Leaderboard

I'd have settled for 10 acres of land with full planning permission for disruptive motorsport within 5 miles of Hull city centre. Didn't get it. Incedentally, at a local park, youths were riding loud motorbikes up and down for over 2 hours this afternoon, if only they had somewhere supervised and safe to ride without distrubing anyone. No point in calling the cops they're not interested. But - if you do 31MPH in a 30 zone or park for 10 seconds too long well that's different, sigh. All the best to everyone in speedway....

Great news. I said it would be a fairy tale if it happened. Good for Debbie, Garry and attendances.

It seems to be a problem in this country in general.British sportsmen always seem to get bad press,criticised for trying to be the best they can.People will always try to find the negatives rather than the positives in those sportsmen. Lambert is doing a decent job for his age,but as usual instead of praising the teenager many people would rather look at the negative side.

I read all your comments with interest and I thank you all for them. One of the things that determined this years team for us was a hunger to come to the club. In seasons past, we have struggled to get people over to the island and this has narrowed our opportunity for rider selection. The very young 15 - 18, normally have school during the week, so reserves the opportunity to the next hot shot to their local or weekend club and they remain quite a challenge to find. Although, as a club we have never prevented starlets coming over and indeed encourage them as part of the GB Young Lions. I have also invested time and support to various young riders including Drew Kemp, Kyle Bickley, Chad Wirtzfeld and James Shanes to name but a few, because I believe in them as much as I believe in the riders we have selected this season, all of whom can progress this year. The second aspect we want are team players and all of the riders announced so far fit that bill perfectly. We want unity and a belief in the common goal.... which I know is always easier when you have a winning side for sure, but with strong, fun characters in the team along with very capable heat leaders and experience the combination is there for success. The other factor for us is pay....simple as. We cannot afford to pay the requirements that some riders have asked for, nor we will get into any price war. We have a scale and thats that, and the core objective remains the same... be the best we can be and hopefully that is trophy winner, while remaining viable, providing a fun filled family night out where our guests are valued and get value, while developing riders via the school and our NDL/SDL Teams. #comeonyouwarriors .

So yet again Steve is proved to post the wrong information as clearly you would know the truth. Yet again when the clowns had a chance to clear up all these averages they failed miserably. Swindon should never have been able to sign Tobias on the average they got him on last season & he was massive in helping us win the league. The same thing will happen with Kacper at Poole. They really couldn’t decide a fair way at their AGM if their life’s depending on it.

As far as I am aware, Rolling Averages will start in 2019, using 2018-2019 stats. I am not aware of the reasoning behind this, so please don't shoot the messenger!

Happy Christmas Steve. The putative 2017 Bees team was built to include UK based riders only.

Hope everyone had a good Xmas

Re statement from Gambo above.. Even, as a Wolves supporter I wanted to win the lottery and build a speedway track next to the home of the chairman of Barrets that stuffed Cradley.. Looks like Monaco needs a speedway track also! My father used a quote that made me think.... Who is the biggest thief... He who steals the goose from the common, or, he who steals the common from the goose? Thankfully the honey from the Bee always stays alive - get the track back. Keep fighting.

Most teams look weaker this season ,but some sides have creamed of the best young riders..they are the likely to be top leagueI contenders ..IOW have a big home track advantage and if the signed riders get dialled in early Thay should do ok at home at least., I know Ben Morley is investing heavily on the right engine for the big ,track,and is intent on giving IOW 110 .per cent...

I'd rather have Kasprzak than Holder.

No! But as the Andersons not coming turned out to be a feeble attempt at humour it does give me more confidence in the rumour I heard. And for the poster on the Bears forum - I'm not a bs merchant or an attention seeker! I am passing on some speculation for team building but at the same time respecting what may be privileged information and not trying to spoil any announcements planned by the Redcar promotion!!

There is still doubling up - just no fixture clashes leading to missing riders.

What's his visa for Poland got to do with it?

Chrzanowski?

I see absolutely nothing to convince me that this side will be anything other than mediocre. Sam Masters gone, a rider who although he didn't manage to achieve a 9pt plus average last year is really a genuine number 1, to be replaced by... No one. The replacements may well have some potential but that's all. There is nothing there for me to get excited about.

Surprised you even know who he is.

There have always been talented 19/20 year olds down the years, many of them travelled halfway round the world on their own to be here. Some went on to become World Champions some never quite fulfilled their early promise. As far as I can recall I don’t think a single one of them had their mother causing trouble wherever they went. The jury is still out on Lambert. maybe he will go on to be genuine world class, maybe he will merely be very good but the sooner he detaches himself from that dreadful woman’s apron strings the better.

With no doubling up, and Doyle in the team I may return next season. Keep admission prices the same though !

I doubt Holder would ever ride for Buster again. And I am sure like me most Stars fans wouldn't welcome Holder back.

Good to see yet another positive post

Will be an 8 when a further raft of amendments are ratified in the new year

This seems to be a convenient bandwagon for people to jump on but as somebody who attends Lynn meetings reasonably regularly I've never seen any evidence of this on a race night, i.e. no strutting around the pits or big ego etc. People will probably point out his mother or the argument he had with a fan during the Poole meeting both of which don't do him much good but I think people go over the top with their criticism and it's almost like people would rather give him a kicking than give him the benefit of the doubt because he is British and has talent. As a teenage sportsman he's not going to get everything right and learns as he goes along but he's not half as bad as people like to make out. You want him to have self belief but there is a fine line between that an arrogance. Generally speaking I think he stays on the right side of that.

I'll be staggered if he isn't in Lynn's side. I think fan interaction is a positive thing but I think sometimes he could be more professional in what he writes.

A little lad goes to visit Santa, sits on his knee and gets asked what his Christmas wish would be... "I would like a real life fire breathing Dragon that I could watch fly around my garden" was the lads answer... Santa, obviously a bit taken aback replied.... "Well, young fellow, even Santa will sometimes struggle to make everyones desires come true, have you another wish?" The young lad thought for a moment before answering,... "Yes, I would like to see Speedway in Britain ran professionally like other Sports, well marketed, and with a fit for purpose operating model and business plan that delivers no Mickey Mouse meetings, but instead a high quality night of entertainment both on, and off the track, each week".. Santa, ponders this for a quite a while before replying. . "What colour would you like that Dragon kid?" Merry Christmas Everyone....

I enjoy entertainment as long as we are winning, Take the wins away and another mediocre season beckons. I remember when we were pulverising all and sundry and getting the BP's and winning the League but there were calls for closer matches etc, Well we ended up with our fair share of close defeats at Hoddesdon, there may well have been some exciting racing along the way but all I remember is looking for where we were down at the bottom end of the table. No KK (and yes he does have his very poor meetings) and I see our season finishing again around End of august. Uninspiring is the right word and I would have been happier if Wells was included

Oh dear. Shovvy with 2017 play off envy.

Attention seeker alert .

Great to see the dog lapping it up as well as all the huge crowd. how things have changed,I remember countless British finals and visits to Brandon watching the lions( getting beaten every time mind you ) the place was packed and had to park miles away and walk in. fingers crossed for a return to those heady days for a more certain future for the bees.As a lions fan I'm optimistic about this season and will also be going along to watch bees in the nationals at BP. good luck and a better 2018 Shirl

Christmas Statement from the Save Coventry Speedway group. WE would like to extend our Season’s Greetings to all supporters of Speedway and Stock Car Racing at Coventry. Our thanks to all who have supported the Campaign Group efforts over the course of the year, and also to everyone who helped organise and supported the Challenge matches run in 2017 with Coventry Bees not running as part of the official league structure. It has been the worst year imaginable for everyone with a love for the sports at Brandon; from the shattering news that ‘agreements’ for future racing were not to be fulfilled, to the eventual omission of Coventry from the 2017 Premiership, to the deterioration in condition of the stadium throughout the year arising from the lack of security on-site by the owners. Brandon Estates bought the stadium for their own purposes, but in doing so they have shown zero regard for the 89-year history and heritage of the iconic venue, nor the fact that regular visits to Brandon to watch these family sports remained a way of life for many thousands of people throughout the season, right up until the end of 2016. In addition, the intransigence of the owners to engage in reasonable communication is a further indication of their motives, along with the material included within their official representations and public exhibition material – much of which is open to serious question. At the Exhibition in October, comments from the public were invited by planning consultants Framptons. We have seen a number of these responses, and the local reaction is clear - but as with the 2014 Exhibition arising from the initial plans, they appear to be a closely-guarded secret at this time. The display boards also indicated that an outline planning application would be submitted in Autumn 2017. At the time of writing, this has not taken place. We do not know the reason for that, but we can assure Brandon Estates – and their front-man, Monaco-based businessman John Downer – that as soon as their planning application is submitted, we will be ready with strong opposition. They must understand that they cannot simply take two major sports away from the region – sports which were both perfectly viable running in tandem at the stadium – merely on an outrageous speculative bid for development on land which had not been earmarked for that purpose, and expect everyone to sit back and let it happen. Our Campaign Group came together in its present form in the immediate aftermath of Coventry’s exclusion from the 2017 SGB Premiership, and our primary aim was to bring about a return to racing at the stadium for 2018 as well as establishing plans for the long-term continuation of both sports in the area. In those respects, we have regrettably been unsuccessful. The sheer depth of issues to be considered and resolved arising from the activities of recent years has been eye-opening in the extreme, and we have to respect the fact that the timescales of official business are sometimes longer than we would wish for. We believe there is tremendous momentum behind our campaign and overwhelming opposition to Brandon Estates' proposals. So our work will go on into 2018, and there are various events and hearings in the early part of the New Year which will play a vital part in matters going forward. Finally, we must emphasise to all who pass comment on the situation, often on social media, that the status of Brandon Stadium remains absolutely fundamental to the entire argument, and an acceptance that it has been lost to sport permanently is simply not an option. We wish every supporter of Speedway and Stock Car Racing a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and we hope 2018 provides some encouragement to everyone who wishes to see our two famous sports restored to their rightful place.

Must have been intimidating for the riders having a gigantic dog on the first bend terracing

Don't underestimate her, she'll go to sleep when she spots Peter York or kick off if she sees Sandhu or Horton !!!!!!!!!!!

Tip o' the hat to Dick-when Newport opened in 1964- he was one of three heat leaders along with Alby Golden and Peter Vandenberg(both of whom have passed away). Dick would have been almost 40 years old then and could mix it with the best of them. When he retired after a nasty accident Newport really suffered. A fine gentleman-if any of Dick's relatives are reading this please thank him for all the entertainment he gave to all his many fans. Happy Birthday Dick!

It's Dick Bradley's 93rd birthday today. Happy Birthday, Dick.

why do you have to stoop to calling people imbeciles or is that how you talk about people down south.there are a lot of Poole fans that act like human beings and treat other people the same but not you

Steve, I don't know how you have the gall to come on here and say that you are not making light of the situation for Coventry Bees. Every comment is designed to wind up genuine speedway supporters - nothing constructive. If you really have nothing to add to the conversation then by not posting on here will demonstrate to me at least that you do really care a little bit for Coventry Speedway.

I think that's a possibility, and I do feel robbed by this. It's like when you split up with your girlfriend and you are just about coping with it, but then they start going out with someone else!! Somerset is well out of reach for me, even if I did want to go, but what I always wanted to see was the World Champion riding for Swindon. Not really bothered about seeing him riding for someone else. I've watched Anders Michanek, Hans Nielsen and Per Jonsson enviously over the years and thought that one day, lad, all this could be ours. But it's not.

if buster has made it up with holder, perhaps he will have him back