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Boring. You have said this for the last 2 years. We didn't moan in October. We laughed!!!

They are awful and extremely irritating.

Keep telling yourself that, you are still wrong. A 7.5pt rider now would have been 8.5 to 9 in 2003 in most cases. It's a mathematical fact. There were EIGHTEEN teams in the 2nd tier in 2018 compared to TEN last season. That immediately gives you 54 heat leaders, compared to 30. Your list of 'endless' riders is solely due to the size of the league. Iversen wasn't a top rider in 2003, indeed neither was Zagar. it was his debut year. Tony Atkin averaged 7.00 in 2003!!! Please don't try and tell me has ever reached the level Klindt can ride at. Craig Cook, Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls, Nick Morris blow 2003 Stonehewer, Wilson, Watson and Cunningham out of the water. Cook isn't in the league this year but you can throw in Danny King, Richard Lawson, Ricky Wells, Kyle Howarth, Rory Schlein as riders who would have been pushing 10pt averages in 2003.

Not according to a Monarch supporting friend who is local to the track.

id say it was about normal crowd from late but poor for opening night was hard to follow it being first meeting and hard to pick riders out maybe first meeting should have been a team event dan and kyle did ok mixed night for both kyle had perfect start by gateing in his first rid and held on to lead for a lap or 2 before rene bach passed him but he held 2nd place then in his last he swapped places with mason campton a couple of times before mason took the win

I remember as many early Good Friday meetings where it has been t-shirt and sunglasses rather than rain and called off so simply delaying the start of the season isnt the solution IMO Lets hope there is swift and efficient planning for all rearrangements - thats the more important issue

I was very fortunate to be friends with a number of people that allowed me unlimited access into the pits at Lynn. When Lee was an interval attraction,. my friendship with Andy Lee opened the door for a connection with Michael that lasted many years. He was an immense talent that was recognised by the whole speedway world. Seasoned riders stood in awe as he powered round during them intervals equal to or faster than the times actually recorded during the proceeding match. No it was no surprise when he beat Wilson in that first meeting. and Ray took it in good heart. Such was the talk about Lee and them interval rides at that time , it created so much interest that world stars, namely, Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger travelled purposely to Kings Lynn solely to watch him ride. Later they remarked that Michael was a good a 15yr old as they had ever seen, anywhere..... Such praise from established Stars....

Where did it go wrong ? Do you mean Lee or speedway in general? Michael made his choices as we all do in life if they are right or wrong that’s Micheal to decide - as for speedway in general the powers that be pocketed the glory years £s rather than thinking long term in finding the next Michael Lee - thinking back in those 40odd years we’ve had Darcy Ward and to a lot lesser extent Robert Lambert but neither have come close to Lee talent he should and could have gone much further in speedway thing to remember is the British League was the strongest league in the world in Lee day Ward rode for us in the second league and Lambert is again in a very much weaker leage . Lee was special very special

AND that is enough to stop you buying a 112 page edition with all the facts and figures you might find useful in the weeks and months ahead?

TV matches for round 1 are now known Saturday 7th April Wroclaw v Leszno N sport start time 2pm UK time and Rybnik v Pila 1st race 3.15pm UK time Eleven sport 3 programme starts 3pm UK time Sunday 8th April Lublin v lodz 1.30pm UK time Polsat sport and Grudziadz v Czestochowa start time 3.30pm UK time and Gorzow v Torun start time 6pm UK time both matches N sport plus Free sports in the Uk have the Grudziadz match LIVE Nice Polska league TV matches for rounds 2 and 3 are Saturday 14th April Pila v Gdansk 3.15pm UK time Eleven sport Sunday 15th April Lublin v Gniezno 1.30pm UK time Polsat sport Saturday 21st April Gdansk v Lublin 3.15pm UK time Eleven sport Sunday 22nd April Rybnik v lodz 1.30pm UK time Polsat sport Times for Extraleague round 2 announced- all on N sport Friday 13th April Czestochowa v Tarnow start time 6.30pm UK time Saturday 14th April Torun v Wroclaw start time 5pm UK time Sunday 15th April Zielona Gora v Grudziadz start time 3.30pm UK time and Leszno v Gorzow start time 6pm UK time A fixture change has been also announced Wroclaw v Grudziadz is now 27th May(was June 10th) and Grudziadz v Wroclaw is now 10th June(was 27th May)

oooohh SS already knows that,he knows most things you know

I know, one can hope.

You got more chance of flying to moon steve than raceing tomorrow....

It will probably change again anyway!

The bbc forecast has actually changed from earlier when it showed no rain after 7 am Tuesday. Still optimistic the meeting will go ahead.

Cradley

Andersons and Granty's at Berwick last few seasons have been excellent.

Yep you are right mate. It needs to change, quickly.

I went to about 12 meetings at the shay. It was a bit like Exeter with the steel fence, but shorter straights. I always enjoyed going there.

That's a disgraceful situation if it's true. These riders put their necks on the line (literally) and chasing payment should be the last thing that they have to think of. I think that a few promoters need to look at themselves in the mirror.

What i liked was when you went to the Shay in those days you might only ride the track once a year for a lower rider it was a hard challenge.Our league then was very special the best different tracks shapes different challenges for riders.When you look at Vaculik who has come over to England to learn different things ( i rate him and admire him for that) he would of loved it in yesteryear.!!!

Don't think this will be on unfortunately

Dont need luck when the oppostion just hands things on a plate for you

The 2018 F.I.M. Sidecar World Cup Final at Gillman Speedway in Adelaide is now under way ! Live scores and some pictures may appear on this Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/AustralianSpeedwayChampionships/

I guess Holder has sorted out a few issues because he is back in Poland today!!! Seems to be the visa has cleared up!! Think this is an 1st April joke!

Will Definitely give the MX a go, the last time I went to a live event it was called Scrambling, rediscovered live Grass Track last year after a 50 year gap and will be going again this year. Biggest problem I have in following all the disciplines of Motorsport that I enjoy apart from cost is my ability to drive/ride long distances, spectate at an event and drive/ride home again afterwards, on the same day.

Found this on You Tube after a search.

You normally do so I wouldn’t rule it out

That was a good crowd for Workington Phil!

After a long off period, we are all waiting for the new season to start. The Easter weekend has always been an ideal opportunity to hold home and away meetings, enabling good crowds the chance to do both meetings, but this appalling weather has sure put the mockers on that. We never seem to get opportunity to do that with the re-arranged dates.... When Easter's are lost, more meetings are cancelled than any other time of the year, Most clubs will be playing catch-up for the whole season.... Countries like Poland and Sweden put their start dates back till the weather improves. Probably we ought to do the same....

The standard of PL riders back in 2003 was a much better standard than it is now for sure. There were quality performers in the old Premier League days, such as Stoney, Wilson, Stead, Watson, Cunningham, Schott... the list is endless. I cannot agree that the likes of Frank Smart and Danny Bird would be 7.5ish men now. Smart and Bird would wipe the floor with most riders in the second tier. Your example of Nicolai Klindt being a 7.5 man now would equate to 9ish in circa 2003 is nonsense... no way in hell would Klindt average 9 amongst the company of the top 15 or so in the league in 2003. You had the likes of Zagar and Iversen , probably not even top 10 in 2003, riding well throughout Europe on 9 point figures and they both were streets ahead of Klindts current standard back in 2003. The league in 2003 was much stronger, as was the top tier. Year after year we have seen the standard drop, crowds drop and prices go up.

Can't see Thorsell or the two Wolves reserves scoring many points so should be a very comfortable home win. As brum has said it's highly unlikely anybody will be able to get near Poole on their own track over fifteen heats this year.

Of course you would, even though it's utter nonsense. Harris and Nicholls aren't on the same level as Frank Smart and Danny Bird? lol

Shame on you Rob ... All tracks are missed and to some of us Crayford will always be the place where some us fell in love with this frustrating yet addictive sport and I still won't set foot in a Ladbrooks or a Sainsbury's 30 years after the stadium being knocked down

nice to see a few Berwick and Newcastle fans over to workington for the Cumberland Classic . thanks for making the effort guys .

Although a work in progress my understanding is start line seating as was going onto first and second bends replaced by new seating in its place on home straight .

I don't understand why people are confused what you say Steve is correct your p/p is just as important as your your first league meeting

What of Part of “I think Poole should get the win. A good time for Wolves to come when the team are not dialled but think we will be too strong’. Sorry but your above post really does confirm you really are a trolling idiot!

I think the Somerset side has been vastly underrated by many when making predictions for the season. Doyle should go through the card, KK potentially will be the only Rocket to trouble him. The Rebels are just as strong in the engine room as we are and should score more from reserve as well.

I think it speaks volumes that Auty is on an average just over four and a half yet wasn't picked up by anybody in the Premiership. He is just far too inconsistent for me especially out of the gate although I agree that he would have scored well at Belle Vue.....trouble is there are seven other tracks in the league. Starke the better option for me and as somebody has already said he achieved his average in a top five rather than from reserve.

Maybe Belle Vue could produce a better one,the SS is weekly speedway magazine it is not a historical mag.Athough it's winter articles are excellent IMO

Not forgetting that bonus points used to be included in a rider's average too and aren't now.

You're right, Cook isn't in the class of Stonehewer. He's above him. Achieving higher averages in the PL, in a much smaller league. Achieving MUCH higher averages in the top flight of racing. Stonehewer was an excellent 2nd division rider and did superbly to get into the GP's and last as long as he did there, but at the level of Cook, no he wasn't. You're falling into the old trap of thinking riders were better than they were simply because they were in a bigger league. More teams = talent spread more thinly and heat leaders have much higher averages. Chris Harris not at the level of Frank Smart? Even now he's above. Smart again was a decent, entertaining heat leader. He only ever averaged above 9 once (just 9.03 in 1998). Again his average was exaggerated by the size of the league. He's the equivalent of a 7-7.5pt rider now.

Unfortunately, they aren't just trying, many are succeeding. To the detriment of the fans. We have to pay more to get in and half the time we see disjointed teams because of fixture clashes. Because the riders 'need' to race for two clubs to make the sport pay. Again, the riders wants are detrimental to the people who pay their wages. Speedway in Britain shouldn't be a professional sport any longer. Riders aren't owed anything by the sport or the fans. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards. The horse has bolted for this season of course but next season riders should have one team and one team only. Because of that we may lose a few riders to the sport. Those who do it for the love of the sport will find a way to carry on, be it by running more cost effective equipment or taking a job outside the sport to help them fund their racing. There are plenty of riders in the levels below the National League who would give an arm and a leg to ride for a team spot I'm sure. So we may lose a few prima donnas and the standard of the leagues may be worse than it is now but it would be better for the fans and the sport in the long run.

Video of yesterday`s training match Czestochowa v Lublin(Lambert) https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/746253/zobacz-wszystkie-biegi-sparingu-forbet-wlokniarz-speed-car-motor-wideo Video of yesterday`s training match Torun v Grudziadz https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/746258/zobacz-wszystkie-biegi-sparingu-get-well-mrgarden-gkm-wideo Kent kings P& P at Iwade

I have to disagree unfortunately, if been going to workington speedway since the re launch, Craig Cook is good rider but he's not in the class of stonehewer that is for sure. Also the above mentioned, Harris an Nichols are on the spiral, they are not at the level of Wilson, Zorro, frank smart, Danny bird an various others during the past PL area. The fact is the elite league is probably more nearer that standard of the old PL these days.

Good job it wasn't Holder.The thing would of refused to come out of the stalls

No one forces a Speedway rider to ride, they do it because they enjoy riding a bike and getting payed for it, and believe me it’s much better than a 9 to 5 job, if they don’t think they don’t get paid enough, simple get a normal job

Most riders these days have "teams" with them in the pits, simply because they see GP riders and think they must have the same. Far too many riders now trying to make a full time career from speedway and the sport just cannot justify this on crowds of 500 to 1,000 a week. Costs have spiralled out of control and most riders have become involved in an arms race, spending ridiculous amounts of money to try and get that tenth of a second quicker. Undoubtedly speedway has become a much more professional sport, but the costs can only be justified if they are met by money coming into the sport, from TV, sponsors or more fans. None of which is happening. Unfortunately riders are killing it for themselves.