YeOldPitGate

From memory didn't Oxford give him a five figure signing on fee.

One from the memory bank MD, Shawn was one hell of a rider also but think Kelly shaved it over his brother for natural talent.

The young lad who signed for Lynn last season is a perfect example Ashton Boughton , he had pics of five bikes before the season started and he was a reserve rider , I don't know how much a bike costs to put together but I'm guessing even if riding in the UK with five bikes and a van thats probably 25-50k and this is a lad who's at the lower region of the ladder.

He was but Kelly Moran was one hell of a rider to watch also, world number four three times and that was with living a terrible lifestyle if he had of been dedicated Kelly would have had at least one world title. As I say I would dearly love to see a new bunch of American youngsters come through in the mould of the Cowboy and Kelly.

But remember we are talking speedway.

The problem is having a van and five bikes is feasible if your riding in Poland but in the UK these days in my eyes reality is the top 50% can warrant a van and two bikes next 50% should be one bike and ideally a track spare the costs have got out of control for what the UK can afford now days not helped by riders in the UK spending thousands per annum on tuning. At some point a total reset will have to happen but it seems to have been kicked again for at least another year unless Harry comes through with some new multi million pound backers to sort the sport out.

He would be the steal of the season if they can pull it off, if they could get Fred back over in place of Emil also I reckon crowds would hold pretty well.

Not 100% sure on that think a lot will depend on can Chris Holder roll back the years he was a tremendous rider back in the day but I think two really bad smashes and what happened to Darcy understandably took the wind out of his sales mentally and physically.

That could be a good team Throssell should be geting double figures every week whilst at reserve, Tobi if he can get his head straight should do a job and same with Tungate if he can be bothered could be a trump card the other four solid and reliable.

Could be an absolute steal on that average was developing into a possible future gp rider last time he rode in the UK but a really bad crash set him back and then from memory he didn't return to the UK, if Northampton do run assuming they can't get a number one he is exactly the kind of rider they will need on a false average to make sure they win most of their home meetings. Maybe Nigel has a brother who will be underwriting the anticipated losses for the coming season.

Remember poor old Terry Chainey trying to make Milton Keynes work in the 80's

Thats whats needed for the Witches in 2026 some new youngster who can ride a bike like the Cowboy in his prime how I miss all those brilliant american riders from back in the day.

They won't be that good I'm thinking Lynn Stars 1985.

When are we due an update from Harry on the progress thats been made since he came on board ?

For most tracks the above would put the crowd at negative 200

Rambo Lambo ?

Agreed you would think it would be a quick easy win get matches on in June, July and August when people can be outside to 9pm ish in jeans and t shirts but nope not happening.

imagine the scenes if the volunteers turn up tonight to be greeted by Buster handing out track rakes.

Tobi seems another Batchelor if he's at number one he seems to crumble but put him as the number two heat leader as he was at Sheffield and he can look unbeatable.

Yep sadly that meeting killed Cardiff all be it the venue had been declining attendance wise every year since covid possibly with the large number of poles no longer traveling.

That was the year Bewley won when it was more like a super cross track, I went to Odsal in 85 and 1990 brilliant atmospheres both times with the tribal nature needed and some superb racing but the days of getting 45-50k in for World finals in the UK also seem gone forever.

Spot on its getting harder and harder for the sport to survive when I used to go mid 80's to early 90's if a track was in trouble there were normally 4-5 interested parties in taking over. They would then survive 2-5 years on average loose a bundle then rinse and repeat, but these days there's maybe one-two interested parties or none. It also frustrates me that when the Sky money came in the top riders seem to have hoovered up 90% of it then left for Poland as soon as the trough was empty, now I get they could suffer horrible injuries tin any race and need to maximise earnings but part of me also thinks you were fed well when the big money was sloshing around maybe a bit of loyalty to the UK was warranted. As you say the only way I see out is someone with tens of millions coming in buying up 15-20 tracks/stadiums then franchising out to promoters with the big dog making the rules , two leagues of eight with promotion and relegation. I don't think there's any speedway haters on here just fans who love the sport and are heart broken how its now on life support I bang on about it but the last four heats of the last world team cup show how good it can be when every team was in contention down to the last four heats and Magic took Rob Lambert from the back on the last lap to win it for Poland. We were also spoilt back in the day for riders who were magicians on bikes like Kelly Moran, Henka, Jan O Pederson, Loram, John Cook , T Rick etc there just don't seem as many of that type of rider around today or maybe its just down to rocket ship bikes.

But Sam played a blinder at Reading back in the day when he wasn't even team manager he was paid a fortune in a consultant like role and that was twenty plus years ago.

I think the reality is most have other businesses that make money that they can offset the speedway losses against the other business profits , its still not ideal as it doesn't eliminate the loss merely reduces it from a tax perspective. I think 99% of us on here would agree from the current bunch of promoters other than Louis and the Fords probably nobody else makes money out of the sport. The promoters take plenty of stick and a lot of time rightly so but equally they are subsidising the sport we all desperately want to succeed like it did in the 70's and early 80's sadly I'm coming round to the idea there is no saving it the sport is just a bygone of another age like nightclubs where the young of today just have no interest in either of them.

He would want more bags than Rew.