Speedway Tower, White Tower White Tower White Tower.
Welcome to the Speedway Tavern. Enjoy your stay day.
Welcome to the Speedway Tavern. Can you remember the halcyon
days when on this programme we approached a new season of
anticipation? Me, Chris and the younger Master
Buck giving predictions that were invariably wrong about this
coming season. We would usually do that right
at the beginning of March. Well, 31 days into March we can
now finally, thankfully, do the same rubbish predictions.
Some things never change and we should say welcome to the blue,
white and orange of the Foxes, only in Speedway.
Good evening everybody. Good.
Evening. Good evening.
Did you notice? I, I, I, I I managed to get in
in a quite a few difficult words there that you probably didn't
understand. Halcyon anticipation.
Invariably, I'm I'm pleased with that one.
Ingenuine up. You asked Dictionary.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Authorsaurus.
They shouldn't. Say there's no dinosaurs here,
right? I guess that's the the only
place we can start, isn't it really?
We know the team now. We know the team, we know what
they're called. We know the promoter so.
I'm guessing you you because you normally have, have you got the
team in front of you there? I have indeed, yes.
OK, let's go through it. OK, let's just go through it.
Just unfortunately he's on the wrong page.
Hang on a minute. OK.
Right. So the Northampton team is Nils
Christian Leverson, Nikolai Clint, Matthew Zagar, Jamon
Lindsey, Kai Thompson, Troy Batchelor and Luke Harrison.
Obviously that is not the necessarily the riding order to
be confirmed in due course. Number one being German leads
going. To be German leads, yeah, big,
big, obviously step for him. He circles being a third, eight
leader or stroke second string for Bellevue during his time in
the UK. So opportunity here for him now
to see whether he can make the step up.
And of course it's going to be a big step up, particularly on a
track that nobody's ever seen. Before nobody knows.
Nobody knows. Yeah, my initial reactions to
the team were. I said it earlier, didn't I?
This is this year's Birmingham. It feels very much like that.
Would you agree? Disagree.
It's, it's difficult to say. I, I think at this stage, of
course you talk with Birmingham, you, you were talking about an
established track and the Birmingham team that of course
over the previous three or Four Seasons had been struggling for
any sort of momentum. Well, they had that momentum,
but it was the wrong sort of momentum and I think it was
always going to be a tall order. Inertia, not a momentum.
It was, yeah, I think it was. It's always going to be a tall
order for Northampton, you know, declaring that they were going
to, of course, late. Obviously everybody else had
been ahead of their team building.
I would imagine there would have been discussions with riders.
Again, what does that remind you of Birmingham?
It's the, it's the same thing, isn't it?
And there's obviously Birmingham involvement from from last year
When, when you got. Paul and some poor Susan Yeah,
yeah, that was Chris. I didn't Chris Simon.
I just so. Yeah, the the one thing that I
will say, it does feel very like Birmingham.
However, I don't think the league is as strong this year.
No, I don't think it is. Obviously there's a lot of big
hitters missing, of course, Salford and often Doyle
particularly missing from the bridge team, Dan Bailey and
Brady Curtis still there as his Max records, although he's made
the move to Kings in. Of course, now that we know the
top, the full one for the top tier, we can obviously start to
sort of make some sort of predictions for how we think
that league is going to go. I think it's going to be
difficult for Northampton. I think it would have been good.
I think to have seen, you know, with all due respect to the
Riders, there may be a a big hitter.
Of course, the budget would have obviously been a massive.
Where you're going to get that big hitter from, that's the
problem, isn't it? Yeah, as I say, declaring light,
I think this is this is in a position really where we've had
this too many times in racing seasons where you've had teams
that have declared light that they're going to run.
You can't really have that situation, especially when you
want to try and sign riders. I mean, you look at the Polish
clubs, I don't think you get to a situation.
Polish clubs are and he's talking to riders in January or
February. They're they're talking to
riders generally now June or July, the June or July the
previous year for, for next season.
So they're ahead of the game in that sense.
Whereas obviously in the in the UK it's almost, it's almost like
it's sort of put together on the back of a cigarette packet,
isn't it sometimes? Sometimes, but I mean to be
fair, most of the teams started signing riders as soon as they
could. Things were the, the waters were
mudded because of the, the Ipswich situation and the the
six team situation. Nobody knew what, who, why,
what, where, well, everybody. Knew who?
We knew who it was. We just didn't.
Yeah. Exactly.
Yeah, that's the only in Speedway.
They can't do that next year. No, they've got to be in a
position now where and I've seen, I've read something of the
forums there that that they're already making plans for 2027.
I had heard. That that absolutely needs to
happen. And I've heard that before.
We have heard that before, unfortunately, Sir.
Yeah, I I wish, I wish Northampton, well, it's, it's a
big, it's a completely, you know, new thing really for them.
You know, as I say, Northampton Speedway not not been, there's
not been any Speedway in Northampton since the mid 60s.
So and I, I think they needed a strong team.
I think they needed a good season, really, a season where
they're at least competitive. And need to be competitive.
Yeah, I I would agree. With that, what what did for
Birmingham was the fact that they seemed to lose every week
at home. You know, was the was the real
problem because at the end of the day, easily eight, 7085% of
your supporters only see the home matches.
So if you if your team is not winning at heart in winning
matches in front of their own fans, you've got a problem.
I mean, there were, there were numerous times last year and
gosh, I don't want to keep going about Birmingham because that's
that's got done dusted now. But there were times last year
when match was over after the 2nd 8.
I think, yeah, I think, I think the problem was, and you've said
this yourself, there was there were times last season when you
went to Perry Barr and you thinking there'd rather be
somewhere else. That's not a healthy position to
have. No, if only for somebody like me
to say that, yes, you know, but you just highlighted a comment
there, Chris and it's disappeared.
I was just about to, yeah. OK.
I don't know who who said it because you've hid that a little
bit. Is it worth going to Northampton
as a neutral petrol admission just to watch these kind of
teams? For me, no, that's sort of the
problem. That's going to be a major
problem. That is going to be a major
problem. They're not.
There's no, they've got no home base fun, no home fun base.
I haven't seen a lot. I mean, obviously, you know, in
the recent weeks, I mean, I've seen Hans Nielsen was there.
That's like they're having a look around so that maybe will,
you know, give him a little bit of publicity.
They need publicity. If people in, well, if people in
Northampton know who Hans Nielsen is, to be fair, I mean,
it seems a stupid thing because Nielsen is a is a legend.
But if he's just where where there's not been spayed out for
a long time, even before he was riding then.
Yeah, I mean, you make fair points.
So they're called the Foxes. What are we feeling about that?
I think from what I've read on on the old BSF and other places,
people are fairly underwhelmed by that.
It's a nice logo. I like, I like the the logo.
It's probably, it's probably the it's probably the best logo of
all the teams in the top layer. I think so.
And obviously it's new. Yeah.
We haven't had a club that's been called Foxes for a number
of years. I don't think, I don't think, I
don't think they just look all the Foxes in my lifetime
nickname. So it's it's a new thing, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. So Pete Clark says don't mention
Birmingham and Dunn and Dusty. Yeah.
Certainly dusty, that's definitely been from last week,
so. That was yeah.
Thanks for that, Pete. OK, so that being said, should
we go through the teams and make our laughable predictions?
It gets easier every year to make these predictions, mainly
because there's less teams. It's.
Shorter OK, so we will go starting off with the Bellevue
Oasis. So they line up with and of
course they've already had a meeting last night, they line up
with Dan Bailey, Nori Bladorn, Peter Kilderman, Zac Cook, Tate
Zisk, Brady Kurtz and William Cairns.
Is their rising *. I mean, certainly the first
thing that stands out for Bellevue is the top 2IN Beerley
and Kurtz, clearly the the two strongest rods in the league.
OK, Max Rick's in there as well for for King's Lynn and
obviously Jack Holder with Sheffield.
So, but I think a lot of those matings there, Bellevue are
going to be one of those teams where if they're got a decent
lead, they got a sort of 6 point, they're going into the
last two with Bewley and Kurtz coming in two of the last three
heats. They needed, they needed.
It was the last heat decided last night, yeah, they didn't
need them. Yeah, absolutely.
So they did need them. So.
Yeah, well, I think from what was bit said by Mark Level and
Brady Kurtz was suffering from a few issues last night in terms
of fading under the. Weather, but we should say get
well soon as well. Because the episode, but of
course, that's the second one, obviously following Charles
Wright's crash last week. So so that's, that's a strong
team. I think, you know, Bellevue have
been right in the mix for the last sort of five or six years
now, haven't they? And whatever, whatever people
say at Bellevue, I mean, a lot of people, I've heard a lot of
people say at Bellevue, they've got no home track advantage.
They have got no home track advantage, clear home track
advantage. They have a.
Home engine advantage absolutely is the, you know, I would say,
but possibly the the team that they have least advantage over
would be Sheffield. Yeah, in that court, absolutely.
Yeah, I mean, I agree, Strong team, two GP riders, 2 good GP
riders. We'll come to predictions where
we're going to place them, but I obviously you would be out of
your mind not to say they're going to make the playoffs.
Absolutely. They've sort of taken over the
mantle in that division, really from Paul.
Yeah. They have the place where riders
want to go, yeah. New track, obviously.
Yeah, probably a track that's highly regarded by a lot of
riders. Yeah.
And of course, you know, Bellevue, it's a great.
It's a great name, isn't it? It's one of the, you know, it is
probably the most iconic Speedo club in the country.
It's probably the most unique name of any Speedo club in the
country. Without shadow.
No. Yeah.
So. Well, yeah.
You just can see how Will Cairns does as well.
He's obviously made a lot of progress in recent seasons.
He's a Kilburn. I think he's going to be a
Cayman as well because, you know, on his day.
He saw a track. Obviously, you know, he's not a
young man anymore, admittedly, but if he's, you know, if he's
minds on it, he's still very, very capable rider, still a, you
know, a really exciting ride of the watch as well.
So but obviously I think Kay's going to be with her.
How long they're going to be without not able to do so.
So let's move on into the defending champions, Ipswich,
which is finally declaring there a few weeks ago.
So they line up with Scott Nichols making a return to his,
what you would say I think is his spiritual harm.
Danny King, Tom Brennan, Richard Lawson, Tobias music like Philip
Hellstrom bangs and their rising star is Jason Edwards.
OK, there's been a lot written about Ipswich.
Not, I mean, how, how do you replace Jason Doyle and Emil
Seifert? Enough, is the first question.
You think you don't? You don't reply some not, not
their big points that they were scoring.
But I think in terms of the league that we've got this
season, a lot of people are writing it switch off.
I think that's I think that's quite solid.
It's not obviously it's not got the big hitting strength that
they had. I'll be interested to see what
their crowds are like this season because they've had, you
know, 3-3 or four really, really terrific years and obviously
having Doyle and Software off there, they certainly wouldn't
have come cheap. So interest needed big grads, I
think to sort of subsidise what they would, what they would have
been paying them. Scott Nichols, obviously lots of
people suggesting that this might be scored his last season.
My fact that he's gone back to Ipswich, which of course is, you
know, obviously he's what boy. How old is he now?
4740 I think so. That's not bad.
Going to still be in that, you know that on that level.
Yeah, of course, obviously no, no TV course for the league this
season. So that's possibly another
reason why maybe he's made taking the plunge to have a one
more crack at the at the Premiership.
Tobias Music I think might be the key man because if he gets
back to the Tobias Music that we saw at Sheffield and Swindon
then. And we did see occasionally.
Yeah, that's true. He didn't tend to do very well,
like #1 didn't he? But.
But you won't won't have that problem this year.
That problem will belong to Mr Brennan.
I have to confess I've seen very little of Helstrom bang, so
obviously I'm sure. There's a lot of, a lot of noise
about him. Isn't that obviously ironically,
I'm interested to see how he goes, but I'm hearing that he he
might be, you know, that'd be a bit of a find.
We shall see. We shall see, Yeah.
Of course so. But again, I mean I would put
Ipswich in the in the top 4 myself.
I think I've got this. I think that that will be my top
4 as well. OK, so let's move on now to the
Kingsland stars. So they line up with Chris
Harris, Yankovic, Max Frick Cooper, Russian, Ben Cook,
Pakistania and their rising star is Jodie Scott.
Nice to see Paco with with a ride in the top league.
Yep. Absolutely I.
Think the guy is is box office and he's not, not in the sense
of that he's going to beat beat everybody, but just the way he
reacts to the crowd and reacts with the crowd.
Always interacts with the crowd well, doesn't he?
So yeah, you'll enjoy him. I don't.
I don't know whether that's bigger track is would suit him
or not. And we, we will find house.
See, I think, I think this is all track then probably, I mean
it's obviously a bigger track than than Birmingham was.
Obviously the last few years ago he's been racing for Edinburgh,
which is which is obviously a smaller track.
Cooper Russian, obviously I think there was a lot of noise
about him last season. I was really impressed with him.
A couple of times I saw with Perry Boar very reminiscent.
I thought of in style. Let's be honest, we was, we was
impressed with everybody that rode against us at Perry Barr
last year. Absolutely, yeah, although the
the to be fair, the Bulls didn't do too badly, didn't they?
That's true, as in fairness that they were certainly more
competitive than the senior team were.
Yeah. Very much reminds me of of Adam
score, Nicky Cooper rushing obviously with the tassels and
things like that. And maybe it was a little bit in
the racing style Bomber. I mean he's you know, he's just
like fine wine, isn't he? Just, you know, you never, never
write in my field. Just, you know.
Another box office just because of the way he writes.
Yeah, I think there's some exciting, you know, potential in
that side. Yankovic I think was solid last
season, probably didn't do quite as well as a lot of people were
expecting as he made a big impact when he came in the
season before Max Wreck. Obviously.
I think Kingston obviously now brought in a genuine #1 I'm a
bit worried because I've been on this previous last couple of
seasons of, you know, in very, you know, Heartspoken Will of
Kings, Lynn's teams, but they've not tended to do as well as
people expected them to do. But I think that's, I think
that's a pretty solid side. Kings, I think I think you're
right there. I'm not entire, I'm humming and
I are in between them and another team at the moment,
whether they're going to make, whether I failed.
So we'll. I think home form is going to be
key for again, for everybody else as well.
Kings Lane in particular. I mean, it's it's a track.
This traditionally he's never had a great time track
advantage. He's probably in terms of
rising, it's probably not at the level it was 2025 years ago.
I've seen, you know, a lot of meetings there in the past that
have been great meetings, but not not so much in the last few
seasons. But hopefully they can sort of
get back to that as well. OK, we have a question which I'm
just going to totally unrelated to what we do, but Dave
Allbrighton wants to know how Birmingham council being fined
for knocking down Perry Barr. And it's a very short answer,
no. Not as far as I'm aware anyway.
I don't and I don't think they will.
Yeah, that's gone. Yeah.
But anyway, sorry, carry on. OK, so let's move on then to the
Leicester Lions, of course runs up last season, so they start
off with. Who we tip to to win, if you
recall. They were flying, don't you
know, the age of last season, weren't they?
So. So they line up with Sam
Masters, Ryan Douglas, Nick Morris, Carl Howarth, Drew Kemp,
Dan Thompson, Dan jokes, obviously their rising star Joe
Thompson on 28 days as well. So with the injury, so OK, so
obviously the first, obviously the first in the crops out
there. They of course they don't have
the big hit. And now in Max Rick, obviously
with his move to King's Lynn. So effectively it's Nick Morris
coming into replace him. He's dumb.
Obviously he's written for it before Leicester in the past and
done well at Leicester. Of course.
I thought Charles, Charles promising his return after after
his ban last season, the second stages of the last season.
There's certainly been an elite team, haven't they, in racing
seasons and the Leicester. Have we?
We both thought that I was really on such a hot run of form
last year, but it should get like the year before they run
out just at the run. Line they did.
Yeah, unfortunately for them, obviously I've got, you know,
and obviously looking forward to seeing Lester because with a few
of the ex walls rides in that team, it always feels like a
move of an ex wall, like a bit of a wall select really in in a
sense, Yeah. So I think you'd be full.
I think you'd be full to write them off.
Of course, Leicester, they've got a big home track advantage.
It's a track that I think a lot of teams tend to sort of get
spooked out a little bit when they go there.
But I I I'm not so sure about Leicester this season.
I think their their tracks tamed down a little bit.
I don't think there isn't as much of that, whether that's
because people have got it now. I think it's improved.
I think certainly the when, obviously hopefully this season
I shall be going there because it is our closest track.
Northampton probably be in the next.
Buxton as well, obviously so, but obviously we're sure we'll
talk about Buxton next week because I'm sure we will.
That's amazing. So yeah, I'm not quite as you're
about Leicester this season, but we'll wait and see.
We should not wait and see. And that leaves.
Of course, we've already talked about Northampton, of course, so
we'll just just to reach for anybody joining us later.
So their side Neil's Christian Leveson, Nikolai Clint, Matthew
Zagar, John Lindsey, Kyle Thompson, Troy Batchelor and
Luke Harris. Yeah, all, all of that.
All of those riders would be good riders in other teams, but
as a team possibly, which is what we said about Birmingham
again last year, wasn't it, you know?
I mean in fairness, a lot of people are at the store last
season looked at the Birmingham side and thought that had
potential, didn't they? On Piper it looked a decent
side, it just never clicked at it for whatever reason.
Not. From day one.
Yeah, I mean, I'll be concerned about any team that's got Troy
Batchelor in him for a start. He's not always not reliable, is
he? So Matthew Zaig, or if he's, you
know, showed glimpses last season for for Birmingham.
Possibly our best rider. Arguably was really probably him
or Keenan Row. Obviously he's not back on on
British track at the moment, so maybe a bit of surprise there.
Neil's Chris Nelson's got a, you know, huge level of of
experience as well. Nikolai Clinton won a good
season. Of course, it's been his
testimonial year, so he'll want to make it a memorable one.
But I think looking at Northampton, I wouldn't have
them anywhere near challenging for the playoff place.
I think Northampton's saving grace this year is going to be
people will want to come and see the track, so they'll they'll
get a lot of visiting supporters because it's a new track and.
A new track because they've not got many home supports, have
they? So, well, they've got to make
sure that they promote that well going into the, I mean, they've
got. A 20 days, I think it's. 30th of
April, I think it's their first leg meeting which is, correct me
if wrong, I think it's against Kingsley isn't it?
Is. It not a knockout cup, yeah.
I think, yeah, but it's not a league match.
I know that. So I mean, there's there's some
suggestions that maybe they would be better off maybe having
a challenge meeting first just to like their riders have been
used to the track. By that point, everybody's been
up and running for a little bit. They've got a couple of away
meetings as well, admittedly, but I just wonder whether the I
mean, I would imagine that they'll have time to practise
as. Well, I mean, I hope that what
we're saying is totally wrong. Yeah, hopefully they have a good
season. It's it's a roaring success
because we we certainly need that.
OK, so and that takes us on to the last sword and that is of
course, the Sheffield Tigers. So very familiarity about their
side, really. Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Leon
Flint, Chris Holder, Chiath Ridge, Josh Pickering and their
rising starries. Luke, Colleen.
Don't know much about Luke Colleen if I'm honest.
Going on yesterday's match against Bellevue then enough.
Give them a run for the money. Yeah, they did.
And Leon Flint had a good match, had a has a really good start to
the season. Yeah, good rider.
I like Leon Flint again Chris Holder ride well in the Peter
Grover making didn't he was on base and obviously probably
should have won the Peter Grover meeting obviously kind of fell
short in the final. Jack Holder is obviously made a
lot of progress in in racing seasons.
I think the fact that the both of the Holder brothers are
racing there together, that's obviously helped as well.
Josh Pickering, Terrific riders. The watch.
Love Josh Pickering, love his attitude.
He feels very much in the same vein as Jason Lyons to me.
Absolutely, yeah. And Joy Etheridge, you know,
good solid rider. Again, I really know a lot of
Australians obviously there as well, the four, the four
Aussies. So yeah, I'll, I'll look at
Sheffield. I would say obviously that
probably the biggest threat to Bellevue and we've probably
deduced from what I said, the Bellevue, I would say our
favourites to win it, but I think Sheffield will certainly
have a have a say in that. Right now, I'm going to see how
much tension Chris has been paying to what we've just been
saying. He's not even listening now
because because I'm going to say we're going to give our
predictions now. So I would like your top 4
please. Right, OK then top 4.
How much has he been listening there?
Oh. Oh, oh, oh, OK, Paul.
Oh, for God's sake, my first one.
You're laughing. Paula in this league.
Leicester. OK, you're you're are going to
write this down, OK. You're going one 2-3 or four or
4321. Yeah, both of them.
Are you going to go on 1st Go 123?
Bellevue. Bellevue, OK.
He has been listening. Yeah, all on it, Leicester.
OK, He hasn't been listening. Would you like me to go through
the teams again? Switch, switch.
OK. Just one more.
And should I go for real? I know they're not in it.
Are they Go through them again? Bellevue, Sheffield, Ipswich,
Kingsley and Leicester and oh, Kingsley, Kingsley, OK.
I couldn't do them all all along.
OK, so that's yours. So my top four, I would go for
Bellevue to meet Sheffield second.
Yeah. Ipswich third.
OK, Kingsland 4th. OK, we've basically got the same
I've gone Bellevue, Sheffield, Kingsland 3rd and Switch 4th.
Is it really that predictable? It's predictable because there's
only 6, isn't it? So we just need to just.
Go to lose to. Get in position really where we
can. That'd be interesting.
We. Need to get in position where we
can get some more of these. We can try and get some of these
close tracks back as well. Obviously we'll keep keep up in
that some of these campaigns that are trying to get these
slow slows, he's back and can have some success.
Right. Well, we've got a few comments
come up on the shout box. I'm glad I can't see them
unfortunately. So, OK, Jeff Daniels says Dan
Gilkes not fit enough to start the season.
Still not fit from last season's hip injury.
Not sure when he's back riding for Paul and Leicester.
Of course, he missed nearly nearly the entire season last
season, didn't he? So.
Paul have announced a replacement for him, Carl
Newman. Yep.
And Lester have gone with Joe Thompson.
Yes, that's right. Yeah, it's on a 20.
Eight day, Yeah. Good little opportunity for Joe
Thompson. Yeah, of course, back racing
with his brother as well. Dan made a lot of priorities
last season, didn't he? So he really did come on, come
on in leaps and bounds, didn't he?
Not just in the, not just in the in the Premiership, but
obviously in the Championship as well, so.
David Albrighton, says Luke Becker not riding this year.
Yeah, one of my favourite riders.
I I, I think obviously he wanted to come to Birmingham this year
and couldn't, so that's what I'm going with.
OK, One of my favourite riders. I love Luke Becker.
Simon Corbitt's given his top 4, presumably in order, Sheffield,
Ipswich, Bellevue and King's Lynn.
So. For the same Bellevue Kings
Lynn. The same teams that we've gone
for, but slightly. Different.
I think a lot of people are going to go for Bellevue or
Sheffield. I just look, I just look at
their the top end of their side. So I think they're going to have
the advantage. All dependent upon that old
chestnut, of course. Injury.
Yeah. Because if you lose you, you've,
that's the one. I mean, that's the problem
Ipswich found a couple of years. If you lose your your number one
rider and he's a big rider. It's difficult to replace it
now, isn't it? Because you know, obviously
clubs, riders now have got their whole seasons panned out,
haven't they? So they then fit if they're not
racing in the UK to suddenly then see if they can fit it into
their schedule. It's not easy.
It's. Not easy at all, Darren Reynolds
says. Would love to see a national
four team knockout competition with teams mixed from both
leagues, with the final being staged at Northampton.
Great promotion for a new club. I don't know how that would go
down with who would go and watch that.
If it's a team that's got not your ride.
I I don't, I don't, I don't understand how who would go and
watch that. I, I quite like a A4 team
competition and I'd quite like it to be held over one day and
maybe at Northampton that would be well really used to do that
the. Premier League Fours, wasn't it?
That was a lot, the Premier League's big pair, wasn't it?
The foursome final that Peterborough?
Of course, the fours fought in the National League as well,
which Birmingham won, didn't they?
We did change. That Coventry, Yep.
So we we won it in the Premier League as well, not in the
Premiership as was it. The well, I think it was the
pairs, wasn't it? I think we've done both.
OK, I'm pretty sure and I'm somebody's going to tell me I'm
wrong now and I'm talking through my bottom.
Dana O'brun's gone through Ipswich, Bellevue, Leicester and
Sheffield. OK, I'm not.
I'm not going to say I'm not completely sure on Leicester.
Looking at their team now, I just think they've lost maybe
something. Chris Thorogood says
Northampton's first Hope home meeting versus Ipswich 30th of
April will take a string travelling crowd as a pretty
short hop from Suffolk. Looking forward to it and I
think that's going to be the saving grace.
Yeah, Ipswich travelled well. Didn't last season.
Certainly the meetings that they rode at, at Birmingham, there
was plenty of Ipswich fans there obviously sniffing in a way I
think as well. But it's fairness.
It's, you know, Ipswich is a long old way from anywhere else
really, isn't it? I mean, I've done that, I've
done that journey. It's it's, it's a really long,
arduous journey, so. Chris Thorogood says Sheffield
to because he's he's going on on his prediction earlier.
S Sheffield to win it. Bellevue 2nd Northampton 6th.
Hard to split the rest for me. Yeah, I, I just think with
Northampton, I think they need, they, they need a good season to
sort of keep people's, you know, with a new, with a new team,
it's a brand new team and they're losing every week.
It's going to be difficult to sort of keep hold of a crowd,
isn't it? Because they, they're not,
they're not. They need to rely as well on, on
certainly in the initial period of neutral funds making the, the
journey down as well. I don't know whether there's any
plans for any events to be any individual events to be staged
their life in the series, and I suppose a lot of it depends on
how successful. Fixture list is the front for
for them, as far as I'm aware. Or is that that's yeah, Lawrence
Rogers says. And, and we should yeah, not the
only new track opening up or reopening in this case.
Buxton reopens on Sunday, 3:00 PM.
The Regina Chain fours Buxton versus Potters versus Kings
versus Wolves. Very, very upset that there's
not a Brummys team in there. But you know, I heard.
Plus MDL individual, 24 heats of Speedway, adults 15, concessions
13, students 17 to 2210 LB, juniors and children 16 and
under 3. So there you go.
You've you've forgotten to put on the end.
Lawrence, take a coat. Yes, definitely take a coat in
the stock. Yeah, well, if it's in July,
take a coat. I mean what I've seen the
pictures I've seen of books and it looks a much better track
than it used to be. I'm presuming that temporary
standing that they've installed there is the standard.
Was a Perry ball, wasn't it? Exactly looks like it.
So but now I've seen, you know, there's obviously, you know,
been a fixtures, photographs of the place during the winter.
Obviously as it's been developed, a lot of the older
structures there have been sort of torn down.
I think, you know, they are putting a big effort into sort
of trying to it's, you know, listen, Buxton is never going to
be a major club. Is it all it's you know, that's
how it came about. It was one of these clubs where
they developed rods and then sold them on the profit.
That's how they kept from going until they they decided to stop
in the old clubs having assets. Yeah, I'm sure he was nothing
better. I remember.
And I think in truth, that's what Lawrence Rogers is good at
promoting that that sort of ground up.
Yeah, riders and so on. I know what I'm trying to say
here. It's just the.
Word we haven't got I think I. Think, I think Lawrence founded
certainly in the top leg. I think Lawrence founded tough
didn't the last couple of years like everybody else at
Birmingham, but this is I think this is the league where if he
would, I think if he was, obviously I think this is the
league where he's happiest. Yeah, and Lawrence has said
promoting, as ever, good hats and scarves on sale for warmth.
There you go. You're going to need me to go, I
promise you, Phil Taylor says. Sheffield, Bellevue, Ipswich and
Kings Lynn. You do know guys that we are
saving these up and we're all going to go the end of the
season, mainly. Mainly, Yeah.
Yeah, Fred Graham said he's sorry I'm late on tonight.
Really enjoyable meeting at the Benfund, which we should talk
about in a moment. With some decent racing
considering the poor weather during the day, our new day and
Kevin Yul Peterson put in a decent performance.
I think the championship will be a hard one to call this year and
yet we did. But I'm not telling you what we
said in case we're wrong here. Pete Clarke says Buxton High
Edge Raceway twinned with ice stations.
Well, it did at the weekend. OK.
Thanks for that, Pete. OK, Well, yeah.
Ben Fond. I haven't heard how much they've
mad. I don't know whether that's been
announced yet. And what I.
Believe there is something on here.
So, right, So they haven't actually confirmed any numbers.
There's been a thank you from the Ben Fund.
Speeder odds Benevolent Fund chairman Paul Ackroyd is
reflected on a highly successful Bonanza stage.
And in Glasgow on Saturday, New Eddie resigning Dan Thompson
triumph on his hold home track of Ashfield, defeating Kevin
Yule Peterson, Peter Kilderman and Justin Sedgman in the final
of a meeting which provided great racing despite rain
earlier in the day. Ackroyd said.
We got away with the weather. I was getting a little anxious
as the morning went on. A massive thank you to Glasgow
Spade and the Fuchena's for their Gen Rosstein.
Every item helped make the meeting as successful to help
make the meeting successful financially.
Also Andy Meredith for his team work done on the track to ensure
we got the meeting on. It certainly produced some half
decent racing as the meeting went on.
So not say anything in terms of the what was what was right, but
of course it was a huge obviously, you know, the the Ben
fund is one of the best things that I'm not thinking British
played. I think it's very, very it's
definitely very, very important because you know, there's some
riders who who need that. It's like their careers end and.
Well, we've already had a couple of Indians, absolutely.
Sacked. Good, good meeting for Justin
Sedgman. Yeah, I think as well, I think
it's worth saying as well, obviously the presentation, I
think that's really as as poor like already says, it's
reinforced the fact that Glasgow are very capable of staging big
meetings with their organisation.
I mean, this is a club, if you believe the rumours, are very
keen on getting a Grand Prix there.
OK. So which would be?
Why not? Absolutely.
Why not? It's a fantastic rice track.
I've seen no problem. Certainly think certainly gets
comparable to Bellevue in terms of ricing.
And be nice to, I mean, I know then when they take, we're
essentially taking AGP away from Bellevue.
But yeah, no other track has two, do they?
I can't think of. No, then, well, obviously that's
been you having been, we had COVID, of course, then the
Friday had two grand prixs over a weekend.
But no, it'd be nice to have a a second sort of British track
that's kind of understanding big meetings other than other than
Bellevue. I think there's some frustration
that Bellevue keep getting all these big meetings, to be
honest. But I know it's, I know it's
obviously the National Speedway Stadium, but.
It's not really though, is it? It's Bellevue Speedway.
Probably a caveat to getting it there though, wasn't it?
So having to call. That, yeah, it absolutely was.
I know it was because Graham Drury told me it was.
Yeah, Dino says. As many laps as I've done around
Buxton. The weather on Sunday was a
shock to the system, but it's going to be great next Sunday.
Good. There you go.
Of course it is. It's a bank holiday weekend.
It's always, always sunny on a bank holiday weekend.
What was the resort at the Ben Fund in the end?
I know top scorer was Justin Sedgman.
I can't remember. Yeah, it's Dun Thompson, Kevin
Neil Pederson, Peter Gilderman and Justin Sedgman.
Obviously they were the four finalists.
Pederson was good news for a sign for Glasgow.
Yep, good news for them. Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, obviously we we obviously said I think we you
know, so it's it's on, it's on record anyway.
I think we obviously predicted class go to be certainly
competitive again. Got agonising a close last
season in that memorable final against Paul.
We just missed out so. Well, we shall see how that
goes. OK.
Just to reiterate, obviously because the National League is
going to be coming up, we obviously will be talking about
National League during the course of this season as well.
Obviously, Buxton in particular, that's obviously your adopted
team, your adopted. Team for the show.
Yeah, hopefully, hopefully they do.
Well, you know, Buxton obviously is a it was a great little story
last time, wasn't it? And it's just a shame that he
paid it out the way that he did. But the good news, of course, is
he's still there and managed to sort of get something about
running again. Just I'll just for any riders
going there, it shuts off a little bit earlier when you're
going downhill. Catches a few rods out does it.
They just wonder why they're picking up spade as they go in
only one way and then slowing down the other way.
So. Lauren Rogers says it's a balmy
11 degrees forecast for next week, so only take three coats.
Yeah, take it from me, having been there, it is cold.
It doesn't matter what time of the year you go.
Because you're on top of a sort of hill, aren't you?
It's a pretty unique venue, isn't it?
It's a lovely scenery around there.
It's a great, lovely drive. There's nothing.
It's all around there. I mean, there's no real home
fans around there because they don't live anywhere near.
It's a tiny little place as well.
So yeah. But it's you should go at least
once. It's that sort of a place.
David Olbruns got a good question.
Or Brighton. Are tracks going to cancel
meetings when the World Cup football is on?
I don't necessarily think they'll need to because the time
zones are going to be. Absolutely, yeah.
They're going to be on Strange Times Exchange.
So I'm not sure that they'll need to, to be honest.
Sort of kicking off at midnight or stupid.
So I think a lot, a lot of it's gonna depend on how England
doing it's. Yeah, that's gonna depend on
whether what what Donald Trump's gonna do.
But perhaps, perhaps we're going.
Probably. Not probably best not to go into
that alone. It's it's.
About normal quarterfinals? Right.
So in a few minutes we're going to go over, we're gonna start
doing the prediction league for this week.
Yep. So before we do.
I have put the the link, if anybody's missed it for I'll
just I'll. Just meant to say, yeah, before
we do that, I think we're going to get Chris to put the link
back up on the shout box because it'd be nice for guys to fill it
in as we're doing it, wouldn't it?
This is what I'm thinking. So if you want it.
Can you put it on your shout box?
I've already done it. Oh, OK, I've already done it.
Yeah. So well, I'm still not seeing
any comments. That's the last comment I can
see. So which is a bit just
refreshed. Nobody wants to talk to Yeah,
you. Might have to refresh then isn't
it? Right, OK, get rid of all this
rubbish. OK, yeah, League.
But in the meantime, well, we're sorting that out.
Shall I have a look at where the league actually table actually
stands at the moment, please? Yeah, sure.
Can we do that, please? We.
Can do, yeah, don't worry about that.
I think Webby has got the. Do it.
I'm doing it.
OK. Oh.
Can't multitask it more. No, dear.
OK, I can't think so why I'm so excited about seeing it.
I'm not normal. So is that bit first?
What's that bit? That's the overall table so.
I'll let you and then. You are then we got this.
Bit take over at this point. Yep.
So obviously it's still early days, of course.
So I've got 4 white tie at the top.
Don't do all right. Don't do that.
Say that because I'm there. So so and there's obviously the
results for last week. So Andrew, Skippy, Gordon and
Chris all correctly predicting for Skate 42 for Bellevue last
night. Get in there.
Yeah, I mean, you rent for the ridiculous 7020 and you still
got a point out of it, so. And was closer than the rest of
us, I think just. So good.
Or have you had a practise on the on the thing?
Because I know you put your scores in again already.
So yeah. I haven't.
So I'm I'm, I'm making notes now, OK, unless you want to put
mine in for me as I say them, but it doesn't matter.
I'll yeah do afterwards, OK. Right, so we have a few fixtures
this week coming up, so first of all, starting on Thursday we
have got the second leg of the Premiership Care Cup Northern
Section Sheffield against Bellevue.
Who went first last week? I did.
OK. So Chris, you'll go first.
Bellevue I've already put mine up.
I haven't I. You have?
Yeah, Yeah. I can't remember how I put.
That. Oh well, you just have to make
it up again. OK, then I'm going to go
Bellevue by 10. OK, well, well, obviously your
scores will go on there. So, OK, so I went for Bellevue,
I went for Sheffield to win by 6:00.
So that would be a run. Off that would be a run off.
Yeah, I'm I'm going to get go a lot would depends on on Bladon
and and or what replacement that they have Sheffield by 8 just to
be different because we've got to split somewhere.
OK, yeah, Webby, you went for Bellevue to win by 10, by the
way. Oh, I.
Spot some online. Were you?
I don't think you were. Oh, I think you were you.
See Memory Incredible. Memory.
I'd love 1. No, I'm sorry, you went for
Sheffield to win by 10, not Bellevue to.
Win by 10, right? All right, I'm looking at the
wrong 1, Sir. OK, OK.
So next one is the base end series Southern section and this
is going to be an interesting works actually pool against
Plymouth. It's definitely the strongest
side that Plymouth have had in that league.
I guess it's up to me to to give it and I'm going to say pool by
10. OK, I went pool by 12 and Webby
went for Plymouth by 10. You're probably going to be
right. Oh yeah.
It's a lottery, isn't it? Really.
No, it's speed by. Oh yeah.
OK. Much less predictable.
So the next one in the BSN series in the Scottish section,
that's Edinburgh against Berwick.
OK. OK, I went for Berwick to win by
4. I bet you I went for Edinburgh
to win by 12. Nope, you went for Berwick to
win by 24. I think we'll need to get you
some more practise on this. Don't we say follow?
Grasping it this weekend I'm. Going to say.
He might not finish his bottom presented this season.
Do you know the way things are going?
I don't like this news. Edinburgh by eyes.
OK, I went for Edinburgh to win by 18.
Big win, home big win for the home side.
OK, so the next one is the Workington Comets in against Red
Car Bears. That's in the BSN series
Northern section. OK, Chris, that's up to you.
What did I go for? No, hang on, let me have a
guess. What was?
With the change this, you've got
a whole new game there. If I get it right, I get an
extra point. It's over somebody.
Somebody by 12. Just a bit out.
Any thought? Did he actually?
Do you've gone for a red car to win 5832?
Possible, yeah, that's the red car or the away team, by the
way. So yeah, that's.
My closest one SO. I'm going to say Workington by
6. OK, I went for red card to win
by two. OK, it's Scottish, based in
Scottish series. Then in the return meeting,
Berwick against Edinburgh. Who's that again?
Sorry, I was reading the. Berwick against Edinburgh.
OK. That's the return.
And that's up to me, isn't it? You'll remember those because
obviously you'll be putting them on yourself, aren't you?
So. Yeah, that's why I'm I'm
writing. All right, So I'll say I have
Berwick by 6. I've gone for Berwick by two on
that 10. God.
Phil Tyler, says Goodman Webby Plymouth 10 Top man Yeah.
Well, yeah, I know. I know from going down there
that the Plymouth fans are not fans of Paul to be honest, but.
Did I go for Bury by 20? 4.
No, you went for Edinburgh to win by two.
All right, OK. That's not a bad prediction.
Yeah, OK. On the next one that's on
Saturday, that's Paul against Plymouth against Paul, that's
the return of. Up to up to the OK.
I went for Plymouth to win by 4. I went for Plymouth to win by
20. Is he got?
Is is that what's not? Too far off, actually.
You went. You went for Plymouth to win by
16. Oh, OK.
Another one that could happen. I'm going to say first one of
the year, Are you ready for it draw?
But for a bit, Phil, Phil about, you're dancing around the room
listening to Webbie's predictions, I think.
People are tuned in just to listen to my.
That's the idiot going to say this week.
I'm the novelty next. Week.
OK, that's a really. Interesting.
Idea, but OK, we've got the two watchings on the Easter Monday.
So again on Easter Monday bank or then we've only got 2
fixtures, which is not really ideal, is it?
So bank holidays, obviously the good God on Thomas speed.
I saw the first one, he's at 12:00 in the afternoon.
That's Bellevue against Leicester.
This is in the Premiership. Knockout Cup?
That's up to you, Chris. I would have gone for Bellevue
by at least sixteen, I reckon. You've gone for Bellevue to win
by 28, which I really wouldn't be a surprise, to be fair.
Oh well. Yeah, that's good.
I'm going to say Bellevue by 18. I ain't that.
Far off. OK, I've gone for Bellevue to
win by 16 that. 1. And then the final one is the
return meeting in the evening. That's at Leicester against the
Ices. OK, I'll say Leicester by two.
I've gone for Leicester by 6. I've probably gone for Leicester
by 24. You've gone for Bellevue by 20.
I'm going to study it next week. Yeah.
Well, you haven't been the bottom presenter yet in all the
years we've been doing this, so obviously that's been held by
another member of the team. So yes.
But currently currently I'm riding where?
You're joint top, there we go. It's only two weeks going to
middler so fairness in, in fairness, there's not been that
many fixtures either. There's only been 3 fixtures so
far so. But obviously we've got the
Easter period coming up so there's a few weeks.
But I I have to say I am disappointed to have few
fixtures. There are on Easter Monday.
Yeah, that's bank holiday usually that's usually got about
10 fixtures alone on that day, don't you?
I know there's not that many teams in the league so.
Well over 2 leagues there's you would have thought there'd be
more. Yeah.
I don't, it's not great. It's a shame and and also how
few fixtures there are this early in the season as well.
Yeah, I mean, I know the Premiership has started late for
obvious reasons, but Even so, come the end of the season I'm
going to be rushing to get matches in again like they do
every single season. Yeah, it's very disappointing,
isn't it? So, but that's the way I think.
So I mean, yeah, obviously it's been a bit of a stop start to
the season. Of course it's a stop start
because of the. Nice situation's taken so long.
Yeah, so and all the rest of it. We have some, we have some
comments. I believe that didn't my eyes no
good at all. Pete Clark says Fred Graham and
all Glasgow fans will be welcome to visit Boston whenever they
want, but it will be a brave Scott to wear a kilt.
I don't think it will be. Have you, have you been to
Scotland? It's gold.
And Phil says, yeah. He says, I am a brave Scott.
OK. OK.
Just to point out as well, obviously one meeting that we
didn't mention, it's not it's it was a challenge meeting.
So it's not on the official fixtures obviously that we're
doing on the prediction league. But of course that is Oxford
against Coventry Bees select tomorrow night.
That obviously starts Oxford season.
So I'll just have a look at the teams for that one.
So Oxford line up with Sam Masters, Mitch McDermott, Roger
replacement on the opening night of the season.
There's Roger replacement operating, Anders Rowe, Luke
Colleen, Eric Riss, Max Perry and Dale Wood.
And their team manager is Peter Shroke.
And for the Bees they've got Chris Harris, Jodie Scott, Leon
Flint, Luke Harrison, Dan Thompson, Ashton Vale, Senna
Summers and their team manager returning to Cowley of course,
the club where he was an absolute legend.
Hans Nielsen as the opposition team manager.
Of course he did have a very brief spell with Coventry in the
mid 90s. That was obviously where he
finished his British career, 9394.
I think you have a Coventry. So I imagine there'll be a good
off, you think of some good to get some good weather for that
because I would imagine there'll be plenty of Coventry fans
making the trip down there. Probably two pans just making
the trip down there for Hans Nelson being.
There, Yeah, absolutely so. But again, you know, when you
think about it, Coventry and Oxford back in the ice, he
stayed a massive role where he didn't like really, really did
you know they would try. I think they, you know, won
league championships. I think obviously Oxford 185 and
86. I think Coventry 187 and 88 and
Oxford again in 89. So they were.
They were always buying. A lot with Criedly as well, you
know, those 3 clubs not not too far between the three of them
are the great rivalry between the three between those 3 clubs
during that period of time. So yeah, be nice to be nice to
see plenty of Coventry fans down there and of course, you know,
obviously there's still a lot of things happening with Coventry
to try and sort of wrest control of Brandon Stadium back from
Brandon Estates. Still lots of stuff going on
there with with that at the moment.
Yeah, it's it's a minefield. Fingers crossed.
Yep, fingers crossed with Swindon as well.
Yep, Absolutely. Yep.
And I'd love to hear some news about something with Birmingham,
but it's just been quiet. Yeah.
Hi. Ho.
Right. Well, there we go.
I mean, the season is finally up and running.
Sort of. I'm trying to be, this is my
trying to be positive it's here and that's it.
The season is is finally up and running.
We've seen a bit of Speedway going on, just the final bit in
the jigsaw now is what happens at Northampton.
I think raw, hopefully it's got a vested interest.
With that, let's hope it, let's hope it is a success because
they're thinking, you know, it needs it needs to be successful,
I think to retain interest. Certainly locally.
I think if the Northampton people turn up there and their
losing every week, I think the novelty is going to roll off
very, very quickly. So they need, they need to be,
they certainly need to be competitive at arm.
I think probably not so much away, it's not going to be such
such much of an issue, but certainly at home they're going
to need to get some good results.
Somebody a bit earlier asked a question on the shout box.
I'm. I'm not sure who it was about.
The rumours are that all of the the other five promoters have a
stake in Northampton and I have, I've heard those rumours as well
and it's sort of being implied a little, Phil Morris has said.
It feels like a desperation move, doesn't it?
Well, this has prop the league up, isn't it?
It's as simple as that. It's almost as if maybe they
don't care whether they do OK. So I'm rooting for them anyway.
I hope they have a good season. Yeah, I think all the neutrals
will want to see them do well, won't they, So.
Yeah, Paul had ride a replacement on Saturday at
Plymouth. I just saw that from Skippy.
Yeah, so. Due to Polish commitments, if
ever this the phrase only in Speedway was that yeah, I don't
know what to say. Well, on that note, I think it's
time to wrap. Wrap up the show guys.
Good luck to everybody with your Speedway this week.
Yeah, keep passing your predictions as well.
So obviously the link has been shared again, so and the link
for fixtures with four will go up on Saturday.
Morning, have a drink have you say All opinions here today.
Welcome to the Speedway timer. Enjoy your stay.
Wedding GA Amen. I'm here today.
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