wjm

East Fortune market would be an ideal location for a speedway track.

It would p*ss Taffy off. I said in half in jest. I can’t see the football team moving for a while personally.

if worst comes to worst and the speedway club does have to move to a new stadium in the next 60 or 70 years, it would be an ideal chance to move the location further North closer to an area like Dunbar IMO.

None of them are, and for the future of British Speedways sake, Somerset are to be applauded for that. And one rider in their side in particular is an example of what every Young Brit without a place who wants to make their way in Speedway should be looking at. Kyle Newman wasn’t getting a chance, wanted a chance, wants to make it as a speedway rider, what did he do when he wasn’t getting a chance closer to home? He drove past about 90% of tracks in the country to ride for Newcastle, that’s commitment, that’s earning your way. It isnt just young riders like Newman that take on the acceptance that travelling is part of the sport (Wilko and Schramm went out their way to rebuild their careers by going up to Berwick every week). British Speedway,some sides, and the young riders, in some ways have become victims to regionalisation and location. “Up North” in particular, Berwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scottish Speedway in general has seen a drought of young talent in recent years ( a wider spread problem than that which lies at the door of the 3 clubs IMO). I don’t doubt for a second that all 3 would love the chance to see a 3.00 rider come through the ranks and progress, but due to circumstance the riders aren’t on their door step, and the team place isnt at the door step of a lot of riders either. Do enough Young Brits want to make the commitment, travel miles, put in the ground work to make their way? It isnt something I know an answer to, but have an opinion on it, my opinion, makes it difficult for me to have a lot of sympathy for Brits who claim they don’t get their chance. Sometimes you need to do more to make it happen IMO. Some riders make it easy for teams to look elsewhere, again, I might be wrong with that, but looking on that’s how it seems to me.

IMO part of the problem for Young Brits is that a lot of them are assets of clubs before they look for a PL place. I have already referenced this earlier, but it is still relevant for a guy like a Morley, he is a Rye House rider is he not? I appreciate the logic of “if you are good enough being an asset doesn’t matter”, and there are exception, but in some ways it massively does matter. I appreciate there are some (Woffinden (Wolves), Auty (Coventry), Ellis (Lakeside)) but these guys are exceptions to the rule, known quality that are going to play a part in a decent season due to the improvement that is as good as guaranteed to come from riders of that class. So its understandable a club would take on another teams asset. The majority of Young Brits, are long term investments and, in some instances their first season struggle will have a detrimental effect on how a side performs league table wise, thus impacting crowds as those who have a “win only mentality” will drift away when the side struggles, so it’s understandable clubs wouldn’t take such a risk on a rider who isn’t their own. Whereas the unknown Argentine will become a Sheffield rider, with no loan fee, any improvement is solely for the clubs benefit and it will result in a transfer fee, or the ability to loan the rider out in future seasons, it isn’t any wonder that a club would show more of an investment in a rider like that than a already tied down Brit IMO, it’s just common sense. A Morley (again as an example) has a decent year, and is recalled, the loan fee increases, or a transfer fee has to be paid. The “who plays what part in a Brits development” is an issue IMO.

And Poole only lost a couple of meetings all season thanks mainly to a strong top two, while you won’t get a Turbo Twin like performance away from home from Stead and Hall it isn’t beyond them around Sheffield, add in guys like Wells and Haines that is a decent amount of points most weeks at home.

Is that side confirmed? Still can’t see any team that is exceptionally weak, or strong in the PL. The points that Stead and Hall alone will bring in will make that side tough to beat at home, teams will be doing well to take points away from Owlerton IMO.

What a moronic statement to make, on so many levels, neither trolling or smart, just crass. You have shown yourself up for what you really are with that one.

Thank feck he can't guest against Berwick anymore either, done us a lot of damage over the years.

Dyer isn't a Berwick asset, loan fee saved better spent on Wethers or Robin? Is IMO, Alex, Nicki and David are club assets and have it in them to better their average. Dyer rode well for Berwick, should be applauded for that, wish him well.

7.5 for Berwick over 25 meeting according to the speedway star.

If Sky are showing PL meetings next season Somerset v Berwick, in theory could be a belter, Berwick nearly have more Somerset tracks experts than the home side do.

Wrong to say a fair few are Peterborough assets? North, Vissing and Poole? With hindsight should have stayed loyal to a PL side from day one which might have seem them at a club for a long enough time to properly develop? If North had joined Newcastle from day one as their asset say Poole Glasgow chances are they would already have a team place next season. They are decent but will clubs ever fully commit to them given they have no ties to them?

What did Aspegren average for Berwick? 6.40 is taking on his Newport form I take it? Aren't many 6.40 men turning in performances like he was.

Cook must be nailed on for Plymouth next year?

Bellego, Aspegren, Wethers and Barrett justify signing a team under the points limit IMO

Good team.

Berwick. The side with Ashworth, Auty and Parker was a good side though yes? That the crowds have tailed off from 10 years ago isn’t solely a Machin or Hoggy, or even Sheffield issue, it’s a problem for most tracks and it runs a lot deeper than that. I have bought the Sheffield highlights from GRT the last 4 years (excellent and well worth buying IMO) and I have to say I have found the standard of racing and entertainment more often than not excellent, admittedly I haven’t watched last year’s yet, but I have it and will give it a watch when I get the time. Guys like Hall, Auty, Parker, Ashworth even Skidmore had his moments when he is an entertaining rider. I am not defending the side currently being built or last season’s effort, I am simply not as black and white on things as some there are always certain grey areas. I am the same with Berwick, same with most things Speedway, its easy to state I want, this, that and the other, but looking at the bigger picture and understanding why things happen, and why clubs make certain decisions, or in some instances need to make certain decisions is a bit harder.

Twice the size of last season, but half the size of 10 years ago and a club that doesn’t sign quality riders anymore yet built a side of quality, and a team that produced some superb racing on a track that hasn’t produced good racing since Wilson?

Evidently they can, its only a couple of seasons since they finished 4th and 2nd tracking guys like Parker, Auty and Ashworth, the line between a good season, and a poor one is pretty fine in speedway, it isnt like football where you have an established order based on club size.

Funny, because I had thought the general trend that has taken over Speedway was its all about today, and not tomorrow. While, no one sane would get involved to make money out of speedway, it would be insane to think anyone will run a speedway club at a loss, and to the point of extinction (which would be the end result if clubs track the BSF fantasy sides a lot of fans wish for). Most clubs will be looking to break even across the year, that’s just common sense. Of course every club wants to be competitive away, but the bread and butter, and thing that will ensure clubs longer term futures, is a entertaining home side, that’s where most clubs will focus, more so with things the way they currently are. Every club has to get the basic right, which is an entertaining night of racing at home, what comes after that is an addition. Given what happened to Sheffield last season, the best option to safeguard the future of the club would be looking after their home meetings first, everything after that is a bonus, a decent season at home, going unbeaten and picking up 3 points most weeks will see most sides in and around the Play Off hunt, its understandable clubs are making that their priority. A lot of stick is aimed the way of Machin (and Silver), it isnt a coincidence that both have been involved for years and won multiple trophies, they aren’t the idiots a lot on here make them out to be, they are just a bit more pragmatic than fans want them to be.

They are announcing their full 1-7 tonight……

Somerset will probably end the season with 2 of the top 5 averaging riders in the PL. Be interesting to see what Josh G does, I wouldn’t say that he has gotten stale at Glasgow, but the injury really seemed to be a set back at a time when he was kicking on, hopefully he can get back to the form he was showing during Glasgows PL winning season, it’s a smart signing by Somerset. Of the teams announced so far Rye look like the only side with what could be considered an established reserve pairing IMO, the rest are looking for riders to emerge or progress, Ipswich (potentially look very strong at reserve) but there isn’t much to choose between the rest. I can’t say any side is standing out for me so far, they all seem to have their strengths and weaknesses in equal measure.

I am not as convinced as some that Albin would be a waste of a signing, maybe the problem is that Dick Barrie supposedly rates him rather than the rider himself? (for what it’s worth I would trust Dick Barries judgment of a speedway rider, he has seen enough riders to know what he its talking about). I only saw a limited amount of him, but I thought he looked ok, but not enough to make a full assessment…. Did anyone really see enough of him to form a true judgment of his ability? The basis for not signing him seems to be that, well, the other 5.00 riders Berwick have signed didn’t hit their average, on that basis Glasgow should never have signed Josh G and Campton , because Davey, O Malley and the other guy they signed who’s name I can’t remember were poor. There is an element of gamble with every 5.00 rider you sign, some will work some wont, its worth the couple that don’t work if you find a Campton, Josh G.

That is a decent looking side, Redcar always seem to have the right idea when they put together their 1-7 at the start of the season, a bit like Berwick though, things just never seem to click at the same time for one reason or another, both sides seem to be waiting for something unfortunate around the corner. If they can keep that side together and get a run they could have a good season. Be interesting to see if Dyer can hold form over a season.