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It doesn’t matter if it’s 9 years or 4! He shouldn’t be on it full stop.

Bates is 25/6 and has 9 years experience - if he is on the rising star list then it's a disgrace.....

I’d quit while you’re behind if I were you, flagrag actually knows what he/she is talking about.

Sounded like a good idea to start with,,,, if Bates and Bacon are on it, soon turns it into another load of speedway dribble

That flick was caused by a bit more throttle to point the bike down the straight, I don't see any way in which he deliberately did that to hit Lyons. He didn't know exactly where he was for starters. As for the Phil Morris incident it's been done to death but I don't see that as anything other than a racing incident either, two riders rode lines that converged on the exit. I agree totally with that, I think there are very few deliberately dirty moves in Speedway. The higher the level the harder moves can be without disastrous consequences but at the end of the day it is a very small world and riders deliberately riding dirty will soon be getting retaliation from all angles. Having said that I do think the one thing that you see, mostly at lower levels, that should always result in disqualification whether it results in an accident or not is turning right. The move can and does cause the type of accidents that will often result in serious injury and there is no sensible reason for it. Luckily it's not common but I have seen a couple of riders who have used it as a blocking move and possibly not even realised how dangerous it is.

There are already 3 Saturday tracks in CL and most Midlands and South like to do a Northern Tour plus Saturday not a great day for Guests in 6 teams tied up and lot of top end Riders are on Continent etc. Tuesday / Wednesday is only realistic option Four Clubs already ride on a Friday and remember what The Chairman did to Lakeside and Workington in 2018, cancelling Friday matches at 3 days notice as he couldn't get a Guest for his own Club.

What a joke,,, typical speedway,, do something decent, then ruin it

Need to pick up sponsorship from an earplug company to block out out the whinging

I've had my first vaccine a few weeks ago and no ill effects. Second one due late March just had letter. By mid April everyone Over 50 and all vulnerable people will have had one vaccine and most over 70's will have had 2 vaccines. One vaccine gives more immunity than any Flu jab. There will be a tipping point when there will be more vaccinated and with some level of immunity through having had it than not vaccinated or not immune. The mid April point should see over 85% of the age / groups who have died with vaccine cover We won't ever get full immunity, this is like the flu in that respect, new strains and new vaccines to keep up. If Sport, not just Speedway doesn't start by mid / end Spring it never will. Of course we'll get a season , it will be different. Some Clubs will make the best of it, some wont. If anyone claims to be a speedway fan and wants to see it survive, it will be time to go and support or for ever stop moaning in my opinion.

The difference is some of the riders that are based here in the UK Masters,Douglas,Morris,Nicol etc have already told their Polish clubs that once the British season starts they will only be able to ride in Poland if there are no travel restrictions in this place between the UK & Poland. Which makes total sense if you can ride 2 or 3 times a week in the UK guaranteed or ride once a week in Poland if they pick you look at Troy Batchelor situation he was out in Poland practicing regularly but they wouldn’t pick him for matches

The silhouette of the rider being announced tomorrow looks like Bjarne Pedersen.

Can't believe you let the cat out of the bag

So Bates has actually ridden in the last 9 years? Well why isnt Jason Crump on the list as he has no Professional racing league experience in the last 9? Edit: Wheres Rory Schlein on list? hes only had 1 or 2 years experience as a British rider.....

If a ‘ meeting ‘ didn’t take place ( even if some individuals did not take part ) how do you think these decisions have been made ? Answer - because discussions have taken place. But whatever... As they are now struggling to fill teams in the championship this is bound to effect the make up of any NL division. Tonight’s news on travel restrictions is not going to make that any easier. Let’s hope the format of the NL doesn’t alter . Whilst there’s lots of talk I don’t expect to see more than one or two additions. I do hope to see a northern based side to give the youngsters up here something to aim for so let’s hope it comes off.

Everyone? Majority yes, everyone no

Yes, I agree too. Let's have some positivity about the place. Cup half full and all that.

Personally i find Danyon one of the nicest and most genuine people in speedway, thats probably why he hasn't had a decent chance somewhere, for reasons unknown those are a bit of a hole tend to get chances open up for them.

Bacon and Bates? IMO the scheme should be concentrating on our U21 riders, with all due respect to those two they are never going to be anywhere near international standard.

Yes Ivan Mauger certainly knew his value and quite rightfully fully exploited it! I went to a Peterborough V Sheffield fixture in 1993 when I recall Mort beating Mick Poole around there in the days when Poole could of almost won a GP round on the Showground track where he was nigh on unbeatable, so he had a few moments away from home! - Like you say though it was for the best that Mort didn't extend his comeback to the following season!

We’ve just sponsored Jason Jørgensen in Denmark and are encouraging any other riders to seek sponsorship. They get 100% of all profits and the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund benefits from other sales.

Two comeback stories...both Exeter related... We had a family holiday in Devon in 1984 and we headed along to the County Ground to see Mauger and the rest of the Falcons against Eastbourne. Granted Mauger wasn't at his best, but he got the better of Schwartz, it was brilliant to see one of the greatest on one of his famed stomping grounds and still able to race a bit. Without him, the night would have been a much poorer experience. Forward 10 years and now living in Devon. My all-time favourite Chris Morton visited with Sheffield on his mini-comeback. Of course, he was nowhere near the rider he had been. But he won a race..something I thought I'd never see again. Loved it! I think as fans, we can get a bit hung up on riders going on too long, being past their best and somehow tarnishing their reputation. But if they still enjoy it, the fans enjoy seeing them and they don't hurt themselves....why not? It doesn't remove the great careers they have behind them.

About 10 years ago I was lucky enough to watch a meeting from the ref's box at a current British track. I say 'lucky' as it was a foul night in October with a perishing, unforgiving wind straight from the Arctic! I can't remember if the windows in the box opened, but given the weather they stayed firmly closed that night. Anyway, anyone who has watched speedway through glass knows it gives a slightly distorted view, and even though I have average eyesight (and therefore much better than most refs if the old joke is true, ha!) I simply could not identify the riders on the back straight. All the helmet colours looked the same. And if there had been an incident going into the third bend, I simply wouldn't have had a clue who was at fault as the view was that poor. I have no idea if it is still like that there, but instant replays would have been the only way I could have made a decision that night had I been the ref. As we see every week with VAR in football, though, even with the aid of technology there are still some mind-boggling verdicts. What that night did do was help me understand the difficulties speedway refs have in making the right call on a split-second incident which could involve two or more riders 100 yards or so away on a dimly-lit track.

Told ya all weeks ago. Guy who richly deserves a proper chance Danyon Hume

Looks like Dane Morten Risager

Slightly unusual question - my mum has recently been watching reruns of Tales of the Unexpected on TV, and in the episode entitled "William and Mary" (Series 1 Episode 3) there is a scene where a speedway heat is showing on a TV set in the background. Does anyone know which track is featured in the footage?

Bloody hell, he would cause carnage on a track that small !!

Thanks Lewy, could do both if fans are allowed to attend.

Consistent 6.50 ave in 2nd tier and about 5 in top tier and he could claim a testimonial in 2022........ enough said

They couldn't possibly have done that could they? After crushing all the nomad sides and forcing good honest people out of the sport. Would make good sense. Still have some loyal NDL fans, would offer extra local derbies against Kent in two divisions and a great chance to keep developing riders ready for the next 5 years (cough cough) of rising star program.

And last year. And the year before. And the year before that too... Never been given a chance for some reason Wonder if it's something about him personally? Dunno what kind of bloke he is... But he's certainly a hell of a talent, and hasn't got much time left to prove himself... If he's ever given the chance...

Yes you were.Looks like you've joined the grim reaper club.

Every rider that has mentioned or said they are considering retirement immediately lose something IMO and once they do stop riding no matter what happens they are never quite the same again , as if something is switched off that can't be turned back on again . I would say it is easier for gaters than "from the the back riders" to continue longer or make reasonable comebacks ,I am still amazed that Hancock (love or hate him) was not just a race winner but a possible GP winner at nearly 50 yrs old .I for one was pleased he left the sport in tact personal reasons aside .

If Terenzano is big enough for a GP, the NSS is more than capable.

Ha! You may well be right on Mauger. As for Mort. Whilst he was still competitive at Sheffield, he struggled badly on the away tracks. As above, I enjoyed his comeback. But I'm also glad it didn't extend beyond a year.

Yes Jordan Frampton was a talented rider who seemed to progress very quickly in a short space of time which indicates he could of gone further had he kept going?

Next Episode will be out this week with Rory Schlein

2020-21 WINTER EDITION Welcome to issue 51 of our quarterly magazine . . . Remember, it's subscription-only (£20 per year in UK) from http://www.retro-speedway.com LEST WE FORGET TONY McDONALD calls for an annual British memorial meeting (Covid-19-permitting) to honour all ex-riders with UK track connections who made the ultimate sacrifice ‘in the line of duty’ and away from the track, including our cover men Alan Hunt, Tommy Farndon, Teo Teodorowicz, Jack Unstead, Ivor Hughes, Joe Abbott, Ernie Roccio, Bluey Wilkinson, Phil Bishop and the other Lokeren victims. SAVING GRACE – How the Provincial League rescued British speedway from the brink Now 60 years since the Provincial League’s first season ended, DOUG NICOLSON takes a season by season look at the second tier’s pivotal contribution to British speedway’s survival. Plus . . . PL by numbers and top threes from 1960-64 FIRST CZECHS VITEK FORMANEK recalls the first visit by a Czechoslovakian team to Britain in 1967 which earned the late Antonin Kasper a taste of team racing and another slice of history with Coventry and West Ham. LEICESTER: 50 Memorable Moments ROB PEASLEY looks back at the highs and lows of the Hunters and Lions in the pre-70s era at Blackbird Road. Ex-riders featured include Syd Jackson, Cyril Page, Vic Pitcher, Len Williams, Ken McKinlay, Jack Geran, Gerry Hussey, Polish trio Marian Kaiser, Stefan Kwoczala and Pawel Waloszek, plus Rick France, Norman Hunter, Ray Wilson, Anders Michanek, John Boulger and Graham Plant, etc. BIG NIGHTS: The Laurels Reviewing British speedway's major individual meetings, PHIL CHARD revisits the first 30 years of Wimbledon’s long-running Laurels classic. Between 1939 and ’69 past winners include: Wilbur Lamoreaux, Tommy Price, Vic Duggan, Jack Parker, Aub Lawson, Ronnie Moore, Jack Young, Ron How, Per Olaf Soderman, Ken McKinlay, Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin, Nigel Boocock, Ray Wilson and Dons’ home favourite Trevor Hedge. CRY HOUSE How a determined group of Rye House supporters, led by former promoter Steven Ribbons, are fighting a dubious plan to rip up this historic old race track and replace it with five-a-side football pitches for community use. SECOND CHANCE Name-checking all non-regular team members and others who never made the grade but rode in second-halves, junior matches and trials at two top flight tracks in the first five years of the British League, from 1965 until the end of '69 inclusive. This time we revisit Coventry and Sheffield. See how many of them you remember having a skid at the end of the swinging 60s. Plus . . . brief obits on Bernt Persson, Pete Seaton, Rim Malskaitis, Johnny Davies and Andrzej Pogorzelski, your letters, photo quiz, crossword and a 1967 Swindon champions team photo.

Another interesting footnote to Ivan Maugers famous British League "home meetings" only swansong at Exeter in 1984 was in that same season Coventry wanted to use the recently retired (in 1983) Ole Olsen in a similar way for home meetings only, when I think Tommy Knudsen got injured but they were turned down!

You have the odd fall out now but the rider feuds back in the day were great too. I remember Paul Fry nutting Phil Morris at Swindon back in around 2000 ish after Morris had pulled a naughty move on him. And who can forget Anders Henriksson and Carl Stonehewers fall outs? What made that great was Anders used to beat him at Newport and it really got under Stoneys skin. Hated being beaten by him.

What percentage goes to the riders?

We know that Jacob will be based in Sweden so I can see the Wolves logic, however there is nothing stopping him signing for another UK club although I don’t think he will.

I would be very pleased if it is.

God you do post some crap

There are two things that are constantly overlooked when considering so-called dirty riding. The first is speedway and thinking distance . Even on the slowest part of a small track the riders are exiting the bends at around 30 mph which has a thinking distance of around 9 metres per second. In other words a rider will travel something like 5-6 metres between thinking of something and starting to do it. If a rider wants to execute a dirty move he somehow has to work out where both he and the opponent will be on the track some distance ahead. Frankly I don’t think many so called instances of dirty riding really are. They are more often stupid, wild or over enthusiastic, often with Adrenalin taking over. It is after all , a very tough sport. The other thing is who decides where the border line is between hard riding and dirty riding. I remember Lee Richardson telling me years ago that at the top level, all of them , even Mr Nice Guy Greg Hancock are very, very hard men, and if they weren’t they wouldn’t be at the top. So once again we come back to the fact that it is a very tough sport, and at times the border between hard and dirty can easily and inadvertently be crossed.

It could be the team to beat if they could get Tom brennan as the young star at No 7 ?

You only have to see how Belle Vue now probably wouldn't exist if the NSS hadn't been built, to see the future those Greyhound sharing tracks face..

Lubos left plenty of room for Jason and he unfortunately picked up a lot of grip. Racing accident. IMO.

Your going to even more unbearable now

He sounds like a lad who knows his plaice....

I lived in Cumbria for a few years, they couldn't believe I got out of the bath to have a pee.. total heathens