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Great post! Looking at the averages in the championship the other day asking where are the next line of heat leaders coming from. Doubling up seems to have taken away the mid level riders in the lower division that step up once the top boys move on. The RS should have been at that level to push the riders we've lost over the last 5/10 years into the second string/3rd heat leader roles. Think you nailed it with the Simon Lambert example. Poland haven't seen many of their top level juniors kick on at the world stage as expected but they are still performing at a very good standard in their domestic leagues. From the u21 final 10 years ago, only Ellis, Howarth and Coles are still riding. Phillips and Mountain were meeting reserves and the only ones still with a league place from the qualifier. The Polish junior final that year had, Musielak, Pieszczeck, Przedpelski, Gomolski, Zmarzlik, Smektala, Woryna, Pawlicki, Wozniak, Gala and Cyfer.

Like the sound of your second team.

Yep, another terrible British rule,and RS should not be in the top league, helps no one

Unless it’s the NL where they added half a point on to the limit just so a rider could get a team after every other team had built theirs

Heard he was on an upright.....still could sell it to Barker if Ben is looking for an upgrade....

absolutely agree with the tight and or narrow ones, its no coincidence that the wider & faster sweeping tracks such as bv worky redcar scunny and glasgow provide the best speedway nowadays

Tracks in U.K. are too tight on the bends for the powerful engines, the bigger circuits are fine like Belle Vue. But we all know Belle Vue is an exception.

Presumably Glasgow bound although that might be just whispered gossip

Indeed - especially important before heat 2

Harris seems nailed on for Lynn

Winning in the top league against the top teams would be an even greater achievement.

The RS system was designed to find a good few riders to go into teams and replace overseas riders... Unearthing a supply of "Simon Lambert's" rather than specifically finding a "Robert Lambert"... Which is a very sensible plan... I am just not sure doing it in the top league is the way forward as the standard on show is too high for many of them to compete... They need to be nurtured, not disillusioned as they progress... And watching several almost a whole straight behind race winners last year won't be doing anyone any good, most of all the sport itself as it tries to keep crowd numbers at acceptable levels..

You come up with some howling teams 🫣

Agree don’t think many Berwick fans would want Batchelor.No doubting hie talent but his attitude can be suspect.

I for one certainly enjoyed watching speedway racing with the 2 Valve engines. Team riding was more apparent and riders seem to win races with track craft. Since the introduction of the 4 Valve, the bikes are too fast for today’s U.K. tracks resulting in less overtaking and poor handling of the machines resulting in more crashes and injuries. Your thoughts please, as I’m sure there will be lots of opinions for and against what I have outlined. So for me it’s back to basics. proving speed is not everything if it compromises the racing for the riders safety and the supporters for seeing exciting racing.

Haven't seen this news anywhere else on here so thought I'd post this link. Simon suffered a "serious stroke" last week and is currently starting the recovery process. The facebook page has been set up by his family to keep everyone aware of his progress. (13) Facebook

Sam Masters, Simon Lambert, Ashdon Boughen, Dan Gilkes, Cameron Heeps, Ben Trigger, Connor Coles is the Oxford team for Wednesday

That's a Diane Abbott calculation...😂

Thanks for your input👍

I think starke could be at Poole next season

Would prefer Poole to stick with Hagon over Thompson (if not having both) Hagon did have a very poor end to the season but had kept his average over 5 until the final GSA. Hagon undoubtedly has talent and good backing. Just a huge loss of confidence as soon as he started riding in the premiership. No doubt going to Australia should help him get back to where he was and I would be disappointed if he wasn’t retained. Certainly has it in him to up his average.

What makes you think that? Have you seen something I've missed? Other than his rather against the odds British U21 victory I've seen nothing to suggest that he won't be anything other than a Drew Kemp type. Hagon's got no real pedigree, his father wasn't particularly successful as a rider all I see is a rider being bank rolled by his dad with Martin Dugard spannering for him. At least with somebody like Boughen you can see flashes of brilliance from him and he's beaten some very big name riders very convincingly, yes he's going through a bit of a tough patch at the moment but I fully expect him to ride through this. Time will tell I suppose.

Or common sense!

That’s human nature, I think they call it easier survival😀

As an under 40 (just) latecomer to Speedway I never saw the old 2 valves, nor indeed the upright engines. I have wondered though whether the narrow band of power put out by a laydown engine really is suitable for some of the smaller, narrower tracks in the UK. I'd have assumed at around a track like Wolves used to be, or say Edinburgh, then an upright engine with a better balance of throttle control would work better. I've noticed that a lot of riders tend to ride a diamond shape on a track as opposed to an oval, narrow into the corner and clattering the fence mid straight to enter the corner tight again, is that down to the engine or just the rider style? I've seen so many riders hanging on for grim death that you wonder if that's really not a terrible accident waiting to happen.

It was announced at Iwade last week that Michael Grey and David Graveling have applied to join the NDL running at the track with a Sussex Kent team..

Would agree with you,but we know nothing will change.We missed the boat on that one in GB.Technology Rules I’m afraid.

I think his algorithms only use averages, not names.

You maybe correct re £2.50 being high and more likely to be early 80’s level. so using raw CPI data from office of National Statistics and weighted compounded inflation (more indicative than pure BoE inflation figures) £2.00 would equivalent of around £15.60 Also worth remembering that back in “77” Vat had two heady rates of 8% & 12.5% - Those were the days. Anyways - on Topic. Yes cost of attending speedway in 2024 is more costly in real terms than “back in the day” most probably because actual attendance has fallen meaning less number of fans have to meet the running costs of meetings.

I play cricket, so I am pro cricket - but, in that day's play ( which shouldn't take 7-8 hours unless you are including lunch and tea) for how long is the ball actually in play? 45 minutes? And a lot of that may not be 'entertainment '. County cricket is hardly awash with supporters attending county games. Value is a subjective judgement

Sadly the thousands that attended in 1977, but no longer do, disagree.

Perhaps he would rather do championship than Sweden

You are quite correct. The riders you mentioned have not gone on to be GP standard, but I would suggest all three ride in the hardest league in the world. Bar Bewley and Lambert, no other British rider is competing at that level. Of course you could say, " put them on a uk track and they would be pants" but the facts are they all ride in the main body of the team and don't if they are struggling get to drop back down to reserve. If they don’t perform they are then shipped off to the lower leagues. Out of interest, the Polish U24 league has a list of the top 100 riders. Young Aussie Keynan Rew is top. You have to go down to 35 Rowe, 38 Flint and 55 Giilkes https://ekstraliga.pl/en/se/classification-list/u24e/2024 So the above British riders should surely be a lot higher up that list, due to riding in our top league?

Cami did the maths 🙄

6.9 was a typo (long day - thats my excuse)....corrected in my post, but if its 2.5% the bald one is right its 6.06

I was at Iwade just over a week ago to watch Eastbourne V Lakeside, a small track that was slick. Eddie Kennett rode a 1984 upright and you could see the power difference the laydowns had over him from the start. Once the laydowns had the advantage Eddie rode really well on it making up ground on riders and looked far more in control and exciting to watch. You could see the power difference of course but got me thinking that this would be a far better meeting with them all on uprights..

Well i would rather have Magic, but was unlikely. I would take Ben Cook even though he has a Poole connection

Does it come with the 3mm drill and bit.

Bloody hell, that brings back memories.Back in 1980 when i was 16, i used to pay 40p a pint. Could get smashed on 4 quid Now Guiness is £5.50 in my local..

Surely on his current average, Oxford will be working overtime to keep Magic?

Yes we could argue the toss about the numbers until the cows come home... for me though, just comparing it to other forms of entertainment 20-23 odd quid feels about right

This uses GDP deflator: https://spice-spotlight.scot/real-terms-calculator/ £2.50 in 83/84 = £8.50 in 23/24 ... it is Scottish money though 😂

Two southern teams returning

Don't think Sweden is all it's cracked out to be anymore

Ben doesn't need to do Champ anymore and ending on a possible treble before you move on is good way to go imo.

The price admission is relative to the amount of interest there is in live attendances at motorsport, speedway while once a crowd pleaser has been watered down to a less promotable product, youth interest in speedway and motorcycling in general is now mostly negligible. As a youngster I rode motorcycles around the woods/fields from the age of 10, with no interest from any family members, walked across 2 fields and a wood to get to my nearest scramble track ( not MX) to watch my heroes, from the age of 16 I had a job/income and a motorcycle, that motorcycle took me to Hawkstone Park, Farleigh Castle, Tirley scrambles, Local grass tracks etc.,not seeing my first speedway match until I was in my late teens. At school there were dozens like me with old bikes being thrashed every evening and weekend, when I started my apprenticeship there were 24 of us, 2/3rds of which rode motorcycles to work. I am still hooked and past pensionable age still work with motorcycles, organise a motorcycle event 3 times a year ,sell bikes and parts. The price of entry will make little difference to the crowds at speedway, unfortunately there are so many other attractions available which are more appealing to the "yoof", we have to face it, the product just does not appeal to the majority of the public these days and entry prices will not address this.

Jim Airey definitely left the sport over here too early came to Sheffield a great no 1 then bang went home to Australia and never returned

In the top league 100%.. No disrespect to them but not many add too much value to the racing, (which a good many measure a speedway meeting on more than any result).. If it is a 'cost issue' to not have two "Number 6's" then run with six rider teams... These lads can then ride at second string in the 2nd Div, and No1 in the NDL...

Not quite. Some riders can/will be signed in any eventuality of rules and points limit. Nobody though, will be signing the majority of their riders until the rules and points limit has been confirmed at the AGM. as I’ve said before, some things have been loosely agreed prior to the AGM in the past, only for them to change at the AGM itself. I still to this day, don’t understand why they leave the AGM so late. It should be done as soon as the last competitive fixture has been ridden IMO and I haven’t heard one decent argument why that isn’t the case.

If the 2 point riders are to be retained I'm not sure there are 6 or 7 riders in the NDL ready to step up.