Ben91

Whilst that is true to a degree that cannot be an excuse for promotors (not aimed at Stoke here, the sport in general) to hold fans to ransom by offering a poor product then saying "well it's better than us pulling the plug." To make your business successful you have to maintain a customer/fan base, not expect them to be there.

Of course he is, this is 2014 where people are allowed opinions, not nazi Germany.

If I was deciding the order I'd personally go something like this: 1. Lambert 2. Mason 3. Chessell 4. Morley 5. Compton 6. Blake 7. Freemantle Mason at 2 gives experience in heat 1 and a good chance of a heat win come heat 8. Most other sides use a heat leader at 3, so putting Chessell there leaves a heat leader elsewhere in the Kings 1-5. Morley at 4 gives Chessell a strong partner and a top rider in heat 14. Compton can cope at 5 and would thrive in that position. Freemantle as the strongest reserve at number 7 is self explanatory.

I'm not overly impressed by our side but it is head and shoulders above yours. And my dad is bigger than your dad

Lawson - Solid scorer, not spectacular though. Wilkinson - Not going to improve, maybe be okay at reserve but not a second string. Hall - only got a ride because Smith couldn't come over, that speaks volumes. Will drop his average away from Sheffield. Skidmore - Good second string, found his level if his recent stagnation is anything to go by though. Summers - found his level. Graversen - how he keeps getting team spots baffles me, he's shown countless times he's inconsistent and can't cope in the 1-5 Crang - has potential but it'll be a steep learning curve for him in the PL.

Do have to say, this side looks like wooden spoon candidates along with Plymouth. There's no rider there with a wow factor that you'd look forward to watching on a weekly basis too IMO.

Albin was entertaining and looks like given time he would become a good rider. All out tryer, in the Emiliano Sanchez mould. I wouldn't mind seeing him given another chance as an overseas rider, brings a lot more to the table than the likes of Mitchell Davey who somehow keeps finding employment despite having proved on countless occasions he will never be more than a three point reserve.

Doesn't Andrew Silver still hold the all time track record at Stoke?

The Trophy is generally scheduled as a pre cursor to the league, however the sides that don't compete in the Trophy will start their league programme whilst that Trophy is in progress. If the Leicester side is made up of currently unattached riders then they won't be unattached riders once they've signed haha! Whatever happens I hope it is a success, the NL is a fantastic league and the sport in this country needs more tracks operating at this level.

Firstly it is great to see Leicester enter the NT. Hopefully it proves a great success and they join the league full time for 2015. It is however right for people to question their proposed use of riders already signed up to NL sides. There would be benefits yes, however two stumbling blocks are what happens when averages change? And also more importantly, what happens when there is a fixture clash? In a tiered league system there are rules in place but in two different competitions at the same level what happens with regards to facilities for absent riders etc and who gets priority (presumably the league club)? There are riders out there that Leicester can sign who are unattached, hopefully they will use those as it not only gives the fans their own team line up to identify with but it fixes up 7 more riders as well. If the Leicester NT side is completely different each time they take to the track because their riders are riding for their actual NL sides the fans will vote with their feet and NL will never flourish there.

It was a rule altered mid season to stop Steve Boxall and Jon Armstrong from continuing to do so well at reserve so they both then had to move into the main team. It was then ridiculously dropped for the best season and we've been back to where we were ever since. Brit reserves in all leagues should be enforced as a minimum IMO.

It was a rule altered mid season to stop Steve Boxall and Jon Armstrong from continuing to do so well at reserve so they both then had to move into the main team. It was then ridiculously dropped for the best season and we've been back to where we were ever since. Brit reserves in all leagues should be enforced as a minimum IMO.

No there is not. Look at the sides that are already declared, all have solid NL standard heatleaders in them. The National League always begins with some teams looking a lot stronger than others, it's the nature of a beast in which some teams are out to win at all costs and others are out to develop riders for the future. It can't be changed. What it does do is help riders step up to the plate, I'd rather go in to every NL season knowing that the top line riders from the year before have all not got a team place because they have moved on into the Premier League to continue their careers at a higher level. To be honest, looking at the likes of Ben Morley, Stefan Nielsen, James Sarjeant and Tom Perry etc and seeing that they are still in the NL only (Not counting their EL draft positions) is quite sad. These lads should be helped occupy PL reserve berths and eased out of the NL so that the next generation can come through and follow in their footsteps. If anything there should be less "Top riders" in the NL, the sides that build to win can still do just that but will have to do so using just young up and coming riders as opposed to taking bottom end PL men who have been around too long and letting them hold up the development of the likes of the four riders I have mentioned above. Confidence breeds success, give these lads the number one slots in the NL and they'll be winning races, their confidence will improve and they will be able to compete better at the next level. He's the sort of rider that should be long past the NL now but Charles Wright is a perfect example of this exact point. He was fantastic for Buxton and carried on his impressive form when he signed for Somerset. They clearly go hand in hand as he was pants during his last spell in the PL.

I am merely a Spurs sympathiser I assure you, my true loyalties lie with the mighty Stevenage FC!

It's still handy no doubt but Nelson has the potential to become a Premier League number one, if not go even further, in future whereas Tresarrieu doesn't. He's not a bad rider by any stretch of the imagination but he isn't a second heatleader. Nelson would have been capable of holding that position.

I would be too if I had tickets to go to the Emirates Mr Barclay, less atmosphere than a wake!

I like Tresarrieu, I don't like him as a second heat leader though. Shame that Nelson can't get over again, would have been a big season for him too.

The new website is a lot better than the old from an aesthetic point of view. Whether it will be as good as the last site was in terms of being up to date remains to be seen. Most clubs change race jackets each season. The Kings' 2013 jackets looked as if they were made then the CTA Fire branding was added after? Perhaps as it appears they are continuing their backing of the side there will be race jackets with CTA's logo on them. A logo is a big part of brand identity so it's important that as sponsors their logo is seen on the race jackets.

Garrity, end of.

If Arron Mogridge gets the last spot with the Kings then Adam Kirby can feel rightly aggrieved as he is a far superior rider. Regardless of his base the Kings need to make a statement and sign Phillips. Alongside Freemantle they would be a mightily impressive reserve duo.

The growth of the internet, especially mobile internet, rendered these redundant really as their main use was people calling to check if meetings were on or not. Where you had to call to find out if meetings where on before you set out in dodgy weather you can just check online now and do so again en route from your mobile if the conditions aren't clearing.

Plenty of roundabouts that you could chuck some shale on and race round too!

Not so much Len putting Kent in front of Rye House IMO but looking out for both his interests I'd imagine. 1. I'm sure Kent will draw bigger BH Monday crowds than Rye House. 2. Kent have to race on a Monday it's part of their planning permission. 3. Simon Lambert is Kent's number one, he'd have to ride for Rye House therefore Kent would be without their top rider, he's not everyones cup of tea including mine but Len clearly likes him and why would he shoot himself in the foot by denying his own side their best rider? I'm not a fan of Sunday afternoon racing, speedway is better on a Saturday evening but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess.

A Raiders return would have been fantastic regardless of how many other sides are in the NL and the reasoning that the Raiders are not entering because Plymouth are isn't a great one, especially for those of us that did want NL to return at Rye House. I'm a big fan of this level of racing, all British fans should be supporting it really as it is where the future of our national team comes from. Putting in a Hackney/Wimbledon side wouldn't work but a Rye House side would. It would be a feeder to the Rockets and that would be a welcome addition. A way to get fans through the door would be to offer a season ticket to Rye House fans encompassing all Premier and National League meetings. Our pricing structure has always baffled me. A bit of time and attention given to it would make sure the club has guaranteed income for all meetings and could help subsidise a National League outfit which in turn would help develop future Rockets riders. When the Raiders have hosted free admission meetings in previous seasons people have flocked to watch them, that would still be the case in 2014.

Obviously none of them in recent years then, the Rye House track has nearly always offered decent racing during my time as a fan, riders going fast doesn't mean that the racing is good. You'll be pleasantly surprised when the Panthers visit us I'm sure as your line up has a few riders in it that may actually attack a small track. The age/time you've been attending speedway meaning you are better placed to comment on it argument really agitates me and far too many people use it here. All of the above is totally relevant to Ipswich of course.