Parsloes 1928 nearly

21 points from reserves for the IoW vs. 2 for the Potters!!

The lad's only 15 years of age so I'd imagine he can't really 'sign' for anyone... He can RIDE for a club though and I understand he'll be riding in the NL when he can for the KLYS. It may well suit Dale to have Robert when he can, not exceed the 4 matches and then he'd be able to ride still as a three-pointer in the Play-offs. I'd suggest if that happens KL would literally walk the play offs and win the championship. Only possible flaw in that as a concept would be possibly not qualifying for the P/Os but I'd think the KLYS side strong enough to do that anyhow. Robert could ride in the KOC too without those matches counting towards the four qualifying for an average. Simples!

I wonder if any programmes have been printed...!!!

Hey John (aka JC!) - will be great to see you and the family! I'll be in the 'box' but try and come up and see me! Derek

Take the point about London. Train link to Sittingbourne very good and fares reasonable but time is against people. Can't expect people to do it every time of course, but maybe if people do want to come to the occassional meeting from the 'Smoke' that they take a couple of hours leave? After all everyone does have annual leave: well, most people who are employed do anyhow?

Right by my reckoning Steve & the lads will shortly be on their way to Europe then the UK for the (usually) annual tour.. Again it's my understanding (happy to stand corrected!) that following the Under 21 World Cup semi in Germany on 28/4 the lads are coming here. I've only spotted three dates though: at Rye House (4/5) for the US style handicap meet; then matches at Buxton (5/5); and the opener at Central Park, Kent Speedway on 6 May. Are these details correct and are there any other dates..? Also any confirmed team news?

Ah okay - many thanks for this. Has knocked on the head any plan to combine going to Stoke (Kings' opening away fixture on the 12th) with a trip to Beaumont Park but at least now have the answer!!!

Brilliant idea to have a live band on too..!! All power to the Fen Tigers' elbow for this one!!

Am I right in thinking Lee's still looking for a 2013 club - or has he got an PL berth..? Lee is a good rider and a real crowd pleaser. Of those who were there, who can ever forget the race he had with Buzz at Arena Essex back in his days with the Hammers. A classic Speedway race! NL/CL-wise I think it might be true that following his PL days his only spells in the third tier have been briefly with Newcastle and then an incredibly short spell with the Sittingbourne Crusaders (one match, paid 15 at Plough Lane vs. Wimbledon). Could Lee be ready and waiting for an NL side needing change later in the season as a ready-made number one..? I'd say so!

PLEASE, PLEASE - does ANYONE know yet the start time for Round One at Leicester on May 12th.?!

Ah Cyril J. Hart - what a gentleman he was. Contributed a column to the Wimbledon prog in the CL days and I regularly corresponded with him - was an honour to meet him when he came up to Plough Lane. A true great of Speedway writing and to me the epitome of what a great journalist should be. Much missed.

11 meetings out of 17 (including the last nine...): anyone still want to 'defend' the weather!!!!

Those words can and will be repeated time & time again... It's probably only us Speedway fans who check on the MO's forecasts in detail during the season, who realise how incredibly often they get it wrong... Can't envy any Speedway promoter, though, trying to second guess the likeihood of what are made out to scientific 'forecasts' just beng so patently and woefully inaccurate, so much of the time...

Cheers Tony - you're a star mate!! D.

Have already told you this on FB, Bryn! As the champs (ask our friends at Mildenhall about this last year..!) are decided by who wins the play-offs among the top four, it really only matters who that top four are and not the finishing order. I think it will be hugely competitive, but my predicted top four (in no particular order, as they put in on 'Dancing on Ice' - a topical allusion that one!!) is: Kent; IoW; Mildenhall; King's Lynn

Well that's NOT the case - on either front (if you pardon the weather pun!)... We all have lived on this particular 'scepter'd isle' on this earth long enough to know that the near-Arctic conditions out there across the UK on a date that reads 24 March is NOT a common or normal occurence. And it's also very obvious that if you were a Speedway promoter you could NOT be rubbing your gloved hands in glee in thanks that it was dry, if you putting on a meeting in these temperatures. Because, put simply, crowd levels in this weather are going to be bloody awful... Anyone attending as a spectator, outside sports in weather like today will only do so reluctantly. At our country's top sports venues (the likes of Old Trafford, the Emirates, Twickenham) the stadia themselves offer reasonable mitigation against the worst conditions; also in those places, you'll only be going if you've shelled out big bucks a couple of months or so ago for a ticket in advance, so frankly you've GOT to go... Given a choice (like say at non-league or lower league games in football..) many hundreds will be voting with their (frozen) feet and NOT attending that's for sure. Speedway is also not a sport which lends itself to watching in the freezing cold, as the gaps between action are exaggerated by the cold - at least in football, rugby etc. the play (and you hope, action) carries on throughout the period of the match. Stop and start is fine in good weather but causes extreme grumpiness in the cold! The bikes aren't over keen on sub-zero temperatures either!!

I know what you mean, but predictions are only predictions and let's be honest, anyone with a modicum of understanding at the NL level (as indeed you allude to) could work out that once the squad is completed, Kent will NOT be 'challenging' for 7th. in the division but a nailed-on top four!! Will be happy to see the 'pundits' eating humble pie come October!!

This has made not just my day, but my entire year!!

Never really too sure what point your meteorological essays are trying to make? They always seem to me, that you're trying to fly in the face of what all of us normal citizens unaffected by this propoganda are seeing and experiencing... i.e. that it's bloody awful out there!!!

You'll have to explain your point here..?! Coz I'm not sure where you're coming from on this one..

Well, make that Coventry twice now and add King's Lynn to the list. That's now eight meetings (out of a planned 14) which have been called off due to the weather and we're only 15 days into the new season... I know people will say, ah, well it can rain anytime - and indeed it can and does.. - but I personally think March is too early to try and start the season. Though, of course, I take the point about the importance of the Easter weekend... For which we really now need to be praying for drier and who knows even perhaps, warmer weather!

Wish the great man a happy birthday from me! i met him after the 1976 World Team Cup Final at White City and he gave me loads of Soviet Speedway badges. What a great guy! And as you say, Viktor's not a Russian, he's a Ukranian!

Oh God - it's only March 22nd and yet there's ALREADY been rain-offs at Coventry, Leicester, Peterborough, Swindon, Lakeside & Plymouth. Or put another way, 50% of all meetings so far planned to have been held.... Bearing in mind that 2012 was the worst in the sport's history for rain offs and that it's barely stopped persisting down nationally since this season began, I wonder how populated this thread is going to be as we go through the unlucky year '13..! Could be flooded with contributions I fear..!

A major improvement to revert to aphabetical order! Far easier to use when/if being used during the year to get directions to a track! Don't worry the Pirates are still predicted to finish first!!! Though only a tenth of the number of pages in a Jeff Scott tome!!!

Bigger EGGS to fry..?! Sounds a bit fishy!! LOL!