HGould

Someone ITK at PB has told me 2 signings are imminent -one a returning rider with good PL regular /CL Heat Leader level experience and the other a leading NL level rider for several seasons . I know names but can't divulge but I think supporters will be very pleased.

Wasn't there so hard to comment on specifics but have seen a few clips of the racing and also some of the comments on social media about the size of the crowd at Arlington (again) and the number of kids attending. Coming from NL with Brummies as Eastbourne have, I think most hardcore speedway fans want close competitive racing and last heat deciders and not runaway wins and nothing brings newcomers back more than excitement; incidents and dare I say crashes. Winning 60 points every week like Eastbourne have for years must get boring and this loss will come as a shock to some. Enjoy it embrace it we used to say "happiness is 40-38" well 45 - 44 sounds as good as it gets to me and if a big crowd there to enjoy it so much the better. I wish we could have some of the commercial and marketing excellence that Eastbourne seem to have found at Perry Barr, no disrespect to anyone at PB but we need more supporters coming in and more enthusiasm and innovation. Well done Leicester though I can't see anyone else winning there and they are also losing riders but finding a way round it and no doubt down to the outstanding man manager they have bought in from Glasgow.

Think we may surprise a few doubters on a big fast track like Sheffield - Team is largely made up of fast track specialists ...Ulrich / Zac / James / Paco / Kyle

not for the first time and probably not the last it has to be said, that on and off the track Eastbourne have really attacked and embraced the move up to CL, sadly, on and off the track Brummies are polar opposites. Both Clubs have very similar recent histories but at the moment the trajectory of us is very different.

Perks, Mountain; Thomas ; Morley; Bowtell ; Brennan ; Wood - a great advertisement for the National Development League and far better for both sides to promote British talent (Perks raised in Oz I know). Their battles will likely influence result more than heat leaders.

Look on their website I found one off the Fixtures page (Premier Inn about 1 1/2 miles from track) and did flexi booking so you can cancel up to 1pm on day which is ideal if rain off. That was Good Friday/Easter weekend so may still be availability for non Bank Holiday. My mate mailed them too I think its admin@eastbourne-speedway.com and got a list of 5-6 places in the town and got fixed up on sea front., was very impressed with Guest House and also the help he got.

if Douglas is out Sunday he has to be out Saturday then so will they go RR or get a Guest ? might be worth a trip over from Brum to Leicester if weather is OK.

brilliant post, I'm not sure some who comment actually go to some matches. Plenty of passing as you say from both sides although our lads had to do more of it as they invariable missed the starts. The track looks smoother and less bumpy than it did and as you say once they get some decent shale will only improve. In most races after heat 7 they were the ones "hanging on to places" and the team spirit in 3-4 races where we started to fight back was evident. I agree too about us having to start from scratch, no doubt that Eastbourne had help with Cook taking Lawson, Morley and Bowtell with him, Kennett simply went home, Wood and Brennan already there so in reality only had to source one rider in Kerr. Our task was much harder and having been down there twice this season clear their crowds are at least double those of ours and probably a lot less rent to pay. We have found ourselves in a Shield Group with a team who came down with 3 top quality heat leaders and a winning mentality ; a team moving up with 3 top quality heat leaders imported in and what seems massive positive momentum commercially and energy wise, we will only be able to judge ourselves I think against the likes of Redcar' Berwick and Scunthorpe, no disrepect to them but I believe teams with similar crowd levels and similar battles in the past few years that we are having now to establish a proper base. One win as you say and it'll be blue skies over Perry Barr.

my interpretation of rule changes in winter were that a rider can double up (one level) or down (one level) but can't double up/down (2 levels) and can't ride in all 3 levels. So if Ipswich did come calling he could not ride in NL. Besides every time Ipswich rode on a Monday (most of their away fixtures) he would miss Kent matches. So as an example with my own Club - Zach and James have doubled up, so can't double down.

seen Brennan a few times and heard him interviewed at track, comes over to me as quite shy so not sure where the "arrogance" remark comes from, although have never met or spoke to the kid personally.

I don't think any brummies rider last night can be accused of lack of effort, certainly not Shanes or Zac. If riders aren't good enough by all means accept they are not good enough, but no lack of effort. As for Laurence, he can only use the cards he is dealt. The track was slick but we now have a top track man working on it who has done wonders at Stoke. Must have been tough as they expected rain, it looked like rain all around at several points but it never came so they had to water quite a lot. Agree about the marketing re Kids, should have been done a week ago not a few hours before, almost smacks of desperation. With Lee now full time promoter at Swindon may be we need to bring in someone on the commercial side a bit more focused on Brummies and not elsewhere. I would explain I would have been better saying "tricky" re Workington as opposed to "trick" - a track I have been to several times but always viewed as a "homer"...I agree PB is too fair to all. Don't know what choices the Masons have financially, there are a few who could improve the team but can't think of an out and out No 1 you could go and sign as any available - likes of Ellis; Wilson - Dean ; Campton , Aarnio; Pavalora - are in case of first 2 may be 2nd/3rd heat leader strength and in case of last 3 no better than decent 2nd strings and we have a side full of them already.

Some totally OTT comments from Proudtobeabrummie I'm afraid. I'm sick we lost, I'm very concerned by the crowds and I think we need to make changes but I think we were beaten by one of the better teams in the League, certainly a better side than Somerset. Lawson is a top rider at this level and a No 1 in probably any side but Glasgow, Kennett looked the world class prospect he once was in 2 of his rides, and Kerr is may be one of the better 3rd Heat Leaders. What clinched it for them was they then have 4 of the best NL riders of 2018 - Morley and Bowtell are doing OK in their top 5, Wood is adequate and Brennan looks an absolute diamond. We went for the Workington model 6 riders averaging 6-7 points - problem is we don't have a trick track like Workington did. We need a Lawson or a Kennett to spearhead the side and a Kerr to bang in points home and away. The balance of their team is far better than ours and we have no excuses. Where are they and can we afford them?? On the crowd levels of tonight NO and time for all Brummies fans to rally round before its too late...as more of this and we won't have a team in CL or NL.

I think the sums will be - Leicester may have brought 100/150 with them and we need it dry and sunny to make most of that; but Eagles might bring 20-30 so we'll keep everything crossed and wait til the last minute that we are obliged to pay the Rent b4 deciding.

playing devils advocate here "was having drew a vanity move" when he has to miss every Sunday Fixture as Sheffield will be riding and also a number of Friday and Saturday's when Kent ride away as so many Championship matches on a weekend (Friday - Saturday - Sunday)??

yes looking a lot brighter now for tomorrow fingers crossed as they are a team I think we can beat as one of the weaker side away from home.

sadly on a Wednesday night in Brum very little is local as M5/M6/M42 corridor is an absolute nightmare and that puts many off in dodgy weather especially if you have already driven out of the City from work and have to venture back in via any of the M-ways

steady continual rain for 12 hours from 8am to 8pm is far more likely to put wavering fans off than the possibility of a sudden 20-30 minute heavy shower. I will support team and promotion 100% but can't help feeling that by calling off like they did last week will have many regulars on tenterhooks every week when rain is forecast and some will lose habit of coming.

that's what was forecast last week??..

A good Commercial Manager is worth her/his weight in gold and some very good examples of that at tracks like Belle Vue; Glasgow; Birmingham/Swindon, IOW; Leicester and Eastbourne from what I have seen with my own eyes in the last year or so.

lets hope BBC weather have got it wrong otherwise could have another early call off.

Cut off for Shield and KOC Round 1 is supposed to be 15th May.

Guess which day next week is the only day in Birmingham with rain showers forecast between 2pm and 6pm....ouch!

strange then that several Kent riders have pointed out the 2nd bend issue, and last season the ruts in 3rd turn were a continual problem. I'm only making comment about what I have seen with my own eyes and read with them too. Have widely praised Kent for getting many things right, but a dangerous track that could be rectified with a day with a blade is surely something that needs sorting.

Having seen both sides already. 50-40 imho Heats Leaders cancel out, just favour home side though. Reserves - Eastbourne - Wood and Brennan would beat Atkins and Rowe 8 times out of 10 in NL Racing. Middle Order - Somerset - Kurtz is key as he is far better at Oak Tree than Bowtell and Morley and great chance for the German to impress too.

Presume BSPA own all Lakeside assets as according to Peter Oakes in last weeks Star they were liquidated in February.