GS550

Different channels: individual subscriptions to folk's houses uses postal/mail system, whereas newsagents get theirs through warehouse/trade distribution. Correct about the discounted price, but in my experience its usually Thursday (about 80% of the time), sometimes a Friday (about 19% of the time), very very rarely a Saturday (once every 5 years or about 0.4% of the time) and practically never on a Monday (once every 10 years or about 0.2% of the time). And I live back of beyond. So the "Peterborough" riders are all born in Peterborough?

So, what you're saying is its ok for Glasgow supporters to travel south of the border for the Ben Fund meeting every year, but it isn't ok just one year in reciprocation? You also say it will not maximise the support. Glasgow is probably one of the better supported and attended clubs, and as a number of high profile riders have commented Glasgow is currently one of the highest profile and best publicised clubs in the sport. The Ben Fund meeting has been going for a few years now, Glasgow deserve to host it for a change.

I agree. Lots of potential in that team. Probably still solid at home, especially once the new guys get used to the track. Much might depend on when and how much the potential and improvement kicks in as the season goes on, so in the latter stages of the season there's every chance the whole team could be going well - so a team that would be suited to the play-offs like Sheffield did last season. Hence much might depend on when the potential kicks in and will it be in time to get enough points to qualify for the play-offs, but that being the case I can see this team going far.

I'd like to say it was mine (don't think the wife logs on here so should be ok)

For some reason the wife aint so keen on me speaking to her. Will pass on your regards if I get a chance

"top heavy"? "a strong bottom end"? Reminds me of a lass I used to know Have to agree, so much depends on how the team gels. Agreed about Sheffield as well. In the latter stages of the 2016 season with key riders missing from a team not quite as good as the 2017 team, Sheffield still showed what they are capable of in the play-offs, deservedly progressing to the Play-Off Final. So with the team assembled for 2017 you would expect them to be right up there.

Well said. And of course you talk a lot of good sense there. To be honest, when I posted asking about a possible error it was to be helpful - at least I thought I was being helpful. Of course what one sees as positive another might see as negative, and lo and behold while one poster did take it positively and offering another seemingly transposed pair, another poster seemed to have the shoe on the other foot and saw it all negatively. And to be fair a poster that usually talks more sense than most of us on here. Yeah, a while back on this thread somebody commented they thought the rating system was complicated or confusing, I thought it was simple, but by late last night i'd come around to thinking like the previous poster yonks back on this thread that its clear as mud! Even started to feel like I was bein filled in (.....mud ). It was a bit late at night, I'd only had one beer, that was probably where I went wrong. Haha. Agreed we're lucky to have speedway and a forum to wax lyrical, maybe better to steer clear of other folks scoring systems right enough Cheers

Probably right. Lets have a beer instead. Enjoy your holidays and the new year when it comes.

Nothing to do with right or wrong, it was just a query. The query was to another poster, it wasn't to yourself.

Haha. Every chance mate.

Looks like its my round then.

That's not what the original post way back several pages said - it was by ranking only (as in average ranking) for each position. Also, if its by "his personal opinion" how come practically every ranking is per their average and exactly in order. The first post on page 1 of this thread yes, but not the (later) post which put forward listing by each riders position / average - that was proposed purely on their average ranking, nowt else. Well spotted. Correctamundo!!

szkocjasid, think you've got Masters and King transposed. Going purely by the averages you've listed, you've got "1. Sam Masters (8.97) 2nd" and "1. Danny King (9.57) 3rd". Should be other way round shouldn't it? So, using your system, this would also slightly change the overall score/rating for the two teams. Using the averages you've listed, the number 1's should actually be in this order(?): Craig Cook (9.83) 1st Danny King (9.57) 2nd Sam Masters (8.97) 3rd Josh Grajczonek (8.90) 4th Robert Lambert (8.70) 5th Aaron Summers (8.57) 6th Jason Garrity (8.55) 7th Lewis Bridger (8.53) 8th Jack Holder (7.16) 9th Ryan Douglas (7.18) 10th Edit: Seems to be something wrong with the 4th positions as well. From the averages you've listed Starke isn't the highest average Number 4 rider. Think you've transposed Starke (6.62) and Vissing (6.80).

Noted the points about Mitchell being an experienced rider rather than an up and coming one such as Jack Parkinson-Blackburn, and of course you wouldn't expect Josh Grajczonek to be taking a No.7 race jacket (they both landed on these shores around the same time didn't they). But, that's all water under the proverbial bridge, hopefully this time next season we are talking about a successful 2017 for Mitchell Davey, a turning point and a step forward in his speedway career, and maybe above all else an injury free season under his belt giving him something even better to aim for and build on in 2018. Onwards and upwards.

...cue for a song

.....thought it was Laura Morgan

Great news tyretrax.

You say "Glasgow's top 3 isn't that good": as SCB has said, Glasgow's top 3 have the highest scoring average of any team assembled for the coming season, so to say "Glasgow's top 3 isn't that good" just doesn't make sense. Glasgow seem to have gone more for stability with their proven top 3, and a solid foundation for the other 4 to build on. You don't see the fuss about Lawson: a proven scorer. I guess in your eyes that doesn't say much for the dozens of riders that he's outscored over the whole season. You probably never saw the fuss about his old man either.

Appreciated, thanks. You've put your points well, especially where you say about top heavy not being bad or a criticism. By the way your quote has been superseded One factor that hasn't been mentioned yet by anybody as far as I can see on this thread: "stability". In keeping a strong, and familiar, top 3, as well as keeping Lunna, so obviously that's 4 retained. Glasgow seem to have gone for stability as much as anything and who knows what that factor may count for in the coming season. 2017 season looks like shaping up to be close and competitive. Have a good one.

So on the one hand you're saying that Glasgow have used too many points on their top 3 - but you aren't then also saying Glasgow's top 3 are better than most either. So the view you are expressing isn't balanced at all. You say "most teams use just over half their points on a top 3" - that would be about 21 points, so you're saying that the top 3 of most teams have 7 point heat leaders? That's woefully weak - as woefully weak as the argument you're currently peddling. Taking into account that, you say, most teams have on average no more than 7 point heat leaders (or for every 8 point heat leader they must also have a 6 point heat leader(!!) to maintain only 7 points each in their top 3), then you must be absolutely awestruck by Glasgow's top 3!!! Regardless, of how it came about, Glasgow's bottom 4 are as good as any in this league - and infinitely stronger than the weak argument you're peddling.

That's just nonsense and plain wrong. Quality right through the 2017 Glasgow team. There are many teams that would swop their top 3 for Glasgow's. And many that would swop their bottom 4 for Glasgow's. That all adds up to one of the best balanced and strongest teams in this league. To say reliant on only one rider is nonsense - how many buckets of alcohol are you on.

Seems like an incredibly skewed view to me. And a far far FAR too dismissive assessment. Relying heavily on one rider? Utter nonsense!! Glasgow look like a well balanced team to me. "Never been impressed by Lunna" - you've obviously never seen him when he's absolutely flying and on song - goes past opposition riders as if they aren't there. The thing about Lunna is he's young. And in 2016 he suffered two injuries which stinted his progress - including riding for several meetings with a broken hand. And also riding on equipment that was due for renewal. When he recovered from his injuries and got some of his equipment replaced in the latter stages of 2016 he was a different rider and well capable of overtaking opposition heat leaders. He's reportedly got all-new bikes/engines for 2017. Still only a young rider, he has huge potential to improve. Perry is also still a young guy with potential to improve. Bewley. Probably as good a rising star as any in this league. Jack Smith. If pedigree counts for anything, again loads of potential to improve. That's the so called "bottom 4" and many teams would swop theirs for Glasgow's. The top 3 are solid. A good team, a winning team, needs the right balance between experience and youth and I think Glasgow have that - in abundance!!!! I also don't agree that "the top 3 have found their level" - they said similarly about Crabtree at end of the 1993 season going into the 1994 season. By end of 1993 season Crabtree had an average of just over 8 and getting closer to retirement than most. In 1994 season he achieved a near 10 point average!!! Ok so Edinburgh accused Crabtree of having "the fastest bike in the second division" (a certain M.Hunter) and not only did Crabtree make an incredible leap in his average in the latter stages of his career, so too did David Walsh who leapt from about 7.60 in 1993 to about 9.40 in 1994. Ok, so not necessarily that kind of leap in averages, but I think there's more to come from at least one of Glasgow's top 3. Much will, of course, depend upon injuries - but then that applies to every team. Seems to me that Glasgow have as good a team as any.

Depends how you view it. Not so long since Schlein was a Heat Leader in the Elite League and beating GP riders. He's a class act. Ok, so he has Monarchs past history so I guess that marks him in your eyes, and he's coming back from serious injury. But the 2017 Championship is weaker than the PL was last season, and his class may tell in this league. A near 10-point average is at least possible for Schlein, and I can't see why not.

Ipswich are my tip to win the 2017 league title. King and Shlein are both class acts and 10 point men in this league. The rest of the team solid. The whole team solid. King imo too good for this league and probably 10 plus. Sorry Glasgow but Ipswich look favourites to me, though Glasgow and Sheffield likely to make play-offs.

One of the most interesting, constructive and informative posts I've seen on this forum. I feel enlightened and I've learnt something. Will view young Bates in a different light next time I see him race.