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I'd rather have a rider show some spirit like that than not give one at all Makes me laugh when fans expect riders just to take it but defend the fans right to give it out I had David Norris throw a W hand signal at me after I suggested he needed stabilisers during the rider intro at Eastbourne (he had fallen 3 times in the previous fixture at Foxhall) Far from being offended I applauded him for it!!

Love it when the riders dish it out,,, should be done at every meeting,,,, trouble is,, too many fairies live among us these days. I remember Bob Dugard trying to get through a fence to tell us what he thought of us at Easty once,, it turned it into a fab night and one that will never be forgotten.

Let's see more of it.God it use to happen all the time back in the day when they were playing to a much bigger audience.Fans use to get so involved then.Problem now is there are to many snowflakes around who get upset/offended far too easily.

LOL good ol Batch upsetting a few again. You love to see it

To be fair if they could smooth bends 3/4 out then I think it would be a decent little track. Good crowd and I've seen a lot worse racing at supposed better tracks than this so far.

Sorry M.D. It's just that I don't like to hear what is bad news for all us hoping our new track succeeds. Speedway is clearly an expensive sport to administer. And somehow that needs to filter down to the riders who, rumour has it said, bleed the promoters almost dry. Common sense needs to prevail for the long term future of what I believe is a fantastic sport.

Fair play to Batch .. see this is what in missing in the sport these days the villian type rider ... Speedway is far to friendly these days . Riders in each team shaking hands and hanging around with each other in the pits etc . The sport needs the nicki pedersens of this world more than ever

First off I’d like to think I’m honest Poole totally outclassed us tonight no complaints from me although I thought king should off gone in heat 3 but in the grand scheme of things it matters not a jot the track was an absolute disgrace on bends 3 and 4 and how no one got hurt is a testament to the skill of the riders McGurk is out of his depth and if I was a guest rider I would question giving it my all on that track in the end of the day there helping us there not our riders so I thank them for helping us out well done to Poole again thoroughly deserved and if anyone Plymouth fan comes on here and says any different they need to take a good long look at themselves I hope we meet again in the playoffs as I think this meeting was hopefully a one off and we can do battle over 2 legs in September.

Enjoying the camera work on the stream. Shame about all the re-runs and a big shame about the commentary, especially Danny someone (I think) who clearly suffers from biased verbal diarrhoea. Sometimes less is more!! COYP.

Batch also beat Fricke 3 times on Thursday

I think his intentions have always come from a good place but actions are either cringeworthy comedic or just plain belligerent and stubborn.....think Laurence Rogers x 2.

Kent are operating the same model at Iwade and appears to be working, early start, early out (or stay and watch any additional second half racing). No need for floodlights, home at a decent hour for a decent dinner on a Sunday and its a more family friendly timescale.

Out of 14 riders, 4 are guests and one is called Reidar Replacement, or something. Reidar Replacement and all 4 guests outscored the top-scoring Brummies contracted rider. And I'll qualify that by saying that it took Sedgmen 5 rides to get his 4+1 as opposed to Castagna who achieved it in 4 rides. That, folks, is a major reason why the Brummies are struggling to draw in the fans, I'd say. Who are the fans supposed to "latch onto" and support? Their "own" rider who struggles to pick up points or someone else's riders who are coming to the team's rescue? Not a good situation to be in. Not that you can do much about the guest for Shanes, but the "Sign Vissing and get a guest for the season" situation is one of the team managers own creation. And very lamentable it is too. Try explaining that one to a newcomer to the sport. And as for the guest for Auty, I can only guess that the guest rider is the easy option compared to signing a new rider and re-declaring the team. How long has it been now? It's almost like the Brummies are too comfortable fielding guest riders that they become an integral part of team planning. Well, I'm sorry, but I don't think that's what the fans want.

Well you say only champ no1 a pro, but take jason Edwards for example nl no 1, cl reserve prem no7 and Poland u24 rides most nights imo I'd say he's a professional speedway rider

This is now a joke. Ref excluded Morley to hurry this along....

Agreed Worrall a bit harsh in heat 1, Kerr exclusion a clear mistake. That would have been a big 5 1 over Danny.

David Norris wasn't averse to throwing the odd gesture to us when he won a heat at Monmore (though he always seemed to do it out of the view of the referee!)

Think you’ll find everyone finished above Leicester in 1976! Boy were we poor that year. In one meeting I recall the ambulance coming out onto the track before the start of a race! I think it was one of our newly acquired reserves (Bogh or Szczepanik, excuse the spelling) practicing a start and fell off. You couldn’t make it up. Summed up the Lions 1976 campaign, but at least it was a good summer!

spit spot thats all

Perfect words singy13 and I'm right behind you with your thoughts as I'm sure speedway fans in general will be. We need to build the sport if it's going to continue in this country but I fear a major step backwards will need to happen before any building blocks can be put in place for its future.

I think everyone knows you thought Hawkins cocked up pre meeting by choosing Batch over King.

Get a new laptop

As for Batch... Give me 7 characters in one team rather than 7 robots anyday.

We all gave old Bob a hard time, I'm sure he loved it, he had Eastbourne coursing through his blood!

Wow! Snowflakes alert...poor souls had there feelings hurt by hand guestures....f***em!

I am afraid you have broken a cardinal rule of the forum there is never, ever any good racing at Monmore. Do 100 lines and go to bed without any supper.

In my youth I enjoyed turning up early at the tracks, watching the riders arrive, gathering autographs and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Now in old age I am quite happy to arrive much closer to start time, although taking care to ensure safe parking will be available within reasonable distance. The earliest I have arrived was 2 and a quarter hours before start time at Blackbird Road, Leicester and 2 hours before the start of the 1967 Internationale at Wimbledon. A friend persuaded me that it would be a good idea to travel by train to the Leicester match, which was the re-opening fixture against King's Lynn on 9th April 1968. In order to get there in time for the meeting an early start was required, as we had to change trains twice. We were very early arrivals, even though walking slowly from London Road station to the track. We were first through the turnstiles and within 20 minutes we had been offered three regular jobs each. As we wouldn't be attending regularly we had to decline. It was a very good match, with a large crowd and wonderful atmosphere. The downside was that we didn't get back home until 8.00 a.m.

Because they have a team to support that is theirs and they can identify with it. We have 'licorice allsort' teams of double uppers, guests, rider reps etc that have NO team identity whatsoever. Sad times.

Yep, good point. Me brain forgot that very important information

Erm, well a few things: 1. Thanks for the shout out whoever idea it is, that was funny. Even if it prob a pisstake, I'll take it! lol. 2. Was never expecting a win, I thought if we keep it close would have done well 3. When they changed the track Ben Barker never won a race. It fell into our hands more. So whoevers idea that was, thanks! Oh and well done to Nathan Ablitt, looks really confident on the bike now

WELL DONE PIRATES 51-39 KING MAX well the Jubilee League is fit for a King And another special shout out for NATHAN ABLITT 3+2(3) another fine performance showing his improvement. C'MON THE PIRATES

Between 98 and 2009 I regularly used to come home saying best meeting ever. Then the following week was even better. The standard of second strings and reserves was much higher then not forgetting more genuine number ones. Just showed last night the track can produce good racing with better riders

Alfie was straightening up before Stevie wobbled for me in Heat 1. Kerr slightly ahead in Heat 3, but I can see why was excluded, any other track, would have got away with it.

EE bah gum!!

Oh ok, thanks. I like to keep up!

I'm surprised there hasn't been a book started giving odds on the various excuses , mind if Tobias isn't fit, he may be forced to ride

He was most apologetic at the end of the meeting - nice chap - I would have him as a Lion.

The lesser talented riders struggle round wolves or new foreigners to the league so the racing can be a bit poor. But when you have a meeting like the pairs which is a heat 15 every race. Then they can race the track and use it’s full potential.

Could do a whole day's racing at British superbikes at Brands for only 6 quid more for a family of 4

Nah..... " Vegemite"

But Mr Shovler spells it this way on this thread so as hes always correct in everything he says it must be son not sen,

Sad news that Roger has passed away. Roger gave significant financial support to the Leicester Lion Cubs and was a proper speedway fan. Often seen at away fixtures despite his advancing years. Thanks, on behalf of many young, upcoming riders.

Best post you have put on here.

Yes, the good old days when a number of NL clubs paid certain riders Championship wages , yes, that’s the way forward , get rid of the likes of Buxton , the only club paying their riders the agreed rates but could not compete with the Birminghams, Eastbourne’s, Cradleys etc. There needs to be a balance. There wasn’t one then, there isn’t one now. It’s gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. Will it ever change?

The start up costs to go straight into championship level are eye watering..

Reminds me of Terry Wogan''s CLOC! The Centre Lane Owners Club. So, stay safe, don't drift into the fast lane. In Speedway terms: 1) Make sure the team wins at home - that keeps the home fans off your back. 2) lower your average - guarantee of doubling up. 3) low average = more guest bookings.... where you entertain your possible future teams. 4) if you win your first three races... then throw an EF... it gets the average down! Simples!

To me he has always appeared to be a moody character with "an attitude". I have my own nickname for him "the incredible sulk".

That’s a fact,obviously getting paid too much.

This is nothing new from a lions fan. We constently get slagged off for the track but we see great racing every Saturday

I think it's wishful thinking. The sport has never been like that. tracks have never provided perfect racing from heat 1 to heat 20, Not now, Not ever, not in the GPs, Not in Poland. And despite what we of a certain age would like to believe, certainly not ever in the past. The 60's 70's and 80's provided as many garbage tracks back then as we have today. and the racing wasn't over taking every race, despite what we might like to believe. It's a lovely thought and it's something to strive for, but are our expectations for the sport too high? Don't get me wrong. The track materials like the clay based shale is useless, but that is the best surface for the stock cars. Without the stock cars, at Lynn. There is no speedway, simple as that. One pays for the other