Foxes v Stars, July 27th

[therefused]

5 hours ago, Bald Bloke said:

Nothing seems to work, however we build our teams.

the promotion have pretty much zero ambition and are just happy to make up the numbers each season, it wont change until something changes there. 

[YeOldPitGate]

9 hours ago, Bald Bloke said:

I agree. 6-7 pointers will have good and bad meetings, but i feel Kvech and Cook are better than that. Bomber is also up and down, but gives it his all. Add 3 youngsters in the team who are naturally still learning their trade.

Nothing seems to work, however we build our teams.

Agreed Bald Bloke I didn't think the team looked to bad pre-season but as you say just seems to fall apart when season starts for us every time.

My fave example was when we went from truly woeful in the 80's to getting King, Peterson, Knight, Davis, Johanson, Davies & Stephens (who big things were hoped for) King, Peterson & Knight in 1988 had all been nigh on unbeatable round Lynn prior to signing, first meeting the best crowd in years packed the place out but a third of the season in we were back to terrible and crowds drifted off and the powerhouse riders looked bang average.

[YeOldPitGate]

10 hours ago, Bald Bloke said:

I agree. 6-7 pointers will have good and bad meetings, but i feel Kvech and Cook are better than that. Bomber is also up and down, but gives it his all. Add 3 youngsters in the team who are naturally still learning their trade.

Nothing seems to work, however we build our teams.

I didn't realise Einar was only with the Stars for a couple of seasons I could swear we suffered him for far longer than that, as an aside what happened to Adi Stevens in the end he was hyped as a new british talent like the Poole turbo teens but I think being in a super weak team crushed his confidence did he retire young or move on from Lynn and achieve anything of note ?

[GeneralMelchett]

1 hour ago, YeOldPitGate said:

I didn't realise Einar was only with the Stars for a couple of seasons I could swear we suffered him for far longer than that, as an aside what happened to Adi Stevens in the end he was hyped as a new british talent like the Poole turbo teens but I think being in a super weak team crushed his confidence did he retire young or move on from Lynn and achieve anything of note ?

Went to Arena in 1990 and never really showed his promise! Think he drifted away after that season.

[marko]

12 minutes ago, GeneralMelchett said:

Went to Arena in 1990 and never really showed his promise! Think he drifted away after that season.

Being paired with Tilbury was never easy for any rider, I seem to recall he was steady enough but just not that fast.

[GeneralMelchett]

Just now, marko said:

Being paired with Tilbury was never easy for any rider, I seem to recall he was steady enough but just not that fast.

Oh Rob T - what a guy.

Stevens was a bit like dear old Bodger - had the ability but was often inconsistent. I think the Arena track was a bit of a shock to them also after starting in the old British League. I also think his confidence went - we opened the league with a massive win V Exeter that year and he scored ok but never really reproduced that. https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/arenaessex1990.pdf

It didn't help that in 1990 we were not that great and then we got taken over for 1991!!

[marko]

2 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

I didn't realise Einar was only with the Stars for a couple of seasons I could swear we suffered him for far longer than that, as an aside what happened to Adi Stevens in the end he was hyped as a new british talent like the Poole turbo teens but I think being in a super weak team crushed his confidence did he retire young or move on from Lynn and achieve anything of note ?

There is a long list of riders who people thought might break through but ultimately never did, in recent times you have had riders like Zack W who still does grass and long track, Ashton B who has also gone to other two wheeled disciplines.

Its easy to look back through rose tinted glasses, but I miss the days when you had a junior meeting after the main 4 vs 4 over 6 heats.

[YeOldPitGate]

10 hours ago, marko said:

There is a long list of riders who people thought might break through but ultimately never did, in recent times you have had riders like Zack W who still does grass and long track, Ashton B who has also gone to other two wheeled disciplines.

Its easy to look back through rose tinted glasses, but I miss the days when you had a junior meeting after the main 4 vs 4 over 6 heats.

So very true was it Justin Elkins who was another that big things were hoped for but never happened, I used to enjoy the junior meetings you could always spot the ones who might make a career out of the game like Ray Morton, Sean Wilson and who was the lad who led the Wolves juniors around mid 80's also can't remember his name.

[paulnolan]

Loved watching Justin Elkins as the Knights' mascot around Elfield Park! I wish we still had second-half junior racing. Just my opinion, but I think you can probably trace the decline of British speedway talent to the switch to a third division. A connection with clubs was lost that seemed vital for development.

[Speedball]

4 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

So very true was it Justin Elkins who was another that big things were hoped for but never happened, I used to enjoy the junior meetings you could always spot the ones who might make a career out of the game like Ray Morton, Sean Wilson and who was the lad who led the Wolves juniors around mid 80's also can't remember his name.

Andy Phillips?

[marko]

4 hours ago, paulnolan said:

Loved watching Justin Elkins as the Knights' mascot around Elfield Park! I wish we still had second-half junior racing. Just my opinion, but I think you can probably trace the decline of British speedway talent to the switch to a third division. A connection with clubs was lost that seemed vital for development.

Justin ended up becoming infamous for his engine failures and I don’t mean giving up and pulling onto the centre green like so many riders do now, these were genuine and led of course to people wondering what wasn’t he doing to take care of his equipment such was it so unreliable. 

[YeOldPitGate]

4 hours ago, Speedball said:

Andy Phillips?

That's the lad he was a very good trapper and had a tidy style but wasn't one for coming from the back much.

[mikebv]

19 minutes ago, marko said:

Justin ended up becoming infamous for his engine failures and I don’t mean giving up and pulling onto the centre green like so many riders do now, these were genuine and led of course to people wondering what wasn’t he doing to take care of his equipment such was it so unreliable. 

I thought his full name was...

Justin Elkins EF.....

Given it was written so many times in the Speedway Star...