Leicester Lions 2026

[Lionsman66]

13 hours ago, pubichair said:

Both riders are better than Gilkes so that makes the bottom end stronger than leicesters  already and the lynns 1-5 is better than Leicester's 1-5   Imo 

You say that only because they have Fricke 

[40-38]

2 hours ago, Teromaafan said:

I’d probably give Sedgmen another go.

 

He certainly has experience and can gate. Mind you so can Kemp. If he can get over the pulling up at the back he could still do a job. I guess the question would be who has the most improvement in them?

[szkocjasid]

15 hours ago, pubichair said:

Both riders are better than Gilkes so that makes the bottom end stronger than leicesters  already and the lynns 1-5 is better than Leicester's 1-5   Imo 

Lynn's bottom two have great potential, but I wouldn't say they are better than Gilles just now. Maybe by the end of the season?

Whoever Leicester have at 6 (Kemp, Sedgmen, Jeppesen) will be stronger than Castagna. So having a reserve stronger than an opponents second string is a good position to be in.

I certainly think it's interesting to see which team building philosophy works out best.

[Hamish McRaker]

18 hours ago, Teromaafan said:

With all the rumours of the strained relationship between Dickson and Kemp I would have thought that Dickson would have considered Sedgmen. Going back a couple of seasons to the Premiership pairs competition, for their home leg, Dickson selected Fricke and Sedgmen based on the number of heat one 5-1s they’d racked up in the league up to that point. The tactic died on its arse though as Sedgmen hardly trapped all night!

I suppose that riders and team managers having a "full and frank exchange of views" isn't necessarily the termination of the relationship, as with any workplace. Probably just SD's way of trying to get the best out of Kemp, the old "kick up the backside" approach.

I think Brian Clough used to have a long-serving player who used to question Clough's match tactics. He would invite the player into his office for a cup of tea and a chat, "at the end of which he would agree with everything i said".

[GeneralMelchett]

42 minutes ago, Hamish McRaker said:

I suppose that riders and team managers having a "full and frank exchange of views" isn't necessarily the termination of the relationship, as with any workplace. Probably just SD's way of trying to get the best out of Kemp, the old "kick up the backside" approach.

I think Brian Clough used to have a long-serving player who used to question Clough's match tactics. He would invite the player into his office for a cup of tea and a chat, "at the end of which he would agree with everything i said".

Not sure Cloughies methods would work nowadays!

[Hamish McRaker]

11 minutes ago, GeneralMelchett said:

Not sure Cloughies methods would work nowadays!

Probably not in soccerball, no!

[mac101]

11 hours ago, 40-38 said:

He certainly has experience and can gate. Mind you so can Kemp. If he can get over the pulling up at the back he could still do a job. I guess the question would be who has the most improvement in them?

Sedgy’s will finish more races better reliable equipment 

[Fromafar]

12 minutes ago, mac101 said:

Sedgy’s will finish more races better reliable equipment 

Will he score more is the question.🤔

[InTheDeepStuff]

Kemp 100% at number 6 

[stevebrum]

Not having a real number one will always sting a team in the top flight.

besides Peterborough’s dads army side I can’t remember another side solidly packed doing well. 

[IainB]

8 hours ago, stevebrum said:

Not having a real number one will always sting a team in the top flight.

besides Peterborough’s dads army side I can’t remember another side solidly packed doing well. 

Dad's Army was the Covid season as well when the top riders stayed away, Bewley, Kurtz and Jack Holder participated with Bewley & Holder finishing 1 & 2 in the averages but they weren't the riders then that they are now.

I'm inclined to agree that you generally don't win anything without a number one, I hope I'm proved wrong... but can't see it personally.

[Teromaafan]

1 hour ago, IainB said:

Dad's Army was the Covid season as well when the top riders stayed away, Bewley, Kurtz and Jack Holder participated with Bewley & Holder finishing 1 & 2 in the averages but they weren't the riders then that they are now.

I'm inclined to agree that you generally don't win anything without a number one, I hope I'm proved wrong... but can't see it personally.

It looks like we will have an RS that can offer something this season (the No.7 position cost us the league last year) but losing the league’s best rider makes the team weaker over all. Can’t see any team giving the Lions a hiding, but when scores are close they will come up short in the all important heats 13 & 15.

[IainB]

6 minutes ago, Teromaafan said:

It looks like we will have an RS that can offer something this season (the No.7 position cost us the league last year) but losing the league’s best rider makes the team weaker over all. Can’t see any team giving the Lions a hiding, but when scores are close they will come up short in the all important heats 13 & 15.

I can see us taking a hiding on the road, home form should be pretty solid though

[YeOldPitGate]

11 hours ago, stevebrum said:

Not having a real number one will always sting a team in the top flight.

besides Peterborough’s dads army side I can’t remember another side solidly packed doing well. 

The only reason dad's army won that year is you had a group of previous top line riders but they were all at least a decade past their peak but were still good enough to pull it off as the quality of the league in general that year was probably the worst in top flight history.

Edited Saturday at 12:14 PM by YeOldPitGate

[IainB]

I think if you do want to be successful as a team without an out and out number 1, you need to be tracking a number 6 that is better than whoever Leicester are going to have in that position. Maybe somebody like a Klindt, who has the capability of banging in some big scores from that position and climbing out of the reserve berth. From memory the number 6 position of Dad's Army was pretty much a revolving door all season, with most riders spending a spell there.

Without that rider, to make replacements during a meeting, you're going to need to be at least 4 points up prior to heats 13 and/or 15 to be in with a chance of league points. Dougy should be okay in those heats at home but the rest will be a lottery.

Edited Saturday at 01:04 PM by IainB

[speedwayfan8]

Who’s to say Douglas isn’t up to the task of taking no.1? Had a world class season last year. 

[foreverblue]

On 1/17/2026 at 1:00 PM, IainB said:

I think if you do want to be successful as a team without an out and out number 1, you need to be tracking a number 6 that is better than whoever Leicester are going to have in that position. Maybe somebody like a Klindt, who has the capability of banging in some big scores from that position and climbing out of the reserve berth. From memory the number 6 position of Dad's Army was pretty much a revolving door all season, with most riders spending a spell there.

Without that rider, to make replacements during a meeting, you're going to need to be at least 4 points up prior to heats 13 and/or 15 to be in with a chance of league points. Dougy should be okay in those heats at home but the rest will be a lottery.

That is what kings Lynn did last season but it didn't work because Boughen was awful, this year they have a number 0ne but I don't think it will work because Paco and the reserves will not be good enough. I think this Leicester team have a  chance with a strength in depth team. I am assuming Kemp will be the last team member and for all the criticism, he did not have a bad season.

[YeOldPitGate]

On 1/17/2026 at 1:00 PM, IainB said:

I think if you do want to be successful as a team without an out and out number 1, you need to be tracking a number 6 that is better than whoever Leicester are going to have in that position. Maybe somebody like a Klindt, who has the capability of banging in some big scores from that position and climbing out of the reserve berth. From memory the number 6 position of Dad's Army was pretty much a revolving door all season, with most riders spending a spell there.

Without that rider, to make replacements during a meeting, you're going to need to be at least 4 points up prior to heats 13 and/or 15 to be in with a chance of league points. Dougy should be okay in those heats at home but the rest will be a lottery.

Agreed they were all previously top line riders but all way past their best but as you say they always had a strong reserve which paid off in a super weak league in my opinion it was a bit like when Leicester won the prem all the usual favorites had problems and everything fell into place for them.

[Bagpuss]

32 minutes ago, foreverblue said:

That is what kings Lynn did last season but it didn't work because Boughen was awful, this year they have a number 0ne but I don't think it will work because Paco and the reserves will not be good enough. I think this Leicester team have a  chance with a strength in depth team. I am assuming Kemp will be the last team member and for all the criticism, he did not have a bad season.

I don't think last year had anything to do with Boughen/Scott/Harrison and everything to do with Cook and the key meetings Kvech missed, particularly BV away.

As for this year, I get your Paco fears but I think you and many others are/will be underestimating what Scott & Rushen are capable of. 

[Tim G]

51 minutes ago, foreverblue said:

That is what kings Lynn did last season but it didn't work because Boughen was awful, this year they have a number 0ne but I don't think it will work because Paco and the reserves will not be good enough. I think this Leicester team have a  chance with a strength in depth team. I am assuming Kemp will be the last team member and for all the criticism, he did not have a bad season.

Cook was more of a problem than Boughen.

How you can blame a RS for Kings Lynn’s lack of success last season is a ridiculous statement.

I’m sure you won’t be blaming Cairns if Belle Vue don’t win anything.