Leicester Lion

If we're having to analyse single examples of passes, it only goes to show how rare passing is at Leicester. Hemsley is supposed to be a successful businessman. He needs to look at why his customers are walking away from his product, and make the changes necessary, or get out and make way for someone who can turn Leicester around before the city loses speedway again. Blaming the fans for his failing business is short-sighted, and sums up the general feeling among the fans that Hemsley will always look to blame anyone but himself.

But those track alterations were supposed to have made the racing so much better.

Yes, I heard Mr Darcy assert that because Roynon had been tweeting the day after the crash that he would be back in action very soon. The interviewer pointed out that Horton had said something rather different. Maybe Horton had spoken with Roynon or his people, maybe not, but it didn't sound to me like Mr Darcy had.

I wonder if it's cheaper to have a rider who misses several meetings than one who rides in, and has to be paid for, all of them. Every penny counts at Leicester.

It's outrageous that supporters should have expectations to see their riders performing for their team. It's disappointing that Bjerre's absence has been ignored in the pre-meeting blurb on the team's website.

Lions fans will be anxious to know how many more Leicester matches Bjerre will miss while he pursues his individual dreams.

It's Spassky versus Fischer all over again!

School reports aren't what they used to be.

Bit harsh perhaps but I see your point.

I had hoped the radio piece would give an indication of what Darcy's role is, but I'm none the wiser.

I did. All of British speedway has to close down (with the exception of one meeting) because the British promoters are subservient to Poland. They get the best dates while we have to accept an earlier start to the season (when it's too cold) and a glut of fixtures in September.

The promoters will claim that they know best, and, as I said on this subject on another thread, speedway isn't run for the benefit of the public.

Easter Monday, and there certainly isn't too much speedway going on in the UK today. A day when you'd think the promoters would want to fill their boots and capitalise on the available audience. But then speedway isn't run for the spectators.

No, the third turn, and, as I said before, I wasn't showered with dirt. The disappointing thing is that Stead's comments will be used as justification that the track is fine and that the cosmetic changes have cured all the problems. It might provide the riders with an easy ride, but almost invariably the racing is dull, predictable, strung out, follow-the-leader, all the things that reduce the entertainment for those who pay to watch.

What a witty response. I repeat, none flew over the fence where I was standing. With all the dirt supposedly spread liberally on the track, I would have expected to be showered with the stuff. I wasn't. Any observations on the first part of my post?

So the riders have a nice easy ride but the quality of the racing for the paying spectator clearly doesn't matter. It was the same old strung out follow-the-leader stuff as always. Astonishing to read that so much dirt was applied to the track, as none flew over the fence where I was standing, just like the slick days of last season.

It's measured one metre from the kerb, so there might be a small reduction.

A pity the adult discussion can't be had within the confines of this forum, which is, if I'm not mistaken, the purpose of a discussion forum. Why should anyone have to "show what they are made of" by accepting an invitation to say it in person from someone who starts by calling them an idiot and includes the line "put up or shut up" with its sinister undertones? It's all reminiscent of the playground and does nothing to show Leicester fans in a good light.

No disrespect either, but I've stood on plenty of terraces during meetings and heard riders interviewed saying the track is excellent when the racing has been poor. Riders primarily want a smooth easy ride, and will always say a track is good if it gives them that, regardless of the quality of the racing it provides.

If the apex of each corner hasn't moved, the length of the straights is effectively unchanged.

I only mentioned the entry to the corner, not the exit from it. I don't doubt what you say about Workington and Berwick, but at BP the riders are, and I suggest will still be, playing follow the leader into the corner, with no chance of building up any extra speed to make up ground to pass or pull alongside an opponent on the exit. I do hope to be proved wrong, I just have grave doubts.

Vissing and Gjedde won nearly all, if not all, their rides at BP from the gate. Hall did find a pass or two on the outside. However, it only goes to show how few passes there have been at BP if we're having to look for specific examples and can only find a couple. Similar to the point I made earlier. Shaving a metre off the straight before and after each corner doesn't really shorten the straights if the apex to each corner is in the same place and the riders take the same line as before anyway. The slightly wider entry to the corner is presumably to try to encourage riders to attempt reckless dives up the inside which will only result in collisions.

To be fair, he didn't actually say it's fine to break the law. But he did hamfistedly attempt to mitigate Ward's gross stupidity and recklessness by making up a sweeping generalisation that has no foundation at all. Even worse in my opinion, he tried to minimise Ward's actions by distancing it from speedway racing - incredibly he seems to think it's somehow less serious if a rider's misconduct takes place away from the track. Any credibility Middleditch had as a team manager is gone.

I heard Hemsley himself boasting to a visiting bigwig about how wide it is (presumably he meant the track) - but most of the width of the straights at BP isn't used. The track might as well be 2 metres wide on the straights as it's invariably single file. Passing only happens when there is a wide difference between the riders' abilities, or when someone makes a mistake or strays off the line. There isn't any real racing, the sort you get when two riders of similar standard pass and repass each other. The dimensions of the track prevent riders from building up extra speed, as they have to lose it again going into the next corner. In my opinion the straights are far too long, and need shortening by 20-30 metres. The width of the straights might then take on some significance.

Seems to me they were quite prepared to, or were remarkably ignorant of the consequences, until the SCB issued its statement.