HGould

Love the optimism but a few very salient points. The trip to Kent for any Away side currently in PL / CL on a weeknight would be an absolute nightmare - that's before holiday season / god knows what happens with Brexit and M2 becoming a Car Park and for the majority a trip on or skirting M25. None of that is Kent's fault but would I think preclude moving up on anything but a Saturday or Sunday a massive risk. The most logical move would be PL (if the format stays the same as now) on a Monday night, since you are well established and would be no major change like it would for many Clubs to switch off night). Belle Vue on the 22nd Easter Monday should be a great draw for you in terms of Crowd as they remain "the iconc" name in British Speedway. I get the rivalry you have with Eastbourne but notice that 3 of the only 4 riders of their 2018 NL Double Team in the UK/still riding are tied up that night (Mildenhall at Cradley/Wolverhampton) so what kind of match is that going to be??, not even on the Eastbourne Fixtures on their website??? The NL Fixtures will be the most influential, will be interesting to see if fans want to watch competitive Speedway or walkovers and 60 points every week?, I guess for 1 season it might work but can't see it appealing longer term. Would wish Kent best of luck in getting a positive Planning outcome but unless they do unless Len can pull a rabbit out of the hat going to be tough to move up. That rabbit might be a breakaway big league or just one main League where BT could not dictate race nights. Be great to see Len and Kent back with the big boys.

Modern "grass" football pitches are basically now carpet with a lot of artificial material and only a % of what we would call "grass". Go and walk on almost any football pitch in the PL / EFL Championship and it is like a spongy carpet, then look at the pitches on TV this weekend near the end of the season and they will look like August pitches from 5 years ago. Many lower league grounds are as good as the PL of 5 years ago with semi artificial pitches. If they have 2 weeks of decent weather, bit of rain and sun and all goes well it will be as described Sadly, as you imply, the minute they stat moving shale its the end at Derwent Park - shale is commodity though these day, so may be they will make a few quid moving that on. .

whoops.....fail to prepare prepare to fail

Somerset - very strong top 5 - need 1 of the reserves to fire that's only weakness. Glasgow - strong at top, need Bickley to not be passenger he was last season Leicester - strong 1- 7 and look most solid complete team - expect Mountain to kick on this year. Sheffield - be hard to beat at home and nice balance - Bates fitness and attitude a key and progress of Kemp will be most interesting Eastbourne - strong top 3 - strong at reserve - depend on second strings when not reserves - Brennan like Kemp one to watch Newcastle - Worrall signing saves bottom 2 battle but still look weak away Redcar - decent team, better than 2018, could surprise a few Berwick - lack top end power, lot will depend on how well Flint performs at home Scunthorpe - lack of top end and could be in for a struggle and hard to see much improvement in team - Birmingham - building a foundation is all it is about for me as a Brummie - don't expect any fireworks, win more than lose at home, run in 2020 I'll b happy Edinburgh - look to be in for a real struggle unless they can gain confidence in what looks tough Shield Group.

It's hard to fathom exactly what has occurred here and probably we'll never know. It does seem though that you have a Promoter/Owner with a flair for controversy and a Rider who seems to have trouble with a capital T following him around. He seems a nice lad but not the first Club he has had a strop with and suggestions that there has been a "communication break down". He'll need all of that whopping guaranteed payment per meeting from Glasgow if he is going to get out of this mess financially as he is not exactly sought after in Poland and Sweden and other than Poole; Wolverhampton or Belle Vue (would they touch him??) can't see where he can fit in? May be Uncle Len will give him an NL berth, he seems to have very deep pockets ! (that's a joke btw)!

I've thought all along we'd sign Bradley Wilson-Dean but always thought Eastbourne would be his preferred home and he was waiting for something to happen there, even if after 30 June when points limit goes up to 40 (confirmed Speedway Star last week). Eastbourne signing Daniel Spiller though makes me think he is being lined up for after 30th June, he was better than BW-D in National League year but hard to know how he has progressed since. I now think we might have BW-D after 1st averages as also confirmed Shield and KOC count in Green Sheets (also in SStar)

seen Drew at Leicester on Saturday night and Sheffield yesterday, did OK Saturday but well out of his depth at Sheffield, may be he should go back to his old gear. #kevlargate

at times when I have been has been too much dirt on, and that means nearest the fence wins every race. Good to see passing inside and out and a lovely surface yesterday. Hope that will continue as when Owlerton is good, it is as good as any of the bigger tracks.

I think everyone in Speedway whoever they support will wish Lewis a great season at both Kings Lynn and Eastbourne, the epitomy of a fighter and a really nice bloke to boot.

Interestingly I read my speedway star yesterday and saw that a rule change in Championship is that Team Average allowance will increase to 40 points from 30th June, then i read about Spillers, Daniel in particular; made it in to several U23 European Rounds last season. What would his CL average be 5 points??. Could I suspect come in for one of the bottom 4 on average and make a big impact?

Absolutely right "The Dog" going back over the decades, the 2nd Tier has often been won by a tight Team - as Workington proved last year, they had 6 blokes average in a range between around 6 and 7.5 and did brilliantly, they even carried a 1 point reserve for most of the year, and if you go right back look at a side like Long Eaton in the early 80's. I think its clear that Somerset ; Leicester ' Glasgow have the top end strength but have compromised a bit with reserves; as Gary May admits himself, and the others have all got a solid look. If we win more than we lose at home and a few away wins, decent crowds and break even / make a bit, its a step back up to where we want to be and in the mason we trust!

Can't imagine that the Company who has made them will be too happy with Len for announcing how much they have cost, anyone know who makes his?? I'm pretty sure rival manufacturers will be having a right belly laugh!

Strange move from Len, who normally gets things right!. Could argue comparison with Belle Vue (who have 2 Teams one in PL) is a bit unfair, but Kent still easily most expensive in NL. What also confuses me is that in terms of "rival" he only has one geographically at Eastbourne and potential for them or Kent to attract support from Lakeside / Rye House and the London area, you'd think would be prime consideration. Len in NL raises prices to £15 and has no OAP concessions. Eastbourne move up to CL; have new management who tell everyone that they have a carefully designed plan; and who then go £16 which is equal lowest in CL from what I can see for Adults; and looks very good value; also bring in new concessions for OAP's at £14 (according to their website they had no OAP concessions in NL?????); - which means that they charge a £1 less for higher league for any OAP to go and watch in the South East of England. Quite what Drew's kevlars has to do with it, who knows?, other than Drew should find someone else to make his kevlars who is not ripping him off, and Len should not rip fans off with such a tame excuse. Hopefully for Drew they won't get ripped in his first meeting or Len might be raising prices again!

when the majority of riders in PL and CL are average age high 20's and low 30's if 22 is not considered young not sure what is? being pedantic on myself would concede the "very" but the lad missed CL / NL came straight in to PL and only experienced NL / CL after that. Came to speedway after Grass and I would rate as highly as the best of the 2017 - 18 "wizz kids" Kemp and Brennan; and on a par with Zach Waj - still young too.

The problem would be persuading riders who have had sponsors give them hundreds/thousands for various bit of sponsorship on bike covers etc, to take their off and put Club one on. If the Club provided the complete Bike and all decals might be different but unlikely in current climate.

That's blindingly obvious but as jenga points out they are nothing like as visible or noticed. I have also taken friends to speedway who are not regulars and they find it far easier to identify the guy in the "blue leathers "- ("as many still call them") or the "green leathers" than a team where everyone id dressed exactly the same. Us more regular know all about the helmet colours but harder for newcomers to take in.

I think racesuits have had their day to be honest. Especially when you see young riders coming in to the sport with numerous sponsors and those sponsors crave space and profile. A team race suit limits space, an individual racesuit and body colour allows more space and a rider his "individuality" and sponsors like that. The modern trend also seems that those who have individual race-suits incorporate the body colour in to the suit. I am told a race suit costs north of £600 and a body colour costs about 10% of that, if Clubs can blow around £4500/£5000 of sponsorship money on suits, good luck to them, I suspect most would rather bank the £4000 and have race jackets that can give one big sponsor just as much exposure??...

So the Pits are going to be located under/behind the main stand (possibly to reduce noise??)...

Probably more to do with Birmingham making an offer Poole found hard to refuse as Birmingham need assets on their retained rider list which is a bit bare from memory and will save Brum from forking out money to BSPA to make it up to required £15,000. They have a nice asset and he will get better and better and they will get a loan feetoo from Swindon. Excellent work from Dave Mason.

If every team was as well and professionally run as Poole the sport would not be in the mess it has got itself in to. Matt Ford would have made the perfect long term supremo of British speedway about a decade ago, build a 10 year plan, sadly won't happen now. The question is - who and where are the guys with a vision and a plan to take British Speedway forwards with the Business head and Speedway heart Ford has.??

the trunking you can see will probably be the inside of the dog track as that ties up with width of new speedway track as you can just see outside of junior track on the extreme left of the picture. 320 is a nice size me thinks.

Great news Skydog, Swindon is much more sensible for lots of reasons, and good luck to all concerned.

I have to sadly agree with Richard, it would in my opinion have been wiser to wait and try again later in the year and give longer to prepare the case better. If Local Authority Planning turns against you, a very sticky wicket. Kent also left in position of turning all Provisional Dates in to actual dates and a nightmare so far for away visitors in particular to plan and Monday is so tough travel wise from North or West. I am sad to say, as have a lot of respect for Len, that this has not been handled particularly well.

Yes, in my experience Richard, if you are turned down once, best tactic is to walk away; leave it, take a bit of time and fine tune and try again 18-24 months later. Not the kind of committees to annoy with what they grow to think are futile appeals. Would have thought Kent have someone professional helping them as us fans are not always ideal in these cases as we have an emotional attachment that planning geeks just dont understand.

That's not good news for Kent or Speedway. The Planning Dept seem pretty fixated against any change of race night and we have seen elsewhere that it is very hard to change initial opinions. Unless the current 3 League, fixed race night in PL structure is changed, Kent are basically stuck in the NL with the only Monday night option being PL. Can Len risk a move to the PL? massive increase in costs on gates of 600-700? if he can only run Mondays? Kent solace may be 1 League and Monday night in one big League but can crowds cover increased costs?