Newcastle 2020

[szkocjasid 2,976]

14 hours ago, pienpeesman said:

Just like Workington in 2018 ?

While Workington weren't favourites in 2018, they weren't predicted for bottom!

[spin king 1,918]

On paper you have to say the the Diamonds are looking like they are in for a hammering this season.

But you have to remember they were late with team building and gave every other team a head start in team building.

At Sheffield we went through a similar problem with the new promotion and we pieced together a team from what riders were left.

Hopefully fans will be understand and stick with the team this year and judge the Promotion on their team building next season where they will start on an even playing field.

 

  

[IronScorpion 1,407]

1 hour ago, Winditon said:

THJ will let you know as he knows everything. I heard that the promotion weren't happy last night that someone had let the cat out of the bag.

THJ was not the one to "let the cat out of the bag". Yes, he gave us a story with anagrams incorporated of the riders, but it was another poster that solved the puzzle.  

[ruffdiamond 6,115]

18 minutes ago, IronScorpion said:

THJ was not the one to "let the cat out of the bag". Yes, he gave us a story with anagrams incorporated of the riders, but it was another poster that solved the puzzle.  

It was also another poster that came up with the spoof names.

[northyorksbear 610]

OK to start on the negatives - at this moment in time virtually everyone's predictions will have the Diamonds finishing bottom of the league, and I can see many defeats to start the season off with.

However positives - as others have said there will be speedway at Newcastle in 2020,and from Granty's comments for a number of years afterwards. The team which has been put together does have potential for improvement with several riders able to have substantial increases in averages, whether they will is the big question. If the new guys, who I assume will be assets, get a full season in then they should be good for 2021 and I fully expect diamonds to be much more competitive later in season.

Bottom line is enjoy your speedway and support the new promotion - hope it goes well  - as I have often pointed out it is to the benefit of Redcar and Newcastle for both to have strong teams, as was clearly demonstrated by last season's cup final.

Merry Christmas to all up in Geordieland

[leander 495]

2 hours ago, enotian said:

Have to chuckle when people defend the seven and then in the same breath say that we've got two points to play with to make changes!

There's no point in trying to deny that a team that's two points under the limit, doesn't have a #1 and will struggle in heat 13 and 15 is going to struggle. But at least it's an interesting team with same potential to improve. Who knows if James Wright can recapture his former form? Or if Connor Mountain will have a break through season? Or if Nik Skorja is a top talent (World U-21's in 2019 (scoring 7,2,2) which only Lambert from the Brits qualified for). Or if THJ has self esteem issues?  Who knows?

What it does show is that the new owner is prepared to take a gamble. Let's hope it pays off. 

Doesn't have a number 1!!!!!! Didn't know Claus Vissing had left already. WE HAVE A NUMBER 1. His name is Claus Vissing. He is the 7th highest average NUMBER 1 in the League to start this season, and is on a par (within a few hundreds (average wise ) of the three immediately above him. He rode at number 5 for Glasgow for the first half of last season so has done plenty of heat 13 and 15. 

It is a slight concern being 2.12 short on the points limit, as this means the team has to improve by two points overall just to stand still. I'd personally have prefered an established 6.5 to 7 point rider plus either one of the two eastern europeans. However it is what it is and I, for one, just grateful we are still running. Time will tell whether the two new boys are over or under estimated on a 5.00. The slight concern being that most eastern europeans are big track riders and there ain't that many big tracks left in our league. It should be remembered that last year Smetana rode Lindgrens 2018 bikes when he was in this country. Hopefully he will have his own better bikes this year.

As long as they put the effort in the fans will back them.

 

[DC2 11,150]

 

This year’s newcomers were a mixed bag:

Agertoft and Thomsen at Birmingham failed to achieve 3 point averages;

MacDonald and Kennedy at Sheffield just fell short of 4;

Kacper Andersen in his first full season managed 4.86 and Grobauer 5.38.

In fact, looking at 2018 and 2019, Grobauer is the only new rider to beat his assessed starting average.

 

[screm 8,050]

Surprised that Newcastle have brought two new riders in to complete their team but both, especially Skorja, are at an age where their best days should still be infront of them.

[TKone 2]

17 hours ago, Bellers101 said:

Some big home defeats early on I reckon. I thought Granty was going to transform the club.

What are you mystic meg remember the diamonds almost didn’t make the tapes for 2020 great to see how positive you are. Maybe you could have purchased the club and put a better team together I guess we will never know 

[Justgotmecpc 1,056]

3 hours ago, screm said:

Surprised that Newcastle have brought two new riders in to complete their team but both, especially Skorja, are at an age where their best days should still be infront of them.

I've just been watching footage of Smetana on YouTube & if your comments are right that both lads best days are in front of them WELL it's gonna be a good season watching them putting points on there averages as Smetana is fast and coped well against gp regulars ie Martin vaculik..

[Fromafar 10,333]

4 hours ago, DC2 said:

 

This year’s newcomers were a mixed bag:

Agertoft and Thomsen at Birmingham failed to achieve 3 point averages;

MacDonald and Kennedy at Sheffield just fell short of 4;

Kacper Andersen in his first full season managed 4.86 and Grobauer 5.38.

In fact, looking at 2018 and 2019, Grobauer is the only new rider to beat his assessed starting average.

 

Think Smetana will surprise a few.

[diamond@heart 399]

22 minutes ago, pienpeesman said:

I've just been watching footage of Smetana on YouTube & if your comments are right that both lads best days are in front of them WELL it's gonna be a good season watching them putting points on there averages as Smetana is fast and coped well against gp regulars ie Martin vaculik..

Yeah but how will they cope with the tight turns at Brough. 

Very risky strategy by Newcastle, lots of unknowns in this team. Will Vissing maintain his starting average, doubt it. Wright is another unknown, not ridden in a while and how will he come back. Mountain is good signing, we know what we are getting from Wethers and Clegg, hopefully they can both kick on again next year. The fact we are 2 points under already puts pressure on the team to make up that difference. Team has potential but so did the 2019 team, positive is that we have a team for 2020, only time will tell if the gamble pays off. 

[Justgotmecpc 1,056]

16 minutes ago, diamond@heart said:

Yeah but how will they cope with the tight turns at Brough. 

Very risky strategy by Newcastle, lots of unknowns in this team. Will Vissing maintain his starting average, doubt it. Wright is another unknown, not ridden in a while and how will he come back. Mountain is good signing, we know what we are getting from Wethers and Clegg, hopefully they can both kick on again next year. The fact we are 2 points under already puts pressure on the team to make up that difference. Team has potential but so did the 2019 team, positive is that we have a team for 2020, only time will tell if the gamble pays off. 

Looks like he will cope OK as some of the European tracks that I've watched him on and still watching some now on YouTube he likes the inside line very much like Pepe franc did & he seems to have plenty of speed as well as Chris holder found out

[Justgotmecpc 1,056]

Just now, pienpeesman said:

Looks like he will cope OK as some of the European tracks that I've watched him on and still watching some now on YouTube he likes the inside line very much like Pepe franc did & he seems to have plenty of speed as well as Chris holder found out

But time will tell 

[Winditon 233]

8 hours ago, IronScorpion said:

THJ was not the one to "let the cat out of the bag". Yes, he gave us a story with anagrams incorporated of the riders, but it was another poster that solved the puzzle.  

So it's a little game now is it you absolute weapon