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Why on this forum do I keep reading that Mick Horton owes money ? Can somebody specifically and with accuracy say who is owed what ? I do not believe that he would have obtained a licence to run Speedway at Leicester ( or anywhere else) if money was still owed to anyone. Admittedly he has not been the most successful Speedway promoter in the past at Peterborough and elsewhere, but that does not mean that he has defaulted in payments. Although I am not a bees fan, I think he is to be congratulated on trying to keep the Bees alive in this way, almost certain to lose money ( though I hope not). Why he gets such abuse on this forum I do not know.

Name a track where the following doesn't occur - an away rider gates but the home rider more often than not seems to pass therm because they know the track better.

Just Another Vodka & Not A Role Model also in the line up - seems to be Darcy Ward themed race.

Dzieki...cipa. Best wishes to Starman aswell as i've missed the last few weeks here.

Can Kyle fulfil the number role, I think he can. He seems to thrive on the pressure and responsibility, he did every heat 13 when fit and did his fair share of heat 15's especially away where he probably did them all, and his away form last season was a revelation. If you look at Kyle's home and away averages they very similar for me he is one of the best all round riders in the league. Lasse, is as good as any rider around Sheffield, maybe needs to make some improvements on some of the away tracks, but he is capable. Todd surprise me last season fully expected him to show his best form away from Sheffield, as he in past had not done too well around Sheffield. But it turned out to be the complete opposite and his away form was very patchy whereas his home form was really good, in saying that he did on few occasions and important win away from home that turned a match around. People bang on about what is the way to build a title winning team, strong heatleader trio, strength in depth, strong reserves. None of this matters to win the title you need Stay clear of injuries (luck) Have rider or two that put a point or two no their starting average. More importantly win all of your home matches. Last season their was only one team that won all of their home meetings. That team topped the league and went on to win the Play Off Final.

On reflection, don’t you think it would be a better policy for clubs to do their utmost to foster British riders rather than to live by the mantra “we don’t owe them a living”?

Thank god for that.

PERHAPS the FIM will do something about the Poles and their self-imposed rules and continual moving of the goalposts. Incidehtally, a couple of pigs have just flown by my window.

Just continually trying to improve things , making it in such a way to enable us to enjoy exciting and thrilling speedway . The track was too one line last season , the aim is to have a track that riders of both sides can attack and give the paying public the type of speedway to do justice to it's surroundings . No point having Chris Harris and not giving him the track to entertain us .

That may possibly be true but far more likely is that a price of say £13 may result in a small increase that will then drop back to your hardcore support in a couple of months. Then in order to get income back to where you started from you put the price back to £17 only to find you have alienated some of them too. It doesn't seem likely to me that £13 instead of £17 entry will make much difference to many peoples attendance although continual small rises I think do bite. I believe that the price isn't the major issue, the value for money is. Even if you drop the price you have to increase the entertainment and improve the atmosphere to bring the crowd to a level that sees income improve.

So who is owed money then? Extremely defamatory accusing a promoter of owing money. Maybe he is also owed money, that is how business works in my experience but I have never been struck off as a director!!

I went to all the Leicester matches and Sunday ones at Peterborough.

I thought Todd would be the weak link in the team last season, but he did the hard job of riding at number 2 and he did very well, So the same again will do and upping his average a bit would be a bonus. Losing Josh G will be a big miss and filling his boots will be very hard. He was an out and out number 1. But i feel the team is stronger overall. If all the riders ride to their potential we should be right up their ( i hope ) utt.

I hope he ends up at Belle Vue the best racetrack we have in the Country, and Belle Vue are the biggest and most famous club in speedway.

Great we have signed Folder, I was getting excited thinking there was a surprise in store instead we get the whinging aussie!

Don't agree, usually when a track closes the majority of its fans are lost, when Sheffield closed I stopped going altogether as did most of the Sheffield fans I knew at the time All less tracks with less meetings will mean is less fans

THE late, great Charles Ochiltree told me a zillion years ago that he would put together a team in which the riders wanted to ride for Coventry and got along with each other. Then averages came along and he had to put together a set of numbers which never worked as well.

Yet it has been voted best prepared track in the top tier of British Speedway more often than any other.

Sings is passionate about his speedway, I don't always agree with him but he does always make his points fairly and sensibly. And tbf to him, I would of had the same opinions as him 2 seasons ago. Since a family member joined the team in 2016 I have been more active around the pits and riders etc and have more of a feel for the work behind the scenes. I think because Chris and Len are not as active on social media as say Connor Dugard, or not as active on forums as say Jane Moss it's easy to assume all things outside central park are unknowns to the kent management but they are as proactive as anyone else. And riders like Rowe,Thomas,and even Shansie don't just fall into your lap. The problem is with youngsters is, that not only does the sport have to fit around thier schooling, but also around the parents employment. So riders will usually prefer thier local track or a track that races at weekends. Anyway looking ahead with the side we have so far. Luke Bowen - At this level as good a number 1 as is possible. And the last couple of seasons he really has grown into a proper skipper. If you stand back and watch him off track he knows which riders to put an arm round, and which riders who respond to a kick up the arse. Something pointed out to me at Stoke away at the end of the season was he was talking the the two riders as a pair before more or less every Heat. Always has Immaculate equipment. And interacts with the fans as if everyone is a lifelong friend. Jack Thomas - Having progressed so far in two seasons, Jack should be looking at this season as his final National League Campaign before jumping in with the big boys. To do this he will be needing to challenge Luke for the number 1 jacket. Comes on a bargain average really too, when you consider the number of mechanical failures in points positions he suffered . level headed, polite lad. And he interacts with the kids through to the pensioners so naturally and professionally. But with a joker in him as well. Nathan Stoneman - Mr excitement, you can never relax until all 4 laps are completed with Nath. 100 percent trier with bags of potential and the ability to go all the way. Needs an injury free season and could well make it a 3 way challenge for Lukes vest. Proper genuine likable joker, and him and Jack together are quite the double act. Came in last year with a bit of a rep for poor equipment but last year I don't recall any issues at all. Anders Rowe - Anders had a great first season and will hopefully continue his progression towards the business end of the speedway pyramid, it should not be forgotten that he will still only be 15 when the season starts at easter. Very quiet and shy lad and much like Jack comes with great, clued up, and level headed parents in the bits. Another with immaculate equipment, and hopefully will come back more physically developed. Taylor Hampshire - on a 4 point average this can only be a great signing. Came to kent towards the back end of 2017 with brum in a challenge match and scored a big double figure score and rode for us at Stoke at number 5 and gave a good account of himself. Most knockers of him say he has bad equipment but I can't see uncle Len allowing his equipment to be sun standard. Jacob Clouting - Somebody I ve heard has a good solid style but may lack a bit of speed initially but apparantly has good equipment. But to be honest I ve only seen pics and vids, so can't really judge fairly. So a proper number 1 and skipper, and 5 riders with potential to up thier averages, I think we look in good shape. Personally I d like to see James Laker given his shot at 7.

Speedways corrupt anyway promoters looking after self interests

What a pathetic little person you really are. You make these insane judgements and statements without knowing anything about me. Your assumption of me is so off the mark ' its laughable... In my long years of supporting the Stars, I have attended more fixtures than I care to count, but have programmes dating back to 65 when the club first started. In your senseless thought patterns why would I want a club to close after following the Stars for over 50 years ... It was ridiculous comment from a senseless self opinionated person. As for the failed footballer, brings yet another laugh. Speaking with an Senior FA coach, he once said for every 5000 people wanting to be a professional player only one makes the grade. Of those who do, only 5% will make it to the top. When considering those odds, playing 12 years part-time and drawing payments, I never considered that as a failure. But then again my feet were always firmly on the ground. Reply if you wish, but this will be my last response to anything you may think or write. I've been insulted enough already and believe my integrity is far superior than stoop to your petty levels.....

The 2017 season was the worst yet for the many fans, the number of restarts from the tapes and the riders stopping at the pit gates to muck about with the bike before going back to the start. Cutting the two mins to a one min time would help and stop much gardening etc. They should reduce the delays between races, and at certain clubs, the amount of tractor racing and get on with the meetings, especially when it is cold. The main meeting should take no more than 90 mins, unless there are many accidents or air fence issues and fans can then either go or stay on for a second half of either practice or a 4 or 6 heat junior type event.

It isn't, but you could do it in the interval (if you have one) instead. Personally, I loathe intervals but if there is some form of attraction it makes them slightly more tolerable. Isle of Wight have a kids bike race. All lined up at the tapes with their helmets on to rocket round, and they even have handicaps for some of the older competitors. I still would prefer to get on with the meeting but I have no reason to doubt Barry Bishop when he told me that that is why some of the youngsters are actually there, the speedway coming a distant second. Better that than standing around in the freezing cold for 20 minutes as I did at Birmingham a couple of seasons back.

It is a strange phenomenon. At Swindon more than half the crowd leave before the team have come round on the victory parade, let alone stay for the post meeting interviews, MoTM presentation etc. I can't explain it. I'd rather stand around for 10 minutes watching the proceedings than sit in a queue of traffic waiting to get out of the car park

In the New Year, 'Arena Cross' hits Manchester... Indoor Motocross.. I would urge any Speedway Promoters who can do, to attend... I went three years ago with my lad and so much of the total evening 'entertainment package' on view could easily be translated over to Speedway.. From an autograph, selfie opportuniy meet and greet with the riders, completed 60 mins before racing so plenty of time to browse the merchandice stalls and get a drink and food.. . (Each rider had his own posters and photos for sale too). Riders coming out in darkness doing a lap of honour under a spot light. Could tracks do something similar to create atmosphere?. A 'centre green' announcer who was loud (he had to be over the bikes and music), brash (well, the Promoters were American!) and informative, detailing background information about each individual rider and commentating on the action as it happened. (That last bit maybe not needed in Speedway?).. Before racing and during gaps in between for track maintenance, (all tractors were working by the way), their Promotion team fired their own T Shirts into the crowd via an 'pump action air gun'... Many were, it appeared, Small and Medium meaning many adults caught them as you would expect but many of the kids ended up with the T Shirt.. (My lad got one from someone five rows back who passed it on when he saw it was an 'S').... There were no gaps where 'nothing happened' between races, so the crowd was kept interested.. The interval took place half way during the evenings racing and was 30 minutes prompt.. Before the interval they told us about the 'mini moto' they had suspended from the ceiling. Just text your name to etc etc and you could be taking this bike home. Texts cost £5... There was a 7500 full house and I would suggest well over half of 'the dads' were texting away during that interval. That bike certainly paid for itself and more! (Certainly I contributed a tenner towards it)! Now maybe Speedway couldn't do the same but they could do something around winning Season Tickets, VIP evenings etc.. The winner was announced prior to the Final and came down and received his bike... The cost for me and my lad was over £70 but I am going again next time as it was fantastic value for money... How did I know they were coming back to Manchester? I got an email from them in October telling me so with a nice book early 15% saving... Three years they have had my email address and now have used it knowing I had previously attended. My own Speedway team still doesn't have my email address... How did it advertise itself? Lots of Social Media and it played on how "awesome" (as I said they are Yanks!) it must be to watch 'dirt bike racing' in the middle of a City Centre.. And let's be honest as a concept it is 'pretty unique' isn't it? Apart from obviously it already happens many nights of the week around the Country from March to October..!! It was a 'one off' so you could argue that it is 'different' from Speedway, however maybe if Speedway promoted EVERY meeting as if it was a 'one off' they would be delivering many, many more through their turnstiles.. Watching 'dirt bike racing' in a City Centre is "awesome" don't forget, so says the guys who play to full houses and make money out of doing so... NB: No mention of it being a 'family sport' but plenty about 'speed', 'danger' and being 'gnarly'! (Whatever that means....) In fact the only downside to the night was that I, as a 47 year old at the time, felt 'very old' when I looked around the rest of the crowd.. At Speedway, at least I still feel like a 'spring chicken'!!