Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:43 am Post subject: Scott Nicholls
The argus says..............
Nicholls will give Eagles star quality
By Brian Owen
Comment
They have been dubbed the Posh and Becks of speedway.
The pin-up national team captain and the glamour model turned TV presenter.
But, as Scott Nicholls and his partner Sophie Blake prepare for life with Eastbourne Eagles, fans have been told to forget those first impressions and welcome a hard-working shale star.
David Norris, Eagles' all-time record scorer, was as impressed as anybody when Nicholls was revealed as the club's new signing.
Just don't expect the new man to fly off to fashion shows or on photo shoots.
He is more likely to be getting a budget flight to ride a 500cc bike in Poland on a Sunday afternoon.
Norris, himself as down to earth as they come, said: "I'm quite good friends with Scott and he is my cup of tea.
"He's a really good bloke, he's the guy next door. He's not above himself.
"He's very passionate about speedway and about riding for England and his club.
"He's a decent guy who happens to be with Sophie Blake. It's a brilliant move for Eastbourne."
Sophie is no stranger to the Arlington pits. She has conducted plenty of interviews there in her work for Sky Sports.
No doubt she will attract plenty of admiring glances from male fans when she turns up to watch.
But what of the rider?
"Super Scotty Nicholls", as Sky commentator Nigel Pearson has been known to call him, led Coventry to a cleansweep of league, cup and play-offs last season but he was forced out by the reduced points limit recently.
He lost his national title last summer to his club- mate Chris Harris.
So forget the glamour. What he really wants to bring to Eastbourne is that champion's touch - with Sophie and their little girl Maya cheering them on.
He knows the effort needed to turn good riders into league winners.
Nicholls, 29, said: "I don't want to be part of a team that's just struggling along.
"I know the riders at Eastbourne. I know (fellow new signing) Lee Richardson well. He is a talented rider.
"I think the likes of Edward Kennett and Lewis Bridger, and Lee to a degree, are people who, if they have the right people around them, you can get a few more per cent out of.
"That's the key. At Coventry we managed to get more out of the riders because of the people we had involved at the club and the way things were done."
Nicholls had to leave Coventry when the Bees decided to use their reduced points allowance to keep Harris and Rory Schlein.
The move to a Saturday track in the south east, however, has its silver linings.
He said: "I'll take the positives out of it. I'm excited about a new challenge. Eastbourne is a track I have always performed well at and I like the people down there. Sophie comes from Sutton and has friends and family from Brighton so the move could be a blessing in disguise. I'll get to spend more time with Sophie and Maya and Sophie will be able to come and support me and the team."
Nicholls has played down fears that he may miss a lot of meetings due to his Grand Prix commitments.
Eagles will have two fewer home fixtures due to Reading's move to the Premier League which will help ease fixture congestion.
Nicholls said: "I don't want to miss league fixtures and I would ask the club not to run those on a GP night. I want to be in all matches that are going to count."
6:54pm Monday 10th December 2007
.......who needs a new Eastbourne website when we have this one as well as The Argus!
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:31 pm Post subject: Scott Nicholls
A good signing for the Eagles, but I hope that he realises that he is going to be compared to Nicki and will have to earn his stripes. We knew we could rely on Nicki scoring double figures in the vast majority of his matches, so he has much to live up to. I hope that he does manage to bring the supporters round. We have had this before, and will have this sort of thing again. Makes you wonder if it is worth winning the Elite League Title if the team is going to be decimated the next season by the BSPA _________________ Supporting the Eagles through the good times as well as the bad
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Scott Nicholls
Aussie2 wrote:
A good signing for the Eagles, but I hope that he realises that he is going to be compared to Nicki and will have to earn his stripes. We knew we could rely on Nicki scoring double figures in the vast majority of his matches, so he has much to live up to. I hope that he does manage to bring the supporters round. We have had this before, and will have this sort of thing again. Makes you wonder if it is worth winning the Elite League Title if the team is going to be decimated the next season by the BSPA
To give him his due he has said all the right things, he was a good "team" man for the Bees, I am sure he will do the same for us.
With all due respect to Nicki, team riding was not something that entered his head, With Nicholls that is something he does, and is what is needed for us as a team.
even though we will miss Nicki P but I think Scotty will do a brilliant job for us. If Scotty reading this then I wish him and Lee all the very best while they are an Eagle. _________________ The mighty Eastbourne Eagles
I think as most people on here, that we have on paper an exciting team, strength in depth etc. Sure we will miss Nicki he was an integral part of the team for the past few years but Scotty will do his best its in his nature.
Much as Nicki's been the man I dont see many teams rushing to sign him due mainly to his very high average he just wont fit in to a team at present. Swindon from the way I read Roscos article would have given more thought to signing Adams had they realised the points limit would end up as low as it is now.Reading the postings the main concern at present is the price of the concession ticket and one would hope that the management team will think about this quickly, £10 isnt much of a concession to fans that have supported the team for years through the good and bad times and are now may be on limited income.
The only worry that I have is the reports that I have read about his reluctance to move.
Hope he changes his mind once he settles in.
I thought I'd read somewhere that he was quite keen to come here as Sophie had family/friends in the area?
Must be mistaken, Still we are quite a friendly bunch in Sussex.
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject: Scott Nicholls
Kevin54 wrote:
sussexbulldog wrote:
The only worry that I have is the reports that I have read about his reluctance to move.
Hope he changes his mind once he settles in.
I thought I'd read somewhere that he was quite keen to come here as Sophie had family/friends in the area?
Must be mistaken, Still we are quite a friendly bunch in Sussex.
I also saw this article in the paper, and he did seem keen on coming to Arlington, in fact he said he would like to guide the club to an Elite League Title. _________________ Supporting the Eagles through the good times as well as the bad
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: Scott Nicholls
Aussie2 wrote:
Kevin54 wrote:
sussexbulldog wrote:
The only worry that I have is the reports that I have read about his reluctance to move.
Hope he changes his mind once he settles in.
I thought I'd read somewhere that he was quite keen to come here as Sophie had family/friends in the area?
Must be mistaken, Still we are quite a friendly bunch in Sussex.
I also saw this article in the paper, and he did seem keen on coming to Arlington, in fact he said he would like to guide the club to an Elite League Title.
He wasnt happy to leave Coventry and felt that the promoters had ignore the fans and riders views with the lower points average, but once Coventry decided he was the one to go I think Hagon contacted him he was keen to come
Thats what I like about our team. We have 3 riders that grew up near the track.
Not something that other teams can say!
Funny I was thinking the other day back to when Scotty and Nicki had a couple of comings together and the abuse he got from some of the crowd.
I spoke to Scotty afterwards and he was genuinely gutted that he could get that at a British track....I suppose the same poeple will be cheering him for his 'hard riding' this year!
Thats what I like about our team. We have 3 riders that grew up near the track.
Not something that other teams can say!
Funny I was thinking the other day back to when Scotty and Nicki had a couple of comings together and the abuse he got from some of the crowd.
I spoke to Scotty afterwards and he was genuinely gutted that he could get that at a British track....I suppose the same poeple will be cheering him for his 'hard riding' this year!
Thats what I like about our team. We have 3 riders that grew up near the track.
Not something that other teams can say!
Funny I was thinking the other day back to when Scotty and Nicki had a couple of comings together and the abuse he got from some of the crowd.
I spoke to Scotty afterwards and he was genuinely gutted that he could get that at a British track....I suppose the same poeple will be cheering him for his 'hard riding' this year!
So fickle aren't we
Just look at the response Nicki generated before he rode for us, the stick Ermolenko used to get, then guested for us, did reasonably O.K and got cheered. And how many of those people who hated Martin up and down the country cheered him to the roof tops after he won at Coventry?
Fans are fickle, they always will be, for my part Richardson has never been a favourite rider of mine, but he's riding for us next season so will get my support, if it makes me "fickle" so be it. He' an Eagle.
Thats what I like about our team. We have 3 riders that grew up near the track.
Not something that other teams can say!
Funny I was thinking the other day back to when Scotty and Nicki had a couple of comings together and the abuse he got from some of the crowd.
I spoke to Scotty afterwards and he was genuinely gutted that he could get that at a British track....I suppose the same poeple will be cheering him for his 'hard riding' this year!
So fickle aren't we
Just look at the response Nicki generated before he rode for us, the stick Ermolenko used to get, then guested for us, did reasonably O.K and got cheered. And how many of those people who hated Martin up and down the country cheered him to the roof tops after he won at Coventry?
Fans are fickle, they always will be, for my part Richardson has never been a favourite rider of mine, but he's riding for us next season so will get my support, if it makes me "fickle" so be it. He' an Eagle.
Not just you all of us Ijust hope we don't give Davey Watt stick when he visits.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Ijust hope we don't give Davey Watt stick when he visits.