Nickinho

Are there any fixtures (eg Scottish Cup) lined up before April the 15th? It's a bit long to wait for any action to start at Ashfield imo.

Sedgman, Ellis, Rasmus, NBJ, Tommy J, Gappmaier, Keleher, Josh Bates, Lasse Bjerre, Ruml plus a few from Australia and Scandanavia. Plenty of riders out there who come March may have diminishing options overseas and Birmingham with its central location and airport might look attractive?

Not sure if someone has put this up on here yet but for anyone that's interested here's the full meeting from Mildura last week: Jason Lyons Solo Trophy 12 February 2022 - YouTube

Doesn't matter who they sign, with Mark Lemon in charge they're going to win zip.

Morten Harket?

'Survival'?? Bit overdramatic no?

True.

My money is on Flint to really become a top rider (7.00+ average) this season. He's great around the bigger tracks, really full throttle with little fear.

What's his average and what does that leave for the last two riders?

I may be in the minority here but I think the Wolves look really good this season. I expect Becker to improve his average and Flint to take a huge leap forward (especially on the bigger tracks) and move above Douglas and Worrall in the averages. Wolves supporters should be very excited indeed.

Overtake of the season? Heat 11 | Poole 'Pirates' vs Redcar 'Bears' | POOLE PIRATES SPEEDWAY 2021 - YouTube

Even if that particular result was quashed Poole would still have ended up top of the league and gone on to win the playoffs. Some folks on here are really being petty by saying that Poole cheated their way to the title. They were streets ahead of every other team in October/November.

Not winning the league is also known as 'Doing a Lemon'

Does anyone know the starting averages for all 7 Monarchs riders?

I want to see the yellow & black replace the yellow helmet. At times i can barely distinguish between yellow and white.

Am I alone in hating race suits?

I'm going to be controversial here but a large reason for the dwindling fortunes of British speedway is the huge demographic and cultural changes which have taken place since the 1970s. The white working class of Britain which made up the vast majority of fans in the old days has to a large extent been decimated and the cultural rituals of fathers passing down their sporting and socialising interests to their sons is pretty much a thing of the past. Football in England was saved by television and the middle class whereas football crowds in Scotland (outwith the Old Firm) have halved in the past 30 years so speedway hasn't been the only casualty. These cultural changes have not spared places of leisure like pubs either and the only reason gyms have prospered (lockdowns notwithstanding) is because they made themselves more appealing to a burgeoning middle class who favour comfort over the wind and rain. Not many people from Gen Y onwards want to stand with a pie on the terracing in the pouring rain on a Friday night to attend a speedway meeting when they could be in a warm bar watching sport on the television. The only way for speedway to survive and prosper in the future is to secure television deals, or failing that (which is likely) to delve more into online revenue through streaming etc., because with the current stadia (Belle Vue aside) crowds are not going to increase any time soon.

"This is a local thread for local people..."

What is the egg's average?

Having seen pictures of those dinghys crammed full of young military aged men from Africa and the Middle-East I'm not sure there would be enough room for him and all his equipment. Besides, salt water isn't good for speedway bikes.

The Workington Scorchers would be amazing!

They're all on Tinder.

Because the Redcar thread is dull as dishwater.

I'm pretty sure everyone would choose Wells over Ostergaard right now, especially with Ricky's very good knowledge of the Berwick and Edinburgh tracks. Letting him go to Berwick (wether or not that was the management's decision or the rider's) will definitely come back to haunt the Tigers. Ostergaard won't be anywhere near the same rider as he was but by the time the management have figured that out it will be too late to bring someone in on his starting average. Mid-table at best.

That might be because the starting average this season is 42.00 Just saying... Also, how do you work out that a 41-year-old Ostergaard who is coming back from a major back injury, an unproven Basso and Danyon Hume are better are better than Wells, Nowak and Jensen (the three who finished last season who aren't still racing for the Tigers?) 2021 season ending: Cook. Nicol. Brennan. Jensen. Wells. Bailey. Nowak. 2022 season opener: Cook. Nicol. Brennan. Basso. Ostergaard. Bailey. Hume. You're having a laugh