Bagpuss

In other words you can't!

I quite like it, perhaps give it a week or two before saying its sh!te? Phil has said it will run slowly initially. People do hate change

Good solid top five, like the Heeps signing and although Thorsell is unproven he looks no worse on paper to me than Morris or Kurtz. Maybe that is the standard of number ones we are going to get this year. Reserves however look weak. Wouldn't be surprised if CVS has an early change up his sleeve like last year, don't see that 1-7 being in place at the business end of the season.

True, but they are two Poles so let's see how committed they are and if their Polish clubs stick their oars in at all. I'm sure you were telling all and sundry this time last year how good Poole were going to be so your comments are best taken with a pinch of salt really.

A bit 'meh' to be honest but difficult to judge until we see some other line ups.

Absolutely SL. There has been lots of warranted criticism of the promotion but the same moans and groans ad nauseam become white noise eventually.

Whatever people think of Batchelor there is a bit of value in his average due to the lack of effort he put in at times last year.

Indeed, so let's unsterilise it by not freezing out several GP riders. Enable more quality riders into the league and give more teams a chance in the process.

Why is that fair but reassessing riders who have been away for a year or two and dramatically improved during that time not be fair?

Indeed, the reason people are unhappy with non GP riders coming in on averages they attained in the past is because of the two new rules which vastly reduces the options for those clubs who don't sign these bargains / ringers. How is that good for the league as a whole? Do them all or, preferably, reasses nobody and get rid of the eight point rule. Let the points limit do it's job without these other factors skewing team strengths.

Reassessing GP riders and the over eight rule? Can't remember those rules last year.....

It's not great form if the riders had already agreed verbally to join those clubs and presumably Cook was aware of that. Not illegal and no doubt not the first time it's ever happened but pretty poor nevertheless by both riders and Lakeside.

Because if you make sure there are only a handful of ringers / bargains that drives up their value and ensures that they will be hoovered up by those clubs with the greatest resources. Would be much fairer for the competitiveness of the league if there were more bargains or none at all. Discriminating against GP riders means less quality riders in the league (on top of the eight point rule) and inevitably greater disparity between team strengths. Good luck to the Pirates and Fraud but those who can see further than the end of Poole harbour recognise this isn't good for the league. And it will lead to more paying customers giving up with it all.

Of course you don't Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. Don't disagree with previous averages being used if it's the same for everybody. Why just GP riders? They've not been reassessed as long as I can remember. Do them all or none at all.

Not cheating, but along with the one over eight rule a pretty damaging set of regulations for the league as a whole.

Reading between the lines of the posts here as I have no other information one would guess that Berwick and Sheffield had done deals with Morris & Lawson which Lakeside then trumped presumably with more money once they were unable to sign Nicholls & Kennett.

Ring(ers) Ring(ers) - ABBA To be played at Wimborne Road every race night.

Only when he was in front I bet!

At least that team contains no ringers so you could hold your heads high.

I don't think Poole will be accused of cheating, but if there are ringers on silly averages then the BSPA will receive more justified criticism for poor governance. And more people will walk away.

Unless I'm misreading the situation they are going for a big impact reveal in the new year, and it seems there are going to be major changes throughout the whole club, both on and off the track. One assumes that these things take time to implement hence the announcement after Xmas and not before. I think that's fair enough, no point in telling us all until it's all in place. The statement was no doubt partly put out because people keep asking and wondering on here and social media.....despite that there has been some criticism that they have made an announcement about making an announcement. If they aren't ready to reveal everything yet then I think it's fair enough that they have told people when that will be. I'm sure the criticism would have been worse had they not said anything. Of course the proof of the pudding will be in what we are told in January, it all rests on that and how the club is run in the coming season and how us fans are treated. Just requires a bit of patience, something many speedway supporters seem not to have in the winter months.

I think that riders of that ilk enhance the second division personally. But as you say it's silly to just exclude two riders, British ones at that. Morris puzzles me a bit as you'd have thought he would want to be riding regularly in Europe to speed up his development and regular Championship speedway doesn't lend itself to that. But riders like Harris, Nicholls, Kennett etc are past their best and as Brits should be able to double up if they so wish.

It's a decision which beggars belief, excluding two British riders who would enhance the second division and put bums on seats. Would love to hear the BSPA's reasoning.

He 'acheived' a two point average for Somerset in 2016 though did he not?

What's the significance of Pearson's involvement?