Teromaafan

Despite the dire situation the sport is in, I cannot believe that a club would hesitate to approach a rider in case it made another team weaker.

Belle Vue, Ipswich and Sheffield will all have riders at No.5 who are better than Masters and Douglas. They both might have to be sacrificed if a they can bring in a suitable 8+ rider to support Fricke, resulting in obvious weakening elsewhere.

I was determined to have a couple of big hitters at 1 & 5 and a decent No.6. I came up with the following based on a 39 point limit: Fricke Sedgmen Lawson Howarth Lindgren C Cook RS Total of 38.74 by my sums, taking into account the discount for British riders. Big emphasis on home winning margins, with only Freddie having never ridden for the Lions previously.

Clubs taking things seriously will do everything they can to keep a top two on 8+ averages (regardless of the points limit) as this seems to be the way to go of late to win the league. The shrewdest managements will of course seek the best riders available(on the up) on lower averages for their middle order which will have to be compromised. If the Lion’s backbone is as named previously on this thread, then next season will not surpass this one, since half of the league will have a better No.5 than Masters. Since any points scored by the RS would appear to be a bonus, a 5 pointer at No.6 is something the Lions should be looking at. That said, if you are having the two required big hitters at the top end, you are highly likely to have at least one 5 pointer in the main 1 to 5 of the team! Think we’ll just have to rely on Dickson’s judgement again, which I’m happy to do.

Yes, the upturn coincided with Becker punching above his weight.

Whether you’re right or wrong regarding the owner’s motives, I don’t think they were queuing around the block when Bates announced that he was looking for someone to buy the club. People should therefore cut Mr Cairns a little slack, just ask the many thousands of speedway fans who no longer have a team to follow.

Whilst I admire the owner for pumping money into the club, it is their risk. Going cap in hand to gullible supporters in an attempt to keep the ship afloat is naive to say the least. The bottom line is simply that there is very little interest in the sport in the city and hasn’t been for a number of years. Nobody wants to see any club close, but it’s a business, supply and demand etc. Enthusiasm and passion does not pay bills.

No better than this years team, reasonably solid, but won't win you the league. I'd want Sedgmen at 6 with a re-jig of the middle order (much of a muchness) to accommodate an 8 pointer to support Fricke. Easier said than done though with points limits and rider availability/affordability to consider.

How would that approach work today when half of the riders in each of the top two divisions are double uppers? Where will all the additional riders come from?

My first thoughts are that this would leave a weak middle order ‘engine room’, but if you are trying to fit in a couple of GP level riders, which I agree is the approach to take, there has to be a compromise. Sedgy would be good value (particularly at home) on that average at reserve.

Would have been box office a couple of years ago, but now? Would question his desire? If the next AGM decided that teams are required to field a DJ, how about bringing in Tony Blackburn? Would surely come in on a very low (age related) average and no doubt free up points elsewhere for team building? Any seventies era DJ would feel quite at home at most tracks, since the music played over the PA is what they were playing when they were on air.

Agreed. The team that won the league and others that should have won the league (according to people in Suffolk) have a stronger No.1 and a No.5 at least as good as Fricke. Problem is, if a better rider can be persuaded to join the Lions, fitting them in with team average limits. A five point reserve is essential if we are going to have to carry a RS at No.7. The current middle order would then therefore need to take a dent. Take your pick with the current No.2 to No.5, their averages are pretty similar. I would personally want to keep Lawson and trade any of the others to accommodate another another big hitter along with someone like Sedgmen or Kerr.

Basketball takes the same sensible approach.

Carter and Larsen were only dangerous on a bike though, OAPs did not fear them.

The SGP should feature the best riders in the world. Looking at the 2024 riders, Emil & Laguta are comfortably better than half of the field. On that basis they should be competing in the SGP but politics will have a say on that matter. Non qualifying riders for next season’s series will be decided by the sport’s powers that be and not dictated by public opinion. If either or both of them are selected for next season’s GP, league racing in the UK is hardly a priority, which would be totally understandable.

I think that’s just one too many heat advantages to concede for the Lions. Only two race winners all night and no heat advantages although they did tuck in well for a number of shared heats. Got to point the finger at Fricke.A GP rider on a track he should know well and turns in 3 points, absolutely p*ss poor. Dickson will be furious. Young Hagon has to be worth a mention. Rode his socks off and put in a massive contribution. Hats off the Aces big guns, they simply don’t know when they’re beaten and breeze past the opposition with ease at home.

Doesn’t taste great though, offal actually 😉

Lambert is trying to earn a living and like everyone else he will be trying to maximise his income in what will be a relatively short career. Your reference to be being British and supporting the sport in this country is laughable. Loyalty went out of the window long ago, with riders and club owners both at fault, but clubs being the worst culprits and able to axe riders at the drop of a hat.

Can’t disagree but I’ll take crap racing over two legs if the Lions can pull it off. On this occasion, I’d prefer to create history (for the Lions) over entertainment.

You could work your way through every episode of Only Fools And Horses and would struggle to find a line funnier than that 🤣

To compensate, he married a lady with very small hands…..sorted our kid 👍

I seem to recall that when King rode for the Lions he bottled heat 15 on more than one occasion.

I thought Hawkins handled the question well when Abi asked why Emil rode yesterday but couldn’t race today. Let’s face it, he will be more peed off than anyone, but made up excuses to save the face of the sport. Regarding Emil’ s injury, he described it as a ‘hole in his bum’, but surely that is something that each and every one of us have to live with!

Makes me grateful to have Leicester as my home track!

I’m reluctant to have a go at Phil’s input when the sport in this country has bigger problems than he could be expected to turn around. Point the finger at his employers.