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Case by case basis? Deary me, what a farce. Absolutely nothing against Edinburgh before people start getting defensive but how on earth can a rider who has been a world under 21 finalist and ridden in the Elitserien come in on anything lower than seven? The sport gets more and more shambolic by the day. No idea why there are two different font sizes!

I've known Mike ( Starman ) since the late 70's and I also know he has a heart of gold when he feels he can help someone out. Get well soon mate

Many thanks for the warning !! - I will make a note in my diary not to tune in to that programme on 18 December

Without fair and proper rules and therefore a level playing field the competition is pretty pointless. And unfortunately that is the situation speedway finds itself in today. Some people can ignore all the political garbage and unfair averages and just enjoy the racing, and I feel a little bit jealous of those people. Some of us just can't and the whole thing is tainted by the ineptitude of the governing body and how some teams seem to be able to find loopholes and ringers year after year. Unfortunately many people of that mindset end up walking away.

Unless rules have changed you aren't allowed to reintroduce a rider that rode for you the previous season that didn't start the following year.

The only debates some of the poole fans have gavan , is mass debates at home in their bedrooms whilst looking at pictures of chris holder.

Many years ago back at the old shay stadium a man and a woman approached us and told us they were new to speedway and wanted to know the rules. We told them not to worry about the rules as they change them every other week, just enjoy the racing. The couple looked at us and walked off disgruntled. A few weeks later they approached us again to apologise has they had found out that we were correct. From what I have experienced in speedway since I started watching the sport again in 2005 nothing has changed. In fact it is so much the norm now that I believe the whole membership of this hallowed forum would have a mass cardiac arrest if the rules applied were ever well thought out, correct in almost every instance and were adhered to from start to finish.

PETER Oakes in Speedway Star this week has tried to unravel the farcical situation that the BSPA have put themselves in by preventing Scott Nicholls and Edward Kennett riding for a Championship team in 2018 because they did not do so this year and therefore failed to acquire an average. Although, of course, Nicholls appeared in various end of season Championship finales as a guest. We also now have a situation where Nick Morris and Craig Cook, both of whom have averages over eight, and Sam Masters (almost eight) could ride for the same Championship side but not together for a Premiership team. Do the BSPA ever look beyond their noses when making up rules, seemingly on the hoof.

Speedway is so short term. In fact, the only thing you can be sure of... the fans stand in the same place every week... until they vanish.

Starman!! Before posting this, may I request only comments of a very respectful nature! I know many have expressed their opinions about Starman and his posts in the past but would ask at least on this occasion they remain polite. Starman's mum has today advised on one of the (many)Poole threads on Facebook that Starman is currently in Poole Hospital having been diagnosed with a (non-cancerous) brain tumour! She doesn't go into any further detail about the prognosis, but will pass on good wishes from any Speedway fans. Get well soon Starry.

Marriage

If that was my team I would prefer Charles Wright.

Up to this season neither could double down, the situation was lapsed for just this season. Chris (and others) took advantage and established themselves a Championship average, Scott didn't, even though it's rumoured that a club actually offered him a place. Personally I think British riders should be allowed to double up, whatever their average but I'd stop overseas riders being given that privilege.

There are certain Poole fans that see Gavan name and they go straight on the defensive instead of actually reading what he's posted. He's more positive about the Poole signings than some others!

Just to let you know Tai is appearing on the Clare Balding show on December 18th 8 o'clock

Very true Worky turned us over on a regular basis at Ashfield in the good old Stoney years. He was an absolute joy to watch in his prime around Glasgow , to be fair he was top drawer at most tracks was Stoney.

Well done!!!!! to you lot. I'm very proud of the Speedway fraternity. Some of you dish out some personal garbage, but when one of its own hits a bad time, everyone rallys around and for that, you've revived my faith in this Forum. Get well soon Starry and look forward to seeing you selling the STAR around Wimborne Road.

That’s fine. We’ll sneak him through on a 2.00.

That's not the answer lol. Maybe ipswich had thought about it ..but didn't because they thought he was a 7 as he would previously have been. Surely even the most dumbest speedway fan can see a case by case basis is open to mischief.

Best wishes to starman! We all like to get stuck in on this forum and sometimes into each other but at the end of the day we are all people with personalities, with families and unfortunately problems like these occasionally. Sometimes it takes something like this to remember that.

There appears to be a clue to whether we are running in 2018 in this weeks Speedway Star: Ashley Morris has set his sights on a return to Newcastle. He says he's had positive talks with Diamonds chiefs and he's happy to stay at the club. "I've enjoyed my time with Newcastle, the people are great and I'm happy to go back there. The management up there are nice people, the fans are loyal and I'm happy there, so why would I want to change it? I'm hoping everything will fall into place with Newcastle very soon."

Apparently every new foreign rider will be assessed on a case by case basis. So that's why Joel has the average given. Now if that's not open to corruption I don't know what is.. Anyway. Good luck to both Edinburgh and Joel.

I don't care if it's called Rap Crap, Hippy Hoppy, Jungle, House, Garage, Garden Shed, Grime or Slime, it's all a load of bollards. Rock lives on....

We may have our opinions about some of Starman's contributions to this forum but it is good to see that people rally round and offer support when one of us is in trouble. I can only echo what others have said and hope that Starman makes a full recovery and that he is back fit and well supporting his beloved Pirates next year.

I give them credit for creating interest in the team, which a lot of clubs don’t bother doing anymore.

always tried hard? good rider? nah he's the biggest gating tart to have graced british speedway imo

With the greatest of respect as nobody has heard of him from either NL or development leagues id fancy it won't be this mystery Searsby or any of the wind up names Odsal is chucking about in a cruel way. Suggesting names just so others can immediately dismiss them is not productive in any way. As for the possibility of a moto cross convert getting a team place straight into the Championship is both laughable and dangerous. Whatever natural ability / balls they may have they will have nowhere near the skill set to compete safely at that level.

2 point riders have to be eligible for the NL, they don't have to have ridden in it.

I don’t get this supporter obsession with the rule book, it’s too complicated and not worth the time and effort going over, that’s the promoter or team managers job, only they have the power to challenge or enforce a rule.

Scott would be a great asset to any club. I can see though the other side where a significant proportion of Championship sides cannot really afford such riders. It could be argued that the desirable position would actually be to deny more riders at that level rides in the 2nd tier in order to keep costs to a more sustainble level.

The problem is too many higher quality riders have been allowed to double down for too long. It wouldn't be a big deal not having Kennet and Nichols in the top league if cook Harris Morris masters, Schlien, lambert, king, Lawson, grazionek, among others were also prevented from doing so. thats why it's a problem.

If Coventry fans believe this, then all the more reason to prevent it happening by supporting the venture, proving there is support to warrant a new stadium.

Yes, but that's because the current format allows for the possibility of the race-off to happen without the host nation. It would be very easy to solve that issue. I think most people would consider a best pairs competition to be a diminished SWC, but let's see...

Unless he signs for Poole he will just be an asset of Poole, not a Poole rider.

Yes I was No, something much more arcane that I hope to be clarified very shortly.

If Scott Nicholls can't ride Championship Speedway, why should Chris Harris? The amount of doubling up of riders of increasingly higher standard has become ludicrous. It prevents any chance of team speedway being taken seriously by anyone other than the ever-dwindling number of die-hards.

It doesn't matter which club a rider is an asset of, when it comes to the crunch, he'll ride where he wants to.

I did see that sports journalist Oliver Holt had retweeted the Oxford Mail story about the possibility of getting Speedway and Greyhounds back in Oxford. He said let' get the speedway back.

id not say more switched on id rather say too much managerial influence and biassed towards there own opinions

At the end of every season...every speedway rider should have or be given an average which is in black and white there for all to see.

Which would be too low considering his experience and ability. Yet another ringer!

Poundland

Cannot believe that Wrighty will not be with us.

Do I look stupid enough to be married? Actually ..don't answer that

Joel Anderson signs 5.2

Seems like the promoters don’t like an early start.

When Wolves first signed Klindt it was a joy watching him go round the boards. Then he broke his shoulder blade and was out for some time. He returned a different rider and seems nervous in traffic which i think explaines why he is OK when he gates and is out on his own.

All Tigers Fans, The next of the monthly STAARS gatherings this closed season will be this Thursday 14th December 2017 at the New Barrack Tavern Pub on Penistone Road, Sheffield (0.5 mile south of Owlerton Stadium) from 7:30pm. As always it's a chance for Tigers fans, riders and management to catch up, have a chat and a few drinks from the NBT's excellent selection and hear any news/updates from the club during the silly season. New 2018 signing Charles Wright and Tigers co-promoter Peter Mole will be joining us this Thursday. All are welcome !!!

Did we ever want them running our club? Nobody will support this. Neil do your mate a favour and tell him not to waste his time or Brandon Estates money, I've never seen anything so obviously doomed to fail. If the league has any sense they will reject your application as you won't make it through the season. Brandon Estates will then point to that failure as proof that Coventry Bees are financially unviable and use it to strengthen their argument to build on Brandon. I suspect this is the motivation behind the whole thing.

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.