Diamonds85

He was terrible last Sunday at Brough... I do hope he manages to pull through and at least becomes a competitive number 2...

We'll be alright, only paying 25-35 points a meeting away and not much more at home, it will be our cheapest season on record... But when 3 men and their dog is the crowd come the end of the season, where is the points money gonna come from...? Gonna be another dodgy winter next year I feel...

Gonna be another long and embarrassing year..... Just hope something changes, whether that be riders getting better or a miracle

I've tried to put some sort of race format together for this competition, it's not perfect, anyone got any input? Edit: Please ignore Sheffield and Wolverhampton's bye pass to the semis and finals I'm guessing there will be a semi and a final.... Always is...

As long as there's no long answer, then thanks

Only other I can really think of is Jaimon Lidsey, most other 'older' Australians have already had stints over here... The likes of McGuinness are not good enough imo, unless the NL starts allowing Aussies etc

Do I need to pay extra to get onto the backstraight? Like the main stand near bend 4, thanks

Even if that were true... Which other Australians that aren't currently either in or allowed to ride in this country would even be worth signing... Jacob Hook and James Pearson are probably the lowest quality but worthwhile Aussies, anyone lower is not ready...

Well then any Halifax fans should be hoping for one maybe two current teams to close over next winter then, or else who the bloody hell is going to ride for them??? I fear my team may be one of them

As far as I'm aware the speedway is the biggest sports team in Poole?? So why would the council just let them go without a fight. Is Poole the last 'speedway town' in the whole country?

I'm just not aware of a 6 team pairs meeting format ever taking place? So I don't know how it would be ran... I'm guessing that there will be a new race format created, which is what I'm asking...

I don't think anyone's saying get rid of them now!! I think it's just a 'oh no here we go again' moment we've had to get used to so much over the last 5 years or so... Maybe even longer for some of the older fans... Just sick of not having proper out and out number 1s in the team kinda thing... But I guess we're the lucky ones because we actually have a team As for Ben Barker... I am a massive fan of him, Plymouth being my second home, I've seen him a lot down there... However it was plainly obvious that Ben did not want to be at Newcastle last season even before the tapes went up on the very first meeting... He tried to get out of it enough times anyway... He's VERY talented and VERY spectacular to watch, but he'll never make it as a big time rider, because he's a nutcase... Still love watching him though, particularly on small and tight tracks... Balls of steel And if BWD does read this forum (which I highly doubt) he's not hated already and it's nothing personal against him, it's not his fault he's been given a ridiculously inflated average... However I don't think us Newcastle fans particularly appreciate giving up after 3 laps or so, so hopefully that stops by next week... Even Ludvig, who was amazing around Brough, got hate for that...

Completely agree with most of what you said. However I will disagree on calling Matty and Paul second strings, they have been proven heatleaders for years. Also Max is basically a heat leader now and by the end of the year will probably be our number 1 Other than that, great round up of how the meeting panned out. I believe we are not short on money, however the winter situation meant we lost a few of the big hitters we could have gone in for to other teams as there was so much uncertainty surrounding the club. Hopefully next winter will be better and we can tempt the likes of Steve back???

Will get him away from the number 1 position though, he needs to ride at number 2 on last night's showing, at least then he MAY get something in heat 8... I can now understand why they put Matty at 2 Max was another level of class yet again, he's going to be our strongest rider this season I feel We are, scarily enough, in exactly the same position as last year... I just hope all this sponsorship means our future isn't threatened and we can start with a clean slate next season, alongside everyone else... With a PROPER number 1...

Complin seems like he's going to be ok once he irons out a few issues and gets back to race fitness. BWD, wasn't convinced to start with and I'm even less so now... Please, please, please say this was a one off, nervy week for him and he'll settle down even to become just a decentish second string...

Max, Matty, James and Paul were all very solid, great rides from the four of them, impressed and they should be good for the season (at home anyway) Lee, he's been out of the saddle for about a decade but tbh didn't look too bad tonight, once the rust wears off and he sorts out whatever mechanical problems he seemed to be having tonight, he won't be a bad reserve, looked quite spectacular too on occasions, but I don't think the outside line has worked at Brough for many years now... George, has a long way to come to be any decent, however he showed slight improvement in his third and fourth ride compared to his first two (looked a little slower, but less wild), don't think he's going to be the big hitting reserve I dreamt he would be, but give him a couple months, he should be there or there abouts an ok number 7 at home, not too concerned Bradley, the less said the better about tonight, didn't look like he was comfortable for a single second and appeared to give up when left miles behind, he could only just about keep Connor Coles behind him at one point. Yes, it's his first season back after a couple off, and he's bound to be rusty too, I never expected him to be a good out and out number 1, but he better be improving on the performance he showed tonight, or else it's going to be pretty embarrassing for him this season. Again, we have a team with absolutely zero top end strength and you could feel the atmosphere in the stadium was duller than ever tonight, I heard a few people complaining as they were leaving the stadium that they wouldn't be back next week, and the crowd was already tiny this week, Christ knows what's it's going to be later on in the year... I don't want to know

Does anyone know what the race format for this will be? I am not aware of any 6 team pairs race format? Perhaps the home team will field their 3rd and 4th in the averages also to make 7 teams? And then it would be like the SON format. Sorry if this question has been asked already, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere if it has? Many thanks

So very sorry to hear about this Mimmo. If I was in the area, I'd love to be able to drop you off at the front door of the stadium a couple times a year, just so you can enjoy your meetings at Peterborough again. It's a track I've never visited RIP to your wife

Although I believe the Diamonds will lose this meeting, I am greatly looking forward to getting back to the speedway It's all a bit of fun tonight for some valuable track time for the lads, really hope the new riders can get to grips with the track this season. Fingers crossed. Does anyone have any information on any extra races that will be on tonight beyond the 15 heats against the Stoke side, thank you

But what I'm trying to say is that even if Ellis rode, the second leg would have still been too far gone imo. Leicester are so much stronger

Is it going to be restaged? I was so looking forward to this Took the night off work and everything

1 Alfie Bowtell 9.78 2 Ben Trigger 3.57 3 Henry Atkins 5.86 4 Sam McGurk 5.25 5 Ben Morley 9.18 6 Archie Freeman 3.00 7 Max Perry 3.00 39.64 Really wanted to get Joe Thompson in for Ben Morley, but it was a whole point under the limit, so I'd have been behind before I even started!!

Yes he will, I dunno why it's taking to long to announce the final rider? By all accounts he's been signed up for months and it's most likely Willie Lawson anyway

I understand and respect your decision. I knew you cut your ties with the club officially, but I didn't know if you were going to come to the odd meeting this season just purely as a spectator or not. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do in the future. Enjoy your football and hope to see you back on the speedway scene again one day

Fair play. I knew it was a big margin and knew exactly which tie was being referred to. However I didn't realise it was such a big margin that was overcome, good times. We haven't had a season like 2010-2013 for a very long time... I miss watch us with big hitters at number 1 and decent reserves etc