Chairboy

Thanks for exactly the kind of response I was expecting.

How about Poole running an NDL team in 2025? Or will they continue their policy of plucking young riders from the NDL whenever it suits them, despite making no contribution to the league themselves, effectively sponging off the efforts of others?

Actually I agree with your answer, SJA. But can you see the point I was making? Certain clubs make no contribution to the NDL, but they want the league and the riders to be there and available to them, when it suits them.

Some Premiership and Championship clubs could run an NDL team but choose not to, for whatever reason. We were close to not having an NDL in 2024 because of a shortage of teams. So here's a question: When one of these clubs finds themselves in need of a young rider to step in at reserve at short notice, should they be allowed to use someone from the NDL, even though they presumably couldn't care if the NDL didn't exist?

Fair enough, Arnie & Mr Lion. For what it's worth, Leicester deserve great credit for being one of the dwindling number of clubs who are committed to NDL racing. As we all know, there are quite a few clubs who see themselves as 'big' who can't be bothered to do so.

Well done, Leicester. I was at Oxford yesterday and actually felt a bit sorry for the Leicester lads - they got a great reception from the Oxford fans as they did their victory lap after heat 15, but I got the impression they were looking for their own supporters. Really poor turn out from Leicester. Can't be arsed to drive from Leicester to Oxford on a pleasant Sunday afternoon to see your boys win a league title?

2 riders come together. They both go down. Both at fault, neither at fault? I keep imagining a parallel universe where the referee can exclude both fallers.

My apologies for duplicating your post, Bojangles! (2 mins apart)

Oxford - Sam Masters, Cameron Heeps, Ashton Boughen, Jordan Jenkins, Scott Nicholls, Luke Killeen, Jody Scott. Berwick - Lewis Kerr, Danyon Hume, Drew Kemp, Leon Flint, Jye Etheridge, Freddy Hodder, Joe Thompson.

I know no-one on this site is interested in my private life, but I had a similar problem with Liz Hurley and Kate Moss a few years ago. They used to turn up on my doorstep whenever it suited them, at random times every few weeks, for 'a cup of tea and a chat'. It was very inconvenient. I told them both...Oi! NO! Either you turn up every Wednesday at 7pm without fail or it's no deal.

If there are blank weeks, people find other things to do? Personally, I've never understood this argument. I actually think this is a throwback to when speedway promoters shared greyhound stadiums (some still do of course) and they would see a sign outside saying something like "greyhound racing here every Tuesday and Saturday". Speedway promoters wished they could put up a similar sign for our sport. Do football fans have this problem? They just keep an eye on their club's fixture list on turn up when the matches are on. I've never found it difficult to do that for speedway.

Note to anyone attending - Oxford have stated that the Unipart car park is unavailable for this meeting. (No explanation as to why, or whether it will be available for future meetings.) They say some parking will be available at the stadium itself.

Genuine question - does Schroeck have complete authority over rider recruitment? Drew Kemp said his call to come to Oxford came from Jamie Courtney.

You're probably right. They're ok at running 3 teams though. Some clubs can't be arsed to run 2.

Does anyone on here know, has the KO Cup been abandoned, or just forgotten about? Will dates for the semi-finals be arranged at some point?!

I guess we will only find out whether or not the promotion feel the 3 team structure has been a success when we see how many teams they put on track in 2025.

From a PR point of view, the £4 refund is probably the first 'mis-step' by the Oxford promotion since the return of speedway to Cowley. I think most Oxford fans, and indeed visiting supporters, would agree that running not 1, not 2, but 3 racing teams deserves enormous credit. Speedway at Oxford is presented with great enthusiasm and professionalism, and this is appreciated by the fans. But I have to say when I read my email about the refund my immediate thought was "This won't go down well".

Oxford: Jacob Hook and Jody Scott will guest for Henry Atkins and Ashton Boughen, according to Peter Schroeck last night.

Oxford: Jacob Hook guests in place of Henry Atkins. Scunthorpe: R/R for MPT.

Thanks for that as well!

Cheers Bojangles...not sure how I missed that when I looked a few minutes ago.

Will Kent be announcing their line-up at some point?!

A fantastic meeting - well done to Scunthorpe for producing such a brilliant race track. However...as an Oxford fan, I should be pleased with the outcome after the 'superheat'. But I just can't get used to the stupidity of the idea. For one thing, what's wrong with a draw? It would have been a fair result. But to have another heat - where the object of the 'race' is not to win, but to avoid coming last - is just absurd.

Oxford have declared their team for this match with Jenkins at 4. Now that he is unavailable because of injury, Oxford have tweeted their intention to use R/R for Jenkins at 2. Can they change their riding order at this stage?

Just watched this on Berwick's livestream - great coverage, I thought.