Leaderboard

Basically as the title says, i would like to wish Stuart all the best for his retirement, been a great servant to the sport a really nice bloke and a great help to many younger riders that have come through, including my son. Thanks Robbo.

I'm a Comets fan and have no problem with Glasgow's signing of Cookie as it made a lot of sense for them at the time. It was an opportunist move, appears not to have broken any rules and is one a few other promoters probably wish they had thought of first. I think the problem is no-one is sure of the rules any more, including some of the people responsible for making them! Cookie seems to get a bit of stick, but as in other sports opposition fans very rarely boo a poor opponent. Furthermore he has been down to DP a few times this season where he has been seen helping and offering advice to our young guys Dan and Kyle. As far as I am concerned he is always welcome at DP. I know he is likely to visit DP shortly and rack up a lot of points, but surely we all want to see the best riders competing against each other. It's just a shame we won't have our full team out - I would have loved to have seen Cookie and Dan going head to head. Hopefully the rest of our team will be fit and maybe, just maybe we can finish the season with that bit of elusive silverware.

May the best team win and all riders are injury-free at the finish.

Just because you keep on saying it doesn't mean its true as other unbiased fans have repeatedly repeated. realise you are trying to emulate Jenga but at least Jenga can be funny. What is it about Workington fans, I blame the nuclear power station

Would have loved Cook to have come to Ipswich when King was out. Nothing wrong in him signing for Glasgow He is an attraction to the league and is the pantomime villan when he comes to Foxhall....the top rider in the league. Yes he does put bums on seats 100% and thats a good thing. I pick and choose my meetings at Ipswich and Glasgow was on of them because of Cook and Harris.......................no offence but i wast going to spend my money when Newcastle and Berwick were in town..................and yes i know Berwick did superb this season but when i do go i like to see the top riders in the league, Nicholls, Riss and Lawson as well

You've got a new stadium then? Hope its got terracing and can fit in a speedway rather than a slowway track.

Stop kidding yourself Cookie will ride for the team who can offer the best deal to suit his needs , better hope it's not Edinburgh or I can see you're admission fee being £25 and £3 parking , you would be better off staying in the car park you will see just as much and save yourself a fortune.

Don't think Gavan will be on tonight

IMO he deserves a Farewell/Testimonial meeting.

PROBABLY should ask Eric Boocock and Neil Middleditch whether they agree

Come down Friday Aceslider and see a decent speedway meeting without riders slowing down at the bends and bouncing up and down like yo-yo's The amount of fallers has no relevance really, just watching them hang on for grim death round the 4th bend was enough , riders from both teams , but hey I gladl'y don;t have to pay week in week out to watch it thank god Keith, the track has been no different anytime I've been , your lot are easily pleased over the NE to watch that every week , your lot know nothing else as they don't travel far to watch their team , get yourselves over Friday to support your team and see for yourself

Whether or not it is a farce that Craig is riding in this league, he was a very welcome visitor to Lakeside on our last ever meeting. Was great to have him and Chris Harris there to make it a better send off. Slightly off topic but also wanted to say how brilliant Craig was with the fans and children in particular when on the way to the pits. Class act.

This year I made a post on this topic that there were only 2 major markets left for the SGP, GB and Poland. You disagreed that GB was still a major market. That's why I made the comment. As for riders emerging from USA, America will never have a better rider in the series than they have now. You know it has nothing to do with riders, it all comes down to money and finding someone to finance it. GP's have readily gone to countries with no world class riders, New Zealand, Finland etc as long as the finance is forthcoming, nothing to do with emerging talent.

I only discovered speedway and Arena Essex in 2006 but was hooked straight away. In that time I have been privileged to watch the likes of Andreas Jonson, Adam Shields, PK, Davy Watt, Richard Lawson, Lewis Bridger and of course the Late but great Lee Richardson wear the hammers colours. Add to that Darcy, Chris Holder, Crumpy, Nikki P, Tai, Scott Nichols, and other greats riders for the opponents. Far too many Hammers and opponents to mention them all. My main memories, where do I start. First is probably the meeting with Swindon just 5 days after Lee Richardson died. The immense sadness of the occasion was obvious but the way the club pulled together was incredible. The memorial meeting to Lee at the seasons end with a packed Arena and a line up to do the man proud is another. Swindon again in 2008, and our only home league defeat of the season when a young unheard of Croatian by the name Jurica Pavlic turned up and having never seen the place before promptly banged in a 7 ride max that had the Hammers fans applauding. Any meeting involving Darcy and Chris Holder together was always memorable, and the meeting where Coventry beat us (2011?) and their fans were gloating on the way out, only for the meeting to be awarded to Hammers as Eddie Kennet had tampered with his silencers.... And then of course Friday, v Glasgow. Pulling up in that great big car park for the last time it finally dawned on me, this IS the last time. Going to the same window at the ticket office and paying my money to the same lady, Buying my last coffee and cake from the ever smiling Rose in the diner, and then taking my position on the stock car track and chewing the fat with the same faces who have become good friends for those years. Debating what artefacts we could nick from the stadium, ( I eventually decided against a urinal - Mrs E would not be impressed) and then having watched another great meeting, doing the track walk a scooping up some shale which now forms part of my garden. It was then goodbyes and promises to keep in touch (We live far and wide) and to try to get to Rye House when we can. The drive home was a sad one, having driven down the long drive to the roundabout by the services and then a feeling of sadness as I left. I will miss the old girl. She was never the most attractive of venues but she has given plenty of pleasure to many people, and she was rough around the edges but had a certain charm. ( Sounds like a few women I have known over the years). She provided great entertainment, and she will be missed. Thanks for the memories.

At the risk of sounding conceited, I was considered a "celeb"! Like my good friend Scott Mitchell, I played darts professionally. While I - unlike Scott - never managed to win a World title, I was third in the PDC World Championship, and am a former World No. 1. To be honest, it really doesn't seem like there have been too many really famous celebrity speedway fans over the years. Not sure, but I believe that DJ David Hamilton was actually a speedway supporter in addition to his presenting job. Steve

Just like to say Good Luck to Stuart Robson after he announced tonight that this season would be his last. Been a great servant to Newcastle and also British Speedway in general. Also well done Archie Freeman in winning the 150cc Youth Championship with four qualifying wins and a win in the Grand Final.

Workington to win the play offs...good for the club, good for its fans and good for the sport.

It's only half-time and still plenty to do. Now is not the time to get cocky so let's give Somerset the respect they deserve and treat the next leg with the same 100% effort. But great effort so far guys just keep it up!

My thoughts exactly. I still believe that Reading were robbed that year

Gorzow Vs Leszno What an utterly crud meeting. Does anyone know what has happened to the Gorzow track ? Its got steadily worse through the season. Had high hopes for this one but gave up watching on free sport after heat 9 and had to come back for a second sitting on Monday. Rybnik Vs Lublin Faith in humanity restored! What a meeting! Score possibly flattered Rybnik a little so i think they'll edge it over 2 legs. Couple of races from AJ at the start were sensational stuff. Rolling back the years. Massive crowd as well. Just 10/10 for everything

What a crackin idea...Maybe if we do a sacrificial slaughter of a pig, it would then be a crackling idea

We did have a trestle table for a full hot and cold buffet at one meeting - it could double up if required

I assume people remember the P’boro v Reading final of 2006? Absolutely correct that there are no tacticals in two legged ties.

Told you all to ignore the rubbish posted by the troll.

As a club i like Buxton and have no axe to grind with them however 3 planned home fixtures during June & July certainly does not help the case. Add in the three home meetings that took place in May were National Trophy matches it adds further fuel to the fire that these competitions should be placed at the tail end of the season and not at the start.

Never seen his plan yet. As he is so much against weakening the league, no doubt it is throwing money about to get the top riders in Wonder if he - and many others who advocate that - would be prepared to gamble their money rather than someone else's ?

Got to love a bit of doubling-up - 2 riders crocked for a cup semi-final due to tooling about in a lower league clash for a completely different team.

So Cook is not an attraction in this league just to clear that bit up , having ambition is now desperation because all I have seen from Glasgow is ambition and trying to promote the sport in the local area. If that is what you deem desperation then there should be other promotions being desperate to succeed unfortunately there are some running clubs couldn't spell promote never mind doing it. But I am sure everything will be rosy in the garden once all teams are on a level playing field with NO AMBITION.

And the next best thing is arriving home in Workington ??

Robson has been a fantastic rider , one of the legends of the sport. Always remember his guest performances at Newport filling in for Wato. He was a master aroun Queensway Meadows. glad he will retire in one piece after some horrible injuries.

“Tried to buy the league...”. Is that the same as trying to run a successful business by constructing a team that will entertain and have a chance of winning some silverware?! What next, Team GB (backed by the same people) trying to buy the World Cup?! “Nothing but a corrupt bunch of team managers running it into the ground” is that apart from the Lakeside, P’boro and Workington promotion that you want to see win the title?! Is it safe to assume your team didn’t make the play offs?!

According to the website we have moved Kacper Woryna to number 2 and Josh G to 3. I think this is a good move tactically. Josh has been going well and as the more experienced rider should be in the heat leader position and rides well with Nicolai Klindt.

Not fit ...here we go , Panthers trying to pull a fast one already , Ulrich came back he obviously thinks he’s fit , a long servant of Peterborough and fans want him sidelined for the major meetings ...win at all costs creeping up already

The NSS is a standout easily the best track & stadium in the UK hands down! No other track or stadium comes near in the UK at present.

I have been to the new NSS about half a dozen times now and nothing touches it in the UK for facilities and track.

Yes i agree he does seem very jealous and bitter personally having attended the NSS i have to say it was definitely worth it and is a amazing venue for speedway and i would think most people would like it to be their home track

Haha such a funny thread the Poole Piss Take Pirates are the biggest fiddlers in British Speedway and now some Poole fans are saying things are not right at BV ahahahaaa!

It will depend on which Kurtz turns up at the second leg

Apart from well he pulled out of a guest booking for us claiming to be sick and was then seen practicing elsewhere screwing us over.

Sacrificial slaughter of a virgin in Ipswich,what's the chances Baldy?

I'll take that. Massive improvement on his last visit!

10536 at Wroclaw and 13053 at Gorzow

Tell me about it, I've been a regular there since 1972. Hopefully a new broom might change things.

Time to leave the forum ORLOV Stalker.

Happy retirement to Robbo,always gives 100% and entertainer, and has over come some nasty injuries.Best of luck in the future.

The best race I’ve ever seen is an impossible task. Over the years I have seen some truly magical races, even from riders you wouldn’t believe. There have been many times when I’ve wished the rider to miss the gate, knowing full well he would win from the back, and you imagine the excitement before it actually happened. So I started to reason what makes a race so special, Be it an impossible task, or the value of the race, the execution of the overtake, the consequences of winning, the value of the race, does riding for your team make it more important than riding for your own being. One race that includes all those attributes was back in 2012, heat 15 when Lynn held a narrow lead against Poole, and needing 3 pts to be assured of victory. Guesting for the injured Darcy Ward, Davy Watts with Chris Holder shot from the gate. Niels, with Magic in tow, gave chase. Losing 5-1 would have been disastrous. Coming out of the 4th bend, lap1, Niels takes Watts and goes after Holder. L2 B1, Magic joins the party relegating Watt to last place, giving us the 3 pts we need for an impressive win. As they start L3 the gap between Holder and Niels has halved, with Janowski not far behind. Holder is looking round in amazement as the posse closes in. As they start the last lap, Holder chooses a tight line going into bend 1, Niels goes high. Holder sees Niels line and moves out to block, but Niels is aware and he himself cuts back inside. Side by side down the back straight they go into B3. Both are going too fast and are forced to take the high line, but Niels has a narrow advantage and edges ahead. To put the icing on the cake, Magic takes advantage of the out-of-shape Holder, and moves into second for a memorable victory that was against all the odds. No, Poole didn’t have Darcy that night, but Holder was on the verge of being World Champion. Nobody had expected him to beaten that race after he had established a healthy lead. But to be relegated to 3rd was an unbelievable achievement by both Niels and Janowski, giving the Kings Lynn Stars a welcomed victory against the all conquering Pirates. A race that had it all ……….

Why not start now? Go on...

i accept your view mate, its just not for me. I suppose one positive would be credibility. Feel the same about guests and i accept the alternative views on that but again not for me. I would quite literally prefer teams getting mullered than using guests, which they often do anyway as guests regularly fail to perform. Just my view.

It was a really good crowd, I hope a few influential people were there last night to witness the fact there is still very much support there for a speedway track in Essex. As soon as I got in the car park you could see this was going to be a big crowd, I was really worried that they were going to run out of programs but I got lucky and still managed to get one, I would have been well and truly gutted if I had not because this was a lasting souvenir to our time at this venue, the meeting ended up dragging but to be honest I wasn't even aware of the time until later because it was just so nice to catch up with those who have not been for some time. It was what should have been a sad night but to me felt more like a celebration of the venues existence for all these years despite the many times that the stadium or the club itself has been up in the air as to whether it would see another season. The biggest thing was that it wasn't the end of the club full stop, we keep going at another venue for the time being and I do intend to support that now where I can because although my head says we will never have a track in Essex again, my heart says otherwise. So we still have a team, we have somewhere to race, now we just need an organisation who can run British Speedway properly and orderly.

It would be great to see a Championship/National select team Birmingham V Cradley ie Ellis, Barker, Wajnecht, Shanes, and any rider who has recently ridden for Brum V Cradley select Worrall, Morris, Starke, Bowtell, Clegg, this would bring in a pretty big crowd, and be more of a guide as to how well the crowd might receive a higher level of racing in the second city, failing that a 4 team tournament along the same lines, but including Wolves & possibly Coventry im sure either would be an attractive meeting, and could be on home and away basis, or at the 3 venues.