Leaderboard

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

As everyone says this has been done to death and whatever my thoughts will make no jot of difference. But to take your example and rounding then 2.24 is sensibly a 2 and 2.76 essentially a 3. Yes a 2pt average may fit nicely (say Alfie Bowtell) but a rider rounded up to 3 (say Josh Bailey) could quite possibly have achieved that on the back of a decent season and with Club's still keen to accommodate a developing talent. Agree that under the present 42.50 points limit the 3ptr might find a team slot harder to come by but if we're working to 46pts required to win a meeting then there's a little more scope for all. The same reasoning of course applies to any riders average whether rounding up or down.

Explain how that comment applies to Newcastle. We have not known if we were even running till just before Xmas, therefore not able to even talk to most targets, but some riders pledged their allegiance to us in those circumstances in the hope we ran. Thank you Ash Morris, Stuey Robson and others to be announced. I wonder if it is because it is Newcastle why you made that stupid statement.

Spot on Workyboy. There is absolutely no way teams that have done their work, and got themselves organised, should face upheaval because of other teams who dawdle and dawdle and then expect to have things all their own way. Not on !!

We didn't hang on they didn't have a plan. Nicholls and a 4 pointer really doesn't change much imo as Lambert will be at number 2 where he's struggled all too often.

Of course - with Mitchell being replaced by another Alpen Too weak at reserve until that change!

As far as I can see, only TWO clubs do not have their No. 1's named. Peterborough and Newcastle, so of course you'll both want the rule to change and bugg*r the other Nine other clubs who may have wanted to sign Scott Nicholls. I for one hope it stays the same with NO rule change to penalise the clubs who have full team and serves you right for hanging on !!!!

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.

Lack of stadium availability on Tuesdays for clubs that share facilities.

Poole are at home on Good Friday!!!

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.

Averages per ride or average per ride x 4. Makes no difference. It's the same average, just represented in a different way.

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.

Richie instead of Ty wouldn't leave enough points for NKI if Anderson has signed on a 4.00 though.Buster must know his number 1

This old chestnut again Averages are the average points per ride x 4. In a 15 heat match, two riders have a nominated ride in heat 15 giving them 5 rides, but their averages are still per ride x 4. For example: A team has 42 points after heat 15 with scores of 8, 8, 6, 6, 6, 4, 4. Team average = 42. In heat 15 they get a 4-2, giving them 46 points. Rider 1 scores 11 from 5 - average 8.8. Rider 2 scores 9 from 5 - average 7.2 Team averages are now: 8.8, 7.2, 6, 6, 6, 4, 4 = 42.

Rathbone has also pleaded with fans to be patient regarding news of Panthers final two signings during what is a frustrating time for all concerned;"We currently have nothing new to reveal as far as our final two signings are concerned and of course as soon as contracts are signed and sealed we will make the necessary announcements. Unfortunately, it does look as though it will be at least the end of this month before there is anything definite to report". http://www.peterboroughpanthers.co/news.php?extend.3282.4

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.

Surely during dead time (or if there are any tracks lucky enough not having to suffer the bloody roving pit mic) the OAPs will surely be reading extracts from Warren Buffett's Investing & Life Lessons on How to Get Rich to the poor people standing beside and around them

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

Great stuff Moxey , Graeme Smith see him ride for Canterbury i think he had white leathers .?

Like you I’ve come away from team announcements meetings so many times thinking that this is going to be our year only for various reasons to crush our hopes so maybe with the team that has been announced things could end up going in the opposite direction and we’ll have a good year. Unless the team changes drastically throughout the season dreaming is probably the only way we have any chance of making the playoffs

Averages are totally ridiculous and anti speedway when putting sides together. What is the difference between rider on 2.13 and another on 2.11? Absolutely nothing, so why not simply GRADE the riders and keep them on track! Lets be honest, Alfie Bowtell( who I consider a really good prospect by the way) would have a practically rounded average of 2 points and which could equate to say a C grading for team building purposes. Makes sense to me.

Id call it common sense - thats why only a few manage it

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.

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.

It may be 'good' food Steve, but those prices are are a rip off with a massive mark up. My brother owns a 3 star restaurant and catering company and he estimates at least 95% of all A la carte dinners cost less than £15 to bring to the table per head. Just asked him ....

It is very sad to see it like this, although even it is all still fixable while there is still hope. The saddest thing and what really is hard to take if this is the end of Brandon Stadium is that we should have never finished like this, it deserved a huge send off, we deserved to be able to enjoy the last meeting and sad as it sounds but say goodbye. I walked out after the last stock car meeting and thought how devistated I'd be if the deal hadn't been thrashed out a few months earlier, little did I know that the stock car meeting was possibly the final laps to be completed. So very sad for all of us Coventry fans and all fans of speedway.

If said new non Brit has such a great chance of improving their average that just shows the original assessment has been set too low..... The league doesnt really need new 5 point and sub 5 point riders I would set entry level at min 6

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 did a week on the Isle of Wight last year. Seeing the youngsters at the My First Skid sessions, watching their faces as Barry Bishop & I staged a mock race on stationary machines with them on the saddle at a show and seeing them line up at the tapes with their push bikes to do a lap of the track at the interval suggests to me you might just be wrong there. Two adults and as many children as you like is £24 on the Island. Not sure you could do the cinema or the theatre for the same. Your experience as a 7 year old (and I had the same) can most definitely be repeated today. Motor bikes will always have an attraction for children, its just a question of gearing everything up to give the nippers the best night out they can have. Its worth a try, surely, for your children to have that sense of excitement that you had ? Beats swimming, doesn't it ?