Glennylion

Josh Bates is 3rd signing

Very difficult to quantify and I don't know attendance figures or revenue but on the evening, they would have taken thousands more through the gate but it depends on the value of the give aways. Subsequent attraction for potential sponsors and associated value cannot really known unless the promoter posed relevant questions. Whether it attracted new supporters the following week, months or years again I doubt can be quantified without asking questions on the evening or following meetings. It may be that that meeting has generated and continues to generate income like any doubling of attendance may.

All businesses run properly should be able to make a profit. However it takes a degree of effort to try and maximize whatever potential there is and I think that therein lies a massive problem, certainly with Leicester. There lacks a coherent and ongoing strategy to promotion, the result of which we can all speculate on in relation to revenue and potential but in reality we just don't know what it is. Could or would greater promotion lead to greater crowd, sponsors, revenue? IMO the answer is obvious and it's easy yo say but there must be a reason why no one tries. I would say that you can count on one hand the number of rider interviews have been on local radio In the last 8 years. DH used to be on every so often, sometimes weekly for 5 minutes or so but generally there is very little local coverage. I live within 4 miles and in that 8 years my son has been to local 3 schools, all of which are by definition house the perfect target audience to aim at age wise and location wise. Either once or twice only in that 8 years those schools have been visited neither of which were at secondary school level, the stage before being a paying adult. It may only have been once i can't recall but that first time my son came home wanting to go to the speedway. There is a shopping centre next to the speedway and I don't recall ever going there on a weekend and seeing any advert that speedway exists let alone a "this weekend speedway is on....". The footfall at the shopping centre of adults and families is significant. 1% interest would be huge. I played cricket for a local team. Another summer sport and another catchment of families and importantly people interested in local sport. Not once that I'm aware of has there been any effort to contact the club to put basic posters up, offer packages or generally make speedway known. I'd be surprised if that was not the case for all local sporting clubs. Does this effort replicate the effort towards potential sponsors? How much local engagement has there really been? I'd say very little. It seems to be that promoting only involves telling those that are there to spread the word or by using social media only. Very few meetings have been singularly promoted over the 8 years that I can remember. One that was was a televised meeting against Swindon and they had to delay the start due to crowds. That was advertised over a couple of weeks with reduced tickets, food vouchers, free air horns and it was a huge success. It was a sustained and directed promotion. Can a promoter make a profit? I'd say they could but it's easy for me to say from the outside looking in.

Saturday night racing confirmed. May feel differently (which is unlikely) come next season but definitely not interested in a 38 point championship team even during the week let alone on a Saturday. The benefit of putting yourself out during the week to bust a gut from Birmingham was that you could still have a meal or go out with the family on a Saturday evening. The choice is family time or weakened speedway. No chance of combining the both. Whilst it may attract some (I have my doubts) Speedway is going further away from what I want and it looks like all I can do is wish the team well in my absence and thank DH and latterly the Bates family for their efforts.

So the Lions are no longer in top tier. It'll suit some but I'm very disappointed.

Flagrag quickly dismissed the notion of removing the back straight stand having previously suggested not all changes for next year will suit everyone. One would assume silence regarding rumours of potentially dropping down a league as some form of weak confirmation of the management's intentions.

Poor meeting with Lions being embarrassed. Doubt Kurtz will feature again and bjerre is woeful as a number 1. Came in on nearly 8.5 yet is riding to 6.4. Problem I see it is that we are so weak at reserve and weak at 1 that we can't necessarily improve 1 without weakening or at least improving the other. KP's form and erratic rides are a concern and whilst JS looks competitive (unlike Kurtz) he continues to hurt his and the teams chances with alarming regularity. The meeting was all very predictable and with very little to cheer on an evening with kids going free. Absolutely fed up with going home covered in dust. Throughout the season the track has been too dry but on occasions the track has been watered during meetings. Last night was appalling. In Heat 15 you we still waving the dust away from the previous lap when they were round again. The lack of dirt, water and general track preparation this season has been shocking. I bust a gut and get there for 7.25 and have tried week in week out to support the efforts in at least trying to build a strong team but until they can find the water tap again, my son and I will be giving it a swerve.

Ricky Wells got lions out of a hole. Bjerre is a concern. Can someone enlighten me as to what Nathan Greaves thought he was doing or what the idea was when he came off his bike in heat 2 and took his bike to the apex of turns 1 and 2 and sat on his bike on the track.

Agree. Too dusty and dry at the outset. Been a constant issue so far this season. The watering was inadequate on both occasions. Best I've seen James Sarjeant, tremendous effort from him. What the hell was Hans doing in 15? Unbelievable bit of riding.

Agree with this. Track far too dry again. Scoreline made it interesting. Swindon very good and batchelor and museilak in a different class.

Kenneth Bjerre and Todd Kurtz in for vaculik and MPT.

I agree a replacement will be needed and I do have faith for once in what the promotion are doing. From what I see I don't see any mileage in chopping either HA, KP, DK and KN. None of those will reduce their average this year and are the backbone of a very good side. JS will be around his average but I don't see real value in getting a lower rider in which leaves Josh Bates. Chopping a family member I can't see happening and would weaken us a reserve if we need to find big points to play with. Interesting times

Tremendous result but wasn't a good meeting. Somerset were poor, track was very dry, meeting long and drawn out which wasn't helped by lengthy waiting for tapes to be released which was instrumental in 4 warnings and 5 or so restarts. All 6 lions were good but Lambert, Newman, Pieszczek and in particular Anderson were superb.

Not sure I like the sound of the jigsaw. I like the shape of our current 6 and would be disappointed to have to chop one to fit another in.

Palm Toft confirmed as temporary replacement.

If there is a 28 day facility then it is madness not to use it. Rushing back after 17 days and being behind fitness wise or using facility and JB coming back fitter after 28 days . What is best for team is to utilise facility. What is best for JB is to use facility. USE THE FACILITY. Only issue is keeping finances in JB 's pocket.....

MV - disappointed but will be fine. First race left bend 2 couple of bike lengths in front. Turned away and then Doyle was in front. DK - very good but should never appear in ht15 despite how good he appears earlier. Can see him adding to his average and slamming a few 5-1's in with KP KP - started off ok and got better and better. Took some adjusting to the man hole cover on turns 3-4 but then was excellent. HA - was excellent. KN - not far off the pace JS - similar to Newman. Not sure he's worth his average but was there or there abouts. Hopefully bit of improvement will see him support Newman. RR - seems not strong enough with JS and KN. KP improvement could be damage limitation. All in all a reasonable showing with scope to improve

Looks like it's Lasse given his recent tweet. Pleased with that.

Got to like the work that has been done at Beaumont Park this winter. It is nice to be thought of as being competitive.

Lions confirmed on twitter that MV is 8 and KP is 6.50. Leaves 7.15 if JS is 3.81

Take it back... I calculate at 3.81 for JS it leaves 7.65 left. DK 6.66 KN 4.86 JB 5.52 MV 8 KP 6 JS 3.81 Gives 34.85

Sign for 2 clubs, express happiness and desire for next season, then set up new website and new merchandise and announce retirement before letting Sheffield and Leicester know. Would have thought it would be a hack but.. Flip side Leicester were looking into it almost an hour ago. I would have thought a hack would have resulted in immediate notification from club which hasn't happened. Doesn't quite add up as I'm sure Leicester and DB would be able to contact him quickly to dismiss the suggestion. With that in mind it may be true and all are establishing the facts and reasons. If so surprised he didn't tell clubs. #Confused

I still don't quite get how DH has retained the asset list in the sale and would have wanted Wozniak back. However and in defence of DH, wasn't it suggested that by selling to Buster and then to DB that they managed to "do" DH out of fees or get it a sale at a reduced price? If so I fail to see why DH would fall over himself to allow Leicester to use Wozniak at a reduced rate. If that was the case (I have no knowledge but am sure I remember someone saying it) then it is a case of what goes around comes around. If I found out that I had been shafted in a business deal I wouldn't help those out and accept the reduced rate and would certainly maximize the fee. If that prices out Leicester and means he goes to Poole who are prepared to pay the fee then so be it.

As expected, Josh Bates returns

Don't like the 8 point limit and think that Swindon should have kept with JD for speedway reasons. However from an outsider's view it seems to me the 8 point rule may be a convenient excuse of making the decision on financial terms. It was said that Swindon despite winning the league made a loss. There is no way Doyle's contract would not have included a clause that sees an increase in pay if he was WC. With that certainty in mind they have made a financial decision in the best interests of Swindon. Sure they will potentially lose revenue from punters and sponsors but they have to weigh that up against the knowledge that there would be guaranteed increased expenditure. Massive shame though that a WC is not retained.