YeOldPitGate

Worrying with Sheffield if the Bates step back will someone with enough money come in to save the Tigers. In the perfect world top league would be eight teams once home and away if nothing else fewer meetings would stem losses and negate the issue of seeing the same teams every other week. Home meetings would need to be at least fortnightly though rather than the current monthly nonsense with some teams.

Don't disagree with any of that Noaksey I personally think 8 and 8 way to go with top league once home and away in the perfect world top league standard 30% better than currently so every team has a proper number 1. Second division twice home and away made up of the bottom 4-5 riders in division one plus youngsters from UK and any unpolished under 24 gems we could get from abroad. Two issues straight off the bat is more money would be needed to fund an 8 team better quality top league and doubling up would have to stay for a while so it could pay for the bottom 60-70% of riders in league 1 being able to top up earnings in league 2. I would restrict top league to once home and away if nothing else this alone would stem losses as fewer meetings and if you only saw Kurtz, Bewley etc once a season you might get more inclined to turn out. The caveat would be home meetings at least every fortnight not months between one home meeting and the next.

Does anyone know if there's a semi rich local business man/fan who might step in ? I know over the years sadly the willing benefactors who would swoop in and be willing to write off 50-100k per annum has dwindled along with fans coming in through the gates but maybe there is someone. Real shame as they seem to have an excellent track and a lot of work has gone into getting everything up and running.

To be fair they looked super weak on paper but have surprised a few including me but you can't see anything other than a Poole steamroller in the play offs.

Doesn't the lad want relatively big bags now for racing though, have a feeling that was part of the issue with Worky he had a season of improvement but then wanted pretty big money for 2026.

Same as John Berry mid 80's Mike was probably the most successful promoter in the UK as the time sold Ipswich and moved into big chief role with lots of ideas and was gone within a month.

Was always going to be the old head in the sand approach "it's all coming together , nothing to see here" plus the fact trying to find a new rider these days is like hoping you will trip over a gold bar as you step out of your front door.

For the days of Siggy, Cowboy Cook and T Rick those lads could pull some moves.

Still interesting to get your take on Eastbourne M.D how much did they get stiffed for by the last promoter ?

Love it as you say Mike the master plan was always one huge squad system same as the ten years before.

All interesting stuff assuming top league stays at six teams they must be confident of getting additional investment in to put the points limit up and of attracting riders over here if it is Poland and one other league lets hope it bears fruit at least Colman seems to be trying which is more than can be said of Harry and his Tory mate.

Agreed he's exactly the kind of rider we need to be holding onto especially if the poles turn the screw in 2027, I didn't think he was having to bad a season this year, as other have said hopefully if he has a break he will come back fresher in 2027.

That's the lad he was a very good trapper and had a tidy style but wasn't one for coming from the back much.

Putin's war with the West must be really ramping up if he's sending the bots in to meddle with us 30 old duffers and are multiple identities.

Sshhhh R87 is waiting in the wings ready to put the size ten in .

So very true was it Justin Elkins who was another that big things were hoped for but never happened, I used to enjoy the junior meetings you could always spot the ones who might make a career out of the game like Ray Morton, Sean Wilson and who was the lad who led the Wolves juniors around mid 80's also can't remember his name.

I didn't realise Einar was only with the Stars for a couple of seasons I could swear we suffered him for far longer than that, as an aside what happened to Adi Stevens in the end he was hyped as a new british talent like the Poole turbo teens but I think being in a super weak team crushed his confidence did he retire young or move on from Lynn and achieve anything of note ?

Agreed Bald Bloke I didn't think the team looked to bad pre-season but as you say just seems to fall apart when season starts for us every time. My fave example was when we went from truly woeful in the 80's to getting King, Peterson, Knight, Davis, Johanson, Davies & Stephens (who big things were hoped for) King, Peterson & Knight in 1988 had all been nigh on unbeatable round Lynn prior to signing, first meeting the best crowd in years packed the place out but a third of the season in we were back to terrible and crowds drifted off and the powerhouse riders looked bang average.

If he does come as you say hopefully won't be in the Laguta mould of only fancying every other meeting.

You mentioned a gp pole but do you think other than BZ would any of the other poles have the talent/technique to get round a small track like Ipswich ? would the budget be better spent on getting someone like Becker in or Emil back.

And sadly that shows the quality of the product compared to years gone by, Leicester have a solid side but not one rider in it who's in the top 20-30 riders in the world. This is another one of the sports huge problems chipping away at the quality of the product year on year but also upping the cost every season. It certainly hasn't helped Sheffields cause having no Tai and losing Jack Holder this year. Same with Ippo no Doyle and Emil, the flip side though is even if you bring in a big hitter crowds might go up for 3-4 meetings then level off again, then you have Belle Vue two awesome riders on show most weeks but crowds down also lord knows how it can be turned around if it even can.

Plus those big old Polish pay cheques can do wonders for the recovery process.

The lad back in form tonight Bagpuss , great to see.

I like the lad Bagpuss and have followed his progress due to Lynn connections but he seemed to be putting in decent scores most nights early on in the season and as mentioned I rate him not to far behind Cairns and Rushen just wondered if a few recent knocks had dented his confidence a bit.

If Comets run in 2027 would be worth seeing if they could tempt Grahn as he seems to always go well at your place.