Leaderboard

Paulco.

Rider of the year: James Sarjent, for single handedly doubling the length of time it takes to run a meeting, what great value for money Most impressive team: Poole for managing to cheat their way to a title yet again Team rider of the season: Chris Holder One to watch: Matt Fraud Bulldog award (Best British rider): Rory Schlein Meeting of the season: Eastbourne vs Mildenhall 26/10/18 Surprise of the season: That the sport managed to survive it Underperformers (Team): BSPA Unluckiest rider: James Sargent, the refs keep picking on him Newcomer of the season: Martin Vaculik

I thought I'd watch this on catch-up after seeing this here. Good luck to Blair. I hope he gets himself sorted out in the rehab that they sent him to. I wonder if this is one of those cases of someone involved in sport desperate to regain the adrenaline rush that they have lost after finishing their careers. I felt very sad for him watching this. He wasn't your typical "Jeremy Kyle" type guest who comes on screaming and shouting, and his family were clearly a bit embarrassed to have to resort to putting him on the show. He looked emotional throughout and seemed to genuinely want help. No way did he come across as a "scum bag". I think he is lucky in that his family clearly care about him. I hope they do some sort of catch-up programme in the future and he is doing well.

I have said a similar thing probably this last 3 years but used a % reduction for riders. Fans would then be used to familiarity year on year.

i predict Kings Lynn will top the team vote but Poole will win on a technicality

Wolves were Friday's until Dan McCormack & CVS swapped nights with the Brummies. It was a great start to the weekend (socially) when it was Friday racing!

................Totally Honest John......best read, witty, sensible, fearless, adding to a wonderful Workington season.......roll on 2019 marra....

For balance my vote goes to Crump99 for his lighted hearted positive outlook on everything

Jesus.... don’t make that ego any bigger Was almost finished putting flags out after he got banned... when he made his return post three cheers to totallyridiculousjohn

Fair play, never having smoked or drunk or gambled. But i have a different perspective. I've known alcoholics who are lovely people. People with gambling addictions. I wouldn't class them as scumbags, given that I happen to like a drink but am lucky enough to be able to choose when I drink. I know a number of people who were incredibly nice until they got hooked on Crystal meth - yes obviously not a smart thing to take, but the scumbags to me are those who sell that crsp not the addicts.

Would that be a 70" TV?

Posting on here can be classed as an addiction

Every man and his dog knows heroin is addictive. To take that first shot is your choice. You make that choice to be an heroin addict. Nobody who takes that $#!+ deserves sympathy, especially ripping your own parent off for £40k plus. I don't consider my life as boring and I done drink, smoke, do drugs or gamble. Even with all the health issues I'm currently dealing with, unable to work for 2 years so far, I will not go down that route of taking up things that become addictive. I don't expect people to feel sorry for me so I have no time for someone who's an addict. All addicts are scumbags and have no thought for others.

As an idea for encouraging team continuity; how about allowing a discount on rider averages for team building purposes if a rider stays at the same club for the new season. For example a rider finishes with an average of 7.49. If he stays with same club then a discount of half a point is given for team building purposes. His average becomes 6.99 if he stays put, but remains 7.49 if he changes teams. Even if the entire team is retained the total benefit is just 3.5 points. Not enough to unbalance the league, but enough to encourage retaining riders.

You sound nice.

The problem with the promoters in my opinion is not that they deliberately want to run the sport into the ground, it makes no sense for them to purposely lose their money, but the system that has been created makes it impossible for the sport to function properly. There are too many conflicts of interest and pulling in opposing directions. What the sport needs is for decisions to be made in the best interests of speedway as a whole but unless someone independent is elected to make these decisions things will just carry on as they are, leading to a slow and painful death. The argument that it’s the promoter’s money doesn’t stand up for me. What other sport operates in this way? You wouldn’t get Malcolm Glazer and Roman Abramovic making up the rules of football so why do we have to put up with it. Tsunami clearly had the best interests of Newcastle at heart and anyone who puts their cash into speedway has my respect but the sport needs an independent, honest, respected leader. And to your rival moxey63, get well soon.

Your post says a lot about you as an individual

OK I dunno if this is a dumb idea or been considered before (I'm newly back into speedway after living abroad) I'll take the championship as an example. Currently the team limit is 42.5 I would suggest that any team from 2018 is allowed to keep their same team regardless of how their riders averages have improved. If they replace a rider: if the current team average is above 42.5, then the new rider must be lower than the leaving rider. (so team average could possibly still be above 42.5) if the current teams average is below 42.5 then they can replace however they like, as long as the new average is at/below 42.5 The idea behind this is that it would be better if we don't have to break up successful teams and should be able to get some consistency in teams instead of the merry-go-round of riderrs to teams and teams have motivation to improve and keep riders without having to then ditch a rider if they improve too much due to team average.

If it was a fishing match there can only be one winner, the mighty JCF ....

Every bit as worthwhile listening to him in he flesh too

Just for the record, in my line of work I have come across many addicts. It is an illness no matter how it started. The reality is that addicts come from all waulks of life, some have decent upbringings, many don’t. Reality is very few succesfully overcome their addiction. For the minority that do, I respect them rather than refer back to what they were when their addiction had hold as they have fought and won a battle few can. Remember addiction can come about from legit sources as well as illegal drugs. This case as it stands, it’s his family my heart goes out to. For their sake, I hope he proves to be in the strong minority

I agree about the fixture list should be completed but if the fixture list was not compiled properly or fixtures changed then changed back again then one can hardly blame the clubs involved. also this was about the third attempt to run the fixture!

Also, why would it be a fitting final with a Peterborough side having 3 of their own riders & 4 guests!

Well you are from Suffolk!!!

Rider of the year - got to be Craig Cook , it's a pleasure watching him every home meeting . Impressive team - only one candidate here - Workington Team rider - Paul Starke , racked up the bonus points in the Glasgow engine room . One to watch - Josh Pickering . The confines of his home track isnt suited to his all action style . Watch his progress rocket if he moves away to somewhere like Scunthorpe Bulldog award - again Craig Cook Meeting of the season - Scunthorpe v Glasgow the day after Cardiff Surprise of the season - Berwick's dads army looked basement dwellers , They were anything but that . Underperformers - Ipswich's season was blighted by injury which was the main reason they finished mid table Unluckiest rider - youmg Dan Bewley . Hope this bad injury doesnt halt his progress Newcomer - the young laddie at Ipswich - Drew Kemp - what a prospect he is

I'm not prepared to say goodbye to my team just yet....even if that means groundhopping while every avenue is explored with regards to a new stadium. It's not fair to judge the move to Rye House based on the past few weeks. Cold weather, rain-offs and electrical faults left a sour taste but I'd like to see a season with full preparation and then make up my mind. No, it's not Arena Essex and never will be but it's still OUR TEAM. Couple of positives is the pub next door and i can still have my pre match 5 guys via Harlow!

Well I can honestly say my pockets jingled more when Maggie Thatcher was PM

Wrong way round, Edinburgh won the 2010 league with 74 pts to 2nd place Newcastle's 58. Newcastle beat Sheffield in the 2010 Play - Off Final 101 - 89, and then lost the PROMOTION/ RELEGATION RACE-OFF to Ipswich 76 - 110 The magnificent Edinburgh team of 2014 went one better, as in addition to winning the League Play-Off, KO Cup, & League Cup, they also topped the League table with 74 pts, followed by Somerset on 67.

Maybe he was gesturing to one person in the crowd,,,, did you not do it back to him Tj ?

Surely with everyone being so well off the riders could pay their own - after all they are probably using £50 notes as toilet paper

Agree. He's making himself look like a plonker... £100 is my whole weeks shopping for 3. £75. "cheap jeans", the man says £15 are cheap jeans !! £75 for a "shirt" £10 -£15 £75 " half a tank of fuel" My Mr average car costs £65 to fill it up!!

Having been confined to hospital the past week, your attacks on my posts mean nothing. The morphene seems to make them even funnier. I have a broken femur and shoulder, really painful, the fault of an idiot who apparently didn't see me when he pulled into a junction and i crashed over his bonnet, hit my head on his screen and then fell onto the floor. Most painful experience I have had. A 12 inch rod knocked into my leg and screws everywhere. Now, the driver has admitted it was his fault, the police too, and the taxi driver who caught it on his dash cam. But not one of them could provide proof that my freebie had brought speedway to where it is now. But they said at least I survived my near death experience. What is speedway, they asked.

What about all those that couldn’t make it to KL but have supported the team all season? Fair play to those that made the long trek to KL, very much doubt the club would survive on these fans alone.

Well saidNickRushbrook a voice of reason at last from Lakeside. Here are a few facts: You do not have your own home (really hope that changes but boy you might be surprised how hard that is) Not enough Lakeside fans attended the matches at Rye to make it viable in the Championship Therefore you need a large group of Rye House fans to go as well Anybodys dreaming if they think that will change by moving to Eastbourne So the idiots at Lakeside who slag of the stadium (granted its not the Royal Albert Hall but there again nor was the Arena Essex Gravel Pit) who slag off the track (yep it was bold as a babys bottom but why didn't Lakeside keep the shale after their last meeting?) slag off the food (get real). All this did was alienate the Rye House fans whom see above you so need. Yes there were a number of valid issues but why insult your host when you have no home to go to yourself. NickRushbrook I hope the close season brings you good news for Lakeside you at least you deserve it

Well I guess Shovvy ain't going. As he said watching the 2nd leg at Lynn with about 200 fans was enough for him

Obviously you have not checked the rules for the Championship in 2018 & previous years. THERE ARE PLAY OFFS & everyone knows the rules before the start so no one was robbed.

What a shame it's just riders. Up until a few years ago we always had Annual Forum Member Awards in the close season with various categories.

Listen Steve, many people cannot take time off work on a whim. They have FULL TIME jobs, many people and if you read my post cannot afford to spend the best part of £100 it would have cost for the trip assuming more than one go. Many people are not, alledgedly in your postion. You say people are better off now that they have ever been, rubbish that i will not agree with you on. Read my posts, i see and hear it every week.

I think you don't understand what addiction means if that is what you believe. Perhaps it is theoretically possible to live a life without doing anything which is potentially addictive, but it would be a pretty boring life...

Just because he was a Speedway rider, why all this sympathy nonsense for this scumbag? He made the choice to go down that path and his poor parents now have to face retirement over £40k down from their hard earned. The other family members are the ones that deserve the sympathy and best wishes. Yes, hopefully Blair can come out the other side, but at the end of the day he'll still be a scumbag I have no time for, for making those choices in life. Addiction is a choice, everyone knows what will get you hooked. Drugs, gambling, smoking, drinking etc, they are choices, I have no sympathy for these people.

I’m pretty certain the back straight bogs will be incorporated into the new look stadium Orlovski.

Thanks for the info, confirms I didn't imagine it long time ago and all that, though I think the guy who tried speedway on Magpie was Mick Robertson....

Any 6.1 rider would be a good reserve!

For what it is worth, I believe the Hammers will effectively cease to exist having now completed the season. Rye House was merely an expedient - I still do not understand the logic of the authorities in ruling we had to switch all remaining fixtures to RH rather than just run the ones we could not fit in at Arena - but then this is speedway , often devoid of any logic. RH is much, much worse than Arena - poor viewing, poor racing, poor lighting and, as others have said, not really a viable option without major and costly changes. Thanks for the memories.

no one can say they havnt tried can they

So the Championship league table will be incomplete.- could the SCB bring a charge against the BSPA for " bringing the sport into disrepute in 2018 " ?

A decision will have to be made by the AGM in mid November so instead of potentially harmful speculation, for the sake of waiting 3 weeks or so why not watch this space. You might find a few surprises. Jon has already dropped a heavy hint that next season has already been discussed with the riders and all would be interested in returning, although of course the points limit means they can't all have places. As I understand it, nothing has yet been ruled in or out, but IF Lakeside return we might well expect a different shape and differently prepared track to the one we inherited. Its a shame the season was tarnished by Rob Gofreys influence and the necessary move to Rye but up til the time we left Arena I thought it was the best and most entertaining team for several years.

Congratulations to Workington. I was one of those who thought it looked a poor team at the start of the season but happy to be proved wrong. Nice to see Bickley making another good contribution last night. Credit to the Workington management for sticking with him earlier in the year when he was struggling. I know they said at the start of the season there was no pressure on him but that's often said by teams and that rider is then the first to make way for changes. He's ended up more than playing his part in this success.

As a matter of principle it can never be the right for the authorities to sanction the breaking of rules. They should change the rule if it is shown to be stupid or unworkable. However, in this case the rule was sensible and yet all concerned agreed to ignore the rules and agreed to the use of an illegal guest. Can you imagine the headlines if this happened in a major sport and isn't that we we aspire to be. They changed the rule relating to different teams using the same guest and that was sensible, albeit embarrassing. They didn't change the guest rider rule because they knew that it is sensible to allow the additional 5% for a guest at home but not away. The logical rationale behind the rule is that the vast majority of riders have a higher home average than their GSA but the opposite applies away, where most riders have a lower average than their GSA.

THE legendary Trevor Redmond used to promote stock cars at St Austell. En route to the track from his London home he would more often than not call in to see Barry Briggs and "borrow" one of Briggo's magnificent trophies that he had acquired during his career. TR would place it in full view on the centre green at St A and the drivers would assume that it was up for grabs that evening. At the meeting's conclusion, TR would present the winner with a cheap little trophy he had bought in somewhere like Woolworth and drop Briggo's back to him on the way home. Loved that man ... could tell stories all night long.