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I think we need to forget all this nonsense about extra teams because it ain't going to happen. Unfortunately the Premiership is like the cockroach that has been stood on but is desperately scuttling around the floor looking for survival. Logical thinking required here, why would any right minded businessman or persons invest in a dying sport? It ain't happening so people need to deal with it. One league is the only way forward and I believe eventually it will be forced upon the powers that be.

Nick Morris and Richie Worrall disagree

First big problem - are there 12 reasonable standard Championship riders not already contracted to a Premiership club? Second big problem - it's an horrific idea

Don't think Poole are big payers, Anders Rowe can probably vouch for that, it's more like a well run club, with good sponsors, no your going to get paid on time, and are always there or there abouts , when the trophies are handed out

I don't think it matters which track(s) he rides on/for, the boy is going to be a superstar.

Poole have signed a fantastic rider so people have to start talking about the track, a track that has some of best racers around come back year after year, Holder Ward BenCook Harris. The track talk is boring, and is only a topic as Poole tweaked it to benefit them vs Glasgow

He has gone there as he must love a pound note. Poole must be the biggest payers along with Glasgow in that league. Glasgow is too far from Essex every week so Poole was the obvious choice.

Ben Fund Bonanza at Glasgow... https://britishspeedway.co.uk/miscellaneous/bonanza-heading-to-glasgow/

The burden should be placed on the league, not the individual team. This is not Formula 1. Clubs cannot be expected to fund and maintain their own individual development teams. The best thing a club can do for the sport is to put on the best performance they can with the budget they have.

No, they've signed him for the greater good of Poole speedway, they are not training and developing riders for the grater good of British speedway or the riders themselves.

I think Cooper needs to have some of the weight of expectation lifted off his young shoulders. Too many lads were going to be a superstar the minute they hit 16. Like Joe Haines 20 years ago or more recently Kyle Bickley, Archie Freeman, Ashton Boughen, even Will Cairns. At 15/16 they are still growing, some up the way, some round the way, some both, and body size and shape can be critical. I’m hopeful he’ll do exceptionally well and, certainly for his first year at this level, he’s going to the team with arguably the best manager and the Poole fans will get behind him as they do all the triers.

Bloody hell, just when I thought speedway couldn't get any more embarrassing, you suggest this !!

One of the best daytime meetings I ever attended. Enjoy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhPXph-sp_M&list=WL&index=1

I expect he is over the moon the best young British talents are going to Poole, he will have to put up with us challenging for honours. It must drive him up the wall.

Michael Lee was brilliant when he started at 16.

I agree. The signs being put out by the other 4 clubs (although BV seem to have been a bit quiet) indicate the 5-team league will go ahead. But there's clearly still not 100% resolution with "Team 5" that would enable BSPL to make the announcement they'd otherwise like to have made by now. Its hard to think that Team 5 could be anything other than Ipswich, but of course you cant be certain until its announced. Personally im in the "one league" camp and highly skeptical about the Premier league being viable, but the BSPL have made their decision for 2026 and so all we can now do, is to hope their plans and efforts succeed. It could be that anything more definite won't be announced until the AGM. But they must get their collective backsides in gear asap to develop a new plan for 2027 otherwise the whole circus will disappear over the cliff edge it's currently clinging onto

And ultimately Poland!

Big year for Jan, should be looking for an average closer to 8 than 7

That's a definite then 😂

actually getting paid and knowing you'll be there or thereabouts talks

nothing to do with scunny speedway before any one starts to gossip

Calm down mate, these lot are not worth it 😁

No plymouth have planning constraints for holding meetings, poole had plenty of free Wednesday nights

Heard a rumour tonight, cookie has signed, but another name that has signed was a very strange one Zach Wajtknecht

Not if Cook has been signed.

Absolutely brilliant meeting. Typical Nicki pedersen completely oblivious of his team mate and hindering them

Loram was better than Screen easy. Loram was World Champ and Screen never even got close. Screen was not disciplined enough to fulfil his potential. On the piss too much and eating crap.

Heeps always had the ability but never took the fitness bit seriously, would always come into a fresh season carrying to much weight, i think one year he spent the pre season training with Scott.N and he was the fittest and slimmest he'd ever been and had a decent season that year, a shame really coz he was a joy to watch flying round Foxhall and few inches from the fence.

Remind me who he was racing for in 2000 when he became world champion?😇

Still crying I see, baby.

Mark Loram rode in the top league in 1987 averaging over 5 as a 16 year old Mark then dropped down for 2 seasons before becoming Kings Lynn number 1 in 1990 averaging almost 8 Screen started in 1989 at 17 and for 2 seasons averaged mid 6 Screen was excellent motorcyclist but was never really as good as Loram

Maybe 2 certain team threw their toys outta the pram because they wanted a Premier league! not including Sheffield in that.

Your pleased with the signing then

Why would they? Their only goal is to assemble a winning team. And being part of a winning team is essential development. What more are you suggesting they do?

Bravo in flogging this particular dead horse! Merry Christmas 😁 I'm expecting mine to be ruined tomorrow by an announcement of Drew Kemp or Nick Morris signing for Leicester 😂

Not sure riders worry about where their teams are located, Harris rides for Kings Lynn and Glasgow and lives in Rugby.

If Cooper thought the Poole track was as bad as the Poole haters think,why would he go there.Not short of offers I’m sure. Best of luck to him looks areal talent.

I think Cooper will be a better rider than william cairns but its a shame hes chosen poole to learn on as there track is not the best to race on. he must have gone for money so i hope hes good at gating lol

Anders wasn't so great after groin injury, and Cook got better after Belle View commitments ended. Yes seems that bit has to have worked out well for Poole. Yes the reserves have bags of potential but at this moment aren't the best in the league, look to Redcar's Ace Pijper and Jodi Scott for that. Kerr will of course need to sort his mechanicals. Gilkes has sound potential, Bowes not so sure but should at least hold his own. Lawson well just have to hope he can maintain his high level, because Poole replied heavily upon him last year. But all in all Pirates should be right up there, but all the clean sweep type talk I'm not so sure.

Dag Lovaas? Has he not retired yet? Bound to be a 9 average

And spelling ?

I’d love to see your workings for this. There will be 63 Championship riders this season, plus from last season, Kemp, Borke, Gusts, Heeps, Knudsen, Nagel, Boughen, Starke, Klindt, Polis, Bowtell, S Worrall, Z Kennedy, D Kennedy, Voulas, Hook on the sidelines. I’ll remove the unlikeliest ones and you’ve still got around 74 Championship level riders. We’d require 98 for 14 x 7 man teams. 24 riders to find, a few Premiership will drop down to the one big league, riders like Iversen who aren’t good enough in Poland anymore. Say that leaves 20 spots, 10 to be foreigners coming in on assessed averages, and 10 NL riders moving up seems fair, but you could easily get 20 Aussies/Americans/Danes to come who aren’t involved in the top leagues, this is presuming we stick with 7 man teams, we may go 6 and then suddenly you’ve only got 10 spots to fill (14x6=84 - 74 riders =10). So no, why on earth would Jack Smith on a sub 3 be a second string, stop over dramatising, Championship riders aren’t going to leave the Britain.

Birmingham closed due to development not self interest and having a pop at Oxford who have gone from three leagues to two is rich when Louis won’t even run a junior team, despite all the hype about a run of the mill, one off, end of season junior meeting being touted as the most innovative initiatives in decades. Spin at its finest.

Birmingham aren't running because their stadium was demolished from under them. Not because Nigel Tolley spat his dummy. If Birmingham stadium was still there, then Nigel Tolley would still be there.

I'd say there needs to be discussion much much earlier than mid year Ideally they need to start as part of the rearranged AGM in January

Birmingham have struggled for a couple of years with crowd levels and limped from season to season, unable to attract quality riders and then lost their track. Not quite the same as the Ipswich situation is it?

Partial to wrinkled stockings Ian?🙂

I honestly couldn't give a sh#t who signs for us. I simply cannot take anything seriously anymore with the premiership.

And spelling by the looks 🤭😉

This is a SPEEDWAY forum, not a prison recall noticeboard….move on.