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Better meeting than the score suggests. What has happened to Cookie? Hugely disappointing. Never looked like winning a race. Didnt understand him getting the TS, when at that point Nicol was far better. I said previously that I was impressed with Nicol when he guested here earlier. Same again tonight. Always in the thick of things. Unlucky to get excluded for tapes, when 2 others moved as well, including Cook. Winning Ht15 by a good 30 meters or so, when he shed a chain or similar going into bend 3 last lap and crashed heavily. Hope he is ok? Thank you to the Tigers fans who stopped us by the start after the meeting. They congratulated us on our victory and wished us well in the play offs. Safe journey to Leicester and then home to all of them. Gracious in defeat.

Dick keeps us all updated about what's happening at all clubs bar Berwick on here though.

Interesting comment but what do you actually mean and how often have you actually seen him ride this year? For example, do you mean he's not the same as when he was in the GPs when he got stick from so called British fans because he wasn't apparently good enough? Or do you mean compared to when he started out? Perhaps you say this just because his Championship green sheet average has fallen from a starting point of 9.93 to 9.32 in 2021? Yet funnily enough despite being 'nowhere near the rider he used to be' he's still performed better, average wise, over the current season than all of the Poole team and respected riders such as Richard Lawson, Nick Morris and Chris Harris. Ignoring assessed averages he is currently 4th in the league, behind Scott Nichols by 0.01, 0.05 behind Sam Masters and 0.12 behind Bjarne Pedersen (ironically another rider that for some reason attracts stick from some fans). As he has grown older he has become even more of a family man, his family comes first, end off. If this means he won't take risks on dodgy tracks - blame the promoters, not him. If he decides it is better to score a bonus point when in third place rather than go flat out to try and win - blame the promoters who brought in the rule that bonus points don't count in your green sheet averages. If he starts to think about next year and feels his family would be better off financially if he does ensure he has an 'attractive' average that will get him a team place AND lots of guest bookings like many other riders allegedly do - again blame the promoters. Just so you know what he can still do on a proper speedway track https://fb.watch/7NZibVvAUj/

You may need to lend him a calculator on the journey as a fully fledged witches fan hes not used to counting over 40 these days so the high numbers that the Panthers have been achieving may be a bit much for him at first but given a bit of tutorial he will be fine .

I've decided to become a Panthers fan for the play offs

Maybe instead of trying to standardise the engines just handicap the riders like in horse racing? Bike and rider weighed before the meeting and ballast added to the bike so that they’re all on a level playing field. Simple and effective, no flyweight will spend thousands on tuning if he has to have 10kg or more to his bike

Just looking at Isle of Wight Masters Championship. www.dirthub.co.uk/island-masters-shale-track-championship-schedule-entry-list/ You have to applaud the promoters for taking on meetings of this format. There's no reason why stadium racing of this type can't be run with both speedway and grasstrack bikes dependent on the size and condition of the track. I think individuals on this forum are too quick to dismiss this type of event ultimately who cares at least it gives UK riders an opportunity to race instead of applauding Wolverhampton with their plethora of imports.

I think that Sheffield have been unfairly treated by fans of other clubs re the inclusion of Bates as an RS.. I bet no one was more surprised than them to find out that within virtually every one of the criteria needed, Josh got in by the skin if his teeth... Wasnt their doing that this was the criteria used I am sure.. A complete coincidence, and, in keeping with so much of British Speedway, beyond reproach integrity and credibility wise... I wonder (for next year), as the riders will be a year older, and will have actual averages, if the age levels change alongside the qualifying average needed to be an RS..? And if so.... More 'coincidences' maybe to look forward to?

I used to love going to Sheffield Speedway… really enjoyed the racing. I went 8 to 10 times a year for many years. in recent years there has been a serious drop in the quality of the racing culminating in only going once a year…. Then a decision to not bother going at all. sad times

There was an MDSL match on after so plenty of options for a number 8 not taken by Poole

In 2018 I was involved in the purchase of waste land, probably big enough to build a speedway track on, from North Tyneside Council. It's in between a rubbish tip a motorway and a railway line and cost £1m. With all councils struggling for cash and planning for housing developments much easier I just can't see any public authority making a significant plot of land available for leisure, especially motorsports. There's plenty of grant funding out there to stimulate the construction industry but you've got to prove that your investment will benefit the local economy. They obviously did that in Manchester with the promise of National and World Finals attracting visitors to the city. Something like that would be great for an authority like North or South Tyneside or even Gateshead, to have world class sport staged in their area but the promise of attracting up to at best 1,000 people once a week for 20 weeks of the year for a noisy motorsport is a tough sell.

Jim Mcmonarch made sure that wouldn't happen.

The die was cast the moment that the professional league promoters, but particularly the British ones, failed to grasp the opportunities offered by the SGP and allowed the FIM to sell it off to a private promoter with basically no benefit accruing to them. The SGP affects the Polish and Swedish leagues much less - if at all - but even so it's ridiculous that they allowed a prime asset that basically utilises their assets for free to escape them. Very poor vision and even poorer politicking in the FIM corridors of power. Once the SGP got a foothold, the British leagues were screwed either way as the speedway-going public were used to seeing the top riders in Britain, so any stand against using GP riders would cost fans, yet by trying to accommodate the SGP they found they had to run on off-nights and/or not on prime summer weekends, and lost fans anyway. The GP riders dropped Britain once the wages dried up, not least because the fans stopped coming. I'm quite sure they'd still be turning up if the British leagues paid Polish wages, whatever other excuses they may have given. But the whole issue of insufficient riders is a wider one, and is another thing that wasn't well addressed over the years. Doubling-up is fine as a development pathway through the league structure, but ridiculous when it's just a way to make up the numbers. It just becomes the thin end of the wedge - reduce opportunities and you ultimately reduce the number of riders competing for those places.

Just a pity Lions chose such a rubbish guest

has he transferred to Peterborough then

Rising Stars should be kept as reserves even if their averages are preventing it. Like the Polish under 21s,

The official site really is very poor, twenty four hours before a meeting no preview, no team news, very poor. On the positive side for those interested you can still but a 2021 season pass.

He posted this in 2019 when the Stars visited Poole.

Sorry Bruv had to put a laughing like to this post,although being a Lynn fan I'm not use to counting over 35. If Peterborough happen to be at home in the play offs on Mondays then I will be there too.Don't worry though I will bring my abacus

Which song will you be belting out at your initiation , you will also need to kiss the badge and prove in a picture that you have completed this task

Your being ironic again!

We’ve got Poole riders so we can use their rule book. Simple !!!

He's getting a hair cut

One other thing I want to mention that I've noticed about other tracks is that the average age seems to be a lot older at Newcastle (and Birmingham) both tracks who seem to be struggling for crowd numbers, seems to be a lot older than some other tracks, such as Poole, Ipswich etc... Something to look at perhaps? There's an awful lot of young people seems to go to them tracks, which are the types who need to be attracted... What's so attractive about Ipswich and Poole that isn't about Newcastle?

If Scunthorpe are still unbeaten at home after tonight they'll have done very well indeed

Hopefully he will give it one more season. He has just started up links with 2 football teams, he will have season ticket money next year, and hopefully more sponsors will come on board. I just hope with the early statement it does not hinder the attendances for last 3 matches as we really need the fans to turn out in force.

Already in the play offs and Batch taking his chance to lower his average in the meetings that count towards it. Come the playoffs where the scores don't count I think you will see a different outcome..... Ben Cook can't replace Neilsen - Stefan is a 3 point rider and Cook would be 4. I know yoy struggle with these concepts but I don't think even Sheffield could get away with that one

There will of course be legitimate cases. But some of the sick notes used in speedway are laughable! What I'm saying is it's open to manipulation. "Overnight" in a foreign hospital can be written be anyone with a blurry business card pretending to be a doctor!

I think we should ride against Berwick instead

Thanks Gazc. When Ulrich Ostergaard got injured at Armadale, he was indeed riding well for the Tigers and also the Panthers. Glasgow started the season on fire and were good home and away. The reshuffle bringing in Tom Brennan and Marcin Nowak is a big gamble at this late hour and I think its already been said that Tom Brennan's signing is with next season in mind. Glasgow still have matches in hand so it's all still to play for. Thanks for being gracious in defeat. Good luck for the rest of the season.

Turns out Michael was in charge tonight. Surprised by some of his decisions

I have always thought he was shoehorned into the role after Stewarts departure. Michael Max in my opinion should have been appointed team manager at the time and still do.

Ian steel was sacked for much less

The ref Jim McGregor a scot, wouldn't be biased would he?

No that's the ones he's not allowed to ride in

If racing in UK was regularly Fri and Sat nights it means riders could (not a must) have a 4 day job Mon-Thurs.

Assumption as with Poole will be guests unless some dispensation to bring back wullie

You're my favourite worst nightmare by Arctic Monkeys seems appropriate

And One has to be under 30 years of age..

Just hope it's you that is right, not me.

It was mentioned on the Edinburgh thread that rumour has it Kemp and Rowe don't get on as their now gonna be team mates at Edinburgh and Ipswich, dunno if there's any truth in it tho.

I don't disagree that Championship level speedway wasn't going to be sustainable at Newcastle (for the reasons in my previous post) and the lower costs of a NDL team which would have been at least competitive could have been the way forward. But in 2021 that would have been something like five or six home meetings? Just not viable either. But you're right the only possible future for the Diamonds at Brough would be at a lower level in which all (or the vast majority of) the riders in the league were UK based and not riding overseas at weekends. However, you'd need to have a viable number of teams race against and you can't see the likes of Leicester, Poole and Glasgow (and therefore Edinburgh) wanting to dilute their team strengths.

The site at Seaton Burn would be ideal for multi use such as speedway stock cars bmx any travelling fairs circuses even possibly music festival noise licence being granted of course, if I'm right it's a brown field site which I think would make gaining said licence easier, somebody like Rob who I beleive runs an events company would certainly get the best out of it, which makes all this even harder to accept, and I'm sure he feels the same, it would be the making of speedway in Newcastle, but at the moment looks like a complete non starter.

I ordered a Justin EFkins shirt and it took 3 seasons to be delivered The couriers van kept breaking down

I think this meeting just reinforces my view that Rider Replacement should not be allowed if there is not a number 8 at the track ready to race if required.

Isnt he the old drip who does/used to do the announcing at Berwick?

People will believe what they want to believe, the press will print what THEY want you to believe, clubs and riders will issue statements and tweets about what THEY want you to believe. The smell of BS is overwhelming.

Absolutely ridiculous have a rider riding for multi teams. At this moment in time it is clear that there are a) too many teams or b) not enough riders. It’s a complete farce to have a rider riding for multiple teams in the same week. For sure there may be instances when an injury means a rider stands in for another, but it should be very short term, and certainly not one particular riding for multiple times in a week. Doesn’t look like it will be sorted this side of the total collapse of British speedway.

My kids are just not interested. I always ask if they want to go when I go, but all I get is "who wants to stand up all night watching that". The things that gripped me, the smell, the excitement, just doesn't appeal anymore to kids.