HGould

I visited Wimbledon, White City and Hackney quite a lot and Crayford once. I loved Plough Lane, facilities in those days were excellent and the quirks were positive - the staggered start and finish line, the lights over the track rather than on the fence, the track was better than some gave it credit for in my opinion and truly a team of legends over the years. Great atmosphere from what I remember. Hackney however many times I went i always got lost, one of my favourite race tracks, fair and fast and Len Silver always put on a great show, sadly missed. Saw Zenon Plech ride there and always though Bo Petersen rode it better than anyone and of course Barry Thomas. White City, saw both WC/Internationals and League Racing there, some of the League crowds would have been decent anywhere but as been said "lost in the vastness"; a shame it could not have been saved and re-vamped as would make a superb venue now for 30-40,000 capacity major meetings, would have allowed us to have an English and British GP. Main gripe there was Car Parking from memory. I went to Crayford once but for a Dog meeting and could not believe how small the speedway track looked. Shame i never got there to see the Costa Mesa of UK speedway at the time, would it have been about same size as Plymouth?

no I'm saying Len liked to get one over his biggest rivals at the time - shock horror! Not implying or proving anything, just stating the blindingly obvious. Like Toons and Mackems, Dons and Hawks, Bees and Heathens; Tigers and Monarchs....

East End Fan - not suggested he did anything as grand as affecting stadium or anything, more in the way shall I put better "loved to get one over"...got massive respect for Len Silver especially his Hackney days, a great race-track sadly lost. From what I know of pLough Lane which is limited any blame there is GRA and Council not anyone remotely involved in speedway racing.

East End fan appreciate your views. I have had 2 visits there, one badly affected by curfew and the other track was dusty and badly rutted. If you go more often, I respect you will have better experience I must have been unlucky with meetings when visiting. All the best with Lakeside, hope you get back on track. H

Plenty of Clubs doing great things to attract kids that I saw with my own eyes in NL in 2018 at my Club Birmingham, Isle of Wight, Plymouth; Eastbourne. May be the NL Clubs have to work harder but Brummies have attracted some, I was staggered at what IOW do and its been widely reported, Plymouth have kids running race at Interval and a Mascot going round throwing sweets and when I went to Eastbourne for KOC Final there were about 100 kids being shown round before the meeting given a Tour. If you don't try it won't happen.

Sings4Speedway makes a very fair point about teams being "too strong" as processional racing is not entertaining and can soon wear a little thin. At Birmingham last season (before injuries hit) some of the racing was very boring, once the team was weakened the actual entertainment value rose as it was closer and more competitive. Of the other NL teams in past few years have noticed a decline in attendances when I have been to Eastbourne and Belle Vue, who would often pummel sides at home in NL. No disrespect but if you know team are going to hit 60 every week, you will pick and choose. I don't think its a particularly good race track at Kent either, fantastic facilities but the track not great for entertainment.

Agree would not make much commercial sense to compete with your nearest geographical rivals when one could race CL on Saturday and the other NL on a Monday or Friday to probably attract a fair number who would go to both. Len Silver though has only ever bothered about Len Silver and nobbling rival Promotions has always been part of that plan. Just ask Wimbledon!

I found it completely depressing. The boss of the CL and yet he can't in 5 pages mention my team Birmingham - Britain's 2nd city Club moving up and does not warrant a mention. He can't be bothered to talk positively or even mention 2 x KOC winners in 2018 from other Leagues moving in to the CL - Somerset down but adding to the quality and Eastbourne up, a Club with a very recent Elite league tradition. Does he actually see the CL as a "Northern League"??. I'm sad Workington and Lakeside won't be lining up, but he can't be bothered to talk much about those Clubs who will enhance the Championship! his comments about protecting Friday nights for his own Club by stopping Lakeside race on a Friday are as much to blame for their and Workingtons Fixture backlog as any amount of rain and bad Fixture planning. Time he took some responsibility for that. I get that all Clubs have to tighten their pockets and that does not make great news but overall it was typical Godfrey - ego ego ego. I just wish the guys at Glasgow and Edinburgh and other successful Promotions could join this "top table" or is it just a closed Club. Snide comments too about some Clubs seeking a lower limit to survive.

saw a lot of Drew in my travels around NL last season. Very impressive although he did have a long spell at reserve (right up to end of June) as Mildenhall were very clever with Fixtures and at Cradley too he spent long time at reserve. His form and scores when he moved up hardly wavered either. He was sometimes far better in early heats in main Team towards end of the season and after MIldenhall had injuries he was regularly mastered by Wood and Brennan in the Eastbourne clashes home and away but that could have been pressure of carrying injury affected Team. I think Brennan is on a par with Kemp and a look back at their Youth careers indicate that. Drew had more CL experience last year than Brennan (who had none) but Swindon fans seem mightly impressed by Brennan in 2 appearances in PL / PL level so be interesting to see how they compare v each other in CL, and both still in NL. Don't think any of the others moving up close to those pair, saw plenty of Leon Flint and was very impressed but not in Kemp/Brennan league consistently yet, Mountain and Wood I think won't ever be better than CL 2nd strings, young Atkins at Somerset could surprise a few, never really been that impressed with Bickley at Birmingham certainly and easy to forget how young and progressive Shanes and Wajknecht still are!

with BW-D very hard to fit him in at many places as most have 2 point reserves, so Somerset would have to ditch one of top 4 as an example. Many Teams close to 38 point limit too. If a rider with higher average than BW-D gets injured early he is a shoe-in candidate you'd think. I still think he will go to one of 3 most southerly Clubs - Birmingham (for Castagna or the Danish lad); Somerset or Eastbourne (for Morley maybe?)

Shield should allow both of the European boys chance to settle in and probably one or both a reserve after initial Green Sheets hopefully Promotion and Fans will be patient. We are in a tough Shield Group though in terms of Away matches so be important for them to get grips of Perry Barr quickly.

I think the "novelty" of moving up will last most of the season and negate any concerns about the strength and depth of the Team. Getting Rider assets in will be a key economic point as that means the "Retained List" is no so much of an issue. I think we will be solid enough at home to win more than we lose (just), Away looks more difficult for us. The Team has a number of potential improvers especially Zac and James and I think Ashley Morris could really bloom this season with plenty of PL experience. It'll be form of Ulrick and Newman that will win or lose matches especially at home. Our marker in terms of progress on and off the Track will be Eastbourne as we have both moved up, they have the early advantage in having access to some Lakeside assets - especially Lawson; Kennett (who has ability to dominate the league) and 2 very solid reserves moving up from NL. I don't think we'll make play-offs but neither do I think we;ll be bottom if we can finish above Eagles will have won that private battle.

Read with interest the Planning Application in detail (old job) and my honest impartial assessment is that there is very little chance of LA changing minds without substantial new evidence and with a significant change in attitude from local residents and Councillors who seem very set. The problem with a scenario like this as an applicant is the danger of erosion of current permissions if appeals become frivolous. The LA seem to be prepared for 2 hours on a Monday or 2 1/2 hours on a Friday and nothing else.

Hopefully my Club Birmingham will be a breath of fresh air too and if we could see likes of Kent; Plymouth and Mildenhall try to venture up too in next few years and no one else lave it could be a cracking League. Mighty impressed by what's happening at Eastbourne though.

I think standout will be Tom Brennan and Drew Kemp, can't split those pair on evidence of 2018 as Kemp had benefit of being reserve for 3 months, Brennan heat leader all season. Kemp did well in few matches for Ipswich in CL and Brennan is a few rides at Swindon in PL. Looking at their NL battles very evenly matched. Saw a lot of Leon Flint last year, think he is a half season / season (experience) behind Kemp and Brennan but may be as good if not better prospect in long term and will get benefit of riding tracks he knows more in CL than NL. I don't think Bickley is on same page as Brennan or Kemp and results tend to prove it, loss of Workington can't do him any good and he seemed to struggle compared to Wajknecht and Brennan on trip to Australia. Henry Atkins will surprise a few a slow burner who is improving rapidly and others who may show notable improvement would be Jordan Stewart; Jack Smith (now focusing on one League) and Alfie Bowtell.

not sure BW-D will fit average wise ? (for a month anyway )

I am going down for the Good Friday meeting / weekend and went on to the Eastbourne Speedway website and sent a message in one of the reply boxes and got a speedy polite reply back saying they would have a list of recommended hotels on their website by middle of February.

Very competitive, hard to compare with my Team (Brummies) as we have Tickets for 15 meetings. Guess at Perry Barr I'm expected to decide to pay for Challenge Fixtures or hope we progress in Cup / Shield / Play Off. Free Programme at Arlington a very nice touch also for ST Holders. £16 Adult and £14 concession at Arlington is lowest I can see in CL (few others at £16 - Brummies £16.50). My wife will want to come to Arlington (doh) women 60-65 OAP Concession (massive BRAVO to whoever decided that!).

There is a bit says you are making a new signing on Friday. Already got 1-7??? any idea who it might be?

I don't think I'm missing the point, with the current scenario with fixtures (Prem & Champ) you get 2 things: 1. Riders not having enough meetings with ONE TEAM & therefore having to double up or down. 2. Supporters without their regular weekly speedway fix - loose interest, find other things to do or simply get out of the habit! What I think we can all agree on is Speedway in the U.K. needs a major overhaul........... I have been watching Aston Villa for 30 years, never been every week, on average it alternates. I am a Member at Warwickshire for 5 years, it alternates home and away I like to go Horse Racing at Cheltenham, there are 6-8 Fixtures a season. i dont walk away from those because they dont run every week; encourages me more! Why then should we expect a Speedway Team to only thrive if it runs weekly. I agree with what Buttons says in many ways. If Team have a stable Home / Away Ratio, min 2 max 3 meetings per month the fans will soon get used to it and accommodate it. as Buttons says better than nothing. In any sport if you can't make a full time living out of it, you have to be more flexible. In our sport riders need to be flexible but also need help with costs. I do agree about Adult Admission Rates, I think £15-£16 is as much as you can charge but as an OAP now any Club that gives me even a few bob off will have my support. I also like to see Clubs encouraging young fans too so more that do zero or low rate entry for children the better.

Ghosty will max respect i think you are totally missing the point here. demise of Workington and Lakeside is I think related to cash-flow, look too Mildenhall who we nearly lost too. Too many CL / NL matches end of last season crammed in October to cover wet start, mis-management of Fixtures by BSPA in hot soccer obsessed summer then some weird wonderful decisions especially affecting Lakeside and Workington (like the decision to make Lakeside re run Peterborough at Rye House). FANS talk with their pocket, structure of 2 max 3 home meetings a month affordable to far more than 6 or 7 meetings in month like some CL/NL Clubs had last October, more matches means more fixed costs like stadium rent / paramedic cover / programmes etc. All adds up. think days of Speedway every Wednesday (in our teams cases) for 26-28 weeks mid March to mid October gone, if not forever for immediate future. If way to go is home and away alternates like soccer 15 matches in 24 - 30 weeks to save speedway has to be better than more Clubs going to the wall. At moment almost all seem to be in "survival mode" only a few emitting any kind of positivity, like Poole (as ever) Eastbourne (new Management) IOW (excellent innovators) ; Kent (bankrolled by Len but for how long); Sheffield (seem to have got their act together again). Good Luck in 2019 to all

Understood Steve, I was more referring to KOC. I also noted that BSPA had shown Leicester in Group with Birmingham; Eastbourne; Somerset (on Speedway GB website prior to Fixtures) but at 11th hour they have been moved North. The Borders Group which was 3 Teams (missing Workington) has now been boosted to 4 Clubs? Call me cynical but seems to favour the "old guard" with an extra meeting conveniently disadvantaging the 3 new boys - Somerset from PL and Birmingham and Eastbourne from NL. I suppose many will say "we have to pay our dues LOL" so will take it on the chin! Good Luck for the coming season.

Nice to have the Fixtures out, a bit frustrating for both us and Eagles I suppose to be drawn in same Shield Group and KOC; although David won't have far to go for his first 2 away matches (ahem LOL). I would think a few might look at BW-D not in the least Eastbourne themselves, but I think you really have to give declared 1-7's their chance as it does not seem ethical to me to chop/change before they have had a chance to turn a wheel. Opposite reaction from me to some in that I can't wait for the season to start and planning some nice Away trips already.

On an initial look, and I can't remember too much about the old one to be frank, so it must have been average that new one looks like it has raised the bar for everyone. The TV part (Eagles TV) alone looks like it is packed with some great archive film. Good to see that the new Management down there are having a real go, on and off the track. Our Brummies website is fine, a bit functional but not on a par now with what you have got now.

Re Big Al, Some NL riders coming up full time or for full season will be a big asset and could easily double (or better) their averages, Drew Kemp / Tom Brennan / Leon Flint would in my opinion all be capable of an average in excess of 6 in the Championship by the end of the season. There are the likes of Connor Mountain, Georgie Wood; James Shanes who will need to "kick on" with them having some more CL experience than the out and out newcomers. It has to be great for the sport to see so many moving up and gaining experience, the cream will rise to the top, the remainder will either find a level and become solid performers, a few will find it too much (either too soon or for now). Very interesting season ahead.