Bagpuss

I’m not convinced there’s another point in Wright, would love to be wrong though.

Nicholls would start at reserve, no brainer. Presumably Wolves could have done this too rather than starting so far below the limit? Or at least had Nicholls as a second string and Becker at reserve.

In my opinion the dirt used at Lynn is unique, high clay content and ideal for stock cars which is the sport that brings the money in at the AFA. It’s been the norm to pile the shale on and make away riders uncomfortable as they don’t ride tracks like that very often and you would see riders fighting the bike to keep it on a good line making overtaking difficult especially when getting sprayed with heavy dirt which slows you down. Also bike set up is unique, all adding up to a strong home record. If some of those things can be removed or suppressed then that can only be good for the racing. The shape is good even though it could do with a bit of widening IMO.

This is a good point and one I had thought of. Personally if that means better racing I’d be ok with it.

In true BSF a pretty good thread has gone to the dogs. Shame.

I’ve put Aces second because for me they have five riders with improvement in them. Of course that also comes with risk as nothing is guaranteed. Essentially they look less mediocre than five other teams.

Half the fun of the thread is seeing people getting their knickers in a twist

Perhaps but I think we have a pretty good idea who they will sign.

Thought we had one already but can’t find it...... Anyway this is a bit of fun and ultimately means two fifths of very little so please don’t be offended or get the hump! Ta 1 Swindon 2 Belle Vue 3 Ipswich 4 King’s Lynn 5 Wolves 6 P’boro 7 Sheffield

1992 was his first season, at Peterborough wasn’t it? Increased his average massively and they won the league. Then he was at Swindon in 93 and Poole in 94 when he made the World Final! Rapid progress in those early years.

It’s very much a bit of fun. The important thing is to not take umbrage when somebody thinks your team will be sh ite

Agree with the majority of this, however I think your expectations of the top three are a title high.....if Cook & Lambert can both average 9 and Riss 7-7.5 they will all have had good seasons. Also I’d argue that the improvement he might give is the only reason Proctor has been signed again.

Or maybe a lack of funds through Buster financing two clubs?

I’d agree they are the teams to beat but it wouldn’t surprise me if we went through the card at home, the side is stacked with Lynn specialists. The hope of course is that the middle order rides like they did in 2018 and not 2019. There is a lot of reliance on Proctor to get back to being a 6+ rider.

Worries over heats 13&15 would be tempered by the prospect of having a very strong pairing in heats 2,8,12 & 14. Very few teams are going to have that.

Like you I’d have gone with the three heat leaders + MPT + three new faces but the team is what it is and should still be competitive.

This is absolutely right and the key point. There aren’t enough meetings to procrastinate over changes.

Really interesting how we all see things. I’ve got Belle Vue down as second behind Swindon with Sheffield bottom. Assuming Ipswich finish off with Holder, Wolves with Masters and Peterborough complete with Bech & Nicholls or Iversen and Ostergaard then my prediction would be: Swindon Belle Vue Ipswich Lynn Wolves Peterborough Sheffield However it’s so difficult to predict a seven team league.

Which two teams are they out of interest?

Well I wasn’t including Swindon but it could be argued that it’s not a small, tight track I guess. You could be right but we all thought that in 2018. I thought Hartel was a second string at the Foxhole? Could be wrong.

In an ideal world I’d want the same but not sure who would fit the bill on that average. Unfortunately while the rules don’t insist on British reserve(s) then teams will build as strong as they can regardless of nationality.

Proctor is obviously the key man. You pretty much know what the other six will do but if he starts the season like a train and has a year like 2018 then this team will reach the Play Offs. We always have a chance because we lose very few hope meetings.

That’s basically how I feel, his signing is a little underwhelming but am happy to give him a chance and not write him off immediately like others inevitably will. People will point to his spell at Ipswich but it was very short and he will need a whole season to show what he can do. One positive is that all bar six of Lynn’s 28 league meetings this year will be on big, fast tracks which should suit him perfectly.

The video looks suspiciously like Härtel in Germany to me.

Pickering, Jeppesen or Kvech would be lovely. Härtel not so.