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I would also argue that early season meetings rarely produce the best racing. Plus if you have two riders from one side on another planet to the rest it doesn’t help. Its sensible to give it a few meetings before passing too much judgement however some people seem to be salivating at their keyboard waiting for the first opportunity to stick the boot in to make themselves feel better. Each to their own.

That’s where Hans is these days. He’s nowhere near the level of ten years ago. Peterborough need to sort out this Cook business sooner rather than later. Getting him to change his mind or getting a much better replacement than Summers with all due respect needs sorting pronto. That moves Bjerre back down to reserve and makes a big difference to both him, and this team. Need to get this signing right and quickly.

Looking at the weather, you made need to be

If there was a “falling out” between Buster and Cook,there is only one winner in this situation and it ain’t Cook.

And your still banging it, do us a favour and go and bang it somewhere else your boring.

But when you have six fingers and webbed feet it's easy to get those knickers twisted

Think you’re almost right there - except don’t think we’ll be fighting Ipswich or anybody give us that spoon now and be done with it.

Thurs 11th 6.30pm

Can you put that in writing?

Inside line of bends 3 & 4 taken in 2 metres as well as a metre off of the inside line on the straights to give even more width. Couple of pictures taken from Swindon Speedway Twitter show it all progressing well. TBF I'm sure Terry Russell would also like to know why the Club were not permitted to start the work earlier in the closed season.

That's the balancing act... Sadly the truth is that a 'successful' Speedway team can be more of a risk to its survival than a 'run of the mill' one... Paying out too much money to riders (who bring in hardly one extra punter by their presence), versus not peeing off your fan base by getting beat most weeks, is a tricky thing to achieve.. Winnng British Speedway competitions carries almost zero kudos the way they are ran, so it really isn't worth the risk paying out daft money to try and win them and possibly threaten your very existence.. After years of teams spending fortunes out on chasing 'fools gold' it does actually look like three teams at least are working to an initial strict payroll budget... As the season goes on this budget may change if Chapman feels it is effecting attendances adversely. Or he may decide he is still getting enough 'die hards' to keep his costs the way they are and make a profit. The correct way to run any business for me...

Totally agree, & that's why I went up the pub rather than attend.

Why does anyone live in Peterborough?

As for Darcy he is what he is unfortunately brains were not handed out when it was his time.

Hope you can post some info for those of us who can’t make it.

But we are faster swimmers

Uniformity. Professionalism. Its looks a sight better on TV. Although its buster so there is probably a brown envelope somewhere.

Don’t think he can - there is no one out there - not as clever as he thinks he is - only Cookie and Chris Holder that I can think of and he fell Out with both of them! Saviour of British speedway and Clubs? He’s got his work cut out with this one.

It hasn't but Craig is an absolute tool for turning it all down. He is too big for his boots sometimes and whilst I can understand his point (although he completely contradicted himself when asking for more money-makes his sponsor stance void) that doesn't excuse the stupidity of turning down a seat somewhere.

Don’t think the full story has been told.

Just had an hour at Press & Practice, Richard Lawson turned up late and did not have a ride before the photo call but otherwise they looked pretty quick. Biggest surprise was Alfie Bowtell, I missed him last year but he used to be uncertain at Arlington however he looked a vastly different rider today. The other thing of note was that Ben Morley wore the No 2 Jacket and Bowtell No 4. The one who looked to have a bit of a problem was Lewis Kerr, Quick enough but will need practice making the sharp turns, it should not be a handicap as most visitors will also be having first sight of the track and no doubt he will soon get dialled in. The only 'visitor' was Jason Edwards who did not look out of place at all and looks nailed on for No 7 in 2020.

Well switching it around , why is Buster so adamant riders individual sponsors have to be in plain white ? For the life of me I can’t understand either party’s stance on this ???

Can't beat a good rave.

A very ordinary looking Panthers performance with Hans looking slow and no one else other than Wright standing out. Track was fast and smooth but was gate n go with no passing. Disappointing.

Buster will only pay what is needed to make speedway viable at Lynn.Why overpay and see another team go by the wayside.We have seen too many go in recent years.

I wonder if buster still thinks that Kenny is no longer a heat leader in this league lol.

Sums up a ridiculous idea.

3 Days - 6 matches for all to enjoy !!!- all UK times 4 matches from Extraleague round 1 and 2 from Nice Polska league round 2 Friday 5th April Zielona Gora v Torun Eleven sport 1 programme starts 4.30pm 1st race 5pm followed by Czestochowa v Gorzow Eleven sport 1 programme starts 7.15pm 1st race 7.30pm Saturday 6th April Rybnik v lodz Eleven sport 2 programme starts 7pm 1st race 7.15pm Sunday 7th April Gdansk v Tarnow Polsat sport 1st race 1.45pm Sunday 7th April Leszno v Wroclaw N sport programme starts 2.30pm 1st race 3pm followed by Lublin v grudziadz N sport programme starts 5.30pm 1st race 6pm

don't really know why a lot of people wouldn't think that this would be fairly close.scunny have garrity,auty and allen who can all ride owlerton and in fact was a good job garrity and auty didn't weigh in with a few more or it could have been a whole lot different.

Can they do that though, he was declared but never actually signed. Anyway if Cook has ended up of the wrong side of Buster Chapman then there is only one winner there.

Do you believe everything you read and hear

I'd be more than happy if Covatti continues to score 7 points - from reserve. As for the Darcy 'story' - anyone would think he's the only rider to ever have a go about Nicki Pedersen - 'awful rider....average human being'!!?!

Surely the new starting procedure shouldn't make that much difference Anyway we have long complained about opposition teams moving at the start so rather amusing to see us at it. Redcar were statues compared to us and alas it does not take long for word get out ...... in the 1st 2 meetings we were certainly pushing it with the refs ........ but lets hope its just rustiness

Unfortunately, neither of those are number 1's although both are clearly better than Summers or Barker. Cook could be a genuine number 1. He had problems last season but I think he could add at least half a point and maybe a full point to average.

I think Peterborough are probably holding off to see what happens with Scott Nicholls, if he is replaced by Jacob when he is fit then Scott will be available. If not then Jacob will be available.

Not stirring it at all....just no Poole fans seemed to comment on the Darcy story.....great rider....awful human being and his accident doesnt change that Poole Bolton was commenting on Pooles riders performances and so i was asking if he was happy with Covatti only getting 7 in what was a weak individual meeting For what its worth Poole look strong certainly better than the awful 1-7 they put together last season, and they shouldnt need to make a whole host of changes. I think teams will be closer than some imagine

Bjerre will be one of the top dogs in this awfully weak top flight , without a doubt. Its only really Doyle who I can see topping him in the final averages.

I think Wolfsbane is referring to Jacob's piece in the Speedway Star in which he indicates that he was less than honest with the promotion about his injury.

Lies? Please can you elaborate.

Without doubt, one of the finest race tracks in British speedway.

Alas after Friday, less positives. I know the riders are learning the track but even so it was a disappointing home start Well done to the Bears who were certainly the better team over the two legs. Decisions certainly went against the diamonds. I could be wrong but I didn't see Clegg actually touch the tapes in heat 8, the ref clearly stopped the race to early to exclude Greaves and then there was the heat 12 controversy.....tough call for ref.... but the fact that barker also fell would imply some contact with bjerre... in most (BUT NOT ALL) cases the rider diving up the inside is excluded . The most worrying aspects for me over both legs is: apart from a couple of flashes, generally we didn't look quick and the bears when behind were catching our riders in both legs at the gates we were moving all over the place and we've already had 2 tapes exclusions and 2(3) warnings we were beaten by redcar who were thrashed by Leicester !!! Lets hope it is just rustiness but we would all agree we would have preferred to start the season like redcar (or Leicester!)

I remember in the 60's if there weren't at least 5 passes in every heat, the meeting ran past 8.45 or one of the superstars shot off home without buying everybody a beer they used to refund double your entrance fee.....probably.

well it was over by 8.00...don't think 2 hours is excessive..

Sadly, could not make it, wife poorly. Be there next Sat though,

Great result for the Bears !! Great to put one over our North-East rivals, not something that happens very often at Brough , well done Ben and the lads !! Bears have sharper claws this season .

How dare you compare it to the "good ol' days"!!! Your sort just won't admit it was absolutely perfect back then! Immaculate starting procedures with nobody ever needing a 2-minute warning, the noise, the smell, capacity crowds every night, incredible racing with 20+ passes on every lap, riders staying with the same teams for 30 years, and every British rider was so much better than that Aussie Tia Wofflebottom (or whatever his ruddy name is)... Steve

Have we given up on the thread subject then?

Nicki took Pawlicki wide. Didn't leave him much room at all, and Pawlicki bailed. I'd agree with an exclusion for Pedersen as he ran him up just that bit too much. But nothing to comment on beyond an everyday run-of-the-mill exclusion. As for Ward, well I hate to see him the way he is now. I'd love to have him fit and well and back on a bike racing. I don't want to see any rider suffering the effects of serious injury. But as a person, he was an obnoxious pillock before his accident, and he's still an obnoxious pillock now.

Ok, I,ll say £500,000.

2019 SPRING EDITION Welcome to issue 44 of our quarterly retro magazine. Here's a taster of what's inside . . . MIKE POLUKARD – First Pole at Wembley ROMAN CHYLA looks back at the history-making exploits of his fellow countryman Mike Polukard, who literally sacrificed his life trying to help others achieve the stardom he earned at Bydgoszcz and for Poland on the international front. OXFORD: 50 Memorable Moments ROB PEASLEY looks back at the early years of Oxford Cheetahs, when the likes of Pat Clarke, Ronnie Genz, Arne Pander and Ron How were the Kings of Cowley and the National League championship came to Sandy Lane. DANNY TAYLOR – From fan to boss Nowadays most promoters have a main business outside the sport and treat their club as a glorified hobby. But it wasn’t always like that. Right up to the 90s, speedway was often the promoters’ only source of income. DOUG NICOLSON looks at the life and times of Danny Taylor, who, although he passed away 50 years ago, is still fondly remembered at Glasgow and Berwick. PETER LLOYD – exclusive interview PHIL CHARD talks to unsung rider Peter Lloyd, who had spells riding trials, grasstracks and even car racing as well as a multitude of speedway clubs, including Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Poole. STANISLAV KUBICEK – exclusive interview VITEK FORMANEK catches up with Stanislav Kubíček, one of the most outstanding Czech riders of his generation. He starred for the 1963 World Team Cup Final silver medalists who finished ahead of Great Britain in Vienna. YESTERDAY'S NEWS In our new series, TONY McDONALD raids Retro Speedway's vast archives and looks back at publications and what they were writing about. First up we've got extracts from 1953 and 1958 editions of Speedway World and one from a 1965 Speedway Pictorial. IVAN'S FINAL LAP Poignant family pictures from the a private ceremony in Woolston Cemetery, where Ivan Mauger's ashes were interned at his spiritual home in Christchurch, New Zealand. RONNIE'S WALL OF DEATH REVIVAL Chris Martin, a Weymouth rider in the early 80s, recalls the honour of riding Ronnie Moore's old Wall of Death fairground attraction in their native New Zealand. Plus . . . pictures from the annual Celebration of Speedway event, obits on Don Cuppleditch, Miroslav Verner and Jim Purdey, crossword, your letters and a full-page team photo of the 1969 Reading Racers. To order this issue, or to subscribe for as little as £16 a year in the UK, please visit us at www.retro-speedway.com/