Roger Jacobs

Or ... if you swap 3, 4, and 5 for each side, then the Spires would have all the ticks ... rocket science

And you've hit the problem squarely on the head. I have been saying for years that it's nothing to do with the actual speedway - it's everything to do with the overall entertainment package on offer. Make it an entertaining evening all-round - with noise, light, atmosphere - and people are more likely to go home feeling satisfied.

I’ve just watched the first half of ITFC vs Crystal Palace, and there was nothing of interest in 45+3 minutes of mostly passing the ball backwards - yet people are happy to pay £££s for that …

41.22 🙂

Both equally capable of falling off at any stage of a race, without warning.

Maybe his job offer could cope with riding for the Bandits, but not doubling-up to ride regularly during the week in the Premiership …

So, what’s the point in allowing all that stuff to build up …

They didn't actually announce the team ...

It's quite a while since Britain and Argentina had a duel ...

The point being made though is that the Regs you're quoting there aren't part of the Regulations for guests ... in there it says simply that a rider guesting in another league who doesn't have an Established MA in that league will be subject to the 1.5 conversion factor. There's no cross reference to the Reg you've quoted. It's the usual SCB/BSPL ambiguity ...

Pearson was able to guest because he had an established Championship MA (Green Sheet) of 5.02, which was subject to the 1.5 conversion factor. There's nothing else in the Regs regarding guest riders to overrule that. Indeed, looking at the assessed riders Regs, there's nothing explicit about what happens to a rider who is subject to the minimum assessed average and then moves from Champ to Prem, if their converted average falls below the minimum. If you think that's wrong, e-mail the BSPL and SCB to let them know.

The original thought was he would be on a 4.00, but the Regulations say that riders with Ekstraliga experience start on a minimum 5.00, and that was imposed. I think, although not sure, the Witches had to re-jig their team plans because of their incorrect assumption. Overall, I reckon 5.67 is a decent average for a rider who had a tough learning curve at Foxhall - his improvement this season was tangible. I'm with others in that: i) I agree signing Brennan was a no-brainier, and ii) I think Rew was more likely to have been retained - with either King or, most likely, Ellis, making way. From Louis' comments, Rew played a part in the decision for him to move on.

How naff is that?! And Neil Ruddock doesn't look very impressed either!

As stated by 89Buttons, selective quoting at its most political. Their fine reply also highlighted that, although BV *had* to release a rider, Cook ... a constant improver, fan favourite, and winner of the Alan Wilkinson Team Man of The Year Award ... rightly can feel as if he's been dispensed with.

The subtlety of 89Buttons' reply has obviously gone waaaay over your head. Ipswich did not dispense with Rew. As stated by Chris Louis, it was mostly Rew so, in the end, a mutually agreed decision. If you have evidence otherwise, please tell. Hint: It makes sense to click on "Quote" when responding - then it's clear who you are replying to.

What are you replying to?

From 500 to 505 ... unless they publish actual attendances, any such statements are irrelevant.

Cook will need support while he's at #1, so Lawson is the obvious choice for #2 because he's already very familiar with that position.

Doyle said that if he didn’t have an operation and then allow the shoulder to heal, he might not be able to even pick up a beer as he got older …

Watling JCB is a franchise dealer - although it supplies worldwide.

So, what actually, have Ipswich done wrong - and how do you know?

Technically, the Final set of Green Sheet averages is for the current year ... it's the only set that is relevant to 2025 team building (for those who rode in 2024).

What a load of tosh! The 2024 team was clearly good enough, and injuries did ruin chances* of winning the play-offs - stated clearly by many fans, not just of the Witches. Of course, you can never say that winning the playoffs is nailed-on. Even so many favoured teams have seen their chances spoiled by injuries - it's the one aspect of play-offs that speedway is unable to cater for.

Cup and play-off fixtures don't count in the Green Sheet averages (that's because teams compete in different numbers of Cup and PO) . However, the figures shown by BluPanther are for 2024 Prem matches, which are not the Green Sheets - the Final set of which can be found on the BSPL website under "2024 Declarations".

Only a small number of riders ever become World Champ. I said that riders develop at different rates, and it's clear that some reach higher levels than others ... and of course, some don't really progress, but are happy to keep plugging away. I think Jenkins could still become a much better rider.