john birch

Does anyone know if Craig Cook is riding tonight ?

Wow this is a tough one. You have seven teams that look like they should be in the Premier League. Coventry and Belle Vue half decent but Bees can never seem to beat Pirates at Brandon and the Aces don't have Kirky Lane to worry them now. I can see Poole running the table and winning all 28 matches. As for Leicester, I was going to say the lineup reminds me of Oxford 2007 except that had Protasiewicz in it. Even if you went to your local specsavers it would still be difficult to see where the race winners will come from!

I can't believe people are suggesting Friday as one of the fixed race nights. In the last two years out of eight meetings at Lakeside and Coventry, how many did Craig Cook race for Belle Vue. It was either one or zilch. It has got to be Wed/Thurs, with any track unable to use the stadium on one of those nights having priority in the fixtures for the other night. The standard should be the same as it is now until the viability of it is established. But I will ask again - why is Poole so successful. Yes the promoter works hard and the demographic of the area helps, but the race night allows him to attract a good team. His team are always there. The away team are always there (not racing for one of the up to eight teams in action on Fridays in the PL). The whole thing is therefore more likely to retain fans and sponsors. Mondays (B.Hols) aside - don't make me laugh- first day back at work! Two days consecutively and not clashing with the Premier League. Two home and two away and unwind doubling up to force Garrity, Howarth, Lambert et al out of the PL before British speedway disappears altogether.

In my opinion there has got to be some form of compulsory u23 gb rider at reserve. Also no foreigner to have an average drop below 5.00 EVER. Cast your eyes over these names: Edberg, Garcia, Berge, Stichauer, Konopka, Benko, Barrett, Maassen, Siisis, Castagna. Please can we stop filling the bottom end of Premier League teams with riders like this and instead next year have: Wajtnecht, Carr, Blacklock, D.Greenwood, Greaves, Perks, Wilson-Dean (and not on more than 5.00), Spiller, Owen, Wood, Shanes, Ayres, Stokes, Kinsley, Bailey, Mountain, Hughes, O.Greenwood and Payne. Ok not all u23 and one NZ but you get my drift. For pities sake just do it!!!

Eight teams two X home and away on Wednesdays and Thursdays only. Same team strengths as now including fast track for at least one position in the team or minimum requirement of 2X english in the team. Anyone only able to race on one of the two nights due to stadium availability must be given preference or maybe every fifth week left blank to accommodate this and rainoffs. Riders must be available for all weeks between 15 March and the playoffs except for the World cup. This is the only real change that hasn't been tried and must be. And don't tell me anyone would rather ride in the Allsvenskaan or Danish league as opposed to 28 matches here. Coventry, Lakeside and Leicester on those nights is a complete joke with doubling up / FIM events etc.

I wish Stuart all the best but all the playoffs are probably going to be on large tracks and IMO the final will be and for that reason alone we need to make a change. Mikkelsen would be great. How about Patryk Dudek if he fits or one of the older Poles like Gapinski or Okoniewski. Again these playoffs are going to have to be won against a big track team so any one of a number of Poles could fit the bill. Predpelski maybe?

I'd say Plymouth could win out and in any event get probably eight points from remaining away matches. Ipswich could be in the last chance saloon at Somerset, though another loss for the Rebels could make it a two into three scenario rather than strictly a battle for sixth. Workington - you have to be joking. Not a single away point halfway through August. Love the adoption of the old Swedish elitseries formula - should be loads of thrilling match ups compared to the dull as ditchwater dogs breakfast of the last two years. (that's the qualifiers prior to the final, I mean.)

Just to let people know that i am standing for Ukip in the local election on may 7th in Revel and Binley Woods ward. My name is John Birch and i have been a Bees fan since the tailend of the Boocock era. It goes without saying that i will not vote for permission to be given for housing on Brandon stadium under any circumstances ever. I have leafletted 99% of houses, have done well here before and we (Ukip) are popular with the pensioners of which there is a high proportion in this ward. Most people know it will be extra pressure on school places and more traffic and don't wan't it. I can beat the Tories. If you know any Bees fans in Binley Woods, Brinklow, Pailton, Ansty, Monks Kirby etc, friends relatives whatever, try and get them to vote for me. It can't do any harm. Regards John Mob 07580073326

I'd absolutely love Shamek Pawlicki back. Anyone know what's the latest on the stadium? Rumour has it that the local election candidate for Ukip in Binley Woods on May 7th is a lifelong Bees fan. Guess any Bees fans there and in Brinklow etc should vote for him/her.

One thing I've banged on about that they did listen too was to change the playoff format in the PL to the Swedish system. Back to the EL and with only 8 teams they should have gone to 3 GB riders per team and reverted to the old heat formula. The top up and comers would still get team berths. But we are where we are so why not simply use the 1988 formula ie the old 13 ht racecard plus 2nd reserve heat and top scorers race. Heats 5 and 6 last year were ridiculous though and surely must be changed. I suggested only one tac ride but allowing choice of gates when a team was 6 in arrears. I still say Fri/Sat Elite league is incompatable with doubling up.

Firstly top flight speedway is untenable on Fri/Sat due to doubling up and FIM meetings. Have everyone race on Wed and/or Thurs. Scrap farce track and instead have minimum of two GB riders per team but do have compulsory Brit reserve at No.7 in the PL. Get rid of tactical ride. Core fans loathe it and anyone watching at home must think it laughable. Instead give team six behind choice of gates and which rider to put where and allow the point scoring system to do the rest. Maybe one old style tac sub when team is at least 8 points down. Give us back the old race formula. Heats 5 and 6 - absolute joke - there must have been north of 50% of the former ending in predictable 5-1,s overall in the Elite League. Squads not tenable but introduce grading. Just ludicrous that Poole couldn't replace Ward with Holder and I'm a Bees fan FFS! Change rubbish playoff formula in the PL and replace with Swedish league version Ie 6 v 3, 4 v 5 winners meet top two etc.

What doesn't work well is the playoff format. Two years running a team has lost it's first home match and we get left with dead rubbers like Berwick v Worky. Why oh why can't we have the Swedish formula where top two go straight to semi final to meet the winners of the next four round. Allowing team finishing third to choose opponent you could have had Ippo v Scunny, Worky v Berwick - all win or bust and maybe attract a few travelling fans instead of the daft groups and too many matches we have now.

You will never get me at another so called Elite League meeting until tracks race on a fixed night or at least Wed/Thurs combi. Top flight speedway is completely untenable on Fridays and Saturdays due FIM and Premier League. And before any Coventry fans tell me Thursdays didn't work, sorry but it was the worst team in 30 years (one win in the first dozen and the wooden spoon that caused the crowd to drop off). Having said that I think the original poster's idea does have some merit though.

The current MP occasionally goes and his family at one time lived in Binley Woods while the SCB chairman and ex Bees rider is ward councillor. Can't get much better than that. Should allow houses along Rugby road and the car park side of speedway lane in return for keeping the rest. Not sure why there are no houses yet on Oakdale opposite. Nine houses going on site of disused nursery in Church Lawford (tho. perhaps encouragingly rumoured plan for forty was given the bums rush.) It's all a moot point though as speedway at the top level will be finished anyway unless they adopt a single night IMO.

Definitely won't go to another Elite League match (42 yr fan) outside of Monday / Wednesday. Just soul destroying to support a Friday night track with doubling up and international commitments.