Aces51

I think that's a valid tactic but so is using a rider who may help hit the opposition hard with a heat advantage in heat 1, preferably a 5-1. Both options are tactically sound providing you have riders who can give you a reasonable chance of either benefiting from the first heat and then winning heat 2 or getting the 5-1.

Bewley is averaging over 2.5 points more than Ellis so far this season so I think he deserves it but it was Rosco who decided so blame him if you disagree. Having watched Ellis at the NSS on Monday I was impressed but Bewley is better and only just starting his third season in the sport. I hope that both do well.

I don't think it's that simple. It also depends on Cook. If he can sort out his bikes and form he may be a better choice than Lambert, even if Lambert continues his current form. If that were the case then it becomes a choice between Lambert and Bewley for reserve. Lambert hasn't ridden at the NSS for some time but he is there on Monday, so will give us an idea of how he may perform there albeit he won't have to face Cook, Fricke or Worrall. Lambert has raced regularly in Poland, which also gives him an advantage over Bewley but Bewley looks the sort of rider ideally suited to Polish tracks. If Cook is still struggling and Lambert impresses on Monday I'd go with Lambert and Bewley. It Cook hits form, Cook and Lambert unless he's poor on Monday.

Start time is 7.30 and tapes up usually by 7.35. Meetings usually finish by 9.15.

You may not believe that switching to Monday is the reason for the drop in crowd numbers but it's the only factor that has changed from last season, so that seems fairy conclusive. Additionally, the Bank Holiday crowd was good, which again shows that the support is still there but just not prepared to come out on a Monday unless it's a holiday. More advertising would only be relevant to explain the drop in numbers through the turnstiles if they were doing less advertising this year than last and that isn't the case. In fact the social media presence is greater this year.

I think the crowds will generally be better than yesterday. Last night was particularly poor because of being on TV and I suspect that the Manchester City parade in the city centre may have had an effect. The poor weather at the start of the season has also not helped but there is no getting away from the fact that Monday nights have had a detrimental affect on crowd numbers. Last year we averaged 1500 but apart from the the recent bank holiday, have not got close to that figure for the team events. The management are maintaining a relatively high level of publicity on social media but racing on a Friday was a much better option for attracting fans.

I think it's just that he is developing his natural ability and making progress at a rapid rate. It was obvious that he was a rare talent from his first meeting for the Colts,. which was only at the beginning of 2016.

The TV money seems to be a secret but obviously Belle Vue know what they are going to get, they know the crowds they got for the £10 TV meetings last year and have decided that it doesn't make financial sense to offer £10 entry this year. I'm sure they would have done if they thought that the overall gate receipts would be higher or even about the same.

Until riders go down the back straight and we see an empty stand.

Yes, you get more people but do you get enough to make a profit or at least to keep your losses at the same level as a smaller crowd paying full price. Belle Vue obviously know how many they got at £10 for the TV meetings last year and have decided it isn't worth the risk. I'm sure they would have done if the figures supported charging £10. The interesting thing about the higher price for the grandstand is that usually there are more people in there than there are in the cheaper south stand.

Belle Vue ran on Monday at the dog track but that was not by choice but because of their landlords. They wanted to race on Friday and changed to that day as soon as they moved to the NSS. As Rob has said crowds have been down significantly this year and the only difference is the race night. The lack of TV money makes it difficult to take the risk of £10 entry for TV meetings.

Good to see a British rider and Belle Vue asset being given an opportunity to race in the PL. I hope he does well.

We need to choose the in form riders at the time. Cook is having problems with his bikes both here and in Poland and even in this week's SS he said that he tried something different at Belle Vue on Monday but it didn't work. Hopefully, he will have got things sorted by the time this meeting comes round and if he has, he is without doubt our best rider after Woffinden and should be chosen. If he hasn't then I would go with Worrall if he is back and fully recovered and Lambert but if not, Lambert and Bewley. I'm not sure which of those two it would be best to have at reserve but it probably doesn't matter as the reserve can be used if whoever is in the team isn't performing. I don't see any other Brits worth considering so may as well let Bewley gain from the experience and who knows he may surprise us not just at the NSS but also in Poland.

I had already seen it on Twitter and voted but for those that haven't anything that helps the Rebels helps Speedway so let's see if we can get them to top the poll.

The fixed nights and fixture planning doesn't just affect King's Lynn or Wednesday meetings. We race King's Lynn on the 21st May and guess what, Cook and Fricke are in a GP qualifier that day. Assuming that Worrall is still out through injury that leaves us with 3 places to cover. Hans Andersen and Howarth are in the same meeting so the Leicester v Wolverhampton fixture will also be affected and only Poole and Somerset are not racing that night.

My experience is that those who are supercilious and patronising generally know far less than they think they do.

I wouldn't even put a pound of your money on it.

Only if they make a profit on the not insignificant costs of opening the stadium and running a NL meeting. Otherwise, unless they don't even cover those costs, they simply cover the costs of their Colts meetings with nothing left over to defray the general costs of the stadium. Overall, Belle Vue lost money last year. I think that running in the NL is seen more as a way of attracting new and hopefully, younger fans with the under 18 free policy and building the rider asset base.

If that happens then I think Ford really has lost the plot.

Unfortunately, the precedent has been set with the signing of MS and Sundstrom on historic averages. Surely, not even the BSPA could apply different rules for Smolinski. I can't see this being true.

I can't remember him riding here since 2013 when he spent the season with Birmingham. His average was 7.56. I can't imagine anyone bringing him back on that average or anything close to it.

At the NSS it's £10 to sit in the grandstand to watch the Colts. Concessions are £8 and under 18's free.

Good for you Starman being so open about what you've been through and how you are trying to deal with it. I think that is the best approach. You are acknowledging your fears and concerns but also explaining how you are finding ways to help your recovery. Putting it down in writing may be helpful not just for you but to anyone else unfortunate enough to find themselves in a similar position. I hope your recovery continues and that you are soon back to good health.

I suspect that a major part of the enjoyment is because of the atmosphere created by the large crowds. That of itself generates excitement and adds significantly to the overall experience. Throw in a few good races and the crowd leave having had a good time and wanting to come back.

Perhaps he was hoping that the BSPA would see sense and put him in the Leicester meeting. It's ok pointing out that it is possible for him to fly out on Friday but we should remember that Craig has been brave enough to talk openly about his anxiety problems. This is a new experience for Craig and maybe when he gets into the routine of traveling to GP's he will be less concerned but he had understandably decided that it would put less pressure on him, for this first GP, to travel on Thursday, with no worries about flight delays and then stay in a hotel and be fully rested before the practice on Friday. Those who have to fly to appointments or to catch connecting flights abroad will know that it always adds stress when you have little leeway for delays and can mean that you don't get a good night's sleep the night before. This is a very important career step for Craig and the least the BSPA could do is to help remove any obstacles in his path. Riders have often been switched between semi finals in similar meetings so it's not asking much for the BSPA to help a British rider have the best opportunity to prepare for a vitally important meeting. They will be quick enough to publicise his success if he does well.