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Leicester Lions 2016


Big Al

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David Hemsley wrote in the Leicester v Poole programme dated 31/8/15:

 

" I suppose at this stage of our season we should be considering where we position the club going forward particularly with an AGM of the BSPA not too far in the future. I feel my aim would be to get the clubs represented on an equal footing and start to bring the sport more aligned to the professional organisations with the sports and leisure industry that I am used to dealing with on a day to day basis. I do think this will be a challenge to avoid the debacles such as the position we had with UKVI last year, and I can see similar issues presenting themselves in future, but with the right personnel steering the British Speedway ship I hope that further rocks can be avoided. Following these key decisions by the members I can then decide how the club should go forward in 2016, and then consider the manner in which we plan the next development of Leicester Speedway."

 

The previous paragraph referred to riders breaking contracts, and something about the club's position on such matters becoming clearer over the coming weeks, and the implications of such actions taken by riders for the sport.

 

Clearly dissatisfaction with the way the sport's run. Is he referring just to the Elite league or the whole set-up?

Who are the "right personnel" he refers to?

What's the stuff about riders who break contracts? Is Leicester going to take retrospective legal action against them?

If the changes he is referring to are not made at the AGM, what's he going to do? Take Leicester back to the PL? Pack the whole thing in?

 

The BSPA making these changes (whilst they may be badly needed) could be about as likely as David Hemsley making major changes to the Leicester track.

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I can't see Hemsley going back to the PL. He strikes me as a man who likes to be able to tell everyone he is promoter of a speedway club in the best league. For all his many fault he does like to be "King of the castle" so to speak and I can't see him being happy as PL promoter.

 

That said, with Swindon not yet having a track for 2016, Lakeside rumoured to have lost Fridays and Coventry having no track for 2017 I can't see there being an EL for much longer!

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Niether can I see David Hemsley going back to the PL it would be a backward step for him. If he wants the Lions to move off the bottom of the table then he has to open his purse strings and bring in some top riders, riders who will stay the whole season, the only problem being that most of the top riders have already settled into other clubs, so where do you get them from as most of the other GP boys don't want to come over here. So it really dosen't leave a big pool of talent to bring in, I have a gut feeling that we have lost Jason Doyle next season, that is unless DH can really pull the rabbit out of the hat with him,

He needs a team that gives him full suport from 2 to 7, we most also have a couple of good reserves. Auty would do the job that is unless he finds a club that will give him a full team place, they have also got to give the likes of Garrity, Newman etc full team places next season, to make the whole reserve beth fairer, it is the team with the best reserves that are winning meetings. Poole on Thurday shows just how the reserves can make that difference, they won by 13 points, that was the score difference between the Lions and the Poole reserves.

So if they sort everything out at the AGM which they never seem to be able to do, we will still have the same old problems with the EL that we have had for the past umpteem years, as someone said in 3 or 4 years time there will be no teams left to make up the EL, unless some of the top PL clubs move up, the problem being can they afford to move up.

Something has to be done soon rather than latter at BP the crowd levels are dropping the Poole meeting had large gaps all around the stadium, not sure what the crowd numbers where but far lower than at the start of last season, by a long shot.

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Niether can I see David Hemsley going back to the PL it would be a backward step for him. If he wants the Lions to move off the bottom of the table then he has to open his purse strings and bring in some top riders, riders who will stay the whole season, the only problem being that most of the top riders have already settled into other clubs, so where do you get them from as most of the other GP boys don't want to come over here. So it really dosen't leave a big pool of talent to bring in, I have a gut feeling that we have lost Jason Doyle next season, that is unless DH can really pull the rabbit out of the hat with him,

He needs a team that gives him full suport from 2 to 7, we most also have a couple of good reserves. Auty would do the job that is unless he finds a club that will give him a full team place, they have also got to give the likes of Garrity, Newman etc full team places next season, to make the whole reserve beth fairer, it is the team with the best reserves that are winning meetings. Poole on Thurday shows just how the reserves can make that difference, they won by 13 points, that was the score difference between the Lions and the Poole reserves.

So if they sort everything out at the AGM which they never seem to be able to do, we will still have the same old problems with the EL that we have had for the past umpteem years, as someone said in 3 or 4 years time there will be no teams left to make up the EL, unless some of the top PL clubs move up, the problem being can they afford to move up.

Something has to be done soon rather than latter at BP the crowd levels are dropping the Poole meeting had large gaps all around the stadium, not sure what the crowd numbers where but far lower than at the start of last season, by a long shot.

He was lost the newbies as races were over after the first turn, now diehards are leaving, he needed to reshape the track and have regular meetings to keep people interested, it's a lot of money for what's on offer at BP.

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Hemsley has proved he has no idea by designing and then not changing that track.

 

It is awful and any old fool can see it but not Hemsley. You provide that track and crap sides then fans will disappear.

 

His stubbornness towards track changes will cost him in the long run.

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His stubbornness towards track changes will cost him in the long run.

Have to agree, entertainment value zero.............Satisfaction at having watched good close racing zero..................Lots of overtaking zero................Entrance and programme £20, plus fuel costs...................Result dissatisfaction and more visits to Sheffield.

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Seeing as we're talking track again, does anyone know if the 'no mans land' between the track safety fence and the spectator fence is mandatory? If not, my proposal would be to widen the straights by using half of the gap between fences and to bring in the corners by about 6 meters at each end. By shortening and widening the straights this should offer more racing lines. As we know, this wouldn't be a guarantee of great racing at every meeting (too many other factors in the recipe for that) but I think it would help a great deal.

 

Anyone with an idea of how much this would cost?

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Seeing as we're talking track again, does anyone know if the 'no mans land' between the track safety fence and the spectator fence is mandatory? If not, my proposal would be to widen the straights by using half of the gap between fences and to bring in the corners by about 6 meters at each end. By shortening and widening the straights this should offer more racing lines. As we know, this wouldn't be a guarantee of great racing at every meeting (too many other factors in the recipe for that) but I think it would help a great deal.

 

Anyone with an idea of how much this would cost?

you're on a hiding to nothing with Hemsley there is no way he will admit to designing and building a poor track. ..you only had to read his comments in a recent speedway star,he thinks the track is mint!

He says the track will not be changed unless somebody will buy the track of him.

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Seeing as we're talking track again, does anyone know if the 'no mans land' between the track safety fence and the spectator fence is mandatory? If not, my proposal would be to widen the straights by using half of the gap between fences and to bring in the corners by about 6 meters at each end. By shortening and widening the straights this should offer more racing lines. As we know, this wouldn't be a guarantee of great racing at every meeting (too many other factors in the recipe for that) but I think it would help a great deal.

 

Anyone with an idea of how much this would cost?

I think that there has to be a 2 metre gap between the track fence and the spectator fence.

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I'm already looking forward to next season.....

Surely its a case of having too with it all finished for the Lions this term?

 

I remember them putiing on a challenge match v a USA touring side at the end of the first season and that was in October!! There had been racing up until then. 4 weeks revenue gone, higher running cost in the EL and supposedly lower gates (even at £2 a meeting more) must mean it's been difficult to turn a profit and if you aren't how do you pay for better riders and track alterations ?

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Surely its a case of having too with it all finished for the Lions this term?

 

I remember them putiing on a challenge match v a USA touring side at the end of the first season and that was in October!! There had been racing up until then. 4 weeks revenue gone, higher running cost in the EL and supposedly lower gates (even at £2 a meeting more) must mean it's been difficult to turn a profit and if you aren't how do you pay for better riders and track alterations ?

DH says that it is not worth opening the gates for extra meetings!!

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Surely its a case of having too with it all finished for the Lions this term?

 

I remember them putiing on a challenge match v a USA touring side at the end of the first season and that was in October!! There had been racing up until then. 4 weeks revenue gone, higher running cost in the EL and supposedly lower gates (even at £2 a meeting more) must mean it's been difficult to turn a profit and if you aren't how do you pay for better riders and track alterations

Hey ho Bornagain , nice to see you still take an interest

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