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Richard Lawson : Birmingham could still have a chance of signing him up until March 2022 even if its announced hes in another team

Sorry to be the harbenger of some harsh reality; but isn't the clear message that the 2022 Team will be built to a budget and have to be cost effective. I can't see any scope for big expensive signings and with clear mistakes made by other teams in paying out way too much for heat leaders; and our own well documented problems in 2021; although they were more to do with crowd figures and loss of sponsorships due to Covid 19, I think we all have to be grateful for Speedway in 2022 and aim to build a team that can basically win at home. The investment of time and effort announced in completely renovating the track is certainly far wiser than paying extortionate sums in air fares, signing on fees and points money that cant be afforded, let alone a big rent hike they'll have to find. A massive well done to all involved lets back them in numbers and with a bit of reality to safeguard a proper future.

Better put some extra air in Robs back tyre, or he'll be going round on the rim.

This is the news for which we have waited since the end of last season, and our very grateful thanks are due to everyone who has wished us well on this forum. Sad that a few posters chose to be negative, but the great majority, I think, are genuinely pleased for us.

Who would you pick instead of Rowe? It's easy to say don't sign someone, but harder to offer a sensible alternative!

So time to close this one!

Leicester are the best looking team so far especially if Rowe comes in at 7. The management have done a good job on the recruitment front.

Newcastle Diamonds will open their doors to the new 2022 campaign on Sunday April 3rd at 4pm. https://newcastle-speedway.co.uk/2021/12/08/stoke-potters-revival-for-one-night-only-in-memory-of-the-late-dave-tattum/

At the end of the day I'm right because it's a fact of life. It just turned out to be another Buczkowski situation that's all where the rider was interested in a British return but obviously a deal didn't get done.

It's Anders Rowe

Yes .It’s not lay downs per se but each time you increase the power you normally narrow the power band more and more. I once saw Chris Louis being interviewed and he said he had ridden Tony Rickardsons bike which actually wasn’t all that fast but it was tuned to a level that he could hang on to and get the best out of the power he did have. Many other riders have their bikes tuned to a level that it becomes unpredictable. That was why Rickardson was such a great rider - he understood his bikes. How often did you see him crash with nobody else involved. Hardly ever I would say.

As long as the fixtures aren’t all over the place like they were this season. The fans and riders need some consistency to actually get into the campaign. And they should bring back the pairs, fours & NLRC to add something different and some additional meetings to what will inevitably be a short league season again.

It is, but it's a pointless exercise. Peterborough could have Hans Andersen & Chris Harris protected in heat 8, but Jordan Palin not protected in heat 9!

I'd definitely have PC ahead of Michanek in 3rd. Mike Lee - arguably the best rider in the world in '79- needs to be in there, certainly ahead of Louis. And can't see a good argument for Briggo being on the list.

No way, by any metric, was Phil Crump top 10 of the 1980s – the only seasons he would have been in the top 10 in the world were 81 and 84, so not even close to the top ten for the decade. Disagree also with Andersson, Wigg and probably Sanders. For me it’s Nielsen, Penhall, Gundersen as a clear top three; then Lee, Carter, S Moran; then four from Knudsen, Sigalos, Jan O, Ermolenko, Morton and Jessup (and maybe Sanders). Jessup is an odd one in that he was the best rider in the world in 1980, a top ten rider in 1981 (where but for ef he likely would have landed a second consecutive silver medal) – but not world class after that. Morton is the opposite, consistent throughout the decade. If I refer back to season by season rankings I did a few years back, then the top ten riders based on their best five seasons across the decade were (and noting Penhall rode only in three seasons): Nielsen, Penhall, Gundersen, Carter, S Moran, Lee, Knudsen, Sigalos, Jan O, Ermolenko. That list would have Morton (11th), Andersson (13th), Sanders (14th), Crump (17th), Wigg (19th). If you were to base the list on top three seasons (i.e. rewarding “peak performance”) the only change to the riders in the top ten is Jessup in for Ermolenko.

Same thoughts from me. Saw him on the Ca tracks in the early 90''s. Looked so fast and in control. A safe Kelly Moran was my initial thought.

That’s ok. Move the gp to NSS, sell all the tickets to Polish, Swedish, Russian fans to boost the local economy and the rest of us can watch on stream.

Its been protected in the championship for a few years, even before rising stars

Yes it's something I've just read in John Louis's book when son Chris also indicated that 'Lay Downs" have also played a significant part to the lack of team riding as they prove to be more unreliable in handling.

News on website reads that a new company has been formed who has acquired the assets of the previous promoting company. This more than likely means the old company will be wound up and unless there are adequate funds left over, unsecured creditors (which riders are) will not receive the money owed to them. That said, the BSPA could arrange for the riders to be paid out of the security fund lodged with them by the previous promotion - assuming there is anything left over.

I've always found it strange that, in a league that has team building so tightly dictated by "averages", the race format gives such wildly different standards of opposition to riders based on which number they are racing at. So many riders left with "unrealistic" (both too high and too low) averages based on them being essentially out of position in a team's line up.

Have Poole named there 1- 7 then

An interesting thought after browsing various sections of the forum and seeing people suggest their potential line ups for their teams and riding order - Is it time for a change where other than the reserves, the top 5 can be placed in any order? Nowadays team managers seem to be restricted more than ever in their tactical play. Just why does the highest averaged rider need to ride at no.1? Why not have the home team declare their side and then the away team juggles their riders to the positions of their choice. Could make things abit more interesting - especially given the lack of actual star powered ‘number 1’ riders gracing our shores in both divisions.

An assessment of the top 10 riders for each decade, based on achievements in match races, individual and team events, and taking into account how well they performed head-to-head against their biggest rivals. Some of the lower ranked riders who had an exceptional season or two in a decade also had some years where their achievements were modest compared to their rivals. 1930s: 1. Jack Parker 2. Eric Langton 3. Vic Huxley 4. Jack Milne 5. Cordy Milne 6. Tom Farndon 7. Bluey Wilkinson 8. Lionel Van Praag 9. Wilbur Lamoreaux 10. Jack Ormston 1940s: 1. Vic Duggan 2. Jack Parker 3. Tommy Price 4. Norman Parker 5. Ron Johnson 6. Alec Statham 7. Bill Kitchen 8. Eric Chitty 9. Wilbur Lamoreaux 10. Bill Longley 1950s: 1. Jack Young 2. Ove Fundin 3. Ronnie Moore 4. Barry Briggs 5. Peter Craven 6. Brian Crutcher 7. Freddie Williams 8. Aub Lawson 9. Olle Nygren 10. Split Waterman 1960s: 1. Ove Fundin 2. Barry Briggs 3. Bjorn Knutson 4. Ivan Mauger 5. Ronnie Moore 6. Peter Craven 7. Gote Nordin 8. Igor Plechanov 9. Nigel Boocock 10. Arne Pander 1970s: 1. Ivan Mauger, 2. Ole Olsen, 3. Anders Michanek 4. Peter Collins 5. Phil Crump 6. Barry Briggs 7. Ray Wilson 8. Martin Ashby 9. Malcolm Simmons 10. John Louis 1980s: 1. Hans Nielsen 2. Erik Gundersen 3. Bruce Penhall 4. Kenny Carter 5. Michael Lee 6. Tommy Knudsen 7. Jan Andersson 8. Phil Crump 9. Simon Wigg 10. Billy Sanders 1990s: 1. Tony Rickardsson 2. Hans Nielsen 3. Sam Ermolenko 4. Greg Hancock 5. Billy Hamill 6. Per Jonsson 7. Chris Louis 8. Mark Loram 9. Jimmy Nilsen 10. Henrik Gustafsson 2000s: 1. Jason Crump 2. Tony Rickardsson 3. Nicki Pedersen 4. Leigh Adams 5. Greg Hancock 6. Tomasz Gollob 7. Mark Loram 8. Andreas Jonsson 9. Hans Andersen 10. Ryan Sullivan 2010s: 1. Greg Hancock 2. Tai Woffinden 3. Bartosz Zmarzlik 4. Tomasz Gollob 5. Nicki Pedersen 6. Emil Sayfutdinov 7. Jason Doyle 8. Jaroslaw Hampel 9. Chris Holder 10. Fredrik Lingdgren

The roumers ( yep it's silly season ) that drew Kemp is on the Redcar radar & possibly signed

It’ll always be the Premier League to me.

They said it will be a double delight the Thursday before Christmas so think it may be him then. My money is on super Simon lambert !

I would as well.I remember the fours final at Workington on the Saturday and up to Glasgow for the pairs on the Sunday.Them where the days.

Oxford is Wednesday's.

Glasgow Friday, Oxford Wednesday I believe

Ryan Fisher was fantastic as an under 16 rider, got a special dispensation to ride with the big boys at 15. Everyone on the California speedway circuit was talking about him as the next American superstar. I saw him when he was 14 and remember chatting to his mother about the difficulty in getting opposition that would challenge him to ride against

Saw Ryan Fisher at Victorville in 1992 when he was about 10 I think... Started every race in the "juniors" from 50 yards back and hammered lads five years his senior.... Made a note of his name in the programme I bought given how good he looked and presumed he must go in to great things... Did pretty well over here initially too I seem to remember then dropped off....

Ryan Fisher a future world champion? Much as I liked him when he road for the Bees I never heard that claimed for him. Maybe crashing his van at a testimonial meeting at Brandon but paid to that. Certainly a champion character! Also was David Howe that highly rated when he was young? Rated as a good prospect but a world champion? Maybe I'm wrong. Saw him at Cardiff and was well off the pace.

So just keep responding to this one 2022 and let the other one just fade away... problem solved Regards THJ

Sounds incredible and shame that meeting didn't go ahead at the time. There's a seriously top rider in Dan.

Think it was to protect riders coming up from reserve who generally ride at 2. However where issue arises is where teams lined up with no.3 in averages at no.2. if protecting it should also mean no.2 has to be no.5 in averages

Think your right there. Can't see us losing many at home . Dan broke the national League track record at leciester not long back at 61 seconds. Quicker than most heats. Joe rides the track well along with mountain. All heat leaders are seriously strong at leciester but away from home the kids struggled. Let's hope they've learned some lessons from riding away and will kick on again

Dunno. I'll ask Danny when he's less busy. I assume it is as nothing to the contrary has been said.

I was lucky enough to see both Gote Nordin & Tobjorn Harrysson most weeks at Somerton Park and Gote Nordin winning the Internationale in 66. They would be my picks obviously 2 different styles

might not suit a young brit who wants opportunities in Polish Squads (Kemp would fit) Dillon Ruml or Zane Kelleher surplus to requirements at Plymouth may fit. especially if track shop got a surplus of Z's for the merchandise

No idea who could be at reserve . I expect someone from abroad to be fair just cause I don't know many who will cut it at Leicester .

Always assuming your club will not decide to have a sabbatical halfway through the season due to a new variant.

As I remember, there was a similar rule before fixed gate positions were introduced around 1988 - albeit the choice was 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. A team 6 points behind could choose gate positions and/or bring in a tactical substitute.

I would have to say you are spot on , both the Cook brothers have real potential but they are no better than Hume in a top five.They could be ? Kennedy another Aussie gets chances yet he has not shown up to yet he is a championship 1/5 rider.Your point about Kemp is right to he needs to push on for me Hume should of got a Prem spot before Kemp and Rowe and i like Rowe followed him since his mini track days at Swindon.

Historically the best ( and highest paid) rider has ridden No1 . It’s only right from a riders perspective and from the point of view of the fans that the best rider earns his money by facing the opposition’s No1 two or three times rather than once as used to be the case years ago. It’s hardly fair that the best rider should be getting easy rides against second strings and second strings get less points, and therefore less money by facing Heatleaders every time out . Personally I think it’s fair that second strings and reserves get a chance with races against riders of similar. standard. I don’t know if it’s still the case but until fairly recently at least it was the case that the home team had to declare their team first so apart from. No1 the away manager had a certain amount of latitude in his team order .

As much as I have high regard for Jason, he is way off the rider I want to remember. He was totally fantastic when he rode for us at the greyhound track… I would much prefer for him to retire gracefully

No way should Jan Anderson be in the top 10 in the 80’s……Kenny Carter was excellent but not better than Michael Lee for me but it’s all about opinions I suppose

Will Gary May carry on as team manager in 2022? if so can we PLEASE can stop him & other team managers switching the reserve riders rides, which is only to the detriment of your weakest reserve! Sorry can’t agree with this view. This is what a team manager should be doing working his team to get the best result.

Yet, Plymouth didn't want him back? The only track he is good at!

I reckon McKinlay was better than Nordin in the sixties!