Al Stewart

Your suggestion that it doesn't make sense, is correct. I can only imagine that some numbskull thinks that because David last rode in 2015 that the conversion rate for that year applies. Of course it should not, that would be the case only if he was going to ride in the old Elite League, which no longer exists. Having said that, I suppose there is a possibility that after the first set of averages are issued, both leagues will revert to a limit of 42 with a conversion factor between leagues. That might be what they mean regarding David's average, ie 4.8 after the first Premiership averages are issued. They are really going to tie themselves in knots here.

I'm all for David Howe getting back into the sport if he wants to but why would anyone think he should be on a 4.8 average? If his old Premier average was 6.72 then that is what his average is. The reduction if you have had a year out through injury, if that is justified in this case, was formerly 8%, which would make him 6.18. Division by 1.4 isn't remotely relevant.

Part of the referee's consideration should be: who was at fault, and who benefits or loses out from awarding the race. In this case the faller was a Berwick rider, but the team who lost out were Edinburgh who were denied a chance at an additional point. The referees should have the common sense to build that kind of reasoning into their thinking.

I remember a good story involving Maurice Morley who was team manager for a Test match. John Louis won his first two races and was then dropped from his third. Asked for an explanation, Maurice said he didn't have his glasses and could not read his programme properly.

That is barely believable.

I don't see how you can say Sheffield's original 1-7 would not have made the final. Stead, Garrity and Berge are clearly stronger than Robson, Heeps and r/r (or adding Bates against Wells, Kerr, Branford and r/r in the semi). I don't like Playoffs and I don't like guests in Playoffs but Sheffield have NOT been strengthened by their guests. Having said that I'm certain Somerset will win the final.

In order to get room to breath I will be dumping a few hundred UK speedway programmes shortly. They are dated mostly 1970s to 1990s. None of them are of great value but they are in good condition. If anyone was willing to come and collect them they can take them away free of charge. I'll hang on to them till the end of next week.

He did say "At least I got a 5-1 in my last race for Monarchs".

I've been told it's being shown next Saturday on BT Sport. A bit late but better than nothing.

Although the rules do say that a guest must be in a team declaration, you might presume that if there is no guest available (as was the case) you then drop to the "no facility" provision. This allows a NL guest and that is defined as “a rider eligible for a NL Team who has never achieved an actual PL MA of 4.00 or above.” So Kev was OK under that provision.

Unbelievable.

I understand that it has also been clarified that Davey would have been eligible as an NL guest as only end-of-season averages are considered, a very sensible approach as it ensures the best chance of a balance of fixtures. It also means no-one has to trawl through hundreds of issues of the green sheets which no-one other than you would want to do. Most are not readily available. Mitchell still is eligible as an NL guest. The one you found was dated 14th October but clearly relates to a different time, given the big difference between the averages there and the end of season ones dated the end of October. Perhaps it came from the last time Glasgow made a team change. It's obvious to me that rule 18.10 should have been re-written in the light of the new no. 7 rules, and that any guest for a no. 7 should be someone eligible to ride as a no. 7 rather than simply someone with an equal or lower average. But we all know the rulebook needs a lot of work. I think it's ironic that so many teams use guest facilities and get substantially stronger. That never seems to happen for Edinburgh and yet we bring in a rider clearly weaker (on current scoring) than the one he is replacing, and it causes the biggest furore in the history of guests!

So your argument is: The BSPA order us to let Dan ride elsewhere - but we can't have a facility. AND The BSPA green sheets say Davey can ride as a NL guest - but he can't. A bit of a confused argument.

If we are instructed by the BSPA that our rider must be elsewhere, we are entitled to a facility. They are the arbiters on the rules. There's no point trying to be precise about the rulebook because it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Even if you don't accept that we should have had a facility, the NL Green Sheets are clear that Davey can be a NL guest. There isn't an argument to be made here.

Edinburgh were instructed by the BSPA to let Bewley go with Belle Vue, because the match at Scunthorpe was rearranged. Therefore Edinburgh were entitled to a 3-point guest and it is irrelevant whether Davey can be a "NL guest" or not. Why on earth would we not have wanted to take Dan to Scunthorpe? He is scoring far more heavily than Mitchell in the NL.

For one thing I don't accept that 18:10(e) is the relevant rule because I think 18:10(d) applies. But even if it doesn't, the BSPA NL Green Sheet is the relevant document. They can't refute their own issued information! What else do people have to go on? Even if they decide that Mitchell should be ineligible when 18:10(e) is relevant, the only thing they can do is issue a new Green Sheet showing that, effective from now. It can't possibly be retrospective.

The defining factor must surely be that the NL green sheets are clearly marked neg for riders not eligible to guest. Mitchell Davey is not so marked therefore is eligible to guest.

Re comment about Edinburgh allowing Bewley to ride at Buxton: as far as I am aware BV claimed him as Scunny was a rearranged fixture.

I'm trying to but it says you can't receive any new messages.

This will be I think the second British GP that I haven't attended. Trying to have a quieter season. I have collected nearly every Grand Prix programme since 1995 as well as all World Finals since 1936, but I am reluctant to ask anyone to bring me back programmes from Cardiff as I know from experience what a nuisance it is. Is there any way of pre-ordering programmes from the Cardiff event, and possibly from the other GPs?

I see Hull v Derby has actually been played already so that's what must be wrong on the Virgin Media grid!

Sorry to keep asking like a dummy, on my Virgin Media grid at 7:30 it is Championship football on SS1, Top 14 rugby on SS2, Triathalon on SS3, Golf on SS4 and Fantasy Football on SS5. Hopefullky one of them is wrong.

Is this meeting actually on Sky, I can't find it in the schedule?

Erik should be riding.

He's only 15 apparently, and this isn't technically an NL level match.