Leicester Lions 2013

[justathought]

You seem remarkably and regularly interested in it, yet your posts always seem to be about stifling debate. I wonder why, what's your agenda?

 

Don't ask that. You'll only confuse him.

[barrow boy]

Doubt there will be an Elite League next season. Hopefully the G.P. riders will be ditched along with some of the dodgy foreigners and we can get back to some sort of normality riding every week.

 

Gemini I agree with you.

 

Can anyone provide an insight into the cost differencial of paying riders to form a team suitable for Elite League racing compared to one for Premier League? I ask because I see more exciting Premier League meetings than Elite League.

As I see it, the problem Leicester has is the scarciety of local Derbies to create some real long term excitement and anticipation which imust be the main reason for jumping into the Elite League - but at what cost?

 

I agree that it is the lack of local interest matches that is swaying the promotion towards Elite League membership but I think that is quite likely that there will be some sort of league restructuring next year anyway especially if there is to be no Sky money to spend.

[barrow boy]

Do we need another rider in at reserve to cover for the injured Alex Edberg or are we going to have to put up with a zero scoring from 6 rides guest again.

Edited July 23, 2013 by barrow boy

[comet49]

I've wondered myself how long a topic can stay hot and how a topic is made "Hot" Biggest problem in attracting fans is the almost total dominance of football in the press and on TV. Half a page showing pen pictures and brief description of riders (eg. where from) in the British Championship would surely attract new viewers, it's usually a good meeting too so could get some new fans attending meetings.

Edited July 23, 2013 by comet49

[justathought]

Kim Nilsson , Linus Eklof. Don't know about their availability or PL averages.

Edited July 24, 2013 by nightshift

[barrow boy]

Edberg injury news is another nail in the Lions play-off hopes.

The other day I looked at the top 7 teams remaining fixtures & had the Lions finishing 7th. Everyone knows they need to pick up max points at home in the majority of the remaining home meetings & try and get a couple of away wins along the way. Think this just got a lot harder with Edberg out, especially as Karlsson is struggling with his injury & Doolan is not in the form he was a month or so ago.

 

Can't imagine what the impact would be to the promotion if we missed the play-offs.

 

As it stands it is looking like Leicester will not make the playoffs. 2 of their 3 wins were against the worst 2 teams in the league who have also been beaten at home by most of the leading teams so they have gained no advantage.

[justathought]

As it stands it is looking like Leicester will not make the playoffs. 2 of their 3 wins were against the worst 2 teams in the league who have also been beaten at home by most of the leading teams so they have gained no advantage.

 

I think unless they make a smart move and bring in some decent replacements for the injured riders. Then I agree it will be difficult to make the top six. But, with the right riders they could win at both Rye House and Scunthorpe.

[lionking]

Winning at Rye House is going to be terribly hard with

 

Guest for Lasse Bjerre (who will be No1 from 1st August) ( Under 21 at Berwick)

 

R/R for Kauko Nieminen (Injured)

 

Guest for Alex Edberg (Injured)

 

NL guest for Robert Branford ( Reserve for the Under 21 at Berwick)

 

So we will go there with a team of

1.Guest

2.Jan Graversen

3.R/R

4.Kevin Doolan

5.Magnus Karlsson

6.Guest

7.NL Guest

 

 

 

 

I think unless they make a smart move and bring in some decent replacements for the injured riders. Then I agree it will be difficult to make the top six. But, with the right riders they could win at both Rye House and Scunthorpe.

Edited July 24, 2013 by lionking

[justathought]

Winning at Rye House is going to be terribly hard with

 

Guest for Lasse Bjerre (who will be No1 from 1st August) ( Under 21 at Berwick)

 

R/R for Kauko Nieminen (Injured)

 

Guest for Alex Edberg (Injured)

 

NL guest for Robert Branford ( Reserve for the Under 21 at Berwick)

 

So we will go there with a team of

1.Guest

2.Jan Graversen

3.R/R

4.Kevin Doolan

5.Magnus Karlsson

6.Guest

7.NL Guest

 

If that is the case then I agree.

 

What is the point of having Bjerre if he can't make half the meetings.

 

Apparently David Howe is the guest on Saturday against Sheffield.

[stevethelion]

Winning at Rye House is going to be terribly hard with

 

Guest for Lasse Bjerre (who will be No1 from 1st August) ( Under 21 at Berwick)

 

R/R for Kauko Nieminen (Injured)

 

Guest for Alex Edberg (Injured)

 

NL guest for Robert Branford ( Reserve for the Under 21 at Berwick)

 

So we will go there with a team of

1.Guest

2.Jan Graversen

3.R/R

4.Kevin Doolan

5.Magnus Karlsson

6.Guest

7.NL Guest

According to Lions website Kauko is hoping to be back for home match against Scunthorpe, so providing he has no setbacks should be available for Rye House. It also says Edberg is 2 weeks away from returning so it's possible he maybe back too for Rye House trip.

[Skodaman]

 

What is the point of having Bjerre if he can't make half the meetings.

 

 

 

Surely you would not deny the man a bit of possible glory.

[Long Eye]

Surely you would not deny the man a bit of possible glory.

 

All riders should be made to sign a contract stating that they have no ambition.

[TMW]

All riders should be made to sign a contract stating that they have no ambition.

 

They should have ambition. To be the best in the world but only ride for the Lions from here on in.

[jim the whipper]

The teams know what they are getting when they sign riders - it's entirely Leicester's decision to use Bjerre in the knowledge that he will definitely miss some fixtures, and even more if his ambitions are realised.

Whoosh

[justathought]

The teams know what they are getting when they sign riders - it's entirely Leicester's decision to use Bjerre in the knowledge that he will definitely miss some fixtures, and even more if his ambitions are realised.

 

That wasn't the question was it .

[Astill lodge lion]

Are Redcar Catchable?

Just reviewed the remaining fixtures again and still have Leicester finishing 7th with only Redcar realistically

catchable.

Worky & Edinburgh already have too many points in the bag.

Newcastle have 7 home meetings of the 10 remaining.

Ipswich & Somerset have 2 meetings in hand and looking at the fixtures look like we can't catch them.

This just leaves Redcar. They have the below meetings of which 5 of the 8 are away:-

Vs h/a my predicted points haul

Somerset a 0

Plymouth a 1

Scunthorpe h 3

Ipswich a 0

Leicester h 3

Glasgow h 3

Rye House a 1

Newcastle a 0

Total points 43

Lions remaining meetings :-

 

Vs h/a my predicted points haul

Sheffield h 3

Scunthorpe h 2

Rye a 1

Rye h 3

Redcar a 0

Berwick h 3

Scunthorpe a 0

Edinburgh h 2

Newcastle a 0

Total points 40

 

If Redcar don't win any of the away meetings and only pick up a point at both Rye House & Plymouth,

then Leicester could catch them if they over achieve on my predicted points haul.

ie: Take all 4 points at Rye House or get something Redcar or Scunthorpe & pick up max wins at home.

 

Probably all wishful thinking, but its the only thing to cling to if the Lions want to make the play-offs.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Astill lodge lion

[wandersome]

Are Redcar Catchable?

Just reviewed the remaining fixtures again and still have Leicester finishing 7th with only Redcar realistically

catchable.

Worky & Edinburgh already have too many points in the bag.

 

 

I don't think Redcar are catchable personally. I think we are nailed on for 7th. Do they still have the crap team cup as well to go? Is that happening this year? I guess we are either one of the favourites for the crap cup or rank outsiders for the play offs. What's the best option?

 

We've missed every conceivable opportunity to make a difference this season which i'm guessing mainly boils down to our parlous finances. Im sure if we'd made track changes mid winter and let speedway decisions overrule the heart we'd of had Blackbird and Kerr scoring big at reserve all season. I think we've missed opportunities to replace the likes of the missfiring (away from home at least) Graversen with someone like Pontus Asprgren for whatever reasons as well, be that finance or heart. We've had a number 1 whose heart hasn't really looked into doing it for the Lions at any point his year (probably for good reason if what i heard about his testimonial was correct) and after the 'team talk' a couple of weeks ago i guess we know have a whole team that probably now hold similar views.

 

If the right decisions had been made at the right times we'd have also had a whole lot more people watching at BP. It's not long ago that a junior meeting between Dudley and Leicester was pulling a much bigger (maybe twice the) crowd than last weeks individual but even then the writing was on the wall if things didn't change, they were actually on the wall from the very first meeting ever put on at BP. Rather than reel off excuse after excuse as to why less than 500 people are turning up for a meeting on a beautiful summers sunday evening in July, it's time some people stood back and actually faced the facts as to why no one is going any more. When speedway returned to Leicester a couple of years back it was inconcievable that these type of crowd levels would be happening so little time into the future. It will be interesting to see what crowd our team get watching them in a cool, wet September evening, faced with mid table mediocrity.

 

Mick.

Edited July 27, 2013 by volty

[Astill lodge lion]

I don't think Redcar are catchable personally. I think we are nailed on for 7th. Do they still have the crap team cup as well to go? Is that happening this year? I guess we are either one of the favourites for the crap cup or rank outsiders for the play offs. What's the best option?

 

Agree with your post, but I don't have a big issue with the management on rider changes, as (I think it was you that said a few weeks ago that) if Roynon hadn't been injured we would've made the top 6. The other points in your post have been done to death, so don't want to go over them again. I have accepted the way things are and I will be happy for the time being if we see more meetings like Ipswich, Somerset & Newcastle. This opinion is probably biased by the thought that no speedway would be devastating. Had forgotten about the Premier challenge for team finishing 7-12th, at least it will give season ticket holders a bit better value than I thought. I just hope the number of non season ticket holders that attend & sponsorship etc is enough to ensure the meetings break even.

[wandersome]

Agree with your post, but I don't have a big issue with the management on rider changes, as (I think it was you that said a few weeks ago that) if Roynon hadn't been injured we would've made the top 6. The other points in your post have been done to death, so don't want to go over them again. I have accepted the way things are and I will be happy for the time being if we see more meetings like Ipswich, Somerset & Newcastle. This opinion is probably biased by the thought that no speedway would be devastating. Had forgotten about the Premier challenge for team finishing 7-12th, at least it will give season ticket holders a bit better value than I thought. I just hope the number of non season ticket holders that attend & sponsorship etc is enough to ensure the meetings break even.

 

don't disagree with what you say Astill Lodge. If Roynon had been fit all year then i still think we'd have been in the box seat. I agree with you re: the team as well. It doesn't bother me if we win or lose as long the riders look like there giving it everything and Leicester is their focus. The point i was trying to make was that if we had serious aspirations to stay in the top 6 then, for whatever reasons, we have missed the opportunities that have been available to make changes.

 

accepted that i probably didn't need to add the last bit about track but there you go, what's done is done, it's a hard habit to break!

 

Mick.

[Leicester Lion]

We lost our unbeaten home record to Somerset, but the reality is that we've dropped 6 points at home, a worse record than those above us in the table. Those points would place us 4th or even 3rd. Instead of congratulating ourselves on being strong at home, we need to look at why we are dropping points. Happiness isn't 46-44 any more.