I think it’s common knowledge that signing a rider on a 3.00, 4.00 or even 7.50 average then help in their development is cheaper in the long term than signing two GP standard riders straight off the peg. Equally the chances of a rider who has ridden at number 1 one season won’t be taking a great dip in wages to be a third heat leader at the team that poached him. All academic now as Richard is running the show and it no longer the witches way, thankfully.   

I get your logic. But..... It ain't over till it's over. They do have a thing called rain "occasionally" in Manchester. Who knows what that could do to the result at the NSS. Keep the faith.

Careful.... I can see some stats coming in from "someone" soon, detailing, to the penny, the money paid out to each individual rider, by the Aces and Ipswich... Probably covering the past five years or so, in an attempt to disprove your theory......

All I want is a dry fortnight so the final takes place the following week. If its pushed back by a week I will have to amend my travel plans as I was off to the sun.

There is no such thing as bad publicity. Remember that only thing worse that being spoken about is not being spoken about.  And I fear the latter is the situation British Speedway finds itself in the majority of the time.

Shame they'd gone with 60s imagery. More modern imagery might get someone to search the sport up but that's obviously not weatherspoons responsibility to sell the area.