STEVEHOLS54

Decent start considering I believe Ben's first meeting as his equipment arrived back late from UK. Also believe only Zach's second meeting I (think). Especially considering the quality of a large part of the field. Kurtz 8 points - Masters 8 points - Pickering 6 - Pearson 3 - Keleher 3. I think these meetings as far as the Cook's are concerned should be viewed as an important way to build up fitness and get some racing in ahead of the UK season starting March. You would expect top riders such as Doyle - both Holder's - Fricke - Tungate - Kurtz to beat them considering they have all raced at top level in Poland. Also masters is a 10 plus top H/L in UK in Champ.Plus most of them have done a good few meetings in Aussie recently. Sedgman is scoring really well in most meetings during this close season in Aussie but has done in in previous years. Doesn't seem to perform to the same level when racing in UK. Similar with Tungate. The important thing for the Cook's is to avoid the kind of accidents that KO both Rew and Zischke and ruled both out until at least European meetings start.

Regarding Poole take a look at the Speedway Stats Website as gives an interesting insight into his Poole AV. Over 38 matches - 9.24 CMA and 9.87 incl BP. But if you look at his av when the play offs started go to his 2022 stats and look at the scores he racked up in both Champ and Prem from August onwards. None of his play off scores go into the GSA average as only regular season scores count. You could also argue the same on GSA's about both Ben & Zach Cook if you look at their av in the play offs.Look at Zach from August onwards in the 2022 section of his history. This is a guy that at one stage was expected to start the 2023 season at reserve. The Speedway Stats.co.uk site is quite revealing on players points at different parts of the season, and as we know as play offs do not count in the GSA its an interesting tool for team building.

Behave cast1m We are all good which is the important thing. Maybe I have been a bit heavy on comments regarding Tate but time will tell

Remember it well as was born and brought up in Hackney. Remember Simmo well as he visited Hackney as a rider for Poole/K.Lynn/Wimbledon/Swindon and even for Hackney Kestrels during the period 1971 when I first went and 1987. Plech was a real crowd pleaser. Got to see Bo Petersen first Hackney meeting at White City and also in the return leg at Hackney in the evening. Yes very happy days when I got to see all the local London tracks as well as those within an easy commute. Have a couple of boxes in the loft of programs from the 70/80/90's as well as Speedway Stars from the period plus a couple of program Boards. Fair to say i was well and truly hooked even when I got married in 1975. Anyway apologies for the memories and back over to the Poole 2023 forum

Just fyi it's worth pointing out that Ablitt is part of a 9 man Wroclaw squad named so far in POL. It could be others also get signed as Zischke was only named in the Leszno U24 squad in the last 24 hours and that squad is now up to 12 riders of which 8 are Poles - 3 Aussies and one is Ukranian. You are not guaranteed a start but no doubt the excellent practice & training facilities in POL will sort out who gets a slot and who doesn't. Even if just training and racing in some of the matches on arguably the best tracks in the World will be a great experience for these youngsters.

Thanks for the defence HG, but I think Steve and me have kept it amicable after his other reply and my subsequent response. Yes I do tend to go on about Tate to the point of obsession and time will tell if my view on him proves correct. Hopefully if Poole finances allow some time in the future we may see him at Poole and at 17 (18 on 30th July), plenty of time for that and who knows by then we may even be back in Prem Lge, but that discussion is for another day. I will let others comment on that in the future if and when the rumours are strong enough going forward.

Nice to see a good few of us still alive who can share the memory. Even remember a very young Middlo riding there back in the day. Oh happy days back there in the early - mid and late seventies. Even though we struggled a plenty due to good old Len Silver not wanting to spend on the bigger stars Notice i mentioned Middlo's name to keep us kind of on the Poole subject

Thanks for that Steve and Happy New year to you and all Poole fans plus other contributors to the Poole Forum for 2023. Maybe would have helped if Danny had done it the other way around and gone from 7 down to 1 as then the Tate discussion would have been killed off very early. But I suppose if nothing else the still unnamed 6 & 7 leaves a little chink of light into what may have been . Having said that have seen nothing posted on the Forum as to whether Kyle is racing in 2023. The only real comments I have seen are where he allegedly turned down Redcar for 2023 as he was not going to be fit for the start of the season. Whether that was just rumour or true I have no idea. But I've seen no comments fro anyone to say he had advised or commented that he was planning to start next season besides the Redcar comment. Let's hope he does as he is one guy who should excel looking at most of the reserves announced. Especially at Poole where his track knowledge and speed will hopefully also help him team ride Roynon when needed.

Steve Yes i know the team if it is as rumoured. I also have no issue with it as I think our reserves if as mentioned should score plenty to compensate the loss of an established 3rd H/L although we all hope Ben Cook will progress further. I left the Tate discussion alone as I fully accepted he would not be coming. It was only really a number of people commenting again on here and on the Plym Forum pages about him maybe coming to Poole that made me comment further in the last couple of days. Steve - This is a forum on the subject of Poole 2023. There is enough crap posted by certain individuals nothing to do with the Forum subject. Don't shoot someone who tries to engage in sensible discussion on a talent that most of us would like to see at Poole (especially after the DW endorsement). As said more than happy with the team but that should not stop us still discussing the top Aussie talent that many of us would like to see associated with Poole knowing the teams history and association with good young Aussies over the years. I also agree a lot cheaper but that didn't stop the Ford's bring over both Cook's in the Champ. Anyway thanks for your negative input.

FYI I remember seeing a young Mark Loram & Joe Screeen at Hackney in second half races where they would race and beat experienced riders and you could see they had something special. To also be driven all that way just for a couple of rides in a second half also showed their dedication.

Would even be happy to get him in 2024 when will still only be 18. Just as long as we get him. If Darcy Ward reported way back in the Summer that Tate as a 16 or just turned 17 year old reminded him of a young Darcy at the same age, you have to kind of sit up and take notice. I have watched speedway now for 51 years and every now and then you see a young rider with an exciting style who can also get out of the gate which is half the battle. Yes some of his style does remind me of a young Darcy. He is totally different to a much taller Pearson who some think has a LOT of potential, but when you see Tate in races against the likes of both Pearson and Hook you start to realise that just maybe we are looking at the early stages of someone special. Just my opinion of course but with 51 years of watching Speedway from my very early meetings at Hackney as a 16/17 year old you get a good idea who has maybe that special talent. I'm there to be shot at of course but seeing him in those 4 meetings (Most of his rides) plus a race in DK at start of his short hop int0 that DK mainly juniors league, that something was/is there. I also wonder how good he may turn out on POL tuned equip in that U24 POL EXL next season. I would go as far as to say he could well be better than Rew who is nearly 2 years older and has the benefit of more professionally tuned equipment from his 2/3 seasons being based in POL.

The whole Tate Zischke discussion which I have been going on for a good 2 months with in depth comments/reviews over the last 2 months and I feel maybe the one who has heightened a lot of awareness and hope we would get him together at one stage with Rew as the 2 brightest young Aussie hopes coming through. I think Rew idea was dropped due to rumours about cost involved in equipment/Flights in and out as staying POL based with his partner Also transport/mechanic/workshop and lodgings when over here. Much as i would love to see what arguably is the most exciting young Aussie (Tate) racing since DW, Poole would surely face similar costs ??. Factor in he will be riding with Leszno in the POL U24 league in 2023 as what they feel he is the most exciting young Aussie coming through (not even 18 until 30th July 2023). They are not stupid and like me have seen the raw potential and exciting style of this guy who can also gate. Not sure if he will do DK despite having signed a new contract but that team is really run by volunteer individuals in the fairly weak DK 1st Div which is probably a combo of lower point Champ riders and NDL combined. Will he base in POL or DK as its about 10/11 hours drive between his POL and DK teams stadiums/tracks. In effect he may not even be considering UK for at least the first half of the UK season. A long way round to my actual point. Kyle Newman is now too high a GSA 4.29 for BHM 4.22 or Plym 4.21. (That's after his 2.5% Brit discount) This means he can only do Poole or will not start the season with any club. Simple as that really. The big question is whether anyone can establish if he is definitely starting the season or NOT due to his ongoing shoulder issue in 2022 ??. That would kind of put to bed maybe the whole Tate discussion regarding Poole for at least this season. UNLESS he was brought in as injury cover for Newman until/if fit later. But even if so would be quite a possible financial outlay. As said i would love to see Tate at Poole as the 4 meetings I have seen him in over the last 2 months he looks really exciting and put the likes of Pearson & Hook to the sword in those meetings, gave Rew a good race in tne Aussie U21 Final until after the first bend when Rew's superior POL tuned equip kicked in and even beat Rew in one ride in the Aussie 2022 one Champ event.

Wow - Posted in the last half hour. Must say i am really pleased for the guy but also gutted. These Poles are 100% on the ball with these youngsters and if I noticed it over the last 2 months of looking at his rides in 4 meetings where he wiped the floor with the likes of Pearson and Hook and gave the likes of Rew a good run for their money then for sure the Poles were all over him. just as with the likes of Brady Kurtz and Lidsey they know a good youngster when they see them. In the past we never had the POL EXL U24 so these lads had to be loaned out (normally to POL LGE 2 sides) for rides here and there. Now they get to ride mid week for a whole season against all the best POL and other Euro/Aussie/Scand young riders coming through. Just a Rew did last season, Maybe Tate will double up in the Danish Lge 1 (the one below their Prem) just as he did for a month or so last season when on a flying visist. Also just posted on the other POL Speedway site last few minutes. Excuse below paragraphs in bold as can't get rid of it after copying first one from the POL site. The discovery of the season in Australia, Tate Zischke became a player of Fogo Unia Leszno. "Byki" informed about the agreement with the 17-year-old, who is growing into one of the greatest hopes of the speedway in Antipodes COULD still do UK as Pearson/Hook/Z.Cook/Jenkins are also in U24 squads and Zach rode that Lge (normally I think on a Tuesday) as well as Poole Wed, similar with Pearson and Jenkins also ride UK Wed. Maybe excludes Plym (Tue) as a possible destination ??

Meanwhile back on subject. Find it intriguing that 3 clubs have only 3/4 pointers to announce if one assumes Lawson is our number 5. Bhm 4.22 Plym 4.21 Poole 8.19 for 2 riders (after Lawson) Reading a late yesterday posted article on Speedway News POL, Connor Bailey said he will NOT start the season with a UK Prem or Champ club and will be doing N/L (Work) and POL U24 Lge to start with in the hope opportunities open up as the season develops. Effectively means near enough only Roynon 3.47 and Newman 4.29 left. Most of us Poole followers expect it to be both of these as fits the just under 8.19 limit meaning probably both Bhm & Plym looking at Aussies on a 4 ?? Of course a young Aussie could join Poole with Roynon thus freeing up Newman (who would only fit Plym)***, but think most of us know its likely to be Newman to give a pretty strong reserve pairing. For me and only dreaming this, but signing Tate Zischke as a Poole asset but loaned out to our friends along the Coast at Plym would be a smart move by both clubs. But that's only a dream. *** Please ignore the Newman comment re Plym as he is on 4.29 after deduction so too high for either Bhm or Plym.

Was there talk of a possible second announcement this week, with maybe another 2 announcements next week. Thought I saw that on here from a couple of Forum contributors. Announcements don't always mean team signings of course.

Hi HG I don't think Skidder was stirring. I sponsored a Poole race suit through Poole (Danny Ford) back in early 2020 before Covid kicked in for a rider who ultimately didn't ride for us as season was cancelled so it was transferred at the Club's expense to Danny Hume for 2021. As it turns out I gifted the suit to a good young supporter at the start of the 2020 season as a surprise so he was sent it at the end of the 2021 season. From memory cost about £600/650. £50 to get your name on a suit sounds a good deal as ultimately what do you do with the suit at the end of the season anyway unless you are a kevlar collector . Everyone has a different budget so whether it be £50 for your name on it or £600/650 (as it was back then), the important thing is it gives supporters at all levels a chance to have their name involved in the sport. The actual sponsors can allocate their larger amounts via the individual clubs sponsorship brochures or via the promoters.

If Kyle participation in question then Bailey may not be a bad option. The Speedway Stats site gives a revealing insight on his development since joining Glasgow in 2019 as a 16/17 year old His actual GSA for 2023 is 4.32 after the 2.5% reduction. However the stats are interesting taking all league and play off matches over the 3 seasons. 2019 - 26 matches - 2.72 or 3.36 incl bp 2020 the lost season 2021 - 21 matches - 4.27 or 5.26 incl bp 2022 - 29 matches - 5.04 or 5.81 incl bp Even his one season in N/L for B.Vue 2 as a 16/17 year old was 7.28 or 8.05 incl BP Some think maybe he is just a home track rider. Yes his av at Glasgow last season was 6.35 or 7.37 incl bp. BUT just consider those stats for a moment. A 4.32 GSA young rider who is not 21 until Aug 2023. He has improved his av in each of the 3 seasons he rode there. On a 6.35 av plus an addl bonus point on av each meeting at home. If he can adapt to Poole could be a good signing against so many 2 point and low av reserves. If Poole are looking at young riders who can add to their average is this not a rider worth considering ?? Was also third in the British U21 Final in August. He is also signed up to Sparta Wroclaw U24 Team for 2023. Anyway for those who are interested in rider stats .

Especially as Matt/Danny Ford tend to spread the news and use the Evening Echo space wisely to get the maximum in media coverage outside of Bournemouth Football or other spots grabbing headlines. Also gets the news out there more often to both fans and potential sponsors.

Hi Steve Take a look on the Speedway News Poland site as they updated the news later this afternoon. Make sure you put the translate to English on https://speedwaynews.pl/zuzel/dobre-informacje-o-zdrowiu-rewa/

On sentiment and if it was purely based on leveling up this season I would agree it would have been worth the risk as against some of them 2 pointers he would pick up some points. But with that new limit and lacking that proven 3rd H/L I think its a wise move to seek more guarantees of points in these reserve berths. Even more important under this new points system where only 2 for a meeting win irrespective of score so that extra bonus point over a 2 leg aggregate becomes so important. I feel the stronger reserves pushes us into a better position to secure that. I could be wrong of course and only my opinion.

Yes and up against these reserves/pairings named so far Coles/Stoneman both 2.00 Bowtell 4.28/Pearson 4.00 but team beatable outside of Morris Hook 4/Bickley 2.93 Pearson has 2.20 GSA & Hook 3.18 rolling or 2.78 over 18 meetings. Neither a 4 but being Aussies get a min of 4.00 GSA Complin 4 / Piper 2.00 Atkins/Killeen both 2.00 Trigger 2.00 plus another Edwatds 3.8 / Mulford 2.00 Kenedy 4.27/Thompson 3.27 Then calculate the possible points haul our 2 reserves (Say Roynon 3.47 and Newman 4.29) could harvest against these guys in each meeting and the benefits to me greatly outweigh signing Ablitt again on a 2.

I agree Skidder. I think Zach would have been a great reserve in his original Draem Team idea, if we had signed for example Rew on 5 and Zischke on 4. Now Zach and Zischke is a pairing I would love to have seen in reserve but not to be it seems.

Not been convinced on Drew for a long time now. He is likely to score 1/2 as he is to score 6 and hellishly inconsistent. You have to ask yourself is it him or us considering no team whether it be Prem or Champ has come in for him. Such a shame as 3/4 years ago he was supposed to be one of the next Brit big things. Still time but he needs to get it together on track more. We cannot carry him, with the new points system and where we don't have a proven 3rd H/L although we HOPE maybe Ben will improve further. I think also with so many weaker reserves the Ford's are going for strength in depth with strong reserves (especially looking at those named so far). Better to have someone who will hopefully get you a minimum of 4/5 than Nathan who may start getting 2 and just HOPEFULLY the odd 3 or 4. he may have a year under his belt but it would still be a risk, where Roynon and an even stronger reserve partner gives you a lot more.

We have 12.97 left. Drew 5..20 /Thomas 4.78 /Roynon 3.47 doesnt fit as its 13.45. You could factor in Newman 4.29 Connor Bailey 4.32 .Rowe 5.08 as well as Roynon. Have been scratching my head on the various combos for a week now as I am sure if Plymouth named their side it may well unlock the key to our last 3. The Thomas/Newman/Roynon mix seems to tie in with a good few's thinking at this moment but who knows ?? Maybe even a 4 point Aussie we have not factored in or even a 5 point one.

Don't disagree. Point is that If it's Roynon with Newman or Thomas or Zach Cook it gives a decent 6 & 7 throughout the season in comparison to a lot of those named. Yes I am sure a number of the others will improve but when you view against the others named we should score plenty from those 2 positions. Also look at Roynon's CMA on thre Speedway Stats site. In 2022 he rode 11 matches at Redcar and had a CMA of 4.29 or 5.43 if you add his 12 BP. If he can replicate that at Poole we will have a decent pair of reserves. Even away his scores were workable and that was before the 40 point rule and lots of weaker reserves in 2023. Importantly hopefully it keeps us closer in meetings to hopefully set up that all important new aggregate BP over 2 legs in 2023.