HGould

Can't see Kennett at Birmingham. I know he tried to join a few times when Masons ran Brummies, but costs and his declining ability meant it always a non starter. Not his fault but he's not been on a representative average since Rye House. Peter Oakes article us clear that Kennett has a new role/job and wants a weekend track. Why leave a Tuesday track for a Wednesday track? Plymouth still have Hans Anderson. Michael Palm Toft and Ben Barker, what we'd give for those 3 lol, or 2 of them or even Barker! Kennett is a 6 pointer these days any way and we've enough of them.

Fungi is now riding on the big speedway track in the sky. High as a kite probably.

Are these mushrooms hallucinogenic?

The 4 named plus McGuiness and Keleher would give us a team of real racers who would entertain although an out and our number 1 would still be needed, would be acceptable to many genuine supporters What we lack is the home track advantage that the likes of Workington exploited brilliantly in 2018 without any standout heat leaders and other Clubs have with big banked tracks or trick tracks. They don't always make for close and entertaining speedway. A well prepared Perry Barr is a great track and the investment in getting that right which IS being done is as important as any rider signings. I'm happy to see entertaining speedway every week and some speedway is better than none at all. Winning is not the be all and end all. Cradley used to be full every week in the 70s when they hardly ever won. I applaud all concerned in the new management team for trying and the Masons for giving us all they did in the past few years. I hope they don't read and take any notice of some of the rubbish on here most of it from people with no affinity or affiliation or love of the Brummies

Surprised nobody mentioned Zak Wajneckht. Did OK in 2019 and midweek would suit him fine. Just have to work on Leicester. Berwick and Newcastle Away to avoid his Grass and Long Track commitments.

It'll be alright on opening night I'm sure.

We may be missed a trick when Star City or even Fort Dunlop were developed / re-developed during the fallow years when we had no Speedway. Both sites would have offered space on brown field development and an excellent infrastructure re Free Parking and other attractions and adjacent and visible from m6 with no noise issues. Sad with a City Council who were often ignorant to Sport at the time; we had little or no chance, despite the wonderful work of Brian and his band of hard working supporters who have at least given us speedway to enjoy this past decade or so. We are where we are though and it's hard to imagine the Gogs will move from there whilst ARC can rake in the Betting Levy so we have to make it our Speedway home for as long as possible.

Kelleher would be a great signing on 4.05, he'll know all the Away Tracks now (apart from Oxford) and showed glimpses of real speed for Plymouth (isn't he track record holder there? which takes so doing on that tight track) One name who has come close to a UK berth a few times at Newcastle and Poole is Smetana from Czech Republic and a track like PB could suit him. Both those would make a very tight 2-7 with strength in depth and no passengers.

Great to see work on the Track has started in earnest now with all the shale being removed to the base before its built back up with new material and bladed. Great work by the Promotion. Thank You

Swedish 2nd Tier Crowds have dwindled alarmingly to level of one man his dog and a few elks. Riders can ride top tier on a Tuesday and if not riding in Denmark on a Wednesday would find Brummies far more appealing and betetr pay and higher profile. Excellent cheap flight links in to Brum and East Midlands Airports too. There are a few good class Europeans not often mentioned from Czech Republic / Slovenia / Germany who could come in and more than do a good job. Time for a few to stop bedwetting and others to stop stirring it, it's a buyers market and we'll have a strong and compact 1-7 on sensible money I'm sure. Remember Workington 2018 wiped up all the trophies with the top 6 all having a spell at No 1 and all having a spell at no 6 during the season.

100% agree. No rush to sign heat leaders either, it'll become a buyers market and make negotiating a better deal for the Club easier. Someone will get ditched in Poland or Sweden or elsewhere and open up options for us. Laurence has great contacts and trust him 100% to put out a very solid 1-7. Better to wait than chance over-paid mercenaries who'll have no loyalty and just interested in £'s! You've only got to go back to 2018 to see that a solid 1-7 can win Titles and Cups and we could have a similar side averaging between 7 and 5 and not carrying a reserve like Worky did that year.

Whilst the 6 PL Clubs can take 90% plus of the TV money the "closed shop" of the PL will continue. Whilst CL Clubs pay too much for doubling up Heat Leaders there will be "the haves and have nots and some who try to have what they cant afford will struggle. The likes of Poole; Leicester and Glasgow have sufficient support and financial clout to enhance the PL if the PL will let them in and if they could share the TV pot it would be more viable for them surely. The best current solution is surely a 9 - 10 team PL of similar strength to now but with lower points limit to share heat leaders around and a similar 9 -10 team CL/DL with one double down heat leader over say 8 points and a lower points limit with more focus on development. More competitive racing, more balanced leagues and less financial risk to those who have to struggle to survive. When Justin Sedgeman complains of reduced points money and having to spend more on equipment he truly hits the nail on the head! I'm not picking on him but it just shows the mentality of too many riders who over-spend on engine tuning in particular and then blame the Promoters for not paying enough points money and then moan when they are paid late or not at all, rather than look at what they actually need. Maybe the idea Barry Bishop tried with the homoglated Jawa Ice engines is the way to go at CL level??. No tuning and only essential repairs allowed. Would the racing spectacle suffer in any way? I doubt it! The days of a rider having 2 Jawa 2 valve engines that would both last a season and the secong one only a back up in case of a calamity are a distant dream but until riders show reality and in some cases actually get a day job and turn semi pro the situation will get worse.

Yes, should bring some decent nostalgic support along. Promising update from LR yesterday regarding 2 of the 3 remaining possible signings. Plenty of time to go yet and sit and see who is available in a month or so when it will be a buyers market as demands for silly money turn to panic about not having a team place!

With the way the Poles are expanding their Leagues and opening it up its equally likely that the forward thinking Facennas could be in top Polish League in same timescale and entertaining the best riders in the world every 2 weeks

might be as simple as the reason up to now has been time off work parent(s) would hve to take to get them to the Training and Courses a lot of which are midweek and in summer holidays. I also heard they have to stick to pretty rigid training and dietry plans and it may be that they prefer to go their own way in those off bike things. They've ridden in competitive Young Lions Select type matches so definitely seem to be on the radar. I agree Trigger does seem to be the odd one out in terms of ability and experience so far.

You'll probably be able to cycle across the top of the 10 mile Truck queue into Dover growing at the rate of a couple of miles a day all the way up to Glasgow by the time the season starts. Funny how that's ben hushed up again! Seriously, can't wait to take in a Fixture at Iwade if I can find the place, proper NDL speedway in the raw, the way it should be, the way Buxton was and hopefully northside will become.

Laurence has close links with Team USA Manzaries or Max Ruml might do a second string job. Might be worth looking at Sweden for a No 1...one season swansong, Peter Ljung or similar anyone not riding Danish League.

Went to a number of Tracks in first couple of months of last season where Security Guards were there and hadn't been so obvious or there before. Think it was part of the Covid Licensing that allowed stadia to open that they had to police Crowds and ensure social distancing. At some trackes they were very over zealous and winding people up.

spot on. It's very hard for any promotion to make money if they don't control and get benefit of food and drink and other perks such as hospitality. It's even harder if they get zero co-operation from Landlords which afflicts a number of Clubs to the detriment of customer service and encouraging first time or infrequent visitors to come back. Even harder if Landlords seem to bend over backwards to be awkward or even sabotaging initiatives before they can deliver any benefit as some clubs have found out over the years. Having some bone-head security man confiscating water bottles from kids as an example! Do it all yourself if you can seems to be the best model but the start up costs are much higher. Glasgow, Leicester; Scunthorpe; Plymouth good examples of how having control of income streams can deliver a good and affordable product , I'm sure there are others and hopefully Workington / Northside will soon join them.

If rumours are true they are paying top $$$ for riders; including reserves on more per point than some Clubs are paying Heat Leaders. JC is a legend and great role model but won't be doing Team Management for peanuts and expenses like some TM's do. I just hope for the sake of everyone at Oxford and for the Sport in general that the guy in charge of the Stadium has deep pockets. Wish them every success.

Enjoyed watching Stoneman on occasions riding for Brummies but he'll struggle to average more than 7 I'd think with heat leaders at most other NDL teams. Hopwood was entertaining too v Brummies when we were in NDL and looks a 6 pointer to me. Sam Hagon could be an excellent signing of he can stop getting injured.

Nigel has publically said he's put a sum in as a one-off investment and that's it ;not going to be an annual event. It's not going to be a Promotion that can just write a blank cheque every year to cover losses like the majority seem to do and find some kind of warped glory in admitting it. That suggests (a) prudence (b) a need to try to break even. There are plenty of examples of well meaning Promoters who have lost money by letting heart rule heads and trying to keep up with allegedly bigger Clubs who have benefactors (private or corporate) who see Speedway as a play thing. It's too easy to lose the lot very quickly or to lose too much to continue as Peter and David who did a great job and worked their nuts off found out. Can't stress enough times that Brummies will have to cut their cloth very carefully. It boils down to what do those fans they can attract really want?? A team that can compete at the top end of the League that almost certainly costs too much? A team that can win enough at home and can deliver entertainment enough to retain support and attract a few more to keep the ship afloat? As others have said or suggested, the best investment will be in a track that can consistently deliver entertaining speedway and not putting silly money or stupid guarantees in to mercenaries who will turn up and not give 100% as they will simply be looking for the next pay day if it goes belly up. Back Nigel and the new management, you know it makes sense.

Can't see Mulford or Powell who are amongst the best Grass Track riders in the UK riding for Kent on a Sunday to the detriment of Grass opportunities in UK and on the Continent.

King and S Worrall both very good CL Heat Leaders and came good at business end of last season. Wasn't that long ago though (pre Basso) in early months of 2021 season that many Poole fans were expressing concerns about number of times Poole were vulnerable in closing heats and lost a few matches and threatened to throw away leads. If Lawson replaces Schlein as rumoured are they stronger / weaker / about the same, I'd say definitely weaker at home and about the same away; with no Basso and questions about reserves it may need Fords to pull another rabbit out of the hat mid-season. From what I've seen Kemp is over-rated and will struggle when not at reserve; but Mulford or Ablitt may be under-rated by some and could hold their own against other reserves. Pretty sure the declared 1-7 wont be the 1-7 by early August even allowing for any injuries.

I agree with you, that's why I'm suggesting that to cover his possible demands they would need a huge sponsorship hike even if they could average 250 more at home matches. I estimate they would need the equivalent income of 500 more per home meeting....not gonna happen is it?