Bagpuss

While I appreciate that some people will go to speedway to watch the racing come what may, I think it's understandable that the enthusiasm of others gets eroded by the rules and their application, non application and bending. For some a level playing field is essential in the first instance and I can understand why those people might stop going in its absence.

Is that a joke? Unfortunately Bridger is one of the biggest wastes of talent I've seen in thirty years of watching speedway. Will never fulfill his potential now.

Excellent news, riders like Clegg, Greaves etc need to be in the PL.

Surely the race format will help a rider like Cook rather than hinder him? He gets to face and beat riders like Lindgren, AJ, Ward, Holder, Puk etc. The EL had many, many problems but it's s must for any developing Brit trying to be the best he can surely? Would be nice to have a proper discussion about this issue without people getting defensive

Good value as in whether he can improve on it. Not sure he can personally but fair play to him if he proves me wrong. Not bashing Cook at all but as a GB fan I'd like to see him fulfill his potential, for me he still has improvement in him but won't ever realise it while riding in the PL. Look at how Jason Doyle blossomed this year. Would have him at Lynn like a shot, and hopefully he can secure contracts in Poland & Sweden too.

Making sure they always ran on weeks when Lynn didn't would make it a worthwhile speculation IMO, you would get plenty of Lynn fans heading over to watch.

If Peterborough signed Lambert and Kerr it could boost their crowds enormously.

Surely Cook isn't going to spend another season in the PL? Not sure Sedgmen is particularly good value on 6.99 but time will tell.

Fantastic news

Hard to say until other teams have been named but that side doesn't look too special to me. However you can imagine home meetings being very entertaining as usual as there are some proper racers in there.

Good side that spinny.

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Although it was only one season it could be argued that Darcy was the best ever, averaging over ten at sixteen years old and breaking track records on his first ever rides at away tracks.

Clegg has at least got potential to improve a fair bit, Morris IMO won't do so and probably isn't too far off his level.

The money would be on Lawson and Morris. Summers & Smith are unlikely to improve on their starting figures but as an engine room pairing they look pretty good.

August is often wet and September often dry generally speaking. October is always a lottery. Makes sense to get things scheduled in earlier and leave four weeks in October 'just in case'.

To me home advantage comes from having a track which is in some way unique and as such provides a big challenge to away riders, particularly if they only visit once a season. In Lynn's PL days we had a considerable advantage as the clay based shale used was very grippy and visiting riders were all at sea. Somerset is a very fast almost circular track where there is no hiding place, there isn't really anywhere else like it in the PL. Edinburgh is very tight and a big ask for away riders, however often they have been in the past, just like Lakeside and Eastbourne in the EL.

Was it a roflcopter?

There's not a lot more MJJ could have done each time he has appeared in a GP.

Willowman, look at Somerset's home record since they went PL. Very strong at home, even when they've not finished very high in the table. They had riders in the past with much higher home averages than away ones. That is hone advantage, regardless of how fair / tricky a track is deemed.

I agree Scotsman. Septembers are often nice weather wise and doing it that way would give a whole month as a contingency should the weather not behave. Speedway in the UK just comes across as badly planned I'm afraid.

So tedious that you felt compelled to join in? Each to their own I say, you prefer throttle control whereas I'd much prefer to see close racing and passing at higher speeds, nobody is wrong. However it is incorrect for people to say flat out tracks don't require skill because they do.....just a different type of skill.

I think its a myth personally that faster tracks require less skill. Places like Somerset, Scunny, Kumla, Bydgoszcz, Peterborough etc can have multiple lines and the skill level required to stay in front and second guess what your opponent(s) are going to do has to be pretty high. Of course quick bikes are important too but I can't imagine that too many visitors to the OTA lack the required horsepower, it's more that the home lads know exactly where to put the bike and when.

Great track but with such a strong side again this year there are bound to be several FTG's.

Don't forget the format for EL heatleaders is much tougher this year. I think in order for him to progress further he will need to leave the PL behind next year and start riding in foreign leagues against better riders, seems that's his plan so look forward to seeing how far he can go.