ouch

Where’s the long term planning. A five year plan to develop/build/improve facilities, both current and defunct tracks coupled with a sustained rider development process at junior and senior level and an ongoing improvement to the race night experience. Imagine if all tracks had implemented that 15 years ago instead of just wasting TV money and sticking their heads in the sand.

I’m less optimistic about major change in the sport. Ousting cartel members from the top table and replacing them with Mark and Rob should have offered more. I’m please with the introduction of Northampton and an addition of a top man to the team Mark put together will result in a competitive side. Having Belle Vue on terrestrial TV for the first time in decades was a great result but after that not much to write home about. Richard Colman talks the talk but the only thing he has done so far was marked by that thing we all (most) hate - self interest. I’m worried he’s another in the long line of here today gone tomorrow promoters and with a none existent line of would be buyers I remain concerned about the long term viability of yet another club. Looking through Richard’s ventures to date does not fill you with confidence as to his staying power. After the previously mentioned pluses from this season it would be a shame to see things drop back again.

I think the Klindt thing is a knee jerk reaction to his play off showing. I don’t see us replacing a young improving German with a near 40 year old Dane. If anything I think out of our two guests in the final, it would be Mitch that joins us despite his zero score at Sheffield. I think we will have a Cook, especially as it’s best to leave Jaimon at Northampton as they continue to establish themselves. It’ll be his first season in a team not put together by Mark. The top two will join forces for a seventh season (less one for Dan when Godfrey famously blocked him following Dans announcement on twitter about his return in ‘22) The last spot in the top five is the perennial mystery as we always have to make a change due to the points limit unfortunately. It would be great to keep continuity at reserve but that would take some leeway from the powers that be (riders have ridden in a U21 position whilst being 21) and a firm rejection to the cheque book clubs circling once again.

I think the Klindt thing is a knee jerk reaction to his play off showing. I don’t see us replacing a young improving German with a near 40 year old Dane. If anything I think out of our two guests in the final, it would be Mitch that joins us despite his zero score at Sheffield. I think we will have a Cook, especially as it’s best to leave Jaimon at Northampton as they continue to establish themselves. It’ll be his first season in a team not put together by Mark. The top two will join forces for a seventh season (less one for Dan when Godfrey famously blocked him following Dans announcement on twitter about his return in ‘22) The last spot in the top five is the perennial mystery as we always have to make a change due to the points limit unfortunately. It would be great to keep continuity at reserve but that would take some leeway from the powers that be (riders have ridden in a U21 position whilst being 21) and a firm rejection to the cheque book clubs circling once again.

Not factual correct. Talk about adding insult to injury. Rules say we need to lose riders then the forum not rights have a go at us for losing riders. Only in speedway.

Not factual correct. Talk about adding insult to injury. Rules say we need to lose riders then the forum not rights have a go at us for losing riders. Only in speedway.

Déjà vu indeed. 😡

I don’t think that’s true when other clubs can use the money they have saved over the years by not running a junior development side on coaxing a young lad over on inflated terms. Madness.

With nearly half of the top nine riders being Belle Vue 2026 riders, I can see us having to release lads once again to bolster our opponents.

I can see legs in this thinking as Tom isn’t daft and has almost always driven his career correctly. He just has to look at him and Jason, last season just over half a point separated them whereas now, having gone to separate teams, it’s nearly three points. The wage demands he’s been used to to recently won’t stack up with The Aces but if he sees the bigger picture and he gets offered the opportunity I think we can all agree it’s a no brainer.

I can see legs in this thinking as Tom isn’t daft and has almost always driven his career correctly. He just has to look at him and Jason, last season just over half a point separated them whereas now, having gone to separate teams, it’s nearly three points. The wage demands he’s been used to to recently won’t stack up with The Aces but if he sees the bigger picture and he gets offered the opportunity I think we can all agree it’s a no brainer.

Brady 7.50 Zach 5.57 Max 4.84 Jaimon 4.00 Norick 4.00 Dan 3.00 Tom last pick RS Didn’t break the bank signing this lot.

When William joined the Colts in 2024 he looked a good prospect and someone worth investing in. It would be a shame to see him elsewhere in 2027 but the trouble is you get other clubs offering ridiculous terms, pushing up rider demands and needlessly taking money out of a cash strapped sport. If only they had used that money to bring on their own riders. Bigger picture guys! Belle Vue will never win a bidding war against the cheque book clubs, something I highlighted when we had a league of 11 and I’m sadly still doing it now we have a league of only six.

Given the major surgery required to the table topping Aces and the new U21 rules plus the fact it seems to be 37-38 limit on the top five, the murmurings seem to indicate this team to try and retain the trophy is. Brady Kurtz Tom Brennan Robert Lambert Jaimon Lidsey Dan Bewley Beau Bailey William Carins

So you don’t attend due to other people not attending. It wasn’t a given that The Aces would qualify until part way into the season. Why did you not attend for those earlier meetings? PCMT was on a Monday. Hope you enjoyed it. If you like variety just watch the other teams visit once, like the good old days. You would get your variety and the club would get five extra ticket sales. Jason didn’t help Sheffield qualify at all. Take his points away verses Kings Lynn and it would have been 2 points off the tigers and 2 to the stars, meaning Sheffield still qualify. Take his points off for the lions meeting and Sheffield would still have won the meeting. All the TV deals done for the last 30 years have all been clinched whilst the guest system was in place. The guest system has been around for (what feels like) ever. Why is Nicolai so different to Jim McMillan guesting for The Aces in our most famous KO cup win in 1973? I do agree that a new signing should be allowed but with this site as evidence the majority of fans wouldn’t like it and prefer guests. There was a lady offering free face painting for kids and adults alike. The presentation was our usual apart from the flames near the start line.

What a night and what a hangover yesterday. Had a wonderful time celebrating with the lads in the Craven suite after a terrific season and a superb finish. More of the same next year please. Just a note about Mark, yes he’s no Stewart Dickson or Rob Lyon but to achieve gold at domestic and international level again is no mean feat.

We’ve done better than most, if not all this year. The Craven is always very well attended along with our first home team meeting. We’ve made good use of the bank holidays this season which has helped offset the effect of having two expensive FIM events in town. Add in our play off participation and we are looking at around 24k-26k attendance over the season. I don’t see any team massively over or under that figure and to scoff at someone else attendance is as ridiculous as it is pointless.

You’d have to be a very unlucky team for that to happen. 😱 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_British_League_season#British_League_Knockout_Cup

That’s one of the many problems with the play offs and one I went into chapter and verse when they first came into the sport. Once the perception is planted that a fixture is less important, fans will think twice about attending. The repetitive nature of fixtures doesn’t help though as it was back in the day, you can ride local teams many times over with little impact on the gate. This was evidenced by Glasgow and Edinburgh successfully meeting ten times recently. The ONLY benefit of the play offs is the gate money two teams get (four at a push) but it’s now robbing Peter to pay Paul as all we are doing is clawing back what’s been lacking in the qualifiers. The original reason for them may come back into play if a tv deal is forthcoming as the broadcaster absolutely demands to screen the deciding fixture.

A reply well worth reading. I happen to think it would be good for the sport to have two people involved who are well versed in dealing with (one of the biggest) councils successfully enough to have a new dedicated speedway stadium in a built up area near to the city centre. By all means though, keep posting your insightful comments.

Looking at the gossip on this thread, next years team looks like Kurtz Blodorn? Brennan Lidsey Bewley Zischke? Cairns I know Richard likes what we do, but this is a tad too far imo. 🤣

It’s a shame the south stand never got finished which keeps the capacity low. It’s even more of a shame that when the owns took issue with the situation, the cartel seized the opportunity to oust them rather than back them.

Maybe do some research yourself, paying particular attention to the year you closed down mid season.

Belle Vue’s crowd for the 2nd leg semi was very good and any additional numbers had we rode the 1st leg wouldn’t have been massive. Giving Ipswich the 1st leg helped them achieve a far better crowd than if they had taken a dead rubber 2nd leg. It’s been seen through the history of the club the fickle nature of their fan base with even keen beans on here saying they are picking and choosing this season. The bigger picture here is that more money came into British Speedway with us having the 2nd leg. Richard seems like a strong ally to the cause so to assist him for the good of his business seems a no brainier. I know there is an everyone for themselves attitude but that simply won’t work due to the precarious nature of our sport in this country.