Leicester Lions 2016

[stevebrum 6,820]

Who the hell cares! It's totally irrelevant, except for obsessive idiots to make crass, petty points. EL teams are generally assembled to the rules relating to the EL and PL according to their rules.

 

It's pathetic to see supporters of the dying EL taking some kind of twisted solace out of their weakest team in the history of the league being stronger than a PL team,. IT DAMN WELL SHOULD BE!!!

 

So, we now have the realistic prospect of Belle Vue's superb new track opening to a total whitewash of the opposition - well, all but the reserves. Even the threat of rain now sees Sky ditch TV coverage. One of your most important tracks is closing at the end of the year. Most teams struggle to field more than one heat leader while another has four. Aren't these things that you should be concerned about, not trying the act the big 'I am' because your team is in the EL, thus making you some kind of demi-god? So Leicester could beat the top PL teams. BIG BLOODY DEAL!

 

Speedway's got real problems enough without this petty idiocy.

 

"Crisis, what crisis"?

Yet the inane comments continue every season that the PL teams could beat the poor EL teams,

History continues to show they can't and don't.

 

Speedway of ALL leagues in the UK have had problems for years. I've been saying it for years.

Yet some petty minded PL fans like to feel there league is better to point score.

Think you need to read my posts a bit wider before making any further comments or to show yourself up.

[1 valve 558]

 

I don't think there were many Leicester fans who wanted the Lions to be in the Elite League anyway and they were quite happy with PL racing on a Saturday night The decision was more down to David's ambition I should think and as it appears he can be rather stubborn ~ hence taking no notice of 90% of fans wishing for the track to be changed ~ it looks like it will be another season of struggle. Sad really.

I think you are wrong on two points. First, when it was announced the Lions were moving to the EL I believe the majority of supporters welcomed this development because a. PL racing was not particularly exciting (despite what some may think) & b. it represented a chance to see a better class of rider, even GP stars. I am the first to admit the second aspect has tailed off, though it was good to see Jason D in the Lions colours and to see a Lion appear in the GP's, but we still do see better riders at BP than when in the PL, unfortunately we haven't seen a fair share of them sign for the Lions.

 

Secondly the track is now half way through being altered, and yes it has taken longer than it needed to have taken but at least its now being done.

 

What I do think DH is wrong to presume is that Saturday night is the preferred night for Lions fans and crowds will drop if Saturday is not an option. I can see some folk will not attend during mid week, but this will be offset by better riders being available to form a stronger and more competitive team which will attract more fans to meetings.

 

So I suggest the future for the Lions should be to remain in the EL and move to a midweek race night and build a stronger team from the wider pool of available riders that would become available.

Edited April 4, 2016 by 1 valve

[Trees 2,814]

Lynn changed from Saturdays years ago, it just has to be done .....

[arnieg 3,624]

elite league is top flight in name only . premier and national league speedway is actually better

Not better, but different. All have a legion of problems, some shared, some specific to their division. And in the right circumstances all can provide excellent speedway.

[speedibee 3,091]

Not better, but different. All have a legion of problems, some shared, some specific to their division. And in the right circumstances all can provide excellent speedway.

 

Not better, but different. All have a legion of problems, some shared, some specific to their division. And in the right circumstances all can provide excellent speedway.

 

I think you are wrong on two points. First, when it was announced the Lions were moving to the EL I believe the majority of supporters welcomed this development because a. PL racing was not particularly exciting (despite what some may think) & b. it represented a chance to see a better class of rider, even GP stars. I am the first to admit the second aspect has tailed off, though it was good to see Jason D in the Lions colours and to see a Lion appear in the GP's, but we still do see better riders at BP than when in the PL, unfortunately we haven't seen a fair share of them sign for the Lions.

 

Secondly the track is now half way through being altered, and yes it has taken longer than it needed to have taken but at least its now being done.

 

What I do think DH is wrong to presume is that Saturday night is the preferred night for Lions fans and crowds will drop if Saturday is not an option. I can see some folk will not attend during mid week, but this will be offset by better riders being available to form a stronger and more competitive team which will attract more fans to meetings.

 

So I suggest the future for the Lions should be to remain in the EL and move to a midweek race night and build a stronger team from the wider pool of available riders that would become available.

Well thats put you straight Gemini , and a few others, me included , there we were happily deluded , that me knowing loads of Leicester and Ex leicester fans and you being married to one , we had any idea about what they actually wanted from their speedway and what their opinion of the track and the promoter was , And Along comes 1 valve and puts us all to shame with a single post .

Not better, but different. All have a legion of problems, some shared, some specific to their division. And in the right circumstances all can provide excellent speedway.

Elite league is more or less premier league . padded out with some over the hill Poles and Swedes and dancing to the tune of BSI and Polish leagues

[Gemini 4,894]

I think you are wrong on two points. First, when it was announced the Lions were moving to the EL I believe the majority of supporters welcomed this development because a. PL racing was not particularly exciting (despite what some may think) & b. it represented a chance to see a better class of rider, even GP stars.

 

Secondly the track is now half way through being altered, and yes it has taken longer than it needed to have taken but at least its now being done.

Okay fair enough. Perhaps I should change my comment to all the Leicester fans I know would have preferred to stay in the Premier League and even more so now after the last couple of years. Maybe PL racing wasn't particularly exciting because of the shape of the track more than the standard of rider? I've watched loads of matches at Peterborough and 9 times out of 10 the racing is on a par with E.L. if not better. Anyway, glad something has been done about the track now. Better late than never.

[E I Addio 15,843]

 

What I do think DH is wrong to presume is that Saturday night is the preferred night for Lions fans and crowds will drop if Saturday is not an option. I can see some folk will not attend during mid week, but this will be offset by better riders being available to form a stronger and more competitive team which will attract more fans to meetings.

 

So I suggest the future for the Lions should be to remain in the EL and move to a midweek race night and build a stronger team from the wider pool of available riders that would become available.

Lakeside have for years tended to race Coventry at home on a Saturday and always seem to get bigger than average crowds on those nights, although it's difficult to say whether it's because people are more willing to go out on a Saturday or whether it's becsuse Coventry are usually a pretty decent side to watch (well they often are at Lakeside anyway ). Jon Cook has said that he would always have a Saturday race night if he could but obviously recognises the impracticability of it all the time if he wants top foreign riders.

 

Probably the crowds would be better on a Saturday than a Friday, all things bring equal, but throw Jason Doyle into the equation and build a half decent side and I dare say more would be tempted to see that sort of team on a Friday than a losing side on a Saturday. Surely the logical thing would be to try a mix of Fridays and Saturdays and see if there is much difference. Lakeside have always managed to find a couple of Saturday's when riders committed to Poland on a Sunday could ride. The problem arises when they are all Saturdays.

[speedibee 3,091]

Lakeside have for years tended to race Coventry at home on a Saturday and always seem to get bigger than average crowds on those nights, although it's difficult to say whether it's because people are more willing to go out on a Saturday or whether it's becsuse Coventry are usually a pretty decent side to watch (well they often are at Lakeside anyway ). Jon Cook has said that he would always have a Saturday race night if he could but obviously recognises the impracticability of it all the time if he wants top foreign riders.

 

Probably the crowds would be better on a Saturday than a Friday, all things bring equal, but throw Jason Doyle into the equation and build a half decent side and I dare say more would be tempted to see that sort of team on a Friday than a losing side on a Saturday. Surely the logical thing would be to try a mix of Fridays and Saturdays and see if there is much difference. Lakeside have always managed to find a couple of Saturday's when riders committed to Poland on a Sunday could ride. The problem arises when they are all Saturdays.

I think main difference is that more people have the time to travel on Saturdays and no need to rush to get home for work the next day , going to lakeside from Coventry area on a Friday means leaving at lunchtime , back in the days before BSI and a few riders heading for the big bucks , quite a few teams ran on Saturdays with no problem . Oh and leicester can't run on fridays .thats Coventry's priority night at the moment until they close this year

[Big Al 708]

Okay fair enough. Perhaps I should change my comment to all the Leicester fans I know would have preferred to stay in the Premier League and even more so now after the last couple of years. Maybe PL racing wasn't particularly exciting because of the shape of the track more than the standard of rider? I've watched loads of matches at Peterborough and 9 times out of 10 the racing is on a par with E.L. if not better. Anyway, glad something has been done about the track now. Better late than never.

I think in the PL, the track proved to be too technical for the lesser able and experienced riders to master, and this had a substantial impact on the quality of the racing. Thats how Magnus, when fully fit and in the right mood, could be invincible there, plus of course the all-important gating ability.

If the early comments are anything to go by, the alterations made so far to the track may have made it less difficult, and providing the other bends get done, maybe it will become less of a daunting prospect for the less able and experienced guys, and enable them to ride it with more confidence (and I'm talking here about NL level and lower order PL level riders) and so offer better racing than was previously the case in the PL.

The Elite League is struggling to maintain credibility, not helped by the atrocious decisions made during the winter by the promoters. Sky are (undertandably) apparently getting cold feet, and when Leicester joined the league in 2014, it was already on the slide. A bit like boarding the Titanic when the iceberg was already in view.

[barrow boy 119]

I actually toyed with the idea of venturing to Lakeside tonight! Great decision to sit on my *rse instead it would seem. Two away meetings running and the reserves embarrass the others, one of which is a guest who comes out for Heat 15! Our heat leaders have managed two heat wins between them in these two meetings, in which we have fallen apart in the latter halves. It's early doors I know but we've been here many times before and I would like to hear any comments that club representatives may wish to make. Another tricky away track with four bends and two straights it would seem.

I don't think it is a matter of them falling apart in the latter races. They are not good enough to compete in the latter races. Every other team has at least one big hitter, some have 2 and on a good night a couple may have 3. Leicester do not have one so they will always come unstuck after heat 12 against the other team's big hitters in heats 13 & 15.

[hyderd 1,216]

I think you are wrong on two points. First, when it was announced the Lions were moving to the EL I believe the majority of supporters welcomed this development because a. PL racing was not particularly exciting (despite what some may think) & b. it represented a chance to see a better class of rider, even GP stars. I am the first to admit the second aspect has tailed off, though it was good to see Jason D in the Lions colours and to see a Lion appear in the GP's, but we still do see better riders at BP than when in the PL, unfortunately we haven't seen a fair share of them sign for the Lions.

 

Secondly the track is now half way through being altered, and yes it has taken longer than it needed to have taken but at least its now being done.

 

What I do think DH is wrong to presume is that Saturday night is the preferred night for Lions fans and crowds will drop if Saturday is not an option. I can see some folk will not attend during mid week, but this will be offset by better riders being available to form a stronger and more competitive team which will attract more fans to meetings.

 

So I suggest the future for the Lions should be to remain in the EL and move to a midweek race night and build a stronger team from the wider pool of available riders that would become available.

 

Leicester are like Belle Vue they own there own track, therefore could negotiate with better riders/GP riders and have 2 race nights. A Friday/Saturday when there's no GP and a midweek night when there is.

Speedway can ill afford another Birmingham, wake up Mr Helmsley and smell the coffee.

[Big Al 708]

 

Leicester are like Belle Vue they own there own track, therefore could negotiate with better riders/GP riders and have 2 race nights. A Friday/Saturday when there's no GP and a midweek night when there is.

Speedway can ill afford another Birmingham, wake up Mr Helmsley and smell the coffee.

Not strictly true, it is on land leased from the council but there is probably quite a bit of leeway over race night although I understand that Cov still have a covenant over Fridays, and there could be issues with the nearby shopping centre over parking on certain nights.

But yes, you'd think that a more pragmatic approach could have been tried, rather than the ostrich method.

[speedflash 242]

Belle Vue dont own their stadium. They are rent/lease it with other sports.

[ouch 1,191]

Belle Vue do own the stadium in the same way you would own a mortgaged house. They are currently paying it back.

Any takings from bar, food, car parking or when the venue is hired for other events goes to Belle Vue Speedway.

[Hamish McRaker 601]

Is Cameron Woodward fit and riding again yet?

 

And does anyone know if Seb Ulamek is just over here to get in a bit of practice before Poland gets properly underway?