Islander15

Yes Atkin is the oldest. The rider I think you're referring to gustix (as you commented on another thread when he was mentioned) is Jon Armstrong

They did actually... Once Sneddon dropped to reserve they didn't win every meeting anymore.

Tbf regarding the Fast Track, they have listened to supporters. If we agree that there had to be 2 to keep costs down they've included the likes of Auty, Birks and Roynon because people COMPLAINED that they weren't in it. Now they moan that they are! These guys aren't going to get paid as much as the 1-5 riders so it's in their interest to be in the 1-5. Imo that rewards Howarth and Worrall who are good enough to be in the top 5 but still gives them a ride if they aren't going to get picked by any one.

Out of curiosity if the 3 points for a home win existed this year: KL would have finished top in the EL, Berwick would have been above Ipswich & Redcar above Plymouth in the PL and no change in the NL.

Are we understanding that as 2015 being year 1 irrespective of what league(s) the rider has ridden in previously?

Pearson said the track deal was sorted in the last fortnight. Tbf to them seeing as Mikey was around the set up last year it probably wasn't too hard to do a deal, after all Mikey would know everything he needed to know about the club!

Mikey Neale signed for Cradley

Chapman certainly wouldn't have been as he didn't appear in the first couple of Stags meeting, so he could have been in the Hitmen 1 to 7 from the start but they chose not to sign him.

Chris Holder

But it says: 'Cat 3: Riders not riding in a Professional Speedway League and Commonwealth or USA (to a maximum of 4 each season) Riders new to British Speedway' but he isn't commonwealth or USA so surely he doesn't fit and he's a 7.00

Which fits perfectly for Bowen (3.96) so that you're the usual 2 points under the limit

He sounds like an entertainer but I assume Fins come in on a 7.00, I doubt he'll reach that tbh.

Kennett Mellgren Garrity Nelson J. Wright Boxall O. Greenwood Or swap Wright and Boxall for P. Aspgren and Bowen.

Gutting!

The Scunthorpe lads, I hope, will be back at Scunthorpe in year 2 of the programme! Tbf to King's Lynn they bring on new talents look at Lambert, Rose, Kerr, Stokes, Knight and Bailey last year. I'm not sure of his age but we may see Ryan Kingsley next year. Other clubs have the same pool of senior riders that they pick from anyway, look at Devon: Bates, Webster & Andrews were hardly new names to the league or the SBA.

Ipswich?

None of you are putting King in your team, surely he's good value on 8.84?

Would hope not seems to have trouble even getting to the starting gate,let alone racing That's harsh Waco. He won his first race in his last meeting last season.

I imagine you'll see Adam Sheppard, seeing as he's your asset.

I hope they do have another sponsor lined up as it seemed that CTA wanted to carry on sponsoring!

Perks has knee ligament damage and a prolapsed disc in his back. He says he hopes to be fit for next year but suggests he might not be ready for March!

Do you guys think Cookie will be back? He looks a steal on 9.30 but I think Doyle showed what can be done this year if you focus on racing abroad. I know that wasn't his original plan.

I think there's quite a few EL snobs that think at this level there's kids wobbling around at the back and they can't race!

This is a good race https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtdW5vyYvjw&sns=fb&app=desktop and the Heathens pairing is Clegg and Greaves too so they show that age doesn't matter!

One thing I don't think you can call the NL is tame, and you can look at my signature to see that I've watched a fair bit of NL round the country! It may be a couple of seconds slower, but in reality when you're stood there you don't actually realise that. The lads still put in as much effort, and I'm tempted to say more effort than the egos in the EL. That means that sometimes you'll get more fallers and more tapes exclusions but there certainly isn't a lack of passing, especially when you get some of the younger guys who can't gate (Clegg and Perry spring to mind), still winning races. As to the division between riders in races, I'd say that the league is a lot more competitive than it was a few years ago and it probably will be even more so next year, but even then when you look at the names on paper they are nearly all closer than some of the divides between the EL fast trackers and EL second strings, but in reality you get that at all levels.