CUFC_Brummie

Bacon re-signs, almost certainly ruling out JPB then, not sure I see the value there to be honest.

10 team league, Belle Vue, Birmingham, Buxton, Cradley, Eastbourne, Isle of Wight, Kent, Mildenhall, Plymouth, Stoke. Scrap one of the cup competitions on the basis of teams being unable to fulfill league fixtures by the cutoff date, the league must take priority. If the NT stays then two groups of 5 with 4 fixtures, top 2 qualify from each group into a two-legged semi-final. If KOC, first round bye to the top 6 remaining league teams from last season, other 4 compete in a prelim round which gets to 8 teams for the first round. All league fixtures to be completed by the end of August, speedway in October should be avoided. Each team will have a maximum of 13 home fixtures in keeping the NT as above, 12/13 for the KOC format. More than enough weeks, when they prove they can fit all those fixtures into a league season without double headers, running league fixtures once the playoffs have started and/or late into October, we can go back to two competitions. Either way agree about the "cup window", get it all out of the way in one go. There must be robust rules in place to prevent anymore Roynon/Hurry/Hall scenarios happening. I'm not sure of what the split is on that between calculating an average and the decision process to apply it, but something has to be done. This rule about a rider being able to miss a meeting for any reason must be scrapped, if you want to be treated seriously as a league you have to expect your riders to show up all the time. The only exception I would probably make is for 15/16 year olds sitting exams. Similarly, do away with this ability to just use guest 3 pointers when you find out the one you picked in January isn't very good, either show some faith (it's a development league after all), or do a bit more in depth scouting. If you want to use another 3 pointer then you should have to sign them permanently. That would also prevent the scenarios we get near the end of the season with the likes of JPB, Smith, Brennan, and last year Kemp and Edwards, where they get a bit of testing before the next season whilst keeping a 3 point average, which seems wholly unfair to me when in most of those situations they've already got a team lined up. No tactical substitutes. I want the league to be competitive so am edging towards a 40 point limit, but, if there was a reduction to 10 teams then that may freeze a few too many riders out, so not entirely opposed to 42. I would like to see a cap on the number of "overage" riders per team (max of 1 over 30, max of 1 between 25-30), which may lend itself to a 40 point limit. Think that's it, don't expect the cup one to be popular, but think the rest is reasonable. Expect very little of it to come to fruition.

You have to wonder what benefits the NL would see in accepting them, a dodgy owner with a poor history, a club competing at a track not in it's own district with (and the difference vs Cradley) the fans saying they're actively not going to back it, into a league where there was a shortage of riders last year, OK we've lost Lakeside but assuming Cradley run it feels like 10 is enough considering we will lose probably lose more top end riders (Bewley, Carr, Wajtknecht? Hurry? Morley? Payne?), and then don't have to cram in a load of lacklustre 3 pointers from the off who can just start filling in when flies inevitably start dropping come summer. No doubt they will get approval but it doesn't feel like this particularly benefits anyone except Horton, Brandon Estates and maybe 10% of the Coventry fanbase.

Maybe I'm missing it as a relative young 'un and newbie in speedway terms, but the desire for more than one tactical substitute when the double points system was derided genuinely baffles me. I don't like either system, I haven't missed the double points in the NL this year in the slightest, but I think, having been proven on here numerous times, there is little difference in "fairness" between one double points ride and one tactical ride, the potential swing being bigger in the latter, and that the seemingly majority approval of this rule change (before getting into how many times) is 100% to do with nostalgia and nothing to do with the "integrity" of the sport. To then advocate there should be more than one of these a meeting if a team is far enough behind just seems utterly bemusing when you consider the (generally valid) arguments used against the double points system and the way it allowed meetings to become "artificially" closer. One of the arguments against double points was "how do you explain it to a newcomer without it sounding ridiculous?", which again, I don't disagree with the premise of that at all, but how on earth is it any more legitimate to say you can just throw out your best rider instead of your worst ones two or three times because you're so far behind? It's inherently more unfair and even more ridiculous than what was there before. It's a team event, I want to see the team, not just the best riders, that's what the GP is for. I would assume it's going to cost the clubs far more money too, AFAIK the "extra" points weren't paid to a rider on the double ride, but they sure as hell will be when they take this extra ride. One is the absolute max it should be, and they should scrap it all together after this season, but let's not pretend this is any better than it was before, if this wasn't "how it had been" the reaction would be entirely different. I just hope they don't bring it into the NL as well.

What a terrible decision, I think the near universal disapproval of it on here says it all, but the blinkered will only see what they choose to see.

With Carr retiring JPB is a must, ability to improve his average and someone the fans can relate to, think we'd be able to get a decent #1 still otherwise but he's got to be by far the best choice. Rest largely depends on the points limit and whether Cradley run, definitely have Hampshire back although ideally starting at reserve, Hall on a 6 has to be targeted, wouldn't mind seeing us going after Bowtell now Lakeside have moved up too, but probably most critically of all is getting in a good 3 pointer, it's difficult to see a team winning the league with a couple of duff 3 pointers as we found out last season with our struggles at the second reserve slot. I'd move on from Tom Bacon, good servant as he's been, done really well at #4 which has driven that average up but he's not quite done it at heat leader yet. JPB, Dwyer, Hall, Bowtell, Hume, Hampshire, 3.00 comes in at 40.49, for a 40 point limit could switch Dwyer with Cupitt although he'd have to improve on how he finished last season (on his backside most of the time). See what the limit is though first and then what sort of approach the Mason's take to team building

Dudek Zmarzlik Woffinden Doyle Janowski Sayfutdinov Lindgren Vaculik Hancock Zagar Pawlicki Laguta Cook Holder Pedersen (injury)

1. Craig Cook - 8.45 2. Dan Bewley - 4.71 3. Jack Holder - 5.82 4. Broc Nicol - 4.00 5. Steve Worrall - 6.77 6. Zach Wajtknecht - 3.21 7. Jack Parkinson-Blackburn - 2.00 Total - 34.96 Initially had Przedpelski (7.00) and Ellis in for Worrall and Holder respectively, but think that might have been against the spirit of the rules....

Well, didn't see that coming, everybody miles wide of the mark. Possibly the most uninpsiring rider I've ever seen on the track but that has absolutely zero correlation to being an owner so let's hope David (and his Dad) can help the Brummies thrive, best of luck gents. More than happy with another season of NL, like most would rather be in a higher league but as I live out of the city and pick and choose my home meetings I tend to get to all the "big" ones so probably get a slightly blinkered view of it, but I don't mind it at all, and it's certainly the right move to make, walk before you can run as mentioned above is absolutely the right way to go, we've been punished for doing it the other way around before, we have to play the long game and wait for the right opportunity this time. Onwards and upwards, bring on March.

World Champion - Woffinden Team Manager - Adams Presenter - Pearson Is the latest rumour I've just been told in Torun.

Any good pub recommendations in the town centre? Went in 2012 but went straight to the tent outside the stadium. On my tod this time so if you spot a lone guy walking around with a Brummies scarf on then I'd be more than happy to have a pint! Doyle to clinch, Woffinden to win the meeting and Dudek to cement second place in the championship would suit my Brummies, English and betting needs this weekend, so that's what I'm rooting for.

It's a start at least, "favoured party" is encouraging as it sounds like there was a choice, I trust Mr. Mole to make a sensible one. Hopefully there's positive progress soon.

To say 3 points are required with Kent picking up nothing is a massive understatement. Very happy with Halder at reserve. Sincerely hope it's not the last competitive meeting at Perry Barr for the Brummies, hopefully there'll be an announcement.

Belle Vue 48 Eastbourne 48 Kent 41 Mildenhall 41 ---------------------------- Birmingham 39 Cradley 38 Lakeside 37 Is how I've got it, so even with an optimistic 3 points for the Brummies at Plymouth with Mildenhall picking up nothing there it still wouldn't be enough. Fen Tigers and Kent both have more away's than home to fit in but with both going to Stoke and then a visit to IOW and Buxton respectively should be favourable enough for them to pick up the necessary wins to make it. As mentioned their biggest enemy is probably going to be the weather, but it does seem to be improving on that front.

Nope Yep Yep Yep Nope

Well done Woffy, cracking ride, back in the title race for sure.

I'd be surprised if he's achieved over 3, can barely stay on the bike, proper wobbler, not sure why he's getting such an extended opportunity with us if we're going with this guest reserve approach, looks no better than Leek was.

Real sucker punch that tonight, we're going to need a lot of help now, Williamson and Shuttleworth were brilliant for the Colts, and sadly for us Carr just got squeezed out in his last two rides. Cracking meeting, including an absolute humdinger of a ride from JPB, but a tough result to take. Talk of a "farewell meeting" in the programme concerns me, hopefully just a misrepresentation of words but some clarification on the future would be nice with one home meeting to go.

When else do you propose we hold the fixture? This was the only upcoming date available after the last call off when Bewley and Smith were definitely not going to be riding for the Aces, and we had to get Kent to rearrange their trip here to accommodate that. Don't know if Bewley had already qualified prior to that or not, but it at least means Smith can ride.

Not really sure RR is helping us at the moment either to be honest, certainly whilst Hampshire's bike is misfiring, extra ride for Bacon is a benefit but there's no guarantee Cupitt or Hampshire will complete 4 laps. We all know Mason is good for 5-8 unflashy points, so it's touch and go, but not like we're banging in double figure scores from it. Bewley's absence is disappointing for the spectacle, but it should ensure we get a positive result. Brummies by 8.

Well last night certainly was a hell of an entertaining meeting, if not a bit bereft of quality certainly until Cradley woke up at ten points down, heat 2 was probably the most stereotypical National League heat I've ever seen.... Disappointing not to win given our advantage two-thirds of the way through but I'd have taken that before the meeting and given Cradley's resilience later on, it's still a very handy two points and should now narrow it down to four teams fighting for two places. 7 points from our final three meetings would be enough I reckon, but that's a tough ask, and it won't get much tougher than Wednesday, particular if Hampshire and Cupitt don't sort their machinery out, this run of successive meetings certainly isn't helping them. Carr exemplary, a proper fans' favourite, Bacon with another good night which you'd hope for at #4, JPB looked sensational in his first two rides but not sure what happened to him after that, Dwyer definitely a trump card for Cradley at reserve although he'll be kicking himself for letting Hampshire get him on the line, and an honorable mention for the referee and his ineptitude for running a one man heat, letter of the law maybe but surely common sense must prevail, especially as we'd incurred a delay after the incident where Ayres took him off and then had to wait again as Bacon took the RR ride in the next ride, farcical. Hopefully we'll get to meet again next season.

I might be making this up but I'm sure I read in last week's programme that Drury said we tried to sign him this season before we got in Mason but he was assessed as a 7. Looking forward to tonight, should be a corker, we could really do with getting a point and anything more for the Brummies would pretty much end Cradley's chances you'd think, if Hall is a little worse for wear and Hampshire's bike works for all his heats then we might have a chance, but I'll go for a 48-42 home win.

4 points an absolute must for us here.

I've never seen anyone with machinery as unreliable as Hampshire, which is a massive shame as when it works he absolutely flies. Can't remember the last time I saw him at the start line and there wasn't smoke billowing out the back of it.

Yes I was stood in front of you all with my old man, I assume it was him you spoke to as I doubt there are any other Brummie/Cambridge fans knocking around Perry Barr very often