Big Al

Maybe they should stop riding those dangerous motor bikes and use tricycles instead

When they've all finished spitting out their dummies!

Priceless :rofl:

The stadium's statement implies that it was acknowledged quite some time ago, that the track was unsatisfactory and was in need of substantial remedial work. So why was that work not carried out at an earlier stage over the winter rather than being done at the last minute? And, if the track has been in need of that work (and still was in need of it), why did the BSPA allocate the ELRC meeting to Brandon? It sounds to me as if all parties have contributed to this situation, and it may even be that Horton has been trying to get the stadium owners to carry out the work over the winter and has basically now done a childish "see, i told you so" when things went badly wrong. Not that it would excuse his apparent course of non-action.

The question is, how long will the no 6 & 7's be given by their teams/promoters/managers if they are shipping 10+ points per match on a regular basis? Supporters are probably more forgiving and patient, but they don't make the decisions, do they!

The issue of "the good of the sport and the development of young Brits" stuff that was pushed out by the BSPA during the winter, versus "we need to make a change to the team (i.e. at no 6 or 7) to try and improve results" is going to loom ever larger as the season progresses, and I'm not solely referring to Leicester here although it has to be said that Leicester's record so far in jettisoning young riders when they don't produce, ain't great. I also think the new EL format and its disproportionate emphasis, in term of race points, on rider no's 6 and 7, which many people had sussed out at an early stage and others are now beginning to cotton onto more, could bring about big dilemmas and even dispute within clubs and within the BSPA between some promoters with their priorities on gate receipts, and others who have different agendas. As for what's going to happen at Leicester ........ place your bets!!

Well it had a limited shelf life anyway!!

Think the first two months or so will be very unpredictable and inconsistent, especially at home. Riders sorting out the track and the team getting their heads around what type of surface suits it best - with hopefully agreement among them about what they want, and Glyn being able to deliver that on a consistent basis as we move into June. I hope that Tom Perry can get fixed up with a PL team place, because nearly all of the other no.6's in the EL are in there and it could put him at a disadvantage not to be competing at that level. He clearly had a setback season last year and this is a massive one in his career. Max Clegg is an exciting prospect. The points scored by the reserves are going to be crucial in this year's EL especially with them having 2 heats all of their own. This has to be the year when Paddy Hougaard needs to make a significant breakthrough to a higher level, he had lots of promise early in his career but hasn't built on it as much as might have been, so far. He's got the set-up, a busy schedule, so he and Leicester need him to kick on this year. I've a feeling that Mads could be more productive on away tracks than at BP - and so it needs Doyle and Ljung to be solid at home and win half a dozen heats between them. Maybe a tall order but think it will be crucial. Steady needs to be......steady and reliable!

Was the track prepared for most of last season to suit Magnus? But for a few weeks it got changed to suit Lasse with the extra dirt on the outside(then reverted back) . Did it revert back to being a "Magnus" track because of cost-saving, or because the promotion decided that revolving things around Magnus was the best chance of winning - or maybe both? You are right, the racing did seem to improve for a while, but dropped again. As I've said on here before, I'll give it a try this season, always happy to give benefit of doubt. So what type of riders do we have this year, and whose preferences will be catered-for most. To my way of thinking, Mads is a bit like the equivalant of Lasse in he needs a chance of scoring points from the back. But what about the others? And can the cost of additional material be afforded for the whole season?

Interesting.So Mr Hemsley probably knows full well that he built a turkey, probably was just going along in the hope that nobody noticed and kept believing it was all wonderful Puts him in a very difficult situation, having to convince people to spend £15 (or £16) when he knows what he's flogging's a bit of a dud. So he's now depending on "new" people showing up this year because it's a higher level league - which will probably happen - but how long will they stick around for? A successful team plus better racing due to the higher level would probably keep a lot of people attending (both new and existing customers), but if not, how many will decide to turn their backs and do something else with their time & money. He's taking a big gamble in my opinion, and proably knows, deep down, that he ought to have ripped it up and started again after the first season - but didn't have the money for it, and there hasn't been the possibility of any co-promoter coming along with enough money. Reminds me of Basil Fawlty.

Can I just ask a question, preferably to those who think the Leicester track is all right and are fed up with people making negative comments about it? Why was the track altered during the winter of 2012/13 ? Any answers welcomed.

Looks like we've got the Politically Correct brigade around. Where's Bob Crow when you need him?

If you look on google earth at the Leicester Cycle speedway track, at the end of Slater Street, you may notice there is some resemblance to Beaumont Park. David Hemsley was a top Cycle speedway rider, who rode for Leicester Monarchs. I'll let you come to your own conclusions!

Fully agree with you - BUT it relies on the 3 or 4 riders being close enough to one another, to require the skills you describe to be used. It needs more than one racing line, in order to make the outcome uncertain. And where's the enjoyment of something, where you know what the outcome's going to be? Personally, I prefer unpredicability!

And it's not just the "gate, stay on the racing line, and you've more or less won" problem, either. Heats become very strung out, I'm sure its partly down to riders knowing it's a hopeless cause. Last year we had Kev Doolan absolutely busting a gut to gain an extra point here and there, but how many (even at EL level) would do the same? I think the rider to keep an eye on, is Mads Korneliussen. You'll get a good indication of how things are from his performances. He tends to be a bit inconsistent (that's probably being kind !) from the gate, but puts it on the line to try and pass, and sometimes succeeds (and sometimes overcooks it). How often he succeeds will, i think, be a good indicator this season.

I have other "sporting interests", developed over many years, and of course they all require outlay in terms of finance and time. If I'm not getting what I consider to be good value for that outlay on something, I've got to think about whether I want to continue with it. I know there's more to things than what happens on the pitch/track when it comes to enjoying a sporting event, but for me anyway, it's a very important part. When I went to Speedway (regularly, year in, year out) in 1970's and 1980's i kept going because the racing gave me a buzz, helped no end by a track designed to produce racing to suit all types of rider. There was nothing to top Ray Wilson barging his way through on the inside, or Cookie hanging off the bike defying gravity doing his wall of death round the outside. So has speedway in general become more bland since then? Is my boredom at what i've seen so far over 3 years at Beaumont Park, part of a more general decline in entertainment - due a whole range of reasons? I think that's probably true, so when making "then and now" comparisons it's possibly unfair to heap all of the blame on the Leicester track. As an example of that, i've scrubbed my Sky Sports sub. because i thought the matches shown last season on Mondays were just plain boring, and i've other things I need to do with my time. However, that having been said, I've given Beaumont Park benefit of doubt for three seasons, and will do so again this year, but only up to a point. In doing that, I've probably been far more fair and patient than a great many others who made their decisions a while ago. I really hope that my doubts will prove unfounded and that with EL level matches, the thrill returns. But if not I'll be gone for good. Too many other things to do, too little time.

See the Ben Fund thread!!!

10 out of 10. Whole post

Such a long time ago............. If I could put a bet on somebody at decent odds, it would be Steve Worrall. I thought he was riding far more confidently by end of season, took longer to get over his injury than his brother - not in the same class yet, but a slightly slower developer and he should improve a lot. That's as long as the travelling doesn't mess things up.

Seven a side football match against a Media team on the centre green

Indications are that Doyle's visa is just about sorted

OK, but i think speedway matches are a bit different to most team sports, by having a stronger "individual" element to the attraction value of any particular match? Possibly cricket is a close example of something similar - the prescence of a particular player having greater influence on attendance decisions?

We had Ivan Mauger's nephew playing for Leicester Tigers a few years ago - his bike kept getting stuck in the mud though

Mushroom management........keep em in the dark and throw some s**t in every now and then .....or the problem in most sports with refs seeming to all have ttheir own changing take on the rules/laws,often depending on what kind of mood they're in

In that case, the 20 originally selected should have a guarantee that they can't be dumped until sometime like July. Maybe rider swaps (a 6 for a 6, 7 for a 7) should be allowed, as long as the riders concerned both agree and BSPA sanction it. Or if it benefits Poole Maybe rules like this are already set, but of course nobody needs to know aboujt them, least of all the paying customers!! (unless someone could kindly enlighten).