Hackett

Backed Swindon to win - Just couldn't gate until too late in the meeting .... Certainly think reason that Rosco let riders know the situation in the pits was that 4 points dropped by Swindon. Lions look like a team of 2nd strings and two decent reserves.

If I can find a bookie taking bets on speedway - Swindon to win - Doyle to score double figures and Auty and Starke at reserve to outscore Robins reserves. SkyBet doesn't even have EL speedway ....

It is Woffy's choice. I wonder if the situation would be different if he was seeded straight to the Final ??? If he feels it would be more beneficial to him not to ride the British Final then so be it. The British Final is a grand title in prestige and history but little more. It is not as if the British Final comes with huge sponsorship and financial gain. Not riding in the UK it is logistically expensive. As for the SWC ; Rosco and Chapman have no option but to adhere to his requests as Woffinden is the only British World Class rider - without him there is no chance of Gold. With him comes every likelyhood of a full-house at Belle Vue.

Totally agree ... cam in at short notice last season and was excellent support for BWD ... hope that he gets fixed up to a club close to home and scores plenty of points. Most likely a game of numbers - how many #1's have the Eagles tried and been knocked back from - 6 riders they stated on twitter. Imagine that the Dugards have had little or no option. As for the Spillers they have school and undoubtedly will be considered later in the year if that can improve the chances of the team.

No fully understand that Go Speed and TRussell have the rights to the sport on VT unfortunately unless his pockets are lined he isn't willing to allow any footage. Cant remember which rider it was but they wanted footage of them racing to put on DVDs or presentations to wannabe sponsors and they were refused permission. #PATHETIC from Go Speed.

My two children are 6 and 9 and they love the sport but then I guess there is a fair part of "peer pressure" from the parents. Currently the cost isn't an issue as at Eastbourne kids go FREE - !!! They enjoy the chance to go into the pits and see the riders and look and sit on the bikes. Cameron Woodward was excellent advertisement for the sport and my daughter would draw him pictures for his pitwall. Hans Andersen was another that was good with photo opportunities with kids in the pits. The IT Eagles riders last year offered photo opportunities all the time. The moment Tai Woffinden took time to have his photo with my children at Arlington they were his fans for life ... Teams need to do more. Attracting new kids has to be all about marketing , visiting schools showing them the bikes , montages of racing, overtakes crashes with music. Better merchandise - track shops are generally an embarrassment. Proper merchandise kids size shirts and not at £45+ or looking like somebody has used a job lot of cheap tshirts or caps. The sport needs to be more pro-active - Get the Elite League or clubs to be allowed to put footage out on You Tube. Each club be pro-active and be allowed to put VT out there - Cleancut , Re-Run GRT Media all film meetings sure they could do some great editing to music and put it out on a clubs official You Tube page. SpeedwayGP, Greg Hancock, Tai Woffinden and SEC do a decent job - British Speedway needs to do the same ... It is not about lining an individual or a couple of peoples pockets it is about pushing the sport forward and promoting ... Kids will follow the races avidly when the bikes are on track or riding to the tapes BUT if the meeting is drawn out they are easily soon bored especially if a meeting takes 2.5hrs plus with limited entertainment in between races. Add on 80 minutes travelling time to and from the stadium it can be a long afternoon or evening.

The riders this year all have a chance of progressing if they can do so the Eagles will once again be competitive and hopefully the play-offs. Not sure how anyone can say this team isn't as strong as Eagles 2015 ... the Eagles that won the Cup treble wasn't the original team. As both David Mason + Danny Warwick were injured pretty early in the season and it was the excellent work Connor Dugard did getting replacements in throughout the season that was the deciding factor . Hopwood was excellent ; as were all the signings giving the team more impetus and strength. It is unlikely anybody could guarantee the progress that BWD, Andrews, Wood and Spiller would make when they were brought into the side. League looks as though it will be ultra competitive which is good news for the National League ....

Speedway Star - 3 spots remain - a new #1 and only one rider from 2015. Can see that being Mark Owen but Eagles and Connor Dugard seem to have the riders in place not announced yet.

BWD was excellent at Arlington last season - refused to give up and will give 100% every meeting. If he arrives with decent sponsorship and kit BWD will do a decent job for the rebels. Would think that he will certainly improve on that average if he gets time to bed into the team.

Agreed in his first heat Sunday he was gone after he gated. Then put in a great chase on BWD then found himself on the outside gate as track slickened off. He has a good style and never gives up. Perhaps a season at Eastbourne with Martin Dugard giving him advice on starting would be an option for 2016 ;-)

Should be a good meeting the Eagles hopes of a win will depend on Hopwood and BDW repeating their domination over the Coventry heatleaders - a tough ask. The fitness of Georgie Wood at reserve will also be important. If the Eagles reserve pairing can match the Storms then the Eagles may find the elusive away win but the 4s' form around Coventry would suggest this is a tough ask. Hopefully return to Sussex with a point minimum.

On Speedwaygb.co it states that Dugard is taking time out of the sport so the Eagles have moved for Cottham. Shame for Kelsey as yes he was prone to the odd fall and struggled away but scored ok at Arlington - but perhaps with r/r for Andrews over next couple of weeks they feel they need guarantees at reserve.

Thought the tractor racing got a tad excessive yesterday BUT to be fair they needed to keep the dust down. As soon as they wet the surface the wind dried it. No more so when Tom Perry tried to go round the outside couldn't see anything , lost it completely and disappeared onto the infield. Decent result for Eagles without being near their best but Brummies so clearly a 3 man team.

It was dusty but it was hot on Sunday in the sun ... if it was dusty Dry House should of done better than they did.

Think it will be a good test for the Eagles .. will need Kelsey Dugard to rack up the points at reserve. PLUS will need Bates to contribute with 7/8 points .. could be a close run thing #weatherpermitting.

Sounded like a decent meeting and IMO these two clubs will be chasing Silverware in the NL. Good to hear that BDW was tearing it up at Perry Barr he looks a decent prospect.

Kings look weak at reserve ... No point making "tyred" excuses the Eagles look far stronger throughout the septet. Morley looks like he will be carrying the Kings for a while.

James Shanes was excellent value. Great riding style and tenacious but needs to learn to gate . Eagles looked strong throughout. Decent performance.

Why run PL - the increase in costs would be significant and the crowds would not significantly increase. Good Fridays crowd was on par if not better than most Elite fixtures at Arlington recently. Was impressed by the Eagles set up both on and off the track.

So pleased there was a huge turnout for the event - I read the article in the speedway star long road ahead. Glad the riders supported it.

Speedway is a minority sport and BBC has no interest in it. Speedway could neither neither rely on the fashionable or politically correct nomination. Would imagine a still of Woffy will feature in a montage and that will be it.

So team limits 38 points if you take 3pt for each reserve. Now a scramble for the best NL riders.

Or most likely a wind up.

In sales ; you need combine looking after your existing clients, as well as targeting new clients. Speedway on the most part has failed to do both. The product is getting worse yet more expensive and people are voting with their feet - hence the declining numbers. Targeting a new audience is mostly forgotten. Speedway cant afford to neglect its current audience - as word of mouth is and always will be its most cost effective sales tool.

With TV dictating sport, it is the modern way in most sports, bar Premier League football. For the tv networks it guarantees an increased interest and audience. The clubs like them because it draws in the crowds in droves. Poole have relatively decent crowds in comparison to most if not all EL teams but I am sure the Play-offs were up in numbers to the usual Wimborne Road attendance.. Its actually good to see a crowd on televised British Speedway. In general the only team that dislikes the play-offs if unsuccessful is the winners of the league (Birmingham Brummies). Although I believe in Rugby League now they award a League Winners Shield/Trophy.