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Well, we are just going to go and support the team whatever, we just want to see speedway. Cannot go bowling any more Star Lady as I have arthritis in my fingers. Use to bowl in winter when speedway finished.I think we had 6 teams consisting of 4 people back in the day when I lived in Newcastle. I have adopted the Stars as my team and if I had to choose on the night between 10 pin or speedway I know what I will choose. Speedway will always come out top. At 70 years I am not interested in the whys and wherefores and all the technicality. Been watching speedway since 1964 and would be very sad if I couldn't get to a meeting or if it closed down. Just want to see the lads racing and winning hopefully but it is not the end of the earth if they lose. We will still be there the following week/s.

Everyone needs to appreciate that it is virtually impossible for any club to follow a season like Belle Vue had in 2017. The points limit means that the team will have to seriously weaken in order to comply - which will seem very unfair to the home supporters, but a reasonable expectation for everyone else. We were lucky at Birmingham that we were able to win the league in 2015 and again in 2016 but that was only due to the fact that we managed to pick up the two best 3 pointers available in Jack Smith and Jack Parkinson-Blackburn, and keep these two lads at reserve all season. Everyone knew that there was no chance at all of winning the league again in 2018 - but then - would it really be good for the sport if the same team were to win it year after year?

The numpties are those that were wrong!

I got a lot of pleasure watching the Colts last year. Yes, winning the league was great but I got by far the most pleasure from watching the progress made by Bewley, Smith and Bickley. That to me is what the NL is about. I don't expect or, think, that the team will achieve as much this year but that doesn't matter if two or three of the team are gaining from the experience and making significant steps forward in their racing careers.

Using the 'Matt Ford' method it's obviously going ro be a 4.00

You may be often strange in what you post and I guess we will never see eye to eye on here but in no way would I wish ill health on anyone (been there myself) so welcome back to the forum Starman and here's to hopefully many more disagreements! Keep well

Ok have pie n peas and a soft drink . Scunny dan was only putting a suggestion forward .plenty of positives at scunny this season try buying into it .

I haven't been away!!??

Thank you. a long way from full recovery. Im very happy with my progress during the day, but i have some very poor nights..

Spot on. It's about the same over all. The weaker clubs have gained and the top 3 clubs have dipped due to being over the limit and losing an 8 point rider. The one-over-8 rule was completely uneccesary, as proved by NKI and Vaculik coming in. There was no need to lose Lindgren and Bjerre. The low teams basically voted for themselves to be better at the expense of the top clubs. Unfair. People say it was because of cost, but Vacuik and NKI coming in show no sign of cost cutting. Somerset have signed the World Champion, so presumably could have signed anyone they wanted at number one. So why force Swindon to lose someone? Rye House indicated they wanted a GP rider, even if they never signed one, so cost couldn't have been an issue there. The points limit could have been higher this year, with the new riders coming in. A wasted opportunity to improve the strength of the league.

Good to see Iversen back, my favourite moment when he barged Dirty Nicki on the back straight in a Cardiff gp. Always liked Iversen and giving it back to Nicki only made me like him more.

Why? Surely the U.K. take priority now?

Weekly speedway can be a chore? Really? Each to their own, I suppose. I personally would like the opportunity to attend far more home meetings. Back in the day it was regular for teams up and down the country to have a home meeting almost every single week of the year from mid-March to the end of October. Think about that. It's a total of around 36 home meetings year - versus about 15 (plus a few more assuming KOC/playoff success) at present. This is one of the massive differences between then and now.

Talking Pictures TV will be showing this wonderful movie in February. Keep an eye on their website or your EPGs. They showed "Skid Kids", the cycle speedway film the other day, which was interesting, films are repeated so look out for that one too. The channel can be found on Freeview Ch 81, You View Ch 81, Sky Ch 343 Virgin Ch 445, Freesat Ch 306, so you should be able to tune in somehow If I find out the date/time, I'll post it here. http://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/

So, you all boycott and help to kill it off. You'll then have plenty of time as the bulldozers and houses to move in to say "Well, we showed them". You have a golden opportunity to show that there is still a genuine interest in the Bees. It's sad that so many of you are throwing it away.

Despite all the negativity about the Stars team I will be at the AFA when the season starts supporting the Stars. Let's all give the team a chance and see how it goes.

Little bit of advice Starman. Don’t get into the usual heated debates with Gavan or anyone else. It will raise your blood pressure one way or another, even without you realising it, and at the moment that would not be good for you.

Thank you guys thats much appreciated. Like all of us we stick up for our clubs, but end of the day we are a speedway family, and when push comes to shove we back each other. Again thank you both for you kind words. It will be a long road, with many ups and downs, but i will get there. be nice to bump into either of you during the season..

I am

Should never have been given a 2. Pure nonsense. Interesting that the SCB have 'deleted' the 2016 averages for use this year. I can imagine a few clubs or one in particular that will be sweating on this piece of news. It would be the fairest thing if NO 2016 averages were allowed for use this year. At least every team will be playing from the same rulebook. Be very sad if only one club is affected.

What is there to protest about? He either qualifies or he doesnt If he does then he is 5.2 going by the agreed format (whether that format is right or wrong is a totally different issue)

You'd get even bigger odds on him making 5 legitimate starts

As noted by several on here lakeside were indeed over the limit with averages and have therefor dropped max Clegg and replaced him with Alfie bowtell

The BSPA

All tracks have good track staff who aren't always appreciated.

On the strength of last year Jorgensen will win plenty and do well. He should add a point.

Sorry, I don't agree. 'Robbo' is always ready to help other Riders in the Pits, a great Team man, a great motivator, and an inspiring leader. Can Lindgren match 'Robbo's' qualifications as Captain? I guess we will have to wait and see - but I have my doubts.

What is the matter with 'Robbo'? He is a super Captain. I just don't get that at all.

1970 had 13 races and a full second half, normally 18 - 20 races total...interval after the match so if the kids needed to fog home main event was done.....

Those balls and pins don't half make a lot of noise don't they

I take your Points, Points. I Hope you are right> I dont however see Buster's burgers will save Speedway, even allowing for how over priced they are. How many times do we have to hear about the wheel being re-invented ? Going out to schools is a tried, lame exercise that's been done to death. The Sport needs to think outside of the Box. Its one thing getting people into the stadium ( on a school night), that hard enough. When they have got them there its about trying to generate enough excitement to want to make them want come back. Kids today have a different outlook on entertainment than when I was a kid ( and Dinosaurs roamed the land ). The amount of activities that are there for kids, is endless. not forgetting things like social media and 100 others that are available to them without having to leave their homes. Play stations, X Boxes, etc don't play themselves

I agree Andy, I think Lindgren will not improve his average but it's obvious he's back as an asset and we are building to a budget. I think we have to get used to the idea that this season is one of running rather than not and just enjoy the speedway and anything else is a bonus.

Kus was desperate to leave Redcar despite all the Havvy stuff , He went to our local rivals , Why don't Newcastle want him back after paying for him ? The only reason he has signed for Redcar is because NOBODY else wants him . BAD BAD signing . We are now hoping the newbies , Stewart & MBA come good , don't rely on Kus , he will let us down as he did so many times before ..

It's definitely wrong that Freddie and I guess Bjerre haven't got a ride as riders who have always ridden here....

Apparently it was said last night that some tracks will be charging £20 for admission, absolutely bonkers.

Any rider that dishes it back to dirty Nicki gets my vote too.

Met ya new Co-Promoter tonight Mr Phillips and I wish the team well this season as it could of gone the other way and no Speedway.

That will be heat 2

Iversen is a top number one and in all honesty is a pretty damn exciting rider to watch, why on earth anyone at this point in their careers would prefer Nicki P to him at number one I dont know. Pedersen is probably finished now, his best days are long gone. And I am a huge Nicki Pedersen fan.

I've heard the same. A great shame as Ez 9 times out of 10 (and even that is potentially doing him a disservice) the track he served up was superb. Lets just hope we don't end up with the ploughed field or motorcross style tracks we had when Ez last left.

So a difference of 12 extra riders - less than 1 per team. Nowhere near enough to allow for injuries and poor form or team changes. Plus your 12 extra will be reduced by the loss of GP riders like Doyle, Iversen, Vaculik etc, and then Lindgren from last year too reducing that number by even more. You say plenty of foreigners will come if asked but that hasn't been the case in the last few years. This also doesn't allow for the actual averages being correct to allow for decent teams actually being assembled. Like I said, a league with about 12 teams could work much better and fill the fixture list abit more, whilst maintaining the current standard and having plenty of riders left to choose from in the top division. Begs the question though, why didn't teams like Ipswich, Glasgow, Sheffield etc want to take the plunge?

Stop living in the past. What happened before should be left there. I personally wanted to see Tobi Busch and Jacob Bukhave in the team. Tobi said last year he wasn't coming back, but has changed his mind and will great to be seen this season. Kus coming in will be a good thing for some and not for others, but we are not riding these bikes. I wish him and the rest of the lads a very successful season and each team in the League have strived in their own way given the budgets that they ALL have to have that Elite team. I'm just looking forward to seeing good speedway again no matter who they race against.

To be fair, based on last seasons meetings, most of the Poole fans had left by heat 10 or 11, so if Groundwell was made available it would ease congestion following the meeting.

No, been watered down yet again. Only one rider of 8 and over proves the point and does it no favors imo ...

cant believe some moaning about certain riders who have been signed,think yourselves lucky you have a team to support,spare a thought for those that don't.

Good luck to Cradley I say, The team that was one of the biggest Speedway teams in the country are now running in a meaningless competition, Cherry picking a team of riders that all ride for others teams, it’s such a sad demise of a club like Cradley , let there marvellous fans have something to cheer about.

The thing is, most people can see through the (alleged) bribe from Brandon Estates to shunt Coventry off to Leicester. And most people see Horton conspiring with the enemy by taking the (alleged) bribe. Once Coventry race at Leicester, Brandon Estates can say to the council "Look they're happily re-homed at Leicester. They don't need a stadium in Brandon anymore" And who do we think invited gypsies to Coventry stadium? Do we think the gypsies just happened across the stadium themselves? They say there's only a padlock on the carpark gate that gypsies cut through easily, but isn't it a fact that when the stadium was in use there was never much more than a padlock on the car park gate? But the gypsies never invaded the car park then. It's as if someone invited them now. And of course there's the mystery fires that will eventually burn the stadium to the ground. Has Brandon had any major fires in the past 70 years? But now it will mysteriously have several. Accepting the Bees move to Leicester is giving in to Brandon Estates plans and bribes to show that no one needs Coventry stadium anymore.

As usual totally wrong. Matej wanted away from Havvy and in fact moved out of his house I believe. We fancied Kus and signed him. The following year we already had Steve Worrall and went for the big one Robert Lambert. So it was either Matej or Ludde and it was decided to go for Ludde as he brings more with him. This year Matej is riding in Poland so no Sundays for him, and he has gone on loan to your new promotion. But don't let facts get in the way. Good luck Matej this year.

A bit of an over statement, it was just over 4000. One real difficulty will be car parking of the cars and buses, as there is usually a shortage even when the Diamonds are there.

Here it is .. The good old days!!