There were a few moans or a few groans when the GP riders were
published for the 2026 season, and we have to be honest and say
that our eyebrows will raise the orbit in the Speedway table.
But what hasn't come as a surprise is the bravery of one
individual. Because we have known, have we
not for a long time, that Ty Washington is indeed brave.
And make no mistake, it was brave of him to turn down the
chance of AGP ride this season with no guarantee he will ever
get one in the future. It was also the right decision.
It was right for him, right for his family and for his health.
By the way, can't you tell the Speedway season has started now
just by looking outside the weather?
Welcome to the Speedway 7. Only in Speedway.
Good evening, gentlemen. Good evening.
Was that we I should, I should
introduce. You shouldn't, because yeah.
Yeah, how how wonderful we are. Yeah.
So we've got Webbie say hello, Webbie.
Hello, Webbie. We've got Matt and we've got
myself. I don't know what we're calling
me today. It's early days.
Yes. So Michael or GA or yeah, we
won't go any further. OK, so thoughts guys on Ty
Offendon's announcement? It's a selfless decision, I
think, isn't it? Very much so.
It was always a bit of AI think it was always a huge gun, but
the cynical side of me always felt that it was done as a
publicity thing really, because, you know, everybody knows the
story of entire obviously the the crash last year, the fact
that, you know, he was in the coma for a period of time.
It was just a, you know, and, and Ty's box office isn't he,
you know, he's, he's probably, probably the one rider in the,
in the, the sport over the last 10 years is, is, is very, very
good at self marketing, whether whatever people think of him or
not. So, but ultimately, I don't
think, I don't think toys a lot of these riders who could ever
just sort of settle for just turning up, turning up and just,
you know, go not not going through the motions, but just
not being competitive. You know, in the last 3-4 years
in the world championship, he wasn't competitive in the Grand
prixs. So it remains to be seen whether
that's it for him at Grand Prix level.
I think this year is going to be key for him.
I think it's a huge year for Ty this season.
If he can sort of get sort of, you know, into a position where
he's, you know, he's able to compete against some of the best
riders. Obviously he's not riding in the
UK. And of course we signed for
Northampton, which I think is we don't know anything about that
still yet. Yeah, we will definitely come on
to that. There's an awful lot we can say,
obviously. He will be doing Poland this
year as well. So if he does, you know, in
maybe 2027 he might decide, well, I'll have a go.
So, but I suppose it depends of course as whether he gets the
pick. Whether he gets the pick, yeah,
there is no guarantee of that, of course, but I just think it
was the right decision for his health and for his family.
He's got to come, he's got to put himself first at the.
Absolutely. Absolutely.
So yeah, well, the Speedway season has started.
Wouldn't have guessed it from the rain outside.
No, you would have guessed it from the rain outside.
Let's be honest, it's decidedly wintry temperatures.
Very cold. It's not very nice for standing
on the terraces, is it So? If at all, yeah.
But no, it's obviously a few meetings already gone ahead and
unfortunately, of course, we've already had our first injury.
So we obviously wish Charles Wright all the best of the, yes,
dislocated shoulder, badly dislocated shoulder by all the
cans on on Sunday. So that's a huge blow.
Obviously red cost moving quickly to bring.
Good move, Nikolai Clinton, possibly the only move.
Probably was the only move in fairness, I think you know
Nikolai's obviously you know as you know, good, solid before,
but certainly. At that level.
And obviously, you know, I, I wonder whether Charles right,
because obviously Charles right's not being fixed to win
the top leg yet. I just wonder whether he was
maybe on the right off of Northampton.
That's obviously, you know, like him.
He had a good season last year and of course did one in them.
You know, we remember that epic final in the British
Championship at Bellevue. Of course, he somehow finished
second in that one. He was in, I think like every
other order, he was in every single position on the on the
last lap in that one. So we wish him well.
But for Red Car, obviously Nicola Clinton is the man they
picked. I think as you say, it probably
was the only move. Probably a short term thing,
wasn't it? You know you don't.
Sort of. Given the result that they had
at Scunthorpe, which you might have expected them to do a bit
closer. Yeah, it was, it was fairly
obvious the the the point where they lost the points in that
match. So I think they had to do
something really. Yeah, it's horrible being down
to guests in your first match of the season, isn't it?
That's it. So yeah.
It's, I mean, it's horrible at any time of the season.
Yeah, Clive Woodio said. What's Northampton's team?
We don't know. Well, still.
I mean, we don't, we don't know anything, we don't even know
what Northampton's name is. Although I haven't, of course,
I, I haven't a favourite name and I think that I, I would
like, like them to go Cobblers. Nope 'cause.
Obviously, that's the yeah, Coblers, yes.
Yeah, I think they should go with Nomads just because the
chances are that they're going to be lots of people from
different tracks that are within the region turning up to watch
that that team. I think so, yeah.
So I think that would actually be a good name for them, but I.
Think they'll probably want to go off so we get a bit more
marketable, won't they? So you know, we keep saying we
hopefully we'll know something. So I mean, obviously we're
hoping, I think we're tonight, we were hoping to do a bit of a
prediction on the on the Premiership this season, but
it's a bit difficult to do because we still don't.
We still don't. We don't know the teams, Yeah.
So I mean, at the moment you guys put Northampton in last
place just because who the hell are they going to sign?
Oh, that's it, So. But hopefully they they just
from, from the point of view of promoting A-Team a new team, you
would think that'd be that'd be wanting to get it all out in the
press and everything and there's nothing, absolutely nothing.
You would have certainly expected something by now,
wouldn't you, Sir? We don't even.
We don't even know it's promoting it.
We've got no, no, no, nothing. We don't know anything really.
You know nothing. We know where they're going to
race. That's just about it.
So. And that's literally it.
Yeah. Shall we?
Do you want to do a few hellos and stuff?
Hello, Hello. Hello to Peter Clark, hello to
Dave Coyne, hello to Fred Graham, Clive Woodyear and a few
other people. We're too scared to come on.
So we've, we've started a, a new system this week.
We might as well talk a little bit about it.
I, I try all this and got the score right just for once.
So you can join the Prediction League via this new link, but we
still want you to come on here and give us your predictions as
well. So that.
Yeah, we. Yeah.
Just just to just to post something as well.
There's a couple of comments on there saying that they couldn't
post on the link. The link will expire after a
certain period of time expire. I've set it to expire after the
last match, after the last match just started.
Well, the first match just started.
Yeah, well, first match 12 so far.
Obviously last week it was easy because there was only one.
Now obviously tonight's you might have noticed tonight's
we've posted about half an hour ago.
I've just, if you're watching on Facebook, I've just put it in
the chat. Yeah, and I've just put it on
screen as well, OK. And I'll when and there will be
on Saturdays. I've already scheduled it
Saturday the week 3 fixtures will go out as well.
Another link pretty straightforward, I think you and
obviously you you're you're also the first one to go on there I.
Think was it OK? And yeah.
You you actually did it with no problem.
Yeah, No, no, which is why do you sound so, so no.
It's called quite some certain shocks.
You know what I mean? It's technical, yeah.
Well, at. Least he remembered to put his
ONS well. I know what an idiot what he
was. An idiot?
Yes. Well.
Well, he's a busy man, so obviously with this and the
Tilton Jorke Journal. Oh, it's all go, go.
There you go. Right evening gents Glasgow
Tiger Speedway press and practise tomorrow and Ben Fund
on Saturday for me this weekend. Fred Graham.
I think we probably should have a look at the the Ben fund line
up and come up with some predictions on that.
Pete Clark says Northampton Nitro's that's been, that's been
mentioned a few times, hasn't it?
And. Just like that, it's quite.
Yeah, Nico, Nico Kenilworth says up the bees.
Yeah, Coventry course in action tomorrow.
Is it Oxford? Charlie Russe there?
So we're hoping to see a few Coventry fans to make the way
down to Oxford. Of course, still keeping our
fingers crossed. At some point there will be
Speedway at Brandon again, but we'll just keep our fingers
crossed on that one. It'll be nice to see somebody do
a a Birmingham team at some point this season so I can get a
get along and support that. I have a question for you
actually and a question for all those people out there that have
lost teams. Have you yet been able to look
at YouTube and watch any Wolverhampton matches?
A few, yeah, because I mean the one thing I haven't done.
I mean, I've noticed a few people have put photographs of,
of Mummer as it is now. I haven't, I haven't looked at
them. So.
Because I've I thought about it today, I thought I might watch
her. I've got a few DVDs and stuff
and I just couldn't face it. Couldn't do it.
Yeah, couldn't watch it. It's, you know, it's, it's this
time of the year, certainly when, when walls closed, it was
this time of the year when it sort of hit me, you know,
looking at the fixtures or where's the wall?
Oh yeah, of course there's no walls fixtures because there's
no track, so. Any more news?
Yeah, both coming on. Nothing.
It's gone. It's gone extremely quiet.
There's a lot of things that I've seen being said about the
the situation with Wolves, which you know, doesn't really doesn't
really sound very promising at the moment, unfortunately.
So I think there's things happening at other places.
There's obviously there's things happening at Cridy.
They're obviously they're busting a Gus Coventry doing the
same thing as well. And I think there's other clubs.
I think Peterborough, I think there's read somewhere.
I think there's some, maybe some bit of hope for Peterborough as
well, Swindon, of course, still, still battling, so hopefully at
some point there'll be some news on Wolves.
But at the moment it's it's disorderly quiet.
Well, fingers crossed, we've got a couple of interesting comments
here. So Darren Reynolds says hi chaps
and this is a new name for me, so hi, hi chaps, great to have
you back. Do you think a spend capping
system would then allow both leagues to become one?
I think the problem with a a cap system is how the hell do you
police it? Because I've tried that before
and it people just find other ways.
Well, like how we can't, we can't, but we can buy your van
or we can give you, you know, this or that.
It's so people find ways around that, unfortunately.
Part of the problem of the people that run the clubs
setting the rules isn't that. Yeah, exactly.
I think the problem at the moment with the biggest problem
with, with, I think with the two leagues becoming 1, I don't
know, there's been a few things said about it, but actually I
think it's the the biggest problem is that Championship
promoters don't want the the premiership level riders and and
so on to come down. They're quite happy with the
with the way things are working well.
Ultimately, when you look at the teams.
There's not a lot of difference. Not a lot of difference really.
I mean, you've got Bellevue with Kurtz and and that's really it.
I mean, obviously it's this season.
No suffered and often Doyle Yeah, I think I don't think
there was ever you know, there was a lot of rumours last season
and murmurings that this was going to be the year that they
might do go back to the one big league.
But I don't think there was ever really any desire to do it at.
Some point if they keep losing teams, you can't see that.
It might well get to the stage where the arms force and they
have to do it, but I think just get the feeling at the moment
that they'll just resist it as long as they can.
Dave Twine says I had two DVDs that went Brum beat Wolves in
the playoffs and then a certain team then.
Did something? Yeah, now just stop bringing
back bad memories, please. That's still still rankles, but.
It's frightening thing. That was 13 years ago now, isn't
it? Was it real?
I've seen years. Grief.
I don't know where that's gone though.
That's it's been 13 years. Exactly.
OK. So we should talk about Nicola
Clint's benefit meeting. I can't remember what it's
called now, testimonial. Thank you very much.
One, of course, by was Tom Brennan, wasn't it?
Tom Brennan, I believe, won it, yes.
On count back, I think I read because obviously that there was
the injury to Mr. Wright and by all accounts the weather wasn't
great. Yeah, I've seen some of the
photographs in the meeting. It was definitely, definitely a
wet one. But you know, obviously a lost
little fixture for the start of the season.
Of course, you know, Nicola Clint's been, you know, it's 18
years. I think so.
I mean, it was in 2008. I think he came over because he
was brought him over and didn't, you know, made a mixed
impression from, from, from my memories and certainly as a
rider, even then a ride, if he got out in front, it was very,
very difficult to catch. But if he if he missed the
missed the gate, then he was, he was always difficult to see him,
you know, battling his way through.
He did a bit of a finance and little bit down.
You don't. I don't remember.
That I don't. I don't remember feeling so.
I know he frustrated another member of my family.
Very much so. In the same sort of vein.
Yeah, so could be, could be, could be frustrating, but on on
his day, it was capable of beating anybody.
Nicola Clinton still is. I think, I think at championship
level he's been a little bit more successful from behind from
what I've seen. I've I've so that's something I
guess. Probably not.
Probably not favoured amongst referees.
We're given his penis for moving at the start as.
Well, so it's it's one of those things though, when you die, but
when you live by the sword, you die by the sword and say if you
if you're big shtick, he's making gates, you're you're
going to be on on edge at that point, aren't you?
Yeah, interesting. Fred Graham's just raised the
point there. With greyhound racing being
banned in Scotland and Wales with a few X Speedway venues.
Be very worried if it happens in England.
Brough Park, Monmouth Blunden. Oh, I mean, The thing is that
these should actually be opportunities.
You should look at these as opportunities.
People should be thinking, you know, the Greyhounds are worried
about maybe they'll sell that stadium, you know, right.
But it, it, it, it's got it. Things have got to stop going
for houses. Unfortunately, Speedway venues
just for Speedway is viable. You come into question of
viability, don't you? Unfortunately, then I'm told
that Mama is is actually doing very well.
It's doing a lot better than the other track in the greyhound
track in in Wolverhampton at Dunstall Park, which I'm sure
you'll be, you'll be devastated about so.
Yeah, just for those that don't know, that's where the
greyhounds from Birmingham. Went yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, and we will.
We'll they will they match that in England, banning the
greyhound racing, there's a lot of money in it.
So it's one of those sports as well where you don't actually
need a crowd because you can do it all, you can do it online,
so. I don't know.
And is it the right thing to do? I know there are concerns about
the actual safety of the greyhounds themselves, but
surely there are other ways of doing that without people losing
their livelihood and but maybe that's too expensive.
Who knows? Who knows?
Well. The three in the three biggest
cities in England, there's no greyhound tracks at all.
There's none in Birmingham, none in London, none in Manchester.
So obviously now obviously the Bellevue one's gone.
So which is our houses as we know so.
Well, there's not many Speedway most places these days, which
is. All doom.
Yeah. Well, do you do you know what
it's is it OK, so all. Doom and gloom any every.
We've got this new thing, we've got Northampton.
This isn't essentially, I know that they've had Speedway in the
past and Northampton, but it's essentially a new track and we
have people like Phil Morris saying there are things in the
pipeline, hinting at things and at being able to expand the
league without ever telling us how that's going to happen.
But, you know, maybe there's things we just have to keep our
fingers crossed. Dave Twine says.
Thought they had a big watching crowd from China.
Do I have to say it like that? China Careful, yes.
I'm going to be careful. Yeah, we're going to just take
it off the air. No, I know.
I'm going to be careful. Especially if I've got the
Chinese neighbours. Oh, OK, yeah, I mean, that's the
greyhound. I'm better be talking about
greyhounds. For for somebody who doesn't
know so much about the history, yeah.
What? What is Northampton's history in
Speedway? Limited, isn't it?
Very limited. They've they've, they've run a
team before, called the was it the Cobblers?
Might have been. Somebody out there?
You're going back to the 1960s, I think 67 was the last time.
That was Speedway in Northampton.
So it was a long that was only a baby a long time ago.
A long time ago. So they've, yeah.
I mean, they've got no great fanbase to come to this, which
is a bit worrying, which is why I think Nomads is what they they
should be looking at. So we're not expecting like big
crowds or. Well, we, we're not, we don't
know what to expect because you know, if, if they if for
instance, they they turn around tomorrow and say, right, this is
our team. And by the way, Bartoks,
Marshall, except number one, they get a big crowds, you know,
because people would, you know, particularly people from, I
mean, but people from Birmingham might turn up, people from
Wolverhampton might turn up from Coventry, but it's not that far
away I think. I think it's a good place for
mid, for Midlands fans. Obviously we know Midlands
leader this year. Northampton's a reasonable
distance away, isn't it so? Pete Clarke says Badgers.
Is that what? Is that what they used to be
called? I don't know but.
As far as we know, Nigel Tolley's not going to be
involved in Northampton, is I? Haven't heard nothing.
As far as we know, Sir, I. Haven't heard anything at all
but but nothing would surprise me at this point.
He. Has been very quiet on social
media. Haven't he?
He has. He's been very quiet the whole
since basically since the Birmingham finished.
Yeah, finished. So I.
I, I, I've had a few people tell me that things are being looked
at, but I don't know what things where and how and why is
Northampton one of them, the Northampton Brummies?
No, it's a bit. Too far around.
Maybe not, maybe not. OK, so Tom Brennan started well.
Yes, when the when the Nicola clip mating, I think, I don't
think he quite hit the heights last season with which that a
lot of people were expecting. He had a very successful season
with Birmingham. He's probably the along with
Freddie Lingon, he's probably the brightest part of that
season, wasn't he? He's like the only.
Yeah, but I don't think there's any doubts.
I mean, he's, you know, he's probably the next level down.
You know, you look at the British surprise at the moment.
Of course you've got Lamberton Buley tie.
Obviously if he's if he gets his fitness back and then you you
look at someone like Tom Brennan is probably the next next level
down his knees, the next one of the.
He needs to kick on the VIPs which are going to do any good.
Yeah, he's going to be a big season with him this year
because you know, he can't hide behind Salford's nothing to all
this year. So he they need him to step up
to the step up to the plate down there.
So it's going to be a big season for him.
So, and obviously now only as with the last few years, he's no
longer doing championship Speedway and.
He's no longer an inexperienced up and coming rider, he's
established now. Not a kid anymore.
He's, you know, he's going to be expected to do well.
So I don't think he quite hit the hearts that I think a lot of
people were probably thinking he would do it Ipswich, but
obviously he played his part in what was a memorable season for
him last year. Apparently the original
Brafffield team from Northampton were called the Flying Foxes and
they've disappeared. Sorry.
Let me say that Can I go? The 1960s team were the Badgers.
So there you go. Flying foxes are quite alike.
Yeah. There you go.
OK. Flying Fox was AVO funding.
That was his nickname, wasn't it?
I think really I. Think you would have used that,
Sir? I think it was.
OK, I'm sure. I've heard that someone, I'm
sure there'll be a lot of the older fans will will remember
that, I'm sure. I'm sure everyone was known as
the Flying Fox. OK, so given the dearth of
Speedway news, do you like that word?
The dearth? Yeah.
You've had a Dictionary of you I.
Just swallowed it. Oh, it was a new name for the
for Northampton. Sorry.
Northampton dearth. So somebody will pick up on that
now that's a great. Northampton Dearth.
Wow, that's. From now on, forever be called
the Dearth. Wow, that's what Birmingham
should have been called in the last few years.
Joke joking aside though, I mean the one thing I mean I said this
a couple of weeks ago. The one thing Birmingham
Northampton can't afford. I mean last season isn't
Birmingham season is a Birmingham season because
Birmingham were awful last season.
Oxford weren't much better. I think Birmingham were running
in the league for Oxford to get points off last season because
they were the only team they got.
But the top five can't afford that this season.
It needs Northampton not just to be there to make the numbers,
they need to be competitive because it's not going to work
if they're not. Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, even if they finish last, as long as it's they're
in, they're in the mix to not finish last.
Does that make sense? Yeah.
I mean they, I mean, it's going to be tough for them initially
because they're going to have no harm drag advantage, you know, I
don't know whether there's going to be any provisions given to
them to, to practise on the track beforehand.
I don't know what the geography of the area is.
I don't know what sort of round there.
I think from what I've seen on looking on Google Maps, it's,
it's like it's quite far out from anywhere residential.
Yeah, but it's a it's a big thing I think that they can't
afford for them to just be, they're making up the numbers up
and getting thumped every week. That's not going to help
anybody. It's not going to help them.
It's not going to help British Speedway, not going to help the
other teams either. So might do points wise but not
for the products. Fred Graham says.
I'm always positive and hopeful that Coventry, Swindon and
Peterborough will be back within the next two years.
Agree on the greyhound stadium front.
That should be making a play to use them by getting local MPs
involved in retaining current sporting stadiums.
Law in Scotland not allowed to let sporting stadiums sold for
housing. I thought that was supposed to
be that it it by slightly different in in England, not
that they have to provide a similar level of sporting
stadium or whatever it is somewhere else for people to
use. I thought that was law.
But there's been no, no sign of that.
Brian Buck says the oh, there you go.
The same. Do you know this Brian Buck?
Yeah, I know. He knows the planning laws
inside. Actually, I do.
Yeah, he should do. Yeah, the same law exists in
England too, Fred, but councils just ignore it.
This is something which needs to be answered.
The Northampton track will be new to the away team.
Also true, but which? Yeah, it's still it is a.
Leveller. It is a leveller, isn't it?
So I'm. I'm very, very, I mean, where
are we now? March the 24th, 4th?
And when's their first match supposed to end of April?
End of April, isn't it? On 30th, I think it's, I think
it's going to be on base. And isn't it?
I think that actually in the first meeting there, which is
against King's Lynn, I think, OK, so I'm sure there's going to
be a lot of people getting the strain for that one.
I would think so. And a lot of people will turn,
will turn up and go to it because it's a new track and.
Well, we don't know what what night it's going to be.
Is it going to be a Wednesday, Monday night or is it going to
be a Thursday night? I would guess it's going to be a
Thursday, Monday's night. It's probably not.
It's far from being an ideal night if you want if you want to
track kids there, obviously with the Thursday's not much better
admittedly, but. Yeah, you can.
Yeah, you can phone in sick, I suppose.
I never said that Clint's meeting was a four team
tournament. Brennan was riding for Paul.
Yes, obviously there was a wolf term in it as well.
So obviously in all of his, the majority of his experts.
Teams, this is this is an interesting, very interesting
question coming up. Do you think with fuel prices
keep going up and up because of what's going on in the Middle
East, it could affect emission prices in Speedway?
I've never known stadiums to increase prices after the season
has started. It's a possibility that is.
It's going to affect the riders wage packets more than anything
because of getting to and from meetings.
I don't know. I would imagine they will do
everything that they can not to and once it's all blown over and
it will blow over at some point, the prices will eventually start
going back to some sort of reasonable level.
But it's certainly something to keep an eye on, no?
I agree, I think Trump's been told what to do anyway.
Who, boy? Who's he been?
Talking about the people, not about.
You. The people that own him, I think
so. I think it will blow over.
I mean, not without getting to political tacker.
Trump always chickens out. There you go.
That's that is a thing. Of course, apparently.
OK. Oh, current Ben fund lineup.
We was going to look at the Ben. Thank you very much, Fred,
because we were just about to have a look at that.
Just the ones they've already announced.
Harris, Kilderman, Brennan. Howarth, Sedgman, Morris,
Zischke. I don't know how to never know
how to pronounce that. Zischk, Dan.
Thompson, Danny. King Ellis jokes and Palavara.
Decent line this not yeah, obviously it's for a great
'cause as well. You know the, the Ben Fund 2009,
I think it started, it's been, it's obviously moved around the
tracks. I think it was before then
because I'm pretty sure that they they did it when Birmingham
first started in 2007, so I could be wrong and somebody will
bound to tell me. Birmingham did have what I think
was it 2013 Birmingham stage he might be in 20. 1320. 12
something like that launch yeah. So because I think Nicky Bedson
when he didn't know, because Nicky was a big fan of the
Birmingham track, I think he. Well, he always seemed to ride
it well. Yeah.
OK, so let's pick a winner out of that.
You've got to. You've got to say that Brennan's
going to have a chance. Bomber, you'd have to say in
Glasgow. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, definitely. I'll definitely attract that on
my list of tracks to try and get to Glasgow.
It's a long all wide. I think it's worth it's a
fantastic track though. I mean that obviously that
championship player final second leg last season was phenomenal.
The second semi final against Edinburgh as well. 2 great
mansions yeah, Bomber should be should be.
They never roll Bomber off. Obviously he knows the track
inside out. Carl out, of course, he's got
plenty of experience that Glasgow as well as is Dan
Thompson. Yeah, so.
Dare I say him, Morris? He he was, he did OK last season
because he came in for the last few weeks, last few weeks of the
season after his after his ban, he got back into it, you know,
reasonably quickly, didn't he? So I mean, he'll, he'll be able
to Trump put that behind him this season and sort of crack on
and, and sort of get back to where he was maybe 5-6 years ago
when he looked a really promising rider.
And he never really built on that, did he, Sir?
No, he didn't. I mean, I think I think 2019 and
20 yeah, the the the whole COVID thing came at the wrong time
for. Yeah, I think, I think you can
say that about a lot of people in Spadeway, quite a few clubs
in Spadeway as well. That card we didn't.
That didn't help, did it? Did not help at all I think.
It helped Birmingham. No, nothing did.
Yeah, but obviously you, you're going to pick a winner out of
that. You, you then.
And then they turn around and say, Oh yeah, Jason Doyle's
coming in. Yeah, it's difficult.
It's difficult really because you don't know the fault line,
but I think it's 13 riders an ounce, so none of the and the
Ryan's coming down again. OK.
We was talking last year about what's happened to Nora and
April 25th Nora meeting at Mildenall, Mildenall versus
Peterborough and Panthers versus Rye House.
Yeah, it'd be good to say good following the Peter fans.
You know, there's obviously still noises being made about
the Panthers, about whether they can maybe find a way back,
whether that's at the showground or whether I think it's.
I think realistically the showground is probably still
their best opportunity, even though the plan is still to, you
know, to get rid to demolish it. But that seems to have hit a
brick wall now, doesn't it? So.
OK, so this is an interesting topic that Eric Parsons has
brought up. Says can we start a topic on
engine manufacturers? Consider it started.
My blood boils as more go fast qualification components come
in. I think the powers that be in
the UK should start banning certain components.
Is that feasible for it to just be done in the UK then?
No. You'd have to.
You'd have to approve it, wouldn't they?
Yeah. I'm all for them making the
bikes as standard as they possibly can.
One of the biggest things advantages that we have over
other Motorsports is, is the pureness of the racing.
It's it's about the the rider making the difference in a lot
of cases. And and I still say that this
sport is better than at that than any other motorsport.
Can you go watch the Mario racing in Formula One?
Yeah, I mean, Chris Van, I remember Chris Van Stratton was
always very much, you know, in favour of standardising
equipment, but. It's got to be.
You can't. Just do it.
You can't just do it in the UK. You've got everybody else has
got to agree to it, unfortunately.
Because otherwise that puts it up.
Because if you, that puts the price of things up for the
riders then because if you could have different components in
Poland, in the UK and in Denmark.
And what? It's more stuff that I've got to
buy, not less stuff. So I, I like the idea of, of
making bikes as standard as possible and, and banning
things. But it's got to be done
worldwide, otherwise it just doesn't work.
Yeah. Comments popped out.
Pardon. You got the pop out.
Sorry. OK.
Yeah, everybody's giving us lots of stuff.
Yeah. Yeah, Perry Parsons, Sorry, my
spelling got a bit annoyed as well.
We, we yeah, we got that, we got that.
Fred Graham says Nick Morris has won a League Riders championship
at Ashfield so could be a die board.
Brian Buck says the Northampton track is big and wide and should
produce some good racing. When Speedway last ran there in
the 1960s, this track had been tarmacked and a new small track
was laid inside. But I thought it was too small
and much too much too far away from the spectators and the
racing looked very slow. Yeah, I haven't actually seen a
a quote of how what the size of the the track is.
So I'm guessing so it's going to be.
Within the confines of what they've got at the venue,
haven't they? I mean, it looks like it's a
decent venue. There's, I know there's quite a
bit of money being spent on it in in race and stages and.
And the track, the shape of the track looks nice from what I've
seen. My my worry about that course is
that it's sharing it with with the stock cars and that's been
problematic in different tracks. Yeah, it's bringing back
memories of Birmingham in the 80s.
Perhaps boards? There was it was an interesting
time we had, I've told you this story before.
We used we had a a whole that all our riders knew where it was
on the first bend and the tapes had got.
Do you remember it? It's.
A great story. And all the riders can't go from
the tapes and our riders are being in 3rd and 4th and just
Biden the time waiting for the the other two riders to hit the
hole and just zip up the inside of them and and every time we'd
all go is that. Is that illegal?
No. Or.
Well, it was the track. I mean, I think possibly riders
now wouldn't ride on that. It's a it's a time really,
because when you look at some of the footage from earlier in the
in our season, it looked like it was a really good race track.
It was. It wasn't a bad track as well.
Yeah, I mean, the stadium wasn't great, but, well, what I think
it was a stadium. Was it really?
It was just a, you know. Track in the field, so in
Bordesley Green, totally great, Fred Brown says.
I think one of the best meetings in the.
UK this season could be the British under 21 final.
Decent group already seeded. Yes, and.
I was looking at that. That does look and we have it's
it's that's a. Red car, isn't it the all?
Right. Yeah, it's.
We have a good group of British talent, have for a few years now
coming up and coming up and coming up.
And it's it's ironic that there's less and less places for
them to ride. Yeah, it's a shame.
You know I. Mean there's a lot of noise
we've made. Over the years about Denmark and
and Denmark, we're bringing some great rides through it once and
that doesn't seem, that doesn't seem to be quite happening so
much now. I think.
You'd have to say after Poland, we've after Poland and probably
we've got the the next best batch of riders.
It's just a shame, of course, it's just that we're losing all
the tracks between US and Australia.
I guess you would. Say on that one, but.
OK, well. I think have we caught up with
all the finally caught up? That's cool, Ian Cook says.
We run stock car at Scunthorpe and we have no issues.
I yeah, I. Beg for that.
We'll we'll, we'll finish this this section of the show on this
because it's just made me laugh. Northampton team this year,
Briggs, Pennell, Hancock, Hamill, Orson, the new Dad's
Army. That's only 5.
Riders I. Know yeah, so looks.
Rubbish team anyway. It'll probably win.
We just. That's five riders.
In their pomp, anyway. OK, so we've got some Speedway
matches to look for, to look forward to this week.
Yep, we we hope, we hope Getting a bit windy out and I can hear
the wind. Wishing rounds at the moment, so
first of all, can we? Look at what the league position
is in the You haven't done this, have you?
Prediction league. Prediction League you haven't
done 1. Have you?
No, I haven't. Who?
Who would be at the top? Right there.
Well, I'm at the top actually. Oh, is that right?
Alphabetically, I'll say your second.
Alphabetically you so. You got the result.
I've got the wrong 1 and I'm like you've got the.
Result right as well. Yeah, so.
You haven't. You haven't done it.
Updated. I haven't done it.
Updated. No, unfortunately.
It wasn't, I think. It was really worth it, was it?
Just after one meeting I was being hyper hyper efficient.
And I got the previous one. There we go, Just because I
would be at the. Top.
And just because I'll be at the top, you haven't produced one.
Let's be honest, it's the only time ever in the history of this
thing anyway. But.
We have got two matches on. Week 2.
Right. What should we?
Go through what we've got coming up.
OK then so. Right, so the first.
One is BSN. Series North and that is on
Friday I believe. Yes.
On Friday, that's red Car. Against Scunthorpe.
So that's that's obviously. The return leg?
Yep. Since you're top of the league.
No, you wish you hadn't said that.
It's all right. You can go first.
I've gone. Red car by 6.
Red car by. 10 Now if I've got to memorise all this so that I
can put it online, you've already put it on, haven't you?
I've not. OK, what?
You put Oh dear, this is right. Just bear with this one minute.
You have gone for worry. That I'll have to tell you what.
You've gone for You've gone for red car to win by 30, have I?
What? What?
That's obviously a mistake, but I'll I'll stick with it.
Take your first score first. Of course you won't see the
other one you put. Oh, you really do wait, you
won't see. Can I alter them there?
We only take. Your first one so obviously.
I didn't know what I was doing, Yeah.
Obviously. I'm gonna go red car by 10,
which would be make of it. That's what I would have gone.
Yeah, write it down. Because I've I've sent you the
link. As well, so you can put it on
there. So OK, so the next one is the
first meeting in the top flight this season after all the fun
and games we've had, and that's Bellevue against Sheffield.
That's up to you. Has he?
Already done it. I have.
Haven't I? Yeah.
What's it? What's his prediction?
Well, I'll go for mine first. I've gone for Bellevue.
By 14, OK. I would have gone for Bellevue
by. 12 But what have I thought I'll be by 9000.
You'll like you'll like this one.
You've gone for Bellevue 70, Sheffield 20.
Yeah, no. I'll definitely go no, when you
were saying about you were surprised about me.
Not me getting the technology right.
Oh yeah, no, I I didn't know what I.
Was doing, but actually I'll say Bellevue.
By 12, the story of my life. Though.
Oh. OK.
Go on then. Only two matches.
Only two matches yet so as I say Saturdays we'll see week 3
postage and then we'll go back to as we do it normally with the
fixtures posted on Saturday mornings if you want to put
your. Predictions up on the shout.
Box so that we can. Laugh at them like we laugh at
Chris's. Yeah, I've had a few stuff I've
had. 10. 10 people put their predictions on already, so there
is this new system going to be. Easier for you, Yeah.
Yeah, Well. It's it the?
Hobbit was the, the, the, the time consuming of it was reading
through all the comments and getting all the scores because
people used to put them in different places, but they're
all going into the same place now and they're all on a
spreadsheet. So, but we'd still like to get
your comments. Up on the the shout box as well,
30% of you, 30%. Of 3/3 of you have gone for 4941
for the red car meeting on Friday and there's a.
Bit of a mixture. On the few people have gone for
fifty 4050 to 38, a few people have gone for Sheffield to win
comfortably as well. It's gone Sheffield 38, Bellevue
52. So Yep.
So that's all. On there so.
Yep. So myself, Barry Simon, Dave
Twine, John Turner, Julie Turner, Rich Thomas, Webbie,
Jeff Daniels and Andrew Andrew Green all put theirs on so far.
So keep them coming, keep putting them on, and we'll
obviously keep you up to date on that.
Dave Twins put, 5040. 743 and 5040, can we actually put the
link on the share box as well? You've done it OK?
Yeah, I did it earlier. I did it earlier.
Didn't you? Yeah, yeah.
I have put it. I have.
I did put it on. Yeah, I'll, I'll try and find it
again and I'll put it back, repost it and so.
It's there. OK.
I'll just put it on. I'll just put it on.
OK. I'll highlight it then.
Yeah, OK. Right, Fred Graham.
Has just said right what he would.
I see stock cars not running at odds all this year.
Maybe a chance for BSP or to contact them and run a couple of
trial meetings. I'm I'm I'm not convinced.
About Bradford as a for league, certainly for league racing,
because I think anybody who's been there will know it's a huge
stadium. I mean, they got when they were
out in the 90s. I mean, they always had good
teams there. Yeah, they probably they well.
They probably had. They probably had.
Very good crowds, but the problem is they were all over
the stadium and you were just lost in that place.
They had two great, obviously they had two great world finals
there in in 85 and 90, but you know it.
It's potentially, you know it is, but you know there's.
A lot of potential. I think we do need another major
venue in this country. I mean, obviously Bellevue at
the moment. I'll see there's there's a few
grumbles that Bellevue got the British final again, but you
know, I'll do where else would it go at this moment?
It's the. Age-old question, isn't it?
Where I suppose. King's Lynn would be the other,
yeah. Glasgow obviously to be.
At the sticks, of course, If you're living down the South,
maybe. Maybe.
I know there's been. Some, you know, some riders.
Have suggested maybe having it as a sort of like a Grand Prix
series where you have 3 or 4 rounds of different tracks could
do that I suppose. Would that be?
Attractive gives. Gives from people.
Across the country, an opportunity to see a British
Championship meeting, doesn't it?
So and we've got a few more comments on SO. 369 yards.
Apparently the Northampton. Track, Yeah, Thank you for that.
And Dino says the shale has been removed from Oddsle.
Yeah, it has. So you're not going to just get
do it. Maybe too far in the past as.
Well, I mean, it's, it's got to be at least 97.
I think that last stage has been there.
So it's a long old time. It's nearly 30 years so.
It's it's a big ask. To sort of go over there,
they're still, you know, they're still, you know, I'll still see
a lot of Bradford funds online that are hopeful are back going
back. So and the other thing as well,
and Pete Clarks is actually put this on as well.
No motor sport is also because the now that the rugby's back, I
think there are rules now that they're not allowed to have
second. Sport so as.
Always a second sport, so that would probably rule as any
possible. Is that a rugby roller?
I think it's AI think it's. Rugby league rule, I think
they're a bit stricter. I think they're a bit stricter
on that than any other sport. So I think that's a bit short
sighted, yeah. Because they've gone in the
same. As Dave trying to say, Bradford
balls are now in the Super League so.
So there is nowhere. Central.
You could have a Grand Prix Northampton.
Is that the? Most central, yeah.
Probably is the most central. Track now, isn't it?
Probably you only want the one really is Leicester.
Isn't it so the the the? Viewing.
Facilities there for it's. Not can take a big crowd.
Isn't it really? I don't know what their.
Maximum. I just as I say I've been.
To Leicester a couple of times and I've, you know, it's a nice
little set up there, but I just I just think looking at some of
the spice that's around it, they probably could have done
something so much more with that really could have made a bigger
track with maybe bigger facilities.
So just felt like it was all sort of sort of crammed into.
The IT sort of. Crammed into a corner, isn't it
so as I. Say, I mean, obviously.
As we, you know, we've obviously they've obviously had their own
problems this summer, winter. I've known with the the break
insurance. The break insurance.
Yeah, you. Heard that they got how much
they, I think I mentioned it last week.
They did a GoFundMe page to to raise, I think it was 10,000.
Last time I looked at it had raised 13,000.
I don't know what it is. Yeah, that's pretty good.
Excellent. I think that would.
That will hopefully we'll we'll see them right.
But yeah. Excellent.
I hope so. So.
World we live in, I'm afraid. Yeah, so.
So we're sort of getting into that mode there called Oxford
and Coventry. That's obviously on Wednesday
the 1st of April. That's going to be challenge
meeting. Obviously we touched on that on
that earlier. So I'll be great to see some
Coventry fans. I'm sure they will, but I'm sure
there'll be plenty. You know, there's a huge, still
a huge demand I think for split by Coventry, regardless of what
brand in the States keep telling us there's no, there's no demand
for Speedway commentary anymore. So obviously the, as you know,
the reputation just confirming they're just talking about
Coventry, the local plan. Representations have been.
Submitted to Rugby or a council. Their own document today has
included 1700 names, which is a significant increase on the
previous consultation last year does not take into account
further responses which were sent directly to Rugby Borough
Council. So we can confirm that the
consortium have recently made an offer from Brandon Stadium and
are awaiting a response from Brandon, The States.
The other was submitted by a Global Real Estate Advisors
advising Young on behalf of the consortium during February 2026.
This completely refused rebukes evidence presented before and
during last week's planning committee regarding Swindon's
Abbey Stadium where it was stated by agents.
DPB Planning. Since the dismissal of the
Brandon appeal 2 years ago, no interested parties have come
forward with an offer to purchase the site.
We'd also like to warmly congratulate our friends at
Swindon Need Speedway after the unanimous refusal of those
planning applications at the Abbey Stadium.
The schemes submitted by DPB are also planning agents for branded
estates sought to replace the historic venue with housing and
associated facilities such as paddle courts and cricket Nets.
But he was thrown out mainly due to the revocable loss of a
stadium that the plans would entail, with clear parallels to
be drawn with a brandedness case where the displacement of the
established motorsport uses by housing and a 3G football pitch
were correctly deemed to be unacceptable.
So still. Still a lot of work.
Being done I mean, you know I mean, obviously we had Jeff
Davis on the show two or three years ago.
I mean, I know I know from from Jeff's perspective, this has
always become a full time job in there.
But you know, they haven't left the stone turned him and and
Dave Rowe as well. Obviously Dave Rowe is heavily
involved in this. Probably not as hopefully
involved as Jeff is, but yeah, they've, you know, no stone has
been leftover turn boy. And I've said this, you know,
many times. I think it's still in the
balance as to whether they will get back.
But I think if anybody's capable of getting that place back, they
will they. Deserve it as well for.
The work that they've put into it, they've been absolutely.
Tireless and and just on it the whole time.
Well, there you go. That's a positive note.
We'll, we'll, we'll finish on on one more positive note, I think,
which is Pete Clark would like to remind us all that Boxton is
central, of course. Yeah.
And it's just. Over a week isn't it before the
IT is? Will you be going to that one?
I know you've said you're going to be maybe doing a few bucks.
Tonight I'm going to try and get down to Buxton.
Down. Yeah.
Down across to across. Yeah, I'm going to try and get
get to Buxton. The other works a couple of
times at least this year when it's a little bit warmer, maybe.
Is it ever warmer? There, well, I said warm and not
warm. Yeah, see some of my mates from
Birmingham there as well, because some of the guys there,
well, it's effectively the same team, isn't it?
It's the same team that worked on the on the Birmingham tracks
that are going to be working there and they've done a lot of
work up there as well, haven't they?
And obviously we've seen the photos that Lawrences post it on
Facebook every week there. Looks good, looks better than it
did. Yeah, so before to be, yeah,
I'll send the pictures, Yeah, yeah, so.
Well done there guys. I'm sure Pete's getting them all
whipped into shape. Pardon, Yes, that was just that
you. You was dreaming again, Chris,
when you said Box I. Think you said boxing?
I think we better go. Don't look at that clock, that's
wrong. No, no, don't ever look.
Don't ever look at that clock a bit lighter.
Didn't we need to according to that clock?
Yeah, sometimes it feels like it's.
As I said earlier. It's not been a great week for
lots and lots of Speedway news, which is not what you would
expect the 20th of March. Yeah.
We would be looking now to be saying, well, they're doing well
and theirs are doing better than they expected And and and didn't
this rider where he's gone down a bit and all of that sort of
stuff. But none of that's happened
because we've had one meeting. Obviously this week we'll have
two meetings. And then, but obviously by next
week, we all have had a few more, There's a few more
meetings coming up and we'll be having a look at things like
that as well. And of course, we've got the
Easter period coming up, which is really when it start sort of
cracks off, yeah. All been well, my first.
Meeting will be at Bellevue. I'm hoping to go up to Bellevue
for the Easter Monday meeting where I believe they're racing
against Leicester Knockout Cup match.
OK, that might be indeed interesting.
I believe it's a group, so It's A Knockout cup.
But it's in a group, so it's strictly not knockout.
Yeah, it's Knockout. Only in Speedway, with a few few
new words, it's the. Knockout.
OK, well we will see you guys next week have you say All
opinions here today. Welcome to the Speedway timer.
Enjoy your stay waiting GA. Amen.
I'm here today. Welcome to the Speedway timer.