TotallyHonestJohn

Me... Naughty step... Av never been off it... it was invented for tools like me... But excuse me a only get an hour for me lunch and av got a lot to get through 10 pages since Friday Regards THJ

It was a guess FFS who was to say I was right or wrong... Not allowed to make guesses anymore... Get a life... Regards THJ

The amount of time you spend on here I would say you are permanently "choking the chicken" I shudder at the thought of a sticky keyboard and smeared screen... Yuk... just bin it please don't recycle... Regards THJ

At least someone was genuinely creaming their draws at the announcement , yes he is Slovenian and hence my first Guess at Jurica Pavlic before there had been any announcements... it was only as the team was being released that it became evident as to who the last two riders would be and that Skorja was the only obvious choice left... plus that and the guy building the team stated that he had signed a Slovenian GP rider the same time he had Clegg and Wethers... It isn't that had to stick guesstimates in from such a small pool Regards THJ

Wow a full 20 minutes from my original post... Sorry but there wasn't a prize... I hope the self induced orgasm was enough... Regards THJ

Looks like it tool bag.... should have been called wind it up Richard Head... I will come back properly when I get back in the office Monday... Regards THJ

Honestly I have just come back from the Christmas markets in Prague, full of (No not that!) Belgium Waffles, Bratwurst, Leberkäse, Bockwurst, Weißwurst, Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, Knackwurst and Teewurst and also with a very novel twist on a sausage with a Curry-wurst and of course Jaternice ; all washed down with copious amounts of Pilsner Urquell; Gambrinus, Staropramen and Kozel. Now whilst on this Beer and food quest I bumped into a couple of Speedway riders who said they had just signed for the Newcastle Diamonds. Now both these lads will be coming in on 5 averages so we will be over 2 points under the build limit; although one does have GP experience; so how did we get him? I wonder... however the good thing is we will end up with a couple of assets and as hard as it may seem it will give an opportunity if either struggle for an early change if needed to strengthen up the team. Hopefully not... So don't panic Captain Mannering... Don't panic... (Dandelion) Now everyone will want to know their names and of course it will be in the public domain in the next few hours after the Christmas Party but I would like to be the first to welcome both JAMES ANDERTON and RIK JACKSON to the north east. Good luck lads and lets hope you both end up with 7 plus averages. No its not a puppet Dandelion (its an anagram)... Can I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year... All the best... Now as it is Black Eye Friday I am off on the lash (now) and promise to leave the phone at home and not post under the influence of drink making a bigger tool of myself than I usually do... Honest... Oh and I am looking forward to the fall out tomorrow, just like Christmas day; some will be happy with what they have got; some will be sad; some will be just content that they have got something at all and others disappointed with one or two just downright ungrateful... Good luck to the Team; Rob Grant and the whole promotion and lets hope we can shock a few people and take the league by storm... Regards THJ

Honestly GP rider only... what more do ya want... Regards THJ

Aye but things change... see what happens in 2020... Regards THJ

Wow You cant beat a good ride before a speedway meeting... wonder if that's optional? you never got that off any of the other promotions we have had mind... It was like when Brian Cough went to Nottingham Forest and two players were talking; and one guy said to the other "you've played for Cloughie before whats he like as a manager" the second guy said "he's a bit strict and usually pulled me off at half time" the first guy said "oh that's good cos all we get at half time now is a cup of tea and a segment of orange" Small blue pill for Mr Tsunami please... Regards THJ

No Regards THJ

Funny that's exactly what they said about Workington in 2018... You don't have to win that many heats do you? The secret is not running last places... Regards THJ

Oops Copy cut and paste on the spread sheet... my fault... didn't copy over the formulae... Doh... all sorted now and well spotted... was concentrating on Ken Bruce and "Pop Master" and got distracted... NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS AVE -2.50% 1 Claus Vissing 8.43 8.43 2 Max Clegg 5.05 4.93 3 Ondrej Smetana 5.00 5.00 4 Victor Palovaara 6.25 6.25 5 Matthew Wethers 6.92 6.92 6 James Wright 4.00 4.00 7 Connor Mountain 4.73 4.61 Total: 40.38 40.14 Reards THJ

Honestly Am sticking me neck oot here and going with Victor Palovaara and Smetana... Why... Pallovaara cos we owe him one from last season and Smetana as he will be a new asset for the club... Unless we can find a Brit on 7.29 or a foreigner on 7.11 to slot in at No 5... or after the James Wright signing maybe we are getting Ole Olsen; Anders Michanek or the ghost of Ivan Mauger back because we seem to be good at resurrecting careers... So here is my final offering as I can not for the life of me think of anyone around that 7 point figure who we could get... Although I am open to offers... and not expecting the promotion pulling another "Rabbit out of the Hat" NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS AVE -2.50% 1 Claus Vissing 8.43 8.43 2 Max Clegg 5.05 4.93 3 Ondrej Smetana 5.00 5.00 4 Victor Palovaara 6.25 6.25 5 Matthew Wethers 6.92 6.92 6 James Wright 4.00 4.00 7 Connor Mountain 4.73 4.61 Total: 40.38 40.14 Pick the bones out of that lot... One other thing to add is; I wonder how well James Wright will fair as Edinburgh took the risk to bring back Willie Lawson thinking he could get back up to the dizzy heights he achieved prior to hanging up his Kevlar's from the first time round and it hasn't really worked out for them so it will be a big ask to expect James to come back and take all before him I would suggest... (as much as I would like to see that happen) However looks like a bit of strength in depth and I like the look of it; all we need to do is win our home matches and with the top 6 going into the play offs... who knows... all I can say is in 2018 Workington were written off before a wheel was turned... its a funny old sport speedway... if the 1 and 5 can hold their averages and the rest stick half a point on theirs we have cracked it... Simples... lol... Regards THJ

A need to be on me lap top as a have a spread sheet which works out the 2.5% reductions... but on the back of a fag packet a would say both together just squeak over... We will have at least 12 up to possibly 12.12 but I am only guessing and if we do have 12.12 then both your suggestions would fit exactly... Regards THJ

Correct... we were told the next two will be announced at the Xmas party... You know the craic Dave... and if we do swap out riders I guarantee we won't be the only ones... or the first either for that matter... Good point but we need to remember it will be a 5 point and a 7 point rider or any combination up to around 12. As we know the reserves and that Max Clegg will be in the main body of team with Vissing at No 1 so before anyone gets carried away (Dandelion) it won't be an 8.5/10 point rider with a 2.0/3.5 reserve... So 5 (or very high 4) is as low as you can go and just over 7 for the other rider... so before the madness sets in I know I have been pushing Smetana for the 5 pointer and maybe Victor Pallovarra for the other spot especially as we dropped him in a bit last year with the reshuffle that saw Steve Worrall come back... Just a guess from me mind so don't go all orgasmic (Dandelion) thinking that those are the two... you pick your own... Regards THJ

2 point reserve hopefully Regards THJ

He is/was but this phone can't tell the difference between a Greyhound a Whippet and a Whopper... Bloody predictive text Regards THJ

Now did I not say think oitside the box... Regards THJ

Here we go Vissing No 1 Connor Mountain and The Whippet James Wright Regards THJ

Everyone is wound up rather than tuned in... Regards THJ

Well Robbo is having a testimonial at Redcar this year I believe!!! Regards THJ

He was good in "Department S" Regards THJ

Honestly Triple poop storm on The BBC with Geoff the Mackem and Rob Grant... now that's exciting isn't it... Look North tomorrow it is then That tells me we have all 7 riders in the bag now... leaving two for the Christmas Party.... pure marketing suspense eh... genius... At least with these it will narrow down the possibilities of the remaining two... Who is the big shock... Regards THJ

Oh ave not looked... gis a minute... Regards THJ