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Gotta say Birmingham should be strengthened without Morris 9.26 available for guests at home & 8.82 away, which is far higher than his 2023 scoring.

Poole have to visit Berwick, Edinburgh & Birmingham, so 3 wins for Poole would cancel each other out (Plymouth too far back for it to help them imo). Whilst Oxford have to visit Edinburgh, where I'd expect an away win. They are the two team I most expect to win away.

I more mean the home loss, as long as Berwick can win at home they are safe, wether they can do that, we'll see? I can't see any of the bottom four clubs picking up points away, so least dropped home points = play-offs!

Has made Berwick favourites for the final play-off spot imo

If true, once again I wonder how on earth they'd manage racing twice home & away?

If an away team is looking to avoid a drubbing, then it makes sense for "guaranteed" points, don't understand why riders like Nicholls or Laguta are used in heat 8?

Schlein wins heat one!

If no facility is allowed should there not be 3 races with only 1 Brummie? Also why isn't a facility allowed when Lynn got one when Artem Laguta had "food poisoning"? Surely if it's a non-speedway injury / illness Brummies should be allowed to use r/r & Morris gets a 7 day suspension? I've never heard of there being "no facility" but the reserves being able to take all the rides, are they making up the rules on the spot?

But I still don't understand why they haven't picked 10 riders? I know it's incredibly unlikely but if 4 riders got injured would they have to go a man short?

I cannot understand why Wright & Lawson weren't picked, especially as they could be the 9th & 10th named riders?

I think all the top 5 would have to be racing in that FIM event, otherwise one missing rider would have to be the r/r. But yes you could technically run with 7 guests, but I'm sure the match would be re-arranged before this ever occurs! I'm now doubting myself, if all 3 heat leaders are injured can you use 3 guests?

Are you sure? Would it not be 6 guests & r/r?

It's 1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd in the play-offs (well it was last year) no picking your opponents

Certainly didn't change straight away, after Rickardsson was excluded in the first round, Hancock, who had won the first round, was excluded in the second round. I was convinced at the time it was a conspiracy to allow Gollob the world title lol! I remember a pic in the Speedway Star of Rickardsson taping a stop watch to his handlebars to avoid it happening again.

I'll have to disagree, the rules are the same wether it's heat one, heat 15, a last heat decider or not! I'm football of a player makes a red card foul in the first minute does the referee not send him off because fans want to watch 11 vs 11? No they follow the laws of the game - not exactly the same but if you avoid excluding someone for delaying the start to give fans 4 riders in a heat, what next? If a rider falls on his own at the back all 4 again?

Obviously trying to avoid what happened last year, but no doubt a team will get an injury right at the end of July / beginning of August & have to use guests for 2 months, leading to moans about too many guests used!

Is it not August 31st?

Top 4 qualify for the play-offs?

So the same rules as this year then lol!

I'm not sure why fans & team managers make such noise about a reserve being able to get 7 rides a meeting? Logically if Bowtell gets 7 rides it means the second strings are off form, so it could be a struggle. However Bowtell getting 5 rides & Hagon getting 3 is better than the earlier pairing of Pearson & Thompson getting 8 rides between them imo. For sure Bowtell is a useful reserve to have if using r/r or to cover injuries on the night.

Would make sense to re-run the match next Tuesday as Glasgow are at Oxford on the Wednesday & would give fans the option of staying down south for both meetings.

I'm almost certain Nicholls will be in the heat 8 r/r spot, which as you point out is not wise, waste of using a top rider just to beat Edinburgh's 2+7, but we will see!

Bailey has such a high average, second to Jordan Jenkins in the averages, so many possible guests if needed!

I noticed that when Edinburgh are hosting their double header, fans who only want to watch the first match, will get money back of they leave before the second one. But as that is Monarchs vs Bandits followed by Academy vs Bullets, you'd think it's not so necessary to offer that! But how many Plymouth fans want to watch Belle Vue & vice versa?

Really need to win away at any (or all) of the top 4 clubs, not only gaining 3 extra points, but denying their opposition of the same points available. Can't see that happening at all, plus even if they do may not be enough!