Diamonds85

We've already won a few meetings at home!!

After all my talk last week, I WILL be going this week. We have a bit of spare time and money today so we can afford the trip. I just hope it's a classic meeting and we get some news about whoever Brad's replacement is??? I need to fall in love with Newcastle speedway again...

Do they ride in this country currently??? Hmmm. Doesn't take much to leave us further below the limit, just need an average lower than Brad's 8... Hope it's a signing enough to tempt me back, boost speedway back up my priority list

A name? So it's a single change then? That's gonna make us better than Berwick... Hmmm... Bartosz?? I'm either completely missing your hints, or you're not giving much away I await with baited breath... Hopefully it's announced tomorrow???

Watch this space ey? Does that mean something is already lined up... Are are you still clutching at straws and holding out hope.. Genuine question

We'll see... The things Rob Grant has promised in the past and not delivered on, I'll be the first to congratulate him though if he pulls a rabbit out of the hat, good luck to him. I hope he can find someone suitable...

As pointed out, nobody is criticising any of the lads (even George, you can see he's giving it his all, he's just not ready yet) it's just the construction that is not good enough and ultimately that is down to not enough riders being available for the current rules in place... And no out of the box thinking, like Plymouth did last season...

Yes... I have a race format that I've put together where the races are much closer than they currently are. If I knew how to share it here I would, but there's a limit to what it allows me to send...

No one is really calling for a wholesale changes, most people agree that Max, James, Matty, Paul and Lee are good... It's the other two who need replacing. A little tweak, we need a new number 1 anyway... And to save money or raise money for a big hitting number 1, something from left field you know, bring in the much cheaper and better Ben Morley or even Archie (even though he's no where near ready) just to get a bit of top end firepower... George ain't scoring anything anyway...

Completely agree... He's promised a lot, not really delivered and made some VERY strange decisions... But I'm not allowed to say that because without him there wouldn't be a team at all... Maybe that would be best, go out as legends known for Ole Olsen, Ivan Mauger and Nicki Pedersen, not whimper out known for Danny Phillips, George Congreve and Bradley Wilson Dean, the greatest number 1 of all time... I mean... Just look at who we've got as team manager for christ sakes, could replace him with a plant pot and the same job would be done. No offence Steve, I've known you for years, but you're just as out your depth as George Congreve... I need to log off now before I make too many comments and enemies, goodnight folks. The end of this club started with the snubbing and thrown away attitude towards @TotallyHonestJohn What a shame... I don't think people realise just how much he helped out, and now that's all gone, we can barely stand on two feet... Come on Granty, YOU'RE A BUSINESS MAN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!

The price of living is too damn high at the minute to watch something you're not enjoying just to 'keep the club alive' I need to keep me and my family alive first and foremost, as does everyone else... At least make the speedway entertaining enough to sacrifice other parts of my life over the racing...

But most reserves aren't good enough to beat Bewley at Belle Vue, so just because once in a blue moon someone is, doesn't mean all the 99.9% of the other reserves need to be thrown in the deep end too, which creates drawn out races with riders of completely different abilities at different ends of the track... It's insulting to the public... The reserves should race eachother and be challenged to beat the second strings... Not expected to beat number 1s... It ain't gonna happen most the time and it's boring to watch

But has there ever been a time where the 1s and 7s in the teams are so far apart ability wise? Sam Masters/Craig Cook/Charles Wright vs George Congreve/Henry Atkins/Nathan Ablitt... It's not a league, it's an open practice... As situations change, certain things need looking at, this includes the race format, stop living in the past!!

Money is very tight for everyone now and I travel from Ripon every week. So 140 miles worth of fuel for me and sometimes the missus to come in... It's getting on for £75 a week, including food, programmes etc... Doesn't help that my car drinks fuel lol... That'll be my next sacrifice probably... Anyway if there's 4 meetings a month that's £300ish just for the speedway, my missus currently does not work after being laid off not too long ago and my hours have been drastically reduced since covid. I know I won't be the only one in this situation, but it's just not affordable for me anymore in my current situation, and being insulted each and every week with the team on display just makes me not want to return... This is my reasoning, 2 more fans gone for now... Until things get better... That's most the crowd!!

Speedway is the love of my life (as well as mountain climbing and my cats ) but I'm falling so out of love with it the last few years... The situation at Newcastle is not helping one bit... Even the meeting I went to at Redcar the other week was bland... And Redcar normally has brilliant racing...

I know what you're saying too, but I really can't afford to be watching this rubbish every week now. If it was actually entertaining or we stood chance of winning races and meetings, I would find the money and sacrifice other aspects of my life, but as I stand, this is the least important part of my life now (used to be the most) I am just bored of cr@p teams and excuses now... Even at the end of the English era and for decades with the powers that be... I really hate the prospect of going up to Newcastle (I travel over an hour, Redcar is so much closer for me, but I love Newcastle... Which is slowly fading) just to watch them lose each week and the boring, bland 'don't worry guys, we'll get them next time' excuses every week, is just getting old now... I have a feeling I know who you are... You stand at the very back corner at bend 4, am I correct?

Clearly the points limit needs reducing, to reduce the 'standard' of riders in this league, but pushing the goal post of rider standard together to allow the standard of the RACING to improve, I would watch 2 newbies racing eachother, as long as it was entertaining and close, passes, who remembers those? It will also allow enough riders for each team to build to the limit... Also, the race format desperately needs looking at. The 6s and 7s should not be racing against the 1s and 5s. The reserves challenging races should be against the other teams second strings at most... George Congreve vs Sam Masters is an insult to the public imo... I can't be the only one to think this, surely? But these changes are all down to the powers of the sport... Who apparently have nothing to do with the embarrassing state of the sport these days

Comedian Unless you know something we all don't know? Zmarzlik and Magic maybe??

Because I'm not just looking at the Newcastle Diamonds 2022 team, I am looking at the sport as a whole... It has been on the decline for over a decade now imo... And that's all down to how it is being run... Everyone knows it, but nothing happens...

Matty has never let the team down, with his consistent and brilliant rides over the years... He's allowed the odd 'off' night, but in this team that can't happen... I would keep them 4 and potentially Lee but the other 2 need to go... 3 rides and 0 points of George again... May as well put Owen Booth or Jack Shimelt in... One of our junior riders... Would score the same... And we wouldn't be paying through the teeth for them... (Obviously this isn't a serious suggestion... Before people freak out)

Joke and an embarrassment... Glad I couldn't make it this week, and I think I'll not bother next week now either, not until our entertainment is taken seriously... And that is not just a dig at Granty, but a dig at the monkeys who run the sport as a whole... Been going to Newcastle since a was a little kid, but not anymore, not until the sport is taken seriously for ALL clubs again, joke. Sorry but goodbye for now Newcastle, best of luck. Money is too tight for me now to be 'wasting' it on the garbage we call speedway these days. Thank you so much to all the riders who have entertained me over the years, and that includes this years six brave men, who have been thrown into the deep end without any leaders... Hope to be back soon, once everything is sorted once and for all (by either Rob or the leaders of the sport, I won't hold my breath), but I fear for the club and I fear for the whole sport eventually...

He is an ex Newcastle rider, yes. But I'm not sure he's the rider he used to be... Also, I agree the problems are much further up, but still doesn't mean we can't upgrade the bottom end either... And no offence to George, he looks like he could be alright eventually, but we can't afford to carry loads of passengers this year...

Yes, we had Connor, and he was a very raw rider at the time (2017 I believe?) It is now 5 years later, and yes he isn't a superstar in the making, but he is better than Jack Smith imo, who definitely couldn't ride Brough at all and maybe not quite as good as Ben Morley on most tracks, but I could see him beating Ben at Newcastle. Connor would be a decent 2.00 rider, if we needed one.

I just had a dream that Nico Covatti and Lidvig Lindgren signed for us... I could tell it was just a dream though Why is Ludvigs case so bad? Even with the new promotion? I was never a huge for of Pavlova but he'd be a massive upgrade on George. And the only Swede in British speedway!!

Him and Pavlova still scored decently in Sweden last year... But I can imagine both them bridges are burned are they not? Even if it is a new promotion...