gazzac

Think you're right on 4 of 5, just have a feeling that Kelsey won't figure in the picture after last season from club and rider point of view . After those 4 all depends on the points limit as you say. Will Charlie Saunders do a season? Although I think not, would be a good start to have him and Edwards at reserve.

It's the current rules and ok and I've seen Drew ride for us (Eastie) and against us, best prospect of all the newbies including Brennen and Jenkins, just a shame he's not riding for us next year, envy Mildenhall!

It was tried in the elite league for one season about 14 years ago. Although it seemed/seems a good idea it caused more problems than averages as there were arguments at the cut off point between say an A and a B grade rider, and within those grades there were some that missed out because they seemed poor value within the grades. Whatever system you use in speedway it's always far from perfect and open to abusing the rules but think averages are still slightly better than grading, agree need a team building average of at least 40, preferably 42. The killer for the nl is doubling up, one rule I would bring in is you can only do it in 2 leagues,if you're good enough to ride in championship and premiership, nl shouldn't be for you.

No challenge matches at the start of the season,straight into Ko cup or NT,and make more use of June/July,never seems enough fixtures then,get the finals of the KO cup and NT done by the end of August,leaving September and early October for the last league matches and playoffs. Doubling up/down will probably scupper it though.

Certainly not.

It's on our site saying the Mildenhall leg 4.00 pm and the challenge match at 6.00 pm, so does seem the challenge match will be knocked on the head. Again the inability to get enough fixtures done earlier in the year affects fixtures at the end of the season. Sunday at 6.00 unfortunately is no good for me, so having gone all year will miss out on hopefully winning the ko cup again. Just think back to the nice Saturday evenings in the spring and summer with no fixtures, and if we get a few wet days next weekend it won't get completed. (Rant over! )

I did see the FIXTURES, but there was no mention of what the challenge match was about on the website, only on Facebook and Twitter, having put the fixture up, I would have assumed they'd have given a bit of info about it at the same time as loading the fixture on.

Some of us older folk tend not to venture too much on social media, but you'd still think they'd put something on the club website as well, although I expect that'll disappear at some point and it'll only be Facebook or Twitter.Still think it unwise to have the 31st as a reserve date, if wet that's it, could be no conclusion to the ko cup if we don't run this Saturday.

I see there's a fixture at Arlington on Sunday 29th at 6.00pm, Forman IT Eagles vs Eastbourne,does anyone know what that is? The forecast for this Saturday is horrible,so would have thought that date should have been put by for the Ko cup final( preferably 3.30) if it does get rained off this Saturday as the 28th is taken by stockcars.

That's a really good summary of the meeting and we felt exactly the same. I stand just before the start line and was having exactly that discussion with a fellow fan, how is it we could see it happening and no one running the meeting couldn't? On the issue of information given out ref the abandonment, Steve our commentator has improved this year, but we still need more info really on items like this, and could do with a bit more build up and info before racing to help the atmosphere, both against Kent and BV the stadium was quiet until the parade lap with no buzz, also don't think there was any music playing either before 7.30 which always used to help with the build up, interspersed with info.

By that time I think the fog had started to affect races from heat 12, and having missed the gate Bates was going to struggle to pass. I think it's possible we could have had a bigger lead, or even with Bewley getting going potentially a smaller one. It's just the point that we will never know because of the slow running of the meeting especially the interval when it was obvious that the fog was filling in quickly . But you're right, think even if we had got a 16/20 point lead wouldn't have been enough, but at least we'd have come away having witnessed a good win instead of rushing to the car park to beat the queue getting out.

Well what a disappointing end to another league campaign. We drove through sea fog on the way to track so was pretty obvious early on in the meeting it was getting colder and the fog would get worse. There seemed no urgency getting the meeting through and the interval was ridiculous as by then it was really difficult to see across the track. May not have made any difference to the final gap but we'll never know now and 12 unfortunately won't be enough.

From an outsider's point of view I'm sure the moaning is unfortunately to do with what seems disinterested management/promotion and the location of the track ( Friday night traffic etc) so doesn't really matter what league Lakeside are in people will moan as they're dissatisfied anyway. . I've done a 100 mile round trip to Eastie for the last 18 years along the A27, but i have to be honest never found it to much grief normally taking just over an hour each way from West Sussex. Although not everybody likes our actual track, because of it's location it's always a pleasant place to arrive at, which on my one visit to Lakeside a few year's ago was so bleak when I went, that's no slight on the fan's by the way just it's location. From word go when Eastie dropped to the NL, we had new management with Martin and Connor, not the drag over from the Elite and they even stated they wanted to make speedway a 'club' again. They must have succeeded pretty well as you hardly ever see any moaning on the Eastbourne section on here as most seem happy with the club if not the bspa, fair success has helped of course Don't know how you resolve it as both problem's are hard to rectify,but the start must come from the top I suppose.

Think it'll be a big home win for both legs, it'll come down who's up for the challenge on the away leg. Although with their big home wins this season BV would seem the favorites, if Eastie can get a healthy lead at home and fight for everything from word go away, it's no way a done deal. If either do a ' Kent/Lakeside ', especially Eastie in the second leg and have three 5/1's against in the first three heat's, game over.

Not sure but has Bewley ever riden at Arlington? Don't remember seeing him ride. Even someone of his calibre could find the tight turns tricky, only rider in this league who mastered it straight away was JPB , and he's been terrific to watch on every visit, hopefully Bewley doesn't master it as quickly as he did.

Same track for Saturday please, hopefully unsettle BV a bit with a grippy track and our tight bends.

Well I wasn't expecting that! Everyone rode well together, and with Jake back if we ride like that and BV still win convincingly well just confirms the best team. A special mention must go to the track staff, the track was brilliant all night, plenty of racing lines and plenty of dirt, hope the weather plays ball next Saturday so it can be the same.

A lot depends on the first 5/6 heats, if Lakeside hold their own and all of a sudden it's still a 15 point deficit with 9 heats to go anything can happen, on the flip side a few 5/1's to BV and a 4/6 deficit will quickly come to them and they'll romp away and be in the final.

I think Kent were at a peak the last time they played us at Arlington and caught us slightly off guard and we didn't perform that well. Even if we have to go r/r for Jake, I think after the spirit of the first leg, I'm hoping it'll be normal service resumed with a 6/8 point win . If we hit them hard in the first half dozen heats and get a fair lead, could even be a bigger win.

I must be lucky I've never been to any track and had 'agro '. I can imagine some riders can stir up the opposing fans, and we were lucky to have the past master in that in Nicki Pedersen, but what an atmosphere it created. Banter is part of it between fans and riders, but 99.9% do it in good humour, things like the Danny Ayres booing make me laugh.

I see Saturday 28th October is the stock car grande finalle fireworks night. So if Eastie do go through against Kent only leaves 2 Saturday nights/Sunday afternoons available. I can see the usual praying for dry weather, and last month panic to get 2 finals in, same as usual I suppose.

Playoffs were made for the TV audience, don't know why the NL have them, always leads to fixtures not being fullfilled in time, and the farce with guests, and as AJ says running them in our lovely autumn weather.

I know I'm opening up the old debate again, but how exciting would the nl league have been this year if the champions were the team who came top over the season. Not only could Kent , Eastie and BV have won it on the last match, but with no September cut off at least all fixtures would be played, imagine the pressure of the Eastie match at Cradley. Now we have a situation that through upper league fixtures not bad form that BV may not even make the final. I know it's an old argument, but the first year Eastie and Birmingham came to the Nl in 2015, the team who came top winning the league followed by the Gold cup was far better really.

Consistency and any bspa rules don't normally go hand in hand, so probably won't be used again.

Thanks for clearing that up Jayne, still don't remember it being given to anyone else with a similar situation, on hindsight he should have been more canny with his excuse, but I'm sure he thought the mechanical issues were reason enough.