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I agree 100%. The majority of riders back then, as well as training schools, came from the grass tracks. Nearly all our big stars of the 70s and 80s came from the grass tracks. PC, Morton, Wigg, Doncaster, Loram, Screen, the list goes on and on. As you quite rightly say, a lot of the young riders of today have not reached the standard required to ride in the 2nd div, but we are so short on riders, they are thrown in at the deep end; Scoring the odd point off each other and then getting hammered when they go out against the main body of riders, is not good for them and neither the pay in public.  Over the last 15 years or so nearly all our young riders have come through, the Neil Vatcher school of speedway. Rushen and Cairns have been fantastic finds. Also, riders like Howarth, Flint and Rowe have turned out to be useful league riders and, to a lesser extent, Edwards and Kemp. Harrison, Piper and Scott are fine young riders, but international stars of the future? I don't think so. I hope they prove me wrong, because Rushen and Cairns at the moment are our future International stars. Let's hope someone might step up to join them.

Not really sure what all the hysterics here are about. Riders do get ill, like the rest of us.  I have no idea what Lawson's illness was, or the severity of it, but it's quite possible to be ill. Ipswich could have used a guest facility.  All they need to do is produce a doctors' note within 24 hours of the meeting taking place.  (But this would have resulted in Lawson being suspended for 7 days for a non-speedway illness). With it all being at such short notice it looks like it was impossible to get a guest, and the only cover they could find was Freddy Hodder (who lives 10 minutes from the Leicester track). So it made sense to not use a facility for Lawson, and use the only option available (Hodder) who fits well within the "no facility" criteria.  (up to 75% of Lawson's average).  That way with Ipswich not using a facility, Lawson isn't suspended.     

Richard let the Ipswich management know he was running late and that he would miss the track walk and asked another mechanic to fit a tyre for him as would be there for the parade but then at 6:25 rang back said he was feeling ill and had turned around to head home.  They advised him to continue to the track and just get there when he could so the medic could sign him out the meeting officially I assume they could then use IRR but he wouldn’t do that so then frantic phone calls were made to get Freddy Hodder to ride who did a decent job and looked on the pace . I have it on good authority that Richard Coleman was not at all impressed with Lawsons attitude so will be interesting to see if any action is taken against him. 

Will Saturday v Berwick be called off due to a footy match in Miami

Riders receive six month bans starting in October and ending in March... But only if the season starts in April... Independent Leadership anyone?...

Just as well the foxes management released jeppesen and not bachelor!