YeOldPitGate

Would be heavily relying on Jan really stepping up and the two youngsters adding a couple of points to their averages as can't see massive improvement in the other four.

Agreed given the lack of new second strings coming through we need these old boys to carry on to they are fifty.

Interested to see if the get Landon in assuming the lad recovers from his recent injuries he looks a more likely bet than Beau Bailey.

You would think they would suss nobody is interested in it Phil and just run the world team cup every other year which does pull the punters in.

Speedway of nations is pretty much the poisoned chalice any where outside Poland.

Zagar could be worth a shout we all know he goes well round Belle Vue, the risk as ever is he's another one of those riders who doesn't fancy it half the time and that risk could be greater as he's near end of career and understandably won't want to risk a bad injury. Flip side though if he can be motivated he's potentially on a good average.

If they end up with three of Cairns, Cooper, Landon, Lightcap, Bailey or Muddle they will be there or there abouts.

Is he mates with Picko ? , I'm surprised also as said Rob could make British rail look generous with a budget.

Interesting Zischke chose Scunny given Rob is prudent with the budget, is he mates with Picko ?

Don't get me wrong Aries JD has my total respect he didn't clear off when the Sky money ran dry and has come back from dreadful injuries its just the way things have been pitched it hinted at someone new coming into the team who would bring the wow factor. JD is a hard charging rider but someone like Bewley or Emil to me are more exciting riders to watch on a bike. Anyway will park it here as I'm sure 99% of Ippo fans would welcome JD back and as mentioned he should be one of the top five riders in the UK in 2027 without breaking a sweat.

Buster does have the resources the two questions are will he want to dip into the retirement pot and even if he did does Lambert really want to come back to the UK. As others have said doesn't help the top guns have to fly into UK two nights per week but just don't think all going Mondays would be a sound idea, Thursdays if doable would be better.

Richard plays the average game like a finely tuned fiddle.

Total respect for Richard , but to me a stellar number 1 is a top 5 world rated rider or Emil coming back. JD has been a brilliant servant to UK speedway and although knocking on a bit he will still be a major force in the UK in his sleep, I just think Richard boxed himself into a corner with that statement as if a rabbit isn't pulled out of the hat there will be some disapointed punters.

What was it this year ?

Agreed from a Polish point of view if the wheels are coming off if the top 8 clubs got together and said its max 3 x UK rates the riders would still sign up.

I seem to remember a few years back wasn't it Hancock got paid a massive sum to sign for the Polish equivalent of Wrexham Town FC, I'm not sure if he ever saw any of the money but can remember the headlines and thinking this is bonkers must have been ten plus years ago.

Can't find a link for it out of interest who were the top four ?

Agreed but hasn't got the wow factor Richard was building up , would be great if Emil could be tempted back as I think most Ippo fans would rather have him back even over the beloved Doyley.

Tobi reminds me of a better version of Batchelor in the days when Batch could be semi bothered an example in his Swindon days when Doyley was number one.

I like Richard and really hope he can turn the sport around but if it is Nilsson he would have been better to have kept quite about team plans for next year and just said we will have a stronger team in 2027 within the restrictions of budgets and getting people over. He's kind of built up hopes of Emil/Woryna and if they end up with Nilsson it will be a bit of an own goal.

Although he would be welcome we all know he performs better when he's not expected to be the heavy hitting number one.

Yep and really should have two world titles as a bad injury robbed him when he was leading in the year prior to becoming world champ.

But what a lap

it was his biography i remember he wanted to sign for hackney and rasmussen rye house but can't remember the year.

Was that Simmo and possibly one of Rasmussen or Schroek or was that even earlier ?