GWC

Yes Steve but it hasn’t done your club any favours judging by the comments.

Friend of mine on holiday at center parcs and checked Poole web site at 6 and all good. Gets to track and it’s off, now if Midditch himself said it looked iffy who on earth makes the decision to run when he knows darn well that the riders won’t accept it! Club should receive significant fine.

REcently saw Kinsley at Kent and was impressive.

Yes Rye is no longer the pretty stadium it was but redevelopment takes time with the current owner. I recall going to Saddlebow Rd many years ago and it wasn’t good on the eye then either but it’s a lot better now. Both clubs have stadia that are motor areana’s and that’s a plus these days.

Totally wrong I’m afraid Rye has gone from a ‘technical’ track in Silvers days to a full throttle outside line racers track. Home track advantage has disappeared and personally I preferred the former as you saw what riders could achieve through their ability and not their throttle.

Rye is what it is long straights and sharp bends it doesn’t lend itself to sweeping overtakes. Riders are so fast that overtaking is difficult and has nothing to do with grip on the track. As for KL they should drop NKI and use the money saved to reward the team for their collective efforts!

Was Buster there tonight?

Hope you are right Orlov!

It will be interesting when the time comes to combine the leagues and see who wants to ride for just one club and limiting their earning power. The GP riders will disappear unless fortunes are paid to them and so will some who won’t see it financially viable with mechanics, vans bikes and expenses to fork out for.

At the end of the day without riders there’s no speedway. I’m thinking that the doubling issue is a two fold one, more rides therefore more income and thus allowing clubs to pay less for points money to these riders. Or is it just greed?

There’s a clear distinction in this league between the haves and have nots and Buxton don’t have a lot! Sad state of affairs and there really needs to be some form of rider control rather than using averages that clearly don’t work at this level.

I agree Mikebv we should do what Ole Olsen suggested 10 or more years ago and start again. We may even have missed the boat with that idea as with the rider pool getting smaller each year average riders now command high wages. I can only see the sport surviving in a semi pro bases with crowd levels as they are and the number of clubs currently running. Other historical sports like cricket - golf - boxing even dog racing survive off TV money but the GP’s are now hoovering up most of the cash for speedway.

The UK is 3rd or 4th in line for rider availability so we can’t dictate when clubs here want to ride. No doubt it will get worse under Brexit. We can either accept the current situation as bad as it is or dilute the leagues further and provide teams with more UK based riders.

So what alternative plan would you propose? And your budget is a quarter of Poland and Sweden (probably)

Pinny it’s a ‘shambles’ as there is no money in the sport and what little tv money is not enough to attract top riders. Money rules in Poland and Sweden but from what I see you occasionally get a good race so having teams stuffed with overpaid riders only evens the whole contest out. Racing here isn’t not worse quite the contrary. UK now hopefully lives within its means and will sustain the sport in the future while we produce our own ‘stars’.

KL will start much stronger at reserve and at Rye that’s an advantage. Only needs KK or Nicholls to have an off day as KL should fill the minor placings and profit well in the second string heats.

If the crowds don’t improve at Rye then KK won’t be the only one on the move.

Too much pressure is put on young riders especially when they get signed by a Prem or Champ side purely to make up the numbers. Sometimes riders like Bewley Lambert or Kemp come along who are clearly way beyond their years but riders like Jack Thomas and James Shanes should be enjoying their riding as a fun thing before partaking in the pressure leagues above.

Any news on Holders injury?

There’s winning and then there is putting riders out of a job. Read Justin Sedgman’s article in the SS this week, he loses a team place and his visa to ride in the UK. Those riders might not then be around and UK Speedway is even further up what’s it creek!

Yes it would have been nice to get a win at Poole of all places but this Rye team is not a realistic play off proposition.

That meant removing Summers who had previously gained a 5-1 with Harris so I guess he deserved another ride. Harris falling and Kennett’s woeful score cost the result in the scheme of things.

Pirates have home and away against Wolves and Leicester at home before the averages change. A couple of thumping and the team will change dramatically. Hope Neilsen’s average isn’t too high by then as I’m sure Rye House will have him!

Comfortable ? Was Harris leading or second when he fell. That makes it a draw otherwise? Thank goodness you signed Nielsen otherwise it would have been embarrassing.

With Poole away and Kings Lynn home being the remaining fixtures for May the averages will no doubt allow for some changes next month.