Bagpuss

Bit harsh that, he wasn’t ‘hopeless’ but only rode a handful of meetings before getting injured and most of those were on smaller tracks. Given a longer run and in a league where 75% of his matches will be on big, fast circuits he could perform very differently. As has been said two years is a decent chunk of time for a young rider to develop and hopefully he will be a decent number seven for us.

Starting at reserve I’d be gobsmacked if he doesn’t average 6+

This is also what people don’t get about Proctor. Seems you’re not allowed a bad year any more.

There must be some people who have stopped going due to the poor entertainment in recent seasons and to be honest I wouldn’t really blame them but unless I’m misunderstanding you I don’t think anybody would have stopped going in 2018 because there wasn’t a realistic chance of success, we would have won the title that year but for injuries. The bottom line is that the vast majority of people will keep returning if they see their team win. And I genuinely don’t think they are bothered what other teams get up to or look like on paper if that’s the case. What I will say is that the buzz around a season disappears if the Play Offs aren’t reached or even look like being achieved and can lead to fewer through the gate, or fewer occasional attendees, regardless of winning at home.

I assume you realise that some folk on here are close enough to people involved at speedway clubs to know what’s going on without it having to be in the public domain?

I’m really not convinced by Sheffield either. We shall see, looks like a very interesting season ahead.

Indeed, as well as those three being on arguably false averages they are all riding in positions below where they have done in the recent past; Harris should be a good third heat leader, Hans the same as a second string and Nicholls an excellent reserve. The most important thing is winning at home regularly and this team should do that whoever the number seven is. I can see Lynn having a very difficult evening there in their opening fixture.

GB star Cook ready to do 'proper job' with King's Lynn Great Britain international Craig Cook is revving up for his first full season in King's Lynn colours. PUBLISHED: 10:30 27 February 2020 | UPDATED: 10:30 27 February 2020 After finding things tough over the last couple of years, the Whitehaven-born rider now has a plan in place which should mean Stars supporters will see the best of him in 2020. Cook said: "I feel the last two years have been a bit scattered and obviously with doing the Grands Prix in 2018 and then last year was a bit higgledy-piggledy too. We were kind of all over the place not knowing what was going on, which was quite stressful. "I think I can still do a great job at number five. I always feel like I have underachieved so we have put things into place in the off-season where I can get things right and get things organised, getting myself in a position where I am doing my job properly. "Like I say, we have got things in order this year - we knew who we were signing for so everything has been stress-free getting all the bikes ready so we are pretty much ready to go for this season." The Stars will have two former British champions in their ranks again this year and Cook was quick to praise number one Robert Lambert. "I always feel that Robert is always probably going to be the number one," he said. "Obviously he had a bit of an off-season in 2019 and he knows his way around King's Lynn better than anyone. I think that he will get himself back together and back to his form from two years ago." Cook has also welcomed the alterations being made to British tracks and feels they will benefit the sport in the UK. "It is good see that promoters are running the tracks a bit slicker to suit the bikes of today," he said. "I mean, even King's Lynn has been slicker than it ever used to be but it is still grippy. "The bikes are designed to be so much more aggressive and get so much more traction which can make it difficult racing. "There's going to be some little changes to the track at Lynn this year and I think once we get dialled in around there you'll see how good the racing can be. I think once we get settled, it will be a massive benefit to us at home and probably even more so, on the road." From the EDP.

From three weeks ago: PANTHERS PONDER NEW CLUB ASSET Thursday February 06, 2020 PETERBOROUGH have hinted at the possibility of a newcomer to British racing coming to the club this year. Talks are ongoing with several riders as the city side look to put the finishing touches to their side with three slots remaining. Club owner Keith Chapman has again thanked fans for their patience as the new season approaches. He insists there’s no need to panic and discussions will continue into next week. But the prospect of a new club asset who has never ridden for a British club is a realistic one at the lower end of the side. “We have contacts in Denmark and Sweden,” he said. “And at the lower end of the team we would look at the possibility of strengthening our asset base. “It’s something every club needs to do, to satisfy the requirements for a retained list of assets and I can confirm one of the permutations we are looking at includes a new rider who has never ridden for Peterborough or for any British club for that matter. “I would like to thank the fans for being so supportive and patient and I would like to think now we are into February the wait won’t be for much longer. “I would also like to again offer my sincere thanks to Steve Thompstone at Crendon Timber for his team sponsorship and Michael Tomalin at City Auction Group for the club sponsorship. It’s very much appreciated and invaluable.” Chapman fully understands the frustration expressed by some Crendon Panthers fans on social media. He said: “I understand everyone wanting news yesterday and I can sense the frustration in some supporters which I totally understand. “But we have to continue to explore every avenue and come up with what we believe is the best combination of three riders for Peterborough Speedway. “There has been a couple of surprises in terms of riders who have been in touch and we just need to piece together the best team we can for the club.” PETERBOROUGH Speedway are backed by Crendon Timber as team sponsors and City Auction Group as club sponsors.

Summers would certainly be a better choice than Wells or Ulrich IMO.

Arguably the best reserve in the league at least initially. Appreciate he’s not so good on the big tracks any more but still a very good signing, and if he starts well will mean another strong reserve when averages change.

To be fair I can see foreverblue’s point when you look at their averages but 18 of P’boros 24 fixtures this season are on big fast tracks and Kai would be a better bet on that basis, although I think he hasn’t always been fully committed in the past which goes against him.

On big tracks yes.

He would be excellent around the EoES. Can’t see it though.

Do you not think matching suits and bike covers look much, much more professional than a collection of waifs and strays in random colours? Race jackets worked in the eighties but this is a completely different era with tv coverage and team sponsors, social media etc. Teams and riders need to look as professional as possible. There is a reason that pretty much all other team sports have matching team wear for all team members.

Possibly but he’ll he at reserve and therefore riding against opponents he should beat in heats 2, 8, 12 and 14. I think having an ex GP and international rider of some repute at reserve is a massive plus whatever his shortcomings nowadays.

It sounds like Johnson isn’t very good at his job. Is Pratt still involved?

Does it really matter?

Less dirt this year apparently so perhaps the penny has dropped. Anyway a winning team will always trump good racing for folk generally.

I expect it will cone down to what’s left in the kitty. That team would have a bit of a Dad’s Army feel about it but still looks better than at least three other sides to me.

I don’t see it like that at all, he is building both sides in a similar way ie with three distinct heat leaders and riders who have plenty of history at each club and will be popular with many supporters. Jorgensen and Kerr wouldn't have been in many people’s teams due to their scoring but they are popular, they are club men. Many people who go every week will be happy they are included, same goes for Hans, Niels, Ulrich and to a lesser extent MPT at P’boro. Buster knows people will keep coming back if his teams win at home and that what he is going for I believe.

Explain what you mean by ‘a lot more’.

I think the widening has improved things a bit, I’ve not been for quite a few years but looking at some of the heats which pop up on the BSPA site from the Foxhole many of those passes wouldn’t have happened on the old narrow track. It can’t / won’t happen but it could probably do with being widened outwards rather than inwards. Hopefully the extra banking will help, can’t do any harm.

They may well do but it’s impossible to say. The last three seasons Swindon, Lynn and Ipswich all got to the Play Off final despite being tipped to finish bottom of the pile, that’s how unpredictable such a small league can be. I think P’boro look slightly better than us (assuming their last two signings use their remaining points properly) but I certainly wouldn’t put money on it. Swindon are most people’s tip for the top but they could quite easily struggle if one or two riders have a tough time, a bit like Robert last season. My expectations are fairly modest as usual, I think we will finish bang in the middle bit like the last two years it could go either way. Don’t forget we would have won the title at a canter in 2018 but for injuries, we ‘won’ the league table comfortably even though pretty much everybody thought we would be bottom.