Happy Hunter

Why is it that Lion's fans have to hear about who is riding for the Lions on here instead of the Lion's website! I have had an email from the Lions this afternoon telling me about reduced admission fees for children & students at Beaumont Park but no mention of the team for Thursday!

Reading the comments about the alterations to bends 3 & 4 on various meeting threads it seems the general opinion is that there has been some improvement in the racing but we will not see the full benefit until bends 1 & 2 are done. I seem to remember that there was some suggestion earlier in the year that 1 & 2 could be done when there was a SGP or World Cup break. Does anyone know if there is a possibility that 1 & 2 will be done during the season or will they have to wait until next Autumn/Winter?

The racing was not as good last night as in the match last Saturday. Belle Vue seemed to sus out new lines on bends 3 and 4 and I recall at least two inside passes going into turn 3, especially by Bomber in the last heat. I think the Lions need to be a bit more adventurous in trying out new racing lines. At the moment they, and some visiting riders, seem content to just ride the lines that they have always ridden.

Thanks Glyn. Informative as ever. Perhaps the Lion's management could come on here occasionally and be as forthcoming.

Tonight will be a test of Norrie Allan's managerial skills. I think that you can put Jason down for a 15 point maximum. All that Norrie has got to do then is to make sure that Lions get a 3-3 in all Jason's heats (easier said than done!) and then knock up some heat advantages in the remaining 10 races. Can the Lions stop Swindon's other six riders from getting more that 31 points between them? If they all ride to the averages that they have got for Elite League meetings at Leicester they could just about do it. However if the Lions pull up their socks ride to their potential they could just about scrape a win. Norrie will have to be quick on his feet to make sure that Lions make the most of their reserves and have some tactical riding in those heats where they ought to get a heat advantage i.e. 2, 4, 5 7, 8, 9 12 & 14.

Just looking at the teams for tonight and have discovered that the Vue riders have a total average of nearly 49 at Leicester (Elite league matches only). Surprisingly the rider with the lowest average is Scott Nichols with 6.25, the highest is Bomber with 8. So it will need a really good performance by the Lions to get a win.

According to Somerset's web site Starke is riding for the Lions on Friday.

I like this. I think I will see if there any colleges in Manchester offering a 'How to run a speedway meeting.' course. You ought to include in your list 'and occasionally watching speedway at Brandon for the past 50 years".

Are the Bees the only Elite League Club who do not have a reduced admission charge for OAPs? If they are what a stingy lot!

Yes - http://www.bellevueaces.co/newsitem.aspx?id=1644

The one in this news item on the Belle Vue Web site http://www.bellevueaces.co/newsitem.aspx?id=1644

From the photos I have seen it looks like a patch job rather than a complete relaying.

Someone from the Lions must come on here as the team photos have now appeared on the Gallery page - hooray! The one at the top of the Facebook page has not been altered though!

If you take the trouble to look at my post it was in response to someone only finding out that there was a reduced entrance fee for students when they got to the track. It was this reduction that was not advertised. I was not commenting on how well or otherwise the meeting was promoted. Now that you have roused me from my slumber how about the publicity on the web site? Press and practice last Friday & meeting on Saturday but still no team photo or photos of either event. The Gallery page has nothing more recent than pictures of the track alterations.Even the Facebook page has at the top a picture of Lion's riders in last seasons kevlars.

I would be interested to know if there was anything on the tickets for Saturday's meeting about refunds if the meeting was postponed or abandoned.

An extract from a post on the Leicester 2016 page by the Lions track curator 12 days ago:- "But went by Manchester's new track they have so much to do in 12 days and the weather is giving them little chance. We had snow here in Manchester all day now its raining. Had no shale on two turns Just mud everywhere."

Try emailing the general enquiries email address on the Club Details page on the website. I think that Lynda Jones monitors this and I have always found her very helpful.

Why on earth was this not advertised! There are photos of today's meeting on the Leicester Mercury Website (http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/pictures/Picture-Gallery-Speedway-Leicester-Lions-v/pictures-28954577-detail/pictures.html) and the crowd looked even smaller than I though it might be. Talk about 'promoting'!!

Anything exciting to report from last nights forum with DH & team manager?

Could be. I still buy the same number that I always have but I don't buy a programme anymore.

I hope I am wrong about this but I expect a poor turnout on Saturday afternoon. The weather forecast is not very good (light rain in the morning), the early start time will put some fans off and the full price admission cost will deter other fans from attending what is, after all, just a warm up practice match. I expect the crowd to be less than half of what the it will be against the Bees on the following Saturday. The early start has put me off so I will be interested to hear from those who do go what the attendance is like. On the subject of attendances generally we have no facts to go on as to how attendances compare one season to the next but, if you look back through the Supporters Club accounts, you will see that the income from the 50/50 raffle has diminished since 2011.

Confirmed full whack on Lion's Facebook page.

I expect you will have to pay full whack!

For all you Lions anoraks out there the 2016 Speedway Regulations have now been published - see http://www.britishspeedway.co/2016_regulations_final.pdf

Jan Graversen still not signed up anywhere either!!!!!!!!!