NJC71

Great to see Lewis back. Probably the rider I most wanted to see return as he has the potential to up his average again and possibly develop into a number 1. Interesting to see where we go next. Obviously with King & Robson moving on there'll be some new faces but Rosen & Henry I would imagine would be under consideration so the side could still have a familiar look about it. Would personally have no problem in either returning although I would like a new heat leader to give us some firepower on the road rather than fill up the top 5 with Lindgren, Rosen & Henry. I would jump at the chance of signing Lambert even on 7.5 as he has bags of potential and it would be exciting to watch such a talented young rider develop. Having "signed" him last season I would have thought it was a possibility. Steve Worrall had a superb year but that would be a gamble given his final 7+ average included spending a big chunk of the season at reserve - hope he gets fixed up though. Would be surprised but certainly not disappointed to see Richie return.

Started last season on 7.8 finished on 6.49. Not really on the way up....

Don't understand why people are mentioning Wells and Summers as riders they'd like us to sign. Ludvig gets criticised for being inconsistent but Wells and Summers both fall into that category. I've seen Summers ride like a world-beater and novice in equal measures at Brough and Wells also blows hot and cold and has done for a good while now. Both good riders but personally I don't see any obvious scope for improvement in either - and that's what we're looking for, riders who can up their averages.

Good to see Lewis R back for 2015. Really impressed me last season especially considering he had to ride at number 2 for most of it. Would like to see him start at reserve if possible.

We had an out and out number 1 last season and had a poor year in all competitions. We had no out and out number one in 2013 but had a high scoring reserve and a solid team and finished third in the league and won the League Cup. Likewise the previous year when we finished top of the table. Yes a strong number 1 would be good but a balanced side is more important. Personally I'm not a huge Lawson fan - great when he gates at Brough but normally tailed off when he doesn't.

I think everyone would agree that Cook needs to be riding abroad on a consistent basis if he is to progress but he can only do that if a team abroad will give him a chance - and by that I mean a proper contract. There have been lots of examples of Brits getting deals abroad but hardly riding at all. Look at Richie Worrall last year, I think he only did one meeting. While that continues nobody can blame them for continuing to ride PL - they have to earn as much as they can. At the end of the day it's their job. Maybe it needs someone with contacts to represent these riders and try and get them reliable deals (if that isn't happening already). But the stock of British riders has fallen so dramatically in the last 10 years or so, with the current standard of the EL not helping, it must be a very difficult sell. I don't think the BSPA are doing enough, they seem to have no interest in the progress of British riders. The lack of team in the World Pairs last year was a perfect example of that. There needs to be far greater opportunities for British riders to put themselves in the shop window.

Basically that's worse than the team we ended up with this year as it's just swapping Bjerre for King. King still averaged 9+. Bjerre won't get near that.

Personally wouldn't be keen on Bjerre or Wells or also Summers who someone else mentioned. Good riders but all have been at the same level for a good while now. I don't see what any of those three offer that Ludvig doesn't. Capable of top performances but inconsistent. I'd just as soon have Lindgren. Unfortunately Rene probably falls into that category now too. He's never really consistently hit the heights since that awful crash at Brough. That said I would never say no to Rene returning here as he was just about the most exciting rider I've seen ride for us.

It's going to be an interesting winter (again). Every year the sport seems to be at a crisis point and as ever there seems to be doubts over several Elite and some Premier clubs continuing either at all or in their current league so probably not that much point in predicting a 2015 side until all is clear on the 2015 set-up. Has though been a disappointing season for the Diamonds. No problem at all with the side we started with but it was a side that needed a couple to emerge as genuine heat leaders as Ludvig was always going to struggle at number 1. I think perhaps that was expected but it was probably hoped that Anton Rosen and maybe Lewis K would the two most likely to fill the void. However Lewis struggled early on and Anton never looked like making the immediate step up. It's ironic that Lewis K found his form soon after we made the changes and had he started like that it may never have happened. That's no blame to him as he ended up having another fine season. It's just one of those things. I said at the time though that the change was only worth making if it included Robert Lambert. If there was a mistake made it was perhaps committing to the change without getting firm assurances from the BSPA first. With no Lambert and Rose having to move up prematurely, we always looked like struggling from there on in. As it happens I've been slightly disappointed by Danny King's form around Brough where he has not looked as formidable as I expected although to be fair he has scored well and at times carried the side on the road. As for the rest of the side, Robbo has been solid. He's not the rider he was 3 or 4 years ago but is a good third heat leader and a superb team man and I wouldn't have a problem with him returning as long as that's his role and he's not pushed up to 1 or 5. Ludvig has been..well Ludvig. At times absolutely brilliant and at others absolutely awful. The criticism he gets from one or two is rediculous in my opinion and not backed up by facts but having said that he's been here a good while now and hasn't really progressed into the rider he should be given his ability so I would be tempted to look elsewhere as we need riders who can improve and ultimately it's been another, 'more of the same' kind of year from Lude. Both Lewis' have been excellent I was very impressed by Lewis Rose although he has had more than his fair share of knocks. Would be delighted to have both back but I guess they'll both have plenty of options, some of which might be closer to home. I personally don't want a very average foreign rider like the Glasgow rider (no disrespect) coming in on a 3. We have done very well giving young British riders opportunities in recent years (Newman, Kerr, Rose) so I would like us to go down that route again if possible. A strong reserve pairing is very important in this league, our reserves have been very good around Brough this year but poor away so a good reserve who can score home and away would be handy. Supsect Danny King will end up elsewhere so could be a very different looking Diamonds side that lines-up in March.

Track obviously ruined the meeting and the racing was very poor as a result. Don't agree with the comments by Edinburgh fans on the decision to re-run heat 14. The fact is that an Edinburgh rider (Sneddon) caused the race to be stopped and was rightly excluded. Awarding the race is surely therefore unfair on Newcastle, particularly as they were only on lap 2. Had Kerr or Nielsen been the cause of the stoppage then awarding it would have been fair enough. Also worth remembering that King was leading heat 13 when he fell because of the rain so the bad luck wasn't all Edinburgh's . Heat 14 probably shouldn't have taken place - would have been fairer to have called a halt after King fell in heat 13 for me which would have meant a draw anyway.

Not surprised. Forecast would have to be spectacularly wrong for this to be on and it's been drizzling for a good hour already. Oh we'll, at least I can watch the golf.

No, some random lad. Agree Carr was a tad unlucky with that one. The ref should have excluded the second bend for me.

Long meeting with several re-runs. Second bend causing a lot of problems again early on. Still not sure how Robbo managed to miss Lewis Kerr's back wheel after picking up unwanted drive in heat 3. Track seemed very grippy on the outside which produced some spectacular action although a bit hair raising at times. Good win although I think the play-offs is out of reach given our dreadful away form. Good to see Danny King looking very quick tonight and more like the powerful number 1 we'd hoped for. Berwick were lively with Kus again riding well at reserve. I don't remember him riding with any such determination around here when at Redcar. Doolan was also good value. Not sure why the Berwick fan with the stripy top felt the need to walk over to the pits and shout a load of expletives at Simon Nielsen after the clash with Vissing - although he disappeared as quickly as he arrived the coward. It was hard riding but Vissing ain't exactly innocent when it comes to tough riding is he.....

God you just can't help yourself. It is so boring........ You never say a word about anyone else. Robbo and Lewis were dreadful in the pairs last week and Danny King has been nowt special so far either but Lindgren is always to blame.

Disappointed with the Diamonds tonight. If we are to have any chance of a top 6 finish we need to win a couple of away matches and tonight looked as good a chance as any but it sounds like we were well beaten and very fortunate to get within 10. Poor from Lindgren yes, on a track he rarely if ever has scored well on but nobody has really scored well tonight. Tad disappointed with King in particular. 11 is ok but no more than that and he scored 14 here in the British Semi-Final in a far stronger field. Don't think he's really lived up to expectations yet, particularly away from home.

Interesting posts above on the track, the difficulties in preparing it well given the access problems and also how it has become diffcult to ride over the years with the increased speed of the bikes. Taking all of that into consideration then, is it not possible to make major changes to alter the shape of the track? As I said on an earlier post why would it not be possible to bring the whole thing in from the centre to make the straights and bends wider? Yes it would be a big job and would obviously cost money but in theory at least it sounds feasible. I wondered if there was drainage or something on the inside which would make it impossible but it doesn't sound like it if there is standing water after rain. If it was wider there would be more racing lines and there would be less chance of riders colliding because there basically isn't enough room as we saw a couple of times last night. Just a thought although I would assume it's been considered before. I'm sure those that constantly moan about it wold be at the front of the queue for donations to raise the necessary finance

They way your favourite rider Lindgren was riding I very much doubt Barker would have got anywhere near a maximum.

Track did look difficult to me tonight. Riders seemed to be picking up unwanted drive coming out of the second bend which seemed to play a part in a couple of the crashes although not the first one which led to Barker and Jensen both eventually withdrawing. That was caused by Jensen perhaps going in a little tight and basically just colliding with Barker. In my opinion the main reason there are so many crashes is the shape of the track rather than the surface although obviously if there are problems with the surface it worsens the problem. It has long and very narrow straights but very tight bends. Week after week I see visiting riders, particularly those who are either inexperienced or haven't ridden the track before going into the bends too tight and with too much speed. That happened a few times tonight and could have led to other crashes. I have long since thought that bringing in the whole track by a couple of metres would transform it but who knows whether that's possible or the costs involved. As it was it was a dreadful meeting tonight for obvious reasons and not a good advert for speedway. At least Pepe had a coupe of good rides and fair play to the reserves who kept plugging away.

To be fair Chris Mills has been a revelation around Brough lately. If Schramm was fit that would be a lively reserve race.

King actually slowed to let Ludde pass him as he obviously knew Ludde was on a max so no idea what you're going on about there. As I and others have said there have been numerous good examples of excellent team riding by Lindgren this season so by constantly moaning about that you are ignoring the facts. Anyway this team riding thing is rubbish. Kenneth Bjerre and Kenni Larsen are two of the greatest all time Diamonds but neither ever team rode. Did you give KB or Kenni so much grief? I doubt it. Ludde was magnificent last night. Up the Ludde!!

Yes very impressive. Looked steady when he guested a couple of weeks ago but clearly has benefited from that. Gated well, good aggression on the first corner and faultless when in front. Only down side is the Worrall/Fox reserve pairing will be a major problem for the Diamonds in the second league match.

Really poor performance from Scunthorpe tonight. I thought this looked a close contest on paper but the Scorpions were just blown away by for once a full 7 Diamonds team. Certainly no obvious excuses for the visitors as there was nothing noticeably wrong with the track but Klindt, Auty, Douglas and Birks were very disappointing. Only Howe and Jorgensen put up any resistance at all. Good comebacks from Robbo and Lewis K and a fine guest display from Fox who looks to be developing a liking for Brough and rode very well. A word for Lewis Rose too who is making a very decent fist of riding in the top 5 before he really should be. Man of the match though was Lindgren who was absolutely flying and provided most of the entertainment with some superb overtaking. God knows what TWK will complain about tonight. What an enigma Ludde is though. When he rides like that it's hard to see why he hasn't got a 9+ PL average but he is thrilling to watch when the bikes and mind are in synch.

Could even show some imagination and have a 2 week window in the hight of the summer where the league is put on hold and the 4TT qualifiers are run with the final at the end of the two weeks. Offer discounts for travelling fans at each venue and really promote it, similar to what county cricket has done with the 20-20 tournament. Might just get a few extra folk in through the turnstiles....

Fair enough. Perhaps Newcastle weren't happy but were out voted. Wouldn't be the first time. Maybe Cradley will move up next season which will help assuming we don't lose anybody. I have said for years that I would like to see the 4TT qualifiers brought back. Guarantees good crowds and gives the fans something different. I know George has similar views, frustrating that other promoters continually block any moves to reinstate it.