Aces51

As I said I'm not in favour of grading but neither do I think the BSPA would come up with a system of converting the totally messed up averages into something which would be credible. After all these are the people who failed to realise what they had done this year by keeping the protected heats for the EDR's but allowing movement into the 1-5's. How messed up is it that we now have an injured rider with an inflated average from riding at reserve who can be replaced by riders who have gained their average racing against heat leaders.

I am not in favour of grading riders but as a one off it may be the answer for next year. Assuming we go back to the old race format or, a format with only one EDR who cannot move up into the 1-5, then we could revert to using more realistic averages for team building in 2018 However, I can't say I have much confidence in the powers that be grading riders fairly and properly following the ridiculous Lindback assessment and the heat leader list at the beginning of the season. I think we must give Chapman a chance, what other option is there. However, whilst accepting he was stuck with the rules this year, he has not exactly inspired confidence both by the lack of communication and general poor team and track at Kings Lynn this year and by his deafening silence over issues that have arisen, the latest shenanigans in the play offs being an example. No wonder people already have no confidence in his promise of openness and transparency. People who are in leadership positions have to be seen to lead if they want to inspire confidence and respect. He could say something to let everyone know he is there and has an opinion even if it is that agrees with what CVS has said. At least we would then know what he thinks and that someone actually is at the helm.

You could be right. Got the NSS built, designed a brilliant race track, put together a team that finished top of the league with 5 British riders but obviously not yet learned how to play the system or perhaps, decided not to.

Max is third in our averages so Matej couldn't take a r/r ride, everyone else could.

I don't know where this has come from, there's nothing on Twitter I can find, the link given doesn't work and isn't King part of the TV team for the semi finals.

I didn't realise I was having it anyway let alone both ways. You didn't understand the concept of cheating so I explained it to you to help you appreciate that you can cheat even if it does not gain the advantage those cheating had intended. I didn't say anyone had actually cheated, your prejudice caused you to read that into it. Read it again.

II think you'll find that cheating is done in the hope of gaining a benefit. The fact that benefit may not materialise does not alter the fact that cheating may have taken place. Let's look at a hypothetical example. A rider who is off form pretends to be injured and a better rider replaces him, that is cheating. The fact that better rider then fails to perform better than the rider who pretend to be injured might have done doesn't mean there was no cheating. It means the cheating didn't realise the benefit hope for.

Forecast a bit better now. Rain until 5pm then no more until 9pm. If right should give a couple of hours to get the track sorted.

The weather forecast for this is worse than for Wolverhampton. Heavy rain from 10.00 to 16.00 then light rain until 18.00 with more light rain at 20.00. Hopefully, the forecast will improve and any rain in the few hours before start time will disappear and give time for the drainage to do it's job and for the track staff to do theirs. Barring an early call off I'll be there and I hope that despite the forecast fans will turn up in large numbers to show their support to the 1-7 who have got us to the top of the league and after an outstanding performance at Lakeside, into a strong position to get into the final. I also wish Wolves well and hope we meet them in the final.

If you read what most people are saying the objection is that his average has been wrongly assessed and I suspect even most Poole supporters can see that the evidence to support that opinion is overwhelming. If he is presently not in his best form is immaterial, that is a Poole problem for signing him. The issue is that Poole or any other team should not have been able to sign him on a 7 point average. It concerns me that Poole thought it right to try it on but my real concern is with CVS and his ilk who seem prepared to treat supporters with contempt and appear to have no qualms about the damage done to the credibility of the sport. Fans have already been questioning the point of the play offs if clubs can strengthen in this way for the finals. It won't take much more damage to the credibility of the competition before that will be reflected in the attendance figures.

He's trying to join the silent majority.

I assume the answer is no as it's now too late to make any changes and even if it wasn't they can only do a like for like change and Andersen's average is too high unless they wanted to swap him for Holder. That's the problem with these long term injuries that cause a rider to miss one match.

What has there being an incentive to bring in a GP rider got to do with it. If you want to replace a rider it has to be on a like for like basis. Taking the example of Andersen it had to be someone on 7.15 or less otherwise, it is against the rules and would be unfair on every other team. GP riders have previously been assessed at 8 and lo and behold the current averages for GP riders currently in the EL is almost exactly that figure. If they want to create an incentive to encourage GP riders then the rules have to be changed prior to the beginning of the season so that every team has the opportunity to take advantage of it, not virtually at the end of a season when only one team can bring in a rider on a falsely low assessed average.

There are 8 GP riders in the EL not counting Lindback. Their combined averages total 64.17 which works out at an average of 8.02 per GP rider.

As others have suggested the way forward to ensure transparency and a level playing field is to create a formula to convert current averages achieved in Poland, Sweden etc.

Still a worry though without a genuine number 1. Strength in depth is OK but you need someone to go out and win heats 13 and 15 and 7 point riders can't be relied on to do it. Doesn't this show just how ludicrous the Lindback assessment is. More often than not it's not too difficult to work out who it is though. Certainly they would have known who was enquiring about Lindback.

I understand Belle Vue are looking to sign Woffinden, Zmarzlik, Gregory Laguta, Dudek, Steve Worrall, Dan Bewley as the EDR and a 3 pointer. I'm a bit concerned with all these 7 pointers or in Woffinden's case 7.03, that we've no real number one. Mid table finish I think with that mediocre lot.

I wasn't there but a friend of mine was and told me there weren't many people there. He is an Aces fan so couldn't make comparisons with the normal attendance. I think it's true generally that televised matches have an affect on the crowd numbers and it's always been my experience, like yours, that crowds increase when the the better teams visit. My point is that the evidence of the first legs of the semi finals and for that matter our semi final last year, is that they no longer attract the crowds they did but a few years ago and that to that extent the play offs are already losing their appeal

Of course there won't be many away fans and overall not a big crowd. I was being facetious. According to some the first leg crowd at Poole was less than for some leagues meetings this year and Lakeside was poor. It seems those extolling the crowd pulling power of the play offs can now only depend on the final to support their argument.

After reading the many impressive posts telling me how the play offs draw tremendous crowds and are the modern day success story of the sport I am anticipating hordes of fans travelling up the M1. I'm going to get there especially early to avoid the queues.

CVS either thinks we are all so thick that we will buy his explanation for Lindback's ridiculous average or he doesn't care what fans think. He is treating us with contempt. We all know that Zmarzlik and Lindback are likely to average more than 7 once they acclimatise to UK tracks.. Does CVS honestly think they would score less or the same as King, Lambert and Thorsell who are all averaging more than 7. The reality is that none of them are going to do a full season here but if they did on that average they would likely be doing out of a job riders who have been loyal to the UK, like King and the others mentioned above.

I'm not too bothered who wins this they will both be difficult teams to face in the final, if we get there. Poole have the biggest home for and against points difference of any team in the league so therefore the biggest home advantages of any team. Facts don't lie and on that basis they should win tonight and by a decent margin. Wolves will do well to hold them to less than 10 but they are more than capable of overturning that at Monmore Green.

Lindback's average from 10 years ago should have nothing to do with it. It's far too old to use as an assessment for any rider. In that sort of timescale form can and does change. It is more honest, realistic and fair in those circumstances to look at other more relevant factors like being GP rider and current averages achieved in other leagues.

Lakeside have lost only one match at home this year and have a significant home track advantage. R/R should score pretty much what AJ would have done. We have riders who can do well there but I can't see us winning. I hope we do of course but I will be satisfied if we can keep it reasonably close.

Chapman could make a difference but at the moment appears either to be choosing not to or, of being incapable of doing so. I know he said it would takes time and that it is next year when we are to see the fruits of his efforts but surely he could either have stopped the Lindback farce and the damage it is doing to the credibility of the sport or, if he agrees with the assessed average, provide an explanation. Particularly, in view of his promise of openness and transparency.