MattK

I think we'll be OK at home, even if one of Lampart, Wajtknecht or Shanes has an off night we have enough strength to cover them. I think we will struggle away from home as we've signed three riders Musielak, Wajtknecht and Shanes who all scored poorly away from home last year. Obviously, addressing our woeful home form is a huge step forwards, but I'm not sure if it is playoff material.

Please can you post it so I don't have to go over there and look for myself?

If the track shaping actually goes ahead. What I find strange is that Terry Russell has said for years that the straights are too long, but nothing has ever been done about it until now.

The only thing which will prevent the Robins coming to the tapes in 2019 is if the stadium closes. The fact that there are greyhounds now being arranged well into next season is a positive. Forget the stadium re-development, that'll never happen.

1.5 Making Berge 3.35

What about Emil Grondal (3.88) and Jan Graversen (3.44) in 2017?

How was Michell Davey's average 2.31 last season? Isn't the 4-point minimum only for rider's with an assessed average?

The rule states: 16.2.6 No rider with a current or previously assessed MA, other than a category 3 rider, can drop below 4.00 at any time during the season. For be, the pertinent point is "during the season".

Interesting, thanks. Therefore in 2019 will he ride in his assessed Premiership average of 4 or his converted Championship average of 5.03, which will be 3.35?

How many meetings did Berge ride for Belle Vue? On the final averages he is listed as a 4, but surely he rode enough meetings to get an established average?

I think people are just basing this assumption on the rule from last season which did not have any nationality restrictions:

If we don't sign Batchelor and presumably can't afford Doyle, that doesn't leave us with many options for a #1.

Where does it say it only applies to Brits?

In 2017 all rider's averages were increased by 40%, however Musielak came in midseason on his 2016average - that is why it was false. I agree Musielak had his moments, as did all the team - they were just too inconsistent across the board. As was the track of course, which didn't help. I think Morris can push on back to an eight point average if we have a decent #1 who can take some of the pressure off him. For me there are better options than Musielak. Kurtz, Steve Worrall, MPT and even Ellis would be my preferred choices.

What about Aaron Summers in place of Howarth? His 2018 average is 4.58 and he rode in the old Conference League, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether he gets a discount.

We'll have to agree to disagree. We signed Musielak on a false average in 2017. Last year he started the season on 7.37 and finished on 6.52. He is also poor away from home with a lower away average than both Morris and Ellis. Granted he was the best of a bad bunch last year, but I don't understand the obsession myself.

It says "achieved" in quotes. My interpretation of that means that no matter what average a rider achieves on track, they will be assigned the minimum average on paper, which is a three. It doesn't mean you cannot sign riders with an achieved average lower than three, simply that they will be assigned a three-point average on paper.

Would you sign Wajtknecht over Berge and Aarnio?

I don't get the obsession with Musielak. He's a 7-point rider at best. We know Morris is capable of over 8 and is available for less than Musielak. We'd be mad to let Morris go elsewhere especially if we sign Musielak ahead of him.

I've got a feeling that Brady Kurtz and Steve Worrall might be surplus to requirements at their respective teams. MPT should have been signed by Swindon for the last three years and although Dimitri Berge is the hottest signing in British speedway I thought I'd include him as I am feeling optimistic. Jason Doyle 9.8 Michael Palm Toft 5.36 Steve Worrall 6.16* Nick Morris 6.44* Brady Kurtz 6.75 Tero Aarnio 4.55 Dimitri Berge 3.35 42.41 *Discounts applied

Doesn't that mean that if a rider has a Championship average of say 4, they would start on a Premiership average of 3 (which is the minimum) - not that they wouldn't be eligible to ride? Similarly, if any Premiership ride fails to achieve an average above 3, they will be assigned a 3-point average.

When the statement says "Conversion rate for 2019 will be 1.5" I presume this works the other way as well for rider's with only a Championship average? Therefore Demitri Berge who has a 5.03 Championship average will be a 3.35 and Tero Aarnio who has a Championship average of 6.83 will be a 4.55?

We need some fresh blood. Six if the seven who helped us narrowly avoided last place in 2018 is not the answer IMO.

The first year appears to be "do nothing".

I think people are reading into it too much. My theory is that with so many clubs up for sale the BSPA want to give themselves the protection of working within the structure of a limited liability company. I can't see any benefits in what people have described above such as collective bargaining or pooling of profit/loss.