Ben91

I'd imagine Troy Batchelor is in every clubs thoughts on his current average. Maybe not as attractive as it looks if the current race format is in place again next year but if sense prevails and the old race format (the one still used in the PL and NL) is brought back then he'll make a mockery of a 5.26 figure.

While it is sad that other clubs may not survive the winter, that is not the attitude to take or the sport will only continue in a downward spiral. If everyone was just grateful to have some speedway to watch at their local track then promoters would be able to take them for a ride. The customer is the most important thing in any business, if speedway fans are being alienated because promotions are taking the attitude of 'just be grateful you have something to watch' then that is wholly unacceptable.

You can at present but can't double up from the start of the season.

Rules are rules. Feel sorry for the fans. Robbed of a full meeting (three three rider races) and the Brummies lacking a number one made it a foregone conclusion. Disappointing for a cup final and the last meeting of the season in the UK. What's done is done, hopefully it will lead to lessons being learnt. Not much point in pointing the finger at either promotion now, as I've already said I feel sorry for the fans, they're the ones that have lost out ultimately.

You don't have to be watching one team to go to all three on successive nights.

Shame to hear that Glasgow are planning to move to Saturday nights, a weekend northern tour is always good with Edinburgh Friday, Berwick Saturday and Glasgow Sunday. It makes sense for their fans though, the sport is better under lights and night time generally makes for better racing than day time, especially in the summer heat, when it does occasionally reach Glasgow!

8.68, finished the PL season on 4.34.

Posted this on the Raiders thread already: 1. Lanham 2. Bowtell 3. Cockle/Ritchings 4. Hopwood 5. D. Greenwood 6. 3 pointer 7. Hunter I think Lanham's days of riding in the PL are over but he's on an attractive NL average and has bags of experience. Bowtell should have stayed this season and hopefully we can tempt him back, the natural progression to the Rockets eventually if he makes the grade should be a selling point. Ritchings/Cockle would be good back up to Lanham. If Ritchings kicks on too there's opportunities with the Rockets to be had. Hopwood, our asset and on a bargain average at this level. Would be ridiculous to let him go elsewhere. Greenwood is known to the promotion after a spell as a Rocket last year, again opportunities for him to stake a claim for a PL place with a good season. One new three pointer is enough as we've found out this season. Hunter has suffered from a stop start season and being in the main team from day one. Get him in at reserve with no pressure on and he'll improve.

Very odd choice of guest in Stoneman for the Eagles, probably what decided it in the Brummies favour tbh. Good to see the team that finished top win the play-offs. I suspect the Eagles will win the cup still.

Come on now you don't seriously believe that?

He wasn't sacked this year, he walked away as far as I know.

Where were you expecting the Eagles reserves to pick points up? A lot to ask of them to be scoring against a team of 6 point plus riders away from home.

I'd not go anywhere near Anders anyway, shame as he was really kicking on then had a bad injury. Never been the same rider since. Hopefully the promotion will do the necessary paperwork so we can employ Aussies again. Especially with Jack Holder likely to be available, should be going all out to sign a rider like that. No thanks, have him at Newcastle.

Not on his current average.

Yes, but no.

The diehards who want to travel away will still do so, for the rest they can attend the NL meeting at home. Or run the EL meetings on a Monday for example and the NL meetings on a Tuesday. The Sky thing is a risk the sport has to take. Either people want lots of Speedway or they don't. If you're a person that loves your Speedway you'll go to the track over watching on TV if it's an option. TBH, it feels like the sport is held to ransom by riders and by TV, the only people who should matter are the customers. They should be given what they want, that way they'll keep coming back.

The answer is to run one race night, a home meeting every fortnight. That will get the top riders back. If a promotion wants to have a meeting a week then run a NL side on weeks that the EL team is away. Helps riders to develop, is cheaper for fans and also gives them their weekly fix.

It'll be changed I suspect. It should be for British riders at least. Kennett has said on Facebook that he'll do PL if he has to choose between the two.

If you can't make it pay then give up and get a normal job, it's quite simple unfortunately. I know exactly what goes in to it, bike washing, tracvel etc. as do the riders. They choose to race, nobody is forcing them to. If you look at Mr. Mungo's post detailing the rough pay scale every point scored by a three point reserve costs almost the same as three adult entry fees at most tracks. That shows why teams are struggling financially and why things need to change.

They know the costs of the sport and the potential risks. Sport, and business in general, revolves around supply and demand. That's why get footballers are paid handsomely, because fans go to games, buy merchandise, subscribe to sports channels etc. and that is just scratching the surface. Anyone apart from the top, top stars in speedway is deluded if they think it is a good way to earn a living, they do it because they love racing a speedway bike ultimately. That goes for the entertainment aspect too, people don't get into the sport to be entertainers, they do it because they want to do it. Whether you're Greg Hancock in a GP or someone racing in an amateur meeting at Scunthorpe you face exactly the same risks every time you come up to the tapes.

Considering there's a training track being built is like to think the Raiders will carry on in 2017. Lessons have to be learnt with regard to the make up of the team though. Top heavy didn't work. I can see Rob Branford going full time PL and I'd like to see Ben Morley spend a year at Kings Lynn or the Isle of Wight at this level to improve his big track skills. I'd hope both of them are the Rockets' reserves at the start of the year though. This is what I've come up with under a 40 point limit: 1. Lanham 2. Bowtell 3. Cockle/Ritchings 4. Hopwood 5. D. Greenwood 6. 3 pointer 7. Hunter I think Lanham's days of riding in the PL are over but he's on an attractive NL average and has bags of experience. Bowtell should have stayed this season and hopefully we can tempt him back, the natural progression to the Rockets eventually if he makes the grade should be a selling point. Ritchings/Cockle would be good back up to Lanham. If Ritchings kicks on too there's opportunities with the Rockets to be had. Hopwood, our asset and on a bargain average at this level. Would be ridiculous to let him go elsewhere. Greenwood is known to the promotion after a spell as a Rocket last year, again opportunities for him to stake a claim for a PL place with a good season. One new three pointer is enough as we've found out this season. Hunter has suffered from a stop start season and being in the main team from day one. Get him in at reserve with no pressure on and he'll improve.

Morley has been improving year on year. I'd say this season he has had his best year in the sport, unfortunately the team around him at both levels were not very good. Whether there will be any more improvement from him I'm really not sure. I'd personally be looking to ride on a bigger track if I was Morley, it's the same thing that stopped Luke Bowen from progressing further than he did in my opinion. Stayed in the comfort zone of Rye and could score well at home but always struggled away from home. A season at Kings Lynn or the Isle of Wight in the NL would serve Ben well. The PL isn't far too strong for Morley to be competitive, his average has been over four this season. His away form lets him down, he's beaten plenty of big names around Rye. As I've said above he needs to spend time at a bigger track to improve I think. He's improved every season he has been racing, maybe not as fast as others but it has happened. The next step is for him to score well away from Rye, so racing at a bigger circuit is the logical step to him performing to a higher standard on away tracks.

If the EL had one night and the PL could race every other night of the week that would be a start. Doubling up wouldn't be a problem then as there'd be no fixture clashes.

NBJ is in a team, Kings Lynn. Josh Grajczonek isn't riding anywhere on Saturday night, why haven't we tried to book him? Comparing the two teams we look to have no hope whatsoever, Lanham at reserve makes us even weaker.

He's spent the last two seasons on a small track in the PL and is on a 6.31 average. I wouldn't be against him if the rest of the team make up is right that being said. I sincerely hope not because the team this year isn't good enough. If Eddie is in the PL next season I'm pretty certain it'll be as a Rocket.