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Rider of the year: James Sarjent, for single handedly doubling the length of time it takes to run a meeting, what great value for money Most impressive team: Poole for managing to cheat their way to a title yet again Team rider of the season: Chris Holder One to watch: Matt Fraud Bulldog award (Best British rider): Rory Schlein Meeting of the season: Eastbourne vs Mildenhall 26/10/18 Surprise of the season: That the sport managed to survive it Underperformers (Team): BSPA Unluckiest rider: James Sargent, the refs keep picking on him Newcomer of the season: Martin Vaculik

As an idea for encouraging team continuity; how about allowing a discount on rider averages for team building purposes if a rider stays at the same club for the new season. For example a rider finishes with an average of 7.49. If he stays with same club then a discount of half a point is given for team building purposes. His average becomes 6.99 if he stays put, but remains 7.49 if he changes teams. Even if the entire team is retained the total benefit is just 3.5 points. Not enough to unbalance the league, but enough to encourage retaining riders.

You sound nice.

The problem with the promoters in my opinion is not that they deliberately want to run the sport into the ground, it makes no sense for them to purposely lose their money, but the system that has been created makes it impossible for the sport to function properly. There are too many conflicts of interest and pulling in opposing directions. What the sport needs is for decisions to be made in the best interests of speedway as a whole but unless someone independent is elected to make these decisions things will just carry on as they are, leading to a slow and painful death. The argument that it’s the promoter’s money doesn’t stand up for me. What other sport operates in this way? You wouldn’t get Malcolm Glazer and Roman Abramovic making up the rules of football so why do we have to put up with it. Tsunami clearly had the best interests of Newcastle at heart and anyone who puts their cash into speedway has my respect but the sport needs an independent, honest, respected leader. And to your rival moxey63, get well soon.

Your post says a lot about you as an individual

OK I dunno if this is a dumb idea or been considered before (I'm newly back into speedway after living abroad) I'll take the championship as an example. Currently the team limit is 42.5 I would suggest that any team from 2018 is allowed to keep their same team regardless of how their riders averages have improved. If they replace a rider: if the current team average is above 42.5, then the new rider must be lower than the leaving rider. (so team average could possibly still be above 42.5) if the current teams average is below 42.5 then they can replace however they like, as long as the new average is at/below 42.5 The idea behind this is that it would be better if we don't have to break up successful teams and should be able to get some consistency in teams instead of the merry-go-round of riderrs to teams and teams have motivation to improve and keep riders without having to then ditch a rider if they improve too much due to team average.

I'm not prepared to say goodbye to my team just yet....even if that means groundhopping while every avenue is explored with regards to a new stadium. It's not fair to judge the move to Rye House based on the past few weeks. Cold weather, rain-offs and electrical faults left a sour taste but I'd like to see a season with full preparation and then make up my mind. No, it's not Arena Essex and never will be but it's still OUR TEAM. Couple of positives is the pub next door and i can still have my pre match 5 guys via Harlow!

Well I can honestly say my pockets jingled more when Maggie Thatcher was PM

Wrong way round, Edinburgh won the 2010 league with 74 pts to 2nd place Newcastle's 58. Newcastle beat Sheffield in the 2010 Play - Off Final 101 - 89, and then lost the PROMOTION/ RELEGATION RACE-OFF to Ipswich 76 - 110 The magnificent Edinburgh team of 2014 went one better, as in addition to winning the League Play-Off, KO Cup, & League Cup, they also topped the League table with 74 pts, followed by Somerset on 67.

Maybe he was gesturing to one person in the crowd,,,, did you not do it back to him Tj ?

Surely with everyone being so well off the riders could pay their own - after all they are probably using £50 notes as toilet paper

Agree. He's making himself look like a plonker... £100 is my whole weeks shopping for 3. £75. "cheap jeans", the man says £15 are cheap jeans !! £75 for a "shirt" £10 -£15 £75 " half a tank of fuel" My Mr average car costs £65 to fill it up!!

Having been confined to hospital the past week, your attacks on my posts mean nothing. The morphene seems to make them even funnier. I have a broken femur and shoulder, really painful, the fault of an idiot who apparently didn't see me when he pulled into a junction and i crashed over his bonnet, hit my head on his screen and then fell onto the floor. Most painful experience I have had. A 12 inch rod knocked into my leg and screws everywhere. Now, the driver has admitted it was his fault, the police too, and the taxi driver who caught it on his dash cam. But not one of them could provide proof that my freebie had brought speedway to where it is now. But they said at least I survived my near death experience. What is speedway, they asked.

What about all those that couldn’t make it to KL but have supported the team all season? Fair play to those that made the long trek to KL, very much doubt the club would survive on these fans alone.

Knew him quite well during his riding days over here- seem to remember he was a very funny guy.He team managed Indianerna(Kumla) for a while in recent years. Some photo`s https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dalle+andersson&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9-PHBp7DeAhVdGsAKHWReCi4QsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1

Didn't see that 1 That must be after he gave Nielsen the finger

Spoke briefly with him at Cardiff this year, having a meal with @Zetters Looked a great prospect when he first came over, fantastic style.

Thanks for the info, confirms I didn't imagine it long time ago and all that, though I think the guy who tried speedway on Magpie was Mick Robertson....

In the real world £75 is .... A whole weeks shopping (any restaurant is out of the question) Bus fares for a month A years clothing budget The only sky they see is the one above their heads

What a load of crap as usual from him as usual

Like the idea of allowing continuity but surely if a team is averaging 45 and can replace a 7 point rider with a 7 point rider it would be unfair to only allow a team averaging 40 to build back to 42.5 Perhaps allow all teams to build to the total of the highest averaging team instead

For what it is worth, I believe the Hammers will effectively cease to exist having now completed the season. Rye House was merely an expedient - I still do not understand the logic of the authorities in ruling we had to switch all remaining fixtures to RH rather than just run the ones we could not fit in at Arena - but then this is speedway , often devoid of any logic. RH is much, much worse than Arena - poor viewing, poor racing, poor lighting and, as others have said, not really a viable option without major and costly changes. Thanks for the memories.

no one can say they havnt tried can they

I read in this week's Speedway Star an article about collecting speedway memorabilia. Often fans will buy a rare item and keep it protected somewhere in their home and then pass it over in later years to another hoarder, usually in the same shape as when they bought it and make a bit of a profit. But promoters do not get it. They fulfil their craze to buy an old speedway club, hold on to it for a few years, keep it unprotected from all stress or strains, claim to lose thousands, and then off load it to the next mad person who believes they can restore it to former condition. We have let a bunch of idiots polish a family jewel with a brillo.

A decision will have to be made by the AGM in mid November so instead of potentially harmful speculation, for the sake of waiting 3 weeks or so why not watch this space. You might find a few surprises. Jon has already dropped a heavy hint that next season has already been discussed with the riders and all would be interested in returning, although of course the points limit means they can't all have places. As I understand it, nothing has yet been ruled in or out, but IF Lakeside return we might well expect a different shape and differently prepared track to the one we inherited. Its a shame the season was tarnished by Rob Gofreys influence and the necessary move to Rye but up til the time we left Arena I thought it was the best and most entertaining team for several years.