Sings4Speedway

Based upon Lawlor being fit for this one i can see him being the difference maker in this one with Woodhull also amongst the points. Smith & Bickley know their way round although Perry's form has been far from sparkling this year. The big 4 for Brum will fare well and it should be Walkers kind of track so if Cupitt can find a few and Butcher betters Dicken (in fairness id expect any Butcher, Baker etc to better Dicken) then the points will head to the Midlands. Either way fingers crossed for a good crowd and a close exciting meeting.

Surely with the Poultec academy based from Kings Lynn and the extra track time afforded to those riders one must be worth a look? In terms of Brits who would hold their own at least against the opposite numbers Morley, Mountain, Bacon, Hume or Shanes all have to be a more positive signing than sticking with Andersen.

Id also heard that rumour although as i feel Wood was the one rider least likely to be happy about it im not surprised he has found a higher tier club. I also suspect if such rulings are to remain in place at Arlington it will be Woods last season with the Eagles

Hampshire or Cupitt........ that's like the choice between getting kicked in the knackers by a wellington or football boot...

Think to shake things up in the short term a change of riding order may help? Thomas at 5, switch Hampshire & Rowe but these are short term items. Im not Stonemans greatest fan as he falls too often but can score big and is a Len type of rider. The fact that Birmingham opted against Hampshire says a lot over the winter and has proved a wise decision for them however i don't see many options for Kent at the moment, Nick Laurence or Jamie Couzins who performed well in the recent SDL match may be an option for Clouting who has been thrown into the league to early and is very uncomfortable to watch on the bike. The fact is that Kent have neither the best heatleader trio, best engine room or best reserves in the league but hopefully one meeting aside they can continue to provide some entertainment this season but forget about any silverware.

KENT promoter Len Silver has fired a warning to his current septet that team changes are being considered. The Kings were demolished 68-21 at Eastbourne on Saturday, a display 86-year-old Silver described as the worst he had seen throughout his extensive time in the sport. He said: “In all my years as a promoter and manager, I have never suffered a performance from my riders as poor as that at Eastbourne on Saturday. “While it is true that there were several reasons that would not have been obvious to the onlooker, it does not alter the fact that it was a sad evening of racing for which I apologised to (Eagles chairman) Martin Dugard. “Chris (Hunt) and I have been frustrated with a wish to make some changes, but with literally no one to call on in the immediate future - although slightly longer-term, we do have a possible choice.” Certainly not surprised at Uncle Len's reaction, i was very fortunate that i didn't travel down for this one and feel for every fan who turned up to see such a non event. I suspect the more established names will be safe enough and eventually forgiven a poor night but Clouting & Hampshire must be hanging on by a thread.

Im thought i saw something over the winter about management restructuring and a new PR person coming on board? The issues at Stoke have been long discussed and long known, what might help save their situation is some actual press releases or admittance that things are just no good enough at present but we are looking to rectify within our means......both fans and riders will be more understanding if clubs put their hands up and say we need to address X, Y & Z. At present Stoke just have their heads buried in the sand and it is only making matters worse.

Usually once or twice a year Stoke comes in for a hammering due to an iffy track and the occasional comedy generator failure but things have now gone far beyond a joke. Its just one disastrous meeting after another. Multiple fallers and second halves abandoned consistently. Its difficult to work out who i feel most sorry for the loyal paying supporters, the riders who fear their seasons may be over if they ride there or the Development league lads who turn up every week, watch a terrible meeting then load up and go home out of pocket time and time again.

Very true although it has become an institutionalised issue. I have lost count of how many times ive heard riders say "hopefully i get a NL place soon and start to earn some money" usually met with me chuckling for several minutes. The NL is not there to earn money but if you are good you could subsidise your hobby but even then be prepared for big spending. Im certain we have all seen riders and thought "they won't make it" not because they don't have the ability but because the funding just isn't there even for a basic level of competitiveness.

Certainly not going to get any arguments from me that the sport at all levels needs to change however there are so many hypocritical elements throughout that its going to need to be radical. Clubs will complain about riders demands but then take no interest in a rider unless they have new & flash looking bikes. Clubs will complain about not enough decent 3 pointers about then do nothing to support 2nd halves. Fans demand successful teams but don't want to see an admission increase to support it. Its no secret clubs need to cut their cloth accordingly. I for one would like to see clubs stand together and not bow to wage demands, set the limits, make them public and find out who really wants to ride.

Heard several positives from IOW last night including an improved prepared track with reduced dust, improved scores / competitiveness from Verge & Widman, the storming debut from Bowtell and an actual home win. Not sure how well received Ben Hopwood was helping in the Plymouth pits but if Bowtell maintains that form he may have done the Warriors a favour. Best Wishes to Adam Roynon though who would have undoubtedly had a big say in the final result and despite some unpleasant sounding injuries from accounts it could have been far worse.

Birmingham did very well with the 3 big riders firing and Walker doing his job. Shanes will be another prong to the attack but when Flint moves into the main body of the team is scoring potential will be muted and the reserves will make Brum look vunerable but still strong. Eastbourne are suffering a little without an out and out number 1. Loyalty to Baseby could prove costly as the side would look far more potent if Knight was included in it. Powell has done well but feel Hunter could have done more and with Edwards in the main team they also look weak at reserve with Brooks yet to set things alight. Both sides need one of the reserves to kick on a bit if they are to be in with a chance against Mildenhall at the end.

Its very marginal. JPB's talents on the bike and far more reliable than the bikes themselves and would be very surprised if RR doesn't return 10+. Think Callum will be just fine and providing he takes one of the replacement rides Flint will be free to swap in for one of Butchers or Cupitts if required.

Brum look just too strong in this one and RR for JPB possibly strengthens them. The new averages applied to the Eagles hinders their cause with Edwards pushed up into the team reducing his threat levels. I assume it will be RR for Powell after his nasty collarbone break otherwise naming a number 8 that cannot be used is a little bit pointless.

Been saying for ages but what about a simple reduction in average every year for British riders? Simply a point off the finishing average. Therefore making home grown riders more attractive than imports. If a team wishes to build without them so be it but offer an incentive to use Brits rather than the current begger all.....

Any further updates on Davies or Stella?

To be fair credit to Belle Vue for getting the riders they have got as many a team has travelled to Plymouth with only local second halfers to complete the side. There is always a risk when a team has multiple double uppers in it and it is the curse of riders progress that it happens however the fixture planning is poor. Surely there could have been another spare date? Bowen would have obviously been missing anyway & Perry never favours small tracks (although hasn't been excelling on larger ones this year either) but the NL / Champs clash must have been known sine the list came out.

Is there any further update on Charlie Brooks? Heard a rumour he has a collar bone injury also? I know he missed a grasstrack at the weekend. Makes the tail look very dependent on Dugard and / or the right guest booking.

Whilst the only team to push Brum at home this season (Mildenhall) was cut the short the rest of the visitors have not yet managed to better 38 as a total and that was Kent who Coventry are on par with / slightly below IMO. Its certainly hard to see where changes could be made as dropping the legendary Jon Armstrong is like shooting the school rabbit and is a rider who is worth 3-4 points a meeting with his off track work as well as on it. Harris & Ruddick are scoring well and the additional heatleaders are not in abundance. There is also not a Flint style reserve sat around waiting for a team spot and its a 10 point plus swing that would have been required to get something from this meeting. There will be highs and lows for the Cov side this year but entertainment should be abundant throughout and solid building blocks put in place ahead of next season. Brum have had the worst low this year so long may their rise continue and good luck to them.

In fairness its not just who a club would have picked but who was available / agreed to ride against Birmingham as its no secret you are in for a tough night against Flint. That said Whitehouse is known for his has bikes will travel attitude and if a little of that transferred into his riding ability it might have been different. As for name suggestions i would have thought Luke Whitehead or Connor King both ride Brum better than the selected option.

turns out "grip firmly with right hand and twist all the way" isn't the best advice for everything........

Yup Waj did have a super introduction year but wasn't going to top the averages with Adam Ellis in the side

Whilst meaningless in terms of the competition not meaningless in terms of the teams performances and comparisons between each other. Danny Ayres has been the favoured guest for IOW at present but was shown the way by Bowen & Stoneman so maybe a change of bookings in future? Both sides tracked guest reserves and this "meaningless" fixture gave them a chance to assess the prospects. Danno Verge used the fixture to prove he is settling on the island and can battle for points whilst sadly Widman suffered a night of retirements maybe he will finally be able to work out what the issues are? The result may seem irreverent to some but to others it will have an impact on many future events.

I forget is it four home AND four away or four meetings? If its the first then again Brum have been quite smart and won't complete their fourth away fixture for quite a while. As for team positions im certain that its top average at number 1, no exceptions like in Brennans case. Although with Flint it will all be part of the learning experience and not long until he is at number 1 permanently.

I echo the sentiments above with regards to best wishes for Stefan. Obviously there will always be opinions on what is the reason for the amount of injuries, are they actually increasing or just better publicised etc but personally i suspect the main reason for the number sustained at the moment is down to pressure on riders. Pressure from fans, pressure from promotors and pressure from themselves. All of these need points and if there are no points scored there is no team place and no earnings. The sport is a lot more cut throat now with regard to team changes. Riders are being pressured to take chances they may not have previously done, make moves they may not always wish to and ride machinery that is often unpredictable because if a rider isn't prepared to do that there will be 10 more waiting that will.