Grachan

Ha ha. If that's true he's mugged them off good and proper if he signs Holder. A very low points limit last year plus a change in race formula.

Speedway being on TV got me back through the turnstiles after about 10 years away. Just saying, like.

I don't think Nicholls should be in the CL. The problem is, Harris and Morris are allowed to be. Even Cook would be allowed to be if he wanted to. It's actually a sensible move. If teams want riders of that caliber then move up. That's always how it used to be. I still remember Richard Hellsen's comedy last band in order to stay below 6.00 with much amusement.

No. For the same reason Nick Morris won't have his decreased. It's a valid average obtained in a league/race format that is the same as this year..

I think 9 is reasonable enough. It puts them above Morris/Thorsell and below Doyle/Lindgren. Plus their current averages were achieved under the old race format and in a stronger league.

To be fair, why should Woffinden, Zagar, Kildemand etc be on 7 averages when Morris and Thorsell are on over 8? It kind of makes sense, although a bit general. So, if Doyle doesn't get a team this year, does he come back on 9.00 next year?

That must mean GP riders surely. They couldn't apply it to every single rider. Could they?

He always should have been a 9 based on other riders about. He's worth it.

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).