weatherwatcher

Just seen that he is not riding in the U21 GB team in Germany either. Don't think the lad is at all arrogant, he comes over very level headed when he is interviewed. But he needs someone now, to take over his life and to move away from his parents. From what I can see they are doing him more harm than good. Has he stated then that he is not riding over here anymore, or is it just at Peterborough. Kings Lynne gave him a huge step up by putting him in the main team, hope he sits back and thinks what a big chance they gave him. To lose him to British Speedway would be a huge blow.

What will the 2016 season bring for the Lions, I hope that they manage to stay in the EL and manage to keep the services of Jason Doyle. An awful lot has got to be done during the close season. 1; Get Jason to agree to another year before he goes home, 2; Has I have been saying since the end of last season, Norrie Allen has to go, he has now been team manager for 2 years and failed miserablly, he should call it a day as a team manager and go back to working in the pits. Bring in a decent manager, one who has been working as a speedway manager for years and not just any no hoper just to fill the spot. 3; Not that this will ever happen, DH should try and sell the club to a Russian multi millionair, would would bring in Emil and 1 of the Laguta's if the points allowed them in the team that is, the so said new owner could butter up the council buy the land the stadium stands on and all the land around it, build a good carpark and extend the stadium and change the track, plus build 2 permenant stands and seating on the other straight. New pits with changing rooms and showers, plus a proper veiwing area instead of the awful containers we have now. This is only a dream, but it could happen. 4; Get a team together that will finish top of the league and win the play offs which I personally hate. Have the 4 top teams compete for a trophy, but not to see who wins the league as this has already been achieved over the season. After so many years away from the sport the Lions deserve better than what, they have had the last 2 years, at times we are running nothing better than a PL side. If they want to keep Jason Doyle for a few more years, then they need to give him a team to work with, no a bunch of rubbish that he has had to back him up, the 2 years. End of my triad of what has gone wrong at BP. Just hope that things turn around next season. Because it has been absolutlly dire this year.

Sounds sensible.

I have always wondered why the Lions management pick the replacement reserves that they do, we have had some terrible guest reserves this season, so why do they not bring in the Garritys etc or is it that they don't want to pay all those extra points money out.

The state the EL is in and the state some clubs are in they can't afford to attract the big names to ride over here, I think a lot of the 8 clubs other than around half of them would find it very hard to find the money to pay for one of the top riders, As for what makes up the rest of the team, most of them are young overses riders or PL lads, so really other than a few of the top clubs we are seeing nothing much different than you would get at a PL meeting Uless the big guns would come over for less money, which was part of the reason most of them stopped riding over here, as the Swedish and Polish clubs where prepered to give them the silly money they where asking for, I doubt that much will change. The way things are going, there will be a few more clubs calling it a day in the EL and dropping down the leagues, because they can't make ends meet, less meetings less income. The ones who only rent their stadiums for the dog tracks etc, are not losing that much as they are paying less out but they still have a short fall in income. It is the ones who have their own stadiums that are sitting idle for weeks on end with nothing coming through the gates, it would be interesting to see what difference it has made to their profits with them having less meetings. One big league would work out better I think, you may not have the top names there, but at least it would keep British speedway alive, how many people actually go just to s8ee so and so race, I don't I go to watch the racing, no matter who is riding, If it gave more meetings, at a price that was far fairer than what they are charging for some of the rubbish they are turning out, then I would be more than happy to see it happen.m

Gemini. As a Lions supporter, I am pleased that you have managed to bring up your dog to go to speedway meetings and not be bothered with the noise. I hope this dosen't put you off going again as I am sure most Lions supporters would welcome you an Lucy with open arms. It would be only a stuppid dog owner who took his dog along to a meeting when they know there animal jumps at the slightest noise, I know my dog does, she jumps if you drop a piece of paper, so no way would I take mine along to any meeting. From what I have heard of Lucy she has gone since a few weeks old. So please do not be put off. You will both be always welcome at BP.

I know the whole system stinks and needs changing. Can't for the life of me know why he could ride in the PL as you say the other are allowed to do so. Just one of those stuppid rules that the wise and wonderful who run our sport sit around a table and dream up.

The bikes are far to fast and unmanagable now, they are not even viable on the much larger Polish tracks you only have to look at all the serious injuries that have occured over there this year. Things need to be slowed down before someone ends up being killed. The likes of Garrity etc should never have been kept at reserve this year, they are being used as a stop gap at r/r and are beeting so top class riders, if that does't prove the point that they are far better than what they had offered to them this year, bet they are not complaing though with the points money they are getting. The EL is almost dead on its uppers, they can't get the big names over here because they will not ride for what most of the promoters are offering, only a few of the clubs have the money available to offer them to get them over here. They only good outcome that has come out of the FTR scheme, is that we now have a hand full of young and not so young British lads that can make it in a full team place, that is if the promoter will give them the chance. They seem to be happier bringing in a young Swede or Pole than give the Brits a chance to prove themselves, which they have already shown they are quite capable to do.

Can't see the Lions getting the Better of the Bees. They have had probably the worst season they could have had with injuries etc, etc. Lets hope for a better 2016, but I said that last year and when they announced the team at the start of this year, I thought they had put together a decent side. Then it all went pear shape when the 2 overseas lads went back home, then the Bridger farce followed by a black cat run infront of Norries car with a spate of injuries that put paid to the Lions doing anything again

I still say that the bikes now are far to powerful and unmanagable. When we get accidents, really bad ones, the riders don't walk away from them, this year has been plagued with rider injuries again. We only have to look at the amount of guest riders being used and the Lions have had a really bad year with riders being injured and missing out weeks at a time. How long will they sit back and take note the amount of accidents, if this was your workplace the HSA would have been asking the management a lot of questions. But nothing ever seems to get do in the world of speedway, I have not looked at the other clubs but in both the EL an PL just how many riders are now out due to injury, it must amount to quite a few now, there are only so many guest out there that the clubs can use. Some just don't want to ride as a guest. So at times they are really dragging the barrel, with who to use, most of the time the EL clubs are fielding nothing better than a gloryfied PL team. So you can see why fans start to get dis-heartened at times like these. Just hope the Lions can come good and the latter part of this season, but with the guest they are using I very much doubt that it will be a better finish than last year, hope I am wrong.

Why do they bother advertising this meeting in August at Donnington Park. I had it planned yet again to take my grandson to see some good grasstrack racing only to find it had been cancelled yet again.

Makes far more sense to have one home one away. Something has to be done with the top riders asking for stupid money though. One reason why clubs don't want to come up to the Elite League. Most of the top riders can earn far more abroad than over here, it is also being felt by the Polish and Swedish clubs with so many in financial difficulty. If the just asked for that bit less then they would be queing up to ride over here, but the promoters did the right thing in the end and said no way. So they all left in droves.

Sorry he may do well in the PL but he is not an EL rider. He should just stay with what he does best.

I could not beleive my eyes when I saw that the Lions had brought Kevin Doolan into the side againsts Kings Lynne. Think this a a meeting that has a loss to the Lions stamped all over it.

I must say I am very impressed the way that Jason Doyle has taken to riding in the GP's. In 2 years he has come to be one of the worlds top riders, hope he ends up in the top 8 and gets straight through to next years GP. You never know given another year or 2 he may just become world champion. I can't for one minute see DH dropping the Lions back down a league. As I said if they bring in the right riders and not just a couple of overseas lads that only want to come over here for a few weeks but good riders who want to race all season, we could see the Lions in a far better place in the league standings than they have been this and last season. I think the time will come when the EL is no longer a viable proposition and the SCB will be looking at making a change to the league stucture, many clubs are stuggling to make ends meet, and with them having so many gaps in the fixtures, the fans as you say are getting a bit piddled off. I for one can't see how they are making anything out of things at BP this year with so few meeting to cover the expenses. So what some people are saying may come about and a drop down a league may be the only option to keep the club afloat. I know nothing about the finances of the club, so can't say how well they are doing this year money wise. Just hope when they race again, that the fans turn up to watch them.

With 2 more decent riders in the team next season, I see no reason that the Lions can't get into the middle of the EL table. It will all depend on what happens with the decision that Jason Doyle makes to what happens with the team. But I can't see that DH will will looking to drop down into the PL again. All you can say that these 2 years in the EL have been a very sharpe learning curve, they tried this year to get a decent team together but it all went belly flop and then suffering from a series of endless accidents. No one can blame the team or the management for a lack of trying, but this year as with last year where both years that went against the Lions doing anything in the league, so I just hope that they can retain the 3 riders I mentioned before and then bring in a couple more half decent riders and hopefully things will change for the better. I for one wouldn't want to see them drop down a league, what the point in that, other than you get more meetings to attend.

So it is another blow to the Lions with Josh looking like he is now out for the rest of the season after re-breaking his hand in the same place. Surely now they have to bring in 2 new reserves for the remainder of this season, can't see the sense in keep bringing in guest at reserve. Hopefully things will look a lot better next season, hopefully the jinxes we have been plagued with will have finally flown away. New year new start, just hope that they can manage to keep Jason, Gregorz and Syzmon, for next seasons campain.

Yes there is a jinx good and proper on the Lions this year, thought they had some bad luck last season, but this one will take some beating as far as injuries goes. Are the Lions in a position to sign to FTR in place of the 2 that are injured or are they going to cover using guest for those meetings, I don't really think it helps when you have different riders coming in for every meeting as there is no consitancy with them. From the way Wilkinson has rode at BP the 2 meetings he came in for a guest he must be a very good choise. Not sure how he would go in away meetings but he rides his guts out, from what I have seen of him, so far. Don't think it would be a bad move to bring back Clegg he is riding very well this season as Cradley captain and piling up the points for them,.

It is on the SCB site today about Josh's injury, his hand is to swollen to x-ray and he goes back to hospital tomorow. From the sounds of things it is not looking good for him. If it is broken again then that is his season over with. Just hope that it is just badly bruised and he can get back to racing soon. Doubt it very much though,

I have said it many times now that any rider who goes out to fence a rider shoulsd be banned for at least 4 or more meetings, as what I saw Tungate do after the race finished is an even worse offence, riders have enough problems with injures during the season with some idot losing his rag and riding someone into the fece when a rider is least expecting anything to happen. This is far from good spotsmanship. Just hope that Josh is OK he has lost enough time out already with losing any more, this could well be his season over if he has broken his hand, but not heard anything for sure.

Has Josh Auty had another accident then, not seen it on the SCB site. Is he now tring ti out do Walasek with who can have the most injuries in a season for the Lions. Such a shame for the lad if he has broken his arm. As for Walasek he seems to have had more bad luck this year than most riders out there.

SCB. It makes you wonder if it is worth all the hasttle to bother someone over being 12 minutes overstay in a carpark. What a sad world we live in. Shame that they just haven't got better things to do with their time. Keep fighting mate and I hope you win this one. The point is that anyone who wants to come to BP with a family and turn up well before the meeting starts so that they can go and have meal, then the meeting as at normally does runs late, they are going to end up being well over the 4 hours that they allocate as free parking, so maybe it is time for this to be changed to 5 hours or get the meetings to finish on time. Went to one meeting with my grandson who is 9 and it was getting on for 11.30 p.m before we actually arrived home. Not much fun when you don't live locally, when the meetings go on until after 10 p.m.

Yes I am sure that any of the other EL teams would look very kindly to DH talking to any of there riders and then stealing the top riders from their team very kindly. So just tell me who are all the other riders that DH can call upon. He tried with some and they just don't want to or can't be bothered to come and ride over here. We have seen it the last 2 years that the ones that do come over are only here until their teams in Europe start up, then they are off faster than a flock of pidgions. Would be great to see the likes of Emil or the Lagutas come over, but they just don't want to know. Any other of the top riders have already got a team place, most of them sorted even before the season finishes. So Speedybee. If you can do better, come to the Lions and put the team together for next season.

Yes heat 15 and r/r rides all count towards a riders averages. Swindon did really weel for saying they had lost one of their reserves but Wright rode like a hero. From the interviews with Middlo, I don't think he see's eye to eye with Matt Fords decision to leave Ward out of the team now his ban is over. But the way I see it is nothing to do with spliting up the side but the fact that Matt Ford has no faith in Ward keeping his nose clean and if he fails the blame will not fall on Pooles door step. I pesonally hope that he has got his life on the right track now. Because he knows that anymore mistakes and his riding days are over. The only winners in this issue are Swindon. It would really rub salt in Fords wounds if Ward decided to stay with Swindon insead of going back to Poole. You could not blame him really if he did.

It makes me wonder if the Poole management have made a big desicion to send Darcy out to another team this season, not just for the reason of breaking up a good team, but to see how he behaves himself in the coming months, if he does go off the beaten track, which I hope he dosen't has he has now had far to many chances, then the blame dosen't fall into Pooles hands. Mkes you wonder. I hope that now he has a regular girl behind him that he will decide that the time has come that he needs to sort his life out once and for all. Just hope that they stay together because if they ever break up, I think Darcy would go off the rails again. Does anyone know, who is looking after his affairs over here now is it still Midlo, I hope not as he needs someone to reallly talk some common sense into him. What a great talent Darcy is on a speedway bike and no doubt if he keeps his nose clean he will become World Champion before to long. But the talent he has on a bike is sadly missing from his life. Darcy, get yourself sorted out once and for all, and make the fans proud to have been around when you became the top of the pile.