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Can everyone stop talking in riddles and say what’s actually going on?!

He would soon get to grips with things at least

Google it, name, location and age match a story

If he stays out of trouble outside speedway and out of the courts this season he may well be a decent signing for someone.But trouble is never far away from him now it seems.

So to conclude all 3 have now done 2 full seasons in the championship. Cook is the lowest average of the 3 but is the best of the 3. Makes completely logical sense if you’ve got blue and white specs with scull and crossbones on them I suppose.

Pedersen only wants 3.5 k a meeting apparently. Would rather have him with his experience

Course he is averaged over half a point less than both Brennan & Thomson without bonuses in 2022. Might well turn out better than those two but as things stand he's behind them.

Having a decent DJ/Presenter is surely a minimum requirement these days, whether working alone or with a Centregreen Announcer?! Poole's DJ - Karlito - has just been selected for all the 2023 SGP series. Not everyone will always agree with the choice of music but nobody can disagree that it dramatically improves the atmosphere and fan experience.

70 million live in GB... Many millions of which live 45 mins or less away from a track... That many dont even know about the "local track",and even the professional sport that takes place there, is simply down to the custodians of the sports' lack of capability in getting their message out there... Maybe ensuring every track has to put £20k into a joined up national marketing scheme would be a better idea than just paying out literally hundreds of thousands per track to riders who few of the local populace would ever have heard of.. Similar to the way they ran meetings to pay for air fences, why not do the same to raise some marketing budget...?

Not that bothered to be honest, just looking forward to watching good competitive racing and the riders enjoying and improving their racing.

No doubt Poole have a strong rest of the side, but the third heat leader is the only real doubt in my opinion. Every team will be weak in some area, though, due to the lower points limit, it just depends which area ends up proving to be the most costly.

Absolutely. Think Ben Cook is probably the second weakest third heat leader in the league after James Wright.

You mean Zmarslik isnt coming now !!!!! Ohh fiddle sticks Peterborough Panthers have been gazumped by Chelsea

Soooo looking forward to this season. Don’t think we’ll be short of excitement. Silverware would be a bonus but not the be-all and end-all.

Scary thing is that it feels like yesterday when you start to remember the names but it's like 30 plus yrs ago now

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/23205865.cleator-moor-man-accused-strangling-partner-case-dismissed/

Wasn't it Kalina who joined the witches the same time as fellow Czech Sam Tesar.

reckon he'll be a mid season PL signing somewhere

In Gorton mate, not happening, the bike would be gone at the first set of traffic lights on red.

I can't see forcing every promoter, to stump up £20,000.00 (might have to be every year), will be music to the ears of promoters, who are likely losing money each season anyway. Marketing, I believe, with a bit of thought, can be achieved without huge expense. For a start, the riders should be prepared to market themselves during the season and without receiving a fee!, i.e. high streets, shopping malls. Make better use of local press, local radio stations, including the internet radio stations. Make use of fans to assist with marketing, such as, bring a friend/family member along for free. Have a track pick-up van with an advert attached to it, with perhaps a bike also on the van, driving around the locality a few days before each meeting. Just ideas!

That's easy, offer to set it up for him in exchange for a two or three-year contract

Kye Thomson, I have now taken the P

Soon as possible is before season starts

Yeah I think Chris will just get on with it. As long as he gets to ride his bike and gets paid on time I’m sure all will be good. Team will be nki andersen basso worrall holder cook jenkins yes it’s under the limit but the have deals in place with all of the above so I should think we at least start with those 7 and then make a change as soon as possible if it looks like we need to

Holder will be at Peterborough, he’s signed a contract.

I understand the discussion about reducing the points limit to 40 was held at a BSPL Board meeting held on the day of the Championship Pairs at Oxford in August. Despite some substantial lobbying (not least by Poole and Glasgow) the reduction to 40 was ratified at the AGM,

I wouldn’t have Tungate under any circumstances

Smith has had that many chances that some others would never get,still can’t hack it.

that’s pretty much the same with every team also every rider rides to keep his place these days

Experienced could also be a polite way of describing riders who are passed it though. Think we're using the Young sensational racers line to describe Ben Cook, Ben Basso & Jenkins tbh.

If Ipswich were to release Riss, it's won't be Tungate coming in....

Seeing as my first conspiracy was correct I'm going for another one having thought about it in the last few minutes. Ulrich Ostergaard will do a U-Turn and will ride for the Panthers in 2023.

Well, King's Lynn's hopes of top 4 increase with every week that passes & Ipswich & Peterborough keep p!$$ing about. There's a lot to be said for get your team's done quickly, to much risk waiting on indecisive rider's & federations. If a rider says "don't know, not sure, may be", time to move on & find someone else.

Be interesting to see how much coverage the Witches will now get in the local press. I think Mike Bacon will be a huge miss for the clubs and fans that follow his coverage.

Could you enlighten me to what has fallen apart at Peterborough ?

The report in this weeks SS says that fans were approached for what they wanted to see next year. Who are these fans? When were they approached? I, & many others have never been approached for our views whether at the turnstiles, around the stadium or in the clubhouse. I agree with eric, & many others would too, that the PA system needs looking at whether more/bigger speakers, better microphones or sponge top covers or being taught how to use them properly as it seems, by ear, that the announcer talks in to the microphone then talks away probably when reading info. Possibly employing a DJ for minimal cost will improve this situation & an improvement in music before a meeting, promoting/announcing what is going on, team news, basic rules, etc between heats giving a better atmosphere(MX can do it at Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham but these are indoor arenas). The scoreboard issue, from memory, was down to man/women power in the referee's box due to reduced numbers(personnel & covid restrictions).

Danny Ford has said that the 42 point limit brought in for 2022 was a 2 year plan(Ha! - promoters change again) & his intention was to keep all 3 Heat Leaders. Only when the later gatherings at Rugby was this changed & he had to let one of them go.

I wonder if Adam Roynon was Scunny's target instead of Joe Thompson before Poole came in with the big bucks. Rob got some new flood lights, I didn't really have any problem with the lights. Its the PA system that's dodgy, with speakers that sometimes stop working. What happened to the score board that was installed, I assume that broke? Will there be any sort of Scunny merchandise for sale this year, even if there wasn't a proper track shop, how hard would it be to put out a few hats, scarfs and car stickers all of which are free advertising for the speedway.

'Steam Railway' - on annual subscription its £3.90 for each monthly edition. Excellent pictures and articles.

Lewi Kerr and Starkey were the killers imo. But it's part of the game

Aussie for Plymouth (Keheller/Tate Z) and Gino for Brum?

This press release maybe to keep the fans happy at this time, as theres been alot of discontent with how things have been panning out, More to come me thinks (hopes) which may be why Holder will be at Peterborough, wouldn't be surprised if hes the last announced to keep interest going

TTT will have another panic attack when he reads that

On the home front towards the new season, looking forward to it with an exciting team of racers. Can we do better? Hopefully we can stay injury free for a change, regardless of outcome, I am sure we will be entertained at Ashfield, however I may have to watch through my fingers !!! Mon the Tigers

Yes it was although kalina didn't last long not sure who replaced him. Apologies to all as I appear to have started a who's duff of duffers at foxhall!

No thanks it's tiresome. I'll await an official announcement. Hopefully one of his promoter objectives is more effective timely club communication instead of rumour and leaks.

From the final chapter of PC's book: I STILL love speedway and don’t like to think that it is in its death throes but a lot of things seem to point that way. I was fortunate enough to ride in what was a golden age for British speedway, in the 1970s and early 80s, and things have gone downhill since then. Make no mistake, British speedway is in crisis, with promoters and riders battling the effects of crippling running costs, dwindling attendances and very few major sponsors. A lot of tracks are on the brink, struggling to keep going. Hardly a year goes by without another closure. As I write, at least three clubs operating in 2022 may not be around next year. Speedway gets hardly any publicity in the national media these days and I think one of the reasons for that, and why crowds are down, is because there have been too many rule changes. Some of them are a joke and fans are sick of it. Their patience and loyalty has been tested to the limit. How can we expect the sport to be taken seriously by the media or non-fans when teams are so heavily dependent on guests and the rider replacement facility? There is clearly a shortage of quality riders but for most of them to be doubling-up (or doubling-down) and appearing for different clubs each week is farcical and leaves speedway’s credibility in tatters. Even if disenfranchised supporters can be lured back and much-needed new ones found from somewhere, how will British speedway keep them when so much about the way the sport is being run is wrong? Stadium facilities are an issue at many places but clubs who rent their tracks where greyhounds, and maybe stock cars, are also staged have their hands tied. The woeful state of dilapidated stands and toilet facilities are beyond their control. All the continental countries have youth training schemes or community stadiums which encourage kids to become speedway riders. Too many of our tracks are bound by council regulations and curfews.

That's been the longest secret I've had to keep for weeks steve

as has been said before the problem is the next step up is clogged up with 1st division riders

Make sure the track is nice and dry