salty

My picture - especially when he's ranting about "dishing it out and not being able to take it" etc etc - is the Jack Nicholson character in "A Few Good Men"

I'd agree with you. I seem to recall a thread which discussed this site (assumed it was the Speedway in Wales one, but it obviously wasn't) and the consensus view was the same.

Thought I'd resurrect this thread having read this news on the BBC this morning. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-28778032 Probably not relevant from a Speedway point of view, but you never know......

That last question is the crucial one for me. Can't see any reason to name a number 8 if you have no intention to use him. Given the ease of the home win, it's clear there were no circumstances where they would have used him, other than injuries.Its not like football where youngsters used to get named in the squad just to get a taste of the match day experience.

Lots of ragged starts all night, the one he finally decides to pull back was by no means the worst. Fair play to Cookie for his answer to the Alex Edberg question - he could have embarassed her even more.

The result might read Cradley, but come on, the quartet of riders representing them are four riders currently riding for other clubs who have never had any connection to the Heathens (Not sure about Kyle Newman). Given that the real Cradley are riding tonight, you can hardly expect many Heathens fans to buy into the concept last night. No problem with the Brummies and Cheetahs having a chance to show support for their sadly defunct clubs, maybe it would have been better to have had the final team as the Reading Racers. Might even have been able to get some ex-Racers involved as well - Ostegaard, Mills, Simota?. But I guess having the "Heathens" involved would be probably more attractive for the purse strings.

Genuine mistake from Pirate Nick I'm sure, but comical to see Starry jump out of the woodwork.

Don't think you have to make assumptions. The changes in the gradings throughout the season are documented as are the changes to the rules.Two things we know as absolute facts. 1. Benji Compton has fallen from 15 to 25. 2 . The ruling regarding replacements graded below 24 ( not guests) was altered sometime between the list published 30th July and the one published 6th august. Going back to the other point you make regarding how the draft was compiled, the Star of December 14th last year says of Phil Morris and Neil Vatcher - "the duo joined forces to rank and grade the riders". The rest of the article focuses on the draft process rather than the grading. Not sure if Vatcher has any continuing role in the grading. One would hope not given his role as Lakeside team manager, but you never know!

Why would you assume that? If you look at the various listings of the FTR gradings on the BSPA site the wording regarding guests changed in May (as per the link you've added) The wording regarding replacements (thus the same rules applying to both guests and replacements) was only added on 6th August.

The rule you have put up relates only to guest riders. Read 17.7 - A GUEST RIDER (G) - replaces an absent regular team member subject to the following: All the other points down to 17.7.11 therefore relate to guests only. Edit : Amazing how Starry comes back out when he thinks he's right. Sorry lads you've misread the rule - we had previously covered the date of this rule change (relating to guests only!) last Tuesday.

Zimbabwean, think he was born in Harare

Wasn't hay fever was it?

Sad news. Watched him during his years with the Dons. Top bloke. RIP.

No other rider has moved anywhere near as much though. As far as I can tell since the first list was posted the next biggest mover has been Max Clegg who has moved from 28 to 20. However, two riders who were above him are now not on the list due to retirement and it is reasonable to accept that a rider of his tender years would show improvement throughout the year. Benji has been around that long, we should be aware by now what he is capable of. His years of experience (and modest achievement for a number of PL clubs) were reflected in his positioning at 15. I don't recall anybody saying that he was saddled with too high a grading earler in the season and there seems no plausible reason why he should now be graded below riders such as Tim Webster and Liam Carr.

So who can replace Lee Payne now who couldn't replace him last weekend? Nobody. The only rider who couldn't replace him before the rule change who now can is Compton at 25 - and he's already spoken for.

He could have been replaced by Benji as a guest without this rule change (once Benji "slumped" to 25)!

The only other rider currently in a 1-7 who is ranked below 24 is Lee Payne at 26. This rule change doesn't affect him as he can still only be replaced by riders who are ranked below him.

Thought this thread was pretty reasonable until Gustix started his usual moaning. For someone who never misses an opportunity to denigrate the BSF he spends an awful lot of time on here. BSF not highly regarded by Speedways administrators? Thank goodness for that - the feeling is largely mutual.

Not hard to see why.Apparently after the meeting he was quoted "Last week I was gutted about missing the World Cup, but this week the removal of the JJR moniker has been like a weight lifted off my shoulders. This season has been awfully tough with this handicap so it feels like a fresh start. It is hard to put your finger on how it affects you, but you just sense people are more reserved and distant around you, they don't make eye contact - its like you've got some sort of infectious disease. It has been tough, just look how it has affected Patrick this year." MJJ hopes that the East of England keyboard stalker will now leave him alone, "you don't like to wish ill on a fellow rider, but that Brady Kurtz is not only quick, but incredibly fresh faced"

To be fair it's not really 2 sides. Its practically everybody (except Starry).

Also missing from the situation is any explanation as to why the rule change was made with so little(relatively) of the regular season remaining. Also why implement a rule change that in effect only affects one rider.

Nice prediction Orion.

Yet in this weeks Speedway Star, the top 25 on actual meetings this year has Compton on 8.18. Can't tell you what Brendan is running at, but he's not in the Top 25 - what a shocker!!

"amasing" that you can tell how long it took me to try and "yet again' make you see a bit of sense. As others have said it actually is a waste of time to trying to talk sense to you, but I'll have another go. Nobody is saying that using Benji is illegal - we are aware that Poole have got permission. What we are saying - and there is widespread agreement from the majority of posters, including a refreshing number of Poole fans - is that the process of how they came to be able to sign Compton is massively flawed.

What are you on about now? Do you not understand that Compton is now 25 and Johnson is 27. No other team will be able to sign a rider who is graded higher than the rider he is replacing. There have been a number of clearly written posts in the past couple of days which have explained in great detail how this "process" has worked yet you still don't seem to grasp what has happened. It's not a Poole thing it's a hate rule bending thing.