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Alas, only Dave knows what he will want to do (And possibly Malcolm), I just hope we can build a team that will challenge at the top. And know, I meant Andre. His PL average this season was 5.97, so could, in theory, drop down on 11.94!

Again, the problem is, Stoke fans can be quite fickle. It looks a solid start to team building, but realistically, none of those riders will be productive in years going forward. I will be honest, I have no idea what the points limit will look like, or what it was last season, but this time around for Stoke it needs to be fresh faces. There isn't going to be the huge loan fees involved in the PL, or the larger wages involved, so both of those will reduce our running costs, and on the crowds we have, if they stay at a reasonable level, we should be able to put a team that is both competitive and captures the fans imagination. The worst thing Tattum can do, I think, is go with all the old assets, as the fans will leave.

I noted that Compton was on a 12, it was just a name that would have fitted the bill had it not been for his average. The problem Stoke have is that when we were in the NL last time, it was awful. Unprofessionally run, same old faces year in year out, and very little in the way of young riders coming through. More fans want a break away from those days, so by using the same names, although numerous years on, it is still a link to that awful past. Evans is possibly the only Stoke asset that I wouldn't mind riding for us, as I think he would do a very solid job as a second heat leader. As for Priest, I think he is still a Sheffield asset.

I thought that IoW's problem was that the crowds at the early and late part of the season weren't enough to run, even given the higher crowds during the summer months, and that the NL was a more viable option because of the lack of meetings at the extremes of the season. As for finding someone to move up with us, great, but I worry about us having the time to develop riders over 2 to 3 seasons. This is arguably one of the most important seasons in the recent history of Stoke Speedway. If we get this wrong, I can see the crowds dropping dramatically.

Are there enough British riders around? Assume that every team who rode last year rides this year, with Stoke replacing Plymouth. The league has already lost Mark Simmonds and Nicki Glanz, so that's 2 heat leaders gone, and I can't see Seemond Stephens riding again. Where are the top end riders going to come from? Personally, as narrow minded as it may sound, I'm not too interested with bringing forward the next generation of riders. In an ideal world, Stoke are only going to be NL for one season, so we need riders who will, hopefully, be able to step up the next season. From what I saw of Armstrong, I feel he could be a rider capable of doing that. Another point, on a slight tangent, is why do we not allow foreign riders into the NL? Make it mandatory to have x amount of British riders, 2 of whom must be under 19, and work from there? Too often our younger riders are protected up until they attempt to make the step up, only ever facing people who have a knowledge of British speedway, and then they hit the PL, with a whole new level of professionalism that is brought about from having a multi-national league, and it appears from the outside to be a huge culture shock for them.

Ah well, not so sure about Koppe with no patriality. As for Compton, he would be a 12 point average, obviously a bit high, but that is the type of rider I would like as a number 1. Someone who can help the younger riders, who has been there and done it on a constant basis.

2 or 3? I appreciate it will still be in the minds of fans, but a testimonial isn't about 1 moment. It is a celebration of an entire career, and there were inevitable highs and lows, as there are in any career. I would also say that, irrespective of what wrong he may have done in the past, at least he is one of the few who now gives back to the sport that gave him a career. There are all too many riders who finish and then turn their back on the sport that provided them with a pay packet.

Seriously? You're going to drag an issue up from numerous years ago? Personally, I think it's a well deserved testimonial, and I wish him all the best for it.

Normally about half 5 if memory serves.

Stoke's asset list is pretty pitiful at best. Evans, Isherwood, Sam Dore , Rob Grant Jr, Mark Burrows and Dean Felton are the only ones still riding eligible to ride in the NL. Out of those, Evans is the only one I would like to see. No offence to the rest, but I just can't see them being the future of Stoke Speedway. Out of riders out there, I would love to see Tom Armstrong or Damien Koppe (Both Aussies, though I think Koppe has patriality?), and potentially one of the Baseby brothers. I think, more than anything, we need a team that can challenge in all competitions. I would love if we had a big number 1 who rode PL last season, Andre Compton would be a great rider, but I obviously can't see him dropping down into the NL. Jamie Pickard is another who I would be interested in, as he is a solid enough rider who obviously will be looking for a club now Plymouth have moved up.

Lowe isn't a club asset, Brown retired at the back end of last season. Evans is the ONLY asset I would have back. I do believe we need a number 1 who people have heard of who is an old hand to help the younger riders. It has to be run more professionally than the last time we were in the NL, and it has to be a team challenging, or I do fear for Stoke Potters.

I think it being so quiet is a combination of very few Stoke fans normally posting on here, combined with us not being able to sign any riders due to not TECHNICALLY being in the league yet, and a lot of fans still being bitter about moving down. I just hope that we don't go down the legacy that was left to us of the last time we were in the NL, as I don't want riders such as Isherwood, Priest, Hargreaves, Brown, Lowe etc in the team. They were the past of Stoke at one point or another, and this should be a time for looking forward. The hosting of the 2 meetings can only be good for Stoke though, and I can't wait for them.

Report the post, and in the comments, mention that you would like it to be a sticky

Neither know nor care who voted which way, just merely pointing out a way in which it could have happened. Frankly this whole situation is an embarrassment for all parties involved, and is becoming tedious reading hundreds of pages saying the same thing. It is a glorified pishing contest where everyone will come out claiming they won.

Maybe it is a case of, for example, Eastbourne being able to use Bjarne if they vote with Poole. As it is mostly the top teams that own the better assets, any notion of "Vote for us or forget about using our assets" could be very persuasive?

To be pedantic, re-declaration implies a previous declaration that season. Coventry would be merely declaring a team, not re-declaring it.

Hey, keep your hands off Roynon, I want him at Stoke I just hope we have a team that can challenge/beat you on a consistent basis

He wishes this was true. Infact, it is the other way around.

Ah well, as I can't renew my rivalry with you over Stoke v Sheffield, Stoke v Buxton will have to do

He would still be a better option than Rob Grant Jr!

So long as we are accepted, Stoke are running.

Please, I'm begging you, stop this. I will give you 3 perfectly valid reasons why this is nonsense. 1) Indian riders are not permitted in the NL. 2) Arlo Bugeja would come in on a 6 point average, nowhere near enough to be a number 1. 3) Your continual spouting of nonsense on every team thread is making me want to tear my eyes out and stick them to the wall so I don't have to read who is signing for who. Please, stop with the spamming. Please.

Maybe he doesn't want to say what he believes the promotion to be doing? There could, in theory, be all sorts of reasons for it, so maybe he wants to keep information to himself until such time as it is right to tell people? I don't know, I'm just stating that could be an option. If information is sensitive, you don't really want to splash it all over the forum

Actually, in a poll, 73 people have responded. 25 say they will attend, 34 won't, 14 will attend the odd one. This poll is littered with problems as it was done the day after the news, so peoples emotions were still raw. Irrespective that it doesn't add up to "Over two thirds", it is still only a small minority of the fans who attend Stoke Speedway.

To be fair, I gather that the IoW make most of their money from holiday makers, so local rivals won't effect them as much.