John Leslie

In 1964 he polled more votes than Mary Rand, but was placed 2nd by the Beeb because they didn't want a Speedway rider winning. This is now common knowledge, not a myth

Don't be silly, It's the BBC who are asking people to tweet them and say who they think should have been in the 10 shortlisted nominations. Don't know if this will work. It should show the tweets that have mentioned Woffinden and #SPOTY. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SPOTY%20woffinden&src=typd&f=realtime It doesn't include the ones who mentioned him but misspelt Woffinden .

I'm not talking about The One Show. Obviously the BBC have already chosen their 10 preferred candidates. Tai may or may not be one. That's all The One Show are doing - telling who the 10 candidates are. But the Sports Personality of the Year programme covers more than just the 10 nominees. The BBC are today asking us who we think should have been on the experts list. If we can make a bit of noise about Tai, then it could still affect the mention he gets on the night.

The shortlist of 10 is chosen by the BBC, and is being announced tonight. Then you can vote for those on the shortlist. Tai Woffinden may or may not be on the shortlist. In the meantime, the BBC is asking the public who they think should be on the shortlist. You can reply using the #SPOTY hashtag to @BBCSPOTY. We need to keep Tai's name in BBC minds. Even if he's not on the shortlist, if we make enough noise, they may have to mention him in the programme.

Ah I see. You can't comment on the actual BBC website, but people need to send their suggestions of who should be in the final 10 shortlist via twitter and it gets picked up on there. OK... Everyone tweet to @BBCSPOTY use the hashtag thingy of #SPOTY and send them your shortlist of Tai Woffinden and 9 mere mortals

Have you got a link to this? I can't see anywhere to comment

Hell no. Don't give them the paddles to vote with. Make them phone their vote to a premium rate number at 50p a go.

And Trigger would know the difference between Craig Cook and Lewis Bridger

I wouldn't mind the chance to earn £400+ additional income for 10 minutes work, with a guarantee of £120 even if I don't do a stroke.

Even Trigger from Only Fools and Horses is better with a broom than Muddlo.

Which world do you live in that you consider the "real world"? Only here on planet Earth, it's already happening.

Northern Ireland is part of The United Kingdom. It's not part of Great Britain. Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales. Ireland comprises Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Our sovereign state is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is in Ireland, not Great Britain.

Rule 18.1a

Keep seeing Robert Lambert's name mentioned, which throws up another question which the BSPA may or may not have thought of. Lambert, I assume can't be included in this draft. But he turns 16 in early April, and then would be eligible to ride PL and EL. So will a team be allowed to drop one of their reserves as early as April and bring Lambert into his place?

This is getting more dodgy all the time. Are we now to believe that Morris and Vatcher are going to pick a pool of low average PL riders and NL riders, and these get allocated to clubs? I can see a lot of scope for allegations of favouritism if it's done like that. What if they select a 19-year-old with a 3.89 average, but don't include the 17-year-old with a 3.99 average? Surely the way to do it should have been to let clubs sign a top 5 with an average below 32, and then sign two reserves who must be British, Under 23, and with an average below the No.5

By Matt Ford?

Even if the format is changed to allow the NL riders to race mainly against themselves, what happens if a team use R/R or lose a top 5 rider to injury during a match and need reserves to cover... Costs will go up as the likes of Poole throw a fortune at the best NL riders. Will the two NL riders be a permanent fixture in the team, or will it be just pick any 2 random NL riders per match? How can they be a permanent fixture in the EL when there would clearly be fixture clashes with their NL matches (and PL matches) left, right and centre. If the heat format isn't changed, the NL riders will be destroyed. If the format is changed, matches will be swung in favour of those who bid top dollar to recruit the best NL riders regardless of what the top 5 do. Presumably they can't be given EL averages from their EL races as it would end up with a mathematical mess more complex than Fermat's Last Theorum. The potential for average fiddling and all kinds of dodgy dealing is immense.

I don't even know where to start in explaining how this cannot possibly work. Congratulations to the BSPA in coming up with something more ludicrous than KKS could ever have invented

Absolutely ridiculous. Should be 2 x Under-21 British PL riders in the EL and 2 x Under-21 British NL riders in the PL Tai Woffinden and Chris Holder lining up alongside Nathan Stoneman and Adam Kirby in the Elite League? Someone's having a laugh

If the exact number of teams, and the exact same riders that finished the previous season, were starting the new season, and none were on assessed averages, then the points limit would/should remain at 42. This perfect scenario never happens though. However I have shown that your assertion that the points limit has been reduced every year for the past 5 years was complete nonsense. (in fact quite the opposite). And I have also shown that the points limit has no direct correlation to crowd levels (again as you wrongly said). What is crucial, is getting the correct points limit figure for a season, to ensure roughly equal and competitive teams, and competitive racing. In any particular season, the correct figure may be the same, greater than, or less than the previous season.

I wasn't making any comment on the strength of the league in those years. I was merely calling out the silly statement that the points limit had reduced in each of the last 5 years, and that this had a direct relationship to crowd levels. You and I both know that if all other factors remain stable, then the limit should always be approx. 42 However this has to be moved if other factors change. e.g. An increase or decrease in the number of teams taking part, or an increase or decrease in the number of riders wanting to ride in the EL at the terms available. If more teams are coming into the EL then the limit has to be lowered to maintain the status quo, If teams are dropping out of the EL, the limit needs to be raised. If top riders are ruling themselves out by not wanting to race in the EL on the money available, then the limit has to drop, if top riders not currently racing here are willing to return on the terms available, then the limit needs to be raised. The formula for setting the points limit is straight-forward. Decide the number of competing teams, and multiply by 7. Draw up a list of this number of riders who want to race here at economically viable terms. Add together all these riders' averages and divide by the number of teams. This gives the best average to ensure all teams start approximately equal with an even share of the riders available. It doesn't matter what this figure is. It is the best figure to give a chance of equal competitive racing. And competitive racing is what is most important

Your "sauces" haven't even told you when the statement will be online, yet you pretend you know what's in it?

This is the kind of post that makes fans look stupid. The points limit has been reduced every year for the past five years, and every season less fans turn up???? Is that so? OK let's check that. 2008 limit 38.85 2009 limit INCREASED to 39.90 2010 limit INCREASED to 40.95 2011 limit reduced to 40.00 but with an increased number of teams so effectively limit not reduced. 2012 limit INCREASED to 41.00 2013 limit INCREASED to 42.50 So if there is a correlation between points limit and dropping crowds, the correlation must be that INCREASING the points limit causes less fans to come.

You're really boring you know. Why do you make this crap up? Does it give you some kind of moronic thrill?