HGould

Phil, purely down to number of times I saw Thompsons and improvement i saw..nothing against Palin other than when I did see him once (at Leicester) he looked a bit of a gater on a track Thompsons passed on that night..hopefully all 3 will get NDL berths too and improve

after a lot of deliberation and changing positions here is my final guess.. 1 Redcar - excellent and retained top 5. Wright and Riss can possibly still improve average and if he stays fully fit so can MPT. Second strings look potential improvers too and if reserves can pick up 3-4 points per meeting between them, top 5 will ensure big advantages in key races. 2 Leicester - very solid top 5, expect Douglas and Perks to increase averages again. Very solid then with Morris / Howarth and Proctor. Fitness of those 3 who are prone to niggly issues could determine the season. Seen a lot of Thompson twins in 2019, don't underestimate either of them, will be as good as many with far more experience. 3 Poole - if we assume Ellis is in then very strong top 3 although Worrall has to prove still he is the rider he was pre 2018 early season injury. Neilsen is another who could add a few points or get crocked again. Not sure about McDonald so may be a team to factor up or down depending on final 2 signed with Ellis. 4 Birmingham - assured of strong reserves all season and Jack Thomas could be an inspired signing. I expect Shanes and Castagna to add a point plus per match, if Garrity stays focused could be no 1 and Jonasson could be CL steal of the season starting with everyone else and not playing catch up. Only niggle I have is with such a team of racers we'll need some dirt and to avoid injuries. 5 Glasgow - Cook will dominate the Team and Nichol is a very shrewd addition but has to improve dramatically on some away tracks, especially the bigger ones. Wells and Sedgeman both "marmite" riders who can blow very hot and cold. Bailey showed promise last year and Ulrich could be a trump card if they invest in his bikes. Sam Jensen I know little about and will need to deliver quite quickly to help them gel. 6 Eastbourne - Strong top 3 with Kennett on a truer average. Lawson and Kerr both excellent at Home and this has to be the season for Kyle Newman to finally deliver. The fact they again go all British and keep faith in Brennan and Edwards to be very much applauded. The signing of the season could be Drew Kemp, knows the track, starts at reserve and Eagles are likely to be far more loyal to him than Sheffield. Could pick up a few more Away points and no one will want to go there in any 2 leg Competition/Decider 7 Edinburgh - Rival Redcar with that top 3 and in Josh Pickering i predict probably the biggest upwardly mobile improver in the CL. Thomson and Frederickson complete unknowns to me but Lawson and Sargeant both capable of winning races at home and away. Could be a dark horse Team if it all gels. 8 Berwick - I think Leon Flint could be the next big British charger to follow Lambert and Bewley and his Away form looks sure to improve as he has more experience now of CL Tracks. Bickley seems to promise a lot but surprised Glasgow let him go so not sure if there is an attitude problem. Won't lose many at Home and Doolan you feel is just waiting to come back in should the need arise. If Pickering is the tider I expect to improve most in CL Etheridge is not far behind. If Gappmeier and Garcia improve away by a point would be top 6 material. 9 Somerset - weakest team I have seen from them in ages and can only assume that having overspent in 2018 they did the same in 2019 with a top heavy team. Anders Rowe was markedly improved in 2019 and looks real deal. Barker and Bates and Wilson-Dean - that trio can go either way, massive points or directly to A+E and whilst they will be entertaining, you'd be watching them with fingers crossed. Know little about Zac Cook but Stoneman is a charger who just needs better support and kit to possibly double his average. 10 Scunthorpe - as said elsewhere a typical Rob Godfrey side. They will steamroller a few when they all click but equally likely to suffer a few thrashings away. Jake Allen stand out performer and could become one of best 4-5 in the Division. Ayers will hope to continue where he left off and the mercurial Lambert will either score shedloads or nothing Jordan Palin may struggle unless he gets NDL rides to bolster confidence. 11 Newcastle - great to see them back and wish them all the best. James Wright is a rider a few Clubs may regret not signing if he clicks back to form and Clegg and Mountain could both become solid 6 point men in engine room. Vissing always struck me as good Heat Leader but can be very suspect under pressure and I'm not sure no 1 fits his persona, we shall see. 12 Kent - Scott will be their talisman but not sure if age or recently disclosed personal issues will have an impact on him. Heeps and Starke are good additions and Tom Bacon is another who really does deserve some luck and can put a few points on if staying fit. Gilkes is an outstanding prospect, Ledwith remains the most baffling of picks with likes of Morley and Wood sat twiddling thumbs in the South East. Hopefully the curfew won't be such an issue for them in better quality league.

I'd rate Sam Masters as superior to Charlie and Craig....just.

It's a League where you cant rule anyone out I don't think. I think Leicester are very strong and don't under-estimate those Thompson Twins! Glasgow don't look as strong to me and I agree with concerns about Sedgeman in particular I don't think Somerset are as strong either but REDCAR look to me to be the ones to beat at the moment. I naturally think Brummies will have a much better season but a niggle that when we go away all opponents will need is a slick track to beat us but we could be dark horses. Scunthorpe look very weak to me and I'm not sure about Kent especially at reserve. Edinburgh / Berwick / Eastbourne have all got sides who should be very tough to beat at home. Edinburgh have big hitters away, Eastbourne have 2-3 who could markedly improve their average but Berwick may struggle again away, although I think Leon Flint (with Drew Kemp) the probably BIG British improvers in 2020. Wait to see about Newcastle. As for Poole, very welcome and be very interesting to see what remainder of Team is. I'll make a 1 - 12 prediction one we know full line up's but at moment would have REDCAR on top and SCUNTHORPE on bottom. Dark horses Brummies and Edinburgh.

Jordan Jenkins looked decent prospect in few outings for Brummies and he and Lawlor won't be passengers. Very strong top 5 easily best top 3 in League in Wright / Riss and MP-T Stewart looks a bit wild but a lot of people who know a lot more than me rate him highly. Some very strong top 5's in the League this year could come down to Reserves. Brummies look very strong in that department!

As wonderful and worthwhile as the whole concept of the BEN Fund is I've never understood the rush to get this meeting on so early. Often affected by weather, fans put off from travelling so early in the season. Would like to think that all Promoters could agree and support a set day that was suitable and a central location in middle of the season. What about day before (replacing CLPairs) or day after Cardiff GP at Swindon or Somerset to get biggest possible crowd and best possible UK based field?

I'm lucky to support a team in a nice stadia, nice amenities and OK refreshments and I can park close to stadium on a proper car park. There are a few stadia like that, but others in desperate need of repair/renovation or in some cases basically "glorified fields". I don't go to speedway though to sit in a glass fronted stand, to do my oblutions in a pristine environment or to eat prawn sandwiches, I go to watch speedway racing in its pure form. I spent between £16 - £18.50 to get in to various Championship matches last season, my money, my choice and if I didn't feel it was good value, I would not go. Compared to all other major Sports with the excitement available and fellowship of decent and friendly fans and few if any thugs or inebriated people, I think it is excellent value. If someone thinks not, vote with your feet but don't please attack us who do go and who will keep going.

Any idea when we will know Fixtures?

very good point as so many Teams have to rent stadia and have limited access and also little of no income from food and drink outlets. How many Championship Clubs actually own stadia they race in? Glasgow Leicester Scunthorpe Somerset are these owned by Speedway Clubs? or have I missed any out?

Top 5 looks very strong to me only concern would be how the racers (Covatti and Starke) handle to gaters paradise of Central Park, may be Len will invest in some shale? Kent could surprise a few Away though with that top 5. Ledwith really seems to be a "sponsors pick" and have read he came back in NDL at request of main sponsor Touch Tec. There are certainly better options as Turn Two points out, all ditched from CL in recent months who could have done a good job instead of Ledwith.

The devil will be in the detail. It could become a similar scenario to F1 where organisers try "new locations" Would do GP Speedway no harm to cement a part of the series that could be run in our winter (say late Jan and February) in Australia / NZ / USA and may be time to take Speedway to the "bike crazy" Spain and also a Far Eastern stop over. All you need is a suitable medium sized 30-40,000 capacity stadia or showground to get it on. That may even suit the Poles as could elongate the GP season and mean fewer clashes in summer when Poles may want fewer GP weekends??..so GP stretches Feb - November more like F1 and not all crammed in to May - October period.

Don't think Rye House is one of those planning to run in NDL Heard it's a northern team but don't know which one, as in north east or Scottish

Eastbourne gave us Brummies fans free entry to the rearranged League match at Arlington at end of September as compensation for having to rearrange initial staging as they had been told to rearrange a Cup match to get it in by a set deadline. Good initiative which reading all Press seems to have been instigated by Debbie Hancock and backed by the other Clubs involved.

Better idea... bin Pipe and bring in Barry Bishop, he knows the NDL inside out and also SDL and best marketing man in Speedway by miles. Let him develop a blueprint to keep standalone Clubs in business and also cater for those that want to run 2 teams. Pipe achieved exactly what is Speedway?

I still think Starke and Gilkes and a Heat Leader. Could be BW-D but could be a foreigner as you suggest as not many British options left unless King and Ellis aren't going to Poole.

If he stays fit could be a good asset but wild at times and therefore injury prone. Probably capable of 6.5 to 7 point average if staying fit and just calming down a bit.

Not necessarily. Nichol lives in UK during the season and also started with a CL Club Sheffield who sponsored his work permit. It's possible he can get approval to extend up to PL too. Becker has resided in Europe for a while and main League is Poland and his initial work permit is for a PL Club. It's possible he is not allowed to extend down in to a lower level where (DofE consider) he may take income from UK born riders unfairly. Each work permit is different and allows certain things.

Sadly very true. Shameful!

I'm guessing Starke; Wilson-Dean and Gilkes Team Nicholls Starke Heeps Bacon Wilson-Dean Gilkes Ludwith strong top 5 got to question reserve strength? impregnible at Home though

any rider out of a job in early April just wait for Debbie Hancock to call. #risky

Re Garrity, he's like Barker, start season well, have a falling out leave in bust up, few weeks off , then go somewhere else and deliver. One day some bright spark will do a deal with other Club each rider rides for and swop them mid season and have good halves of both

Would assume he'll set up a couple of bikes in UK and fly in/out of Bham/EMA on a Wednesday morning. All he has to do is turn up and ride!

THJ signed....very nice team we have for 2020.

Heeps as predicted, Bacon an interesting one. If Heeps is 3rd Heat Leader and Bacon a second string it's very solid and promising. Heeps is such a marmite performer but if he gets dialled in there at CP would be excellent 3rd heat leader and Bacon just deserves some luck and very underrated. Good signings

Plenty still about to fish for-: few decent not yet confirmed in order of my assessment of ability King / Ellis; Heeps / Starke; Barker; Mountain / Greaves; Sedgeman then as widely mentioned Morley; Wood; Bowtell;Gilkes..what about Luke Bowen? one from me out of left field...midweek track would be ideal ex Brummie..Zak Wajneckht?? (too good to not be riding in CL in 2020)