catinthehat

Your 100% right rocket but just look at this list and tell me what you think. From the grass in the past are the likes of Wigg, Doncaster, Tatum brothers, Loram, Barker, Screen, Bomber Harris, Wilson, Havelock, so you have to say there are the grass roots of the sport and the progression is to move up to speedway? Lets look at the facts that wood is one of the top riders on the grass at the moment, he was approached by Lakeside but at that time a few years ago and he was unable to give them the time and effort with work commitments and family life but still progressed up the ladder from the 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and now 500cc grasstrack ranks. Woods passion for grasstrack and lack of meetings in the Uk ment he needed to try another form of racing. So along with the other grass tracks riders in the NL he has joined them, maybe a year or too later then most but he has taken the step and looked great in the Video on the Net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKjenm6O-w8 Also it was woods first time on a Speedway bike. Looking at other riders that have come from the grass here are a few that have been named here for the NL 2015, My knowledge of the grass is not that great for the younger riders but it has a point the Mr Rocket may have missed, Perry, Wajtknecht, Atkins, Ritchings, Clegg, Harris, Greaves, Andrews, Warwick, Wood, Mullins, Shanes, Sheppard, Wolley, Banks, Hopwood, All from the Grass just to name a few means that’s 15 riders or 2 complete teams at NL Level from Grasstrack ? Not really a valid point Mr Rocket J but you got to give the guy a chance before he is written off. OMG i am starting to sound like i support Eastboune and Wood, well moving on to the whole of speedway, the delay of Darcys trial and now the Visa problems and again the silencer covers, what will be next? i need to have a cup of tea and watch judge Rinder.

Your right greyhoundp, but looking at the bigger picture if one move up leaves a still a good reserve still in the reserve bay also means a stronger rider will come down. so all year round they could only have movement even on the 4 riders, Dugard, wood, Andrews, Mason possible up and down as well. Got to say from a guy who has not ridden a speedway bike until the weekend the video looks impressive. George looks as if he could be a great signing for the club, Wonder how Mr Silver (Len) and (Andrew) both missed out on having him in their team as he is from the back yard of Len i think he is from Sittingbourne area. I have seen George on the grass in the past and he is as hard a nails (Just got to ask James Shanes). He is determined character and I don’t think many will stand in his way to make strides on his speedway career. Let see what else comes out the mix with Dugard & sons with the new guy George who i hoped would be a (Flop) as the way Martin Dugard conducted himself over Johnson, but rest assure along with Mr Wood mix the likes of Warwick its going to be interesting Year for the Club.

Your dead right Mike but look at the 99% of speedway tracks find it hard to pay the bills with out the help of sponsors, To get advertising that we think will pull in more people is not cost effective, to run a radio ad in the UK is about £1000 for 7 days with a burst of 7 ads, You cant choose your times they are all done on a rotor, so 25% of them in the Early hours the graveyard shift while musts of us are in bed asleep. So lets say £1000 for radio ad, This then needs an extra 83 people at NL level for the next meeting that’s a full coach load and a half of extra people just to get your money back. You need 84 new people to make a profit? So what’s the next best thing to get it out there to the public that’s cheap enough that we can all help with? Some give £2 to charity month some give more than that but if we give £12 we can all save speedway at the NL Level. Just bring a mate that’s never been to speedway before. Its Easy just take a mate that’s never been before, Offer to pay for them entrance fee and they can pay for a burger or hotdog and a drink so you almost get your money back J. If 42 people did this then that’s £504. That’s the difference Radio ad is not the cost effective, Media and facebook and other social media is the way to go with younger generation. If anyone has a way to get over to 1000’s of non speedway fans it would be nice to see what others think

2/7 for MC

Mick your right they have missed out there, but i did have a look and found it on the Eastbourne Tourist information, http://www.visiteastbourne.com Then go to things to do there is a bit about speedway. Unless they have bigger plans to get it out there, not sure what they are going to do maybe jump a bus on the seafront with a speedway bike. well lets see whats going to happen, Maybe the new sponsor is a radio or TVs company? But of course you could be wrong Mick as there is an Enhanced listings guide for Eastbourne that comes out in April maybe you will see it in there.

Can't see mason making any progress, Warwick will always do a good job. Owen should get a bit better. Dugard and wood are unknown along with the new 5 pointer. Andrews should improve so looking on paper a good side but need to be on the game at home and away.

MC I think your a bit high with your average with your new guy I can see he is good but its a long way from home where he is a superstar. But given enough help I am sure he be in the top 6 of the NL averages. So who is going to help him? Big step for man kind lol

I have heard on the jungle drums that Eastbourne have gone for a Grant from the BSPA to put in another training track, Looks like its back to 80's Where kids can ride and progress to ride in the main stream of speedway, Gary Tagg, Scott Swain, David Norris, and So on, well it does look as if things are going to change at last.

I think your right Islander it’s not a league winning signing, it more like signing that can win the league along with the KOC and the NT. It’s a team effort and as much as i sit on the fence i can see that Eastbourne this year has a good chance of being up there with rest of them, The team that have put out seems to be more entertaining that in the last 10 years, and I can feel lots of changes going on that other clubs should follow, Easy for us to sit here and moan and groan, why don’t we make it a date and try and bring more speedway fans to speedway, Bit like the ice bucket challenge, Name 3 people to come to speedway that have never been? Mmmm might have an idea with that.

Just read last weeks star as i always get it a week later from my mate . Richard Andrews seems to be a good signing. Just did the sums between my coffee break and judge Rinder, The original team as it was with the " the 3 point rider that is now a 5 pointer" and they would have been 35.71 points. With a new look and a revamp team with Richard and a 5 pointer now sit at 35.91. Not Bad for a team that had made Team mistake and has recovered well also they had no riders in December. Team suits and a Sponsor to throw in the mix it looks like this promotion is going to bring something that the league needed it a bit like the Old Days when everyone was ready for Eastbourne to come to Town. Looking forward to going to Arlington this year and sitting back and watching a lively match, Kings Lynn did it they changed Speedway in Norfolk and now its time for Eastbourne to do the same, Let get a party going. Loud music or upto date music at least would be nice. Maybe possible a Kids Club to meet the Riders like they used to do many years ago.

I believe you will find that Connor Dugard opened a sponsorship package where supporters buy the racesuits so it actually doesn't cost the club any money or the riders with the new rules stating that all riders must wear kevlar suits for 2015 (£600.00). So they can put more money into their equipment this season. - Brilliant work from Eastbourne.

Just wondered if anyone else has seen this today? Seems quite clear to me but still a hard on Johnson also along with the Workington mess as well, maybe Johnson wants to join Workington they have a team place going? seems they all make mistakes? at least Dugard has told us the reasons why and cleared the matter up, I also think it was good of them to offer money for parts Johnson also may have paid for, What a jolly nice guy sack him in one hand and in the other let him use the facillity to train, Maybe i should get a bike and learn how to ride and see how many laps i can get in. 'TOUGH DECISIONS WILL BE MADE' Wednesday 04 February, 2015 Eastbourne Speedway have admitted they made a mistake when it came to building their first National League team. And that error led to the Eagles releasing Brendan Johnson. Club chairman Martin Dugard said: “We received what we thought was reliable verbal advice that a rider we have yet to announce would come in on a three-point average. “That has proved not to be the case and he will start on an assessed five-point average. “It was our mistake but what I would say is that we are not the first club to be in such a position. Others have seen such things happen much closer to a season starting.” Dugard said the unnamed five-point rider, who Eastbourne have been trailing for a number of years, was “the first name on our team sheet”. He said: “As soon as it was realised that we would not be in the Elite League this year the ball started rolling to sign this rider. We have built our team around him. “He will become an Eastbourne asset and we believe his signing is a game-changer as far as the Eagles are concerned.” The BSPA officially accepted Eastbourne’s application to include the new rider in their team on Monday (February 2). Dugard said: “Until the point that he was allocated a five-point average, both he and Brendan were always set to ride together in the same team. “I have to make decisions that I believe are in the best interests of the club. We couldn’t accommodate both and my decision was to release Brendan. “This is a standalone business. For speedway to continue in the longer term at Arlington, our National League team must be a success both on and off the track. “That means tough decisions must be made and I will not shy away from making them.” Dugard said Brendan Johnson had been told at the time he was released that he is welcome to practise at Arlington pre-season and at the same time an offer had been made to reimburse him for any expenditure on covers and seats that had been personalised for Eastbourne. Kevlars for the Eastbourne team are being provided by the club. Official announcements regarding the remaining team members and the club’s headline sponsor will follow in due course. Eastbourne’s home fixtures begin on Good Friday with a local derby in the National Trophy against Kent.

Speedway is in decline but starting again with grass roots like Eastbourne have is the best way, Elite league speedway was never going to happen at Eastbourne as its too far away from anywhere but sunday at 3.30 is the best for speedway in the area. Good thing is that the Martin & Connor have now been given time to shine, lets hope its a good summer for speedway in Eastbourne.

Johnson is a nice guy but has been replaced by a better rider by the looks of things, Also media and twitter has done Johnson far more justice then he is worth. Maybe a harsh lesson to all that race speeway and support speedway that things change at the turn of a wheel. But from what i can see that someone had to go because of a mistake by the Eastbourne management team, A 3 point rider turns out to be a 5 point rider, Johnson i think has done his time maybe after 8 seasons he might take up something else like reporting on speedway or a media manager for a superstar as he has the twitter bug and boy can he push out that media even if its the same old thing. The Season seems to have started with what Mr Michael Ceglio has put up on this page has it just shows us that johnson would not have done that, I think i heard them say that was james sargent in the race who came 3rd. Anyway i am looking forward as well to the new Season and a bit of a choice who do i go to watch, Kent OR Eastbourne? At the moment in time its Eastbourne with still 2 offical riders to name.

why has bradley wilson-dean been added has he actually been annouced by eastbourne?