Hamish McRaker

I think T.N.T. is talking about "The Dark Side" .......must have strayed across by mistake!

Mr G.Walasek?

I thought Klindt put in some good shifts for Leicester last year.....it was in PL where he struggled. Never mind. If Leicester do sign Shamek, (now the Ward dust has settled down on the south coast), and have to jettison Wozniak as a result, could it be that Captain Nemo will ride back into town??

So who is the FIM accountable to? Is there a higher authority? I cant think of any other governing body above it......so presume it would be the relevant Justice system? International Sport arbitration court or something similar?

Leicester getting cold feet over Wozniak and his 5.50 assessed average? Prem Pawlicki plus ? incoming? Make that Prem Pawlicki plus N.Klindt

The FIM seem to be making sure that Ward is punished by just dragging the matter on so long that he's forced to miss the UK season - the sands of time have run out for him. Makes it all the more likely his alcohol test will be deemed to have been conducted in an unsatisfactory way, but as he did break the rules, he deserves some punishment. More than one way of skinning a cat!!

Sounds like a BOGOF deal

But the raised points limit not just relevant to pre-season team building. Also provides better scope for teams to make mid-season adjustments, including riders whose seasons in Poland/Sweden may be offering reduced opportunities,even including former World Champions??

Two from Korneliussen, Hougaard and Ljung?

Is it certain that Wozniak is assessed at 5.00? Where has this been officially stated? There are reports from Australia that riders new to the UK will have a minimum 7.00 average applied, irrespective of their standing, and that it has been thus decreed by the UK Borders agency. Fact or fiction??

Agree with you. Far too much post-race chumminess these days and the sponsor-based "kinship" stuff has added to this. Rivalry should be genuine and at times fierce.

The UK can no longer afford to operate the current Elite League. And it is no longer a practical proposition. There still needs to be more than one level of league, but in the present times, the UK is far more suited to the top level being approximately the level of the current PL. And if the higher-priced riders don't like that, then tough, we should have the balls to say goodbye and we will go with something that is more suitable. That should put an end to issues about race nights. If any of the current EL clubs don't like that, and think it would be a backwards step, then they should look at forming a european super league or something like that.

Mr Havelock comes across a bit like one of most hopeless cases from one of those government "back to work" programmes

Two number one's ?? Suppose that might depend on whether the costs of maintaining machinery, workshop, transport, mechanics, tuning, set against earnings make it a viable proposition to ride half a season. Especially for a rider likely to have the same costs being incurred in Poland and Sweden, never mind for SGP. Maybe a good sponsor might make it viable and could make the difference. I got the feeling that Woffinden was at Wolves last year mainly courtesy of Monster. Hopefully Jason Doyle can now land a good sponsor, his earnings will go up for sure, but so will his overheads whether or not he does ride in the UK. I'm sure he's very busy at the moment talking to many possible employers for 2015, and possible sponsors (already signed to ride for Dackarna in Sweden). He seems more like a Red Bull type of bloke to me! Half a season in UK in terms of sheer number of matches is probably similar to full seasons in Sweden and Poland, but the earnings may well be lower in the UK. But if it helps clinch a good sponsorship deal, it might be worth it. Anyway....we don't know if the BSPA will go along with it, if that's David Hemsley's cunning plan. As for who might be the "other" GP/ex-GP rider? Doesn't your track suit someone who is good at passing on the inside, because passing on the outside's a bit difficult? (and a good gater, of course).

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