MD

Glasgow v Workington showing on BSPA site as this Friday 7.30pm. Time to put this season to bed!

Some good points there. Robson has added a point to his average in half a season with NCL whereas Aaron has lost a bit less than that over a full season. I suppose the gamble is if Aaron goes to another team he puts those points back on. Or we keep him for 2018 and his average doesnt bottom out, early season anyway. Or he may just get his average back up. The same could be said for Robson who may have peaked at 7.20 and head backwards in 2018. I dont see age being an issue, he uses his experience well. He does have a liking for our track and its refreshing to see, though i agree not capable of being at the top of the order. Much will depend on how we structure the team. Three heat leaders and a weak bottom end hasnt worked this year IMO. We have gone through the pain barrier with Jack Smith, do we keep him and hope 2018 is his breakthrough year or farm him out and hope he continues his education as a slow burner.

Beware taking a rider on the way down, Joe Screen was immense in his first season but the next two were painful.

Did you read the bit that said several months? Quoting a single meeting over that period of time is neither here nor there but perhaps suits your agenda. Ive been to the majority of home meetings and the summer away trips to witness it for myself. You?

A bad few weeks? A bad few months is the reality. All riders go through difficult spells but this one has been never ending and has been debated several times on here over the summer. Its not personal and hopefully doesnt come across that way, but purely based on performances. Im sure we all thank Aaron for the last few years but a parting of the ways seems highly likely.

They are, as long as they retain their enthusiasm. Hopefully a lack of silverware and an amateurish governing body dont dent that.

Summers seized his main engine that night and struggled thereafter.

AS has been major league poor this year. He was immense in 2015 & 2016 but has gone back to being the rider he was prior to joining Glasgow. Time to move on.

And that sums up our season since July. Cant rely on any part of the order, top, middle or bottom. End of the road for most of this team. I think we regret not making a mid season change, 12 months ago Bach for Barker moved our stuttering season up a gear.

Sedgmen now steps up into the main event at the Melbourne GP to replace the injured Fricke and is guaranteed 5 rides, should his shoulder hold out of course.

Cos he can consistently outrun Summers on his home track who is an 8.00! The points saved could bolster the lower and middle order.

This season has shown we cant run with such a weak tail. We need to sacrifice one of the top three to free up some points. The middle order needs improvers starting with averages around 6 points, Jake Allan, Lunna etc. Who knows what will happen at the top, too many variables and a bit of politics to be any certainties. I do think we will keep Lawson for his home point scoring.

Tough one, Harris and Starke usually excellent at Ashfield. Lambert was superb on his last visit and Holder knows the fastest route if he can gate. Sarjeant is a bonus for Perry if he can sit still at the tapes. Should be a good one.

AS putting himself in the shop window, cant knock him for that. Looks like our fixtures will go to the wire, annoying when we had 5 blank weekends April to June.

Berge has moved on from every club he has joined. If he was such a talent Sheffield wouldn't have let him go, even for Bjerre. Should he join Scunthorpe for 2018 that'll be his fifth team in four seasons. After that I suspect he'll have run out of clubs and we wont see him again in the UK. As for Glasgow recovering a transfer fee, forget it. There is less risk with Brexit than buying the registration of this petulant but perhaps misunderstood individual.

Stuart Robson 7.20, Aaron Summers 8.00. Thats almost a point saved for starters. If Sarjeant is a shoe in to start at reserve, the next averaged rider must be close to him so they can interchange over the season, like Pijper 4.23 or Garcia 4.34. Sarjeant cant cut it at No2 for a prolonged spell. With the league structures currently unclear, decisions will have been made as to who isnt returning more so than who is coming in.

Wonder if Sedgmens' shoulder injury will have healed enough for the Australian GP in 2 weeks.

Lost them at Berwick in July, rarely been the same since. Habit of finishing meetings poorly.

"I could quite easily have walked away ....but I've got too much repect for our fans to do that." So you let your top rider go abroad when the Fours were held at your own track and then subsequently let the same rider do likewise on several further occasions and could only be replaced by an NL guest! This guy seems quite selective in showing respect to his customers but is now bizarrely seeking their sympathy. He is the sole reason for this sorry mess and should face up to the consequences of his seriously flawed decision making.

He is solely to blame and cant possibly be trying the sympathy ticket.

Next weekend we are hosting the Riders Championship on the Saturday so thats out and should we progress in the KOC we need another home meeting date.

Still to find a date for Workington which has been rained off twice.

We would just have to join the big league. Its pretty much the same as ours anyway with a couple of exceptions. With only 2 defined race nights though it could create wage inflation as each team is pretty much chasing the same bank of riders.

Judging by the team we are putting out its not just the fans. Is there a reason we arent riding on the Saturday, again? Lack of continuity drives lack of interest!

Doubling up restricted to two riders, one of whom must be British In preparation for restricting EU nationals in 18 months, establish a strategic policy of attracting riders from Australia and NZ, removing the minimum entry criteria and allowing them to race in the NL. That way they can ride at home during our winter, come here in the summer, riding regularly against a higher standard of rider and become better riders who can increase the pool of available riders in our league. They speak our language, are culturally similar and dont run off home at every opportunity for nothing meetings. Occasionally like a whinge but I can see past that. Might also extend to the USA. Two minute warning is ready to race at the tapes not trundling round at their own pace Tapes infringements without exclusion should be a 1 minute warning again ready to race at the tapes Riders with two on the trot should get an additional 2 minutes only then standard 2 minutes on Warnings given to riders for jumping should carry forward resulting in exclusion if they do it again just like GP's Additional training given to referees to consistently apply the rules and establish best practice (Dishington to be re-trained at the first opportunity) Minimum entry level to our league is 3.00 - nowhere near enough successes at 2.00 to justify continuing with it. Its just watering down and cost cutting! Guests bookings and r/r should reflect a riders home or away average e.g. a Sedgmen on 6.5 but who's actual home average is 8 and away average is 5 should only get a guest or r/r up to 5 on the road and his equivalent at home - too much piss taking and its a grossly unfair advantage even though everyone uses it Teams should ride every week on their race night with rain offs to be run on their alternative night Visiting teams subject to a rain off should be offered three dates then via a Management Committee mechanism told what the date is should they decline all three Drawn meetings in the KOC should go to golden heats or countback and be dealt with that night. This year has been a farce. Some BSPA shared events to be run on Bank Holiday Mondays and weekdays during summer holidays. Weekend clubs are already disadvantaged by the Cardiff GP, World Cup etc. Reintroduce the Premier Trophy - its too long a season with only 10 teams to play everyone twice when by June you could clearly see the play off contenders and strugglers Playoffs to be six teams and not four Make better use of the NSS as a training facility Non serious injuries requiring a visit to hospital but not an ambulance should result in riders being driven to A&E not delivered by the track ambulance and creating unnecessary delays (I did say non serious). Rider sick notes to be for a minimum of 7 days regardless of the reason, to stop the picking and choosing free for all Bring in a range of rules to restore the balance of power back from riders. Whilst no riders means no clubs, no customers means no riders are required. We seem to have lost perspective that speedway is there to entertain the paying punter who also has plenty of other options for their dollar.