Leaderboard

Or, you have a good season and ride yourself out of a job.

What’s wrong with the team above ? Another even team , it’s really difficult this season building to 38 points. Look at other teams so far ; Somerset have gone top heavy with two 2 pointers never rode at this level before , Glasgow will go exactly the same way with a long tail . Who ever our full 1-7 are going to be , we will have 7 riders who WANT to ride for Worky and who will get my full support. It showed this season never underestimate the team on paper. Can’t see Charles Wright ever donning a comets bib

Newman reached his level and of anything gone backwards and injuries haven’t helped There can’t be a speedway fan out there who would rather have Newman than Charles Wright

With the standard dropping, the admission price should also drop to reflect this. Otherwise, my fear is, a lot of fans will vote with their feet. The likes of Eastbourne had no choice, but to move up.

I'm very sad to see Buxton leave the league every professional sport needs to provide grass roots access for newcomers and Buxton have consistently maintained this ethos by encouraging youth and sharing the facility for newbie track days. Some of that will no doubt continue but a league profile helps although at what cost? If the top two leagues had merged and CL clubs had "dropped" to the NL there is no doubt other clubs would have had to exit. The win at all costs mentality and some of the absolutely outrageous pay rates in all leagues being discussed right now tell me that after the leanest season in decades the operators and participants of the sport have learned very little, if anything from a horrendous 2018. Keith Chapman saving the top league has probably prevented Speedway's Armageddon but for how long? Good luck to everyone at Buxton

Nonsense, their averages are also low for the same reason. There's no 5-6 pointer out there that will score 5 or 6 week in week out. Some weeks they'll get 3 the next 8. The only rider's that will show real consistency are your 9 point plus rider's. Between Charles Wright and Kyle Newman there's no contest on potential improvement. Wright can do a job as a 2nd string / 3rd heatleader, Newman only delivers as a reserve.

Sad to see Buxton not riding. Jayne and family have done a marvellous job keeping Buxton going in difficult circumstances. Thanks for all your efforts

Cos if the 7th doesn't go through depending on who else is available, you might have to change part of the team. Like last season Poole couldn't confirm Shanes til Linus was signed.

Wouldn't expect worky to benefit,nothing new,we stand alone

Welcome Bradley Wilson Dean!

Big rumours that both riders are fixed up, so I hope you're not too disappointed when they don't land Regards THJ

Isn't it strange, you have have a relatively poor season, drop your average and suddenly everyone wants you. Only in speedway!

Because we appear to be the only country that does not prioritise our own riders and we blooming well should.

I know for a fact that one top rider was offered terms, only for him to sign for someone else so top riders are being spoken to. I think toontrader is spot on with his post above. Let the money clubs outbid others with silly money, and the other riders will know they aren't going there, so they might think they need to get signing for someone.

Worrying news for other clubs knowing that Tungate might be signing for them. great value at the NSS tho.

Yep Auty over worrall at scunny every time

It's always difficult when there is a change of race night and it's not going to suit everyone. However, the fact remains that we need to try and attract a new and younger audience somehow. I'm 50 and I often feel like the youngest there. When you used to look at the first bend you could see blue and yellow scarves, now it's grey hair and beige anoraks. If the change of race night starts to attract some kids who can be home before bedtime then all the better. Well done on the team building by the way, it looks a very exciting team and I will be making every effort to be there next season after a bit of a period of apathy.

They just don't understand the meaning of 'customer' do they, even after all the years of decline they have overseen. That comment indicates to me that Ulrich and Lambo will be in the team.....Please no

Alun Rossiter made a similar comment about keyboard warriors. These are your customers guys !!!!!!

I would rather see Josh Auty at N S S BETTER AVERAGE THAN BOTH WRIGHT AND HOWARTH and flyes round Belle Vue a rider who will give you 100% every time he is on track .Championship average Auty 8.90 Wright 8.86 Garrity 8.31 Howarth 7.97 but all home grown riders .Not Aussies so might not stand a chance.But as far as i know all live about 20 min from track Stalybridge.H0WARTH BACK AT wOLVES

I agree I think Somerset have a much better top 5 than Scunny, I don’t know enough about the respective reserves.

More importantly achieved that average riding in the 3rd heatleader position all year, none of that was achieved with a spell at reserve unlike many

i think they were one of the title favourites in 2018 . ended up with a lump of wood !

Congratulations - you've got a good bloke there. A great team man and getting better year after year.

The team will be whatever it will be and will get my support whoever puts on a comets bib.theres all kinds of speculation of what last season's riders will be doing and if any will be back but the person I'd like to see back more than any other is the one that's been absent from supporting the comets the last few years and put the club in a healthier position to continue.

now its starting to get interesting . very interesting . my cash is on sarj returning .

Some might see that as a waist of good nails

On bspa website ty blaming the distance he had to travel from home in sheffield to workington as a reason for leaving ohdear i can do more miles in a day and again the day after and so on , pretty lame reason me thinks !

Thing is Ray you need stable second strings not everyone can improve.That is what i hate about the average points limit continuity has now gone out the window you sometimes change riders and you are no better off.At Swindon over the years Hitch, Keen, Munday (RIP) Bouchard ect were no super stars but were loved by the fans and did there job.

Nick lives in Swindon.

Wright is a solid rider a rider i like i was a fan of his at Swindon he can also still improve. What i like about Wright is he has showed he can cope in the top 5 there are not to many of those riders around at the moment.

Think it may begin with ‘P’

I am praying we are not going to be in this garbage league it will be glorified mdl 5 pound entrance at the very most and that is possibly too much loads of wobblers and strung out heats woeful league ..

Riders probably don't give two hoots but fans do. Social media went crazy last year when we announced Doyle was coming back, and not because it was the World Champion but because it felt like 'one of our own'. The same would of happened this year if Jake, BWD and even more so Charles Wright was signed. The team might do well and looks reasonably strong (I use the term strong as being relevant, and use it loosely) in the league, but nothing about it excites me except seeing Covatti back. It doesn't scream Somerset, it doesn't scream exciting or entertaining, I've never liked Schlein, Harris is just topping up his retirement fund by now and if I have to pay £16 for the privilege I'm sure I'm not alone in considering whether I will bother or not. It is actually quite sad - I've never felt so downbeat about Speedway and Somerset Speedway in particular in 19 years of following them

Very sad to see Buxton go. It’s effectively a 38 point limit, with the newbies now coming in on a 2.00. I can see a few top end riders like Kemp & Bacon doing the upper leagues only.

Better than Wrighty and can increase his average? Not even in the same league IMHO

I still don't think the penny has dropped with most promotions (including Somerset) the fans & sponsors you do have support the team & riders you had, they bond with the riders & that bond/ support grows. When you have wholesale changes from one season to the next that bond has been lost! If you favorite, second, third & forth favorite riders has gone from the previous season then you may seriously consider continuing your support for YOUR team.

I think you are spot on. Normally we know our team by now so people can purchase season tickets based on the team. I know if I owned King’s Lynn and Peterborough and Ipswich I’d have my best team for Ipswich and have great pleasure in giving Lynn a poor team. Normally I can’t wait til the new season. Not this year. It seems we have sold our soul to the devil

Away from the nonsense for a minute or two . Other clubs are announcing signings , but nothing other than silence from the hallowed halls of Ashfield . I must confess that the ridiculous points limit doesnt fill me with enthusiasm for the new season and i worry about what will be served up in front of us because of that . The " i know something you dont know " mob will no doubt smugly post some cryptic bollocks about who we've got , happens every winter , but team building to 38 points must be a nightmare . If we have Cook it takes over 10 out of the 38 points . 6 riders for less than 28 points - seriously . We had that in the 80's with Steve Lawson and 6 of his mates keeping him company in the pits , it didnt work then and Cook cant win meetings on his own . Rumours on here from Workington alleging underhand tactics to get one of their riders with Rasmus Jensen seemingly fitting the bill ........really ? Ok he done well during Worky's glory charge in October , but he's never impressed me round Ashfield in the past - Kid Jensen would have been more competative . I'd have the engine room of last season , namely Vissing , Starke and Kerr back again , and play the numbers game from there , such as it is .

Shanes was unlucky to lose out last season and could easily slot in at number 7. For me Poole need to look the top end. Poole won many matches last season by their reserves totally out scoring the opposition reserves because Woryna/Worrall/Jacobsen were in those positions. Jacobsen will now be the main reserve and Woryna will have to step up markedly in the main body Kurtz is a no brainier and so I think is Klindt Kurtz Klindt Woryna Jacobsen Those are the only 4 riders I can see going back to Poole , Harris is to bigger risk on his inflated average that can only go one way. Can see Jack Holder being back and maybe Batchelor Poole need a big hitting number one but who would come? Poole got lucky winning the league last season and now have to lose points..... could be a tricky winter trying to get it right

Sad to read that Tungate has been released, though it was always likely to happen on that average. Really entertaining round the NSS, his pairing with Bewley in particular was dynamite & a joy to watch. If you had a top 10 list of races round there in 2018, he'd certainly feature in a few of those. The speed he could generate off that 4th bend was amazing & that move he'd pull shocked a fair few opponents for sure! Wish Rohan well & hope he gets a club soon.

I’m hoping those are all in along with Berge.

I think Vissing comes in on a 6.94 average StepK........so if we had to run with this type of team make up, I'd probably have Sargeant back in place of Greaves as we don't know how he'll be after his injury and long spell out.

Good team if it fits.

Howarth is a Must for me, if it wasnt to be Nicol then which other riders are available around his average ?

Good news. Just please don't call them the Lion Cubs.

I think if it applies to the other 2 and not Scott you may see the lawyers in action again

I hear and respect what you're saying. The way I see it, lowering the points limit to 38 is in general being accommodated at the lower end and as you say, forcing teams to include riders who are not necessarily ready for the step up. What has happened to the good old days where riders progressed on merit? This farcical points limit is driving me mad, diluting the CL, forcing riders out of work and killing speedway. I've never had such a downer about the season ahead as I have now and to be honest, I'm past the point of caring which is quite sad for a supporter of the Rebels since they started and a Bandits fan long before that. I will of course continue to support until the day I have nothing to support but many of the supporters I stood with years ago no longer do. I'm probably the last of at least 10. Watch out PL; the 38 points limit will be with you too!

But it won't because riders who had a Championship average previously, regardless of if they've rode in the Premiership, mantain their Championship averages. Riders like Harris, Nicholls, Cook, King, Schlein, Worrall, Morris, Lawson to name just a few are all available on their Championship average. The likelihood is they will increase that average this year but the points limit will be reset to 42.50 next season anyway to keep the standard we now have. If the points limit goes down again or is kept at 38.00 that is reducing the standard even further again. I will repeat it again but all the lower points limit has done has bought up more National League riders who will now replace second strings so people like Newman, Wilkinson, Morley etc will be the ones who don't get a team... not the double up riders! It beggars belief the BSPA couldn't see that happening! More to the point, if the top division is going to be riding on a Monday and Thursday when no other Championship fixtures are taking place, why do we need to phase out double uppers? Surely it was only because a clash of dates and riders missing why it needed scrapping in the first place?

Correct but he isn't the only rider owned by the BSPA... however riders can't officiaĺly go where they want until a laid down procedure has been exhausted... the official procedure is (very) roughly and very loosely applied as follows... the club who would like to sign a rider should ask the BSPA/or parent club/promoter if they can make an approach to their asset. If this is sanctioned they then go to the club he was previously at and ask them if they are using the rider and if no... then they go for it... if yes his previous years club get the first opportunity to do a deal, now the rider and previious club might have already agreed they are moving on or the rider may say I want xxx to come back and there is a failure to agree and everyone moves on... Previous club and rider know the situation however this still doesn't give the rider free reign to negotiate as the parent club need to be asked if an appraoch can be made as they may wish to take him back and if the rider cant agree terms again... then its open season... however what is not supposed to happen is a rider agrees a deal/contract with one club only for another club to come in with a higher offer gazumping the club who thought they had a deal... I suppose in football terms it would be classed as an illegal approach, however it makes things very difficult for the club who had the original agreement to totally change tack when you are building to a set points limit. Its not just one rider that you potentiality lose you may have to ship out others (who have contacts already signed), the whole team may need revisiting to rebalance it when fitting in a different rider not included in the original team plans or running with a weaker team than expected. The process isn't ideal but the consequences can be huge if some order isn't followed... however the process shouldn't be circumvented and especially when the rider agrees a deal (and may have signed a contract) only for another club to come in and offer the rider (who had been happy with his deal/contract) ridiculous amounts to walk away and move to the new club as the highest bidder. It is actions like this that is skewing the whole payment structure creating absolute havoc with team building plans and sets unrealistic financial expectations amongst riders... I'm doing this on my phone and getting a headache straining my eyes looking at such a small screen so I will cut it there however what I will add is it is maybe time to bring in a grading structure to limit clubs scattergun team building approach or do away with the asset based structure we currently have and allow the BSPA to have all the assets and control them for the benefit of the whole sport applying sensible restrictions. More to follow... as no don't the usual abuse will need to be defended or the pedantic questions answered in microscopic fashion. However have at it and I may leave replies until tomorrow as my head is banging... need to go to Specsavers... Regards THJ