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If Killer is allowed to ride for Poole instead of C Holder it will show what M Fraud and N Fiddleditch are. Dirty ! Cheating! Barstards.

This league will never be taken seriously while they have so many discrepancies within the rules. Every month it rises its head, yet the officials cant see the damage it does......

Regarding the bibs, I watched the video of the riders coming down the stairs with Middlo and Ford before sitting at the tables in front of the fans - they looked like a collection of riders and certainly didn't look like a team - very poor indeed from Poole (and Somerset)

The point here is that the new rule is unnecessary. It was introduced as a remedy to try to reduce delays at the starring gate but as many have said, you can achieve the same end result by using a time clock, the best option, or by the referee simply enforcing the 2 minutes allowed. So why discriminate against the shorter riders when there are options that show you don't need to do so. We had a rule which was generally in common with other Speedway nations and now we have changed it and are unnecessarily out of line with everybody else.

I heard the negotiations with kildemand only took a few quick text messages...

Not really bothered by the result of this early season opener. The aim of tonight is for the riders to get match fit, get more time on track for their setups and to clear away the winter cobwebs. I didn't think it would be close at BV and that's how it turned out. The same could happen tonight! Swindon's 1-5 are fine and should outscore the opposition - just need the reserves to have a confidence building good meeting. The important goal is to be ready for their first league meeting!

It's like we've been transported back to the nineties. Says it all that even some NL teams will be racing in team suits. I assume my own club are going with racesuits, if not I'll be laying into them too.

Absolutely official. Just not towards averages. I meant to use the term 'redeclare' loosely. And of course you are absolutely correct. Totally inconsistent interpretations of the same rule, dependant on any day and whoever asks. The minute they reassessed some (well just 3 we know) and let some stay on an average after saying if you miss a season then you need reassessing was doomed to failure as soon as they picked and chose who applied. As usual a complete mess up.

They haven't redeclared, they have simply only "declared". On the first issue of the BSPA greensheets there is no mention of Chris Holder who technically isn't a Poole rider as of yet. The biggest issue is the ineptness of the BSPA and it's consistentcy in being totally inconsistent! Instead of picking and choosing which riders to reassess and at what point to aswell, many of us said months ago riders like Woffinden, Zagar, Pawlicki and even the Poles at Poole and anybody else who hasn't ridden here last year, should of just had a calculated percentage added to their original average. Therefore everybody knew where they stood and that was that. That was far too simple obviously....

It's quite a clever ploy really, keep on rule bending and breaking until people either walk away and find something else to do or give up caring and therefore there are no dissenting voices left genius to be honest.

A GP rider is surely any rider that competed in the GPs last year (wildcards excluded). Reserves were given a number and could have qualified for 2018 if they managed to get enough points. Kildemand was competing for position.

Ah the mystery!!

Week done to the Robins, a good solid performance in both legs. For the Aces a better performance from Tungate, it looks as if he has sorted his ignition problems. We just need to get Bewley going and give Drozdz time to settle. Far too early to make any firm judgements

To think he struggled in the 2nd tier last season & has no spot this year.

Hold the phone everyone he’s still around! Went on Stainlesssteelride’s profile and he viewed it 17 hours ago! Hello Macca you silent assassin how are you getting on?

Definitely looks like I misjudged Davey. He really is up for this challenge in the top league - hope he maintains this form! He could turn out to be a very shrewd signing rather than the cannon fodder I expected him to be. Glad to be proved wrong!

A world champion speedway rider, taking a short amount of time off due to devastating personal issues, being replaced by a substitute GP rider who hasn't even came close to the champs level and everybody is up in arms. A sport full of ars*holes, and I'm not talking about the promoters.

Gavan why don't you go and do one, how is it a hollow victory, it's only short term replacement, not the whole season, give the bloke some slack, poodle of back to the championship section

Rain and 6 degrees. With quite a few blank Fridays over the season did we really have to start in March.

Mmm something fishy going on, after last year's shenanigans it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he's trying to engineer a way out. After all it's well known he wanted to be at Somerset with his brother and Doyle this season. Sorry, I know he's had issues but I really think there's more to it, especially if he continues with his other commitments

I think the Robins will win this fairly comfortably. Drozdz is going to need time to settle in, i also think Tungate is going to have to improve his away form this season as he wasnt that convincing last season. Cook does seem to struggle a bit at Blunsdon, it will be interesting to see how Etheridge goes too. Davey rode well at our place so im interested to see how he goes tonight, both sides need a few meetings to get up to speed, thats why im giving this a miss and coming down for the league match in May. Hope its a good meeting for you all tonight and you dont freeze too much

Tapes up a week tomorrow so time to start a meeting thread! A few things to look out for from a Witches point of view. How will Hartel start, how will Covatti and Hume return after their near season long injuries, and a chance to look at the track after the final tweaks were completed. Bit concerned that it looks like only a couple of the lads will have rode competitive laps, whilst the Lakeside boys will all have had two meetings in the Lee Richardson memorial, and a fixture against Peterborough. Will that give Lakeside the edge? With such a small group you lose a home fixture you’re probably out!

Looking forward to tomorrow night and seeing speedways best ever rider, Tony Rickardsson take to the track again. Can’t wait!

Maybe we have already met

Another trophy in the cabinet for The mighty Robins.

Oh I could think of a few (Poole fans)

Same live coverage as in Poland- 18 heats in 2 hours should be possible if they get on with it !!

Riders?

Jye requires a work permit so is different to other riders you've mentioned.

Wow you're all heart aren't you. Doesnt matter if he was married or not, everyone reacts to these things differently. Maybe its an Australian thing as i seem to remember Ryan Sullivan having access problems with his son and his riding also went off the boil. I just hope he gets the issues sorted and back to his best.

How can averages change just as the season is about to start?

I think our 6 named riders will all pop up and score points and the team will surprise a few people who are writing us off, but when results are in may get a surprise. We need a quality rider to lead us.. god knows who he will be

And if Chris is missing no official meetings there is no need to declare tho? FWIW I can see Killer being here longer than a few weeks.

His interview somewhat contradicts 'personal problems' too - other than the well reported visa issues.

Actually your wrong as Shane wouldn't be able to do that either. We are both self employed and have our own customers to think of

Eating humble pie? I very much doubt that. that Newcastle side named is absolutely dreadful. Even if the final rider is unbeatable it still looks poor. Its been built with zero ambition. Plenty of entertainers yes, but full of journeymen. Can’t fault the riders signed its not their doing, its awful team building from a promotion and management who should know better. hope Wilko has a good year, one of the good guys in speedway and always a favorite of mine at Newport. Never a dull moment with Carl in a race thats for sure! But unless changes are made, this side will be rock bottom.

Just because my opinion differs to yours, you have to resort to name calling? Well done. I don't believe we will lose every single meeting, so I won't be "coming back" and, I believe, it will be you who will be eating humble pie.

They make the rules up as they go along ok i would rather see Killer ride than see you have R/R because that is all you should have but that is not the point.For me you have three riders on false averages now only Poole have done that this year nobody else has everybody else has abided by the rules apart from your club.

The BSPA are the promoters

Just to clarify, there is no 9 point GP rider rule. In most instances, and particularly in the case of Peter Kildemand and Niels Kristian Iversen, riders with an existing CMA return to British Speedway on that CMA

Received my copy today. Excellent as ever.

for me the way 2 go is discounted tickets rather than freebies even if its a fiver if you get someone to pay a small fee it shows theres a slight interest there to start with freebies you never know what your getting in

Great night at the Cairn Hotel in Bathgate for Monarchs pre season launch. All the riders spoke well in their interviews. Well done to the Campbell brothers for an excellent evening. A young team and hopefully an entertaining one too.

Good to see the track looking back in great shape. A little overdue but better late than never.

Shane Hazelden was at the Birmingham press and practice today and looked sharp. He said he was on about 5.4 but thought that might be reduced to around 4.9 due to missing last season due to injury certainly looked to be over the injury and could do you a good job

As useless as you are at reading apparently

If a rider keeps gardening just before two minutes is up, its a choice to ignore the start marshall. So he’s earned an exclusion. Very simple.

They can do it - and have done it with the agreement of Matt Ford - so what’s your point?

I understand what you mean and I criticised our management at the time. On the other hand nobody guessed that the Poole meeting was cancelled so that it couldn't adversely affect the intended team changes. Well to be exact, apparently nobody in authority did, the rest of us had no difficulty catching them out red handed.