Ben91

You don't honestly believe this do you? There were plenty who didn't agree with certain aspects of how the club and how certain riders performed and would post saying as much when we were in the Premier League. The bit in bold is bonkers. The club earns money through fans attending meetings. Granted every penny of Rider X's wages isn't paid directly by one fan but, newsflash, no fans = no money = no wages for the riders. Or even more bluntly, no fans = no speedway. It isn't a pathetic excuse, it is the truth. It isn't the fault of fans that Speedway is in the state it is in either, so if promotions are having to subsidise their riders from their own, non-speedway cashflow, who should they be looking at to find a reason as to why they're having to do so? That is sport wide, not just in relation to Rye. In fairness to our promotion, the seeds for the state the sport is now in were sown many years before they were even involved in the sport. Your definition of being a supporter is incredibly off the mark. Fans should have patience, yes, but they also have a right to comment on things, otherwise what is the point of a forum? Calls to sack riders may not help, but they also shouldn't hinder when they are in a place that frankly, a rider should not be looking if he doesn't want to see criticism directed towards his performances. It doesn't make people unintelligent if their opinion and yours are different.

People involved in the sport need to stop using the term "keyboard warrior(s)." Not going to get people on side at all.

And at reserve too according to the latest averages. Could be a trump card at home.

Had an eye on this on updates as there were five riders with Rye connections on show. Looks like a really good performance from Morley, not a track he'd generally be expected to do well at. Kev Doolan's scoring these past couple of nights seems to have rolled the clock back a decade or so as well!

Cool story bro.

Not at all. I'm all for debate with people who don't attempt to patronise and speak as if their opinion is gospel. No paddies being thrown here. Life's too short. If it makes you feel better you can chalk it up as an argument won though. Well done.

We both know I never said that. Sad.

And makes no sense as it doesn't make us stronger. Harris is better than Worrall, I'd put Robbo ahead of Starke too. Wells would be better than Kennett away but worse at home. Morley is too expensive on the average he has and far from good enough on away tracks. If NBJ is on a 4.15 we need to try get him in any way possible. Surprised nobody has gone for Josh Auty on a 4.68 too, not a world beater by any means but for a rider a point and a bit more expensive than Morley, for example, you're getting a rider twice as good if not more in reality.

The days of Rye having any kind of home advantage went with the adverse camber years ago. I'm less than a mile from the track, bright skies at present. It has tried to rain a couple of times in the last few hours but nothing to put a meeting in jeopardy has come down. Forecast is good from now, the next rain predicted in Hoddesdon a 30% chance at 12pm tomorrow afternoon.

I'll be surprised if Wolves don't beat us and take all four points.

I think the part about Jenson not being a speedway man is the nail hit on the head. Schroeck too doesn't fill me with confidence as a team manager either. Since the new promotion has come in we have had a lot of 'name' signings as I'd describe it. In the Premier League Lanham was signed on the back of the fact he was a 10 point rider at that level in the early 2000s, Peter Karger signed because his dad is Brian Karger who used to be half decent. Then last season, Harris, Nicholls and Watt, all signed on reputation and the fact that they had done well in the past. There's more than that to singing riders. We were lucky to have KK fall into our lap mid-season and, yes, we did end the season as the form team. But we still didn't make the play-offs. Other teams strengthened over the winter and we made two like-for-like changes. Complacency perhaps, or thinking that other sides wouldn't be looking to put together sides different to what they had last year. A few of us said here and on Facebook that is wasn't enough but were shot down by a vocal majority. Those who think that we should all just be grateful to have Speedway to watch. Having three riders north of 35 years of age was always a worry for me. Harris to me seems like a Glasgow rider who comes to us as his second club to go through the motions and pick up his pay. Perhaps that is down to Glasgow's PR side being better though and me taking it the wrong way. He certainly isn't a top tier heatleader any more though. Nicholls' troubles may well be down to his machinery but that needs nipping in the bud asap. There's a lot of pressure on Robbo. He is one of my favourite all time riders but his average is expensive and the team was built for him to score lots of points from reserve. I've waffled on here, apologies. I have been planning on going tomorrow night having not been able to make it to the called off Leicester meeting, I fear we'll get turned over though by what looks like an average Wolves side at best.

Tell me, does making patronising comments on the internet make you feel like a big man? If so I'll have to try it some time. Comparing now, on start of season averages it is easy to say that compared rider for rider the Rye team is a lot stronger. Compare this Rye seven with the side that finishes top of the Championship at the end of the season and the gap will be closer than it appears now. Robson is a second heatleader in a weak Championship side, Summers would be a number one at only two other clubs in that tier. You can dress stats up to suit your argument all you like, as can I. But then that was your point wasn't it, that there's no argument...

In your opinion. Mine is different. This hypothetical match won't happen anyway.

A few Championship sides would give us a test over two legs I'd wager. Hoping Nicholls' problems are bike related, if not then his form in both tiers (obviously he's only had 1 1/2 top flight meetings thus far) is a major cause for concern. Harris isn't even a number one in the second division at present. If things aren't looking rosey then Kasprzak soon can become CBAsprzak. Summers is uninspiring to say the least. Kennett could suffer from lack of meetings. There's a lot of pressure on Robbo to score well at reserve and potentially be taking lots of rides. Clegg's performance on the track he probably has done more laps around than any other concerns me too, he's not the rider he was looking like developing into a few years back.

A poor showing from the Rockets tonight. Let's not have any excuses about the riders needing to blow away the cobwebs, the Wolverhampton side came into this much colder than our riders, Kennett aside. It'll be interesting to see what excuses are wheeled out for this one.

He's the ideal rider to have in your engine room at this level for sure. Wouldn't ever knock him for his commitment or enthusiasm, just that he always is portrayed as a 'bargain' signing. The Lakeside team looks good, as you say, he'll probably remain a second string and if he does then I can't see why he wouldn't hit a high six/low seven average wise.

Newman has been around his current average for quite some time now. I do wonder why people still think it is an attractive one, it's his level. He may push up to about a seven if he stays at second string all season with no pressure on him to do the bulk of the scoring.

I suspect you already know the answer to that.

Have looked for Scott's scores with interest over the last couple of nights as he is Rye's number one this term again. Would have expected a lot more from him around a track he is mightily familiar with in Ipswich and one at which he is considered a specialist in Lakeside. Hopefully it is just a case of early season blowing the cobwebs away, if he was going to fall off a cliff I'd have expected it to have happened a few seasons back. From a selfish point of view I'd prefer to see him have his off nights in a Peterborough race jacket than a Rye House one too!

I think the Somerset side has been vastly underrated by many when making predictions for the season. Doyle should go through the card, KK potentially will be the only Rocket to trouble him. The Rebels are just as strong in the engine room as we are and should score more from reserve as well.

Not forgetting that bonus points used to be included in a rider's average too and aren't now.

Unfortunately, they aren't just trying, many are succeeding. To the detriment of the fans. We have to pay more to get in and half the time we see disjointed teams because of fixture clashes. Because the riders 'need' to race for two clubs to make the sport pay. Again, the riders wants are detrimental to the people who pay their wages. Speedway in Britain shouldn't be a professional sport any longer. Riders aren't owed anything by the sport or the fans. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards. The horse has bolted for this season of course but next season riders should have one team and one team only. Because of that we may lose a few riders to the sport. Those who do it for the love of the sport will find a way to carry on, be it by running more cost effective equipment or taking a job outside the sport to help them fund their racing. There are plenty of riders in the levels below the National League who would give an arm and a leg to ride for a team spot I'm sure. So we may lose a few prima donnas and the standard of the leagues may be worse than it is now but it would be better for the fans and the sport in the long run.

I'm not suggesting that we know what the riders are paid etc. and I don't care how much the riders are paid but look at football. If a player is difficult to deal with, it is in the public domain, if he wants too much money, it is in the public domain, if he wants a transfer, it is in the public domain. We are dealing with a 'professional' sport here, not a normal job. It is so easy to accept it because 'that's the way it is.' Far too few people are asking why? And when they do they just get shot down. My disillusionment with the sport is at an all time high at the moment.

Not everyone will be able to do that if the crowds are anything like last year. Those who can't see very well will think twice about attending again. Other riders could have been used indeed and forums are a place to discuss that. People are allowed to have an opinion on these things. If the reasons we haven't got X rider in the team is he is too expensive, it is not wrong to say so, if he is an arrogant git, making too many demands, or just a plain arse then it is absolutely fine to say so. It is 2018. We don't need censorship. The majority of fans will appreciate being told rather than speculating. This isn't Rye specific but speedway fans tend to be like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed s*** and yet some happily accept it because that is the way it has always been. The attitude of 'at least we have speedway to watch' is a big part of the reason the sport is dying. Just because the BSPA were there on Thursday it doesn't mean much in this sport. The rules change on a weekly basis at times, one was literally changed within the last week. You should know that by now Sid.

There must have been options other than what we have on the centre green now. If funds were a problem then we should have stuck to or reverted to second tier racing. If only we had a press and practice so fans could go for free and see what the viewing is like. It's a shock to see and an eyesore. If it doesn't damage the viewing and is a revenue stream then all well and good. But I can't see how that'd be the case. I hope I'm wrong. The other concern of course is also whether it is actually within the rules! Looks to me like the best view to be had now is from the top of the jump in the middle of the track!