OldRacer

No, Denmark has priority on Wednesdays regardless of when riders are signed.

I agree with you first sentence. Over the last ten years crowds have fallen and in turn the league has been gradually weakened. What on Earth makes anyone think that a significant decline in crowd numbers will not result in a similar weakening of the product ?

The Wozniak situation was prior to the agreement on fixed race nights across the main leagues.

How do they choose gates? Coin toss? Looks like that'll be key.

The 8 point rule only applied to initial declarations.

Haha, that might stop the dust over a five yard stretch!

They'd be foolish to do anything else on this track. Don't need to worry about anyone behind.

The riders need to be told where their money comes from. This is appalling.

Think you are forgetting about this beauty from last season!

Yes, he binned his Swedish contract 'by mutual consent'. I think he still has the chance to sign for another Swedish team. Would be great to have him riding in the UK.

Who can take Kerr's rides?

That's the value of a good PR team. They understand how to accentuate the positive and minimise the negative. It's what they do for a living.

Still not convinced about that. "Linus, we are bringing in Harris. Do you want to say you asked to be dropped or should we tell everyone you were canned?"

Oh dear, KL giving up on this season?

For a large development, this happens routinely. For private companies the value of time means speculatively spending a few hundred grand to potentially chop a few months of time off the date of completion is well worth it.

I think this is a sensible decision if true. 4 of 7 teams in the playoffs would make it too easy to qualify for the postseason.

Fantastic display from Wells and decent from Wright. Leicester would have lost if they'd still had King and Newman. Well done to Lions promotion.

There are many tracks that do run a sustainable business with lower crowds than 20 years ago. Some have dropped down a division, but each must cut the cloth according to their means. Your description of Poole is nothing like the Bulldogs story. A new promotion came in and moved the team into the top flight with a strong, expensive team. They told the fans that they needed a certain number through the gate to make it work. Effectively the fans were told to choose whether to support a top team or not. They voted with their feet and the promotion lost a packet. I would not recommend other promotions do the same.

The standard is getting lower because that is what the crowds can support. Paying riders more than crowds can support is unsustainable. Take a look at the brief history of the Reading Bulldogs for an example of a promotion who brought in top riders they couldn't afford in the hope that the crowds would follow.

There would be a lot more closed/closing tracks if each team was paying a GP star to be their number 1. So yes, it is.

Reducing the standard isn't intended to get greater crowds. It is to reduce losses and to prevent more tracks from closing due to bankruptcy.

Maybe if they were both fit, but healthy Wells for recovering from injury King is a reasonable switch.

It is shown in the latest team declaration on the BSPA website along with Leicester's moves. http://www.speedwaygb.co/files/downloads/p18_issue_14.pdf Good move as it seems that Szczepaniak has totally lost it.

Stop it, you're killing me. The way you never break character is outstanding. This is a masterful fishing thread and you've caught loads. Good work.

I don't spend much time in the championship forum so i have only just caught up with this thread. It is comedy gold. Obviously a wind up because no one is that stupid in real life, but a great effort. Well done.