Probably for GPs and Premiership only!!  Phil Morris with his Premiership-only remit will undoubtedly concentrate on Prem meetings and the British final (the latter having mainly Championship riders taking part!)

The difference a few years ago was quoted as £150k to put together a competitive top tier team, as opposed to a second tier one.... Dan T's VLog covered off points money in both leagues, and No6's in the top tier were on not too far off No1's points money in the second.. With RS's on money akin to second strings/third Heat Leaders in the Championship.. Add a couple of top GP level riders, to be competitive, into the mix, and there is a considerable difference in expense... An expense that would need an increase in admission fees, with much less of a guarantee of success which Poole currently seem to have... A potential losing team, with severely increased costs, plus increased admission for the fans, doesn't sound like a business plan anyone with a modicum of a business brain would seek to follow.. And the Fords seem to have more than a modicum of a business brain...

If Richard can turn the ship around one bit of positive news is there seems to be a glut of great young riders coming though I don't follow the poles much but they obviously have a conveyor belt of talent, the Danes have 6-7 really good young riders now, UK has Jody, Coops, Will, Luke and Ryan Ingram, US have Langdon the best US prospect in a decade , Aussies Bailey and Cooper Antone. I'm not sure if there's any decent young swedes currently but the above is 20 odd real top prospects  before you throw in the poles probably having another ten good youngsters if any of them can be tempted to the UK in the future.

That's it Mike the Ford's are marmite but they have run a successful club for years and as you say the business model is built on winning which seems to still pull in decent crowds against lower quality opposition and people saying the track isn't brilliant. They also have a great network of contacts if they stay in the championship and points limit is lowered even if they lost Zach Cook they will probably end up with either Beau Bailey or Brady Langdon as a replacement two of the hottest talents in world speedway who should add a point - two points to starting average by end of year one. Langdon seems more of a trapper like his mentor Hancock where Bailey strikes me as the most exciting aussie on a bike since Darcy Ward, both should be exciting young riders who at some point will be in the GP series. It will require something to show there's a fairly bullet proof chance they won't bankrupt the club if they move up if the ducks don't align halfway through the top league 2027 season.

They don't count no, play offs, KO Cup and BSN semis/finals are excluded.

Spoken like a true Belle Vue fan.