Islander15

It's a lot simpler conversion! Unless you already have a PL average, when you move from NL to PL you're always a 3.00.

BDJ's average is too high. They have 5.53 to play with and I've looked and really can't see anybody on that figure! Probably the best I found was Gareth Isherwood but I don't know if he's racing still or if Gary Cottham has stopped having headaches and fancies a return. I've haven't heard his situation for a while. Of course we don't know what Kingston's personal problems are so it could be a case of use R/R for 28 days and he'll have sorted himself out.

Look at Lawson then. Phenomenal in the Elite but average to good for a PL number 1, which he won't be when Morris moves up in May anyway.

Ayres' age does make him ineligible to DU this season. However when Chapman was signed by Plymouth despite being too old to DU it went to the BSPA and it was decided he could DU as the rule isn't designed to penalise late starters and Ayres would be able to DU also as he's in a similar situation to Chapman if a PL team came calling.

Bonus points don't count towards averages so why should they count them?

No idea and Birks thought the same.

Birks was ready to go before he was told he was ineligible.

There is a rule saying that and that's why some people were questioning if Poole were allowed a guest for Grajczonek on Good Friday (but there was a different DU reason allowing them to). Also the Isle of Wight weren't allowed a facility for Bekker in 2013 when he hurt his knee in P&P, I remember we had to use Neale away to Buxton who was without a team.

No you don't have to name a number 8. But even if you did, you don't have to give him any rides. You don't have to use R/R for Ben either. The management have chosen R/R instead of a guest as they put in the press release there's no suitable guests available. I wonder what the likes of Crang (now he isn't Redcar's guest), Hopwood, Stokes or Chessell are doing as they are riders that have travelled in the past or if they've even been contacted.

How may races is there?

That rule only applies to EL/PL doubling-up. The PL always takes priority over the NL!!

52-41 Eagles

Atkin guests for Ellis. Otherwise teams are full strength.

Don't we all!

I agree with the opposition point, but he's partnered with Banks anyway. Arguably the management think he's the 'worst' of the 3 pointers which is why he isn't at reserve. Imo I would normally have the best riders at 1 & 5 but the Brummies are very top heavy whilst having a third heat leader more than capable of holding his own!

anyone willing to text for speedway updates tonight?

Yes because I support the National League as well!! Another team in the league is good for the league, especially now given the professionalism (Brendan apart) that the Dugards have shown and I wish them the very best for a successful season and hopefully many more. What the NL is about is seeing Kelsey & Wood become your heat leaders! Myself, and several others on here, have seen some of those riders on many occasions and have simply been more realistic in our views.

This was also something I was thinking. Usually I wouldn't do it because you end up with a 'weaker' heat leader alongside a reserve, but once Zach gets going, in a couple of meetings, put him at 6 to partner Chapman twice which isn't weak and by the time he moves up put Wilson at 6 who will have found his feet by then. As you say it allows Ellis and Perry to go out and potentially win 4 races each and on paper you have a stronger pairing than Chapman & Banks as well!

ooh that was petty!

Posting through Eastbourne tinted spectacles maybe!

Looking for a texter for speedway updates. Message me, or Sue, on here or the updates site!

It's the trio of Eastbourne fans that look like idiots. Firstly that isn't how you work out averages. It's the points scored divided by the number of heats then multiplied by 4, the number of meetings makes no difference at all (but teaboy, heat 15 does count). The maximum average you can get is 12.00 by winning every single race (12/4*4 or 15/5*4), 12.18 is impossible!! Adz is correct and has seen and knows a lot more about the NL than you trio. If you ask anyone who has actually watched NL recently, we'll all have the same opinion as Adz! Edit: So this is my thoughts on Eastbourne now they're complete. It looks an alright team but will finish about mid table and will be helped by a hefty home track advantage. Mason was barely a heat leader last year and should just about be on this year due to the league being weaker but in no way is he a number 1. I expect his average to drop, especially if he doesn't get to grips with Arlington straight away. And Alex he will drop out of the number 1 jacket but at the end of the day it makes no difference to the team as he will be scoring less than the average you signed him on! Partnering Andrews with him I'm not sure about as he's been around a few years now and never kicked on until he last couple of months of last season but that was after he'd ridden the SBA many many times. It looks possibly the worst 1 and 2 away from home. However the rest of the team is pretty good! I expect Owen to kick on and put 2 points on his average and be number 1. It remains to be seen what BWD does but if he maintains his 5.00 in his first season or improves slightly I think it must be seen as good despite the expectations being put on him. RTD still hasn't hit 5.00 and even if he's more on par with Sarjeant, he's seen the tracks numerous times whereas BWD hasn't. Warwick was an interesting one for me, especially as the first announced, and I suspect if he was signed to give fellow grasstracker Wood some advice. I think he'll increase his average minimally but it doesn't seem like a track that'll suit him, initially at least, but he's been there and done it and add Owen and Andrews who have ridden a couple of years now alongside Connor and Martin Dugard and imo that's all the experience they'll need without having Mason as well. The reserves are again unknowns but Kelsey has ridden enough junior events to show potential and I think he'll be one of the better reserves in the league and may well replace Andrews after the first set of averages in the top 5. But lots of riders progress quickly at this level, and with a low points limit you'll need to add about 6-7 points just to be competitive and that's asking a lot of the 3 new guys, alongisde Owen, to make it a Gold Cup team.

12 months ago, definitely. He needed the MDL before he went in to the NL imo and that didn't happen. But now he's had a year under his belt, he might struggle with a new track to begin with, but combine that with riding MDL and I saw enough talent in him to know he won't do too badly this season.

Sanderson has the racing mentality and raw pace to do well in the future (he's only 16 I think) but his biggest problem last year was making it to the first bend not in last position, and that sometimes led him to trying too hard and coming off. Having said that I didn't see him after he 'left' the Stags mid season until I saw him in the MDL in October and he was much improved going into he first bend. He's certainly a rider with potential, I just think last year was a little difficult for him being thrown into the deep end and once he learns to gate (which is obviously important) he'll become very good.

As a number 8 you wouldn't need to be at every meeting. You'd only be there if you was replacing someone in the 1 to 7 or are officially declared as the number 8 for that meeting when a team is using R/R, which is why teams often don't do the latter as riders don't want to turn up when they're unlikely to race and teams don't want to pay more expenses.