Islander15

Whitmore for Birmingham and Dicken for Mildenhall?? They're the wrong way round if this is team speedway! Guests are bad enough but necessary but when riders have been part of the team and are now racing against that team! Anyway I thought Whitmore was covering for Woods anyway so I thought Mildenhall had booked him until he was fit.

Doubling-up, from the NL's point of view, has got worse this season with the reduced 2pt limit in the PL. There's more NL riders in the 2nd tier, which benefits the riders, but makes clashes harder to avoid. But particularly that means that more NL riders have to step up during the season (Kent have had 2) but the fixtures have already been planned then so clashes are unfortunately inevitable.

It's upto the clubs if they want to enter or not.

Their KOC semi & final pponents will be though.

Sunday evening?

The meetings should all be together, preferably at the start of the season. The South West group teams managed this, so I don't see why the South East group teams haven't tbh. Plymouth could've had a summer final with a strong crowd, but instead they're waiting to find out their opponent.

A KOC quarter-final on September 22nd. How ridiculously late! That leaves 5 weeks for the semis and final (and a possible replay) as well as the play-offs being then. Not to mention more finals in the freezing cold with the potential for rain-offs.

I agree that it's been a bit fast for him but that didn't necessarily cause his injury. Less than a year ago he didn't have any team place and then he's found himself in 2 leagues! Yep, multiple changes have to slot under the 39 limit.

Doesnt this show how the system is flawed, of benefitting under performing riders. The rider at the top of the list has been dropped!

6 weeks according to Kent, but the injury makes it sound like he'll be out for a longer time than that.

Eagles have finally found their number 6 superstar haha.

Eastbourne, BV and Mildenhall look like the top 3 sides imo. Lakeside are probably the fourth best team but they're running out of away fixtures to pick up points. Birmingham with Hampshire could nick something.

The rule was brought in after Wilson-Dean that you need a British passport to ride NL. Marson has one of these even though he's just come over from Australia.

Yeah Priest is the stand out option and started the season on an 8 point average, so is hardly shabby! Options are limited but there's options.

I didn't realise that but the point still stands as Knight is one of the league's top performers this season.

It seems a risky choice by Lakeside, considering you could've had Priest, Wallinger, Cupitt or Lawlor. But I assume they're thinking 'it's only Buxton' and the Hammers bottom 3 can beat the Hitmen's reserves and take some points off the second strings. That remains to be seen though, especially as the Hammers' 3 heat leader's will actually have a contest for once in the shape of Clegg & Williamson.

Equally they planned their fixtures to avoid clashes. I doubt the lack of Sunday home meetings and Coles being a Newcastle rider were coincidental at the start of the season. Of their 3 away Sunday meetings, at least 1 coincided with a Newcastle blank home date.

I think you're not upto date. Mullins left ages ago and Govier is at reserve, which is where Portwood slots in. As has been said, it gives the fans a full 1 to 7 and the Warriors fans want a full team to support even if they're not a championship winning septet.

What do you suggest is the alternative? Riders shouldn't be stopped from moving up but equally they shouldn't be forced out of the NL if they get a Championship spot. Look at Bowtell, he wouldn't cope with only Championship racing but without DU he wouldn't have been given a chance.

Agreed. In effective that scenario is exactly what happened with Greaves. The NL would break with uneven teams midseason if every time a heat leader moved up they couldn't continue.

Dudek & Zmarzlik Emil & Tarasenko Cook & Harris Lindgren & Lindback

Lebedevs & Bogdanovs Emil & Tarasenko Wells & Manzares Holder & Batchelor Edit: Doyle instead of Batchelor

You can use guests. Plus there's barely any clashes tbh.

A point isn't out of the question. They have several riders who go well at Perry Barr.

Looks a brilliantly contested fixture.