HGould

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)

Looks stronger than starting line up in 2019, especially at second string, if Kemp ignites and Edwards/Brennan improve could win a few more Away and be play off contenders. Be hard to beat over 2 legs.

Looks strong 1-7 at home, should pick up enough points away especially up north to be more competitive overall than in 2019