Aces51

Cook is averaging 8.44 with bonus points at home this season and Fricke 8.19 so we'll have something to compare with Kurtz and JG 's scores. Hopefully, the racing will be up to the usual standard and we'll have an enjoyable meeting despite having only 4 of our own team. I'm looking forward to seeing Lambert, he didn't race at the NSS last year but seems to be on good form and making good starts so I'm expecting him to do well.

I think it's more about the mind of those that have the skill. I don't think you get anywhere if you haven't got the skill but some with less skill than others get further because of their application and mindset.

So far, if you don't count Woffinden.

He wouldn't be the first to underestimate Dan. I think Bewley did remarkably well for his first attempt at this level. Wrong helmet colour in his first ride, probably wasn't aware of the different FIM rule, last in his next ride when he was losing compression and his engine eventually gave up the ghost, a third behind KK and NKI, a second behind Kurtz and then a win in front of Lambert. I'm sure some lessons learnt and valuable experience gained and enough points to show he has nothing to fear at this level.

Hopefully, that's a good sign that the new equipment and practising in Poland has sorted out his lack of speed.

It's, Brady Kurtz, Josh G and Jason Garrity. Let's hope that Mark Lemon can get more out of the Poole riders than Middlo has this season. If not we could be in trouble. Garrity is in good form so hopefully he can get a decent score.

I don't disagree with fixed nights in principle. What I do disagree with is the fixed nights we have ended up with. It is an agreement that could be the cause of teams facing serious financial difficulties and that is not acceptable and outweighs any perceived benefits. What if any or all of those teams close or apply to join the CL? If 2 or more teams went there will be no PL or FNR.

Crowd numbers increased from the amalgamation of the league in 1965 and it was because of that success that the second division started in 1967. There were many factors which added to that success, the emergence of top class British riders, which resulted in the dominance of the national team, local riders progressing through the second division to become international stars and the Belle Vue and Eastbourne training schools, which produced many good riders. However, it was the amalgamation of the leagues and that rebirth which made possible most of the other things that then happened. Without that rebirth things would have continued as they were no doubt with the two warring factions of the National and Provincial League escalating their problems. Speedway would have stagnated with very likely no opportunities for riders from the Provincial League to move up and progress. They would have probably been blocked from doing so because without the eventual agreement in 1965 those Provincial League tracks would have been unlicenced and the riders banned from SCB licenced tracks. Thankfully, the National League realised that they could not survive alone and the results of the inquiry were accepted by both sides.

I was referring to Neil but doesn't Ken live and breath Poole? Certainly a good servant of the club.

That's isn't true. One combined league brought about the success of the 70's and 80's but failed in the 90's. Society and the popularity of the sport have changed dramatically since then so neither example may now be relevant. However, what we do know know it's that current structure certainly doesn't work. I would love the see the big stars back in the UK but I would love much more to see the sport grow and become, at the very least, sustainable. The fact is that it is more important to give fans settled teams where, injury apart, absences are a rarity, regular weekly meetings on the nights that best suit that team and preferably a number of local riders in each team that fans will better identify with as their own. The present structure is broken beyond repair and we have to go back to basics and rebuild. We also must have the leadership that has the vision and ability to carry through the changes needed. Whether that comes from an independent body or the BSPA perhaps doesn't matter, what is vital is that they have the necessary authority and are capable of doing the job.

The Poles have a history of flexing their financial muscles so let's see. However, why would they need to, they've already got the most commercially viable speedway nights. We've got Monday, the worst night of the week that only one PL team prefers or finds viable. We could have accommodated TV, if they insisted on Monday, by having one Monday TV meeting each week. We also got Thursday but somehow decided to race on Wednesdays. If Wednesday is acceptable we would have been far better racing on Wednesday and Thursday but even better to to have stood up against the Poles and argued for Thursday and Friday or, Wednesday and Friday.

Six very good riders, some exceptional and one who lives and breathes Poole. That really is a magnificent 7.

I was thinking more of the lack of consistency and poor form  but I am expecting a stronger performance now they have the benefit of Stefan Nielsen to advise on set ups and lead from the front.

Wolves average away score from their 2 league and one cup meeting is 38-52. So far this year they are poor travellers. You really are in trouble if you can't win with ease but of course there may be other reasons for keeping it close.

Apart from the other considerations Tuesday and Wednesday are the traditional race nights in Sweden and Denmark whereas in the UK they are probably the least attractive and commercially viable nights of the week, with the exception of those very few teams that traditionally race on a Monday.

You're right that they should work together but it is a fact of life that the top league in any sport has to be the most important. It is the PL that features on TV and has a higher profile and therefore should be the league where every every effort is made to make it successful. That in the end is to the benefit of speedway as a whole. However, that doesn't mean neglecting the other leagues nor does it mean doing things which have a serious detrimental affect on those leagues. Every effort should be made to work together and certainly not to have a situation, as we have currently, where the CL is making decisions which are causing harm to the PL.

Unless there is a dramatic upturn in crowds for those who have suffered from having to change their race nights I can see a serious risk to FRN's continuing next year. Teams could be lost to the PL making it no longer viable.

They only raced on a Monday at the dog track because their landlords decided that they were going to have dog racing on a Friday. Crowds have never been as good on a Monday and that was why they moved to Friday as soon as they could. When they moved to the NSS and to Friday crowds increased significantly and now this season, with no difference, other than the change of race night, they have dropped alarmingly. I agree with you that we need to find a system to avoid doubling up clashes but FNR as presently operated seems not to be the answer at Belle Vue and other tracks. So far it has brought about a bigger percentage drop in crowd numbers season on season than I have ever witnessed, apart from when we moved from Hyde Road. We have lost between a quarter and a third of the total at one fell swoop. Continuing with doubling up clashes, though far from desirable, is highly unlikely to have had anything like that affect because most of those so disillusioned with it that they have stopped attending have already gone. For clubs to survive they must, like any business, be able to race on whatever night is the most commercially viable for them. We must then find other ways to resolve doubling up clashes and the many other problems which beset the sport.

Apparently, there have been two bids of £1,000 so with 2 sets of passes that adds £2,000 to the total collected for Mitchell.

That strikes me as a post from a supporter of a club which has been able to retain its race night and who is blind to the affect it is having on the sport at large. The fact is that Belle Vue last season with doubling up clashes and despite many fans being unhappy with it attracted significantly larger crowds than they are this year without those clashes. It would seem that at least some of the others who had to switch their race nights are in a similar position. It is still early days into this season and I think we should wait a while longer and see how things develop but I have no doubt that if there is no significant improvement in crowd levels we are getting into a situation that could have disastrous consequences for the PL.

I've added this on other threads in other sections. Craig Cook, on Twitter has offered 2 Cardiff pit passes to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to Mitchell and Team Hancock have now offered the same. Craig Cook @CraigCook111 · 9h So impressed with the walk @LeeRobertKilby is doing to raise funds for my mate @daveyracing91. Here’s what I am going to do. I will donate a pair of Cardiff Pit passes to the highest bidder - all monies to Mitch. Place your bid below.

And of course we are still without the injured Steve Worrall. I can't see any available PL riders who could be adequate replacements at the NSS. Kurtz is inconsistent, Holder not as good as any of those missing and Josh G is struggling. The proper decision is to rearrange the meeting but it doesn't look as if that will happen.

If you're referring to the standard of track preparation it wasn't always diabolical. It certainly had its moments when it was poorly prepared, which resulted in several changes of track staff but was fine for the first few years, reasonable for most of the time and very good from when Colin Meredith took over as track curator until we moved out in 2015.

Craig Cook on Twitter has offered 2 Cardiff pit passes to the highest bidder with all proceeds to Mitchell Davey. Josh Gudgeon of Team Hancock has now done the same. Highest bid so far £300. Craig Cook @CraigCook111 · 9h So impressed with the walk @LeeRobertKilby is doing to raise funds for my mate @daveyracing91. Here’s what I am going to do. I will donate a pair of Cardiff Pit passes to the highest bidder - all monies to Mitch. Place your bid below.

Craig Cook has offered 2 Cardiff GP pit passes to the highest bidder on Twitter, with all proceeds to Mitchell Davey and now Josh Gudgeon of Team Hancock has offered the same. Highest bid so far £300 Craig Cook @CraigCook111 · 9h So impressed with the walk @LeeRobertKilby is doing to raise funds for my mate @daveyracing91. Here’s what I am going to do. I will donate a pair of Cardiff Pit passes to the highest bidder - all monies to Mitch. Place your bid below.