Leicester Lions 2025

[foreverblue]

9 minutes ago, IainB said:

To the People's Republic of Poole?

Of course, where else would you want to go!

[SPEEDY69]

12 hours ago, BluPanther said:

I was there, and he scored 11 from 5 rides against a depleted 5 man Witches team that were without their top two. The Leicester top 5 all filled their boots that night, so I wouldn't get carried away from that tbh...

It was still an impressive night for him, just for the speed he showed.  To me the stand-out rider of the meeting.  It shows he's capable and it's consistency, the perennial rider challenge, that eludes him.  It will be elsewhere that Leicester fall down I think, unless there's a surprise signing.

[Youhave2minutes]

Next named rider will be Douglas. Then low and behold Sam Masters. A weaker side than last year🫣

Edited 3 hours ago by Youhave2minutes

[SPEEDY69]

11 minutes ago, Youhave2minutes said:

Next named rider will be Douglas. Then lo and behold Sam Masters. A weaker side than last year🫣

I thought Douglas was poor this year when I saw him so again they'll be expecting more I think.

[TTT]

34 minutes ago, siggysigalos said:

I went to Leicester a few times last season, great crowd and good banter everytime, and will definetly return this season  and probably not just to watch Ipswich.

I know they had to drop some points, and losing Lawson for Howarth for me is a real kick in the teeth for a good bunch of Supporters, but thats the Points situation i suppose, but i have to say getting Craig Cook back is a disaster in my opinion only, i hope im wrong, but if i was a Leicester fan, that would dissappoint me more than Howarth.

But their Gaffa does change things around, he isnt afraid to do that, so we will wait and see, if Cook wasn't 1st choice, and i expect that is true, then who was??

Assuming the top 5 were locks then surely the first option would've been Antti Vuolas?

Sedgmen/Kerr wouldn't fit and Zischke (BV) Only other options that would have fit within the limit are the follwing.

 

Palm Toft (Injury Prone)

Mountain (Would've been signed because he's not rumoured for any Prem side)

Milik (Not committed)

Kemp (Been down that road already)

[Hamish McRaker]

Leicester, having so far announced in 1-3 riding order, break the sequence and make no.6 the next one.

So are there doubts over Masters and Douglas?

Stay tuned folks, for tomorrow's big reveal.

That's if there is one🫣

[foreverblue]

Shame Poole aren't meeting Leicester in the k.o.cup as they wouldn't need to strengthen much!

[Lenny Lion]

Same team as 2024 with Howarth replacing Lawson.

We are going to push Birmingham for the wooden spoon with this team. Too many riders like Masters , Cook & Howarth on the decline. 
 

Becker should have been first out the door but his connections to the owners means he is back in 25 just shows the owners do not have Leicester’s best interests at heart.

We are weaker on & off the track with the loss of Pidcock Motorcycles as stadium sponsor & no sign of a replacement . 
 

Not a good time to be a lions fan. 

[foreverblue]

19 minutes ago, Lenny Lion said:

Same team as 2024 with Howarth replacing Lawson.

We are going to push Birmingham for the wooden spoon with this team. Too many riders like Masters , Cook & Howarth on the decline. 
 

Becker should have been first out the door but his connections to the owners means he is back in 25 just shows the owners do not have Leicester’s best interests at heart.

We are weaker on & off the track with the loss of Pidcock Motorcycles as stadium sponsor & no sign of a replacement . 
 

Not a good time to be a lions fan. 

Wouldn't say Masters is on the decline but I would agree with your comments on Becker. Cook, Howarth are declining, Hagon is going to struggle to compete with some of the other RS riders. Fricke is a good rider but will not improve so difficult to see how you can avoid the wooden spoon.

[TTT]

I wouldn't worry about the wooden spoon, No chance Leicester finish last.

Just going by the PR's you can tell this 1-7 won't last long before Stewart makes a couple of changes because his thought process behind a couple of these signings makes no sense with the expectations he's got in mind for them. They're very unrealistic.

Talking about Cookie putting 1.5 on his average is top of the tree.

[IainB]

7 minutes ago, TTT said:

Talking about Cookie putting 1.5 on his average is top of the tree.

Sounds like he's been on the Tennents 🍻

[foreverblue]

7 minutes ago, IainB said:

Sounds like he's been on the Tennents 🍻

Maybe something stronger! 

[IainB]

I'm not sure why you'd put together a weaker team than the one that failed so badly in the pay off final and only really got into the pay offs because of injuries to other teams and Oxford giving up.

[Youhave2minutes]

10 minutes ago, IainB said:

I'm not sure why you'd put together a weaker team than the one that failed so badly in the pay off final and only really got into the pay offs because of injuries to other teams and Oxford giving up.

Neither can I.

[Pauldoveyspeedway]

1 hour ago, foreverblue said:

Wouldn't say Masters is on the decline but I would agree with your comments on Becker. Cook, Howarth are declining, Hagon is going to struggle to compete with some of the other RS riders. Fricke is a good rider but will not improve so difficult to see how you can avoid the wooden spoon.

S.Masters is ok at 3 or 4 ...Not a number  5 anymore ...

[Pauldoveyspeedway]

15 minutes ago, IainB said:

I'm not sure why you'd put together a weaker team than the one that failed so badly in the pay off final and only really got into the pay offs because of injuries to other teams and Oxford giving up.

They needed  another top rider to back Fricke  up ..

[89buttons]

I don’t think masters is on the decline like some have said, I think he’s pretty much the same as he was a few years ago when he was no.1 for wolves, I just think there’s been an influx of higher level heat leaders return to the uk last couple of seasons and he now is more of a 3rd heat leader level in the pecking order

[PotteringAround]

I don't see why Leicester fans are worried.

Yes, Howarth for Lawson is a weakening, but for a while last season, heading towards the play-offs, Leicester were the strongest in the league.

Of course Ipswich are massively strong on paper.  Clear favourites.  But the other play-off sides are weakened similar to Leicester.  Belle Vue with Zach Cook for Ben Cook, and Sheffield with Rowe for Howarth.

Leicester will still be thereabouts.

 

[foreverblue]

7 minutes ago, PotteringAround said:

I don't see why Leicester fans are worried.

Yes, Howarth for Lawson is a weakening, but for a while last season, heading towards the play-offs, Leicester were the strongest in the league.

Of course Ipswich are massively strong on paper.  Clear favourites.  But the other play-off sides are weakened similar to Leicester.  Belle Vue with Zach Cook for Ben Cook, and Sheffield with Rowe for Howarth.

Leicester will still be thereabouts.

 

I think Rowe for Howarth is an improvement, the problem Sheffield have is at reserve .

[IainB]

29 minutes ago, PotteringAround said:

I don't see why Leicester fans are worried.

Yes, Howarth for Lawson is a weakening, but for a while last season, heading towards the play-offs, Leicester were the strongest in the league.

Of course Ipswich are massively strong on paper.  Clear favourites.  But the other play-off sides are weakened similar to Leicester.  Belle Vue with Zach Cook for Ben Cook, and Sheffield with Rowe for Howarth.

Leicester will still be thereabouts.

 

Because, since the return of the "stars" it's been proven that you need 2 decent heat leaders that can get you a result in 13, 15 and any super heat, Leicester didn't have this last season when it counted and we've gone down the same path again for next season. With the line up it's looking like they're going to field next season, it looks to be more of the same only without the granted 7-9 points from Lawson, which means that everybody has to be always on their game, which sadly (for us) wasn't the case in the final (or semi for that matter)

Edited 2 hours ago by IainB