Hamish McRaker

It is the words "clear it with our governing body" that make me wonder.

Goodness me! What a cosseted lot children are these days. When i was a youngster i used to go to speedway matches in the week (and didnt need parents to go with me) and yet miraculously i managed to get to school the next day. The other evenings i would put in an 8 hour shift down the coal mine and be at school on a couple of hours kip.

Do i get the impression that David Hemsley wants to change the race night?

Time to put an end to this annual farce. Book the Millenium Stadium (or anywhere else suitable that has a roof) for the Saturday and Sunday after the final Grand Prix of the season. Polish, Swedish and Danish playoffs will have been done and dusted by then, testimonials and individual meetings mostly done and out of the way, leftover league fixtures too. Keep the playoff qualification deadline mid/late September. Run both semi-finals on the Saturday, one-off one-leg matches. First one starts at 4.30pm, second one at 8.00pm. Final on the Sunday. Devise a format which provides two mini-matches or one longer match - but overall 20+ heats, starting at 3.00pm. Schedule the British GP for early in the season (May). Put tickets for finals day on sale early, big discounts for early purchase.(get Barry Hearn or someone similar to do the promotion stuff) Attract a good sponsor. No faffing with will-they-wont-they!! Guaranteed, in the diary. Sorted!

So has any action been taken against the referee, who from the opinions of many could have done more to nip the problem in the bud (maybe he was more concerned about getting 10 heats completed)? And what about the management of the teams involved (especially Cradley) for their overall responsibility? Scot-free? That carpet at BSPA/ACU HQ must be getting pretty lumpy, with everything that it's had swept under it. Needs a bit of blood spilling over it perhaps!! But what do i know........bugger all

From the sound of things, the situation would have been better handled by a ref like Dave "chuck em out" Robinson.

The Cradley club seems to have a "win at all costs" mentality which includes building a ridiculously strong squad and wishing to trample (not literally) over all of their opposition. This has not been good for the sport at NL level. So it is hardly surprising when such attitude feeds through to the behaviour of its riders. Greaves and Phillips should be "looking forward" to long bans, and perhaps Sarjeant needs disciplinary action against him also. But maybe the management of Cradley should also hang their heads in shame for creating the climate whereby these actions by their riders came about, and the club should be banned from all matches until the end of the season.

I took a look on the bet365 thing last night, as Leicester and Belle Vue are two teams i have liked, in years gone past. First of all, i am pleased Leicester now seem to have a decent team sorted out with the major weakness at reserve improved, and some riders who will do enough at home, anyway. But i was distressed at how poor Belle Vue were. How did they perform so badly? There is some good talent in that side, but they seemed to give up very easily. It was sad to watch. The Leicester track is extraodinary, in my opinion. I cannot recall ever having seen such lack of racing lines. There is only one. It looked as though riders have learned to not try sweeps around the outside on bends although two did attempt it, and finished on their backsides. Gate 4 is an utter graveyard unless a very fast (illegal!) start is made, and Gate 1 offers only limited opportunities. The race is over by bend 4 of lap 1, sometimes sooner. Hang your heads in shame for creating this, when there was probably a blank canvas with which to work. Other venues do not have this luxury and have to work within the constrictions of other sports taking place at the venue. But to deliberately create what is a dead duck of a track, is a criminal act. It has driven a large nail into the coffin, into which speedway in the UK is stepping. Shame on you.

All of this negative talk of Leicester's Great Leader reminds me of a promoter of yesteryear, who shall remain nameless. He, too, created an awful shaped track where racing was over after the second bend of lap 1. Legend has it that he used to roll off his wife after about 7 seconds, to which she would always lie "oh, that was wonderful, darling". Being the recipient of repeated praise for such a brief performance, he naturally concluded that speedway supporters' enjoyment needs were also easily met. I wonder if there is a current-day promoter with a similar approach?

Aye, and in tonight's performance they forgot the script

I have good news for Leicester Lions followers. Keep the faith, it will all be achieved. David Hemsley and Avtar Sandhu are collaborating on a plan to drive Coventry out of business,much sooner than after 3 seasons. First of all, Sandhu sacks the established track curator, and hires someone who is paid to mess things up. He drives Havelock and his team up the wall by continually preparing unsuitable tracks. Sandhu also lets things go on maintainence at Brandon, the crowds diminish because the place gets unsafe, and with a bit of luck it will get closed down by H&S. Hopefully (per their plan), Horton will chuck in the towel. As a backup, just in case, the West Midland's best arsonist is put onto standby to torch the place. Leicester take over Coventry's Friday race night, and live happily ever after because they have far less problems signing riders whose Polish clubs want to hold them captive on Saturdays. Mwahahahaaaaaaaa!!!! But there's more. To Sandhu's horror, Hemsley, grinning malevolently, peels off a rubber mask to reveal his true identity............MATT FORD :shock: Mwahhahahahaaaaaaaaa!!!........... Sleep well, don't have nightmares

The world's going mad. It will not be long before speedway has to be scrapped due to over-cautious medics. Was the medic's decision anything to do with Leicester being sponsored by that personal injury compensation-chasing legal company, by any chance? I can imagine riders getting pestered to sue their promoters after having had an "accident at work" !!

Sounds like the Royle family is taking over

Predictions for this season could be thrown into disarray when new averages take effect and teams make changes to their declared teams. Whoever can fit Nick Morris into their re-jigged team, could move rapidly from also-rans to hot favourites. Let us hope and pray that he doesn't have to replace a long-term injured number one. So, which team is most likely to be welcoming Mr Morris into its 1-7, around June time?

A right scurrilous lot, Rugby Borough Council by all reports i've seen from afar. There's a council leader (Humphries) who has had allegations made against him of serving his own vested interests in housing developments decisions. Then another councillor who allegedly managed to ensure that one of his landowner pals received retrospective permission to run a rat-breeding farm building just outside of Rugby (to stock his reptiles business with snake food), overturning a previous decision not to allow it. So the chances of a new home in the Borough of rugby may hinge on who knows who, old chap, nudge nudge. How "well-connected" is Mr Sandhu??

in that case i will disappear back to oblivion with the assistance of several large servings of Jura single malt

So your afternoon nap went on a bit longer than you expected, Colonel? I know the problem only too well. You're not related to that character in Fawlty Towers are you by any chance? Anyway to put you in the picture about what's happened: Australia mercilessly thrashed England 5-0 at cricket. The British government declared war against Australia for this act of hostile aggression. Scotland, Wales and Norn Iron together formed a separate government, because it was nothing to do with them. The English government (although it still called itself and acted as "British Government") realised there are no aircraft carriers, meaning that militiary action against Australia was pointless. Instead, Sir Les Patterson was deported back to Sydney on the first available flight and this seriously affected the export sales of Australian wines. The Borders Agency also started rejecting UK visa applications by Australians, especially from speedway riders with the initials "JD". Hope that's caught you up. Wake me up when the season's started.

I'd go for mud wrestling on the centre green when the grading's being done!

Fair point Teemy, but it makes them sound a wee bit like my grandaughter and her boyfriends - you cannae keep up with who she's with from one year to the next, and I'd not want the lass to get a "reputation" if you know what I mean (small round things made from pastry with jam on)! Anyways I hope that Leicester's latest is going to be good at coughing up the wonga, and that Mr Hemsley doesn't forget to keeep the local sponsors happy.

Very intriguing, this new sponsorship deal for Leicester. Seems to buck the general trend of teams having local companies as the major sponsor/s, and indeed as someone has said on here, this Rapid solicitors company would have been considered as a possible sponsor of the Elite League itself rather than of one club. Unless somebody "on the inside" breaks cover, we will not know the exact nature of the deal between Leicester and Rapid, apart from it being 2 years duration. Reading between the lines, I get the feeling that Rapid has footed the bill for the team kevlars, but does it amount to anything much more than that? I see that since returning in 2011, Leicester have had quite a high turnover of main sponsors. Breedon, Elliot and Harry Jordan have all come and gone in succession. Jordan Road Surfacing were stadium sponsors last year, but have they now disappeared? The best and most beneficial cases of sponsorship, in my experience, are when a substantial local company and the speedway team develop a long-lasting relationship. I think that last year, Swindon's main sponsors pretty much kept things afloat when things got very difficult - they were both local companies with long standing relationships with the club. But would a company like Rapid do the same thing if the circumstances arose at Leicester? I doubt it. I really do hope this deal is a lucrative one for Leicester and can contribute to the further development of the stadium, track and club generally. But as I've said, unless somebody breaks cover, the extent of the relationship is not going to be fully known. What I suspect, and I sincerely hope I am wrong, is that the deal amounts to little more than window-dressing. If that's true, Leicester will still need to be counting on whatever league sponsorship is forthcoming, and on sufficient numbers coming through the turnstiles in order to ensure the Elite League adventure is a success (and by "success" I mean staying in business). What would concern me. if i were a Leicester die-hard, is the realtive lack of significant long-term local sponsorship so far.

Bearing in mind that I'm a bit "remote" as far as being smack up to date with things is concerned, I'm wondering if theres been any news about Joe Screen's future involvement with speedway following his retirement as a rider? He seems to come across to me, as someone of great potential value to the development of young british riders.

Alex Edberg!!

Isna much else tae do up here in the Outer Hebrides this time o year, wee Skiddy

I think I have the answer to your question. In the Bible's "Book of Lennsilver", written by an ancient and wise prophet from the mystical eastern kingdom of Hack Knee, can be found the following: And it shall come to pass that in the year of our Lord 2014, a new Cathedral will be formed in the land of Lesstah in the middle kingdom of Ingerljund. It will rise from humble beginnings as a small church built behind a people's market, under the inspirational and visionary leadership of Bishop Hem, to challenge the supremacy of the nearby cathedral of St Brandon in The Fields, in the land of Cov. However, the plans of Bishop Hem will be more difficult to carry out than he thinks. The main weekly service held at St Brandon in The Fields will be on Fridayyes (the fifth day), and to enable the faithful of the middle kingdom to attend services at both cathedrals, Bishop Hem will be forced to hold his main service on Saturdayes (the sixth day). But this will prove to be troublesome for Bishop Hem. Whereas St Brandon in The Fields will employ priests who are mostly living and working in Ingerljund, Bishop Hem will be forced to employ the services of several itinerant priests, some of them also employed by the great Cathedrals of Swidden (far away across the sea)and the even greater Cathedrals of Pohelandde (even further away across sea and land). And it shall come to pass, that the great cathedrals of Pohelandde will hold their services on the Sundayye (the seventh day) and will seek to prevent itinerant priests in their employ from travelling to Ingerljund and working in the Cathedral of Lesstuh on Saturdayye, although some will disobey these orders. And so it will come to pass, that Bishop Hem will go down onto his knees and pray to the Lord, for the creation of an additional day of the week, to be placed betwween Fridayye and Saturdayye, and thus enable more itinerant priests to travel to Ingerljund and work at the Cathedral of Lesstuh, and return to Pohelandde without undue haste or possible disruption from the untrustworthy travel asssistants Ryan and Wizz. And the Lord will speak unto Bishop Hem, and grant his wish, and the new day will become known as Hemsday. And all will be well. Hope that answers your question ok?

Sheffield has already declared Stead and Roynon. With Morris added, would leave only about 16 points between 4 riders. Could be done I suppose, would then need to wait for Roynons 7.8 average to drop (and possibly Stead's too) before making further change.