I feel there weaknesses will be exploited. My play-off predictions are KL; Poole and Wolves (not necessarily in that order) with the last place up for grabs for the team who steps upto the mark......

Each year I look at Poole squad and use that as a measuring stick for comparing the chances of the other teams. Usually they are the front runner in everyone's opinion of who is going to win. This year it is different, looking at Poole I feel this is the worse team they have assembled for many years. No, that bad, just worse than we have come to expect. Looking at their strength, I believe they are no better than several of the others and that has to be good for the sport... This sport needs to have competition of most of the teams to create excitement into close matches. having the same winners all the time does nobody any favours... As much as I was pleased someone other than Poole won the league, I would rather it had been BV, as the usage of Woffy was to me very wrong. Nobody can convince me that dropping Joanas to accommodate someone who didn't give a damn for the club until his other commitments had finished . Not only does this highlight the riders attitude towards our clubs, but also the leagues inability to govern the sport correctly. When a team are able to bring in the current World Champion on such a low, old and fictitious average , surely someone has to question the integrity of our rules.. We talk about why the fans have turned their back on the sport but we appear blinded by the obvious problems as long as it favours certain clubs.... I make no secret that I wanted BV to win the final purely on the basis that they did it right by sticking the same team as they had started. I've got no idea who will win this years league title, but I do hope it is done in the correct and proper way......

I've been going to Cardiff more years than I care to remember. for what should be the best occasion of the year. The atmosphere in the streets brilliant, the Crowds are the best ever for the event to be played out in a wonderful stadium. Everything in place for a terrific meeting. What a pity the racing is not up to standard, baring a few exceptional races the majority is won from the inside gate and the meetings becomes a bore feast..,,, and you say that what its all about.., We can never compare the sport of years ago with today. The costs and mechanics' makes it impossible to compare. Riders are now treated as gods and paid a kings ransom to finance their hectic existence . It is the main reason why the sport costs are what they are, and why the British league is of little importance. Those that do ride on these shores are so knackered flying in and out for every meeting it is little wonder the product they produce is sometimes tainted and unappealing. I feel privileged to have been about when British Speedway ruled the world. Every match was of the utmost importance where riders rode above themselves just for that solidarity point, in the hope of an away win. But unfortunately them days are long gone. All we have left is the bare bones of any existence, trying to maintain the sport in this country. I admire the efforts being made to regenerate the lost interest in all those fans we once had. I try to be a realist and understand the state our sport is in. Looking back to the good times is a nice reminder but the reality is we need to look ahead.

Yes I am a speedway fan and thoroughly enjoy all forms of the sport. I find your post quite disturbing in that you can quantify what is good and what is bad. I have a major problem there because I can see many positives at various levels of the sport. According to you we have to watch World Class riders or else its not worth watching..... Let me tell you I've seen many GSP and the standard of racing has often been rubbish. ​I remember a few years ago I went to watch the young stars meeting and witness some simply an amazing feats performed by a 15yrs old Robert Lambert scoring a 21 pts max. The crowd were on their feet and the noise had to be listened to believe...... Reading your posts you obviously wouldn't want to see that as there wasn't a world class rider in sight.... Having watched speedway for 50 yrs I have seen the best they've been, and can assure you the quality of racing is not necessarily govern by the standard of the riders.... I feel for you as you have on idea what the sport is about. Us die-hard supporters enjoy far more than you appear too . You are not a real supporter, merely someone who has been spoilt by too much success and blinded by the reality of it all. Just pleased not all Poole fans are like you

Posters on here are all making an opinion of two class riders, no noone has mentioned the trumors both have had to over come . Holder has sufferred more than Niels but both have been to hell and back and that takes time. It pleased me tremendously that Noddy won the SGP in Australia last year ( even when he was a Poole rider) I like good men to do well. My opinion of Hancock took a dosedive for his antics showing no respect for the fans at all. and I want to believe Holder had no part in that. Given that they are now injury free and all the gremlins behind them I don't think there is much to choose who is best. Both are increditable to watch and a credit to our sport........ I just wish there were more like them two.........

I actually suggested this 3 or 4 yrs ago, Not thinking of anyone else other than myself having problems filling in a program. Either its because, I cant hear the result or the time, not enough light to see properly , the pens run out, left me glasses at home, there are a number of reason why I stopped filling in programs and usually do it the next day with the help of the update website. Having an updated app would be a obvious choice . It don't have to be free, a charge could be made to make up the cost involved.... The old style program could be changed into a monthly magazine keeping fans up to date with every thing..... instead of being ripped off reading the same every week......

Considering I suggested this team back in early November, it wasn't far off the mark ....... These off seasons seem to take forever.......

Do hope you will be giving out free admission passes to the over 11 yrs olds if accompanied by a parent . Another way of introducing new supporters,,,,,,,,, All ways has to be introduced to give people the opportunity to see the excitement on offer..,,,,

No one will ever get me to criticise Niels for what he has done for KingsLynn these past years. Without him our team would have been rubbish. His professionalism, His attitude, his temperment and ability have been faultless. No way would KL have treated him as Poole have Chris Holder. Niels would have been the fist name on the sheet. He is that good...... As a superb No1 the only person capable of filling the massive hole Neils has left is Chris Holder. Poole's lost is our gain. He is probably the only guy capable of replacing Niels in every aspect of the game. I am filled with the same excitement I felt with Niels rode for us, and feel Chris will excel in his roll here at Lynn. He will lead, he will share, he will be part of, he will be everything a No1 should be. I am in no doubts Matt Ford will forever regret his decision to let Noddy go...... Whose the best................Who cares??

Thanks for the opportunity to read and fully understand the massive problems that have occurred . I was one of those who waited before proportioning blame to the obvious.. .. and feel vindicated that I waited.to hear the truth.... I symphysis with all those people involved with BV speedway. Hind sight is a wonderful thing, its so easy to think 'If only' .but I am of the impression that both BV promoter did what they thought was best, and you can't knock them for that.... It sounds as though many people have to hold their hands up and accept some of the blame, just a pity this wasn't a joint BSPA/ BV effort from the start, then probably Gorman / Morton would have received the credits they deserved....

I don't support anybody in doing wrong. Ford pulled every trick possible in his effort to explored every loophole he could find, purely for the benefit of Poole Speedway. He didn't give a damn for the damaged his actions did to the creditability of the sport or for the supporter , whom are now a rare commodity . I have no doubt Ford would be a terrific asset on the BSPA board , Then instead of using his knowledge to undermine their decisions , he could use his ability to the sports advantage.....

Congratulation go out to our new No 1 Chris Holder for winning the Darcy meeting down-under. Nice also to see Jason Crump proving he's still capable of mixing it with the talent of today too. Shame he called it a day when he obviously still has much too give.....

I too was shocked to read the SS about Matt Ford's insight of the sport and how he thinks the sport will go. Probably, he should have thought about that and how much damage his many misdemeanours has done for the sport, and how many fans turned their back because of the underhanded ways he achieved them goals... I have no doubt of his undoubted ability to promote, but instead of walking away, why don't he step up to the plate and help Buster make it the sport as good as it once was.........

I don't think this is a problem Buster can sort. The true state of the game is that there isn't enough riders to fill all the team spots without paying over the odds for the top ones, and secondly there are a lot of riders who what to ride more in the effort to earn an extra dollar. The days when speedway was a part-time game has long gone, and riders need to earn as much as possible to meet their increasing costs. For these reasons 'Double Uppers' will always be part of the sport nowadays.... Probably making a unified rule regarding fixture clashes would be a better way to go........

I agree to a point , but not at a cost the sport can't afford......... When the bikes were low tech the rider was the more important than the machinery, when the bike got more technical the rider was of a lesser importance. Whereas now, a top man couldn't win on a slow bike .......

Agreed; Yes, they were just a head conversion, but it highlighted the potential of the 4 valve design. Had the powers ,at that time banned this new design, engine suppliers like Jawa; GM ; Weslake wouldn't have jumped on the bandwagon. I appreciate there are more meetings for the riders now, But Garry Middleton ( Aussie world stage rider) once said, 'a standard 2 valve Jawa would easily do a season of racing. Just hose it down and oil the chain and its ready to go'. That highlights the differences between them old machines and the modern day ones.....

Yeah, your probably right. But it was Neil Street that brought the technology into the modern era and highlighted the difference it was to achieve. That night in question, Kings Lynn Vs Newport , could have been a typical meeting had it not been for the performance of those two machines. The fact Phil Crump rode to a 15 max was not unusual, but the easy manner in how he achieved it was. 1/2 lap ahead in some races.... But the real indicator of the machine's capability, was that an ageing Neil Street only dropped one point all night, beating Terry Betts in the process....... They even came 1st and 2nd in the second half final, such were their dominance....... Because of the supreme power of those 4 valvers, riders had to purchase the equivalent just to start races on equal terms. That signalled the start of costs being hiked up to meet the higher demands, which inturn coincided with the start of crowd numbers dwindling..,

We come to the 'Chicken and Egg' syndrome. Years ago we had double the number of track for the supporter to attain their weekly ration of the sport and therefore there were far more people going to meetings. So they say.... but if they had attended in vast numbers, then those tracks would've had a better chance of staying open...... So we need to look at other areas why supporters stay away and the obvious answer is cost.... Going back in time to the early 70's when Neil Street ( genius engineer and a awesome chap) created the first of the 4 valve engine, While others were standing there in amazement of what the engine could do, Terry Betts pointed out the sport can ill afford such development.. When his comments were questioned, he replied This engine has to be banned, if not then everybody would need to purchase similar just to be competitive. The costs will need to be met, Riders will want more money, the promoters will have to charge more to come in and the fans will be expected to pay. Speedway as we know it will be gone forever........ How true those words were. If they had taken more notice of what was happening then, probably the sport would be in better shape than it is today......

To answer the title of the tread : What does it matter how weak the teams are, We want to see competitive racing of a quality we can afford. All the off-season has been taken up with problems created by the lack of finance and the trouble clubs are having running their club, It is obvious some posters don't understand, WE CANNOT AFFORD THE TOP RIDERS ANY MORE. they want more than the sport can afford to pay. I'm looking forward to the new season with most teams of an acceptable standard. So what if we the teams aren't filled with top names, we will be watching riders who want to race here. This year could actually be very good where the so called standard will be overlooked by the quality of racing it produces......

I don't understand all this negativety on here. British Speedway is not about World Class riders anymore, is more important to have competitive teams at a cost that at be afforded. Some of the post aired on here are so disrespectfull. If I lived in Leicester I would be happy ro go and watch this team every week. Think of all the places that would love to have their own team to support. I think they will be competitive with most of the teams top 3, and that includes Kings Lynn. Rest assured, Lebedev is capable of beating any rider any day....

He probably will, but I don't imagine he will be there for long. This is what the reason why our CMA system is well out of date in allowing someone of his obvious talent to come in on such a low score... Regardless of his low average he will be a top points scorer. Providing he races with the same determination he could quite easily finish up as Lions top rider come the end of the season.... He's that good.......