Birmingham Brummies 2015

[TMW 533]

Great to see Sons etc of Ex-riders carry on the family tradition.

Looking forward to the NL next year as could be the most interesting of all the Leagues.

However it does seem to put an inordinate amount of pressure on the lads.

[david2905 230]

I don't mind us going with a top heavy top at all, in the EL we always went with strength through the order and the usual scenario was was to be winning a meeting by 10/12 by about heat 10, out comes the top heavy oppositions No1 on a tactical, followed by heats 13 & 15 and a decent lead soon evaporates into a loss, sick to death of being done by this, tactical rides favour big hitters.

[Islander15 1,065]

I don't mind us going with a top heavy top at all, in the EL we always went with strength through the order and the usual scenario was was to be winning a meeting by 10/12 by about heat 10, out comes the top heavy oppositions No1 on a tactical, followed by heats 13 & 15 and a decent lead soon evaporates into a loss, sick to death of being done by this, tactical rides favour big hitters.

 

It doesn't work like that in the NL though as you often have riders who make much bigger improvements that in other leagues simply as they are just starting out. So even though I expect Ellis to be the top rider in the league, there simply isn't a lot of room for him to increase his average, whereas you look lower down the order and Zach could double his average, Perks could triple his and even someone like Extance could add 2-3 points despite not being a eat leader before and how many 5pt riders do that in other leagues! Look at Greaves last season, if you had a 4pt rider outside of the reserve berth for the first time in the PL, would you expect him to finish on 7.12??

Edited December 18, 2014 by Islander15

[21st century heathen 220]

Don't get the love for the Birmingham team after 3 signings. Dangerous to build so top heavy, because as good as they will be in 13 and 15, there are a lot of other races in a meeting! They need to have 3 or 4 fantastic signings to fill in the rest of the team to do anything.

 

I understand where you're coming from and I can liken it to many post 1983 Heathens teams. We were always top heavy with often 'dodgy' reserves and over the course of a league season we'd come up short. But those bottom end riders could turn it on at times and we hoovered up trophies for fun. With the NL reverting to a straight forward battle for top place in the league one could argue that this comparison is valid but there's a slight twist in the tale.

 

Strong heat leaders in ht 13 and ht 15 can be worth their weight in gold with the daft league points scoring we have. A top two banging in 5-1's can grab you 8 points and that, at the end of the season, could have big impact on the number of league points scored. A ht 13 5-1 can give the riders in ht 14 a lift too rather than an it's all over anyway approach to the heat. Maybe it is being brought up on a diet of strong heat leaders that gives me a biased view but I feel a good top two (assuming sensible averages - not signing on 11 each) is not a bad way to start building your team.

 

Zach is a fantastic prospect and a riders I hoped I may see in Heathens colours when I first saw him ride a couple of years ago. I don't know anything at all about Banks but typically the lads who come across from moto-x tend to be good gaters and after a year or so to settle make progress quickly. If B'ham name a good solid NL rider next, or one likely to make a big step in a weaker league, then they are looking very good and certainly strong contenders.

[greyhoundp 990]

Well i thought Luke Chessell made tremendous strides towards the back end of 2014, yes he still has a fall but not so often, but i did notice this seems to happen when a rider is in front of him, and he cant choose his own line so easily, However Luke is one of the best gaters around so that doesnt happen to often, also his style seems more natural now, and we musnt forget he held the Bronze Helmet for a short time that in itself is NO mean achievement. I expect Luke to gain a 7+ average this season.

 

Now why bring this up on a Brummie thread, well Luke is still available, and for me just the type of rider Brum need, and a few other Teams for that matter.

[Ben91 1,743]

Well i thought Luke Chessell made tremendous strides towards the back end of 2014, yes he still has a fall but not so often, but i did notice this seems to happen when a rider is in front of him, and he cant choose his own line so easily, However Luke is one of the best gaters around so that doesnt happen to often, also his style seems more natural now, and we musnt forget he held the Bronze Helmet for a short time that in itself is NO mean achievement. I expect Luke to gain a 7+ average this season.

 

Now why bring this up on a Brummie thread, well Luke is still available, and for me just the type of rider Brum need, and a few other Teams for that matter.

I believe he is a Rye House asset, the Raiders could do a lot worse than look at Chessell for 2015.

[LordoftheShale 32]

• Welcome Alex Wilson.

Any relation to the great Reg...

[OGT 612]

 

• Welcome Alex Wilson.
• Any relation to the great Reg...

 

Or Ray, Steve or Ian?

[LordoftheShale 32]

Or Ann or Nancy...

Oh wait a minute they're from Canadian rockers Heart.

[uk_martin 1,606]

As long as it's NOT Harold Wilson.

[*JJ 512]

Wilson is the third most common English surname!

[canalman 7]

Is he a Sheffield asset ?

[uk_martin 1,606]

Been told just now that he may be of Sean Wilson lineage...perhaps?

[Falcon Hammer 576]

Been told just now that he may be of Sean Wilson lineage...perhaps?

If he's half as good, or half as mad - will be quite a signing

[uk_martin 1,606]

I went through a list with a friend, of all the "second generatioin" riders that we could think of. At best it was a 50-50 split between those 2nd generation riders who were better than their parent, and those who didn't reach the same peaks. We've had our share at Birmingham, where Mark Warren wasn't as good as his father Graham, likewise, Jay Herne wasn't up to Phil Herne's standards, and Aiden Collins never matched Les Collins's achievements (and there are more). On the other side you have Jason Crump and Tai Woffinden who definately our-did their parents (likewise more could be reeled off) So basically you can't judge young speedway riders like you can racehorses. Breeding and bloodstock doesn't guarantee anything other than more pressure to bear than their compatriots get.