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Hold on a minute. TP hasn't made his debut yet and he is already being slated. Are we going to have him being slagged off over the next three months before he has even raced? Give the guy a chance.

What loyalty does achieve is continuity and many fans like to be able to identify with their team over a number of seasons, one of the reasons why the sport was popular in the 70's. Even better if you can retain a good level of local British riders and especially those who have progressed through the ranks from novice upwards. Of course loyalty has to be tempered with building good teams and fitting into the points limits but BelleVue have shown both historically and in recent seasons that it can be done.

Actually, us OAP's now download e-books onto our readers, much lighter to carry around!

Swindon signed a rider on a ridiculous average (Doyle) and they kept Morris who had a poor year the previous season. That's loyalty and I believe both would still be riding for Swindon this year if the BSPA conference hadn't voted for the ridiculous one over 8 rule. Not to mention Ellis - who had a poor start and was kept in the team!

On Saturday 17th Feb @7pm there will be a night with Kyle bickley at the Waverly hotel, tickets are priced at £10 with under 12s free. It will be hosted by Natalie quirk and other guests. There will be an auction and all money raised will be going to charity.

You cant knock other teams like Poole just because we name a suspect team. I'm not a lover of Matt Ford's idealism, nor his perpetual rule bending, but you cant argue about the teams he put together. Every year they are in the mix with a chance of winning. Probably if we followed their philosophy, 'The Stars' would appeal to more supporters then we do at present and recreate those exciting night we use to enjoy. I haven't seen anything yet that suggest 2018 will be any different then us making the numbers up.

Write to me at Speedwayontheisland@yahoo.co.uk and I will be delighted to send you and yours a family ticket to experience the Warrior Way with us in 2018. If at the end of it you dont like it, or feel we can improve it (this is always possible) then tell me, but if you and yours like it, shake my hand to visit your local track or us again. All the best Barry (Co-promoter IOW)

If the Premiership is going Monday & Wednesday then stick to it. Championship should still have Good Friday & Premiership Monday. Now, fans have got to watch out for double uppers missing. I bet Premiership racing will be May Day, Spring Bank & August Bank Holiday only. Stop messing the fans about!

A team scoring 46 match points will have a total average around 42.50 for team building not 46

That's what you call loyalty shame I can't say that about my team

Gradings are more unfair than averages There always has to be a cut off somewhere How do you set the gradings? Most likely using average bands. So instead of all teams building to 42.50 you have 1 grade A (9 point+) 2 Grade B (7.50 to 9) 2 Grade C (4.50 to 7.50) 1 Grade D (3 to 4.50) 1 Grade E (under 3) Team 1 signs riders on 10, 8.99, 8.99, 7.49, 7.49, 4.49 and 2.99 - 50.44 Team 2 riders on 9, 7.5, 7.5, 4.5, 4.5, 3 and 2 - 38 Extreme example perhaps but gradings would be less likely to achieve parity of teams and riders woukd still not fit due to being 0.01 over the limit and being put in the next grading

Can never understand how simple maths seems to pass over the heads of some fans, things like rider averages, team strengths limits, actual race averages, grades, etc.

Ty is actually a very nice guy, not flash just a nice down to earth guy and I hope he does really well.

So 2.24 becomes 2 and 2.76 becomes 3 So 2 riders .52 apart are changed to 1 point apart The lower rider may well be very sought after and the higher rider not so....

To be fair it not a difficult concept to grasp (or shouldnt be) Thanks Grachan for taking the time to type out the explanation!

No you are right but loyalty also does not always win you league titles. At times you need to be ruthless.

Slightly off the main subject but some years ago my brother and I "press ganged" our late mother to come with us to see our team Brentford then in Division 3 or 4. She came but showed total disinterest and sat on the terraces reading a book. Just before half time she suddenly looked up and said" which team is Arsenal?"

No commitment as usual Clive!!

Please!! Whats with all the negativity, the season hasn't even started yet! How about welcoming Ty to Lynn instead of writing him off before a wheel has turned. Look at the change in Rory, one minute he was the first one off the throttle, next season banging in the big scores (albeit for someone else)! Lets just wait and see what the final team layout is then look forward to hopefully some good racing. If we are Premiership or Championship I don't care, I just want to see some passion for my team again. Come May/June I may be joining the doubters, who knows but at the moment we have to be positive.

for those wanting more points used higher up and having a 2pt reserve, just think how it was in 2017, and this years reserves are going to be so much better. i don't mind Ty Proctor being at KL, i saw him for Workington a couple of times last season and one thing i noticed was if he gets wound up he's a totally different rider, so we need someone that can really get the best out of him.

Would of preferred Richie Worral instead of proctor

Its 'nit' season tho Dave atm,,,, had the letter from school.

Will see how the season starts before criticising the side, we've got to at least give them a chance. Proctor wouldn't have been my first choice, but at least give him a fair crack of the whip. Also most of us haven't got a real idea about what to expect from Kasper Andersen. If he comes in and clicks at reserve, the dynamics of the team changes. The one thing I do hope is that if things aren't working, we are proactive with making changes. The promotion do seem overly loyal/patient with underperforming riders at times. Poole & Swindon both spring to mind in being good at strengthening during the season. We tend to limp along until changes are forced upon us through injury.

Perhaps the promoters left the agm all thinking that no one was barred Only when certain riders turned certain promoters down was the proposal made and introduced......

Agree about Doyle, but I would argue Morris. Lets see at the end of this season, Injuries barring which one of the 2 ends up the better No 1 Out of interest in head to heads last season in the championship,at Berwick it was 2-1 to Cook, and at W/ton it was 3-0 to Cook albeit in 1 of those heats Morris did retire. In the Prem at B/Vue it was 3-2 to Morris and at Swindon it was 1-1, cook only rode in 1 meeting at Swindon.So it's pretty even, should be a good year for both.

Love to know Geds plan if the rules don’t change

Think it would be sensible to define average to nearest point under .5 down the way over .5point up the way. Stops minute decimal points keeping riders out of work.

Agreed. He isnt as good as Doyle or Morris but ahead of everyone else, even though Thorsell has a higher average it was gained form second string. His commitment will rub off on the others and with 3 other heat leaders in Fricke, Worrall and Tungate backing him plus young Bewley Belle Vue look mighty strong

Come on forever that is down to the stupid bspa team limit of one rider above 8, you know the group that continually water down the speedway teams. If it was not for that stupid rule we would have had Nick and Jason in out team.

It`s ok - Denmark are on a break and GB don`t have fixtures in mid summer

Was Musielak part of your loyalty!

Apologies for raising and thanks for taking time to re-clarify this old chestnut. As suggested it's not difficult to grasp but still not as simple in team building terms as: how many points does it take to win a speedway meeting over the prescribed 15 heats? 46 points makes sense to me and agree questions the relevance of still applying 4 ride averages. Also grading or not would allow just a little more leeway to keep riders like Alfie Bowtell etc.. on track!

The club has always been run well and often the club being loyal fitted in with there budget.For me i prefer continuity i hate loads of changes every year in the teams.

Wolves went with loyalty for years and it got them one chamionship in god knows how many years. when the promotion got ruthless the last two years it resulted in a championship and a runners up spot

Agreed and I am sure that some fans and local sponsors have given up because of the chopping and changing of riders each season. Years ago many youngsters used to wear race jackets with their favorite riders name on, but you hardly ever see it now as a favourite rider this year is riding for a different team next. The same happens with riders caps and shirts, because of the changing you see less.

Did Swindon last season !!

Looks Like 2 Heat Leaders and 5 2nd strings is how we will line-up. Works for me... Lets perhaps leave the glass half empty ideals until we get 3/4 meetings into the season and see how we pitch up against what else is on offer. Can see improvement coming from the likes of Rose and Lambert, only need maybe one other to step up and we could be onto something.

When there is a sun break she can usually read the whole book.

agm is this Saturday 20th

Not rude at all. Don’t mind telling you how much it cost. Wasn’t aware sponsorship costs were a closely guarded secret.

is that the same as average manipulation Dave ?

I'm far too busy between races trying to find suitable stones to put under one side of the folding chair to stop it wobbling, rearranging the blanket so it doesn't keep sliding off my knee and trying to get the top back on my flask, never mind trying to remember where I put the sugar.

I have info that the clubs are trying it for the 1st time in the regular season in 2018 - my words “ 24 hr derby” certainly Vetlanda v Dackarna are pretty near to each other.

Thought Middlo would be the kids entertainer, he knows what kids do these days.

short on dough then

I do but holiday already booked and paid for as I always try to grab a week away before the team fixtures begin!! I suppose I could buy a table for friends and family in my absence, but I'm not that flush at the moment having paid for 3 season passes, a sponsored meeting and a few other bits and pieces as usual!!

It's all BS. Makes folk 'think' they are getting something special and makes them feel more elite. I cannot abide this 'designer' food where it all looks nice and pretty on your plate but there's hardly any of it.. yet costs 10x more than it should.

.....and another award for Matt Ford Fan

It isn't, but you could do it in the interval (if you have one) instead. Personally, I loathe intervals but if there is some form of attraction it makes them slightly more tolerable. Isle of Wight have a kids bike race. All lined up at the tapes with their helmets on to rocket round, and they even have handicaps for some of the older competitors. I still would prefer to get on with the meeting but I have no reason to doubt Barry Bishop when he told me that that is why some of the youngsters are actually there, the speedway coming a distant second. Better that than standing around in the freezing cold for 20 minutes as I did at Birmingham a couple of seasons back.

I don’t think it’s a case of being wrong or right. I think it’s a concern that people like me, who have great affection for the sport with a young family see other leisure activities as much better value and a better family experience. All the activities I list have upped their game and evolved since the 80s. British Speedway has not. I doubt I am alone in that opinion. Based on my last live experience of speedway, young families were massively outnumbered by 60 and overs. That’s a worrying trend. I’m sure some clubs - and a few on here make a good case for the Isle of Wight - deliver a better family experience than others. But broadly speaking, the sport isn’t providing a good enough package to entice young families through the turnstiles. I am sure when the time comes, I will take my children. But it will be more out of my own nostalgic fondness than any great optimism they will enjoy it.