Craftman

Proud Potter ( Malcolm ) , thanks for your opinions which are gratefully received . To me Stoke need a successful season to help bring back the local interest in speedway ( crowds at an all time low , which makes my heart sink ) , and this is where for some the importance of young British riders development clashes with the need to win at all costs. I fear greatly for my club and wonder how they can possibly survive with our attendances and seemingly lack of foresight in raising the sports profile in the local media. We do need a team thats seen as successful , not a development NL club only riding in front of one man and his dog other than the arrival of the Dudley of course . The longer the Potters dwell as a mid table NL team , the longer it will take for the club IMHO to get back to the good old days of Complin , Barker , Cunningham and many others who entertained us every Saturday evening at Loomer road. I Iive in hope.

Agree with you Sir !

Emerson obvious wasn't up to the job , and got out before being shown up ! We only need riders committed to Stoke

Liam's exclusion from Stoke 2013 is an obsolute mystery tbh ! There was definitely significant progress in his performances to warrant a team spot at Loomer Road . Good luck to him and a ride somewhere in the NL

Yes he does !

Hope u get sorted James , good luck !

Good luck Dudley , don't let what's gone before count for nothing !

Good luck Dudley from a Stoke Fan , you deserve it !

Memories indeed , Stoke were a joy to watch in those days. Good luck Lee for your future choices ,

If that was the other way round , there would only be one outcome ! Holder is very lucky indeed

Compared to football , EL and PL speedway is generally better VFM given the dangers a rider faces compared to the modern footballing ponce . £45 to watch Stoke at old Trafford or £15 at most PL and EL tracks

The last home meeting was on a Sunday v Rye was no more than 200 , with around 300 v Mildenhall the night before ( good away following ). Remember Stoke also now have a establshed PL football team , and dual fans like me often can't afford both on the same weekend .

As a fan of Stoke who no longer travels away ( other than the annual beating at Buxton ) it's interesting to see how NL crowds compare with each other and also with the PL and EL. It's no secret that Stokes attendances are at an all time low ( well certainly since I first went in 1985 ) and that Dudley/ mildenhall pull the biggest crowds as most on the forum seem to hint. Like with football in general , crowds are declining due to cost , but is it cost , poor facilities , quality of racing or anything else that explains the declining speedway attendances ? Watching the EL playoff at Lakeside , I was surprised to say how few people were in attendance for such a key meeting !

Why don't thè NL try a new concept , the team that finishes top of the league is the Winner !

+ 1

Stoke were again poor today , with only Carr able to hold his head high ! Birks looks jaded and off his normal pace , with Reade well below par. Atkin is not a heat leader , Carr is definitely getting stronger , Rumsey needs time and Cockle without any offence will only pick up scraps. Today's attendance was the worst I can ever remember in 20 plus years , and I fear for Stokes long term future I'm afraid. I don't want to seem to be knocking my team , but it's hard to see any positives in the clubs present situation