SteelShoe

Apart from natural ability Rasser has what all potential top riders need, a big desire to win races ! . I expect to see him develop further this season. I'm sure Rosco will be keeping an eye on young Sam if for no other reason than he is called Jensen !!

Looking like a good blend of youth and experience. Good mix of riders equally at home on big or small tracks. Strong No1, potentially two strong reserves who should increase their averages, same can be said for Broc, Ully and Ricky who has a knack of dropping his average in his final year at a club . Could be the team to beat.

Don't know where you get them from THJ but there good value, might even send that one wor lass !

Connor Mountain would be good shout imho. Rides small technical tracks very competently.

Not good news, a sign of the times unfortunately. A third tier is definitely vital for British Speedway.

Pleased to see the Diamonds immediate future is secure. Rob Grant has some good ideas for enhancing the product and I wish everyone at Newcastle Speedway all the best.

You must be reading it Manse !

Just loved that rant THJ, spoken with the passion of a man who loved the club and backed it every which way he could. More guys like you fella and we would indeed still be running. I too look forward to the day it returns and indeed hope I live long enough to see it .

I reckon it was 6 seasons Geoff . I seem to remember that Laura initially took it on for 2 seasons with an option to extend. I think 5 years was the original quoted max . It was the treble winning sixth season that got Laura her just rewards and brought success for the diehard fans, it was just really sad that it was at such a financial cost.

I'm a former season ticket holder but hadn't got round to purchasing a season ticket for 2019 when the sad news we wouldn't be running broke. I personally know four supporters who had purchased season tickets and to date have not been reimbursed. It would be easy to be critical about the financial and business management of the club however, I don't know the full story but I think it fair to say it wasn't financially well managed and the fallout has subsequently detrimentally biased the possibility of somebody else taking it on.

Reading about new owners and supposedly exciting times for British Speedway going forward does nothing to lift the mood of Worky fans facing a long winter with nothing to look forward to next season. Oh for someone with the wherewithal to bring it back. Sure the great custodian that was Ian Thomas will be looking sadly down. Now then where did I put those anti-depressants.

Congratulations to Leicester who came through regardless of the injuries suffered to key personnel during the season. It was a case of so near yet so far for the Tigers. I went to Ashfield confident they would overturn the deficit and the fans must be sorely disappointed they just failed to do enough. All season long the Tigers have been mighty in heats 13 and 15 and I couldn't see it being any different. This should have meant that the Tigers needed 5 extra points from somewhere to lift the trophy which should have been within there capabilities. The fact that Leicester held on was quite simply because second strings Perks and Proctor were head and shoulders above Andersen and Sam Jensen who scored just 4 points between them. It surely would have been different with a fit Paul Starke. A rare fall from Rasser wasn't in the script either and I thought he never looked completely comfortable on a track that appeared both slick and a bit greasy. Cookie and Claus Vissing in particular who probably rode the best I've seen him were superb. These 3 were well supported by young Kyle Bickley who like in last seasons final for Worky contributed significantly when it mattered and completely outshone Connor Bailey who will have been disappointed with his 1 point from 3 tally. Watching how it played out on track I think there maybe something in the notion that 'self imposed' pressure may have adversely affected certain members of the team, even the front page of the program was titled 'time to be heroes' or something similar. Mishaps in the first half of the meeting resulted in a self inflicted inability to build any momentum until is was all a bit too late. Leicester's man of the meeting was undoubtedly Ellis Perks who gave it everything. The way he came from last to first in heat 14 to clinch the trophy when the Tigers were on a 5-1 would have sent the Lions fans delirious. Trophies are often won as a result of fine margins and I think the Tigers will look at this and think that they beat themselves, that was the impression I left with anyway.

Good luck to the Tigers, just wish Worky were in a similar position. The fact that the new conference centre will be available to the speedway is a big plus for the fans.

I was wondering on the night how they decided this.

I was a bit negative on where this meeting was being held toward the back end of September . This was due mainly to the lack of peripheral lighting and no seating facilities with a lots of fans having to stand on a grass bank. Fortunately the weather gods shone down on the event which meant climate and ground conditions were nowhere near as poor as they could have been. The track was good helped in no small part by the cool conditions that quickly ensued when the sun went down. Some of the racing was top drawer as it usually is and the best pair by some margin won on the night, well done Cookie and Rasser two riders close to Comets fans hearts and just reward for Glasgow who are trying to drag this great sport into the 21st century. Like other people I do believe the back straight facilities could be better, first thing we were met with when we went to the catering van was there are no chips because the fryers are not working ! , we didn't bother eating as the queue at the clubhouse catering outlet results in a wait spanning too many races. There is no excuse really for the faulty PA system on turn 2. I do believe Somerset do not try as hard now to make sure all the bases are covered because they get this meeting without doing anything extra or special. Personally I thought the presentation was also only average with multiple errors re riders names etc. The quality of racing made this an exciting spectacle and from that point of view it was an enjoyable spectacle played out in front of a very decent crowd. However like speedway in general the ancillary stuff could have easily been better which would have been appreciated.

Perhaps you could enlighten me on which promoters it helps to keep solvent as I'm quite interested.

Usually this meeting is much earlier in the summer and I've rarely missed it. As you know many fans stand on the grass bank on the east side, usually there is daylight until the latter stages of the meeting so there is no issue. Sunset will be around 7-15 so the bank will be dark for most of the meeting this time, in addition the grass is more likely to be damp or become damp and hence more slippy so there could be more of a safety issue. This may be of no concern to the majority of fans who would normally stand over there I don't know but not ideal in my view.

Do you mean a promotion ? . Better take a head torch to fill your program in with that's if you get there down the M5.

Cannot really understand why this meeting is being held at a stadium with no seating, poor peripheral lighting at the back end of September, just because the GP is the day after should not preclude this meeting being taken somewhere else on a different date.

Agree with other comments on here that this and other top meetings for that matter should be at the NSS, not quite sure why it was called this really. Only two sides open at the stadium, in excess of 3 hours standing on sloping concrete does zilch for your back, people openly smoking on turn 4 with not a steward to be seen, track not great, some riders attitude showed no respect for the paying public, really some of these guys need to look at their attitude because they are contributing to the demise of the sport from which they make a living. This title doesn't appear to have the prestige with riders or the BSPA that it once had which is a shame. Well done Erik Riss a deserving winner from a small band who really looked like they wanted to be there. Like others I won't be back if it's held at Owlerton again.

Loved watching Rasser in his two spells at Derwent Park. Last season it was obvious that he had made a step change from his earlier spell. Just brilliant to watch coupled with an enhanced steely determination, this not only make him box office but an integral part of any team looking to win trophies. Perhaps the Tigers fans can now fully understand why the Comets fans were so disappointed to lose him. i would swap that for still having speedway though in a heartbeat

Not really about Jack's prowess as a speedway rider but after saying this the guy is only 20, he went through what must have been a hugely confidence sapping season at Swindon last year. He has probably outscored Nathan Greaves on most occasions at home so far this term but Nathan has been much more effective away. There is time for him to make his mark yet.

Really ? i can quite easily see the following scenario: say Jack Smith was banging in big scores and for some reason being a young lad he impetuously asks to be replaced immediately after a meeting. If the management hadn't already planned to bring in Erik Riss and Kasper Andersen do you not think they would have talked to him, given him a couple of days to think it over then if he still felt the same then fair enough ?. The fact that the averages wouldn't fit the 40 point increase on the 30th June precluded that happening. In effect Jack probably saved them the job of dispensing with him.

Riss a very good signing for the Bears but feel for Ully who appeared to be finding his form. Tom Woolley rode on numerous occasions for Worky Comets in the second half of 2017 season, it's fair to say he was nowhere near Championship level at that time. Seems like the Bears never gave Jack Smith any time to change his mind so it was probably in the managements thoughts to replace him.

Reds stated they were going nowhere if the new stadium didn''t go ahead . Was it just coincidence that Town battered on with the relaying of the pitch, new changing rooms and carving up of the speedway track ? i think not. The increase in pitch dimensions was supposedly only to facilitate the Reds which now looks dead in the water, after all why would they want to pay rent to Town ?. Seems like the the reported amounts of money required for Reds to maintain the required safety certification were also widely exaggerated. The amount now being quoted is £15K quite a difference from rumoured six figure sums at the time. There has to be some accountability somewhere for the reckless damage done to the speedway track. I have already contacted the councillors on the executive re this and i implore you to do the same. The relevant e-mail addresses can be found on page 21 of this thread, let them know how you feel !!!