Col

Finns & Swedes would probably have to fly to either UK or Poland, by contrast Latvians, Germans, Czechs, Slovaks, Ukrainians can drive to Poland relatively quickly. Driving to Poland from Italy, Slovenia & France would be more of a journey.

Well the other semi will surely be in Poland. So, economically it would make sense for the other continental teams to contest that - Poland, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Czech certainly. Australia, Sweden, USA, France & Finland likely to be at NSS. Unless they really mix it up.

You know who I meant.

If Bournemouth FC qualify for the Europa League (it's not impossible) they would play on Thursday evenings.

So is this the first time a second tier team in the modern era have won all competitions that require 7 riders (or 6 & R/R)?

Congratulations Comets.

Can't really see anyone challenging Leszno with those line-ups.

Had it been staged last week.... Check out @FromThe1stBend’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/FromThe1stBend/status/1054432380990169088?s=09

I agree completely, there are no other meetings this evening in the UK so surely there must be 4 other riders available.

LINE-UP: Ricky Wells, Ashley Morris, Steve Worrall, Sam Masters, Nicolai Klindt, Paul Starke, Kyle Howarth, Jason Garrity, Chris Harris, Seb Niedzwiedz, Nick Morris, Richard Lawson. Reserve: Drew Kemp.

The Germans? I could have done it quite easily but I binned the spreadsheet.

Pawel Przedpelski, Daniel Kaczmarek, Jonas Davidsson and Daniel Davidsson all signed for Piraterna according to SGP site.

Well they're a bunch of happy clappers who seem to think that League Speedway in the UK (and all other clubs) is only here so they can win the league every year, by any means neccessary. Sadly the BSPA agree.

Replacing who? Buczkowski? Edit .. Iversen signs for Piraterna. Guess that is who Zengota replaces.

Grudziądzki retain Lindback, A Laguta & Pr Pawlicki?

Falubaz - Pedersen, Dudek, PP, MJJ and Vaculik?

Even with G Laguta replacing one of Jonsson/Lambert/Michelsen unless Lublin can find a Polish U21 star at reserve they are going to struggle. Pedersen done deal elsewhere?

If that is what is agreed, then it needs to adhered to by our top tier clubs. Any clubs wishing to hold meetings on a Thursday (I am thinking Ipswich & Sheffield) either ride in the top tier or change their race night.

Is standard of racing all that is important, what riders can earn & how convenient it is, will probably play as large part.

Lublin still need a couple of heat leaders, one of them Polish. And a U21 Pole.

I think I paid £19, but very early purchase.

It is certainly not a straightforward process. Try buying tickets for NYC Rangers, it's even worse.

I didn't think the SoN averages were particularly valuable, especially as they don't include bonus points but some were using them to justify a riders inclusion. Had Poland used Zmarzlik rather than Dudek, they may have won. I don't particularly like him as a rider nor do I think that he'll ever make a World Championship podium again, but Hampel was 2nd in the rankings in 2015 when he got injured after 3 GP's. He finished higher in the SEC in 2018 than Sayfutdinov & Lindback. Only being Polish has meant he hasn't got a permanent WC pick.

Had 5 mins to spare, SoN averages. Woffinden 18 49 10.89 Hancock 6 16 10.67 Laguta 18 47 10.44 Doyle 18 43 9.56 Zagar 6 14 9.33 Milik 6 13 8.67 Jepsen Jensen 18 37 8.22 Lindgren 18 37 8.22 Huckenbeck 6 11 7.33 Janowski 12 22 7.33 Bellego 6 10 6.67 Smolinski 6 9 6 Drabik 2 3 6 Sayfutdinov 17 23 5.41 Lokatev 6 8 5.33 Lebedevs 6 8 5.33 Karpov 6 7 4.67 Franc 6 7 4.67 Lahtia 6 7 4.67 Aarnio 6 7 4.67 Lindback 18 21 4.67 Lambert 17 19 4.47 Dudek 10 11 4.4 Puodhzuks 6 6 4 Bjerre 16 16 4 Cook 1 1 4 Covatti 6 6 4 Fricke 18 13 2.89 Ivacic 3 2 2.67 Berge 6 4 2.67 Skorja 3 1 1.33 Castagne 6 2 1.33 Manzares 6 1 0.67 Chugunov 1 0 0 Jacobsen 2 0 0

But you are not answering the question asked. Other than Madsen, which rider in 2018 who was not in the GPs, do you believe would have made the top 8 in GPs had they been included? Using Ekstraliga statistics is not unreasonable, but Hancock is not included and there is the fact that Drabik and other young Poles figures are elevated by there reserve status. Drabik is ranked 24th in Elitserien 2018 stats, Vaculik is 23rd. Which puts them behind other riders who did not compete in 2018 Ekstraliga - Lambert (15th), Jonsson (18th), Ljung (21st), Thomsen (22nd). Who is to say if those riders did compete in Ekstraliga they would not have achieved a higher average than Drabik, Vaculik. Kasprzak is who you listed also, is 37th in Elitserien rankings, albeit from a limited number of playoff only meetings. I assume Sayfutdinov & Kołodziej didn't compete in Elitserien during 2018 as I can't find them in the stats.