diamond@heart

The good old Bargh and Thorpe days which were then replaced with the Thorpe and Thorp days!!

Interesting that the Diamonds have been in contact with Jesper and Erik Gundersen to bring over some young Danes to fit in the team this year and George has not ruled out the possibility of bring them over during the season. I'm also intrigued to know who the rider is who turned them down after they had specified the terms and then turned the deal down!!

My concern is and I appreciate that we have still 1 rider to sign, looking at our first months of fixtures (full month), we have: Berwick (A) Berwick (H) Sheffield (A) Scunthorpe (A) Scunthorpe (H) Redcar (A) Redcar (H) Ipswich (A) Sheffield (H) Where are the points going to come from, I know were are notoriously bad travellers but to face Sheffield, Ippo and Scunny away in the first month, I can only see big home wins and I think we will struggle in the corresponding home matches. What impact will that have on team morale and attendances.

I hear what your saying but I think one of the main problems has been the number of riders who would have been signed by the Diamonds (Lewis Rose being a prime example) who have signed for Polish teams and will probably never get a ride.

Your assuming we will be ahead in some matches then!!! Bold statement Of the riders mentioned (Hansen, Graversen or Roynon), I would rather have Hansen or Graversen, Roynon is a crash waiting to happen and is shocking around Brough.

Newcastle announced Matthew Wethers

Back in the trenches!!!

I believe he was offered a team slot at Newcastle but turned it down due to commute to home meetings. Can't be that desperate.

They usually do the Northern Team promo thing (can't remember its official title) on the Official Practice day on the Monday as well. This may have been put on the back burner with finalising the team taking priority. Hopefully the practice still goes ahead this weekend, weather looks OK at the moment.

I'm not moaning, how about you stop telling people that they should support the club no matter what and let them decide for themselves. Maybe you should have a name change to Winditin. For the record as well, I have been going since the seventies, through the good times and the bad times and want nothing but Newcastle to succeed and see them challenging for honours year on year but I am also a realist and know that it is not also possible. I don't expect us to have a fantastic team every year but like to see a team which I feel is worth watching and to that, I am not going to just hand my money over to watch a poor team week after week just for the sake of it. Couldn't agree more. I love speedway and love watching it but I'm not going to religiously pay the money to watch rubbishe every week. Nobody no matter whether your a diehard or an occasional supporter wants to turn up to watch a team get turned over week after week. I appreciate that the season has not started yet and we do not know how well the riders signed are going to perform, but if you judge them against other teams, Glasgow, Ippo and Sheffield it does not bode well.

You in charge of marketing for the Diamonds, I bloody hope not!!!!

I believe it is scheduled for this Sunday but may depend on what the beast from the east throws at us!!!

F*****g hell, we are talking about watching speedway not fighting a war.

So are u saying supporters should just pay their money no matter what??? Your right, I'll see if he wants to go half on the cost of fuel!!!

Yes but you can't expect people to fork out money and blindly follow a team. People want to see a competitive team and competitive racing. People will have worked hard for their money and so want sone form of return. Yes I can see that the team is full of racers but I think that will only go so far. My worry is that if we get beat at home in our first 4 matches then the damage may be done and it maybe hard to come back from that and win back that lost support. If we are forced into changes to strengthen up, surely that is not going to come cheap so will we be in the same boat when it comes to any team changes?

Please tell me that the Roynon thing is a windup or and early April Fool.

Poor signing in my eyes, don't understand why we have gone for someone who has been out of the sport for a year. You could look at it from the point of view that he will have apoint to prove!!! Everyone bangs on about that 21 point max he scored around the inside, that was years ago and he has done very little since then. I don't see this as a team that will inspire fans to turn up and I can only assume we will see wholesale changes when riders who have signed contracts in Poland realise they are surplus to requirements and become available. I just hope we are still around by then and fans are still turning up. Interesting to see who the last signing will be and how much under the limit we will be.

Should get the baliffs from Can't Pay We'll Take it Away, they nearly always get the cash!!!

Based on that statement you must know who our last two signing are, please enlighten us.

I see Danny Phillips has gone to Scunny.

I thought he had a dodgy shoulder after falling off the top bunk!!

I thought as much otherwise he probably would have been included. I don't envy George in trying to get the two remaining riders, especially a number 1 style rider.

I appreciate that this is of little significance but if the promotion are going to provide team suits to riders again, they will be cutting it fine to have them made in time for the two remaining riders whoever they are. I'm not sure how long suits take but it can't be a five minute job as they will have to factor in obtaining additional sponsorship for that rider I would assume, unless we are going to get two (1 size fits all) suits made with Other on the back!!! Still waiting with interest like most other for who these two final riders are going to be whilst scratching my head to think who they can be. I assume the reason why Josh Grajczonek has not been mentioned is because he is Polish bound?

What about 2 from Rose, Huckenbeck or Jorgensen. Did the home grown rule thing!!!

You fishing again???