1 valve

Named on NL pages of SGB website "NL Teams" as the Leicester Cubs (not Lion Cubs)

Named as Leicester Cubs on the NL section of SGB website

Well looks like Leicester will have a team in the NL next year. A league that looks good for giving Championship reserves meetings where they will have the chance to perform well as heat leaders and other members of the team to be up and comers. So Connor Mountain to lead and the Thompson Twins to be given team slots? - Might be a good start to team building. Would be good if Lions season ticket holders receive some form of discount on admission prices too.

Not sure which manager of the Bates owned teams feel they have the best deal here. Leicester for getting his signature or Sheffield for not doing so.

He did that 2 years ago. Must have been a practice run.

Well that's two signings from opposite ends of the skill/experience/age spectrums. But a good balance start to 2019 team building. Any chance they failed to mention to Scott that the Lions are racing on Saturdays in 2019

I believe you are correct and indeed the current owner/promotion do pay a rent hence why I questioned the remark by D. Smith Leicester don't have rent to pay (rent

They don't ? how come?

Looking forward to seeing what comes out of the pipeline rather than knowing what's in it. (just in case it doesn't come out!)

Wouldn’t it be great if the powers that be did actually use facts from one season to the next to create some resemblance of continuity. However it seems they prefer to fiddle with things thereby ensuring confusion reigns supreme

Of your teams owner/promoter and shake them until their egos and blind faith give way to common sense and meaningful actions.

Good that the BSPA see the value of a five year plan. Anybody have any idea what it is? Would be good to see a vision statement made public that reflects the 5 year plan and who knows may help the BSPA customers (fans &supporters who are the ones who collectively pump the most money into keeping speedway going) understand the progress being made of the 5 year plan

All possible within an Association. Limited liability company not required. Will however provide protection to officers of the organisation.

On the face of it no. But has there been any reason given by Him or Ipswich as to why (apparently) having been happy to continue in the 2nd tier the move up needed to involve selling the club? Anything to do with Thursday race nights & doubling up etc?

I see your point but Torro Rosso (Red Bull in Italian) is run openly as a feeder B team to Red Bull with a wide range of rules and regulations ensuring “fair play” to all concerned whereas I’m not sure either Ipswich or Peterborough will want to play second fiddle to the Stars,

Most probably happen next year when the owner thinks enough time has passed for folk not to realise he has swapped his two teams around. Also reason given maybe having had to move to Sunday because majority of Prem raced on Thursday we found it did not work so only way we can race on Thurs is to step up a league.

You are correct & as a Lions fan I remain disappointed in the decision to drop down a league. An upside is we will see more different visiting teams and hopefully no team visiting back to back for league meetings which only added to the boredom caused by lack of alternative opposition.

It is just plain wrong that two or more clubs in the same league are under the influence of the same person/company/promoters. No other self respecting sport allows this and casts massive doubt on the integrity of speedway, the independence of teams and indeed its long term survival. Yes it would be good to have an overall supremo - but that person must have no ties to an individual club/team/league.

Not sure how you think I could have known and thus said anything about the decision any sooner. Because DB wanted to wait until after the AGM before deciding on which leagues his two clubs would take part. Then BAM job done. Also, not much point in running any type of business at a loss is there? hence DB and his team of promoters see Leicester in Division two as a way of making profit. Just a shame they couldn't work out how to promote the sport in the top flight and make profit you know, like good promoters do. Or is that owners?

Last year the owner of Sheffield charged £16.00 for adults & £13 for concessions as the same owner at Leicester charged £17.00 & £14 respectively your thoughts of £15.00 max seems a forlorn hope.

So we are asked to believe. That's why some owners take on more than one club, because they like to loose even more. smoke & mirrors, smoke & mirrors

On a number of occasions the question has been asked "can two clubs run in the same league even though they are owned by the same person". I am presuming this question has been asked because there is a fear of self interest or means to manipulate rules and situations given that "voting" on such matters would hardly be democratic on a one man one vote scenario The (apparently correct) answer has been "yes so long as different promoters are involved" - suggesting a degree of independence from an owners influence. Yet last week Damien Bates "owner" of Sheffield & Leicester was reported in print as saying " I am waiting to see what happens at the AGM before deciding on which leagues Leicester & Sheffield will compete" Now this statement hardly sounds like different promoters creating an independent culture within speedway. More that. Listen, you may be the promoters, but I am the owner and what I say goes - me dog you tail get wagging. Now unless somebody can explain how having the same owner of two teams in the same league will never be subject to control of the owner and their (biased) view then it would appear that it is best to presume the sport is indeed run by owners whilst promoters/co promoters of the jointly owned clubs are merely the yes men of the influential few. If this is the case, just come on out and admit, owners run the clubs, make the big decisions and the promoters merely promote the events. there's nothing wrong with this nor anything we supporters can do about it. But please unless there is a clear explanation which disproves this thinking, stop continuing to insult our intelligence (or maybe even your own) with a smoke and mirrors attempt to convince the paying public otherwise.

On a point of order you actually said: "Plans are well into place for 2019 which will please some fans but maybe not all will like the changes the club will be bringing" - there was no mention of dropping down or changing to Saturday. Your "Prediction" could have also run true with " staying in top flight, racing on Mondays Jason Doyle at number One and admission £25 for adults and no concessions. just saying

looking back. attendance dropped over time from extremely high numbers mainly to poor results and lack of real racing/entertainment - The new input of fans by and large gradually dropped away leaving the hard core (elder) speedway fan as the true supporter. Just taking a look (as I did) at the attendees and gauging their age last season would confirm this point. Since the Lions first moved from Saturdays, the track has been improved by the shortening of the straights and the introduction of banking on what are now deeper corners. This demonstratively gave the top racers more to go at around Beaumont Park & passing finally made an appearance. The team also had some mid season success at home in 2018 and the crowds helped by good weather grew and remained fairly consistent even when the run of results turned negative and the Lions were on receipt of some pretty big thumping's on their own track Now for 2019 the top boys have disappeared. The track still remains a tactical track i.e. not easy to ride meaning that as witnessed from National League racing and lower average premier league riders we will can expect to see a disappearance of passing (unless the bloke in front makes a mistake and does a wobbly) and more delays & longer meetings caused by riders falling off. One only as to go back to the last time the Lions were in Division two to confirm the latter. So yes, Lions could be more successful at home (to be seen but not hard to imagine v last 2 years) but "no" the entertainment will not improve, unless you call 4 riders being unable to control bikes for four laps entertaining....as for Saturday nights, well people have more things to choose from on Saturdays than Mondays so overall - not likely that crowds will improve greatly...but at least for the promoters it will be cheaper to run and hence a lower target for breakeven/profit.