DC2

Is Jack Smith not good enough or did he have his confidence destroyed by his Swindon experience due to being promoted too early?

Hi, Sid. It’s a discussion. No need to attack someone who doesn’t fully agree with you. Earlier you appeared to agree that some young riders will suffer if promoted too early. Rubbing shoulders with Swindon’s riders didn’t help Jack Smith much, did it!

How about the poor rabbit that they chase!

Are you getting mixed up, Sid? If Rowe will struggle in the 1-5 at Somerset, what chance has he got at Swindon?

Rowe starts in the main body of the team!

I hope Sheffield do well, so if that’s the table let’s hope there’s only 10 points between first and last! That would be a great season.

Yes, I agree that we need to encourage young riders. That’s obvious. But there is also a responsibility to ensure that young riders are not promoted before they are ready because that can damage their confidence. There are plenty of examples of that over the last few years.

None British, the last three were all clearly on the up regardless of who they rode for, and Poole didn’t keep faith with any of them when they could have. For Poole it was always about signing the most opportunistic team.

Poole have only ever been concerned about the success of the club from one season to the next and never about the progress of riders generally and British riders in particular.

With 8.96 left, Hume (3.17) and a 5 or 5.2 (Jeppesen) Dane would be better future investments than Kurtz, Greaves, Kennedy or Keleher (aged 26).

........ and “never been good enoughs”.

Jordan Stewart had a crash in the Semi.

Redcar nearly bottom? Are you mad?

Or their bad manners.

To be fair, that is where we normally send them to improve the Geordie gene pool.

Swindon.

Don’t know what’s wrong with the bloke.

That’s my sort of beer!

Ah, ambassador, Ferrero Rocher at home matches?

OK, thanks for that.

It’s just a discussion. I want Newcastle to do well. Just trying to give an objective assessment.

Over to you!

That’s exactly what I thought (although I wouldn’t call them misfits). Workington had a core of five experienced CL riders. Newcastle have just two, plus two youngish Brits, two new continentals with no CL experience at all and Wright returning to the sport after several years out. A better comparison might be Glasgow, who have three experienced, but rather dull, riders who could go either way, number one who might drop his average, and three youngsters on their way up. Or, better still, Birmingham who have bags of experience and bags of injury, reliability and form question marks, but a chance that they could click.

Hmmmmm ... you seem to have turned a bit weird! Are you on the Diamonds’ naughty step?

That might give old men an orgasm, but not a virile young one like me.