weatherwatcher

From the way the last message read on the Lions website I would not be at all suprised to see Jason Doyle and Sam Master returning next year. Plus the 2 Poles after they came for the final dinner, so that only really needs one more place to fill plus 2 reserves.

Welcome back Shovlar. Not been the same without your livly coments on here.

I have a feeling that Jason Doyle will be back at the Lions again next year. DH will pull out all the stops to make sure they manage to keep him happy for another few seasons. How he is goung to do this I don't know. Maybe we will find out what the plans are for next season after the AGM.

So what is the point of having the lads ride at reserve for 4 meetings to get an average. If it had been worked out on thier averages that they scored this year they would have better averages than most heat leaders, with some of the scoring 15 points or there around many weeks. Just hope that they don't open the door and let overseas riders come as reserves again, some did the job but the majority of them where just plain rubbish and should never have sat across a speedway bike ever.

I just hope that the Lions don't bummble along and wait until practice day to let the fans know who the team will be. This has happened now for both years of them being in the EL.

The draft system has now turned out to be an absolute farse. We have a hand full of very good British riders in there who are now being held back for another year. Yet again how long will it be before the promoters take a chance and put them into a full team place they deserve, instead of having them as a reserve to win meetings for them.

TMW. Agree there there has not been anything on the Lions site, for a few weeks now. Hope we get a few words from DH after the AGM. Any news on what is happening with Jason Doyle, his he coming back or have the management got to try and find a new No1.

Has you said 1 valve, unless DH changes his mind on the race night, then I am afraid that the Lions will still be a never ran EL club. The top riders just don't want to race on a Saturday. He will never be able to put together a half decent team if he doesn't sit down and think this through, is he that self imposing that he would rather do nothing and see the club fold again after all the hard work of getting speedway back in the city. To still stay with Saturday and with that prospect lose on of the best riders (Jason Doyle) who has come on in leaps and bounds these last couple of years, doe's not make any sense to me. The crowds have been getting less and less, because we had a team again that could not compete in the EL, if he stays with Saturday, it will be another patched up team and we will see the crowd levels get lower and lower. He can't just bury his head in the sand and hope that things will work out, it won't, they will only get worse. Can't wait to here what he has to say about the prospects for next year after the AGM. Also to see what rubbish team he puts forward and then expects folks to still turn up on a Saturday. British speedway where once the world or one of the world leaders, the top riders came over and just kept asking for more and more money, clubs where folding because of this and the promoters told them, they where not going to panda to them any longer. So rather than come over here for less money, they went to Sweden and Poland. Both those countries are paying them what they ask and many clubs over there are in the same boat as British speedway was then. Lets so how long they can keep paying what the riders ask before they say no, or before the clubs have to close their doors. It nearly happened here, I for one would be far happier to see a team of young riders that the worlds top riders who are only out now for what they can get.

The biggest stumbling block is Poland who race on Sunday's. Any EL rider who is riding on a startdardy night who also races in Poland and there are quite a few, have a very busy Saturday racing in the meeting until 10.30 ish if lucky, then driving to get a flight to be in Poland for the meeting on a Sunday. I am afraid that it is Poland that is and always will be a problem with any team that meets on a Saturday over here. They should make the Poles change their race night, but at the moment, they are the ones who draw all the big names as British speedway fell way down the pecking order as the leading nation, where all the top riders wanted to come and ride.

I for one can't see DH taking a backward step and going back to the PL. It would make it look that he had failed

Lets hope for the sake of speedway in general, that the historic name of Cadrley will carry on for generations to come. I can still remember coming to work over that way in the late 1960's and early 1070's and seeing the posters of the next meeting displayed all over the place. Just hope that someone who knows theiir way around the sport can step in and take the club to greater things. Most of all to finding them a new home.

The biggest factor at Leicester is nothing to do with either the GP's or any of the worlds other leauges. The biggest problem of all if a management team or maybe just DH who will not move away from anything that upsets the apple cart. Brings to mind the Frank Sinatra song " I did it my way "

It always amazes me how the Poles can build the speedway stadiums they do. They are stadiums for the 21st century not the old dog track image we still have here. Even the new stadium at Leicester is still staying with the old British style track image. Not sure what Belle Vue new stadium will look like, but I doubt very much that it will come anywhere near the all round seated stadiums that the Poles seem to love, Also what sort of plans have Swindon got for there's, will it just be another plain old 1960's style British stadium, it is time that British speedway came into a new era and started to get away from the very old and tired looking stadiums that we have around the country.

The money that the Poles and Swedes are paying out to riders, is now having the same affect that it had over here in the EL. Clubs are struggling to stay afloat. The British promoters said no in the end and put a cap on the money paid to them, the top riders or most of them, then spit their dummies and stopped coming over here, as they would bother turning out for what the British promoters offered them. If they carry on with it abroad then we will find that very shortly a lot of the clubs will go under. They have found this already in Poland where riders have not received the money due to them. It is time that all the clubs at home and abroad, fixed a rate of pay for the riders in a scale for 1-7. If they don't come up with this soon, then they will all be coming back again crawling to us because the clubs that offered them the silly money will be shut down. Was it me or was the crowd at this weekends GP very poor, seemed to be lots of empty seats, have people lost interest in the GP's. When all siad and done it is the same week in week out with long strung out heats, that at times are very boring to watch after they have got around the first 2 bends.

I can't see them going for a Friday night, as it would still not help him when it came to racing in the GP's. They normally have a Friday practice. With him riding in Poland on a Sunday, the GP's on a Saturday, and Sweden on a Tuesday, it only really makes any sense to race on a Thursady, if they really want to keep him at BP. One way to solve the problem is make the Poles race on a Monday, but they are the ones who rule the roost now, not this country. Not sure how many fans the Lions would lose going for a mid week racenight as there are a lot of fand who bring young children along, I for on, would not be able to come as being disabled I need my grandson there with me as a carrer, just in case, anything happens to me, it is far to late when it finishes when he is on a school night. It is past 11pm by the time we get back to South Derbyshire. It is far to late for him when he needs to get up at 7.30am to get ready for school. Saturdays work really well for anyone who likes to go as a family and there are quite a lot of young face at BP. Would be a shame to lose them to the sport, as they are the future fans. Again we are being dictated to by riders who race in the other European clubs who pay far more than they get over here. Even if all the clubs went for the same race night, the top names would not come flooding back again, the British promoters have decided that they will not be held over a barrel by these so called gods who ask for silly money, that is what put a lot of clubs in a bad way financially we they used to flock over here. Unlees they could bring in the crowds, which they didn't, then the clubs where losing money.

It seems to me that this year is one of the worst years for the EL, we have been going on about it year after year, but now it just seems to have hit rock bottom, taking a back seat to the other European nations. We don't even come out as second best these days. How long before it is all wrapped up. As said ealier I would rather watch a good meeting with a good selection of young Brits, than these so called super stars, who try to have the promoters over a barrel, the only reason they don't want to come and race over here is that fact that the promoters, cut their apron strings and could no longer call the shots.

I am still waiting to hear what DH said on the radio or like me did everyone miss it. Not quite sure what he is going to do in 2016. For one it looks like he needs a replacement for Jason and, how many of the other riders will he keep, Will the young Pole return next year. Lots of things need to be sorted out over the comiing months, one thing for sure he will have to dig deep into his pockets, next season to get a team together that will be a first class act. He could do woth, if he tried to get Emil or Arthur Laguta over here.

I missed the radio interview given by DH on Thursday, what did he have to say, Just hope it was nat all doom and gloom.

Must say poor old Rosco had a face like a wet wicket, he was just the same when they where beten at the Lions twice, had a word with him before their first meeting that was on Sky and I have never spoken to a more misserable bugger in all my life, would never go up to him to have a word with him again. Hope BV do the bussiness over them next Monday. It would be nice to see BV v the Bees. Make a change to having to watch Poole year in year out.

The website is a joke, nothing more, so way behind in letting the fans know what is going on, it would be nice just to see some sort of weekly update onm there, much like most of the other teams do. Not sure who is the webmaster, but they need to up their game.

All the top riders in the draft this year, should have been given a full team place, they where just to good to be riding in a reserve spot, it was rather silly when they came with a 15 point score at the end of the meeting, not just on the odd occasion either. It was these top riders who got the 4 teams into the play offs. They had already shown their worth last year, I was tottaly gob smacked when I saw that they had been held back for another season. Are the promoters scared to give these young up and coming British lads the honours they deserve. Lets get the resersve for next season on an even basis, shouldn't be to hard to do, but we are talking speedway here, so nothing is that simple.

I love my speedway and love coming to see the Lions. The answer to me not attending that many meetings is yes I just cant afford the maney to go every other week. I am lucky if I can manage to afford going 4 times a year. Great to see the Lions finished in 6th spot in the EL, far better than we thought they would do, they have had a terrible year with injuries, etc. just hope that 2016 see a far better year for them and a finish higher up the table, the main selling point is if Jason Doyle dosen't return next season, then who will be the rider to take his place, has to be a top class act. Went to watch the last home meeting, it was one of the worst crowds I think I have seen at BP, since they moved up to the EL, they had even nore fans there for the last PL meeting Hope the management can get things sorted, it would be a crying shame to see the loss of speedway in the city again.

I agree, don't go with my grandson as often as I like, by the time I have filled up with diesel and a couple of cups of coffee each, I am out of pocket for around £60. So there is no wayon this earth that I could get there every other week.

It will have to be more than one promoter bringing up a major issue at the AGM. If DH made a statement to bring down all the BPSA board I am sure that they would all stand firmly together on that one. So if they do overule anything he puts forward and not agree, where does he go then, will it be the end of the Lions or will he put the club up for sale.Because I can't see him stepping down on the issue and just doing nothing and carring on. Must say nice to see the Lions get the win against The Wolves and move off the bottom slot, well done lads.

Niether can I see David Hemsley going back to the PL it would be a backward step for him. If he wants the Lions to move off the bottom of the table then he has to open his purse strings and bring in some top riders, riders who will stay the whole season, the only problem being that most of the top riders have already settled into other clubs, so where do you get them from as most of the other GP boys don't want to come over here. So it really dosen't leave a big pool of talent to bring in, I have a gut feeling that we have lost Jason Doyle next season, that is unless DH can really pull the rabbit out of the hat with him, He needs a team that gives him full suport from 2 to 7, we most also have a couple of good reserves. Auty would do the job that is unless he finds a club that will give him a full team place, they have also got to give the likes of Garrity, Newman etc full team places next season, to make the whole reserve beth fairer, it is the team with the best reserves that are winning meetings. Poole on Thurday shows just how the reserves can make that difference, they won by 13 points, that was the score difference between the Lions and the Poole reserves. So if they sort everything out at the AGM which they never seem to be able to do, we will still have the same old problems with the EL that we have had for the past umpteem years, as someone said in 3 or 4 years time there will be no teams left to make up the EL, unless some of the top PL clubs move up, the problem being can they afford to move up. Something has to be done soon rather than latter at BP the crowd levels are dropping the Poole meeting had large gaps all around the stadium, not sure what the crowd numbers where but far lower than at the start of last season, by a long shot.