Aces51

Steve, nothing wrong with team changes, what is wrong is when riders are brought in on an old or assessed average that does not reflect their current form. We could easily have a fair and transparent system by working out a formula to convert current foreign league averages to Premiership or Championship averages. I understand that you are in favour of bringing in some of those riders who have deserted the UK. I have nothing against that when they are prepared to commit to a full season here but don't want to see them here when they are just using the UK because their season has effectively finished in Poland and/or Sweden. On a different topic it is good to see that fans again enjoyed the quality of racing at Somerset. If the sport is to thrive all tracks should be doing their utmost to produce the best racing track they can.

Perhaps more realistic to say that the only thing that matters is being in the top 4 and being in a position to make team changes. Preferably, to be able to bring in someone on an old CMA that doesn't reflect their current better form or, for an off form rider to be "injured" and replaced by horses for courses guests or a better rider. The new rules for this year might prevent the former but probably not the latter.

Congratulations to Somerset on a deserved win. Tungate and the reserves made the difference with Bewley and Smith having an off day. All part of the learning curve and to be expected at their stage of development. Good to see a group of Somerset fans made the long journey and hope they enjoyed it.

That's fine, that's all any of us can do. I read your original post to mean you had made a decision not to attend because Bjerre and Hougaard are absent. Apologies if I misunderstood.

12 of the 14 expected riders will be there and we know from the Peter Craven meeting and the match against Leicester that a field with not as many top riders as we might hope for can still produce good racing at the NSS. I shall certainly be there. I am sure it will be a good meeting and after the worries of last winter we need to be supporting the club to ensure, as best we can, that our new owners can see it is going to be commercially viable.

Have faith. Poole might get to another play of final, never say never.😂

I think much depends on Tungate. On current form he won't trouble us but if he can find his form of last year it will be closer. Either way I don't see Somerset picking up any league points.

Taken from the Aces website. BELLE VUE V SOMERSET - 12:00PM - MONDAY MAY 1 Belle Vue ‘Rentruck’ Aces Max Fricke, Lee Payne (G), Steve Worrall, Justin Sedgmen, Craig Cook ©, Dan Bewley, Jack Smith Team Manager: Mark Lemon Somerset ‘Cases’ Rebels Rohan Tungate, Rob Shuttleworth (G), Charles Wright, Paul Starke, Josh Grajczonek ©, Jake Allen, Jan Graversen Team Manager: Garry May

I have made numerous visits to Wolverhampton over many years and have only once been faced with a group of abusive fans and that was about 10 years ago. Normally, you can have a bit of friendly chat and banter. Every team has its share of idiot fans. I find that if you are unfortunate enough to find yourself by them just move and stand somewhere else. Unfortunately, like many teams these days, my recent experience of Monmore Green is that there were plenty of gaps in the crowd on the home straight terraces so moving wouldn't be a problem.

Once he has a proper Premiership average there will have to be a multiplier applied to convert that average to the lower standard in the Championship. If we agree that 1.4 was the correct multiplier to reflect the historical difference between the Elite and Premier leagues then the multiplier will be less than 1.4 to reflect the smaller difference that now exists between the two leagues. To allow a Premiership rider to race in the Championship on his Premiership average would only be right if there were no difference at all in standard between the two leagues.

Congratulations to Robert Lambert. It's good to see a young Brit who looks as if he has the skill and talent to progress to the top of the sport. It is also encouraging that we now seen to have a few other young Brits who are not too far behind him.

Ok, I was going to offer you an upgrade but as you're not interested I'll have to return it to the showroom. 😂

Steve, how many times have you told everyone that Wolves won the annual best prepared track award, not a lot of humility shown there. You are proud of it and rightly so. It also sounds like a touch of paranoia to claim we are taking over all threads and saying every other track is crap. After nearly 30 years at the dog track, Aces fans can't believe that we are lucky enough to have the NSS. If you expect me and others not to mention the unbelievable standard of racing we are now fortunate to witness you will be disappointed. If fans from Belle Vue or elsewhere attend meetings where they think the racing is poor then why shouldn't they say so and make comparisons with other tracks. It's all a matter of opinion. I posted that the racing in the Aces v Wolves match was OK, others disagreed and some said their expectations had perhaps been spoilt by what they see at the NSS. Nothing wrong with that. I don't see Kings Lynn fans complaining about comparisons, many just agreed it was poor. In fact Belle Vue fans have said the racing against Leicester wasn't as good as many meetings at the NSS so at least some can be objective, even about our new home. We've changed a Reliant Robin for an Aston Martin, don't begrudge us showing our delight.

It was the fault of the Somerset and Swindon promotions for not knowing the rules, it was the fault of whoever at the BSPA sanctioned it and it was the fault of the referee, who should certainly know the rules and should have told told all of the parties it was illegal when the teams were announced. Thank goodness the authorities can rely on some of the brighter BSF members to put them right.

That isn't a realistic assessment. You are comparing his present scores to the inflated average he started on. Many riders will not achieve their starting average for the same reason, on average each team will drop about 8 points from their combined starting averages. I am not saying that there may not be better options out there but MPT didn't do much better tonight, 10 from six rides = 6.67 against Sedgmen's 6.4. If David Howe is right that his average will be 4.80 after teams have done 4 home and away there will be lots of bargains out there. Let's hope the BSPA have more sense.

Not the best racing we've seen at the NSS, due to the track being grippier than usual but some good races and the close scoreline kept the tension right to the end. R/R for Bjerre produce only 4 points and that with the addition of Michael Palm-Toft to the Lions team evened up the respective strengths. The Aces came good at the end, with special mention for Bewley, who rode a determine and intelligent race in heat 14 to keep the chasing Bates and Ayres behind him. A good 3 points for Belle Vue and a deserved point for Leicester. Good to see Fricke back to his best.

I am certainly not expecting a walkover or anything like it. Bjerre is a significant loss and I cannot see the rider replacement rides taken by Worrall, Sedgman and the reserves scoring anything close to what he would have scored. He has been on fire at the NSS. For Leicester MPT is an excellent replacement for Auty and likely to score significantly more points. Nilsson has also impressed on previous visits and King can be outstanding. However, I think we will still win providing Fricke maintains his recent improvement and the reserves do well. 48-42.

Heeps was guesting for Riss, now MPT for Auty and r/r for Riss according to BV twitter.

I was wondering how we managed an unlucky 2 point loss at Poole. Most tracks are very slick these days so making them grippy is more likely to disadvantage the home side. Funny how some Poole fans need to find reasons other than we were the better team on the night for our doing well so far this season. At least if I decide to join in the game I've got my excuses for any slip up at the NSS tonight. 1. We followed the rules, unlike Somerset, in using r/r for Bjerre. 2. Leicester were underhand changing their team at the 11th hour and bringing in NSS specialist MPT for Auty,instead of Heeps for Riss. 3. We have got used to ultra slick tracks on our travels and so had no home track advantage.😂😂😂

Thank you. Losing Coventry is a tragedy for the club and the sport. Belle Vue having gone through some dark times this winter I can imagine what the Coventry fans are going through. I just hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that either you can return to Brandon or, that a new home can be found. With regards to Bjerre I am sure he would have been a revelation for the Bees. He is a delight to watch at the NSS, he is fighting for every point, coming through from the back when necessary and not backing off in tight situations. He seems destined to have a brilliant season.

Based on the same evidence I was thinking the same about KK at Poole. Trouble is not everyone can ride for Belle Vue. Tough but that's life. 😂

Small tracks do require different skills but provide a huge home track advantage because the home riders have so many more opportunities to gain those skills. It was the same at the dog track, which was the point Scott Nicholls made when he said we had a big home advantage there which we wouldn't have at the NSS. Where it is a test is for away team riders from big tracks and usually the better riders soon get to grips with the challenge. It is a matter of personal preference as to whether you prefer watching riders use that home advantage on a well prepared small track or the fast racing on the wide open spaces of a well prepared big track.

He's not quite in the same class as Hans but he was warned for rolling when Poole were at Belle Vue the week before last.

I think Stevebrum often wrongly equates best prepared with produces good racing. It doesn't necessarily follow. However, over many years I have seen some good racing at Monmore Green, although less so in recent years. Last night I thought the racing was good, not excellent. I thought that because despite some strung out races there were a sufficient number of close tussles with a sprinkling of passes. I certainly didn't come away regarding it as a borefest or even anything remotely resembling that. I don't get the complaint about Aces fans decrying other tracks. Yes, we are fortunate to have the NSS, I enjoyed my speedway more last year than at anytime time since we left Hyde Road. I saw speedway of a standard I thought no longer possible with modern machinery. However, surely we are still entitled to express an opinion about other tracks just as ever other fan. If I go to Poole and it is poorly prepared can I no longer say so or compare it to the NSS.

The trouble is we're spoilt now by the quality of racing at the NSS. By general standards there were some decent tussles between Masters and Cook, Bjerre and Howarth, Worrall and Howarth and Thorssell and Fricke in heat 15. For me I got the most enjoyment from watching Dan Bewley. What a prospect he is. Not a full season under his belt, 17 years old. so smooth and so assured. Every now and then someone emerges, Collins, Morton, Lee and Ward are examples I have seen and you can see straight away that, providing they stay clear of serious injury, they are destined for the top. I think Bewley is in that same mould.