Rayleigh

Thanks Shadders, good to hear you are still around. Do you know if our stand at the starting gate (as a creature of habit I have been standing there since 1976)has been replaced and if so, is it larger and standing or seats?

Hi Shads, what time do the bikes start? and what time does it finish?

You are onto something here. The greatest legend in my 47 years of going to speedway was Kelvin Mullarkey, his races with Battling Barney Kennett, "halfer" Browning (if you didn't see him you sure missed out an absolute man mountain), Alan Sage, 4 rides and 4 f/exc against Glasgow (must be a record) and the Muddy hall Fen Tigers are unforgettable memories. I have probably seen 6 track records broken and yet cant remember any of the races.

Whilst there was a big game being played out in the long run regarding houses, when is speedway going to shut their door on Mike Horton (and his brother Colin) study their track record of chaos and yet a few years ago Steve Ribbons was deemed unfit to be near speedway, truly laughable if it wasn't so sad for all those loyal supporters who are now condemned to false promises and fantasy dreams of a new future, whilst the only fact that will be is that they DO NOT have club to support.

Thank you for all under estimating Rye House, it means the bookies will now give me better odds. Harris/Nicholls/Kennett very very reliable, maybe not as sexy on the world stage but have always delivered on the English stage. Watt (did you not see the Winter results from Aussie) and Robson - more than a match in the engine room for any other second string pairing. Branford - maybe in the top three of reserves and with such a solid top 5 is unlikely to reach the main team all season unlike Allen, Bates or Klient/Newman Perks - anything is a bonus although there are some comparable No7s in the league, disappointed he is riding all 3 leagues, just too much at this stage of his carear 1st - Wolves 2nd - Rye House 3rd - Poole 4th - Belle Vue

Since when has speedway riders (in all divisions it would seem) think they have a divine right to be professional. I remember riders strapping their bikes on the boot of the car (heats leaders in the Championship no less) none of this great big van with multiple bikes in them. Don't give me the response of "well they risk their lives" yes they do, but so do grasstrack riders who sometimes have to pay to enter a meeting with a pittance for prize money. Yes, I will like the riders to earn MORE but its simple economics. reduce your outlay on equipment and get a part time job to fund your speedway addiction.

No doubt every posting will disagree with this and that but overall the league table is not far off in my opinion

Thank you, that exactly makes my point

I think the Elite teams from last year will have a shock reverting back to the Premier League race format. Last year Heat Leaders v Heat Leaders, Second Strings v Second Strings and Reserves v Reserves gave an unbalanced score, this year much harder for a reserve to go through the card (Newman nearly an 8 point average last season) whereas some good heat leaders barely got a 7 point average (Freddie Lindgren last season) The big mistake though will be, with so many double up riders at the end of the season, as I understand the bottom team in the Premiership (possibly Coventry) will play the top Championship team (possibly Ipswich) then Heat 1 race card will have Danny King (Coventry) v Danny King r/r (Ipswich) Oh dear it could only happen in speedway.

Good to hear you are well, hope to bump into you on some of the away trips if you cant make the River Lea picnic area in the future

Where is Sadders? surely not gone uuuuup north already Meant to read Shadders, fatty fingers strikes again.

I would have Matej Kus would be a good shout, he would be a very useful middle order rider, did well at Berwick, Redcar and Newcastle last year

Robbo over Batchelor, yes please We all get hung up about winning, winning, winning, don't forget entertainment aka racers and thats the reason I want Robbo every day of the week and twice on Saturdays.

Fine with the last pick although the really important one was Branford at No6 imo. With the race format the same as last years Premier League the No7s will probably be sacrificed in heats 2,4 and 11 so finished after three rides and the No6 will ride in heats 2, 7, 8, 12, and 14. Heats 2 and 8 are the easiest and heats 12 and 14 are at the business end of the meeting. Welcome Ellis, no pressure steady improvement is your only realistic target.

I also think this is a win win situation, if he recaptures any of his past love (I understand his personal issues are now resolved) he is a bargain, if not, he will retire quite quickly.

Please delete the words more than £5 a point

Gosh I thought that was the base of your team.

Sorry Gavan, I think I read in the Speedway Star Kerry Grey passed away very recently. Bye the way probably one of the fasted gaters Rye have ever had. Regarding the averages, obviously I miss understood the new calculations (don't they make life easy for the fan) as my mensa application form is still in the post

WARNING TO THE RYE TEAM PLANNERS Last year top and second string Elite riders both had false averages. The reason being the race format if you were a heat leader you faced fellow heat leaders nearly all evening, if you were a second string you faced second string or reserves nearly all evening. The net result through up these examples: Matej Zagar8.06 Hans Andersen WARNING TO THE RYE HOUSE TEAM PLANNERS Last year top and second string Elite riders both had false averages. The reason being the race format was if you were a heat leader you faced fellow heat leaders nearly all evening, if you were a second string you faced second string or reserves nearly all evening. The net result are some strange averages such as these examples: Matej Zagar 8.06 Hans Andersen 8.04 Chris Harris 7.77 Patrick Hougaard 6.44 -------- 30.31 Sam Masters 7.76 Kyle Newman 7.51 Steve Worrall 7.11 Adam Ellis 6.93 -------- 29.31 Now remember the race format is changing as I understand to the Premier League format, in short an easier race card for heat leaders (thus undervalued average) and a tougher race card for second strings (thus overvalued average) So the question is, are the two teams above similar in strength or not?

I heard it from a rider two weeks ago that he wouldn't join Rye next season because the plan was for "Rye to replace Leicester in the Elite league". Have to say fear and trepidation seems more than excitement and more excitement although that's before the Lakeside announcement.

Heard from a reliable source that Rye House are replacing Leicester in the Notso Elite League. Have to say not my first choice but will give it a chance as any speedway at Rye should be welcomed (I am sure Plymouth and Berwick would prefer it to their current situation)

Mr Sandhu, Rick Frost, The Invisible guy at Lakeside, John Posselwhaite at Reading, gosh even Steve Ribbons (bigger pockets than most of us) all driven out of the sport by a small group of self interested promoters who can then enact their self interested needs. Ever decreasing circles.

Ben has exceeded my expectations this season but when you compare him with Branford the argument becomes clearer. Branford home ave (without BP) 6.00 Morley home ave (without BP) 5.87 Branford away ave (without BP) 6.42 Morley away ave (without BP) 2.59 I wish Ben well, but for his sake I hope he widens his experience on different shaped tracks as mentioned. The other point is he may also be a victim of doing TOO well, only speedway rewards an underachiever and punishes an improver. all because of averages.

Josh from Somerset

Is it true Busk Jacobson (a second string and sacked rider) is replacing the No 1 rider in the league, come on rain clouds don't let me down as well.