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Team to be called Middlesbrough Tigers. Number 8 is Katie Gordon. Ben Rathbone also named, so too Jamie Halder and Elliot Kelly and Archie Freeman. Danny Phillips announced and as captain. Ben Trigger last to be announced. Trigger also will ride for the Bears in the Championship. Team Manager Stuart Swales.

Really enjoyed Tom riding for Glasgow and am surprised he wasn’t kept as I don’t think he’s peaked like some others have suggested. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in him at Poole as he’s capable on his day of beating anyone in the Championship. I’ll try not to hold it against him, riding for the Pirates……lol

I would have waited for Birmingham to finish there side but I predict it won't be strong enough anyways to make a big impression. These predictions are based on if every rider stays fit (un likely I know) 1. Sheffield - 9/10 side. Super strong top 3 at home and real hard chargers in Howarth and Pickering.. Good reserves with room improvement also. Can Chris Holder do the business away from home though? Not so sure. Still a great team though. 2. Ipswich - Best two riders in the league plus plenty of room for improvement with Ellis, Thompson, Jenkins and Rew. Great side and will annoy everyone in heats 13 and 15. 3. Leicester - Basically have 5 heat leaders at home. Fricke, Lawson, Masters, Douglas are track specialists. Abit like Oxford we have arguably the best 2 and 4 in the league. Weaker at reserve but Thompson will have plenty of practice in the NDL. Becker is the secret weapon here. Like wolves team last year which everyone rote off they still finished in the play offs. 4. Oxford - Set up like Leicesters but with a stronger number 6. Just lacks a little quality to support Majec. But it's super solid with smart signings like Bomber, Wright and Klindt. Like this side a lot. 5. Belle Vue - Could easily have put this side in third and will probably will regret it. Great heat leader trio but can't see Blodorn and Cook improving much on those averages. Home form is crucial for the aces. I'm torn on this side and il keep changing my mind. 6. Kings Lynn - Much better than last year, but still not enough. Great number 1 and will be strong at reserve all year. But there's too many inconsident riders in this side for me. Outside chance of the play offs but won't win enough away from home. 7. Birmingham - Unless Lingren signs they don't stand a chance. Based on previous seasons Tolley doesn't know how to build a good side. Flint, Brennan and Worrall are good riders but that's it really. God I hope they pull off a surprise signing but I doubt it.

Max developed well in 2023 and can ride Edinburgh very well, He was only at reserve last year due to him being in such a successful Leicester team with Thompson x2, Boughen and Max Perry in another team he would have been higher in the team. Max has immaculate equipment,Good sponsors and is very keen to listen & learn I wouldn’t have doubts about away meetings he can regularly beat the likes of Harrison,McGurk,Perry,Hagon

Sorry can't agree with that at all I've never seen such a magician on s/way bike I always thought Mauger was the best but IMO Bart will become the GOAT !

Australia bound apparently.

Didnt want to hear that !

I don't know. What comes next? Declare the winners of the Star Championsips of the early 30s as world champions as well? Don't mess with historic facts. Those meetings never were contested as world championships. I am against any retrospective change of historic facts.

The silence is deafning,come on boys give us some clues!

That's what happens when you try and type fast to get the info up on the BSF!!!

No 7 Ben Trigger. No 6 Jake Mulford Jason Edwards next announced. Charles Wright (confirmed!) who also says his Testimonial should be Sun 17 Mar (To be confirmed). Next announced Thomas Jorgensen. Then it's Connor Bailey next. And completing the 1-7 is Danny King.

I believe the only reason he wasn't retained was because he didn't make his mind up in time. If he had, I'm pretty sure they'd have had him back. I think being captain was the biggest barrier for Tom. Without that to focus on, and with a weakened league next year, he's set to improve noticeably. Just needs to be a bit more brutal in the big heats too.

No money changed hands apparently, allegedly Butterfield (shrewdly knowing that retirement beckons for his PR man) promised Chapman a place if needed in the older person’s Care Village - within the 280-bed care home, to provide supported care, which will be built in The Care Village. If ever part of the project isn't going to see the light of day then that'll be it. Only an unsubstantiated rumour of course. We're still awaiting Chapman's version of events for his sterling efforts throughout the 2023 season regarding the future Peterborough Speedway. At the same time of course as keeping an eye out for Hell freezing over.

I'd have Belle Vue ahead of Oxford but otherwise looks right to me

Just the same as Max said when he joined Lions last year. The same Max who is now the track record holder. They’ll be no issues for Becker at home.

Dougy didnt ride M.G very well...So his Ave should go up ...

Could have had the top 3 +Wright Cook and Mountain and Bailey stronger imo.

Need 2 big guns at 1 and 5 ..to make the difference.. To challenge Ipswich and Sheffield..

Actually he said that Schlein was his favourite team mate he’s had in terms of professionalism, so yes, I’m sure he did learn from him.

It kinda was . Harris was in the pits with him at Cardiff when he rode in that SGP2 event on the Sunday after the main GP . I think having Harris in the pits with him again will prove beneficial

Really like Alfie returning. Great bloke and really good at Plymouth, away form has improved over the last season too.

When Ian Jordan wrecked Eastbourne, Tom's registration reverted to the BSPL. Pretty sure Glasgow purchased Tom from them.

No I wasnt a Lawson doubter but I am a Brennan doubter, not worried about the team as a whole as it is looking like a very good side which will challenge for the title but as a fan Kyle was a favourite of mine and had a really good season overall.

I think having Harris as a teammate again will be a big bonus to him and Glasgow

Yes it was good to meet him last night. Very personable and made a point of going around to every sponsor - chatting and photos - during the evening. First 'live' interview with one of the Piratecast crew too. Watch this space.......or more accurately, social media and Youtube!

Rosco was certainly in the frame and would have done a decent job. Maybe it was a money or a control issue but I don’t see Sam as the answer. Zagar will do a decent job at number 5 but the Brummies need a strong number 1. Is that Polish lad Zmarzlik still on their books? He seemed like a decent prospect for the Brummies in his one (?) meeting for them several years back

If we ever get back on track I wonder what this could mean for us. Pete isn't getting any younger and it would be a very Wolves thing to do for Chris to step into his shoes Brummies need a marquee signing IMO.

Ah makes sense

As a Wolves fan I've never thought of Ermo as team manager material, wish him well though I'd have tried to get Rosco personally but he'd have certainly needed to be involved in selecting the team

Noticed also that he clocked up 20 bonus points from 14 matches which is pretty impressive. A very promising looking RS and best of luck to him at this level. He will learn a lot in a short time.

Don't see him getting a Premiership place. Only Birmingham now needing riders and I cannot see them taking Riss.

Oh good. I do love a shock signing Which no one has really had yet as everyone seems to be rumoured way in advance!

Brennan had plateaued at Glasgow. He was often absent in the big heats and had a prolonged slump this season where he just looked tired. Perhaps too much travel. He came back to life when Harris took the captaincy from him and he was switched to No2 but he's better than that. I wish him well but don't think you'll find many GLA fans unhappy he's moved on. Replacing Vissing with Flint is perhaps a different story.

If this team.was not bad enough .they put Sudden 'stick a fork in it "Sam as the team manager.

Like Lidsey last year.......

Might be wrong but wasn't it said that Ben Basso had to practice on Saturday mornings and that was the reason he couldn't ride for Glasgow next season.

Happy with Leon , his Ashfield form or lack off is based as an away rider against a then strong Tigers home team. I can understand some wanting Claus over Leon but I think there is more scope for improvement in Leon than there is with Claus. Riding Glasgow as a home rider is much easier than a visiting one.

Yes, I'd have rather had Claus back....his home average was 8.00 and away average 7.07 and that was paired with Ben Basso. Rolling average 6.24 Leon rolling average is 6.40.......home average for Berwick, 7.35 and away 5.37.

Taking away bonus points, the averages are: 2021: 6.40 2022: 6.83 2023: 6.42 He spent time at reserve in 2021 though. He's got a decent average riding at 4, and I'm guessing he'll be riding at 3 next season, which is probably equivalent. I'd still rather have Claus back though.

Think he needed a change.

His average is OK on paper when looked at it at the end of the year we were quite happy as we broke it down into the basics. First 6 meetings he rode was still suffering massively with the injury which restricted his movement on the bike. Then he moved into the main body of the team at 3 which whilst getting back to fitness was hard work for him onto of numerous heat 15s against big hitting riders. We set a target of 7.5 at the start of the season before the crash and to end up on 6.86 we felt was a good effort. If he had refused the additional heat would of been almost on target

Be prepared to be very surprised because we've already told you it's happening

I would imagine a few Wolves fans will go to Perry Barr for their Speedway fix in 2024. You also have Leicester, Sheffield, Belle Vue in the same league.. which are also an awful lot closer than Oxford which was the Brummies local derby in 2023. More chance of a few visiting fans, but the key will be getting a decent race track & competitive team.

They’re more than just “marginal” changes and Ipswich finishing fourth is a bit deceiving. The issues with Erik Riss are well documented, Ellis is a huge upgrade. Jenkins isn’t as big an upgrade on Hume but still an upgrade all the same. And there’s a third factor here and that’s the Rising Star. Over 10 meetings last season Joe Thompson had a GSA of 1.18. His string of zeros were a big factor in Ipswich’ poor form early on along with Riss’ struggles. When Ipswich finally got a rising star in that made a contribution in Dan Thompson, the narrow defeats turned in to victories and they were probably THE form team by the end of the season which coincided with them winning the cup and narrowly missing out on the title. It would be interesting to see a league table from the moment Dan Thompson joined. Starting next year with Ellis Jenkins and Dan Thompson instead of a struggling Riss, Hume and Joe Thompson isn’t marginal improvement, it’s huge. Belle Vue for example look to be weaker than last year whilst Ipswich have strengthened. Ipswich will rightly start as one of the favourites IMO.

It would, still baffles me how Glasgow got Tarasenko on a 5

I have watched lots of meetings at Monmore and Perry Barr and in my opinion the better racing has been at Monmore, for whatever reason Perry Barr does not lend itself to overtaking except on the odd occasion, whether it's down to track prep, or maintenance I don;t know but the Monmore track has had far more time and money spent on it than Perry Barr has, one of the reasons being that Perry Barr is limited by access issues and another would be lack of money plus inferior equipment, another from reading comments are riders don;t know what to expect from one meeting to another, I read Nigel intends to spend time on the track in the close season, it not only needs time spent but money and for goodness sake lets see more banking on the bends..

Ones still open and one isnt…. dont be bitter about it and Birmingham is 10x the track Wolves was

This is a terrible side .. What is more amazing is people on facebook etc saying its a great side .. i must have read the names wrong to me a bit and pieces side that will get crushed in heats 13 and 15 week in week out

You got lucky. You won't be able to do that again whatever lawyers you employ!

You brought a ringer in for the play offs and it worked