InTheDeepStuff

Interesting read also in the Speedway Star this week is the Kyle Howarth interview, where he’s said even the riders are sick of racing at the same places 4 times a season and that alongside the massive fixture gaps is why he’s taking a break from it for remainder of 2026. It’s good to see a rider speak openly about the current position not working rather than speaking the party line of it’s all rosey in the garden. The one big league with 2H and 2A would give them more variety and also a decent amount of meetings to negate the doubling up that a decent amount of riders are doing. The promoters/owners need to look at the bigger picture here and not just what suits them, OK it might upset a few big hitters that want to ride/live in UK but can’t if go down one big league and team average isn’t a crazy amount, but they aren’t going to be around for ever and it’s not like there’s an influx of foreigners wanting to ride over here, so take the bullet now get a baseline in position for the sport and take it from there. If the one league doesn’t work out then can revisit alternatives but whatever have now just isn’t working for riders or fans.

SHEFFIELD: Jason Doyle, Anders Rowe, Chris Holder, Leon Flint, Josh Pickering, Jye Etheridge, Luke Killeen. LEICESTER: Ryan Douglas, Drew Kemp, Nick Morris, Dan Thompson, Sam Masters, William Cairns, Joe Thompson. Potential to be the usual close match between these two sides. For Sheffield you’d think Doyle has ability to score more than they’ve been getting for J.Holder’s rides which should help the end total, the reserves need to show up though after their abject performance on Monday at King’s Lynn. The rest of the Sheffield team have generally been pretty solid over recent weeks at home. As for Leicester I think they are weaker with Cairns in as a guest for Howarth who could have easily had double figures from reserve spot (know had blip in last outing there), but J.Thompson seems to have a liking for the Owlerton circuit nowadays which will help. Douglas will get the points expected from a number 1 same as he’s done all year, it depends on what side of bed Kemp, Masters and Morris have got out of if Leicester are to push for points all capable of winning races there as well as being well adrift Home win but not by much 48-42

Don’t know what they are expecting from Ellis, didn’t hardly pull up any trees for Ipswich last year when at reserve, can’t see that improving when in main body of the team

So with the lack of a replacement for Jack Holder (can’t see who they could get in tbh, hopefully he’s back for start of next month) guest or R/R being the chosen poison, I think they need to look at the Rising Star position and bring in someone fresh to give an opportunity to until the end of the season. Some may say that’s tough on Killeen but he’s not cutting it away from Sheffield (had maybe 2 good points scoring meetings at home) and showed again last night at King’s Lynn where he gives the opposition yards from the start. Know the Rising Star list isn’t massive but it’s an opportunity for someone to shine and earn a team spot in the position I think that’s their only option as with Etheridge being in such a low average (nudge over 3.00) there’s not really anyone out there that’s not been tried elsewhere and failed miserably.

Deserved win for Stars, quick rider summary after watching on BSN King’s Lynn Fricke - Woeful, looked so uncomfortable on him track for a rider with such experience Rushen - Did more than expected even if a bit erratic Harris - Definitely a Bomber type track tonight and he put the points on the board and bar race with Rowe he dominated Cook - Frustrating for Lynn fans, 8 pointer in Ekstraliga, 5 pointer in Premiership, seemed to just go through the motions Kvech - Up and down night Edwards - Scored more than Jenkins would have done so did what you want from a guest in beating opposite rider and more Scott - Excellent performance from the rising star, lovely style on the bike Sheffield Lawson - Hot & Cold, no replacement for J.Holder whose usually good for double digits there Rowe - Top drawer, has to be his best performance for Sheffield Holder - What you expect nowadays, very Klindt like fast out front so poor when behind Flint - Poor early doors came to party late on did what was expected in the end Pickering - You’d think he never ridden the place, poor on track decision making in just about all his races, needs to walk the walk rather than talk a good game if wants to be at the top table Etheridge - Rode like a novice, awful performance Kileen - Slow all night again, didn’t make one start, track dominated him rather than him racing on track

Klindt talks the talk. Big points for Rybnik in Poland yesterday no doubt next outing will be 3 or 4 points again whoever he’s riding for

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Harris is back to number 1 isn’t he from today, so will mean R/R, guest or replacement for Howarth coming in at number 3 or 5. Could do horses for courses with Flint and what they decide to go going forwards in those two positions as KJP still needs to support at number 4 in his races with still not much experience around all the UK tracks

Batchelor definitely threw the Northampton team under the bus last night. Know he hates riding Owlerton (as was clearly seen in his 2021 season there) giving them just about zero opportunity to get a suitable replacement is a disgrace. They’d be better binning him off after that and picking up an available Championship rider to take his place (Sedgmen, Allen, McDiarmid, Mountain even Kennett)

Wonder if Howarth will get a medal even though he’s stood down from the team (rode first leg and on team sheet for last night with r/r)? If so that’d be 3 KO Cup winners medals in 4 years for him not a bad way to sign off even if just for 2026

Unfortunately for Northampton they have too many riders that if they don’t gate then that’s it, went to Owlerton last night for second time this season and Lidsey, Klindt, Zagar all nowhere if didn’t get out of the start, Klindt especially embarrassing won one race by a country mile, then other same distance back in last place. Whereas for Sheffield Pickering (no surprise there), Kileen and Flint all showed that the track was conducive to overtaking. Northampton need a rider (or two) to add to the squad who will attack a track if they want to have more chances of gaining wins during the season someone like Charles Wright for example. Scoreline could have been worse if Kileen hadn’t have been given ht15 but it was well deserved him getting the pick of been the higher scorers in Rowe, Pickering and Holder snr.

Wonder if Doyle will carry on with Aces after his 28 day contract expires? Not much of an off last night, packed his bags and out of pits during meeting, not that he’s any loyalty to Lemon or the Aces but if wasn’t something requiring medical/hospital attention riders usually stay in pits with their team mates. Suppose we’ll see soon enough

Heard same Phil that he’s back for another few weeks at his majesty’s pleasure

Home win some margin, 54-36. I’m going for the Sheffield reserves to score a combined 1 point unless they both miraculously find some gating gloves from bottom of kit bag

As a Promoter Damian Bates needs to actually promote the sport and not be asking fans to do it for him. Friends of fans will know what they go support etc but having such a stop start season with repetitive opposition it’s a hard one to sell, but that again comes down to incompetence of BSPL

What’s up with Doyle, did he crash in SGP on Saturday (not watched it), or has he aggravated old injury?

Should just be the top 15 in UK averages (converted to Premiership) at end of April plus 1 wildcard (to allow for someone who hasn’t got official average yet), if you don’t actively ride in UK by choice or not you don’t get a space. No need then for a sparsely attended semi final with riders who possibly don’t have time or need for an extra meeting

Would imagine Sheffield on to Doyle to guest for Jack Holder next Thursday as he’ll be at Belle Vue as long as Bewley is out for

Watched rerun on BSN (a lot of fast forwarding through FTG races) well done King’s Lynn on a great comeback to grab all 3 points available on the night Know there’s not a lot of choice out there to replace Jack Holder (that will come at a cost that’s achievable to pay anyway) so unfortunately stuck with guests or R/R for the foreseeable, is there any chance Sheffield might look to strengthen the number 6 slot at reserve? Etheridge ok at Owlerton but usually unreliable away from there, wonder if any options of someone who maybe able to give them a bit more especially away from Owlerton, be interesting to see what’s out there on an average of just over 3 when converted from Championship (or historical Premiership) 🤷‍♂️

Woffinden is injured that’s why his Swedish team gave him the boot and replaced him. Heard from someone there tonight that Jack Holder was there and still had air boot on his foot alongside his arm injury. Also that Garrity has a post match spin watched by a lot of the Sheffield team and the Bates’, make of that what you want are they wanting to bring him in for Etheridge

Will Ryan Douglas be back for this one as that was a big off he had in Poland at the weekend? Can’t see Kyle Howarth being fit to ride either as still suffering with the re-occurrence of his ankle injury form his spill last week, Dickson will be hoping Douglas rides as if not it’ll be R/R for him and a non premiership contracted rider as guest for Howarth (not much depth left in Championship to choose from as per Ipswich having to use MPT) which will put Leicester in a weakened position than him being available or runnIng R/R.

Wasn’t Cook originally seeded to British Final?

Problem is Morris is ruthless as a ‘team rider’ in most meetings he’s carved his own team mate up, be that Thompson or Howarth, or Kemp. He’s possibly better off at 2 riding with Douglas and then have Thompson and Howarth at 3 and 4, that’s if Masters can regain some form and get points from riding at 5

Could Garrity fit as replacement for Gilkes? Ducks for cover 🫣

I would guess that Kyle Howarth will be missing Friday, looped it at the start, got signed out of the meeting and looked to be struggling to walk or put pressure on his left leg/hip