Roger MARTIN

Your right but do you think us Plymouth supporter's had any say in it, Plymouth is a stand alone club, maybe if we had two team's like Scunthorpe it would be different, i know Plymouth get good support but we still want a good team, but i think we could have got that with a much younger team, if i had a choice of having Tim Webster, Paul Starke or Seemond Stephen's in the Plymouth team i would pick Tim and Paul everytime, not all Plymouth fan's were happy with Mike Bowden's choice of rider's.

Great post Dean, if we had someone in charge of the bspa who knew half of what you know then we could get somewhere, it was never going to work in Plymouth if it wasn't treated has a 3rd division speedway league, yes like you say british speedway owe alot to the conference/ national league, and they also owe alot to rider's like you Seemond and Buzz Burrow's and rider's like that, because the only way young rider's will learn is to ride against rider's like you Seemond and Buzz who see nothing wrong with rider in the NL because they love the sport and want to give something back. Don't forget Buzz Burrows, he wasn't at Plymouth, who was he with, or has that slipped your mind.

I agree Steve, to be honest myself Boxall was very good when he came down with Rye House, and if he was promised a place then that would be wrong to not to give the place to him, but it would no surprise me if Mike Bowden gave the place to Lanham, but it's not what you know, it's who you know.

It's a good job your not running the league Montie.

So having the Worralls in the NL is helping British rider's who can't get a ride develop, i don't think Matt and Richard look at it that way Montie. i know what you are saying but the NL surely is about British rider's like Matt Bates, Richard Andrews just to name two learning the sport, not about helping other rider's that are not British get into the PL like there doing now, i have seen so many none British rider's use the NL has a stepping stone into the PL at the expence of rider's like Matt and Richard, they don't care about the NL, they are just using it and the people who run these teams that employ those rider's are not interested in the development that the league is suppose to be used for. I know Mike Bowden wasn't when Plymouth were in the NL, if he could of had 7 Australian rider's in his team he would have, if it ment he won the league, it was only because he could not get any he didn't have none, im not saying Matt or Richard will ever be good enough for the PL, but they should be given priority over none British rider's, not play second best in there own Country.

I agree with Dean, when Plymouth were in the NL i didn't look at the league has a development league, i looked at it has a third division speedway league, when Dean came down to Plymouth he wanted to win every race he was in, he didn't think of it has helping youngster's develope, and i wouldn't want him to, yes it is a good league for young rider's to develope in, but for young rider's to develope you need rider's like Dean to race against , otherwise how would they learn. We had Seemond Stephens at Plymouth and he did help the younger rider's in the team with set-ups, and there gating, but once he went onto the track all he wanted to do was win, but for young rider's to improve you need to race against rider's like him, and the young rider's loved it when they beat him, and there were alot that did, if it was just for young rider's and only young rider's how would they learn anything. The idea behind the NL is a very good one if they were to listen to rider's like Dean who love the sport, if you want anything to work well you start from the bottom and work your way up, not start from the top and by the time you get to the bottom you run out of idea's, the sport need's the NL for the development of the sport in this country, when young rider's come over from Australia they are already one step higher than are young rider's in the NL, so the NL is essential to get right, and at present it's not. It's such a shame that rider's like Matt Bates, Richard Andrew's can't get a ride, it's not all about the Heep's and the Worrall's getting a ride, how is that helping the British rider's develope.

And i'm sure that's not in Coventry's plan's, i would think that Summer's would be there first choice, with Leigh Lanham just to cover him when needed, but you are right about him going full time, and the same would apply to Summer's now unless Lanham can find a PL spot, but i would think both would want to go PL full time.

Like you say Mike, if indeed Lanham is going to sign this would have been sorted, it's in Coventry's advantage that Lanham keep's busy other than riding for them, and i'm sure Leigh will want to get a ride in the PL.

Your spot on that's why i said that Summer's maybe riding in the home meeting's, riding in the PL must be Lanham's main job i would think, and only riding for Coventry when Summer's isn't available, it must be the same agreement he would have if still riding for Newport.

Can't argue with that Mike , i think it will be very hard on James having to ride in the main body of the team, i think the lad deserve's better than that to be very honest.

We all know that Mike, but the man that matter's don't, that's where the problem lies, sticking to the team we have now will give us a few point's left if we need to make a change, but if Leigh Lanham come's into the team we will have none, would it be worth the gamble, well if it happen's Mike Bowden think's it will, so we will just have to go with it. I think you may be right lewy, unless Summer's ride's all the home meeting's and Lanham the away meeting's, or when Summer's isn't available, i think Lanham will need to ride in the PL just to make riding worth it, but like you say lewy it may not be a option because Coventry ride on friday's.

A bit of a sting in it Skippy, i hope your right.

Leigh use to ride for the Falcon's i think it was about 1997, you could see he was going to be a good rider, he handled the bend's at the County Ground no problem, if you can ride the County Ground track you can ride just about any track, that's why i said Mike Bowden would have see him, i know he use to go there.

Mike i agree but we are talking about Mike Bowden hear, if he want's to bring any rider in he will, it woudn't suprise me if he went for him, i don't think bringing Franchetti in was just to save money, just an easy option, Mike Bowden has opted to bring Gino back, he has moved James up, wouldn't it make sence to bring in a rider like Lanham just to make the top five stronger, stave Boxhall at best at the moment is a very good second string rider, i think it would make sence, and i know what you are saying about him having a budgit Richard, but if Mike wanted to bring him in he would, rider's like that don't become avaliable very often, and when they do you have to act quickly.

Yeh your right i was at that meeting, he did look quick out of the gate, to quick for the ref in that meeting, sorry i missed that one , forgot he was a Somerset last year to, but a rider we could do with also, it is a very good advantage to be quick out of the gate at the SBA, one thing for sure is someone has to go to bring Lanhan in if that's the case, and Mellgren would fit, but i'm just guessing about that.

I don't think he will do that Montie, if he bring's him in he will want to have Ben, Leigh and Ryan has the three heat leader's, then build around them, i wouldn't drop the Fish for Lanham, Leigh is a good rider but Ryan is better, i know it will be hard on some of the rider's if he does that but that's what i think he will do, that's if he goes for Lanham.

It would not surprise me one bit if Mike didn't go for Leigh Lanham, a quality rider and great rider for Exeter, so Mike and Seemond must know all about him and it would be a great top three with Ben, Ryan and Leigh, to have a third heat leader with the quality that Leigh has, now that would make people talk, and would shut the moaner's up, wouldn't it

Myself i would rather have Leigh Lanham in my team, but that's just a matter of choice, just for his experience on the British track's, the rest that would fit like Robin Aspegren 5.73, Ander's Mellgren 5.4, and Todd Kurtz 4.85 Would have been ok before Mike Bowden Signed Gino Franchetti, but none have done nothing special around the SBA when they came down to Plymouth with Newport, Melgren has never been to the SBA but the other two have, Aspegren Getting 5+1 and Kurtz 5+3, none were race win's, and that was in a meeting where we got beat easily by Newport, and the Plymouth team was very poor that night. I think even if these rider's were available before i don't think they are rider's that Mike Bowden would have gone for to be honest, and the sad thing about that is i think in Mike's mind Gino Franchetti was alway's going to be the first rider to come in if Werner changed his mind like he did, even if these rider's were available then, it would not have made any difference because i don't think Mike looked any further than Franchetti, and i think he will come to regret that because i feel he had a great chance to make the team a lot stronger having over 6 to find a rider, and he did not do that, now bringing in Gino who i don't dislike will put great presser not on him but on James Cockle who in reality is a reserve at the best, James is a great lad and this will be very hard season for him in the PL having to move up so Gino can come back into the team at reserve, something i feel should not have happened.

Great to see that Birmingham have found a rider to double up with Ben Barker, Magnus Karlsson will double up with Ben, great new's for the Devil's

Dave i didn't think it was a personal attack, all i did was answer lewy's question and give my reason why i won't be standing on bend two, i'm happy to come on this site and say what i have to say, and when did i change was it after 10 post's, 100post's or a 1000 post's, i'm not saying anymore Dave because after all this i do have a lot of respect for you, and i did think we were friend's, maybe i was wrong about that, but we did have some good time's on bend two, well i think we did, can't be sure now, i think if you had asked me to calm down for the sake of the site i would have no matter what you say about the world according to Roger, that's has a friend's if we ever were friend's that is, but i never got the chance, so we will never know, anyway it's all water under the bridge now, i'm looking forward to the new season now, give my best regard's to Ruth, i'm not saying anymore on this matter now, it was very good while it lasted, met some good people on bend two, let's crack on, if i'm allowed to that is. Roger.

No lewy, and i think you know why, i have no reason to stand there anymore, i don't think my grandson will be going this year so i will sit in the stand, being thrown off the site after over a 1000 post by a so called mate who i stood next to on bend two for the last three year's, and that's after being the second highest poster, why would i want to stand there anymore, no warning just a email saying i'm banned, brilliant.

With Newport rider's now looking for team's Mike Bowden could have maybe picked up one of them that could have fitted in the Plymouth team, Mike i feel just like you because we have the making's of a very good team, lets be honest Ben and Ryan must be the best top two in the PL and a great foundation for any team to start with, like you i can't be asked anymore, i'm just going to go and sit in the stand on the start finish line and watch the meeting's and let Mike Bowden find out the hard way that you cant put out a PL team with four reserve's in it and expect to do well, the team has it is now i feel is weaker than last year's now, he will find that out maybe not at home but you can bet in away meeting's.

Great post Dean and it's always great to see you when you come down to Plymouth, one of my favorite rider's at the SBA, not the best but will give 100% on the track.

Spot on with that comment, in today's locol Plymouth paper Brent Werner has backed out of joinng Plymouth due to a personality clash with one of the present team member's, his place will be taken by Gino Franchetti, i can hear the drum's beating has i speak by so called Plymouth Devil's supporter's, they did not want Werner, but won't be happy with his replacement, they can't do anything about it, but they sure will have a moan, i'm not happy about bringing in a 3.40 rider when you have over 6 to find one, but there is nothing i can do about it, and i can't see it working for to long, but i will still support the team and wait to see what happen's, i have made that choice.

Mike Bowden may not be everyone's cup of tea but he is the one that matter's, and opinion's that he should let someone else take over are idea's of people that like to shout there mouth off but would never try it themself's, every sport have them people thinking they can do a better job, but when it come's down to putting there name forward they are nowhere to be seen, you are right barncooseboy he can not put any permanant build facilities on the speedway site at the SBA, but everyone one know's that, but it's just something for the anty Mike Bowden so called Plymouth Supporter's to have a moan about, i am not a Mike Bowden fan but i would never try the job he is doing, i take my hat off to him for even trying it, so let him get on with it, there a gutless bunch, i have come to realise that, the old saying is put up, or shut up.