Bagpuss

Various names have been mentioned on this thread, not sure any of us really know how realistic any of them are. I'd question why Bjerre hasn't been named though if he is the final member of the top five.

Are you being sponsored for how many times you can mention his name on this thread? He wouldn't be number one anyway, he wouldn't even be a heat leader. Signing him would leave us way short of the points limit and is hardly going to get people rushing through the gate.

To be fair when I suggested that the picks could be re-done I had forgotten that reserves have averages for team building purposes this year, with the vast majority of team places now sorted it would lead to all sorts of bother. What would really help is a list of all the riders that were available to be picked for the reserve berths, then we would know who is left for Lynn to select from.

All rumour it would seem. I'd not be against other riders being added to the list, as long as the picks were done in the correct order all over again.

I very much hope you are right, but I really hope it is by fair means.

The way I see it, we had Lewis but chose to change our race night and therefore had to let him go so its tough luck if we now end up with a poor number six.

Can't see this being the case but if it is then surely the whole process of picking reserves would have to be redone? Wouldn't be fair to let any team just pick a new name on the list willy nilly.

Spot on. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Workington, Somerset, Plymouth, Sheffield for the Play Offs. Ipswich, P'boro & Newcastle outsiders. The other four won't be anywhere near IMO.

Thats one in the eye for foreverblue anyway.

Having many more rookies and therefore fewer journeymen in the NL last year was great to see, thats the path the NL needs to keep following.

Bwitcher has beaten me to it but PK would be as good as Bjerre if not better in the PL.

Larsen rode at one for Smedarna (?) in Sweden last year.

Depends on the other reserve but we would certainly have a decent top five. Larsen would be ideal but if it ends up being a fully committed MJJ (not in the GP's now) I'd not be disappointed as he is a class act at the end of the day. The big question of course is how committed he would be.

Shouldn't have typed number one, meant 'final rider' really. We aren't going to sign somebody with a higher average than Batchelor as nobody of that ilk wants to come. I'd love it to be Kenni Larsen, either he or Madsen or possibly MJJ look to be the best of whats left. I certainly think Larsen could put a decent chunk on his starting average next year if he came over judging by some of his performances in Sweden last year.

A little before my time, my first meeting there was in the early to mid nineties. Don't go there to watch NL but was a regular in the 2006 & 2007 seasons in the PL and some of the racing was fantastic.

And possibly a Danish number one too.

Not too many agree with you going by the predictions thread. I don't see Scunny at the bottom but certainly bottom half.

Agree that you get poor meetings at all tracks but I bet over the last three or four years the proportion of bad meetings at those tracks is lower than at Lynn. I agree that the surface is vital, several people on here argue that the dirt used at Lynn now doesn't help matters and I think whatever is used now is both cheaper and better for stock cars. I don't think the shale used at Lynn is going to change so perhaps a widening and therefore shortening of the circuit would help the racing, I can't imagine it would do any harm to trhe standard of the stocks and bangers either. One thing is for sure, if people are to continue forking out the best part of twenty quid to watch speedway at Lynn (or anywhere) it needs to be entertaining.

Was just about to raise that Skidder, you beat me to it by seconds. Stevebrum, I'm not saying the shape NEEDS changing, just that it would certainly help. In my mind, probably in conjunction with the machinery issues of recent years, the long straights at Lynn mean riders quickly get spread out and the shale used doesn't help either. Several issues coming together have meant far less entertaining racing, in fact I'd say 2011 was the last time we had regular good racing and overtaking.

Very much so. Tracks like Somerset, Peterborough, Scunthorpe, Plymouth & Mildenhall are all fairly circular and provide excellent racing.

The rounder and wider, the better I'd say. Shorter straights would certainly help improve the racing.

Really? Kurtz is a fantastic talent who will improve as the season progresses, I wouldn't take too much notice of what goes on in Oz..

Don't agree, you can't change the rules this late. Not fair on teams and riders who have already been signed.You are right though, the league looks like it is going to be more lopsided than ever before and all too predictable.

Kenni Larsen has been my hope for the remaining top five spot but it seems he is keen to ride over here so if it was him I'd have thought it would have been signed, sealed and delivered by now. Heard Rob on Radio Norfolk this morning, didn't say anything we didn't already know. I think the problems some teams are having in completing their sides are due to a points limit which is a little too high, there don't seem to be the riders to go round who want to race over here under the current conditions but I don't think allowing shared positions this late in the teambuilding day would be fair on those who have completed their sides. Buster didn't oversee the AGM this year as his reign as chairman didn't begin until after all the decisions were made but hopefully he will be able to encourage something a bit more workable next year.

I guess Watt & North are the two who jump out as missing after Holder, Doyle & Batchelor. People criticise the British Final line up most years but this one looks as bad if not worse.