lionking 127 Posted September 24, 2014 (edited) Craig Cook won't be a PL rider next season he has signed for Gorzow in Poland so rules him out of PL. I think a realistic Lions team is 1. Jason Doyle 2.Gino Manzares 3.Simon Stead 4.Krysztof Buczkowski 5. Craig Cook 6. 7. The no 6 & 7 spots will go to a fast track rider but I'm not sure how it works with the picks . With Leicester finishing bottom does that mean they get 1st choice or do the FT riders current clubs get priority?. Don't be fooled into thinking Norrie & David will break the bank to sign a super side because David said they had a good year financially . they will do it within a budget just like this season but that budget will be below what other EL sides spend so flirting with the wooden spoon is the best we can hope for. That's our two doubling up riders sorted then. What about Klindt? I think he is still a snip on his 2014 average. Edited September 24, 2014 by lionking Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weatherwatcher 664 Posted September 24, 2014 Would like to see Klindt back again. He was getting better towards the end of the season. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elmo 274 Posted September 24, 2014 Thought Cook had only signed as cover for Gozow in this years play offs 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LagutaRacingFan 1,932 Posted September 24, 2014 I'm told Buczkowski has signed a deal for next season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leicester Lion 274 Posted September 24, 2014 That's just the point. Someone telling someone is hardly 'in the know' is it? If only there was a sarcasm flag on here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woz01 3,589 Posted September 24, 2014 Just hope that DH dosen't sign Bomber, the way he rode last night he would struggle on that form in the PL. He has his good days but more bad ones now than good. You do realise Bomber is 4th in the EL averages for this season (BP included)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,821 Posted September 24, 2014 You do realise Bomber is 4th in the EL averages for this season (BP included)? I noticed that in the Speedway Star averages. Which makes his drop in CMA puzzling! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woz01 3,589 Posted September 24, 2014 I noticed that in the Speedway Star averages. Which makes his drop in CMA puzzling! I got it from SCB post and was a bit shocked but I assumed he was right. He has a few 5-1 with Hans this season which probably boosted it but it's a good and surprising stat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weatherwatcher 664 Posted September 24, 2014 I still think that Bomber is a spent force and he is slowly on his way down. He has had a few good meetings but when he is bad he is terrible to say the least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,821 Posted September 24, 2014 I still think that Bomber is a spent force and he is slowly on his way down. He has had a few good meetings but when he is bad he is terrible to say the least. So how come he is 4th on this seasons true averages then?! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 0 Posted September 24, 2014 You do realise Bomber is 4th in the EL averages for this season (BP included)?Actually 5th now. Needs to score 10 from 4 or 13 from 5 and Hans to score 2 less vs Wolves to go 3rd. Hardly a spent force regardless. It's his second highest EL average, only bettered by 2007. This season it's a lot harder than 2007 due to the format. He's scored a lot of bonus points, and riders who score lots of bonus points make the best signings the following season. It makes his GP performances all the more perplexing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woz01 3,589 Posted September 24, 2014 Actually 5th now. Needs to score 10 from 4 or 13 from 5 and Hans to score 2 less vs Wolves to go 3rd. Hardly a spent force regardless. It's his second highest EL average, only bettered by 2007. This season it's a lot harder than 2007 due to the format. He's scored a lot of bonus points, and riders who score lots of bonus points make the best signings the following season. It makes his GP performances all the more perplexing. Not the best start to the season either, he has been superb in recent months despite a couple of iffy meetings. I think fans just get there opinion from the live tv meetings which he hasn't always produced. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skodaman 192 Posted September 25, 2014 Just to prove that my comments were not ITW ones, have you read this weeks Star. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TMW 533 Posted September 25, 2014 Just to prove that my comments were not ITW ones, have you read this weeks Star. Define ITW Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astill lodge lion 18 Posted September 25, 2014 Below are the last two Leicester Mercury column's by DH, where he gives some opinions for the future. Spot the unfortunate mistake in the first paragraph! Leicester Lions' inaugural Elite League season is over and, while our final position in the table was nothing to celebrate, the overall success of the club can not be underestimated. We have been a breath of fresh air in the sport and our supporters have embarrassed the highest level of racing. We now look forward to planning for the 2015 season, and the next major step is the British Speedway Promoters Association AGM, where the format of next year's Elite League will be determined, an issue I have some strong views on. One of the biggest changes to British speedway last season was the introduction of the fast-track system into the Elite League. For some clubs, the fast track was a huge competitive benefit and to a number of others, including Leicester, it was a failure. This is because there are insufficient British riders of a suitable quality to represent the number of teams in the Elite League. As a result, the quality of riders varied considerable. For next season, I will be hoping that only one reserve is a British fast track and I propose that the other reserve can be a under-22 from anywhere in the world. I will be pushing to improve the quality of the product, and that we should increase the point limit from 32 for the other remaining riders to 34. This will enable clubs to source a higher quality of rider from leagues around the world and, should riders be unavailable due to FIM commitments or other fixtures due to the FIM Agreement, then we should grant ourselves a facility to ensure clubs and the public are not short-changed due to the use of Premier League six-point riders. I have a vision to continue the growth of speedway in Leicester and to do this we need to improve the product year on year. This is something we have continued to do during the past four years. All the supporters who have followed the Lions this season will be only to well aware of the contribution that our number one rider Jason Doyle has made to our season. Last Saturday, he secured his Grand Prix dream for 2015 when he qualified from the GP Challenge in Lonigo, Italy. This was well deserved as Jason has been the most improved rider in the Elite League this season. His average is now over eight points, which is a significant personal barrier, and you can be rest assured that we will be working immediately on securing Jason's services for next season. Sept 9th. As we approach the end of our first Elite League season, we can begin to reflect on what has been another eventful year at Leicester Lions. It has been full of trials and tribulations but, overall, it has been another great year of exciting racing at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium. Our entry into the top league was viewed in British speedway as a major step forward for the club, and our elevation gave Leicestershire another sporting discipline operating in the highest division. Often promoters are reluctant to make the commercial decisions that are sometimes needed to freshen up the sport or their business. Here at Leicester, we were aware that many fans wanted to see racing at the highest level and it was a natural move for the club to take. Bringing Elite League speedway to Leicester had its challenges, but also we believed it would provide its rewards as well. Certainly, operational costs have increased but you can’t employ some of the top names in the world without having a pay structure to attract the right calibre of rider and, with it, a competitive team. Also, there is a significantly larger entrance fee to become a member of the Elite League, and finally you have to meet the minimum requirements concerning your rider asset valuation. So before you start the season there are substantial costs across the business. However, with the attraction of live television and income from exclusive coverage of fixtures, this in turn has led to a far greater portfolio of business partners. In addition, we also secured a new headline sponsor over a two-year initial deal which meant we became the Rapid Solicitors Leicester Lions. Attendances have increased, in some instances by 100 per cent, but overall in the region of between 30 to 40 per cent. We are very happy with this development and that would suggest we are now in the top quartile of teams across the UK in fan-base. On track our results speak for themselves. We have had good times and bad times, we have had our share of injuries and replacement riders. For a period in the second half of the season, we looked as if we would have a settled side that could make a late dash up the league table but, again, injuries have played their part. Until recently, we built an unbeaten run at home and those matches were often closely-contested thrillers. Our lads have certainly provided the type of Saturday entertainment to keep the sports fans of all descriptions coming back, so I look forward to the annual general meeting with my fellow promoters with optimism. There is work to be done, for sure, but with the right product, speedway has a great future in Leicester. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
