A Matter of Opinion....Reuben Turner....02/08/2003

Reuben was born in Sheffield but now lives in Peterborough. He supports both the Tigers and the Panthers.

The Tigers have produced a number of good prospects in recent years - what's the secret ?

The secret to their success is a combination of time and facilities. They have a great little track for beginners to start on, where for a small fee they can ride pretty much all day and gain advice from a pro or former pro rider. For instance the day I went my instructor was David Walsh!. They also give plenty of time on the big track to those who advance enough to ride a 500.

I think the fans will be split over it. I suspect that they will still go whatever league, but some will no doubt be unhappy!. The problem Sheffield have is that if they don't move up whilst they have the opportunity they will inevitably lose the talent they developed. Riders like Andy Moore and Ricky Ashworth are the future and they need to develop at a higher level. I also think that Sheffield will only "go up" if the financial conditions are right.

Hmm, that's a tough one. Going to both Sheffield and Peterborough has really spoilt me this year as the racing has been brilliant. I would say that I prefer the Premier league, as there is less of a difference in ability as there is in the Elite league, and as a rule the racing tends to be closer. Theres also a greater variety of fixtures which is where the EL falls down, I mean by the end of this season I will have seen Peterborough vs Coventry at least 4 times!. To be absolutely honest though, you can't beat the Conference league for great racing!

I think they all have the ability to go a long way. They certainly are capable of beating the best, but they have to reach the point where they are consistently beating the best, and none of them are there yet. A reduction in the EL team strengths next year could do them all a favour as they would probably all end up as third heat leaders where they will have to perform.

Well, I will never forget the night the Panthers won the EL. It was magic, especially as we knew exactly what was going on down the road at Lynn and considering how badly Sky wanted Poole to win the league. The first fours that Sheffield won (Also in 99) was also pretty special becasue they had never won a trophy during my lifetime until then!. I have to say that every trophy they (The Panthers and the Tigers) have won has been special, and hopefully we'll see a few more soon!

This article was first published on 02/08/2003

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