HGould

Kyle is averaging 7 isn't he? Deserves a run in their side and done well since Brennan got injured. Watched Bowtell and Morley at our place twice and at Leicester and Bowtell far better away from home and gather he rode well at Sheffield the other day, Morley is a "0" most matches away. Most away tracks are bigger so would be daft to leave Morley in side if going to make a change. Wood is dire away too but far better than Morley at home. Makes sense away to me and that's where their problems are. Edwards needs time but got a cracker for the future there.

oh the irony. Kent fans will roundly slag off just about any track they go to e.g Plymouth and Stoke in recent weeks, used to be Mildenhall and Eastbourne. Then you have the "Cradley tribe" just about the most "up themselves" bunch in Speedway with the possible exception of Belle Vue. Thankfully us Brummies are friendly middle of the road types but to see Kent fans slagging off everyone else's track and then getting some back and then the Cradley mob involved in a cheating storm is just hilarious.

or a Kiwi without a CL Club at the moment when fit

seems they just did - top prospect signed although I suspect with an eye on next season and brings them craftily below points limit - may be something else being lined up? https://www.eastbourne-speedway.com/eagles-announce-team-change/

Ben Morley "Nil" (away in CL) should be a Jasper Carrot joke re-write!

any news on Josh Bates - just saw him disappearing at back of shot just after Tatum had mentioned a grippy patch on bend and they didn't show again. some reference that he was "out cold"... whilst I hope he and all others are OK the young man really does need to quit whilst he still has all of his faculties intact as this is 3rd time this season he has been injured, come back and injured again within 2-3 meetings. First one was not his fault I was there but others have been just erratic riding out of his comfort limit.

Nice try and innovative but I prefer ONE League - Home and Away with 14-16 Teams. I'd only allow doubling up NL to OBL and insist No 7 was British NL and no 6 had to have ridden NL in past 3 seasons. That way you'd have just enough for 14 x 7 man teams (I don't like 6 man teams just my preference for 7). Would have a form of Rider Control to Grade defined "Heat Leaders / Second Strings" to make sure equality and once teams are all "staffed" would determine a points limit going forwards. Would look a minimising movement by allocating currently doubling up PL / CL equally between OBL sides staying at one of their current teams where possible. Would give riders choice of their current PL or CL Team or "going to the rider pool" Would set maximum pay rates at £100 a point for Heat Leaders / £80 a point for second strings / £60 a point for reserves and would have them paid on that basis all season of -1-2-3 in averages then 4-5 in averages then 6-7 in averages. Would allow Clubs to set a "match guarantee" of maximum of 10 point score for HL / 7 point score for SS / 4 point score for RS if they wished. This would ensure more equal Teams and rationalise pay rates and would also have a transfer window (out side of permissible injuries) of "June" for any transfers and insist that any rider out for 28 days or less had to be covered by RR not a transfer.

enjoy the semi finals then if you go to them.

us Brummies and I guess 7-8 other CL Teams would be pretty happy to have 2 semi Finals to look forwards to (Shield and KOC) seems you have a vendetta against Eastbourne or is it Mr Cook. They built a top heavy side to try to progress seems to me they have succeeded so far in that very well in first season back in higher league.

If there is one rider with slower engines in CL than Drew Kemp it's Georgie Wood. Great round small tracks and OK in NL but awfully slow on 2 spells at Owlerton. I think Bowtell could do a lot more damage than Wood but with Morley in side they carry one at every Away match. Seen Kennett is riding in France today as well so I'll go 55-35 and another big Away defeat for Eastbourne.

Loss of Wajneckht; Brennan and to a degree Thomas has knocked stuffing out of the side I fear. Think Zack and Tom would have been in Team with Drew as reserved on form before retirement/injury and based on U19 Final. Good experience for Flint and Bickley but way too soon looking at a few of the line-up's

Ulrich or Kyle Newman? After watch both at Birmingham and looking now and longer term I'd have Newman every time and he replaced Brennan and has 7 point average since. No Brainer for me Newman 100 times out of 100 and they made right call there.

saw Howarth try to do the same to someone at CL 4's, will have to check my programme, might have been Lewis Kerr>

I think if Matt Ford can't get the "one big league" he wants on CL level pay that's him out and away from UK Speedway. Not sure the son has a clue! Worrying times for Poole and the Sport.

Birmingham quoting "personal reasons"....wonder if he has cut his finger wiring the mythical Pits plug?

last night was on positive side of expectation to be honest. The Aussie whinger must have got his preferred blue line to race round.

May be Cook was proved right after Saturday night Eastbourne one of the few Teams not to make changes so far (other than enforced injury change for Brennan and Kyle Newman has done well averaging around 7 points). Wonder if they might ship Morley or Bowtell out and freshen up for their 2 semi finals and try to find someone who can be more effective away from Arlington?? Limited by points though due to strong home form.

send that in to BSPA recorded delivery and lock the doors til they agree it.

approaching silly season now when riders are not signed just to ride; but based on average so Club can book riders on "track preference" when new signing can't ride, which in case of Riss may be most weekends! They'll bag some nice specialist track Guests to replace him - bet he rides less than 50% of Redcar Fixtures!

22 according to Eagles website (late starter in Speedway) few matches in 2015 and 2016 Bowtell is 2 months older but less PL (none) and CL and NL experience than Perks who first rode NL in 2014 Clegg is also 22 but also has a lot more experience in NL especially - started NL in 2012!!! Experience is the key factor not age -: Bowtell has less than Perks and a lot less than Clegg.

Guest and Rider Replacement for us, doesn't bode well. Don't think the M5 on a Wednesday rush hour will be beckoning with that side.

I was at Festival at Speed at Goodwood in Sussex over weekend; poured down from Saturday night and most of Sunday did it rain at Arlington????

runner up wasn't he in National League Riders Final last season and a 9 point average, not sure where you think the lad should be riding as no NL side could fit him in, are you suggesting he retire? Plenty older and far more experienced than him are in NL and shouldn't be like Clegg and Perks for starters. Dont think he is a dirty rider from few occasions I've seen him.

The difference now is that it is the PL Clubs who are making the "one league noises" as they cannot afford inflated points money and guarantees on reduced crowds. That's what Matt Ford originally implied in his article, admitting he lost £20,000 on a "recent meeting" and saying that his Crowds in PL at that time were lower than Eastbourne in CL. That was in early May so crowds may have changed at both venues?, but says ti me if ford is losing £20k that PL rates need to come down to more like CL level and that some riders will have to take a pay cut and those doubling up on top PL and CL money will hope to have more matches in one "Big league" team than in 2 teams one in PL and one in CL. Another poster on here different thread did an excellent study that there were just enough riders in PL/CL to staff 14 teams (7 man teams) or 16 teams (6 man teams).....that'll be the issue - rider availability... How many of the CL Teams can take the plunge and join 1 League??? and what happens if they don't do they go NDL or Close??.. Of those in CL now I would guess Glasgow; Sheffield (if new Owners); Leicester; Somerset would be certain to want to move up. I would guess Edinburgh; Newcastle, Scunthorpe, Birmingham and Eastbourne may want to move up but would be taking a big risk. Berwick and Redcar would struggle I would think to compete on current crowd levels and of the middle 6 probably only Scunthorpe would ultimately take the plunge. So that would be 7 + 5 a League of 12.

A Track where a rider has to have the skill to "turn the bike" are not trick tracks, they are part of the sport and a good rider can ride any track. If you are going to define good tracks by those where it's full throttle all the way round you are totally missing the point of the sport. Redcar is an excellent track but nothing at all wrong with Eastbourne, Edinburgh or Newcastle and all can serve up great Racing and so regularly.