GS550

Really necessary? A bit uncalled for surely. As they say, attack the post not the poster.

Not clear at all mate. If one thing was drummed into me in my job that entails analysing contracts and in doing my law degree (I'm not a lawyer) its the following guidance: "It isn't what you THINK it says or any preconceived notion, its what the wording actually states in English". So, read the actual words given mate, and it is far for clear and certainly not defined. Exactly!!

To be honest, not really mate

Is the number 7 rule not quite simple (dangerous term I know), at least this is what it seemed to be to me: 1. Riders that haven't ridden in second tier before: 3.00 assessed average for 2017 team building 2. Riders that have ridden in second tier in 2016 at number 7 and have an actual scoring average below 3 it will be that average (e.g. 2.56 or 2.21) but if say 1.88 then it would be rounded to a minimum of 2.00 for team building purposes. So few, if any, would be "2.00" unless their actual scoring ave in 2016 was below 2.00. Althoguh presumably a rider scoring just above 2 but after reduction for UK riders brings him below 2.00 then similarly rounded back up to 2.00. 3. A rider attaining a scoring average in second tier in 2016 at number 7, e.g. 3.80 or 4.20 then that would be their team building average for 2017, (albeit subject to usual reductions for UK riders?) At least that's how it seemed to me. No doubt somebody more clever than me that's studied the finer points of the new rules will correct it.

Its all 'relative' though. If two number one's face each other and they each have a 12 point average at the start of the season and lets say its the first match of the new season, if they ride against each other they take points off each other so they each now have a 6 point average. The standard hasn't gone down. At the same time, I know exactly what you mean as its what they used to call "de-strengthening". Think the most severe case of "de-strengthening" was in about 1997 season. The all-one-league had happened in 1995, and previous Div 2 riders went from typically being about 8 point ave to about 6.0-6.5 ave, but after two season (1995, and 1996) of all-one-league (Premier) the prev Div 1 teams broke away to form the Elite league, it left the remaining mainly ex-Div 2 teams to re-configure their team averages etc, the "de-strengthening" was so severe that previous 8 point riders (1994 season) by the end of the 1997 season their actual averages had risen to become near 10 point average, e.g. a certain K.McKinna went from an 8 point rider to 6.31 in the all-in-one league, to then becoming a near 10 point rider (9.73) by the end of the 1997 season - the last time McKinna had that kind of average was 1989 and since then had been on a steady decline. Similarly, Paul Bentley had a 9 point average in 1994, then a 6 point ave in 1995 and 1996, and back up to around 9 1997/98 and a near 10-point average in 1999. As I recall, 1997 saw previous third heat leaders become No.1's, and the second strings seemed to be quite weak. But after a few seasons it all levelled out again and into the 2000's the second tier strengthened up again. Ok, I shot down my own opening point, haha.

I guess like for us all its individual choice, maybe just a bit upset with losing out on Saturdays when working, maybe later on when a few Sunday meetings run will have a change of heart and attend the ones that can make.

I usually understand your posts straight off but must admit I'm not understanding this one mate. Please explain?

Think you will find that they started using the "Premier" wording in Scotland many years before the English League.

Well best of luck to Rye and Somerset. Looks like Glasgow in the "Championship"? for 2017. Top flight maybe 2018?? Thanks for the 'heads up' mate

Probably. I've just been busy working that's all, I guess summat's happened that I should know 'bout?!! Ha, I've obviously missed summat

With Somerset and Rye House confirmed in the top flight, this one's a dead duck, unless anyone wants to comment on Glasgow being in the top flight maybe 2018.

Not for me, i find regional divides utterly boring. I would stop attending speedway altogether if that happened, I want to see various teams from all over not the same teams all the time, just boring.

Presumably its with potential vandalism etc in mind so it will not be permanent fixture, it will be mobile and/or possible to erect then dismantle, so its easy access for management on Bend 2 and not so easy access for any punters or members of the public that might wish tamper with it or damage it, Bend 2 is cordoned off isn't it.

3-2-1 you're back in the room

Indeed, absolutely agree. Somerset have chosen very astutely, so much so its actually strengthened them rather than just maintain their existing team ability. The 14 points of Bewley scored guesting for Somerset at Glasgow far outweighed the guy he replaced who'd hardly scored a point before at Ashfield, so much so instead of a narrow win for Somerset that day, it would have been a convincing home win for Glasgow, and instead of a final table of Somerset 60 points, Glasgow 57, it would have been the other way round with Glasgow on 60 points, Somerset on 57. I aint knocking it though, Somerset's management managed the situation to best effect, their manager is worth a few league points on his own, a good manager in my opinon. Even if roles had been reversed and the 3 league points gone the other way to leave Glasgow at top of the table, I still don't think the play-off result would have been any different.

Hi Marcelle, like your avatar. Last i heard Moggy had two slipped discs or something in his back and some other health issue that forced them to cancel the current tour. Appreciate that Way aint with them these days (sadly) but he was also in a bad way (no pun intended) recently was he not. Slightly preferred the Schenker albums such as Force It and Obsessions, but always liked all of the albums with Chapman too, the album which is your Avataar has some good tracks and its immediate predecessor TWTW&TI has long been a top favourite of mine (ranks with Force it in my opinion), including the closing track Profession Of Violence, Chapman pulling off a stonking Schenker-like solo. 'Tonka' was a top man, no question. Back to topic, the close season and 2017 does look interesting!!

Well of course, they would know far better than the medics and they would have been better able to interpret the xray of the wrist, and if it had been one of their riders with a broken wrist and dislocated shoulder they would have carried on. Simples!

What you're forgetting is that so much of it is a gamble, albeit a calculated risk, a significant amount of it is luck or good fortune or whatever you want to call it, avoiding injuries, etc, all of that can be the difference between finishing first or second or well down the table.

That's a fair shout. Think Mr Ayres could well achieve 4.25 next season but you mean a starting average of 4.25, potentially becoming a 5 point plus rider in the latter part of the season, which is fair comment.

That's a difficult call. If its based upon grit, determination, all out effort, and total commitment, Ayers is a 20 point man!! He's also near the top of the National League averages, and was one of the better 3 point riders in the Prem League. Think his scoring dipped in mid-season for the Tigers through injury and just trying too hard, a bit of over-riding by flying into the bends too fast, could do with maybe not so much speed going into the bends and then keeping the throttle open more coming out - when he was overtaken it seemed to be coming out of bends whereby the overtaking rider had maintained more momentum but Danny seemed to have lost his by going in too fast, shutting off, and then having to build up again coming out. A definite 300% trier though and he did win a few races for the Tigers, as confirmed by his celebrations of course.

What the Facennas have done is incredible and truly remarkable, buying the stadium, ploughing money into its repair, they got that done straight away, they are do-ers, go-getters, they just get it done, and putting so much effort, enthusiasm and hard work that matches the financial investment. Giving the Ashfield football team a rent-free home, and all the enthusiasm and effort, better marketing, very professional. It seems any criticism comes from others out of sheer jealousy which is a pity. Bet they wouldn't be so scornful if it happened to their team. As I said on another thread, Jealousy: one of the greatest weaknesses known to man.

Broken wrist. Dislocated shoulder. The wrist is likely to heal quite quickly. The shoulder dislocation is likely to involve ligament damage that may well require surgery to repair, if not corrected may lead to repeated dislocations. I made similar comment upon hearing of Garcia's knee dislocation, and subsequent reports later mentioned concern with Fernando's knee ligaments, although it may well be more difficult to diagnose in Ayres' shoulder, even a CT scan may not show full extent of shoulder injury and actual extent may only be clear once opened up in surgery. Obviously we would hope as little damage as possible or none in the long term, but that's the problem with shoulder dislocations. The likes of Bryan Robson the football player found that he suffered repeated dislocations that required surgery to correct, and ex-Tiger/Diamond Jesper Olsen found similarly and had to have surgery to correct.

"I like Nick Clegg" - personally I prefer Heidi Klum, especially her wallpaper wearing body paint "And we saw BoyZone in concert" - I've seen Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions Anyway, which team: so long as its one of them, they both deserve to win it.

In the league fixture when Sheffield had their own riders, including Stead and Berge, they got hammered at Glasgow. Play-offs: no point in sickening the hard core support though, that's what the play-offs system is doing. Try explaining the play-off system to others at work or in the pub. They are astounded and find the whole thing laughable when you try to explain to them that whoever finishes top of the league aren't crowned league champions. The format lacks credibility within the wider public. Fair play to Sheffield if they win it as they've done nothing wrong, they've played by the rules as they currently stand.

Safe meeting, no more injuries