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Each to his own, I think. I have usually considered Superbikes (along with other motor cycle and motor car racing) to be tedious. Cardiff costs twice as much as any other meeting and the quality of the speedway is no better than one of our average circuits. The racing at Belle Vue is twice as good for half the price. Do it. Make it a day on the Island if you can and go to the racing in the evening. You won't regret it. Most promoters regard the BSF as a haven for stupid, ignorant, abusive trolls and treat it with contempt and derision . This one spends 5 minutes engaging with us (costing him absolutely nothing) treats us as paying fans and could get £1,300 as a result.

I reckon they're putting off a decision on Kennett/Nichols until after they have both retired!

All these comparisons between 2 top riders is superficial. For years we have been thinking of ways to induce more quality riders to race here, and now we invent rules to stop them from doing the one thing we have always craved them to do. The fixed race nights would have opened the doors for some them top riders, but the short-sightedness of the BSPA introducing this '1over8' rule has in fact closed any doors that may have been ajar.... Crazy........ Without that '1over8' rule, we could have had more GP ridesr than we have had for years.....

That depends on what criteria you use. Granted his GREENSHEET average has never reached 8.00, but with bonus points last season it did. People say he doesn't team ride but he scored 29 bonus points last year, beaten only in diamonds colours by Ash (33). His away average was only 0.2 less than Robbo's, and his comparable with nearly all 7-8 pointers. He had a higher away average than anyone from Berwick (for example) except Morris. He is what he is. A solid no. 3/4. There are very few (if any) riders scoring 7-9 points regularly away from home who aren't genuine no. 1's (even if some are 2nd heat leaders. People say he shouldn't be captain yet I haven't heard any rider (team member or guest) say team spirit in the pits isn't great.

Four have already been announced, Brady Kurtz, Josh Grajczonek, NKI and Bjarne Pedersen.

Good read for the uneducated public. Need a strong vocal force to attend every open planning meeting to put pressure on rugby council. Brandon Estates can Eff off.

Yep is making a joke of it, yes will be a very young side but takes any point out of the competition as wont be a realistic side you could normally put together.

Great to see NKI back in British speedway , but such a shame riders like Freddie , K Bjerre , Zagar etc cant be accomodated

Superb this is getting national coverage. As it states there is someone willing to put money into the stadium! Planning must be rejected!

Lindgren averaged 8.09 inc bp and was 22nd in league His cma was 7.30 and 23rd in league However at home he averaged 9.33 and was 17th ...... but away was only 6.63 and was 29th ! his differential was of only 2.70 was beaten by the following (at least 12 meetings) ellis perks 2.76 Ashley morris 2.89 max clegg 2.88 Robert brandford 2.92 jan graversen 3.22 - all reserves and ... wait for it lewis rose at 3.25 so luddo like a few other diamonds were at little disappointing away from home

The SaveCovSpeedway group will be there and I suspect residents!

i wonder if matt will be thinking of avoiding some of the riders from darcys meeting just in case theres a light shower(of rain) forecast,tho of course the worst culprit is now a massive draw??

Lindgren is the worst 7 point away rider in the league

I think they were called "monkey masks" i once bought one off taffy owen in 1976 for £4.95.wish i had kept it, strange u can look at pics from.then and know who the rider is buy the marks on the mask which covered some air holes these days with full face helmets they all look the same !

Eddie Reeves was one of the first riders I can recall wearing a full face helmet.

Cradley came back into the league, beating all before them, with 1500+ crowds enabling them to pay decent wages on top of a good riders package. They cherry picked the better riders, until after 5 or 6 years just the hardcore were left, money in shortfall, ground sharing at 2 clubs while still hoping, after nearly 10 years, of having their own stadium. They milked it & lined their own pockets & are trying it on, again, for a successful return in 2019 cherry picking top riders. Mark my words, they don't like playing 2nd fiddle this past few years to Birmingham, Eastbourne, Belle Vue & probably Mildenhall this next year. I agree with others in that they should have picked from available riders or, at least, a limit on riders declared in 2018 teams.

I take it you don’t go to many away meetings then he’s I massive let down away from home end of

Like the use of John Cena clip for the announcement.

Think there is more chance Poole will sign Ricky Kling than having KK back

What a stadium, it still pulls at the heart strings!

You wouldn't recognise good advice if you tripped over it.

I was usually allowed to watch The Sweeney before going to bed, was on Monday nites at 9pm so school the next day. My eyes popped out of my head at the title sequence of that episode, pretty sure the 2 riders were Trevor Geer (blue & white leathers) & Paul Gachet, both White City riders of course. Think it was filmed on the day Ivan Mauger got his MBE at Buck House, he turned up at the track still in top hat and tails and got to meet one of his heroes John Shaw.....

Yeah cos he is going to use KK again

Great article - should be shared to as many sports media outlets as possible.

As all riders were given CL aves maybe those who are returning should also be reassessed accordingly e.g. Woryna Sundstrom Sczhzpaniak ...

Another excellent issue. Will definitely get the sister publication to read more about Jim Airey. However, was shocked to read in the article on Norwegians that my comments about Reidar Eide and Odd Fossengen were attributed to "Sidney the Robin" rather than myself. Can't say too much as the matter is in the hands of my legal team, but Sidney getting the credit!!!!!

Looks like the council will now give approval to housing on Armadiddle Stadiu. Sad news ahead?

Ludvig Lindgren piece on the Diamonds Website. For those who didn't want him back, the last paragraph is just for you!! http://www.newcastlediamonds.co/news/article.asp?id=100824

I don't get the magazine so I've not seen the article, but I remember Jim " the trapper", and his pal Gordon Guasco from the days when they were riding in the UK. My overriding memory of Jim was the night he "slid off" on the first turn at monmore green, got up and recovered for a third place in a match between Wolves & Newport. It was the only race that didn't finish 5-1 to the home team, and I think the 64-14 scoreline is still some sort of a record.

Fantasy league speedway continues... Of course they’re going to pick the best team they can but it’s making the Northern section a bit pointless.

Although clearly written for a greyhound readership this has to be great news for the Robins and their fans. The new grandstand has similarities with the one at Poole, which although built 20 years ago, still provides an excellent facility.

Mixed feelings really, take away Poole's ringers and the league looks on paper at least to be as even as ever. But it doesn't do the sport any good to freeze out bigger names, particularly one or two who have been loyal to the UK and their particular clubs. And to then put the price up

All riders started 2017 with a Championship average - converted for those with only a Premiership figure (meaning a few were actually over 12) The limits for both Premiership and Championship were recalibrated to accommodate revised league strengths Any fixtures from 2016 then became redundant with rolling averages being dropped. ALL riders were then awarded brand new averages upon completion of 4 home 4 away meetings A new conversion ratio of 1.2 was introduced for switches between the leagues during the season. At the AGM it was decided this was inaccurate and amended to 1.3 2016 averages (for those riding in Britain in 2017) were consigned to the dustbin when those decisions were made along with any rule relating to previous years team building arrangements I dont think Cook is to blame (was he even involved in the discussions at either conference?) Looks like he has been given misguided assurances based on an out dated scenario

This may be of interest... http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/last-new-swindon-ready-proceed/

He's still riding, but his results are well below the level he was at 5-10 years ago. See here http://www.aktuellspeedway.se/tyskland/forare/christian-hefenbrock/#

Leigh Adams was a huge favourite of mine too, what a pleasure it was to have him in Stars colours for two seasons. He should've stayed longer, the track suited him so much.

I am clinging on to the hope of a Brandon return. i do not believe there will ever be another stadium.

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.

The numpties are those that were wrong!

That will be heat 2

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.

Good post!!

Will say it's a step in the right direction having different race nights for the two leagues and should have been done years ago really, but better late than never. Hopefully they hey can now do something to create more financial income for the Premiership in sponsorship to then attract some bigger names and cancel the 8 point rule otherwise it has to be looked at seriously next season to create one league with these big teams competing in a stronger league with just one home one away alongside. The only thing with these fixed dates is having gaps between matches which is acceptable in strong levels but at this level a few will be disappointed at meetings every fortnight only

SIGNINGS | Coventry have announced Danny Phillips and Luke Harris ahead of their 2018 National League season.

The most telling document within the new planning permission is the 2017 Framework Master Plan. It shows houses where the "new" stadium was originally supposed to be. These plans are simply being submitted in order to unlock further house building. http://pa1.swindon.gov.uk/publicaccess/files/48810D4EB6A3C6FD126E1250D0E7D8C3/pdf/S_RES_18_0027-2017_FRAMEWORK_MASTERPLAN-646104.pdf

The now lack of smell and not so much noise has taken away what most people who used to go say they remember most. At world superbikes last year they relaxed the noise level and it now sounds better than ever and really enhances the enjoyment.

A very sad aspect of the BSF is the loudmouths who love to insult all and sundry in the sport who are actually trying to make it work, while very conveniently hiding behind stupid false names and claiming 'freedom of speech'. When someone working in the sport and prepared to talk openly under their own name here then tackles them they then hide behind accusations of 'unprofessionalism'. Yes, this is a forum. No it doesn't give you the right to behave like a poisonous anonymous coward and squeal when someone rightly stands up for themselves and bites back. Good luck to Laurence in his new job. I had no idea he had the divine power to shut tracks though ;-)

No! Part of the attraction of the CL is the arrival of young Aussies with potential to progress to greater things. Would the likes of Doyle, Fricke, Tungate, Masters, etc. have ever graced the CL if there was such a restriction in place when they arrived as promising raw youngsters? As usual with some "Brits First" posters on here, they claim that our Antipodean friends are taking the bread out of the mouths of mediocre locals. Fact is that in 2017 this "deluge" of young Aussie invaders totaled one, yes one!, namely Josh Pickering whose performances home & away were appreciated by Monarchs fans. As the visa entrance criteria has already been reduced from top 4 to 3 in State Titles, which as things stand , will prevent new Oz U-21 Champ, Jaimon Lidsey from appearing here in 2018, I would prefer that the previous quota was reinstated, which I believe, would allow Lidsey to be considered.

To be fair, State titles are the only form basis to judge the ability of any Aussie. Usually new comers ride again established UK based Aussies so it is easy to se how they could fare in the UK. to call them all wobblers shows your lack of credibility. There are only a small percentage that actually fail in this country, but most are a welcome addition to our leagues.

"The law locks up the man or woman who steals the goose from off the common, but leaves the greater villain lose who steals the common from the goose"