Ben91

Any EL rider up to an eight point average

The top trios look very even, Mason and Clifton are going to have to match Bacon and Hume and I can't see that happening realistically. While the Kings' reserves are doing very well this season they will likely be out scored by their Brummie counterparts. That second string battle will be the difference between Kent taking something home or not.

To be fair if all three of them can ride a unicycle at once I'd beat them too.

Even Bukhave had done enough beforehand to merit an assessed seven average somehow!

Did you stop watching in 1947 and start again this season by any chance?

I'd like to know who was responsible for identifying Karger as a signing in the first place. I can't remember the last time a Dane hadn't done enough in his previous career to merit an assessed seven point average in his first UK season. Even then the majority fall a long way short of that. Alarm bells should have been ringing from day one. Teams should be built to win, we shouldn't be applauding spirited performances where we steal a draw at home when we could have built a decent side in the first place. A draw at home is never a good performance in speedway unless you lose riders early on in the meeting as far as I'm concerned.

Perhaps Hopwood hadn't got any equipment to ride? If he's blown an engine etc and waiting for it back or a new one then he's no good without a bike to race on. The NL isn't full of flush riders either so no guarantees a team mate would be able to lend him a bike.

We can claim Doyle for his cameo for us a few seasons back, before he was replaced by the superior rider that is Steve Boxall.

Of course there will be more than seven fans coming from Workington, it's two cars worth.

Edinburgh could get rid of Wolbert and Etheridge and bring back Cook and one other. Belle Vue being a Friday night track now would rule it out though.

Part of their job, there will be more fans that are travelling down than riders, I'd feel worse for them than the riders if it ends up in a late rain off.

Especially not Arsenal! But I digress...

The fact that Carl Wilkinson is an Elite League second string says it all.

Not really, not many sports teams play in stadiums with the same name as the team. Aston Villa don't play in the villa that gave them their name.

When Stevenage played at Reading in the FA Cup a few years back we parked in what was Smallmead. Real shame that the place went to waste.

Say somebody complains ten times, on two occasions they complained there had been no speedway, that means 20% of their complaints were lies. Therefore that would cast doubts over the honesty of their complaints on the other eight occasions. So while 80% of the time there was speedway happening it doesn't mean they actually heard it, just that their complaints coincided with a meeting going on. It's really not that difficult to understand?

Because the reason Speedway is on its backside is because people are trying to re-open defunct tracks, yeah it's definitely that...

I assume that for example a complainant knows that speedway is run every Monday starting at 6.30 so every Tuesday they have been complaining about noise to the council, even when there hasn't been a meeting for whatever reason before. So that casts doubt on the credibility of their other, valid, complaints because they've been complaining about noise when there hasn't been any. Sounds an awful lot like something someone would do to complain for the sake of complaining to me.

The track could be a leveller, given the previous issues and the fact that it is the first meeting at the NSS. Atkins and Wilson have bucket loads of experience and that could see them well, especially if track conditions are tricky. Williamson and Bewley will score most of the Belle Vue points I'd imagine, hard to call though.

If we could get JPB in Karger's kevlars somehow without anyone knowing that'd be great.

Letting Perks go will prove to be a big mistake. He'll average more than Compton this year, Dugard could have replaced Johnson and then there would have been points freed up for further changes if needed imo.

Yeah let's ensure clubs don't do things within the rules again.

Is this the guy that sponsors the league? Very poor show if so, yet another narrow minded person who seems to think an eligible rider who is doing well is too good for the league and shouldn't be allowed in. Pathetic. All British riders should just be rubbish from now on and not bother with the higher leagues, at least then the cynics would be happy.

Don't think that's completely true, I was against you using BWD last year as he isn't a Brit so shouldn't have been in the NL in my opinion, not to open that can of worms again though! However Ellis is eligible and so is Spiller so I'd have no issue with either of those.

Bewley's points will be the difference I reckon, he'll score more than Purchase would have that's for sure.