Sings4Speedway

I would like to point out that A. im not a Kent fan and B. i was not asking for changes i was suggesting options for a team that is not fulfilling its promise (for reasons various) as i would for any other team. Its a forum for debate / questions / comments and i was just playing devils advocate to spur a little interest.

Wow. didn't see that one coming . Sad that Jack has chosen to take a break though but with no NL place and big fixture gaps its must have been hard for him. He has had a meteoric rise and i guess it becomes difficult when things start to level out. Genuinely not any improvement signings available unless a team like Eastbourne make changes?

do i even want to know what that means?

Im not sure the track is ever too wet for Len as he has a habit of watering bald surfaces with the inevitable effect upon racing. There are sadly still a few individuals at Kent who think its ok to boo/cheer fallen riders and that is why i have disassociated myself in terms of fan and now consider myself a speedway neutral. Personally no i don't i would much rather see an even better spread of riders across the league to create close unpredictable results and despite the teams being closer than ever this year there is still quite a divide. It is also very difficult for clubs to balance being ambitious but not ruthless (that said its usually the ruthless ones that are the victors).

In all honesty and no disrespect to the other 3 teams in it but the bigger shock would have been if Kent didn't win the NT. I agree they look a little behind the Colts & Cubs although Leicester may struggle when the averages change the riding order. Im not sure if Paul Bowen is the answer for Woodhull (although he does need to ship out and stop playing speedway) if the Colts were really on it they could switch Jake Mulford in at reserve. Certainly has a lot more pedigree BUT with bikes being built in the morning (so he knew long before Kent announced no Ablitt, thanks for the mushroom treatment Len) Mulford may not be in a position to properly take on a full team place yet?

Good teams don't generally generate any interest only those who struggle. At the moment its a good Lions team but to help the cause. Is Jack Thomas sharp enough doing CL only and would Danyon Hume be a better option?

Banquette with cheese omelette and salad leaves i don't think so. Hideous flavour and texture combinations.

Not sure where Paco was but Shanes was contesting a European Grasstrack title (or qualification for) and this is the area that he is likely to have greater individual success in than Speedway and Birmingham like any other club would be stupid to push him to choose (although it is also ACU calling the shots there). So in all fairness Brum did only have 2 fit riders (with Morris & Stoneman still injured). As ever the fault lies in the fact that this scenario hasn't been properly considered rather than with the unlucky club.

There is a big difference between building a competitive side and a winning side and Len Silver is desperate to have the latter. The team built this year was expected by many including himself to top the league table and clean up on trophies. Kent have spent the last X years being play off contenders but falling short. The acquisitions of Gilkes & Kemp (two of the most desired riders in the league) showed the intent. Its one month until signing deadline and Kent have to either hope that the injury returnee's are swift and the silly mistakes cease or they will see more victories heading the way of the composed and assured Colts.

Very good booking for Kent and could be an option full time if he wants it. I think Jake was one of the unlucky riders who fell foul of the no more than 2 x 2.00 rider ruling. As for what to do with team changes its difficult as it could be argued that Kemp, Ledwith, Jenkins and Spooner have all been inconsistent and its the bad meetings from these riders that have been costing results. Spooner probably escapes due to injury and average likewise Ledwith as bargain average but i think the surprise under performer is Kemp and if Bowen fancies it i reckon he could step in and take over before the team get actual averages.

Its a tough rule but right to safeguard younger riders. With Nathan unlikely to feature in the Silver Ski Fours its End of July earliest as a sensible return date.

Spot on. If Phillips had bee hit with a 28 day ban it would have stopped him riding for Coventry in the NL. If they decided to remove him from their team also he could then no longer guest anywhere after the ban was up due to the requirement of being in a 1-7 to be guest eligible. Simple really...

Kent are normally excellent with Press releases. Generally the only time things go quiet is when they are deliberately trying to keep things quiet so it does not affect the gates. The current prospect of a well balanced KOC tie against good opponents could be sunk if Ablitt sits out due to injury and a below par replacement is utilised. Spooner may or may not be able to make it after his van break down (where does the rules stand on that as riders under 18 only can be missing for any reason). It could be nothing or it could be that not only did a black cat cross Len Silvers path but he also kicked it up the bum for good measure.

Doooh!. To make it worse i scrolled to the top of the thread to check!.

Thats deeply concerning. Given that the tyre was peeling away its very fortunate to have not blown the tube somewhere. Perhaps feelings like Kyles reflect why Sheffield are having such a poor home season and why fans are walking/staying away.

Phew. Im glad the club didn't suffer as a result of a poor line up "on Paper" along with the draw of the fours the following day. Still quite a gamble for the Eagles to run

With respect that seems to be every week atm. Anyone care to estimate how the crowd was? Did a decent evening help negate a poor attraction of opposition? Glad to hear Broc Nicol offered plenty of opposition again although would expect him to have plenty of help as part of team Hagon.

I heard but not sure if it was given as the official reason? Ablitt ruled out of the meeting due to concussion? If so thats an automatic 23 day cooling off period for his age bracket. Big miss for the Kings if true?

Indeed (although he should have with the line up). Good yet crazy to see Kenneth Hansen featuring and Paul Hurry rolling back the years however scary it is every time he ventures back into these competitions.

Very good point. Also not always aided when the senior team is doing well plus as it was a standalone challenge i would say the 350+ figure is pretty encouraging. I hope there are other attempts later in the year as weekend racing will likely appeal to a broader audience.

Doh. What makes it worse is that i have seen Kris Andrews listed down and didn't put 2+2 together so thanks for that. Its good to see that the standard Sings predictions are still bang on as i didn't think Adam Extance would get back to the promise he showed a few years ago after his injuries and i also thought that Connor King wasn't showing the same form/determination in the dev leagues that he had in previous years when he signed for IOW so definitely pleased i got those wrong. As a helping hand to him "Wood will always have mechanical problems" might chase a few of those gremlins away.

No word about why Shanes and Paco were absent? I know Brum are in an injury crisis but that was a woeful quartet.

As an aside anyone know about Chris Andrews? Plymouths number 8 as ive never heard of him.

With the greatest respect to those mentioned Tedham hasn't ridden for how long and is an elder statesman of the sport, Locke hasn't been on a bike for a couple of years and has shown no inkling of making a comeback, Couzins has always had the ability but has never shown a liking for travelling far from home and O'Keefe has had chances at almost every team and not taken them. That said i suspect that Martin or Barry riding would bring as many points as Chris has who has been and the slide for the past couple of seasons. I assume he won't step down as it would be effectively forced retirement but last in heat 8 isn't good enough, results like last night could decide who is bottom of the table or not come the end of the year? As soon as one of the reserves goes above 2.00 its time for a change and give a rookie a chance who at least appreciates the place.

I have to admit im slightly surprised by the figure but Lee Kilby is switched on and i suspect he is basing those numbers on a strong side rather than just a team featuring in the league? I would think there would need to be additional sponsorship to make it work? Perhaps CFS will throw behind the project like they do the youth rounds and generate a real production line of British talent?