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Islander15

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Posts posted by Islander15

  1. Posted

    Good luck to Klaus, I must admit that I was sur[rised that no Pl teams picked him up. A rider with EL experience on a relatively low average the same as Lubos Tomicek, but lets hope the tour reminds someone of his undoubted potential.

     

    Good luck to the whole team as well. Hopefully they'll be as successful as last year :)

  2. Posted · Edited by Islander15

    schedule

     

    Please try and remember that not everyone who uses the forum has English as their first language.

     

    I didn't mean to offend I just didn't understand him.

     

    Cinekracingteam - Sorry if I offended you and as I now understand you, the fixtures were supposed to be out a week or two ago, but they weren't and it seems that no-one really knows when they will be out. But it shouldn't be too long :)

  5. Posted · Edited by Islander15

    The final ride then (assuming Starkey's signing is just a formality) is Rob Smith (here) , on a permanent deal from Rye House. The line-ups page have him on a 3.00 average (here) , yet his 2009 average was 6.22 at the time Rye House last declared their team (here) & speedway info's site has him on 6.00 (here) . Tbh the average doesn't really matter now

  6. Posted · Edited by Islander15

    I don't want to take over your thread, but does anyone know when the full fixture list is going to be announced??

     

    btw OSS, IOW have an unnamed opponent on the 19th Apr & the US on the 26th

  7. Posted

    With the 5 already signed plus Starkey that leavess 6.21 and looking at last year's end averages (here) that means the possible following riders (excluding ones who already have a club obviously): Tom Brown 6.20 (he's retired though, hasn't he?), Luke Priest 6.08, Ricky Wallace 6.00 (unlikely), Ricky Scarboro ( :rolleyes: ), Dan Halsey 5.56 (surely no seeing as he only stated on here about a week ago asking for a team place, however a snip of an average), Gary Beaton 5.52 ( :unsure: ) and Richard Franklin 5.39.

    Priest looks the best of that lot, at Smallbrook last year he got 9+1 from 4 for Mildenhall & 9+1 from 6 for Newport.

  9. Posted

    Thanks for your reply Malcolm ^^^

     

    The Islanders have signed 2 more: John Resch & Tom Hill. See here . Hill's a good signing, especially at home, on a low average. But I'm not so sure about Resch.

     

    So who's the other 4? Starke, Smethills and Warwick equal 21.70 and with only 24.28 left 1 of them will definitely miss out. I hear that Dan Blake won't be fit for the start of the season, but does anyone know if Hopwood will be?

  11. Posted · Edited by Islander15

    Please tell me theres yet another mistake on the BSPA site. It says Simmo's average is 8.90 (here) yet he ended last year on 8.05 (here) (according to their site, though that was October's average so really it should be slightly different but not 0.85). I checked the average's of the others from last year and Morris. Atkin, White-Williams, Young, Bates and Andrews will all start on last year's average with Lambert's increasing by 0.01 and Herne's 0.51. Even Herne's average seems a massive increase from what, 2 meeting maybe for Bournmeouth during October, yet Hornets rode then, and I don't think they were all injured! Is there something I've missed here, or is it a mistake? If it's a mistake we'll soon know.

  14. Posted

    Last year up north they had JUNIOR LEAGUE ,BUT COULD NOT FIND ENOUGH RIDERS TO RACE IN IT.Berwick had to field Jonathan Swales and Peter Johnson,Halifax had paul Burrnet and two girl riders,so if they cant find enough to fill these teams how are we going to find them for National League teams.If you get ridd of Aussies ect just take Buxton as a example they will loose Morris,branford,they also loose cook and if Belle Vue run it looks like they loose Garrity.so buxton will be looking for four riders,Bele Vue looking for a team Stoke ,milden hall,thats25 plus all others who loose Aussies.so thats about 30 riders who can put on a show.were the hell are they coming from? ps sorry for shouting it was a mistake. :rolleyes:

     

    Buxton won't neccessarily lose Branford, as any Aussies with a British passport will still be able to race in the NL regardless of whether they change the rules to stop Aussies/Kiwis riding or not. Hence the reason he, Morris & McBain all started on a 3.00 average for the Hitmen last season. But Morris can't ride NL as hehas a PL team and an PL average over 4.00.

  15. Posted

    If only.

     

    A team that has a top 3 of Evans, Roynon and Charles Wright would be looking good!

     

    Yeah, and the most ridiculous part of that, Roynon has an EL place (No 8 yes, but he'll still ride) and Wright doesn't even have a PL side! I thought he would have been a nailed-on for Worky, but I read in the speedway star that they've been looking at upto 6 riders for that spot

  16. Posted

    Alas, only Dave knows what he will want to do (And possibly Malcolm), I just hope we can build a team that will challenge at the top.

     

    And know, I meant Andre. His PL average this season was 5.97, so could, in theory, drop down on 11.94!

     

    I don't want to sound against you or anything here, but assuming the rules don't change Andre's average would be too high for him to do both leagues, as you can only ride NL if you're average with a PL team is below 4.00 at the start of the season. Think of Charles Wright at Buxton last year. He could start the season for the Hitmen because he didn't have a PL side, but then when he signed for Redcar he did have a PL team and an average over 4.00 (4.75 as it happened), so he had to be replaced in the Buxton side. So unless he only does NL, he can't ride in that league and to be perfectly honest he's a lot better than that league anyway. Admittedly he wouldn't keep his 12, but should be above 9.5 if not 10. Its his decision at the end of the day, but even if he struggles at the start of the season in the PL (assuming that's what he wants and/or is signed), he would be some force at reserve

  17. Posted · Edited by Islander15

    I thought that IoW's problem was that the crowds at the early and late part of the season weren't enough to run, even given the higher crowds during the summer months, and that the NL was a more viable option because of the lack of meetings at the extremes of the season.

     

    As for finding someone to move up with us, great, but I worry about us having the time to develop riders over 2 to 3 seasons. This is arguably one of the most important seasons in the recent history of Stoke Speedway. If we get this wrong, I can see the crowds dropping dramatically.

     

    I read in this weeks speedway star that Dave Tattum says he has a three-year-plan to move the Potters back into the Premier, surely some juniors could move upo in that time scale. Plus look at last year's Scunny Saints: Ashley Birks is now with Sheffield after 1 NL season, Steve Worrall is with the Scorpions (and he rode for them at the back end of last year) and Richie Worrall is with Newcastle despite only making his debut June time. I'm just saying it's not impossible for first timers to go NL in their 2nd year, or even 1st(Craig Cook))

     

    Btw in the last couple of comments between you and 21stCH you mention Compton on a 12. Well if you mean Benji (surely Andre's average is too high) then 2 things: 1. I tought he announced his retirement last year and 2. if he rides he'll have a 6.28 average (well that's what he had for 2010 Scunny Saints)

  18. Posted · Edited by Islander15

    Are there enough British riders around? Assume that every team who rode last year rides this year, with Stoke replacing Plymouth. The league has already lost Mark Simmonds and Nicki Glanz, so that's 2 heat leaders gone, and I can't see Seemond Stephens riding again. Where are the top end riders going to come from?

     

    Personally, as narrow minded as it may sound, I'm not too interested with bringing forward the next generation of riders. In an ideal world, Stoke are only going to be NL for one season, so we need riders who will, hopefully, be able to step up the next season. From what I saw of Armstrong, I feel he could be a rider capable of doing that.

     

    Another point, on a slight tangent, is why do we not allow foreign riders into the NL? Make it mandatory to have x amount of British riders, 2 of whom must be under 19, and work from there? Too often our younger riders are protected up until they attempt to make the step up, only ever facing people who have a knowledge of British speedway, and then they hit the PL, with a whole new level of professionalism that is brought about from having a multi-national league, and it appears from the outside to be a huge culture shock for them.

     

     

    Yes, it does sound very narrow minded! IOW originally stepped down for 1 year, 2 at most and now they enter their 3rd year in the NL and it seems unlikely that thye finances will let them step up for another 2-3 years at least. Any anyway even if Stoke do return next year, you might possibly find one guy this year to move up with you next year, but more than likely 5 or 6 of them, if not all 7 will be or have ridden Premier some time (whether it be for Stoke or not). And who knows, there may even be an unkown junior start at No. 7 next year who in several years time (alright, qquite a long time) rides at No. 1 for a Stoke EL title-winning side :wink:

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