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Top5 I reckon.

I think it's really been the best worst close season ever, even better than the Coventry/Peterborough fiasco, this close season started pretty early and has been the gift that has just kept on giving, it's kept me fully engaged with the forum throughout as I normally dip out during the close season, part of me will be sad to see it all finally resolved 😁

I honestly don’t have a problem with the team or any rider. My gripe is with the way rules in British speedway are just made up with very little effort or thought. I’m still waiting for an explanation for the points deduction to Workington last year. What is the criteria that needs to be met when the 8% reduction is applied for? How does that reduction work along side other reductions? I have quite a few other questions but it’s a waste of time listing them as the first two won’t be answered clearly. As much as I’m a bore, the point in any rule or law in sports is it will affect all the same. If the application of either is inconsistent it brings the whole show into disrepute.

But he does have the Polish ride. Seems a bit woe is me I must say. He's been one of many prime benefactors of the doubling up free for all of the last 15 odd years.

Which in the grand scheme of things is ridiculous really, for a guy who still rode NDL/NDT an was offered two team spots at the start of the season and was going to sign for scunny mid season till he got injured. Robs ball his rules.

Mid Feb, no concrete confirmation on how many clubs competing in the top tier and no idea (officially) who is behind the Ipswich take over. No signings either. Its mental . People wonder why the sport is not taken seriously. As I read elsewhere, this has been the worst close season I have ever known of. Absolute mess. The posts I have read on Scunny signing a team over the limit just about sums the state of the sport up.

I don’t hate him, I don’t like him but I respect what he has achieved and as much as I dislike him he would be the first name on the list if I was putting on a big individual meeting because he is a headline generator and gets people talking and is vastly underused by British speedway as a marketing tool, the less said about his music the better though

It’s kept a topic of conversation going right through the Winter months you’re right. Usually everything is done pre-Christmas and this forum dies a death until March.

Think it’s the principle with most on the forum.I couldn’t care who wins what in Speedway.

Really don't see what the problem is with this the reduction however it was worked out has allowed us to sign Simon lambert not Robert lambert with what was left. According to most forum members we are going to be so far adrift in the runnings it seems a debate for debates sake.

I’d put Nicholls in over Tungate. Scott is still awesome around Foxhall & would out score Tungate comfortably at home. May not be so good away but you’d get more out of Nicholls over a season than Tungate. Also no concern if he will turn up or not.

Not me, he's is a Great Britain Speedway living legend. He's done nothing to deserve the hate at all. I'd argue with anyone, that without him, we may never have seen the likes of Lambert & Bewley competing near the top on the World stage. He singlehandedly demanded & lifted the standards of our international setup. We were an international laughing stock before this guy came along. He's a little hyper, swears a bit, has a little arrogance, grew up in Australia. Who gives a feck. Wearing that Union Jack, he's given everything, almost killing himself a few times doing so. Like you, I do not get the hate at all.

Both your comments above suggest that Liam has been snubbed by Edinburgh for ensuring he got a team place - Which couldn’t be further from the truth! The reality is there can only be 2x 500cc riders per NJL team and they all have to try where every they can to get a team place and track time. The NDL Academy team has packed in over-seas riders for this season. Leaving no hope of progression for juniors stepping up. Don’t make out this the fault of any of our local lads being unwilling to ride when they are all bidding against each other for what little team spaces there are, and still be overlooked for Aussie incomers.

These guys forget it is a sport,go and get a job if it’s that bad. They are earning good money for 6 months work for 10 minutes on a bike on race night.No sympathy I’m afraid.

The problem is having a van and five bikes is feasible if your riding in Poland but in the UK these days in my eyes reality is the top 50% can warrant a van and two bikes next 50% should be one bike and ideally a track spare the costs have got out of control for what the UK can afford now days not helped by riders in the UK spending thousands per annum on tuning. At some point a total reset will have to happen but it seems to have been kicked again for at least another year unless Harry comes through with some new multi million pound backers to sort the sport out.

League winning team that I reckon

Wolverhampton Witches. I'm not against it at all, Looks a good Team.

How about 1) Lindgren 8.13 2) Nicholls 5.39 3) Musielak 6.63 4) Thorsell 4.50 5) Brennan 7.05 6) Jenkins 4.50 7) Edwards R/S Total: 36.20

Belle Vue had a woeful league campaign last season with a paltry 4 away wins. They need to aspire to powerhouse away teams like Sheffield & Ipswich who won an impressive 5 each.

My prediction… Bomber to ride for every team at least once during the season. The sport’s credibility will be upheld however due to careful fixture planning to make sure that he does not roll up to the tapes for a race and look across to see himself representing the opposition. I have total faith in the BSPA for the forthcoming season and trust that clubs have plans in place to cope with inevitable crowd level surges based on the exciting future of the sport pitched by the BSPA at the end of last season. Just hope I’m quick enough to get my season ticket (when they are released) before they sell out. Sarcastic?…..Moi?……

But that is the point.... he didn't miss a year, he rode in the NDL. As I've stated before this "non-professional" League is a load of nonsense - if he got paid he was a professional in a professional league.

One from the memory bank MD, Shawn was one hell of a rider also but think Kelly shaved it over his brother for natural talent.

So let me just check this so i can pretend to follow along..... 2024 Ablitt finished season on 5.04 less 2.5% reduction..... 2025 Ablitt didn't ride "professional league" still gets 2.5% reduction 2026 Ablitt can "apply" for an additional 8% reduction In my tiny mind he shouldn't get the 2.5% at the end of 2025 simply because he didn't participate and then be able to claim an additional 8% for......not participating...... There has to be a point where the actions of a few are considered to be bringing the sport into disrepute

Thorssell on a 4.50 is absolutely ridiculous.

Good luck with that.... I think someone with a better grasp of the rules may explain why it SHOULDN'T happen!!!... The official answer of course is that... "This is UK Speedway"...

Wasn't grumbling when he picked up around £8k for 2 filler GP appearances last year. 🤔

He would be the steal of the season if they can pull it off, if they could get Fred back over in place of Emil also I reckon crowds would hold pretty well.

Completely ignoring the fact that out of the 8 they lost their opponents scored 50+ points on 6 occasions. Compare that with 2 for Sheffield, 3 for Ipswich, and 4 for Leicester. Hence the reason I mentioned the need for huge home wins to pick up many aggregate bonus points. Belle Vue had the best home record in the league last season but finished 4th in the table, 5/6 points behind the other 3. Away form was their downfall and with 3 of those 4 riders returning this year it could be the same again this season.

He is a team player as well. None of this riding off into the sunset and letting his partner fend for themselves. The effort he puts in to support every rider in the team both on and off track is second to none. He will increase the average of any rider in his team that is happy to listen to his advice.

The obvious solution to rider averages for this season would have been to combine NDL and NDT averages from 2025. Not rocket science to do.

Nobody outside of the few thousand who watch Speedway each week know who he is... And that is the biggest issue the sport has... Most of Manchester won't even know what the NSS is, nor even who the Belle Vue Aces are... And even what Speedway is.. So, sadly, It matters not one jot to crowd levels how well Dan rides the NSS...

I agree - almost as bonkers as Cooper on a 2 would be

Jacob Thorsell last achieved an average in 2019 and therefore we will reassess him to 4.50. Robert Lambert last achieved an average in 2019 and therefore we will not reassess him to 4.50.

That could be a good team Throssell should be geting double figures every week whilst at reserve, Tobi if he can get his head straight should do a job and same with Tungate if he can be bothered could be a trump card the other four solid and reliable.

Good signing on a 5.25 imo, If Brennan is the No.1 then silverware is a very long stretch imo so the next best option is to build a Team to win at Home.

And the “unsinkable” Premiership decided they didn’t need their own …

I for one would be very happy to see Tai lining up for us, absolutely flew around Foxhall on his first visit in years for Sheffield a couple of seasons ago and remarked he’d forgotten how much fun he found the smaller tracks people hate on him and yet complain we don’t have any characters anymore 🤷‍♂️

My prediction is Ipswich scrape in to fourth, then bring in Doyle at the very least when other leagues shut up shop and pi$$ the play offs 🤪

As it stands and with the rumoured team, I’d Fuc***g take him in a heartbeat! 😁

As pointless as a broken pencil making any kind of prediction at this stage

Why does Worrall keep getting mentioned, hes packed in and wasnt very good last season,

Get them hands in yer pocket mate, I'm coming for a pint wid you 😀🍺

I wonder who them 2 guys are 🤔, all I'm hearing is voices 😜

Glad I waited for the fixtures to come out before renewing my season ticket as Ill not be doing it now, massive gaps in home fuxtures in the prime summer months and only one home fixture in July !

World of Sport served up the big names! but even back then I was in a real minority liking speedway when at school. What’s that, my football loving mates said. I use to like knowing about my niche sport back then and being different from the sheep and their football. After the post war boom in the sport, by the time it got to the halcyon days in many fans memories of the 70’s, there was still people saying “is that still going”. We absolutely need something new and I don’t mind admitting I’m (we) are not the solution. There is a whole new world of social media that I (we) cannot get our heads around. We need the fomo effect and need to abandon the continued old school approach of leaflets, newspaper ads (young people at my partners work asked her what a newspaper is) and all the other old school techniques. My daughter has worked with Molly-Mea and sport personalities in her role with a major sports brand and it’s all French to me no matter how she tries to explain it. IMO that’s our last hope, Joe Wicks, KSI, Steven Bartlett and all the others old farts like me have never heard of. What they will also bring is a sensibility of what modern customers want. Just hope we like it too.

Get in on mainstream free TV... Ideally. Three channels only, and on prime time Saturday afternoon viewing... Oh. And have prime Peter Collins beating the best the world has to offer, from the back, in what seemed to be every race.. Well, joking apart... Getting it on free TV could definitely help given the tiny amount of followers the sport has.. Which only needs 20,000 extra or so at the 14 tracks to see a 100% growth... C5 being the biggest opportunity.. A regular magazine programme using BSN and track streaming footage, and having riders in the studio being interviewed could create some interest... With the beauty being, given the low, low, starting point, you don't need much interest to see big growth...

I'm not sure if they gave away 500 free tickets, that they would all turn up.

Positive. But a real sign of intent would come hand in hand with a NDL team too.

If they were really interested in showing the way they’d put a NDL team together instead of using this to cherry pick riders out of it for themselves.