1 valve

what am I missing on the twitter feeds that could be a kick in the teeth?

spot on comment. Doyle & Hougaard can ride BP better than most of last years team (who I have no compalints about just stating a fact) even though it wasn't their home track and we know Mads is a racer. So immediately the quality of home talent has improved and to beat them the awy team are going to have to be even better, and from time to time I expect they will be (hope I'm wrong). As mrlincolncity staes, "those who can pass will pass" and I am sure the step up in quality of riders that will be at BP week on week will produce some pretty darn good speedway. Role on 2014

Good luck to the guy but he's going to suffer a lot of exclusions if he keeps hitting the top 8 whilst racing.

I ask because I understand he did practice laps without the Range Rover being in his way and I figure the current World Champions feedback would be interesting to hear about - good or bad.

The point you make about Gollob being a wild card pick and then refusing the chance is not quite accurate. In the first instance Gollob accepted the wild card pick (as published on his own website) and was included in the final declared line up for 2014. If he had declined before the final line up had been declared then your view that BSI would have had the chance to pick/select another rider of their choice would be correct. But as Gollob withdrew after the cut off date the FIM rules clearly state that the next avaialble reserve will take the spot left vacant irresspective of how the withdrawn rider made the final decalred list of riders. Initially I had not seen this point in the rules & like you thought BSI would have had another chance to select a rider of their choice but the rule is there in black & white & so Harris has quite correctly benefited from his efforts at Poole. Incidently, we should also remember that during the Poole GP qualifier Harris was comfortably leading in two races which were stopped because of fallers and, as so often happens in speedway he failed to win the reruns. Now I know thats speedway, but I have no doubt that had the other riders not fallen then Bomber would have won both races and consequently secured enough points to have qualified for the GP's on his own merit. So perhaps from his point of view some sort of justice has been done...and now we Brits have two good blokes to cheer for through the GP series...seems a long time since that was the case!

Tai seemed to get around the track pretty good too...does anyone have any genuine feedback on what he thought of the track...shape...length etc?

I love the fact that we have such thoughtful supporters of the Lions...even if it is a Victor Meldrew "act alike" who started this topic.

Well Jim, In previous post I have agreed that the track should be altered, I have agreed that season ticket holders did not get a good deal on last years tickets and that at times the team have been far from competitive. I have also said there is no question DH has made mistakes and will most probably make some more. But through all of that I Have recognised that every year (starting from nothing) Speedway in Leicester is back and gets better to the point where we will now see EL racing. Re Volty I was making the point that he hardly, if ever says something positive about Leicester & clearly has a grudge (chip) v the promotion which now that he has stated he wil be seeing the Lions only away proves my point. And yes to state the obvious he like you like me are enttled to state our opinions & if he & you? keep wanting to make negative points then fine...Just like I will continue to put the other point of view (if there is one) forward in the appropriate thread...perhaps you should start one..."We who like to moan about all things Leicester" with an avatar of Victor Meldrew as clearly you think the Lions have one foot in the grave!

Good guess. Leicester promoter announced on local radio that Jason Doyle riding for Leicester in 2014

Doyle signing is a great start to the 1 - 5 build. Sorry to have to point out the obviouse Volty but when you say " you would hate to be seen as just someone with a chip on their shoulder" well that is just how it appears, not just on this post but many of your other views point the same way. By all means voice your opinion but as I read it, you are doing so, not as a fan of the Lions but as a critic and frankly I dont see what you are attempting to achieve. You no doubt have a passion for speedway and it would be great to see you use that passion in a positive way. That said I guess if you dont like whats going on at Leicester then I guess you will be getting your speedway fix at some other venue next season?

is it the rule? You are correct that SPGP rules state : "...Should a rider or riders who have qualified directly, either by being in the top 8 of the Final Overall Grand Prix Classification or in the top 3 of the FIM Grand Prix qualification system or who qualified through both systems, withdraw prior to the start of the Grand Prix season, the first rider or riders available on the Official Grand Prix Qualified Substitute list shall replace him or them" However, and this is what makes me not so sure about Harris being "in" is that Gollob's inclusion is not through direct qualification as covered by the above rule but by being nominated by BSI. So is there not the possibility that BSI will have the opportunity to nominate another rider? Last year BSI tried to replace Jason Crump with Andreas Jonsson when crump announced his retirement. In that matter the FIM said "no" as Crump was a qualifier and Dryml was awarded the spot as first reserve as per the rule..but as I say, Gollob is not a qualifier. I cant find a rule about replacing nominated riders - is there one?

Great post and although I guess some people on here would like to see DH fail as they believe they can do a better job (If so sorry but you missed your chance) & somehow seem to think that bad mouthing the promotion on here will somehow win support for a takeover - the truth is the promoters always had a plan to provide top flight speedway in Leicester (well done for doing so inside 4 years) and now they are going about the business of delivering their plan. We live in tough times for any sports business and the cloth has to be cut accordingly. There are plenty of other posts on this forum quoting clubs losing money, yet, against this backdrop DH and co move on & upwards...sure they are not going to please all of the people...but they will please many more than not...role on next season which will see (to the surprise of no one but maybe the dissapointment of others) the Lions compete and complete it...no problem.

I dont think there has been any shock to the promoters regarding cost at all. quite the opposite. Knowing that some riders are quite demanding in terms of contracts I think the Lions promotion have bided their time untill the "superstars" have been sorted and then those that are left (and with the new average limit there are already a few being cast to one side) will form the pool which DH & co will chose from. Maybe we will not see a team with an out and out number one but one with in depth scoring ability across the 1 - 5. I might be wrong but I think it will be worth the wait.

well as some of you may have guessed from my previouse posts I tend to give promoters the benefit of the doubt and in the case of Leicester even more so considering the amount achieved in three short years. But..in a topic on Coventry I did raise the question if Havelock had been released of his duties as clearly his continued involvement there would work against anything the promoters were trying to do in terms of team building. Now I read that he could be coming to Leicester....Surely not...the man has no track record as a succesful team manger at this level...Perhaps Yula is thinking of the headline....Lions sign Speedway World Champion.... I hear Mike Lee's still free at the moment too though Mark Loram's hair is too big for him to get a helmet on anymore. Please Yula & Co.....please make these rumours go away and announce a sensible appointment as team manager.

come on guys & gals...as much as you might hate to think it (maybe even deny it) Matt Ford has done nothing wrong on this subject. Mores to the point he has been interviewed in the local press and created a story to read which covers a matter that impacts on his team and putr the new concept into th epublic domian. This is the job of any promoter and so cudos to him for doing just that.

Would have been less stressfull travel wise for him to ride in UK given that his UK base is close to the Poole stadium. I think the bottom line is Chris would have ridden EL for Poole but as his return to form will take time and the reduced average limit meant Poolel could not tactically accomodate both he & Darcy it was a better bet for Poole to go with Ward. Good luck to Chris on his road to a healthy recovery and form. Though Leicester looking for riders in case he changes his mind re riding in uk.....I can be allowed to dream

Agreed it was KL not LS he rode for after which the EL bookings flooded in for him & I believe he scored well - I for one would have him in the Lions 2014 team, not just for his scoring but also his attitude to winning and the fans...perfect no.4 in my book.

Then they need to fight harder, smarter, dirtier or even help Poole understand that without top quality competition Poole speedway will only be taking part in third rate (in comparison to Poland etc) speedway....Big fish in big pool better than big fish in littel pool.

I agree with you...totally...what I am saying is..if promotions understood that putting on a show involved a vision that by providing great stadium, competative teams rather than the rubbish stadiums we have and one sided meetings then our sport would stand a chance of growing. I saw speedway in Poland during the 70's & early 80's and take it from me other than the stadiums where they held World finals (not as good as Wembley) the local tracks were nothing to write home about & indeed, back then UK stadium were ahead of the Polish variety. What we must understand that unlike (say) a car dealership who does not want competition Speedway teams need just that so that the show appeals to the paying public. Hence my comment that if more promotions followed the Poole way then more teams would have ambition to win (rather than survive) and as such ove time the overall product would greatly improve. I am not living in a world of fantassy, I am remebering what it was like in the past and recognising where the sport went wrong and what it needs to do to begin the journey of recovery, Can we get to the level of the Poles...Not if we dont try...remember, if you keep doing what you have always done then you will always get what you have always got!

Blimey..Leicester may actually have two riders after tomorrow...Obviously building bottom up!

On the subject of "fair play to them" I would like to say well done to Coventry for putting on a superb stand at the NEC motorcycle show which for the benefit of those of you who did not attend the show was of a significant size and although intended to promote COventry Speedway (which they did) they actually promoted the sport as a whole. i.e the question they were asking all who slowed as they passed the stand "where have you come from today?" and then depending on the answer,they gave the vistor information on where their nearest track was and the race night....Brilliant job and something the BSPA should do next year...NO QUESTION. incidently. As a Leicester Lion I never thought I would cheer Coventry Speedway so loudly....but credit where credit is due....A fantastic job by the Bees! every team is miles behind Poole when it comes to ambition! (and no I am not a Poole fan but Christ I wish more promoters had the type of fire and determination the Poole guys have) if more promotions set their stall out aka Poole, British speedway would be head and shoulders above anything offered by Poland!

I thought he rode EL for Lakeside, scoring loads of points at Poole?

British speedway could offer him a berth...true...but not one that appeals to him...just like Freddy and quite a few other world class riders....it wasn't that many years ago that the country to race in was the UK,now its third choice....and that is something we should all be working on trying to reverse which at this moment in time UK speedway is not placed to do.

seems like post on this matter have gone off subject. Just a shame British speedway is not in a position to provide the possibility of Chris Holder racing in the UK. Leicester are in need of riders and look like not being a threat to Poole - so maybe if miracles do exist he could be persueded to ride there which looks like mainly being on Mondays

is'nt the correct name The Sky Sports Elite League? Not sure keeping British would have helped the marketeers promote the "Sky Sports British Elite league" though we would have got used to it. The BT British Elite League sounds kind of ok... Sure glad I have BT internet, BT sport free for next year