Wee Eck

Is “Matt and Danny” Cockney rhyming slang?

What I was saying was we’re only getting half a story and, without names or other details to back it up, shouldn’t rush to judgement. The Doctor’s point though is telling: 3.2.8 is a severe charge and (one would hope) unlikely to be used if there was nothing but sweetness and light in the exchange.

I have no idea what this is about, or what it’s doing in “Glasgow 2019” For me, the 2019 Championship is very similar to 2018 in overall team strength. I can’t see many if indeed any riders having an artificially increased average. Also, it’s a bit sad not to say sick using Workington 2018 as the yardstick for anything. Workington were, after all, serial late, sometimes very late payers - were they not barred from attending the 2017 AGM because they were so far behind with their rider payments? I can’t remember how much Laura Morgan said she lost running the Comets but a figure in excess of half a million comes to mind. I feel sorry for the Workington supporters who must have believed that their winning run would guarantee financial stability, only then to have to face closure. Whatever any feels about Glasgow, it’s owners and it’s promotion, at least you know, win or lose, they pay their way. This is not a sport where anyone can buy success, but not should it be one where you have to sell everything you have to make ends meet.

Why not name names? Who was the rider? Who was the team manager? Who was the referee? Where was this meeting? If the team manager does feel he has a case, he should pay the returnable appeal fee of £150 rather than the fine of £100 and ask for a hearing. He doesn’t need to attend but could make his case in writing. He could also contact any one of the four SCB members and ask if it’s worth his while putting in an appeal. You say even a criminal is given his five minutes in court. Well, there’s nothing stopping him having that. Or is there more to this?

I’m not sure if this season will ever end! Wolves looking bad for today and, in the little league, Leicester looking bad for Saturday. All the Aussies still involved in the play offs will be itching to get back home for some sun. Will some slope off early?

Both leagues? (Maybe even all three?) So all teams bar those in the play offs finish their seasons by the end of August? And half of those involved in the play offs are finished by mid-September? Where’s the sense in that? How many supporters would sign up for a shorter season?

I would agree on not giving Holder - or indeed anyone - a reduction just because they’ve not ridden in UK. There can be good reasons to give reductions but just being unwilling or unable to race here isn’t one of them. Setting a minimum of 8 for returning riders is a bit harsh though. That would make it impossible for riders like Gomolski, Jakobsen, Aspgren or Woryna to ride here. It’s my view that riders new to UK improve the sport. There were only two new riders in the top league in 2019, Becker and Lidsey, and both have created interest whenever they’ve ridden. As long as there is a shortage of riders, new riders should be encouraged, but with fair averages - neither too high to block them nor too low so giving an unfair advantage

My view is that there definitely should be reassessments for these three (and many others) but that’s not the same as reductions. Without knowing the precise numbers, my guess is that Tai and Piotr would increase but Freddie may we’ll stay the same

The system you suggest for riders with established averages in Europe is or certainly was already in place. I think it was Peter Oakes who produced the list that BSPA agreed to. As far as historic GSA’s are concerned, anyone with an average from more than two seasons back should be reassessed using the same method as for those coming to UK for the first time. For 2020, that would mean a UK average from 2019 or 2018. Chris Holder or Tai Woffinden, for example, would be caught by this as would the likes of Mikkel Michelsen or Leon Madsen.

Not significantly. Aussie GPs were held 2015-2017 and the overall dates were: 2013 - 7/10 and 15/10 2014 - 17/10 and 20/10 2015 - 28/9 and 30/9 2016 - 3/10 and 5/10 2017 - 2/10 and 4/10 2018 - 8/10 and 10/10 2019 - ??? 2014 was very late, 2015 early, but the rest of the dates are pretty close

I think that’s very much on point. The racing there is seldom good but the atmosphere inside and out of the stadium is always fantastic. It’s now a full day event as witnessed by the crowds that flocked to the Revolution bar to see Tai, Greg, and all the others. The hotels have always been horrendously expensive but at least the GP finishes early so you don’t need to stay. The only down side for me is the increasing number of vagrants and druggies in the pedestrian areas. But then Cardiff isn’t alone in this

It’s my view that, at the moment, only one name needs to be found as Doyle, Hancock and Woffinden will get one. But, if Doyle out scores Zagar in Toruń, then that leaves two to find as Zagar is guaranteed a place through the GP qualifiers. I doubt it’ll be another Dane, but could well be another Pole, probably taken from Kubera, Smektala or Drabik. It would be good if it was to be another Brit but that could only really be Lambert and I think it’s too early. There seems no one of World class (other than Freddie) from Sweden these days This year’s series has been pretty weak and the 2019 champion, whether that’s Zmarzlik, Sayfutdinov or Madsen, should count himself lucky. I don’t think any of them would live with the likes of Woffinden, Hancock, Pedersen, Crump or Rickardson when they were at their peak. We can only hope one or more real stars emerge from the pack, but I can’t see from where.

Which is his “parent club”? Is it not Poole after they bought the Peterborough riders from Julie Mahoney and Rick Frost?

As is being picked by Leicester in the semi!!

Why?

But maybe helped by the money paid by Toruń to use Jack Holder?

Is it Dan Ford or Matt Ford that picks the team? They’re not looking like title winners now.

I wasn’t surprised when Poole were made favorites at the beginning of the season but only because I thought the original 1-7 would be drastically changed before play off time. They were solid but clearly built down to a price hence no Jake Allen, Kasper Woryna, Fredrik Jacobsen or Luke Becker. Their top two are hit and miss and May always be, Grajczonek, Klindt and Worrall are journey men who are unlikely to improve and NBJ was just there because his average fitted. Only Covatti looked like he was on an average that could only go one way. But, how wrong was I? The only changes have been because of injuries to Worrall and NBJ. Covatti has put a magnificent 0.1 on his starting average. And yet Poole are at the top of the league and may well hang on long enough to stay there. No one can deny that Swindon are the stand out team individually with Doyle, Bachelor, Musielak and the signing of the year in Jensen and, on paper, they should romp the play offs. But will they? Will Poole’s legendary team spirit see them through, or will their team of overachievers crumble at the last hurdle? its not been a memorable season, but the run in is starting to heat up

If that was true, then no one would complain. It’s the foul whiff of favouring one team over another that gets to Tigers’ supporters, who are getting cheesed off being sold bs when they can see that all that is happening is pre-sale profit maximising. At their expense

Goodness me. What does that mean? Plans afoot to strengthen by weakening. Proctor and Worrall out and Kemp and someone in? Luke Becker perhaps? Kemp has been very quiet since his “sacking” by Sheffield so maybe he knows something that we don’t. I feel really sorry for the loyal Sheffield supporters being thrown on the bonfire of the vanities that seems to be running Leicester. They deserve better and hopefully will get better once the current ruling clique is out of the way.

There also used to be an agreement with the US governing body, the AMA, that flights had to be provided along with a contribution towards accommodation costs. I have no idea if that still exists though

THJ? Just signed for Berwick so maybe he’s signed for two teams to make it worth his while having bikes here?

Since 2010: League winners 2010, 2014, 2015 KO Cup 2014 PL Cup 2014, 2015 PL Fours 2013, 2015

Alex Harkess?

I think that’s exactly what my comment “it doesn’t say why Vissing’s was rejected” implies.