Roger MARTIN

I may not be the greatest Mike Bowden fan but reading his account of Ashworth not signing may not be all down to him, Mike Bowden say's that he had given Ashworth a very good deal, including a good sponser, tyres and insurance, a much better deal than he was getting at Sheffield, Ashworth had the contract in his hand's, but rang Mike Bowden on sunday to tell him he wasn't signing, he didn't say anything about signing for another team, but the next thing you know he is signing for Berwick, believe what you like, but i think this is down to Ashworth, never mind we have ryan Fisher now, very happy with that, but i won't believe it until i see him at the SBA , but i think it will put a few more on the gate.

I agree Mike, it wouldn't surprise me, we don't know if any have signed yet.

You would not say that if you were paying someone for 12 hours a day, seven days a week down at the SBA, you would ask him what he has been doing if he asked for people to help paint the fence, it would be a bit different if he did not come out with statements like that, we all know he don't spend that much time down there.

Just watched Bunyan on yutube in his last meeting in New Zealand, was very unlucky in the final when falling when infront, Hawkins went on to win it, but Bunyan looked a class above the rest, well he would do in that field.

After his track record he will need more than luck with a new track, more like divine intervention mind you he has got a big family, that's about a twenty that will go, and the bar staff

Don't forget the bar SCB, it's open until 10.30 don't forget, and it comes with a bar maid.

What ever happened to the lad, a few year's ago after watching him rip his way through the NL, then beating some very good rider's in the PL , you would have put money on him making it to the EL, i know his has an attitude, but that can't be the only reason he has failed to make the grade, the lad had everything going for him, now nobody want's him, not even his home town club, do you feel sorry for him, or what, after reading some of the post's on the site from people who know him, i don't think you can, but i hope he get's it together, because i would like to see him turn it around, you don't become a bad rider overnight, i think it's down to him now to prove people wrong.

Ben has been in Hospital over the Christmas with an infection in his leg, looked bad , knowing Ben he will ok for the start of the season, but being ready for Telford i think would be pushing it.

It's also a pity some promoters don't live in the real world to, then maybe by keeping the whinging fan's happy, they would make more money, i don't think fan's give a toss how much a promoter make's if their enjoying watching a good speedway team, if a promoter is getting good crowd's with a poor speedway team, what would they get with a good team, think about it, if you can.

You speaking for yourself or just quessing what all supporter's do at meeting's, while you may be right about some supporter's, don't suppose you know it being right that all supporter's suck up to rider's, i know i would not say something about any rider i would say to his face, and i have been baned from the pit's at Plymouth for doing that, but your right about some co-called supporter's, but not all of them.

Halifaxtiger you don't have to be a regular at the SBA to know Bowden is one, i think everybody know's that, i think the only one who don't think he is one is the bird in the bar, and we all know why that is Shadder's their is a while to go your right, but Mike Bowden's excuse for not signing good rider's will be that they have all sign for team's, and they don't want to come down to Plymouth to ride, when we all know that rider's don't want to wait until a week before the season starts to sign for a team, and the excuse that rider's don't want to come down this far is rubbish, Zagar and Sanchez didn't think that when riding for Trelawney, the team could have been sorted week's before Christmas, but Bowden would rather go on holiday than keep the supporters's happy, he still has the chance to put together a good team when he come's back, but my money's on him not doing that.

I agree Starman, i don't want Hart at the SBA, he was ok riding against NL rider's at the SBA, but found it not so easy the last he came down, riding against better rider's, am willing to give Holder a chance, and i think most Plymouth supporters will do the same, so let's get off the lad's back

No thanks,

Also says Steve Boxhall signs from Somerset to, very reliable paper The Herald.

From the present team i would only keep Wells, from the team that started the year i would keep Simmo, and Bunyan on his present cma, this was a one off year riding for the devils for Ben, it was very good when lasted but i cant see it happening next year, the lad must move on he is far to good to ride in the PL, but it would be great to have him back.

A good start by Cameron Heeps, but wouldn't it have been better to have given seven rides to Joe Jacobs, 2 from his last 2 rides wasn't that good, the way Joe Jacobs riding at home i would have given him 7 rides.

Mike it must have been a better meeting than mondays meeting on sky at Kings Lynn, that meeting was won after four heats, very boring.

Bring it on Sarah, what Mike did to your lad was wrong, but thats got nothing to do with the team, come on you Devils.

All the best to Paul this year with IofW, its going to be very tight to get Rob into the team, Robs last cma with Rye House in 2009 was 6.22, with 3.21 left to fit him in, its going to be very tight, i hope he do get in, it will be good to see him back, i think he spent last year helping Lewis Bridger, i think he is to good not to be riding, he was well liked at Plymouth, and it was sad to see him go, another one of Mike Bowdens big mistakes,letting him go, like with Paul.

To get new people to go and watch Speedway need two things, a good team and good racing, if you dont have that people will get bored, when Plymouth first started my son use to go with me to the meetings, half way into the season he stoped going, he got bored with such one sided meetings, new people to the sport will stop going if you get one sided meeting, or they will pick the meeting they go to, then what you are left with are the dye hard speedway fans that will go no matter what the score is, so the people that say out with the old and in with the new will have to wait and see if they got it right, in my opinion if you get to many one sided meetings people new to the sport will quickly get bored with it, and leave or pick their meetings.

P/L prices at Plymouth for the coming season. £12 for Adults. £5 for Children 8 to 15. £9 OAP'S age 65 and over. £9 Students with valid student union membership card. £30 Family ticket which admits two children and two adults. £250 for a season ticket for a minimum of 24 meetings. Children under 8 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. I think that is very good value for anyone to go and watch a PL meeting.

Dont they do a family ticket, i think Plymouth did a family ticket for £22 last year, £34 for a NL meeting for a family of four is way to high.

One rider i do expect to do well this year if he stays injury free is Marc Owen, i saw him at the SBA just before he got injured, and he was very quick, and had a great style about him for a very young rider, and i think that if he had not been injured last year he would have finished the year has one of the top riders in the NL, so i think this year Marc will make a big impact in the NL.

Well their is no excuse this year for him not scoring points, appart from Simon Lambert,Adam Roynon, Paul Cooper and Jay Herne he should with his experience be one of the best in the NL, but i have a feeling he wont, a rider with his experience should be up with the likes of James Cockle and Danny Warwick, with a cma of around 7+ not 5+.

I think uncle Len has made a big mistake in letting Rob Smith go, in my opinion he should have kept Rob, signed Ben Hopwood, and got rid of Mason, i think signing Ben is a very good move because he is very good around Rye, but letting Rob go is not a very good move for me, i would have kept Barry Evans or David Mason, not both, Danny Halsey is a much better rider than Mason, surely when you put a team together its not about the past, and riders that have left the team, if you are going to charge £12, you have to get it right, im not saying David Mason is not a good rider, what im saying is their are better riders around than him that would do a much better job for the team, i think David Masons best days are gone, its crucial you have riders in your team that other teams fear, i see that in Barry Evans, but i dont see that in David Mason, thats just my opinion, we had the same situation at Plymouth with two older riders in the team, and i dont think it did us any favers when coming up against teams with young up and coming good riders, with a will to win, this year you can count on one hand the amount of riders in the NL that are PL standard, last year the league was full of riders riding in both NL and PL, so i think this year it is a true NL, so teams cannot use that has an excuse for not doing well.