gazzac

Do you play poker Sings, I'm not very good but can see an earner possible here!

If it is Ablitt think that's a good team with the points allowed and a team that should attract the crowds on the Island, well done to IOW management.

Morley then?

Think you could be right, if it had been 40+ think both maybe would have stayed. Think it's sad really that we may have seen the pinnacle of the NL in terms of development, but I don't want open up that argument again, just feel as usual a low points limit can only do harm.

From the angle of putting together a team in the championship on a budget I suppose with the Lakeside/Cook/Eastbourne collaboration the expected team will be put together with no loan fees? If as I suspect that is probably the case, when you look at the unease on the Birmingham section ref the team for this year, think we can be pretty happy with the team. Think Eddie's average is a bit high, but be good to see him back having seen him in the second halves all those years ago.

As usual Eastie will be forecast to be bottom 4 and as usual will more than likely end up in the top 4. If that is the final 7 as expected, can't see us losing at home with that strength in depth of riders who ride well at Arlington. Think it will be a pretty open league this year which can only be good .

Look after him for us, he's a lovely lad and as you say such a natural on a bike, nailed on 2 pointer for Eastie in 2020.

On a slightly different note, wonder with John Cook back in charge whether we'll see the return of Kevin Coombes as the announcer? Would be a great addition to the line up, always enhanced the atmosphere, remember him fondly winding up the Poole fans when we were in Elite and had Nicki Pedersen riding against them.

Hope you get Edwards and Brooks, they'll be great to watch next season and both will improve I'm sure.

That's what 36 point's does, even matching 38 like the championship and 2 point newbies would have made the league work well as a development league, the word being development even at Kemp's level, although keeping 39 would have been even better.The power's to be have never learnt in any league in any decade that a too low points limit never works, and will drive more fans away.

Hope BWD is back to Eastie, be great to have him back as we set him on his way over here and would have had him back for a second season if the rules hadn't changed.

I think you know the answer!

Probably add Brennen and Wood to the tally shortly.

Only plus side for Kent is at least they know they won't be going into 2019 to lose yet another semi final to Eastie in all competitions!!

I'm really looking forward to Eastbourne making the step up, but I will miss the NL which on the whole has been really great over the last 4 seasons. One other thing just through the nature of supporting a club, most of the posts ( mine anyway) tend to be in the section the club rides in. Think the general tone on this section is so much better than the leagues above, and although I don't 'know' the posters on here you always feel you do. Obviously the Eastie posters and some from here post on both,whether it'll be quite so friendly remains to be seen.

Pants away in the old Elite league, hopefully we can carry on with the away form we've had this year in the NL, unlikely though with tougher opposition.

42 and leave it at that for 2 seasons for a bit of continuity, sensible limit that should keep a decent level of riders, but allowing the youngsters to develop. Won't happen though, made the same post over the last few seasons, so no dought it'll dilute again to 36 points.

Think it'll be down to costs/level of both leagues. If the NL was diluted to say 36 points don't think Eastie would want to drop to that level nor most of the fans, if it was at least 42 maybe still the best place to be . If costs and level of the championship were reduced from last year would probably be a good move taking Wood, Brennan and probably Edwards with them as a base to start the team with Brooks to follow at some point in the future after another year with someone in the NL. Think the prospect of seeing the likes of Somerset and Leicester would boost crowd levels as well, whether enough for the Dugards to make the leap not sure, but we'll see!

What Mildenhall have done is totally unacceptable, although this particular meeting should and could have been run in June. It just enhances my opinion that apart from maybe a challenge match first off, ditch the NT, get on with league fixtures which would help get over the problem of average manipulation keeping a high scoring reserve in that position for half the season by delaying league fixtures, run fixtures properly through the summer, not a 6 week break, finishing them by the end of August or 1st week of September, call this a cut off date but can't believe fixtures wouldn't be completed if there was no NT, solving the problem we're presented with ref this fixture. Should be able to fit Ko cup matches in that time frame as well with no NT.

It's still all comes down to the playoff debate who deserves to be called champions , but can't see the 'authorities' changing it whether we like it or not. Personally don't like it, but it has been said before Eastbourne have a gain/loss ratio of 0 gained, 3 'losses' since 2002. If they do win the playoff, from day 1 of the season Connor Dugard said he was building a team not necessarily to top the league but be the best come the playoff final, suppose thinking of the improvement through the season of the likes of Edwards, Brooks, Brennen, with probably the unexpected phonominal form of Wood especially at home. So if they do grab the league from Mildenhall it will be planned and deserved within the current rules, doing the double proving it was no fluke, if Mildenhall pull it back, well done and well deserved , although think with the confidence the team are riding with at the moment, Eastbourne will keep the loss to 12, and if they keep an early Mildenhall onslaught under control could even be less .

I hope you're right with the team, but fear "mates" will win over in the end.

Baseby and Powell will be back at Eastie next year I expect disregarding form or the prospect of an average rise. Been the case over the last 2/3 seasons.

Kelsey is quite capable of scoring 0 without family orders! But if there were any unlikely to listnen as he's been sacked more than once by his brother.

I think Eastie will get the 20 point + lead looking at the line ups, and they'll be really confident of keeping it under that in the away leg given their current form. Baseby and Powell will probably score more than the last home fixtures as well.

The chopping and changing of fixtures this season have been really annoying, would have gone to the Mildenhall fixture in June and could have watched the playoff semi and final if they'd been run on the usual Saturdays, cannot unfortunately do midweek and had something preplanned this Sunday from last year. So 4 of us have missed out and Eastie have missed 4 people coming to 3 meetings. Sorry to repeat myself but run through the summer, drop the NT and get on with the league and ko cup. Fixtures completed by first week of September, no pointless league fixtures after then. Playoffs and KO cup final to start the following week, should be completed at worst by early/mid October, not 30th weather permitting. I know this should be in the 2019 season really, but who knows where that's going with stucture etc.