Leicester Lion

Doubling up between EL and PL teams, along with riders appearing for teams in different countries, sustain an impression that there are plenty of decent riders to go round. Loyalty is an integral part of supporting a team, but it's hard to buy into this concept when many of the riders go away and ride for several other teams even during the same week. Sadly, I think British speedway has gone too far down the line of extending doubling up opportunities to revert to a system of one rider one team. Too many riders now depend on the income doubling up brings, and the system enables teams to track a line-up of greater strength and more attraction than if there was no doubling up. For these reasons, I doubt we will see one big league again, as desirable as it is to the fans.

Maybe the Speedway Star could do a bit of investigative journalism into the extent of drug/alcohol problems in our sport...Is Ward the exception or the tip of the iceberg?

Yes of course it does. There is no comparison though, and to try to draw one is pointless.

It has no connection to the drink/drive limit. Speedway sets a lower level because it's a dangerous sport that demands the highest level of alertness and concentration.

As a professional speedway rider, Ward is presumably happy to take the rewards that his talent brings. Competing at the highest level in professional sport also places responsibility on the participants. He must therefore accept the consequences of his actions if he breaks the rules. There is no realistic mitigation for failing an alcohol test.

Tatum trots out the usual cliché about the air fence doing its job - it certainly didn't there.

Pearson asking the viewers to make up for his lack of preparation: "Send us a tweet, is this the first time Edinburgh have used a black and white helmet colour?" He's supposed to be the broadcaster and journalist!

Some people are perfectly happy to accept mediocrity and defend it by arguing that everyone should do the same because things could be worse. This is speedway's malaise. It holds the sport back in so many ways and lets those who make a living off speedway get away too often with rank amateurism. There is nothing wrong with aspiring to higher standards.

Absolutely. Being "in front", which in cases such as this means still being alongside to some degree, does not give a rider carte blanche to ride dangerously.

Diplomatic comments from Iversen.

Frozen for me too.

Remember Ward laying his bike down in heat 15 against Wolves last season to get a re-run? No justice, only when it suits you.

Puzzlingly, it did say 7:30am on the channel when I looked a few minutes ago, but it's reverted to 6am now. Strange, but seems in order now.

I think it's a shame Peter Oakes, with all his tabloid experience, passed up the chance to quiz Hemsley about his omelette/eggs comment. Fans only ever seem to have had half-stories and rumours. It would have been an ideal opportunity for Hemsley to set the record straight.

Any unlikely race result is bound to arouse some suspicion.

Matousek realised he could get much more speed by hooking his front wheel over the inside line. None of his opponents sussed it. Had he found it from the start of the meeting, Matousek might have caused an upset.

I suppose I should be celebrating Leicester's elevation into the Elite League, but I can't. What a total shambles we are joining! Introducing NL riders into the EL, even in the half-assed way they have announced, is a terrible idea, poorly conceived and obviously not thought through properly. I cannot justify paying inflated admission and programme prices to watch what will be on offer in 2014.

If Sky, Pearson and Tatum have done such a great job, how come British speedway is in such a parlous state?

I get the impression that the riders often know it's going to be impossible to make a pass against an opponent of similar ability, so they give the man in front more room in order to have a safe ride and maybe, just maybe, get the chance to capitalise on a mistake.

Indeed. How can it be in the best interests of the sport when a fixture can be advertised as involving a named team, when there is only one of their riders taking part? Is the BSPA content with this? Will Leicester be staging its very own one-off World Final before the season is over?

Although the two words do perfectly describe Nicolai Klindt.

Cheeky little lovable rascals, those speedway promoters.

Genuine question: is he offering a one-off training school under another name, or is it a structured approach that enables riders to develop their skills over several months, mixed with opportunities to race competitively while not burning themselves out?

Not all of us were members of the clutching at straws brigade.

Seems to me that ongoing help is the next step. Leagues such as the MDL encourage young riders and give them excellent initial opportunities, but when a rider shows the ability to go further it seems to me he is left to develop his own skills and is put into so many meetings at varying levels that he burns himself out or gets badly injured. At least 10 of those MDL final riders would surely benefit from a structured development programme that could take them beyond MDL level. It would need sponsorship to set up some type of academy, and the right ex-riders to pass on the skills, but the benefits would be quick and meaningful. Maybe even link up with other countries such as Denmark to share the facilities and development opportunities?