Aces51

I agree with with that. Chris has always been one of my favourite riders and the only rider brave enough to come out and address the crowd at the disastrous opening meeting at the NSS. Unfortunately, he is now at the wrong end of his career and struggles to produce high scores on a regular basis.

Peterborough would be stronger with Tungate.

Trouble is all of the dossiers are stamped either, Won't ride in UK, Can't Afford, Already signed by other UK Clubs.

According to the final paragraph of this report on the SGP site, the paragraph before the results, there are only 3 Australian places in the GP qualification semi finals. http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/article/7227/fricke-closes-on-aussie-title

I think that Fricke is ahead of Jack Holder and Kurtz at the moment but that could easily change in the future. Holder is progressing quickly and has done well in Poland and Kurtz did seem to stagnate last season but many riders do and then continue to improve. For what it's worth, I think that Fricke and Holder will both get in the GP's and maintain that level. I am less sure about Kurtz. He is fine when he makes the gate but gets beaten too often by lesser riders when he doesn't. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if, in the next 2/3 years, he did have a breakthrough season and make the next couple of steps up the ladder. I think that Masters has reached his level, which is a good PL heat leader.

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/17304246.no-place-for-frederik-jakobsen-in-poole-one-to-seven-as-matt-ford-seeks-to-cut-costs/

I'm quite happy with that team. I hoped that we might get Flint and Palin. I don't know much at all about Rathbone but I'm sure that Mark Lemon will offer him lots of helpful advice. I am pleased to see Bickley, Bowen and Woodhull return and think most, if not all, of those riders could improve their averages. Philips will be able to pass on the benefit of his experience and should at least maintain his average.

Bjerre broke his leg and it was too late to replace him for the play offs in 2005. He had a very poor season for Belle Vue in 2006 but the fans were understanding after his bad injury and fully supported him. Without knowing the full circumstances now explained by Gordon Pairman the feeling on the terraces in 2007 was that he had let us down badly after the support he had received in 2006. The rumours were that he and Screen didn't get on, that one of them had to go and that the management decided to keep Screen. At least we now know what actually went on but it was a long time ago. Bjerre did well for us in 2017 and I am looking forward to seeing him in Aces colours again next year. There's no point bearing grudges about what happened almost 12 years ago and people change anyway as they mature.

Signed. I hope you succeed.

Any rider who gets through the GP qualifiers and qualifies by right and then the following year only misses out in a run off is, in my opinion, certainly good enough to be classed as an international rider.

Steve Lawson has said on Twitter that the Doctors have said that Dan is making good progress with intensive therapy and should be back on a bike well before March.

They are virtually the same age, Holder is 6 days older and don't forget that but for an engine failure Fricke would probably have been in the GP's next year. They both have tremendous talent, Fricke is better at the moment but it would be difficult to say who may be the most successful in the long run.

Craig had a poor season in 2018 by his standards but towards the end of the season, immediately prior to his injury, he was back to his best. I am very sorry to see Craig go but think that Bjerre will probably, at the least, replicate his scoring. In my opinion Craig never fully got to grips with the NSS, he was our fourth best rider at home but within 0.01 of a point of being our best rider away. I certainly don't see Craig as a 3rd heat leader but equally not as an out and out number one. However, if he is at his best and the Peterborough track suits him he will undoubtedly improve his current average. I hope he does well.

That's part of it but it is the enjoyment of watching any inexperienced rider progress, whether a Colt or not. Watching Dan Bewley's development since his first competitive meeting has given me more pleasure than any Aces win or recent achievement and one of my best memories of last season was watching Drew Kemp showing the progress he had made since 2017. Other riders are progressing at a more steady rate but that can be just as interesting to watch. It's also enjoyable just to see the enthusiasm of riders at that level. The way they just want to get out and race, even when conditions are such that riders in the higher leagues would be showing their reluctance to get on with the meeting. To me the PL offers more in terms of skill and ability and overall I get more from watching the sport at that level but the NL is also a must for me for the reasons I have given.

If that is the team I can understand that some will see a few question marks, has Worrall recovered mentally and physically to be back to his form at the beginning of 2018, will Dan be fully recovered and quickly get back to his pre injury form and will Lidsey settle in to the the British tracks and do a good job at reserve? I'm confident that we have a good top 2, that Dan will carry on where he left off, Lidsey will show what an outstanding prospect he is, that we have two solid second strings who will also produce some match winning performances and that Berge will do well at the NSS and some of the away tracks. It's difficult without knowing all of the other line ups but I think we can get into the play offs. If things go wrong we can play the game and make changes mid season.

Very pleased with the signings of Fricke and Bjerre. Bjerre's lower average gives us more room to strengthen the bottom end of the team, which is what cost us some meetings last season. If he can achieve his 2017 form we shall have a strong top 2 particularly, at home. I'm sorry to see Craig go. I think he will have a good season. I hope he does and wish him well.

The award to King's Lynn seems odd but well done and well deserved, Dave Goddard. Perhaps next year the awards could be better publicised and we could get a big speedway vote organised in all of the relevant categories.

Except that Jakobsen joined Poole on an assessed 4.

We don't yet have the 2019 regulations but this year's regulations said; 16.2.3 Assessed rider gradings are calculated as follows 16.2.4 Riders new to SGB Premiership & Championship League racing are categorised as follows: Cat 1 & 2 Any rider riding in a professional league in the previous or current season will be assessed on a “Grading List. Based upon results obtained in all other Professional Speedway Leagues and given an Assessed MA accordingly. Cat 3: Riders who are eligible to ride in the National Development League. 16.2.5 The Assessed MA's for new Riders to the SGB Premiership & Championship League racing is: Cat 1 as per the grading List Cat 2 as per grading list Cat 3 2.00 16.2.6 No rider with a current or previously assessed MA, other than a category 3 rider, can drop below 4.00 at any time during the season. That says based on results obtained. I would say one race where he was last couldn't reasonably be argued as sufficient to assess him at 5.

So far as I can see Lidsey had one race for Leszno in April and came last. He was subsequently named twice as their number 8 but didn't get a ride on either occasion. Surely, the higher average assessment was intended to apply to riders who are Polish first division standard, not someone who races regularly in the third division but had one pointless ride in the top division.

Watching both the Aces and the Colts at the NSS I have seen brilliant racing in meetings involving them both. However, the overall quality of racing is undoubtedly better in the PL meetings. Generally, there are more good races involving more passing and closer racing, which is what I would expect because of the higher skill levels of the riders. However, having said that, the entertainment served up in the NL meetings is good and arguably better value for money at half the price of the PL meetings.

The Aces had the highest aggregate averages total in 2017 and need to lose the best part of 3 points to get under the 42.5 team building limit. It is obvious that we had to lose one of the top four or have a very weak second string and reserves. I think that explains the unfortunate loss of Tungate. The loss of Cook could be to bring in someone on a slightly lower average, like Bjerre, who was superb in 2017, to give us a better chance of building a more strength in depth team. Whether that is the right way to go or whether there were other reasons for not including Craig we shall have to wait and see. In my book his loyalty and commitment is worth a lot and weighs heavy in the scales when considering letting him go but if it was a question of asking for more than the club can afford then the financial stability of the club has to come first.

Very disappointed that Craig apparently won't be in the team. He has always given 100% and been loyal and to many supporters is a vital part of the club. However, I will wait for it to be confirmed and to see if there are reasons given before deciding what I think about it.

The vast majority of riders become more familiar with a track when it becomes their home track. Even if they have previously done well there, they get more dialled in. Particularly, when it is a track with a significant home advantage. Morris will be no exception and will improve on the 7.27 he averaged in his two Swindon meetings at Monmore last season. I will be surprised if he doesn't average at least 8/9 at home. Coincidentally, last season he also averaged 7.27 at Blunsdon but only 6.85 away. That to me shows that it wasn't just his problems with the Swindon track that adversely affected him last year.

Knowing exactly what the rule says will help even more. The press release may or may not be what eventually ends up in the rule book.