Hebbs

Kelsey is riding "through the pain". See the official website. http://eastbourneeagles.co/news.php?extend.1062

Could be like the 1977 White City Rebels (Promoted by Bob Dugard & Danny Dunton) that won the league with Rider Replacement (Dag Lovas) for the whole season.

You maybe right about the name, but the way some Sky commentators announce the teams; The Eagles of Eastbourne, or the Pirates from Poole, I thought the Creepy Crawley's would fit the bill.

I think they should change their name though as we already have The Heathens. How about "Creepy"

Nice and handy for Gatwick if any of your riders have to fly in.

Agree with that entirely. Having been there when the Eagles lost the first ever EL playoffs, when we had been the best team all year, left a terrible feeling of injustice. The league should be won by the team that is top at the end of the season, that's it. Playoffs are just another type of cup competition. In my view, and I suspect several other Eagles fans, Birmingham have won the league regardless of what happens next.

Very Sad news. He was captain of the Eagles when I started going to speedway in 1969. Towards the end of the season I became very ill and ended up in hospital for many months. My Dad mentioned this to Reg who sent me filled in programmes and a lovely letter telling me how he and the team were doing. As a 9 year old it was very very special, & I still have the letter today. A boyhood hero of mine. RIP Reg

From what I saw Martin was a far better rider than Bob. though I never saw Charlie Dugard ride.

No such thing as a trick track, just those who haven't learnt to turn the bike (yet).

I don't think a match race would tell us who will go on to be the best rider. Back in 1969 (or maybe 1970) I remember a match race between two young riders starting their careers, Dave Jessup and Barry Thomas. Much hyped by Dave Lanning & Johnny Hoskins as you would expect, I saw the Arlington leg and remember that Barry Thomas won. I was only 9 or 10 and DJ was my hero. Barry went on to be a hero of the Hawks, but I think most people would say that DJ went on to greater things. No disrespect to BT who was a great club rider, who I saw many times riding for Hackney. Like many have said earlier we are lucky to see both riders developing their skills.

I have read some ill informed comments on here before, but this has got to be up there with the best of them. During the Kings Lynn match Martin Dugard was interviewed, and his comments about Kelsey were pretty hard. There is no way that he would have said the same things about other Eastbourne riders, he certainly does not get preferential treatment. Kelsey may have had a better opportunity to get into speedway than many others, but he is earning his team place. The bottom line is would any other team want to sign a number seven with an assessed average of 3 who is averaging 5.58. Answer all of them.

I must admit that I thought that Sunday would be the best day, but after having to miss two meetings already I am realising that Sunday afternoons take away almost the whole day because of the travelling. I think we may get bigger crowds on a Saturday night. Anyway, I would say to anyone who is staying away because we have gone NL, give it a try, it is far better than anything that has been served up at Arlington in the last 10 years or so. The new promotion is a breath of fresh air, and we have a TEAM. I can't wait until the Cradley match.

I agree with Steven101. In the Elite League I felt that we were being conned because we didn't really have a team. With a couple of exceptions we had some riders who would ride when it suited them. Also the away sides rarely turned up with their declared team. They were also suffering from the same lack of interest in the UK. But on top of that their riders who didn't like our track wouldn't turn up, which sometimes gave them an opportunity to book a guest who was a track specialist. Put all this together with the win at all cost (to the sport) of some teams (Poole), and I got so fed up I didn't go for four years. I am now back and enjoying almost every moment. As Steve said the Kings Lynn match may have had a one sided scoreline but there was more entertainment in that match then a whole season of EL. I would also like to congratulate Martin & Conner Dugard on the new approach to promotion at the club, that too is also a breath of fresh air. In the words of a well known burger chain, I'm loving it!

I agree that some are getting a bit ahead of themselves, but after such a dire few years recently it is hard to hold back on some excitement. I had not been for about 4 or 5 year of the recent EL rubbish, but I went to the opener against Kent and I loved it. I feel almost born again with speedway. Sunday will be a rerun of the first meeting I went to. Eastbourne Eagles v Kings Lynn Starletts (BL Div 2), Easter Sunday 1969. I feel almost as exited about going as I did then as a youngster. I still have the programme, filled out by my Dad, we won 39-37. I remember it was close, unlike the 75-0 I had to witness once. Anyway I will go with a 6 to 8 point win for the Eagles, but more importantly a good crowd for the promotion, and some exciting racing for us fans. Can't wait!!

The trick egg shaped track is often levelled at Arlington, but I think that the odd shape actually makes the racing safer and fairer than the previous shape. The cut off bit on bend one allows more room entering the 1st bend from the start, but is not used once racing is under way, unless you are well off line. This has reduced incidents from the start and can only be good, (I hate re-starts). The second bend was very narrow, so cutting off a bit of the inside gives a bit more room for cut backs. Also the old shape seemed to catch people out and they would often go too wide. Strangely this was the case before the stock car track was built as well. The track was bigger then at 342 yards but that bend still used to be the place where most falls happened. Of course it was the 4th bend for a lot of that time, so that may have been a factor too.

Thanks for the info Catinthehat. My first ever speedway meeting was the "re-launch" of Eastbourne in 1969, and I was hooked. The last few years (4 or 5) I haven't been because I got so fed up with the EL. The missing riders, irregular fixtures, and all the lies about why so and so wasn't riding. But now I feel like it is a new start. I may be wrong but I will give it a go. I will definitely be at the first meeting and I am really looking forward to bringing on the youngsters like we did in the past. Come on the Eagles!

Fans are allowed in from 1pm. I have put a link to the news item on the official site below, hope it works. If not you can cut & paste it into your browser. http://eastbourneeagles.co/news.php?extend.697.1

My first match was Easter Sunday 1969 Eastbourne Eagles v Kings Lynn Starletts. Two riders stick in my mind, a very young Dave Jessup for the Eagles and Graham,Edmunds for the Starletts in his white leathers. I was 9 years old the Eastbourne track was a better size and everything was possible. Can I go back please?

Using the link from gustix Hackney & Norwich have the joint most fatalities in the UK at 5 each. Worldwide Sydney Royale 16 & Sydney Sportsground 8 (not sure if these 2 venues are the same), Rzeszow (Poland) 9, Claremont Perth 8, Brisbane 7. As a Hackney regular in the mid seventies I have to say the racing was great with many lines, and it is probably my favourite track.

In relation to the Sky coverage I personally think that this is more to do with the quality (or rather lack of it) of the Elite League. When teams are full or guests, R/R, or missing the stay away "stars" then league racing is diminished to such an extent that most people don't see it as team speedway any more but just a big con. Well that's why I haven't been since 2010 anyway. Still next season we (Eastbourne) are in a different league and I will give it a go again. I don't mind if there are no "superstars" riding as long as it is a proper team fixture. So it's team speedway for me then.

I am really looking forward to next season. Although I have been a speedway fan for 44 years I haven’t been to a meeting for three years now. I was just fed up with all the guests, the absentee prima donnas, the rule bending etc. etc. etc. So glad we are not in the “Elite League” . I would have preferred Premier League, but I am excited about Eastbourne bringing on the youngsters again. The first meeting I went to the Eagles team featured the debut of a sixteen year old called Dave Jessup. Great memories, let’s do it again.

Interesting topic for me because cost as the kids got older was the main reason I started to pick and choose meetings instead of go every week. I just used one of those online inflation calculators and it came up with 70p in 1975 is now the same as £6.02. I know this is based on a general measure of inflation not specifically entertainment, but even so. I think £10 is about right myself to be value for money today.

I would have loved to go to this but as a keen motorcyclist I will be on the May Day Run to Hastings with 48,500 "motorcycle motivated visitors" (source Bike 1066 - 2012 report). It seems a strange day to pick when it clashes with such a large and long running event, perhaps motocyclist are only a small proportion of the target audiance. Anyway, I wish everyone all the best, and I look forward to coming to the next meeting.

Hope you are referring to Sittingbourne. Although based in Kent (Near Tunbridge Wells) it has always been quicker to get to Arlington than Canterbury, hence my allegiance. However I have been getting more an more bored with the Elite League over the past few years, and the recent goings on have made me decide to give it a miss for a while. If it goes ahead I shall definitely be there, even if they are called the Crusaders.

Correct it was against Workington in the Cup, but it was at Arlington. He injured his neck and was replaced for the rest of the season by a certain youngster called Trevor Geer. It's funny I still remember Mac riding like it was yesterday, but it was 1970 & 71, and I was only 10/11 years old then. I saw his photo in the 75 years of Eastbourne Speedway book and recognised him immediately. Hope he is still alive & well.