g13webb

I too was shocked to read the SS about Matt Ford's insight of the sport and how he thinks the sport will go. Probably, he should have thought about that and how much damage his many misdemeanours has done for the sport, and how many fans turned their back because of the underhanded ways he achieved them goals... I have no doubt of his undoubted ability to promote, but instead of walking away, why don't he step up to the plate and help Buster make it the sport as good as it once was.........

I don't think this is a problem Buster can sort. The true state of the game is that there isn't enough riders to fill all the team spots without paying over the odds for the top ones, and secondly there are a lot of riders who what to ride more in the effort to earn an extra dollar. The days when speedway was a part-time game has long gone, and riders need to earn as much as possible to meet their increasing costs. For these reasons 'Double Uppers' will always be part of the sport nowadays.... Probably making a unified rule regarding fixture clashes would be a better way to go........

I agree to a point , but not at a cost the sport can't afford......... When the bikes were low tech the rider was the more important than the machinery, when the bike got more technical the rider was of a lesser importance. Whereas now, a top man couldn't win on a slow bike .......

Agreed; Yes, they were just a head conversion, but it highlighted the potential of the 4 valve design. Had the powers ,at that time banned this new design, engine suppliers like Jawa; GM ; Weslake wouldn't have jumped on the bandwagon. I appreciate there are more meetings for the riders now, But Garry Middleton ( Aussie world stage rider) once said, 'a standard 2 valve Jawa would easily do a season of racing. Just hose it down and oil the chain and its ready to go'. That highlights the differences between them old machines and the modern day ones.....

Yeah, your probably right. But it was Neil Street that brought the technology into the modern era and highlighted the difference it was to achieve. That night in question, Kings Lynn Vs Newport , could have been a typical meeting had it not been for the performance of those two machines. The fact Phil Crump rode to a 15 max was not unusual, but the easy manner in how he achieved it was. 1/2 lap ahead in some races.... But the real indicator of the machine's capability, was that an ageing Neil Street only dropped one point all night, beating Terry Betts in the process....... They even came 1st and 2nd in the second half final, such were their dominance....... Because of the supreme power of those 4 valvers, riders had to purchase the equivalent just to start races on equal terms. That signalled the start of costs being hiked up to meet the higher demands, which inturn coincided with the start of crowd numbers dwindling..,

We come to the 'Chicken and Egg' syndrome. Years ago we had double the number of track for the supporter to attain their weekly ration of the sport and therefore there were far more people going to meetings. So they say.... but if they had attended in vast numbers, then those tracks would've had a better chance of staying open...... So we need to look at other areas why supporters stay away and the obvious answer is cost.... Going back in time to the early 70's when Neil Street ( genius engineer and a awesome chap) created the first of the 4 valve engine, While others were standing there in amazement of what the engine could do, Terry Betts pointed out the sport can ill afford such development.. When his comments were questioned, he replied This engine has to be banned, if not then everybody would need to purchase similar just to be competitive. The costs will need to be met, Riders will want more money, the promoters will have to charge more to come in and the fans will be expected to pay. Speedway as we know it will be gone forever........ How true those words were. If they had taken more notice of what was happening then, probably the sport would be in better shape than it is today......

To answer the title of the tread : What does it matter how weak the teams are, We want to see competitive racing of a quality we can afford. All the off-season has been taken up with problems created by the lack of finance and the trouble clubs are having running their club, It is obvious some posters don't understand, WE CANNOT AFFORD THE TOP RIDERS ANY MORE. they want more than the sport can afford to pay. I'm looking forward to the new season with most teams of an acceptable standard. So what if we the teams aren't filled with top names, we will be watching riders who want to race here. This year could actually be very good where the so called standard will be overlooked by the quality of racing it produces......

I don't understand all this negativety on here. British Speedway is not about World Class riders anymore, is more important to have competitive teams at a cost that at be afforded. Some of the post aired on here are so disrespectfull. If I lived in Leicester I would be happy ro go and watch this team every week. Think of all the places that would love to have their own team to support. I think they will be competitive with most of the teams top 3, and that includes Kings Lynn. Rest assured, Lebedev is capable of beating any rider any day....

He probably will, but I don't imagine he will be there for long. This is what the reason why our CMA system is well out of date in allowing someone of his obvious talent to come in on such a low score... Regardless of his low average he will be a top points scorer. Providing he races with the same determination he could quite easily finish up as Lions top rider come the end of the season.... He's that good.......

Contruary to other posters on here I think the Lions team is much better than I had imagined. Bearing in mind they have had last pick, their home meetings at the weekend, and not the biggest finances to play with, I'm impressed with the squad they have assembled... A top 3 of Nilsson; Gomolski and Lebedev will be exciting to watch and equal to most teams in the league. Auty; Riss; Wolbert is a decent set of 2nd string riders coupled with Ayres at reserve I believe they will compete with most teams... Watching Lebedev in his short spell at Lynn, he could be the star of the future, he no doubt has immense talent.... I cant see Leicester winning the league, nor finishing at the bottom, but they could cause other teams a lot of problems.....

Another good interview with a well known name from speedway, Thanks Mike..... Its amazing, you emigrate to the other side of the world and find so many people there that have a connection with the Kings Lynn Stars. Especially when you have been invited to commentate on the forth coming Darcy meeting. It must feel like home from home. Ps. Like the new Camera position, it shows you in a much better 'lite'

I was under the impression King and Kerr were both Kings Lynn assets. . Don't know if that makes any differences. Surely it depend who signed who first.... and which fixture was arranged first.... Sure is going to be a 'Pigs Ear' to sort out when the said two teams play against each other......

I agree with some of the comments about our sound distribution at AFA. In this day and age with the new wireless technology . It is now far easier to install real good tanoy system at a fraction they use to cost. The internet with the world make it far more competitive to get quality items. I use to stand on the favoured first corner , but gave it up because we couldn't heat the results to fill in the program.... Even in some places of the Royal Box it is hard to hear. also 3rd bend. Back straight appears good as does the start. but agree in desperate need of modernising...

I cant help thinking there is an air of acceptance about the whole affair. It appears to me that everybody is waiting for someone else to sort it out, in the meantime the demise of the iconic stadium continues. Surely there are people in high places who could get the ball rolling, M o Ps; Councillors, Planning Officers; Police; Television; Newspapers could all help in a effort to streamline the process. I hope upon hope this is not the end of Brandon speedway, but I'm not very confidant......

This was a suggestion I made a couple of years ago when seeing Gavin on stage showcasing Niels. From that moment he was an obvious choice. Whether he can replace Mike Bennett remains to be seen, but Gavin does have that aura of confidence and knowledge that a commentator needs. He has shown no problems standing in front of full house speaking freely and fluently , and his speedway knowledge is equal to most of us. He has all the attributes to make the job a tremendous success. This is just another piece of that jig-saw that has been assembled to make 2017 a truly special year.....

Post from COL: Of those announced I think there is allot of potential in the Kings Lynn team, whether they can reach that potential I don't know, may depend if Holder is interested in average reduction to return to Poole. ​Response: Had you witness Holder being introduced to the Fans at Lynn and listened to him and Troy talking you would realise that all Holder wants is to prove a point to Poole. It was obvious he wasn't pleased that Poole had dropped him and wants nothing more then to prove them wrong. This could be the alkalise heel that tips the scales in the Stars direction.. Weather we win the league or not, the one thing I'm confident about is that Chris Holder will thorough enjoy his time riding for the Kings Lynn Stars,,,,, He won't let us down......

You could say that about any track. I have travelled 180ml to Poole and seen the same there, so its not that straight forward to get the track right every meeting. I have been to new Leicester 3 times and have enjoyed all. the meetings . I've been to Coventry, Bellevue, Wolves Swindon and have all suffered similarly with crap meetings. The problem these days is the high revving bikes they ride . as soon a s riders ease off they lose their momentum. The track is not as bad as some broadcast, all it needs is to ensure the preparation is done correct and no scrimp on the topping. I 've seen Doyle, Lambert and Neils make some wonderful passes, proving to me its possible to come from the back.... I been to far worse tracks than Leicester.......

How many times have we said 'This will be our year'. Its must be some sort of record that a club can go this long, with the top honour always alluding the Stars. Year upon year, we have tried but always failed that final hurdle.. We could say the sun hasn't shined on us when injuries have all but strangled a given opportunity. but that's the name of the game.. 2017 looks promising, ( how many time have we said that? ) When looking at the other squads we are at least equal to most and better than some, but that is of little importance . Its what happens on the track that matters.. It's of no consequences how we start, or who we beat. its them play-offs that matter. Of cause I'm optimistic, I am most years.... Are we good enough? yeah no problem.... Will this be the year? who knows....... But I will be there every step of the way to witness it happening.... Will it bother me if we don't win it? Noooooo...... But I will enjoy the journey regardless of how it ends up...... Prediction: KL plus perm any 3 from the rest. in the Play-off................. Then its in the lap of the gods...... .

As much as I'm pleased the Coventry Bees are still in existence I can only see this working as a short period of time. If the work at Brandon is not immediate and fans cannot see an immediate return, then the idea will fall flat and the club could die forever. As a makeshift arrangement the chance of riding on another track is a godsend, and Leicester should be commended for allowing this to happen. But as a viable solution it can never survive the finances requirement needed . From all accounts Leicester struggled last year to keep abreast with what is expected and doubling the number of meeting will come hard on respective supporters. The Brandon Raceway is as iconic as the Speedway team itself. They go hand in hand, I always look for positives and the transferring to Leicester gives .the Bees a little extra time to get Brandon racable. Anything more than that and its doomed to fail.......

Sometimes breaks are better than tendon issues or muscle tears. With a break it's usually a straight forward rest and repair, tendon and muscle can take far longer...... Fingers crossed everything is he'll be ok

The value of the reserve points is governed by those that left over when assembling the team. The minimum a new rider can have is 2pts, whereas the most pts he could have would be (50pts divided by 7, each rider being equal) would be 7.14 . Because the heat format has changed this year, the reserve riders will have harder races riding against better riders. It is for those reasons some teams have gone for one better rider instead of two.. Hence the difference in reserve rider's points..... It is opinionated which is the best way to assemble the team this year. Some have gone for the strong top end with a lesser middle and a weaker reserves. Whereas some have gone for a more all round team strength, at the expense of a out-n-out top man.. It is arguable which is best both have their advantages. The first set of figures should indicate the benefits of each but it will probably be much longer before it becomes clear which is the best....

I have been very fortunate to have seen all those world stars that rode for Lynn, and to me Micheal Lee was without doubt the best rider we ever had. In them 5 yrs to when he won the World Championship, he was without equal. Cyril Crane and Alan Littlechild often said he was the only rider capable of putting a 1000 people on the gate ........every week.... He was a godsend...... Lynn's problems started when Lee knew he was irreplaceable and could come and go as he liked....... which he often did. That was the start of his decline, both as a rider and also the crowd puller.. They soon got fed up with his wayward ways, not bothering to turn up anymore...... Not only did we lose a fantastic rider, but also many spectators got fed up with the way he was allowed to behave.... A double whammy.... What a waste of talent.......... No one will ever doubt the ability of PC but Michael Lee only rode in the 2nd division ( Boston) when he was 16. When he was 17 he rode full time for Lynn. and averaged 9.43 in his first full season.

We are never going to agree on this subject. Whilst I understand your work involvement, I cannot see the direct connection you feel. You say you have worked long hours but no doubt you have been well rewarded. I too worked many days and weeks with little restbite but sometimes that par for the course. In your first sentence, you mention about figures being correct of the watching audiences, You have to understand the streaming of programs off the net is world wide and is accepted as the way forward. For you to expect people only to watch our programs, using the old system on television and aerial is way out of date. Nobody is stealing your work. Its just your way of glorifying the deception you feel people are doing. I 've worked on many products,, As soon as I've been paid for work then its handed over I cease to own it. You and others are blinded here, governed totally about the thought of people watching Sky products free of charge. You fail to understand that streaming from the net is big business.. It is estimated that within 3 yrs sourcing programs from the net will be the most popular way of watching TV. USA, China, Europe, Australia, have all jumped on the bandwagon,, but you say, using it in the UK is wrong. There are millions of computer devises capable of enjoying downloaded streams . You worrying about figures and future broadcasting, is understandably a concern, but I have no doubt the Companies will know all about the audience figures. The pricing of these programs will be met by new ways, advertising, franchise, licencing will come to the fore... Streaming won't go away.... The rest of your post surprised me. I was of the impression you were a man of substance, Integrity, somebody who could discuss and evaluate. . but I got that wrong too.... When somebody can turn so easily into a vile mouth, aggressive individual, then any respect one had has gone forever. I cant comment on words like 'Scum' and 'Lowlife' as they are something in life I've had little to do with. But am surprised, them accusation are allowed of a forum such as this . Am sorry I was wrong about you..............

Have obviously hit a sore point.... But to me you're going well over the top. I assume you are working for SKY as they are the only company you pay to view. Had you worked for the BBC or ITV everyone can receive them at no cost. Streaming TV boxes have been out for some time are sold in the millions all over the world. Many of these programs are free issue, many are transmitted from other countries that we would not normally be able to see.. Sky and BT don't have to stream on the net, but its something they are prepared to do.. They are more aware of the issues than you or I will ever know, but they continue to do so. I'm not naïve and appreciate the financial implications of the streaming programs. Sky must also appreciate the possibilities of streaming their programs from the net, and if they do not want people to see their programs then put a block to it. Only recently, Sky have introduce the Cube, a streaming devise, capable of sourcing programs from across the world. My question now is : why is it so wrong to stream SKY programs when they are in turn streaming programs from across the world themselves...???. I don't know what stealing cars has to do with anything...

Wow!! I have to presume you do this work for nothing? Or do you get paid for the service you provide by the company you for work for, either way surely you're not expecting each and everyone who watches a program, you were involved with, to pay you personally for the honour. So Nobody is stealing anything from you..... We sure are getting personal here. I don't owe Sky or BT nothing, and can source the same programs from alternative supplier free of charge...... All of us have the choice !! Many years ago I was privileged to accompany Barrie Sheene to the Motor Show at Earls Court. What an experience that was and truly highlighted the different worlds that we all live in. We were accepted on every stand and nobody could have been more helpful in their attitude to make us so welcome. We stayed on the Lotus stall for ages where Colin Chapman was out to impress, Barrie enough to purchase one of his sports cars. He failed miserably but the JPS girls kept us all supplied with free fags.... It was the same at Fords stand and Jaguar's. Everybody wanted Barrie on their stand for Photo shoots. The opportunities we were afforded that day was endless. Ferrari were the same and welcomes us all with open arms.. They even offered Barrie a car for a month trial in a effort to persuade him to buy..... You cannot believe the amount of goodies I brought home that day.... When I again visited the Motor Show, years later, I was treated very differently. 'Stay behind the barrier please sir' Thank you!!!!! It just proved to one and all if you are a known 'Highflyer' the doors will open for you. Us mere mortals are seen differently........