Big Al

I think the BSPA has realised the points limit was set a bit too high, but unfortunately that horse has bolted now - and it's wearing blue and white colours! Seem to recall David Hemsley wanting a higher points limit a couple of years ago - that would have been when he was still harbouring delusions about all kinds of "top riders" who he believed were queing up to sign for Leicester. How times change, eh?

You keep talking about DH needing to spend money, whether it is on riders or on the stadium and facilities.Do you think he has such money at his disposal, then? Do you have insider information about this? If not, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about how he can go about raising this money, and the amount you think will be needed.

Looks like Paul Starke will be key........providing the 1-6 do what they can, and don't go getting injured all over the place or bugger off when other things get more tempting (but that's a very big "IF"). I don't think the No.7 is able to move into the 1-5, he's fixed at 7 for the season. Basically a side built within a tight budget, especially with no main sponsors at the moment. Makes you wonder how they could have afforded Doyle this season anyway. Heats 13 & 15 could be a problem against several teams.

Good luck with getting those drains done!

But what about this supposed squad system? Could Stead be included as part of this (whatever it actually consists of!)? ........as for a younger Dane.......Nicki Pedersen's younger than Ulamek and Walaszek isn't he? But has Anders Thomsen been under consideration as a possible? Many "experts" tip him for big things in the future. I know he probably wouldn't be anything near to a heat leader to start with, but at least he'd be likely to make progress and provide that sort of interest alongside of Wozniak

Six months ago, Leicester City FC were 5000/1 to win the football Premier League. Today they are favourites to win it with most bookies. But it would have to be odds of 10,000/1 for me to even contemplate parting with a two pound coin to bet on Leicester Lions for 2016 Elite League champs.

It's probably all down to bargaining now, and whats the lowest offer that any rider involved will accept, with the Saturday/Poland factor taken into account within that equation. Someone like Bjerre will have asked for way more than Leicester are willing to pay, it will eventually come down to whats the least he'll accept and will Leicester be prepared to meet him partway. Just another question ---- let's say just for now that Bjerre does eventually sign (reluctantly, I'm sure) ; who will be the team captain?

Can anyone here translate Polish? Ulamek's website has a page about his plans for the upcoming season, which features Wroclaw. When I hit the "translate" option, well as usual the English version was a bit bizarre. But it did come over a bit like he's riding for Leicester as a way of getting into things so as to be fully ready for the season ahead with Wroclaw. Hopefully this will include continuing to ride for Leicester after Poland gets going, and not being Peter Ljung all over again. As I said though, those translations can't be relied on too much.

Excitement!! Good grief, don't want any of that. Paying customers keeling over is absolutely NOT what's needed, each one would be another admission fee down. No - keep em all alive and breathing. This track change thing's risky enough Anyway - I think theres now only about up to 9 points left for the 7th rider.....so Doyle wouldn't have been fitted in anyway. what's all the fuss about??

Bit of harmless banter i think ....meanwhile, during the weather disruptions to track work up at BP, Glyn's Tommy Cooper impersonation lessons clearly still need a bit of work...... (see the most recent picture in the Gallery section of the Leicester Speedway website)

Purely on principle, I think Hemsley should tough it out because this year,the rest of the Elite league will have to accept the Saturday fixtures. But he needs to be very careful to avoid achieving merely a pyrrhic victory, and therefore needs to be seen to, and actually doing, as much as possible to assist the other promoters and their needs (and the needs of their riders). The team Leicester would put out, would probably get tonked away from home, but win some at home. However, there's a big chance they'd be rock bottom of the league and so he would need to be very careful about how much he charges people for admission.

So - evenly matched teams (on Saturdays) for BP matches, and regular thrashings away. Not good for the quality of the league, as if it needed further reduction. Doesn't look like there's a lot of choice for the Elite League than to accept this.

One of them will be Zagar

Possibly Coventry have agreed (reluctantly i would imagine) to let Leicester run on a limited number of Fridays. Together with this squad system, which Lakeside have gone public with (more info awaited from BSPA, of course), it could add up to fudging a way through for Leicester. I would expect that Leicester's squad will be mostly PL level riders, but you never know they may entice someone of Heat leader calibre, just don't expect him/them to make too many appearances.

Most are provisional,so clearly there are things going on......but the away fixtures are all "definite" which would suggest impending change of race night is the likelier cause

Isn't the Polish league the bigger overall problem for Leicester - and this isn't a factor for Fridays? Arn't Friday/GP clashes generally avoided in the fixtures planning? So I'd say yes, Fridays would probably have been OK for Jason especially with him being UK-based.

But what could the Bspa/other promoters actually DO to help?Force riders at gunpoint to sign and ride for Leicester? It's hard to think of anything which would resolve the predicament. Even if Leicester were to do something like change race night, it sounds unlikely it would be of much use now, the horses have bolted. This is looking desperate now.

Its not in the clique. And would the clique be sorry to see Leicester go? It's a different situation to when Birmingham exited 2 years ago - 10 teams down to 9 whereas now it would be 8 teams down to 7, but it would potentially make a few riders available (not heat leaders of course) but i bet that KL would happily snap up Auty, and maybe Cov wud have Walasek without much hesitation.

You are spot on there. It's probably reached the point where the other promoters will have to almost enforce it, but i hope that Hemsley gets something in exchange, because it was the other promoters who admitted Leicester into the league with a Saturday race night.

Sounds like there is a promoters meeting taking place today at BSPA? I think the agenda is usually about sorting out the fixture list, but can't help thinking it will also include Leicester's current predicament. Will the other promoters be amenable to helping, or will they just leave things to evolve with the risk of one team going into the season seriously under strength?

Sounds like Dave Darcy should take over things generally, including sorting out the team.....

I've read the quote by Dave Darcy on the Bookface (or whatever its called) section on the Leicester website - it gives the impression that it's been DD who's been getting in DH's ear about modifying the track......if that's the case then well done to him in getting a result because i can imagine it was probably like trying to persuade Maggie Thatcher that she was wrong.

Curious, isn't it? Can't help think there are other factors at work than David Hemsley finally "seeing the light" and giving-in to supporters criticism.Anyway, whatever the reasons, I'm not just presuming the changes will work in terms of creating more options for riders, so will be anticipating opinions and hopefully judge for myself after racing has resumed for at least a couple of months. I also hope the excellent drainage installed when the track was initially built, and has saved many a match from being cancelled, will continue to be as effective with, by the sound of it, relatively minor adjustments (which has possibly helped a lot to keep the cost down to the figure quoted by Glyn).

Well that's good news I had heard from somewhere (cant be sure where/who) that modifications to track could entail major work to the drainage obviously incurring big costs.

What about the drainage?