STEVEHOLS54

The severity of his injuries and pain barrier he went through are not in question and no doubt were horrendous. I had my opinion on him way before he joined Poole for 2026 nd before his injury in Aussie. His scores went backwards in the POL U24 over a few seasons and when he was loaned out to lower POL Lge clubs his scoring was poor and not what you wouldexpect from a what was supposed to be improving young Aussie. He is 25 in a week and was based in POL for 5 years. He as then signed late for a 2026 lower div side that didnt even come to the tapes in 2026 due to financial issues. I always said would love him to prove me wrong before last season even started. Even I get it wrong as I did when Ben Cook first came over as I was basing it on doing nothing special in Aussie. Got that wrong big time 😄

Why would Bowes do a video if he isn't coming back. Hope he is not in the line up as I see that as a backward step, being a rider with in my opinion no upward scope based on his several years in Poland going backwards in his scoring and performances. Appreciate injuries didn't help last season but having done a deep dive on his performances in POL over several years his belated arrival in UK is more a case of last chance saloon in my opinion.

So has the one over eight rule been scrapped now as wasn't aware it had been.

|Whoops - Harris drops below 8 with the 2.5% Brit reduction so could stay at Glasgow with Flint.

Bomber would fit with the 2.5%Brit reduction as he drops to 7.93.

Re another poster suggesting plus Masters or Bomber. 1) Masters to high with the above if total still 40 and 2) Assuming they were to keep the one over 8 rule. On the team another 2 riders who may come into the mix could be Kennett & Jenkins. The above 6 comes to 31.91 leaving 8.09. Harris would fit but it could come down to 2 factors. 1) Would Glasgow let Harris go rather then Flint (with the 1 over 8 rule and 2) We know he prefers Glasow track to Poole. Both Danny King and Dan Thompson both fit being below 8. Going to be plenty of name the team ideas coming forward in coming weeks/months. Also havent mentioned Kyle Newman who did a brilliant job at reserve (especially at home). Problem is he may suffer as a result of needing maybe 2 reserves with lower av in order to try and fit in nucleus of this years team and having to lose 4.98 points from thsi years team. Of course Landon also a big IF and i question having him and Lightcap who is still learning may be a big risk as the 2 reserves.

Landon will def get a POL EXLGE U24 slot next season and only ties up Tuesdays. Lets hope he doesnt go down Baileys route adding DK and misses UK. On I assume a 4 he would slot in well at reserve. Only turned 16 on 10th Aug and so far has won SGP4 followed by runner up in SGP3 which was won by arguably the current top young POL rider in POL EXL.

Poole face a hell of a job having to lose 4.98 from this seasons team assuming it stays at 40 point limit. Many assume Zach will drop Champ, but Masters seems to accomodate Prem/Champ & POL for some years. Bailey would have been a great fit as worth well above 5 point av. Thought from noises made he wanted to do UK this year unless only Prem oranother UK Champ not on a Wednesday. Replacing Cook or Lawson and possibly Cairns from comments he indicated due to points limit is going to be tough but at least Poole seem to have that habit of rebuilding to a Championship Title contending level.

I wonder if any of the Poole riders will announce they won't be back in 2027 after tonights meeting.

If they could get Bailey on a 5 that would be a hell of a way to replace Zach's 8.54 if he is leaving Champ next season. It saves 3.54 in one go. Of course its a big IF.....

Can we take from Oxford Managers comments that perhaps next seasons points limit may already in the main have been agreed in Champ based on his latest comments on British Speedway Site today i.e: “We have already been working on a side that we can believe can challenge on all fronts next season. It’s no less than the supporters of our great club deserve.” If thats the case one could assume the Matt & Danny are well ahead in planning the Pirates line up for 2027. I know promoter annual meeting is only in Nov normally but a lot is near enough agreed well in advance with many riders already pre agrred or signed up. Would love to know if Bailey intends to do UK in 2027. Assuming that the Fords would be willing to help finance such a bold move maybe jointly with a Prem Team. Assuming of course that as a foreign junior (mainly riding POL U24) he falls outside the POL 2 team rule planned for 2027.

Couple of things. Will it be continuing at 40 points or will they reduce to 38 as mentioned by a few. Would make a big difference to team selection. Also if Worky were not to race next season how about Tate Zischke. After all his injuries he definitely has scope to improve being 21 and having lost that first seaswon in 2023 to injury in Aussie then most of 2024 with the near career ending injury at B.Vue. Eased back in 2025 and now sitting on an attractive GSA for 2027. I thought (and others) he would be the next Darcy Ward prior to his injury in Aussie. Still bags of potential there.

On the subject of Bailey and assuming he does not have to conform with the proposed new POL rules beiing a POL U24 Lge rider with only odd rides as overseas junior in the Senior team. I see Kildermand iat Belle Vue is retiring end of this season. Think Bailey would be a decent replacement as Kilderman GSA from 1/9 is 5.54 which conveniently fits Bailey. Then doule up with Poole fits nicely as MON/Thur Prem - Tue POL U24/Wed Poole. Grudiatz would only want him for first team on some weekends probably like this season. Yes I know I am building it up in my head all the reasons he will sign for Poole, but nice thought to carry into the close season. He would also fit ito a 40 or 38 point team a lad with his ability.

I predicted weeks back that if he chose UK in 2027 then could see him doubling up with both BV and Poole (also with the joint connection with the 2 clubs and Aussies the last 5 plus years, which would make it more viable for him as he will likely start in the Tuesday POL U24 Lge again for Grudiatz with an introduction as the foreign junior in their senior side but maybe with more chances next season. Would mean having to give up in Region Varde in DK on Wednesdays where has been the preferred junior this season over Villards Pedersen, but double up in UK would give him more meetings. He would of course still ride some other meetings abroad like the SGP 2 but thats not many meetings (say 3 plus a qualifier).

Have a question on Slater Lightcap. See he is still showing as a 4 on the latest GSA. His second 4 points assesment on GSA's since he arrived. As the final GSA for team building is the latest one now regular Lge fixtures for Poole are complete, does this mean that not having riddewn enough qualifying meetings he will go into 2027 on a 4 points GSA ??. I thought it may be 5 BUT he has only ridden in 2026 and only for POL U24 team, not in any other league from what I can find. I know some riders came over on a 5 because they had for exmple also ridden in DK or SWE Leagues besides POL EXL U24. Could it be that he POL U24 Lge on iys own does not constitute as an overseas Lge for UK point allocation ?? Would be on a great av for Poole if he could come in on a 4 for 2027 bearing in mind Poole have to lose 4.72 from the 2026 team if the keep the 40 point limit. Even losing Zach for 2027 means some rebuilding.