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Now that's better, a rostrum containing three riders who earned the right to be there !!! The three riders who went through the GP Challenge qualifiers last year monopolise the rostrum again. That is good to see though as I think it is important for the series to maintain the opportunity for all (it's obviously not that open of course) to be able to qualify.

If they knock the current stadium down by mistake then I'm sure the builders will agree to rebuild it before the season starts ... unless the police and insurers get involved !!!

You are allowed 3 EDR riders, two of which must be Tier 2. Morris and Clegg are both declared as Tier 2 riders. So all appears above board here. The higher average is used for team building, but they are both on a 3. Because of Morris's declaration, I guess that makes Roynon, Mear and Rose eligible #7 guests which they wouldn't be if only Clegg were declared.

It's worth noting that the signing was not prevented due to fixture clashes. Cook could have been available to ride in EVERY Peterborough fixture and EVERY Belle Vue fixture, yet he would still not have been allowed to double down.

I'm confused !!! EDR riders use their PL averages for original team declarations. Newman has a lower average than Kerr and Wright. Newman's PL average has dropped. Kerr and Wrights have increased. Yet both can replace Newman. But presumably Newman has moved up the EDR list. So he was the top (or nearly?) EDR rider last year on average. Drops down the list due to his PL average and climbs back to the top after 4 meetings ... although the comparison isn't equal as other EDR riders have been riding against Heat Leaders. Had Wright not dropped to second string yesterday, Newman would have been replaced by a Heat Leader. A very confused system.

Now I'm not so sure !!! I thought ARR was the additional rider in the rules; but of course its the Additional Rider Replacement. So now I move from the certain camp that its not allowed, to not having a clue !!!

He has been listed as a Number 8 all season on each issue of the official BSPA 2016 Elite League Team Declarations. Jakobsen has been listed in the 1-5.

No Huckenbeck is not eligible to ride at reserve. The rules are crystal clear. An absent Number 6 (who is NOT an EDR) can only be replaced by a Guest. The additional rider (AR) can replace any top 5 rider. The rules explicitly cover a non-EDR at reserve and explicitly do not permit an AR as cover. There is no ambiguity. Now whether the rules are ignored is another issue.

Wow. I hadn't read about that. A bit of a shame for Ellis, especially as he was under the impression he couldn't be promoted to the 1-5 so wouldn't have expected his success to have back fired on him. It will be interesting what options Ellis has for a team berth. I suspect he will remain a Tier 2 EDR but carrying a heat leaders average. It may be possible for a team like Coventry to bring him in as a second Tier 2 EDR as per the rules. He would then ride as heat leader and probably reduce his average to a more reasonable value, allowing space for a further big signing in their 1-5. So could work at well for one of the teams currently struggling. Will certainly be interesting to see who has space for him next month.

Just for clarity (sic) can anyone explain as I think I'm confused !!! 1. The EDR list says in accordance with Regulation 17.6, but then proceeds to list an entirely new set of rules that in conflict, not accordance to 17.6. 2. An EDR riding at reserve can only be replaced by another EDR according to 17.6. But according to the EDR list, he can be replaced based on his PL average (plus some restrictions on who can replace him) by a non EDR. 3. An EDR riding at Heat Leader (we already have an example) can be replaced by a Guest. The suggestion is that this is based on the EDR's EL average, which of course will in 99% of cases be significantly higher than his converted PL average. 4. It is likely in the early season an EDR may well jump between reserve and heat leader until his time as a heat leader starts to deflate his average. 5. Meanwhile your weak 5th string rider is riding at reserve. 6. Is there anything to stop a double move at that point? EDR rider has an inflated average for a short period. That rider could be injured or dropped and replaced by a world class rider due to the inflated average. Whilst the 5th rider is replaced by an EDR. You'd hope that wasn't permitted. To be honest I don't know how much of that is true, But it has got me wondering. I can't believe point 6 would be permitted. The mixing of PL and EL averages I'm not so sure.

There will be changes, but not to the race format. Do you seriously think the promoters will pay points money to "expensive" riders riding at reserve whilst cheap FTR riders are getting virtually no points money when riding as heat leaders. This is one area I thought the promoters would not have got wrong. Assuming the points money is as I suspect, then something will happen. But it will be for money, nothing else ... although the accompanying press release will obviously refer to anything but money !!!

Did they all agree? I'd assume the list was a consensus. Perhaps he was left off because a decision couldn't be reached !!! Let's not forget that Ford has been known to complain against decisions made by the promoters collective. It is an interesting sport in that the promoters vote on a rule, yet those who oppose the decision will happily publicise their anger. Their are not many businesses where conflicts resulting from internal decision making are played out in public. Unless its the House of Commons !!!

We know he was a man. And we know he was somebody in the know. That could only be one person ... it has to be Starman !!!

I obviously can't comment on the validity of that specific scenario, but this is one type of example of the issue I have. The standard answer is that Poole have an equal vote on all issues, except equal doesn't necessarily mean equal. As an example, what happens if the deal is KK cheap plus support us on Vote Z. Alternatively we won't make our assets available until its so late your team building is screwed. You only have to read the insinuations he makes in the press to realise the pressure he will put on individuals behind closed doors. I'm not claiming that Poole have done that here, but just an idea that when promoters vote in something they have different agenda's. Ever been in a meeting where a majority can't be reached due to two extreme factions. Those who don't care on the topic eventually jump one way or another to move on. Imagine if that were done with an offer to support a vote that did mean something to you. Other promoters aren't as naive as sometimes portrayed. In a straight off the track battle with Ford they will lose. They may win the battle but lose the war. It's easy for us to sit here and criticise promoters for apparent lack of ambition, but in many cases they are trying to protect their business before worrying that Poole may gain an advantage towards winning the title. Promoters have different objectives and Ford's is the master of this. They don't even pay their riders as much as some other teams, but Ford has created a strategy that will provide the best team virtually every year. However good he is, that shouldn't actually be possible within a sport with strict points control.

Ford from 2009 (from Heathen Chemistry's link) “We have probably won as many trophies as anyone else in 10 years. “In fact, Coventry are probably closest to us in that respect. Between us, we’ve won the lion’s share" Then consider why Ford went out of his way to derail Coventry and his reaction to their 2010 victory. Nobody objects to Ford attempting (and generally succeeding) to make Poole the best, where he doesn't abuse the rules. It's the deliberate attempts to weaken the competition that causes the issues. That is just destructive to the sport. What on earth good does it do to insinuate he could prevent KK riding against Poole. That can only impact another business (team). Who knows !!!

Kings Lynn have caught up now. A post on their Twitter account 10 minutes ago to confirm postponement. No reason given mind.

Is it really off ? Belle Vue all over again. So we have Sky saying they won't cover it. The BSPA saying it's off. Coventry saying it's off. But Kings Lynn's website and twitter latest both state meeting on and it's a TV fixture. Once again everybody but the hosting club seem to know a meeting is off.

Poole club owner Matt Ford has admitted that he doesn't know a great deal about Lee Smart, one of the two 'Fast Track' riders that the Pirates selected in the top league allocation of reserves at Rugby on Tuesday. "I'll be perfectly honest and admit that at this stage I don't know a great deal about him"

May have tonight. Leading the Bracknell Bees 8-1 entering the third period, the Bees scored six in 3 and a half minutes, including 3 in 49 seconds to finish the match 8-8. No score in overtime. Tied on penalties, with the Wildcats eventually winning in sudden death penalties. Wildcats claim that GB netminder Stevie Lyle was stillin goal in the 3rd period, maybe it was Roscoe in disguise !!!

Partly agree, but I think the bottom team will be the one that finishes 7th .... time will tell.

And this is where I feel British Speedway got it wrong; and I said at the time the Play-Offs were brought in. For many years British Basketball and Ice Hockey were able to operate the two side by side. I've experienced the excitement of both scrapping for and gaining the eighth and final play-off spot and winning the league. Supporting teams that became National Champions in both those leagues meant everything a League is meant to be; it was the culmination of a season and the celebrations were awesome. And then the excitement of the Play-Offs, losing in the 1st Round as League Champions and winning a 1st Rounder as the lower seed. The intensity of what a Play-Off game should be. And then the totally special feel of a Final (like the FA Cup Final used to be ... now I'm looking back to the good old days !!!) It never felt fake. Yet in Speedway there was refusal to separate the two by officials and supporters. I love Basketball, but the NBA is an 82 match qualification competition. The NFL works better. It is built as a (16 game) qualification regular season with a limited number qualifying for the play-offs. Major League Baseball is similar, apart from a 162 (!!!) game regular season that too me removes all those positives of the NFL.

I think missing out on 11 is mathematically feasible ... just. 9 riders would have to tie on 11. They all beat the other bottom seven riders (7 points). Then each rider takes 4 of the 8 points available against the 11 point scorers. I think that's the only way it could happen, but I stand to be corrected.

I reckon it's strategy to combine the points of Lindback and Sundstrom into a "single rider"

To put your point into context using Swedish riders, let’s look of the performance of every permanent Swedish rider in the last 3 years compared with Bomber: Chris Harris 2015. 8 GP's, 38 Heats, 4 Wins – 10.53% Chris Harris 2013. 12 GP’s, 60 Heats, 4 Wins – 6.67% Andreas Jonsson 2015. 8 GP’s, 39 Heats, 4 Wins – 10.26% Andreas Jonsson 2014. 12 GP’s, 67 Heats, 14 Wins – 20.90% Andreas Jonsson 2013. 11 GP’s, 54 Heats, 5 Wins – 9.26% Freddie Lindgren 2014. 12 GP’s, 68 Heats, 8 Wins – 11.76% Freddie Lindgren 2013. 12 GP’s, 64 Heats, 5 Wins – 7.81% Antonio Lindback 2013. 12 GP’s, 60 Heats, 5 Wins – 8.33% Tomas H Jonasson 2015. 8 GP’s, 34 Heats, 2 Wins – 5.88 % So ALL FOUR Swedish riders have had a worse heat wins percentage return than Chris Harris … and there are only seven total seasons to "achieve” that poor record. In fact five of those seven Swedish returns have a worse Heat Winning record than Harris has this season. Two British riders have qualified for 2016 (Tai has enough points already bar freak results). Currently no Swedish rider has qualified or is in a qualifying position. That suggests one or more Swedish riders from the above list will be handed a place; the scenario that has earnt Harris so much criticism over the years. I should add on certainly one year I totally disagreed with Harris receiving a Wildcard. So I don’t think your 4 Heat Wins in 8 GP’s argument suggests Harris is so out classed, he is automatically going to finish in last place.

Because he's competitive. It's the same as arguing about a league rider who has reached his peak and is never going to be better than a second string. Why would he bother. Harris may have his faults, but not wanting to pit himself against the best isn't one of them.