Roger MARTIN

You would think that the Holder brothers were the only brothers to ever ride Speedway in this Country, look around, i'm not saying James Holder should be like his brother, your the one bringing that into it, it's helped him i think, because he would be gone by now if he wasn't called Holder, and for Bowden to even think to put a rider on that CMA into the main body of the team at number 4 shows what he knows about putting together a Speedway team, the lad is a reserve in the PL, do not matter who her brother is, that don't come into it, but thats where he should be. I think by not being at reserve will cost him is place, the same way it cost James Cockle, and we can only blame one person for that, not the two lads, because before the season even started everyone knew they were no better than PL reserves, the only person who didn't know that was Mike Bowden, and he is paying the price for that now.

So your happy with the way James Holder is riding, in the local rag Mike Bowden say's that there could be more change's, so Bowden isn't happy with someone else. and i think that could be James, you can only go by what a rider does on the track, you may think people are being very harsh, but i feel he should be doing better.

Ricky kling will be questing for Ben Barker on friday, Barker will be riding in a World GP Qualifier in Austria.

Very good point, we have been focusing on Franchetti, but when you look at Holder he hasn't been much better, my feelings are that Bowden could bring in any two riders and they would not do any worse than Holder and Franchetti, i don't think just bringing in a rider for Franchetti will solve the problem, i think the only way to even try to do that Bowden would need to drop three riders, Gathercole. Holder. and Franchetti. Then pool the points from them, to replace Holder and Franchetti you would only get like for like, yes the riders coming in would not do any worse, but the two riders coming are not on the same CMA for nothing, but Franchetti will go.

Cheers Dave i was looking at his starting CMA, he must be a very good rider to be released by Glasgow

According to the local Paper Mike Bowden is in talks with Robert Ksiesak, where he will fit in i don't know, he has a CMA of 4.61 and the only rider he can take the place of is James Holder, how that will help the real problem in the reserve's i don't know.

If your going to bring Tim into the team you have to give the lad time to settle, i like Tim and at the SBA he is has good a NL rider has any club or no club, if Mike Bowden is thinking to bring in a NL rider then we could do no better than Tim, he is helping Ryan Fisher at the moment, so i'm not sure if he want's to ride full time now, but the last time i saw Tim ride a meeting at the SBA involving NL riders he was unbeaten by any rider.

Your right mike i was thinking about Mudgeway, and i know he is not Australian, i was just saying that the rider he maybe talking about guested for us last year, i know Ksiezak didn't guest for us last year, and i don't know what Country he is from.

I think the rider you are talking about guested for us last year, i don't think he will make the team that much stronger, but something must be done, because the reserve department in Plymouth's team is the weakest in the PL, but then we knew that before the season started.

Myself i would like to see Peter Juul Larsen, he goes well at the SBA, and is better than a reserve there, not sure if he would fit, if not then Rob Branford would do for me.

If there is a change you can bet it will be on the cheap, i would go for Starke or Webster, i don't think its the right way but it will be the cheap way.

After watching the meeting at the SBA tonight if anyone goes it has to be Franchetti, Holders not a great rider, but he is much better than Franchetti, by the end of the meeting tonight both Glasgow reserves were beating Franchetti, he is all over the place, and has no control on the track.

Franchetti and Holder are getting beat every week by good NL rider's riding in the PL, last week against Somerset Kyle Newman made them both look static, and unless they both improve in a big way this weekend against Glasgow and Liecester Mike Bowden will have to make the decision to bin one or both riders, Holder and Franchetti are not inexperienced riders, they are just not good enough for the PL, end of

I agree with that, i would bin Franchetti and bring in someone like Robert Branford, because he could not do much worse, then bin Holder and use the spare points from Franchetti to get a rider just under the 5 point cma, there is not a lot to play with but someone like Viktor Bergstrom would be better than Holder, but something has to be done because Holder and Franchetti were shocking last night.

I think with IofW having four ex Rye House riders in there team i didn't think it was going to be an easy meeting for Rye House, i know that i would expect an hard meeting if the away team were coming to my track with four ex riders in there team, any home team would, i think Rye House did well considering that, i think has the team get more track time at home the less experienced riders will improve, the IofW team are a much more experience that the Rye House team, Garry Cottham going around Rye House at reserve you would expect him to score a few points, the young lads at Rye will get better and just need track time in a meeting.

I see Buxton have signed Luke Priest to replace Ben Taylor, having watched Luke at Plymouth last friday i think this is a very good move, Luke was only beat by Tim Webster and a very good ride from Chesell on the night, so having Ben and Tim in the same team Buxton have two riders that are riding well for the start of the NL season, best of luck to the two of them.

A place at reserve would help montie.

I had a word with Danny's father at the meeting at Plymouth tonight and he told me that Danny was offered a place at Stoke but could not agree terms, i'm not going to go into anymore details on the matter but i can understand after what his father told me the reason the lad did not sign.

Dan Berwick was a very promising rider when at Sittingbourne, i can remember him coming to Plymouth with Sittingbourne and he looked very good, but then he got injured when riding for the IofW and has never got back to the form he showed at Sittingbourne, i wish the lad well at Stoke and if he get's back to the form he showed at Sittingbourne he will do well for Stoke.

I agree 100% on that, good luck to Danny at the IofW.

Plymouth have a challenge match tonight the 30th March at Plymouth 7.30 start against Weymouth, prices will be £10 for adults, £8 OAP'S, and children £3, the teams are, Plymouth Devil's 1, Kyle Hughes. 2, Jaimie Pickard. 3, Matt Bates. 4, Luke Priest. 5, Tom Brown. 6, Danny Stoneman. 7, Richard Andrews. Weymouth Wildcats 1, Tim Webster. 2, Dean Felton. 3, James White- Williams. 4, Brendan Johnson. 5, David Mason. 6, Luke Chessel. 7, Jamie Dixon.

Danny will be riding tonight at Plymouth in a challenge match for the Devils in a NL match against Weymouth, i will ask him what the situation was about him riding for Stoke, i can't see how the Stoke manager rates Dan Berwick higher than Danny, i have seen both ride at Plymouth and with Danny's experience from last year you have to say Danny is the better more experience rider, he is in the Plymouth team tonight and if Plymouth were allowed to compete in the NL this year like they tried to do, i'm sure Danny would have been given a spot in the team, i'm not saying Danny would be the best reserve in the NL, but i rate him higher than Dan Berwick on what i have seen of them both at the SBA.

I know they have, i'm just saying i would have given the last spot to Danny, we had Berwick at Plymouth and he did not last long, Danny Stoneman is a much better rider in my opinion, i don't think Berwick will last the season, Stoke should be looking for a rider with NL experience, and Danny has plenty of that, i don't think Dan Berwick has finished a season with any NL team, when signing rider's you should be looking at that.

I would give the last spot to Danny, the lad has NL experience, that would sway it for me and i think the track at Stoke would suit Danny.

I shall be there to support Matt, looks like a good meeting, it will be great to see some of the lads again, kyle, Tom, Jaimie, Danny and Dean.