Happy Hunter

Having followed the discussion about changes to the track and how the circuit at Beaumont Park compares to the one at Blackbird Road I have been digging into Alan Jones' History of Speedway in Leicester and have discovered that the size of the track was changed 5 times after it was originally laid out at 348 yards (356 metres) in 1928. In 1930 it was increased to 353 yds. (361m)and in 1937 it was increased to 360 yds. (368m). When the track re-opened after the war in 1949 it was increased to 382 yds. (391m) and then in May that year reduced to 364 yds. (372 m). In 1951 it was increased to 380 yds. (389m) at which distance it remained until the stadium closed in 1983.

Seems Lions fans are now complaining about concessions for season ticket holders instead of the lack of track alterations! Can't please all the people .........................

I wondered how long it would be before someone made the connection between Coventry riding at Leicester and the track alterations. Perhaps DH has had some rent in advance! Thanks speedflash. Its always good to get the news from the horses mouth!. With the weather we are having it might be some time before you get it all finished then! Where does the shale come from? Hope its not from Cumbria, Yorkshire or Lancashire!

Just looked at new photos on the Lion's website. Not sure if it will be bends 1 & 2 as well as 3 & 4 as work, so far, seems only to be on back straight and bends 3 & 4.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz is it March yet?

In a nutshell then. Management have been in touch with several candidates with varying degrees of success. Supporters are no closer to knowing who will lead their side. Further talks last week to fill gaping hole at top of team. Lower end of team looks competitive. Walasek might not start the season as a second string. Allan understands the fans frustration. Perhaps the race night does not help. There aren't the riders of a reasonably high standard. Allan would prefer two leagues of 12/14 teams because some Elite Teams are no better than good Premier League Teams. The article ended with some mutual back slapping with Regional Recruitment Services. Nothing mentioned about the track bronze medal! Hope this helps! See you managed to get me to post again even though I wanted to hibernate!

I don't know why anyone is even bothering to try to guess who will be the other signings. We all might just as well save our energy for something worthwhile or hibernate until the middle of March. Had hysterics reading the article on Leicester in last week's Star which told us absolutely nothing we did not already know!

Tongue in cheek this but Jan the Man has not signed for anyone yet and he is, I think, a Lion's asset!

Not good news is it?

You must be a golden oldie like me then! I can go back a bit further than that to Pedlar Palmer, Harwood Pike, Jonnie Carpenter, Ron Wilson, Sid Hipperson, Reg Fearman etc.

Must say I was much amused by the photo in this week's Star of DH trying to talk to Szymon Wozniak through his woolly hat and ear defenders. According to a lot of people on here its usually DH who can't hear anything!.

I remember someone making the comment "Be careful what you wish for" when there was the discussion on here about Lions joining the Elite league. How true it has become!

Will those out there who are in the know give us a clue as to who DH might sign up for next season? I would like to see Masters back again. I thought he did a good job at no. 2 and could improve quite a bit. I liked his tangle with the man fans like to hate in the Aussie G.P.

Well it would not be Friday which, I think, is the only other night DH would contemplate running on. Hey ho back to the Premier League?

Not exactly a huge surprise but DH will have to pull a BIG rabbit out of the hat if he is not to lose more customers.

That's o.k. if you can get to all matches but I can't. Leicester only lease the land from the Council. I am grateful to all those who spent the winter of 2010/2011 in helping to build the new stadium, I even helped myself in a small way. The point is that the Leicester management on their Facebook page justify the increase in admission by saying that it will bring prices into line with those at Coventry and Wolverhampton. Most people would agree, I think, that, although wonders have been worked at Beaumont Park, the stadiums (stadia for the Latin scholars out there) at Brandon and Monmore are better than the one at Leicester and that the racing is better at those two tracks. In addition the Bees have been in the playoffs in the last two seasons and it was only at the fag end of last season that the Lions drew level on points with the Wolves. So am agreeing with the person who posted a comment on the Lions Facebook page that you will get better value for your money at Brandon or Wolverhampton than you will at Beaumont Park (especially if Jason does not come back). That's o.k. if you can get to every meeting but I can't.

I see that the admission prices for next season have been increased! Have to agree with a comment on the Lion's Facebook page that, although the admission fees will be the same as Coventry & Wolverhampton, we will be paying more for an inferior product e.g. poorer stadium facilities, track and, last season, team.

I suspect Kings Lynn otherwise I cannot see why Jason tweeted that Chapman has been elected as BSPA Chairman. If memory serves me right he guested for the Stars at the end of last season.

There are so many variables that its extremely difficult to predict how long it will take to build a new track. First you have got to find and buy/lease a site, second you have got to get the local authority on board and hope that there are no planning or environmental issues that can't be easily solved (have a look at the conditions attached to Leicester's planning approval), third the finance needs to be available, fourth you need to have the BSPA on board (no problem there I would have thought but you never know) and last you have got to build the place. Just look at how long it has taken to get the new Belle Vue Track in place. Was it 3/4/5 years? I reckon the Bees will have done well if they are in a new stadium for the 2019 season.

Some Lions fans are already saying that, if this happens, they will stop coming to Beaumont Park. They don't remember the Ochiltrees making a similar offer to the Lions in 1983! The only good thing that might come out of this is if any rental income was used to improve the track and spectator facilities.

Just for the record last season the Lions had 5 riders signed up by Christmas. The other two following in January and March.

Expect an announcement about next year's team at the End of Season Party. I don't think that the 2 Ws are going to come over just for the food & drinks!

I think that there has to be a 2 metre gap between the track fence and the spectator fence.

You might be interested to know that the Lions have had guests ride at no 6 13 times for an average of 5.24 and at no 7 13 times as well at an average of 5.71.

The three Poles have all been awful away from home. Its summed up by Wosniak actually improving his away average by scoring 3 + 1 from 3 on Monday. The two Ws have done reasonably well at home but Swiderski has been awful at home as well. He has only won 2 races (both at home) - one in heat 13 v Swindon on 11th July when the Lions were on a 5-0 and Doyle slowed to let him win and the other was in heat 10 v Lakeside on 1st August when he got away and the 2 Lakeside riders let him go so that the Lions could not put Doyle on a tactical in the next heat. Having read what the promoter said in the Speedway Star last week it looks like another season in the Elite League next year, unless they go for a set race night which is not a Saturday.