Bagpuss

I think a 7:45pm start is fair enough, I would struggle to arrive for half seven due to work so that quarter of an hour is invaluable and I would suspect others are in the same boat. However it could still be over and done with in 75-90 minutes which is plenty of time for fifteen races, some grading and even a short interval if the meeting is being run properly. We all know that a large part of the 'dragging on' is about bar and junk food takings but surely a healthier crowd would spend more even if they are in the stadium for less time?

So? Beau locks to anyone who frowns.

Speedway fans are a pretty forgiving bunch, but one thing they won't tolerate is a lack of effort. Even more galling if a rider lowers his average with that lack of effort and ends up going elsewhere on a bargain average, you can't blame people for thinking that the whole thing was engineered.

Somewhere in the middle would be the ideal, and making sure that as much as possible the track is the same every week. Then sign riders who aren't going to moan and groan or refuse to put the effort in if its not to their liking. The main objective for 2018 has to be to sign a team which is both competitive and gives 100% each and every week.

If only speedway could generate the enormous crowds and interest which wrestling does. That's how you promote a 'sport'.

I'd say Proctor's time away from the UK and his spell at Sheffield suggested that he is around a seven nowadays, his best days were a fair old while ago now. TJ has pretty much been at that level for quite a while; add in his knee injury and other knocks and its no surprise he dropped a little. Fingers crossed Workington come to the tapes in 2018.

Well spotted. It's what you generally find on a discussion forum.

I think that's probably a reflection of your unrealistic expectations rather than their ability to be fair. I'd suggest they both performed as most people would expect across the season.

Well done Leicester.

I don't agree with the picks but now they are in I hope all four get stuck in and contribute positively to the series so that the spots aren't wasted. As satisfying as the alternative and being able to say ' we all told you so' might ultimately be.

I'm sure watering down is a factor but there are lots of other things which have lead to the sports current state too. Poor marketing / promotion, fixture clashes, dodgy rain offs, crap stadia, poor atmosphere, irregular fixtures, expensive admission and boring racing all have an effect too.

The Vaculik rumours don't seem to have come from any kind of reliable source and seem very pie in the sky to me. Can't see him ending up anywhere other than on the south coast, can't believe he would get a better deal anywhere else. Would love to see a spearhead of Puk and Robert. MPT, Kerr and Rose will hopefully come into the reckoning too. Huckenbeck and Porsing flatter to deceive for me unfortunately, superb on their day but neither have enough of them. Not an Auty fan personally but can imagine Buster wanting him in after one or two of his displays towards the end of the season.

There is a fine line between fairness and aiding development. I agree that the league is pretty much about training up young lads but while there are trophies on offer fair assessment of averages has to happen. Kemp has proved several times as a guest that he is far more than a three pointer and his average should really be assessed to reflect that. Not so much that it screws him over but to a more realistic figure.

Trouble is speedway is a market stall product at Harrods prices.

This could very easily be tricky, all it takes is for KK and Starke to have good nights and things could get very tight. As for getting Ayres three rides out of the way, it's as broad as it is long for me. You either try and get the meeting won early or bank on a heat 14 advantage, thought Rose scored well last night and we won the match so it didn't turn out too badly.

Lovely jubbly. But don't bet against Poole turning the tables tomorrow night.

Yes Holder isn't the only one to have struggled at times but dress it up how you like, his average drop and poor performances at number one are the main reason for our struggles. Generally speaking when he or a guest has scored proper points we have won.

We are as good as anyone on paper, but have been blighted by inconsistency and poor form.

That's assuming no notice was taken of the Polish lad? Perhaps he was approached and the figures didn't add up.

Don't think average anywhere near allow unfortunately. The Pole who Leicester have just signed whose name I can't spell would have done though, a bit of a missed opportunity as he would have flown round Lynn IMO.

Who would you have dropped for Worrall?

Why on earth would the management be 'rattled' by Ayres last night?

That's great but it still doesn't explain the need to write him off as average at nineteen and a quarter. If he is still gating badly, not riding in Europe's very top leagues and not knocking on the GP door at 23 or 24 then that's a different matter. He's our best prospect for several years and I just don't understand why people don't get behind him, it's almost as though they want him to end up being 'average'.

What a shame Wolves have already pocketed three points due to the stupid rule change of a couple of years ago, Rye gaining one through a 5-1 should mean they only get two.

Great heat 13. Can understand people preferring big tracks but it can't be denied that there has been some very good racing tonight, as there usually is at Wolves.