Grachan

So, presumably, this mean GP riders who have been out of the UK. So Zagar is now a 9? That scuppers any chance of him coming here. Vaculik also a 9. What about people like Kildemand? Rode as a reserve and not in it this year. Does he become a 9 or does he retain his average? Why scrap the 2 Brit rule? Makes no sense at all.

Morris 8.87 Musielak 7.37 Kildemand 7.10 Ellis 5.56 BWD 4.67 Zach 3.21 Leaves 5.72 (which, coincidentally, is Stuart Robson's average)

It was a weird one, Poole buying Wright. At the time I reckoned it must be because they are preparing for the dumbing down of the league in the future and making sure they have British riders on their books. Swindon, too, have struggled in the past for British riders when necessary, so have wisely secured two that have done well for the club.

As an example, Jason Doyle earned 5,200 usd for the 2016 Cardiff gp according to this. https://www.methanolpress.com/speedway-grand-prix-2016-total-rider-earnings/ How much do you think Swindon paid for riders like Musielak, Ellis and Zach? No more than that each, I bet.

With the league going the way it is, I actually think it is wise to get hold of assets like Adam and Zach. These sort of riders will be the backbone of the league soon, and they will be useful to own. Poole did the same thing with Charles Wright. Have Swindon really pleaded poverty? I would think that buying riders like these would cost about a week's wages for the World Champion. Rosco's strength as a manager is his ability to read riders ability and get them into the side. He obviously decided that Nick is now ready to take over at the top. Thinking about it, we could have gone with Jason, got rid of Nick, and then Jason decide to opt out in 2019. We might have ended up with neither of them. Gutted not to have Jason in the side, but maybe this is a long term decision. It's over to Nick now. If he can continue his improvement then it will be fine. I still believe it was a mistake not to have the World Champion there for the fans, but what's done is done now. Time to move on.

Looks like it, yeah.

Maybe they should have held back the news on Adam and Zach. By announcing that afterwards it would have given the disappointed fans a lift.

It's in the comments. He's replying to someone.

I thought the 2 year contract was for 2016 and 2017, and Swindon got stick for sticking with it last year. I'm sure Swindon will be able to put together a decent side, but they have robbed fans of the opportunity to have a World Champion riding at the club, which is something a lot of people have waited a long time for. Maybe the decision was financial? If Nick had been dropped I would have been disappointed for him. Now I'm disappointed for myself! Jason said on Twitter: "Not my choice".

An easy decision the make - and they made the wrong one. Can't believe they did this. The fact that they got rid of Jason makes me wonder if they would have got rid of him anyway, regardless of the 8 point rule. Because if that was the only reason, they would have kept Jason surely. Plus, Nick would have benefitted more from riding elsewhere for a year. At least he will have a club next year now anyway! Definitely a case of heart ruling head here. Just.. weird.

In those days reserves had 3 rides.

Come off it. We're talking Peter Kildemand here.

Based on the averages of Thorsell and Morris, no way is Vaculik 7.5. I don't know enough about the other guy to comment.

That's how I remember it, yes.

Thorssell was tweeting yesterday that he is worried about the over 8 rule. He wants to ride in the UK and wants to ride for Wolves. The problem here is that these are not like the top riders of old, as mentioned elsewhere. It's not a Hancock / Hamill or was Holder / Ward. These are riders who stuck with a much weakened league last year and, because of that, have need up with averages a point above the likes of Zagar, Woffinden, Kildemand etc who rode in a stronger league and with a different race format. That is why this is wrong in this particular year. It's not just about team strength. Wouldn't be the first time.

Not as good, maybe, but certainly doesn't make it a joke sport as you seem to be saying. To be honest, the old TS system was extremely unfair on sides who built up a lead - more so that this rule now or even the TR. It gave a clear advantage for a side going behind sometimes.

What, exactly, is your problem with only having one TS per match? It may not be the TS of old, but I see nothing in this introduction that makes it a non-serious sport (unlike the TR).

The one thing he has in his favour is his average, which may well find him slotted into a side at the end of the team building.

That's great news, and hopefully (and presumably) both will be in the side next year.

Not as peed off as yesterday, but still pretty peed off, yes. I was less bothered with the two that you mention, because they weren't my own team, but would have been just as much against the principal. The possibility of teams voting riders out of the league,should that be what happens, concerns me greatly. As did the way Holder and Bachelor were effectively put out of work earlier in the year. It's not all about Swindon's team strength, as we can deal with that. It's about either a loyal Swindon rider finding himself without a team or the World Champion being forced out the league (something, incidentally, that some people here seem to find quite an amusing prospect). I've always posted against this stuff, but it's really gone to my head this year because it is happening closer to home. If Morris, Doyle, Thorsell, Lindgren, Cook and Bjerre all get a side then I might calm down a bit! It seems to me that under the current chairmanship, one thing on the agenda is to try and get as many top riders as possible out of the league.

It should be compulsory for the teams that voted for other sides to release 8 point riders to offer those riders a team place in 2018.

It could also potentially have more effect if getting a 5-1 out of what could have been a 3-3. Much better than the TR. Points scored on the track are the points scored for the team. No more having to explain why someone can get double points with the phrase 'because they have stupid rules'. May not be the ts of old but it is a good change.

Sure, it won't have the tactical intricacies that it used to have, but better than the Tactical Ride surely? At least points scored on the track stay consistent. A lot of team managers just stuck their best rider out anyway when a TS opportunity came up so it probably won't make much difference.

Fair enough. I bet you they'd still attract the largest crowd of the season, though.

Nick Morris, if he doesn't get a team in the top flight. BTW, if Nick Morris just rides Second Division, who can he guest in place of? Presumably, all of a sudden, he'd no longer be an over-8 point rider?