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As soon as we have finalised our agreements with the BSPL, we will release Season Passes for next year. We are working on this as quickly as we can and hope it will be done by the end of November. Thanks! Ben Duffill (BSN)

Don't know and don't care

Until someone has to live off a pension and see how thinly that income has to be spread I don't feel they are qualified to add value to this topic. Deciding what stays and goes on a monthly basis isn't a comfortable feeling. In my opinion Speedway would be better off trying to keep the customers it has already got rather than risk alienating more. The sport hasn't been very good in the past at this, self interest and the blind desire to win has distorted every possible view of what was a sport. The limited company that has no financial or marketing leadership and is running the "show" needs to become a proper company instead of an agency for the village fete committee then we might see some accountability and unilateral direction. The decision to become a limited company in my opinion was purely a risk averse move. In simple terms; invest in a growing market, consolidate in a static market and defend in a receding market. It all costs money but in these times it may be wiser to try and lose less by defending what they already have.

Bickley is another one of those who as a junior was hyped up and mounted on top machinery against other riders who were on second hand bikes of a poorer standard. All well and good in the third tier but when you move up to the second and first tiers, most riders machinery is of a good standard and simply having elite equipment isn't enough. Absolutely nothing against the lad but hyping these riders up is foolish - he is arguably the same level now as he was when he first joined the Championship a few years ago. Drew Kemp is another one.

still think Danny will end up at Plymouth, wherever he ends up though he'll do well, good servant to the sport in the UK

Anyone would think you have some inside knowledge

I think it’s that fans want to see him do better as they think he could be at the next level if he really pushed himself. I’m a bit like that; I never get the impression he’s that bothered. He might be perfectly happy where he is which is the important thing but he has the talent to push on like Brennan and Flint IMO.

Team managers job as well as Captains surely?

I think at the end of the day 'toughness ' is an underestimated part of speedway in some ways. Brennen especially with a couple of early bad injuries came back stronger where Kemp who initially looked to have more talent on a bike doesn't seemed to have made the gains, maybe not as tough. Occasionally you get the combination of both and they go all the way like Dan Bewley, of the current crop Brennen is at the balance point, fingers crossed he can be the next Dan.

I would guess at Birmingham and no one else!!!

Yeah I think Steve Worrall has joined the club of 'whatever happens we will build the team around you.' Previous members include Darcy Ward and Brady Kurtz

Me

There's nothing there the odd decent meeting, nl heatleader at best nowadays

from what i hear there’s 4 of the 9 clubs are after him so can’t be that bad

I agree, but I also feel leading from the front is the best kind of leader, as in on the track. Ully was outstanding at it.

Makes sense. I think if rumours are true about where he ends up next that Edinburgh might just let him race and leave the captaincy and leadership stuff to Pickering which I think he’d relish tbh.

Complin was roumered to be heading elsewhere, let's hope that is true

Steve, is it not in the rules now after Terry Stone opened Newport Speedway on his own and things were left in a mess when died suddenly, to safe guard this happening again, there must now be at least one other promoter who holds a Promoters Iicence named as Joint Promoter. This ensures that if something happens to one of them, there is always a backup Promoter to carry on with general running of the club..

I'm sure Rob Grant lost a load of dosh in his attempt running Newcastle but he did step forward & give it a go, so you must give him some credit. Was he up to the job? probably not, did he get much or any help from the BSPL probably not. Should he have been given permission to run Newcastle speedway by the BSPL? Overall I think Rob Grant is the biggest loser in all this & it's now time to move on.

So you think that those that have reached pension age haven't had to pay these costs throughout their lives ? Back in the 70's, interest rates for mortgages were in the region of 11% to 15 %. We just got on with it. Commuting ? My dad used to walk 5 miles to work to start at 6:00 am because there were no buses. Growing up I lived in a house with an outside toilet and no central heating. Today's pensioners have gone through a lot more than cosseted people like you ever will. So shut up.

Yeah he's certainly earned his average this season. But he's in the awkward position where you're not sure if he will up it or lower it. What he does need is stability and a track he loves and will be riding on it every week

Sorry holder over ellis all day long

I spoke to him on Facebook a few days ago...

What makes it worse is that we only have a handful of teams, and we STILL don't have enough riders to fill them! I don't actually know the reason, but it appears to me that riders in the NDL are reluctant to move up. Again, expense may well be a part of this, as moving up would put a huge amount of pressure on the riders financially. However, i do have another theory. It may be not be a 100% accurate, but i think that a lot of the problem may simply be the attitude of riders. It has often been mentioned on here how everyone in speedway now wants to boast about their status as a "professional" rider. Now, it may seem strange, but I am aware of a similar situation in darts, particularly in the US. There are a lot of up-and-coming dart players over here, but they never develop into anything. Why? Because they think they are something special. Because they think they have "made it". Because they want the rewards without earning them; they don't want to put in the effort. Of course, darts isn't expensive, and there are basically unlimited opportunities at EVERY level. Speedway isn't like that, and opportunities are very limited. It seems that rather than throw their hat into the ring, and take risks (including financial), they are happy to sit in the NDL and just go through the motions. I know a lot of Brits resent how Lambert and Bewley took the chance, and tried their luck in Poland. It has certainly paid off for them, and they most definitely merit their rewards. Others can't - or won't - move up from their comfort level. Look at all the top British stars from yesteryear; not one of those sat at a lower level stagnating. Sure a few did start off in the lower tier, but moved up to (or at least started competing at) the highest level as soon as they could. Jessup, Louis, Collins, Lee, Carter, Havelock etc. Kids today don't want to put in that effort and dedication.

Was just a guess I am normally way off with these things. I was trying to think of some northern teams as it has been as said he doesn't want to travel far.

...I certainly didn't as Oxford/White City benefitted hugely from "doubling up" whereby riders from its sister promotions eventually became full time assets. The likes of Malcolm Ballard, Gordon Kennett, John Davis, Richard Greer, Paul Gachet and Steve Weatherley (Bobby McNeil and Roger Johns escaped us!) but of course that was the original concept of the old Second Division to develop British talent and it was a way to gently introduce riders to the harsher environment of the upper league. Belle Vue, King's Lynn and Ipswich, amongst others, also benefitted with the old "doubling up" formula. Unfortunately that concept changed by the early eighties and it's no accident that the national team began to dry up when the National League as it became began to take its own identity. The "doubling up" scenario appears to be a very different animal nowadays.

Not sure Zagar is worth it personally,, not with with his genuine dislike for most tracks apart from Belle Vue

For Midlands based fans, Peter Collins will be our guest at the NSSC (at the Brandon Club, nr Coventry) on Thursday 24th November. There will be an opportunity to purchase the book and get it signed and then listen to Peter interviewed and join in the following Q&A. If you wish to purchase the book or want yours personally signed please arrive from 7:30. (Cash preferred) Everybody welcome. Entrance fee £4 with all proceeds going to help Neil Vatcher and the GB Young Lions. The Brandon Club is just down the road from Brandon Stadium, on the Rugby side.  Brandon Club, Main Street, Brandon, Coventry, CV8 3HW There is a small car park at the rear of the building but plenty of on street parking available. The Club itself has a good bar ( including a particularly nice pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord) hot drinks and light snacks.

Absolutely. In the '70's, we had Colin Richardson and Richard Knight. Cradley had David Shields and John Hack. White City had Mike Sampson. Nope, nobody complained back then. We liked having regular and reliable stand-ins.

Don't see any logic in keeping Worrall over King, King has been an excellent captain last couple of years and a much more entertaining rider to watch.

That's a pretty good team on most tracks,,, but for a home team that will be pretty unbeatable,,, and with bonus points available next season,,, you will pick up plenty

I would say if anything it’s actually the other way though as every match matters more when you only have 16 to qualify for the playoffs rather than 32. With 32 matches a team could know it’s as good as in the playoffs 22 matches in and ride to a minimum effort the last 10 (your 4 in the playoffs was never confirmed as part of the 2h 2a it more than likely would still have been 6)

You seem to forget that riders get paid in the main for scoring points not lowering their average!

Careful! That sort of common sense is not liked by many in speedway.

In the toilet ripping up all the paper? .

Going by ITK/Heavily Rumoured line-up list all that is left over from 2022 season is Robert Lambert, Matej Zagar, Rohan Tungate, Reserves & Rising Stars Matej Zagar goes to Ipswich as they've got a Matej Zagar gap left imo. Rohan Tungate to Peterborough as I don't think he'll return to Ipswich seeing as he can't ride the track well and finally Robert Lambert goes back to Poland Does any ITK think I've gone wrong anywhere? BV - Bewley, Kurtz, Wright, Blodorn, Lidsey, Brennan + RS KL - Klindt, Kasprzak, Palm Toft, Jorgensen, Pickering, Jakobsen + RS SHEFF - J. Holder, Musielak, Ellis, Bellego, Howarth, Kerr + RS IPS (7.64 left for Matej Zagar?) - Doyle, King, Riss, Batchelor, Hume + RS LEI (2 options) (5.48 left for Scott Nicholls?) - Fricke, Lawson, Harris, N. Morris, Mountain + RS (5.81 left for Scott Nicholls?) - Fricke, Lawson, Harris, R. Worrall, Mountain + RS WOL (2 options) (6.31 left if it's Nicholls at No.6) - Masters, Becker, Douglas, S. Worrall, Nicholls + RS (6.52 left if it's Hans at No.6 which would leave a N. Morris gap) - Masters, Becker, N. Morris, Douglas, S. Worrall, H. Andersen + RS

Could well be. I don't know the 2022 conversion rate so I've just rounded the figure up to the usual 4.00 assessment as a worse case scenario figure.

Last time the Lions moved up it was pure vanity and we simply made up the numbers, signing a few riders on short term deals who were not committed. With the current owner/management set up I think we will see a different mindset and a superior product served up.

The last two seasons where we have lost Ully to injury we’ve been left leaderless in the pits with the younger guys getting no direction and pretty much crawling over the finish line. Cookies scoring has remained very consistent in the playoffs but we’ve still fallen short. Scoring is great but when the team needed leadership it just wasn’t there. I’m assuming Glasgow are hunting for a number 1 that can help lift the boys in the pits when times get tough.

Rivne racers in Peterborough: https://gorka-speedway.blogspot.com/2022/11/x-1990.html

One way of encouraging signings I suppose

Whereas I'd say that if he's chosen to have a second child he wants his head tested

Thats presumably why they and Oxford allegedly vetoed the 2 home and 2 away CL matches so that they could remain faithful to their plans to develop young talent via NDL route. Laudible if true. Personally I think its harder for Plymouth to run NDL midweek as a lack of riders available regularly due to geographic location. I wouldn't be surprised if they ran CL only and focused on quality over quantity in terms of Fixtures. I've heard that Birmingham preferred that route.

Thank you Beirao!

Congrats to Poole asset Chris Holder who announced today he is to become a father for the second time!

That's 21 more riders that you'll need.... That's 14 more riders needed in addition to those in current teams... Now we're getting into fantasy land. If you look at a previous post of mine, I counted up only 104 riders registered in the UK spanning all 3 current leagues... Where are the 35 extra riders coming from to make up the proposed Mildenhall, Kent, Eastbourne & IOW teams, let alone the wet dreams of Cradley, Rye House etc returning to the sport.

To answer your question: - When my wife was alive (she died in January), we were sensible enough to budget in the old fashioned way, of putting so much away each month for all the different utilities that we paid on an annual basis, plus so much for family birthday/Christmas presents, which was minimal compared to the other things. Now because the bills in the main, haven't started rolling in yet, when means tested, I was told I had to much money in the bank. I explained why it was there, but to them it's my money, which of course it is, until I have to hand it over to various people like British Gas, Anglian Water, Council Tax etc; etc: I can see now why years ago, when a Post Office Savings Account was the main way of keeping your money safe, many people used to stuff their money under the mattress, to coin a phrase, my father-in-law being one of them. But then of course, the country wasn't in the mess it is today, and we weren't ripped off by all and sundry.

EUREKA! I got my copy of THE BOOK today. I contacted the office of TonyMac on Wednesday, posted on Thursday, dropped (heavily) through the letterbox at lunchtime today, Friday. Looked at chapter headings for a chapter to read first….. I started off with chapter 26 “To the mechanics”. Why?. Although I only did grass track racing at club level I always appreciated the help of my “mechanic”…. the next door neighbour. Peter appreciated his mechanics, hence a chapter to them. Also, one of Peters mechanics was George Clarke, another one from Partington. He gave up racing grass track to be Peters mechanic. You will see him in the photo after Peter won the world championship in Katowice, the one with the black bushy sideburns. Heck of a nice guy, got cancer and died too young. When George gave up the grass racing I bought his 250 race bike. The frame was a Drury, that is made by Graham Drury’s dad. Good frame, and helped me to a different level. I like how the top of each page has a red/black/white banner…..Belle Vue colours. The rest of the book i am going to read in chapter number order, starting this evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7qPyWrHhwc :-)

Utter rubbish. Have you ever been involved in riders wage negotiations ? Whoever the rider is , at whatever position, he will be after the best deal he can get and the promoter will try and get him at the lowest rate he can get, that’s human nature. All riders and promoters talk, they all know what the going rate is so no one gets hoodwinked. Reserves will get reserves rates.