Diamonds85

Money is very tight for everyone now and I travel from Ripon every week. So 140 miles worth of fuel for me and sometimes the missus to come in... It's getting on for £75 a week, including food, programmes etc... Doesn't help that my car drinks fuel lol... That'll be my next sacrifice probably... Anyway if there's 4 meetings a month that's £300ish just for the speedway, my missus currently does not work after being laid off not too long ago and my hours have been drastically reduced since covid. I know I won't be the only one in this situation, but it's just not affordable for me anymore in my current situation, and being insulted each and every week with the team on display just makes me not want to return... This is my reasoning, 2 more fans gone for now... Until things get better... That's most the crowd!!

Speedway is the love of my life (as well as mountain climbing and my cats ) but I'm falling so out of love with it the last few years... The situation at Newcastle is not helping one bit... Even the meeting I went to at Redcar the other week was bland... And Redcar normally has brilliant racing...

I know what you're saying too, but I really can't afford to be watching this rubbish every week now. If it was actually entertaining or we stood chance of winning races and meetings, I would find the money and sacrifice other aspects of my life, but as I stand, this is the least important part of my life now (used to be the most) I am just bored of cr@p teams and excuses now... Even at the end of the English era and for decades with the powers that be... I really hate the prospect of going up to Newcastle (I travel over an hour, Redcar is so much closer for me, but I love Newcastle... Which is slowly fading) just to watch them lose each week and the boring, bland 'don't worry guys, we'll get them next time' excuses every week, is just getting old now... I have a feeling I know who you are... You stand at the very back corner at bend 4, am I correct?

Clearly the points limit needs reducing, to reduce the 'standard' of riders in this league, but pushing the goal post of rider standard together to allow the standard of the RACING to improve, I would watch 2 newbies racing eachother, as long as it was entertaining and close, passes, who remembers those? It will also allow enough riders for each team to build to the limit... Also, the race format desperately needs looking at. The 6s and 7s should not be racing against the 1s and 5s. The reserves challenging races should be against the other teams second strings at most... George Congreve vs Sam Masters is an insult to the public imo... I can't be the only one to think this, surely? But these changes are all down to the powers of the sport... Who apparently have nothing to do with the embarrassing state of the sport these days

Comedian Unless you know something we all don't know? Zmarzlik and Magic maybe??

Because I'm not just looking at the Newcastle Diamonds 2022 team, I am looking at the sport as a whole... It has been on the decline for over a decade now imo... And that's all down to how it is being run... Everyone knows it, but nothing happens...

Matty has never let the team down, with his consistent and brilliant rides over the years... He's allowed the odd 'off' night, but in this team that can't happen... I would keep them 4 and potentially Lee but the other 2 need to go... 3 rides and 0 points of George again... May as well put Owen Booth or Jack Shimelt in... One of our junior riders... Would score the same... And we wouldn't be paying through the teeth for them... (Obviously this isn't a serious suggestion... Before people freak out)

Joke and an embarrassment... Glad I couldn't make it this week, and I think I'll not bother next week now either, not until our entertainment is taken seriously... And that is not just a dig at Granty, but a dig at the monkeys who run the sport as a whole... Been going to Newcastle since a was a little kid, but not anymore, not until the sport is taken seriously for ALL clubs again, joke. Sorry but goodbye for now Newcastle, best of luck. Money is too tight for me now to be 'wasting' it on the garbage we call speedway these days. Thank you so much to all the riders who have entertained me over the years, and that includes this years six brave men, who have been thrown into the deep end without any leaders... Hope to be back soon, once everything is sorted once and for all (by either Rob or the leaders of the sport, I won't hold my breath), but I fear for the club and I fear for the whole sport eventually...

He is an ex Newcastle rider, yes. But I'm not sure he's the rider he used to be... Also, I agree the problems are much further up, but still doesn't mean we can't upgrade the bottom end either... And no offence to George, he looks like he could be alright eventually, but we can't afford to carry loads of passengers this year...

Yes, we had Connor, and he was a very raw rider at the time (2017 I believe?) It is now 5 years later, and yes he isn't a superstar in the making, but he is better than Jack Smith imo, who definitely couldn't ride Brough at all and maybe not quite as good as Ben Morley on most tracks, but I could see him beating Ben at Newcastle. Connor would be a decent 2.00 rider, if we needed one.

I just had a dream that Nico Covatti and Lidvig Lindgren signed for us... I could tell it was just a dream though Why is Ludvigs case so bad? Even with the new promotion? I was never a huge for of Pavlova but he'd be a massive upgrade on George. And the only Swede in British speedway!!

Him and Pavlova still scored decently in Sweden last year... But I can imagine both them bridges are burned are they not? Even if it is a new promotion...

Of course, George is better than all of our number 7s last year I would agree... But so is Connor Coles and Justin Sedgmen... Better than George too, I wouldn't mind keeping George either tbh... But Brad has to go (if he hasn't already...)

Did they win the league cup or whatever it was back then???

That's twice I've seen Ben Morley and Jack Smith mentioned, but no one mentions Connor Coles, who is better than both imo, especially at Brough. Ben Morley is alright, but I don't rate Jack Smith at all... And it's still too early for Archie, but I know Dave has been involved with him since he was little, so of course he'll be a little bit biased... If Justin Sedgmen is coming over, get him signed for George and start looking for someone to replace BWD. Even if it's something like Ondrej Smetana or a new 4.00 Dane (the Basso signing of 2022 possibly?) Something different please... George Congreve needs a season of second halves around the country I think, if he can afford it... What's Josef Franc doing these days, I bet he'd still be a solid rider, and what happened to Christian Henry's comeback, was it just a few rides in Aussie just for fun, or something more?? Dare I mention Davey Watt? Just to trigger the older fans... Ludvig would be ideal if he was truly there the other night... 1. Ludvig Lindgren 2. Matthew Wethers 3. James Wright 4. Max Clegg 5. Paul Starke 6. Lee Complin 7. Justin Sedgmen/Ondrej Smetana

Co-promoter Rob Grant said afterwards: “I can appreciate the fans will be getting frustrated after our latest result, but I can confirm we are doing the air miles in trying to contact as many riders as we can. “We are on the case, but the majority of riders who are not fixed up are either retired or don’t want to race this season. We are not clear on the shoulder injury of Bradley Wilson-Dean, and therefore we are looking at different options. “Yes, its a bit doom and gloom at the minute, but we know we have a job to do, and we will make a change as soon as the right riders become available.”

Come to laugh at us, like his 'fans' laughed at him for years for not winning every race

So no one would lend George a bike in heat 2 then he wasn't allowed into heat 9??? What's going in. Granty finally realise how weak we are??

Looking forward to seeing Charles and Erik tonight, they were brilliant at Redcar on Friday, that's about the only thing to look forward to. I suppose it would be nice to see Lee among the points also, always improving

Ah right, I wasn't sure I take it Declan is his younger brother is he?

His brother Luke??? Are they both called Luke, or are you getting mixed up...

I think tonight's crowd will be very telling for how the rest of the season goes... I hope Rob notices and has a long hard think about what he can do, I know he's got his budget and he's already done so much, but it would be such a shame just to let this opportunities we have now just go down the pan...

Hopefully Brad recovers from his injuries soon, no amount of unhappiness towards the team performances should I wish injury on anyone.

Surprised he got such a massive reduction tbh, but I'm sure it was all done fairly I do like Ben, from his days at Newcastle, always giving 100% and claimed a few decent scalps at home, even if he was well out of his depth, good look to the Chargers

If these are the types of teams we can put together based on our budget, we should be going National League instead until we find more budget, we clearly can't afford the Championship now?? Racing is better in the NL anyway