King Jamie

Ellis is French.

Of course you'll improve. You've just signed Tarasenko to replace Nowak! Think of Friday as Glasgow's 'last night off'. The warm-up league meetings are almost over. The stupid play-offs are almost here and they're all that matter nowadays. #whybotherwiththefirstfivemonths?

Rosenberg? That was some game!

I'm good, thanks. Keeping busy and out of trouble! Unlike yourself, I'm still following Sheffield's finest football club

A double header is classed as one meeting. First time I recall the rule coming into play was many moons ago at Rye House. I can't remember the exact details but somebody was injured during the first meeting (I'm guessing it must've been an RH rider). They were allowed to use a guest in the second part of the double header. Obviously choices were somewhat limited (!), so they had to choose a chap from the first opposing side. As has been stated, the rules now give an 'allowance' in relation to riders 'guesting' vs 'riding for your own team' so Birmingham, in theory, could use a Poole rider if their average fits. Edinburgh can do likewise, should such a situation arise.

Josh has already guested for Birmingham this season. This month in fact. Maybe even more than once? Can't be bothered checking. Perhaps Monarchs fans could take to social media and see if they can force a change of heart, like they did previously (last season?). Or we could just get on with our lives, agree the play offs are Americanised garbage and it would be embarrassing for a team which has been as woeful as ours to even qualify for such a competition. Play offs have gone a long way towards killing the sport in this country. Sadly, those at the top apparently don't think along the same lines.

Reminds me of a story which may or may not be urban myth... BBC commentator asks Chelsea player, "how do you pronounce your name? Is it Mon-koo or Mon-cow?" "It's 'Ken'". You're right though. Pre meeting research costs nothing. It's disrespectful and unprofessional to repeatedly mispronounce a name all evening. Eurosport kinda used it as some sort of comedy sideshow. Very poor. On a personal note, it's extremely rare that people pronounce my surname correctly. There are even a few in my office who still get it wrong, despite me having worked there over 30 years! Quite pathetic really.

Much better than a year of Castagna.

Is it not just down to fixed race nights and riders being able to plan their calendars much more easily, as opposed to previously when race nights were all over the place?

I know what he's averaging and I'm well aware riding at reserve is supposed to be easier. However, it doesn't always work out that way and the only available factual statistical evidence says otherwise in this particular case. Besides, you already admitted elsewhere that you can't see into the future, so how do you know how many points Lasse "would've" scored against Berwick?

Evidence of this? Lasse has only completed one meeting as reserve at sunny Armadale. He scored 4 from 4 and spent most of the evening on his backside.

Yep. Mr Blobby certainly isn't a medium.

I trust you didn't enjoy watching Daniel Bewley pushing through on the inside in the GP Final on Saturday?

Pickering. 1 win from 6. Cook. 1 win from 4. Inadequate.

Tape touching does count in the averages. Always has done for as long as I can remember. And I'm ancient!

A stroke of luck you say? I prefer to think of it as a genius signing Truth is we only just fell over the line in 2014. Somerset rebuilt mid season and were totally transformed. We had 10.76 available for our final two signings at the start of the season. I wanted Theo Pijper (7.72) pus 'any random 3.00 rider' (wouldn't have mattered who, given the strength of the other 6). The promotion went with Sneddon and Fox. Whilst not one of my favourites, I do tip my hat to Fox for his vital 3rd place in heat 14 of the second leg, after Max Fricke had failed to beat his opposite number (Pontus Aspgren?) in the same race. Set up that unforgettable heat 15 when justice as done (justice being -- finish top = win league)

2014 we ended up with Sneddon and Fox at reserve. From memory, I think Fox finished on 3.50. 2015 we had Clegg and Branford at reserve all year. Both were well in excess of their starting averages (Clegg 3.48, Branford 3.40). As you say, not exactly 'trump cards' but they certainly did a steady job throughout. In 2014, Steve Worrall (3.00!) and Sedgy (4.something) started at reserve. Sneddon (5.5ish) and Fox (5.00) started in the top 5 but were, unsurprisingly, overtaken.

My bosses received one of those well publicised emails from them a few weeks back, asking if our firm could do the SNP audit. We politely declined

Blimey son. You'll have me in tears, comparing me to that national embarrassment!

I disagree. Just because people "rate him much more highly than I do" doesn't automatically mean he's 'overrated'. Think of it as a 4-tier system. Tier 1 - those who don't rate him very much, if at all. I don't know of anyone in that particular bracket, but it needs to exist in order to emphasise my point. Tier 2 - your own personal level of 'rating'. Tier 3 - the level of 'rating' according to those who apparently disagree with you, but haven't gone 'overboard' in their written thoughts on this thread e.g. by stating he'll be a World Champion in 5 years time. Tier 4 - 'overrated' (see "World Champion" example above). Feel free to disagree

What a fantastic advert for the Monarchs Academy.

Taking only BSN and Championship meetings into account, Castagna is averaging 5.27 this season. This drops to 4.80 when you include the KOC meetings with Oxford. And, yes, I'm well aware that only Championship counts towards the green sheets. For a rider who started the season on 4.93, I don't think he's one you can point many fingers at. Unless you expect a sub-5pt rider to turn into Chris Harris overnight? A summary of the 1-7 -- name; starting average; BSN and Ch; 2023 total, incl. KOC Pickering 8.92; 7.20; 7.20 Cook 8.24; 8.92; 8.78 Thomson 6.60; 6.36; 6.40 Castagna 4.93; 5.27; 4.80 Fredriksen 4.00; 4.36; 3.87 Hook - 4.00; 4.19; 4.14 Bickley - 2.86; 2.12; 3.08 Based solely on those figures, it's patently obvious where the main problem lies - Josh (and associated guests, not included above) is nowhere near 8.92. That may sound harsh to some but the bottom line is his home average is a mere 6.40 from 2 meetings ridden. Of course, I've been in this game long enough to understand that future points scored won't always continue on a consistent course to that previously achieved. However, it would appear the expectations of some are beyond reasonable.

I've got a 2.00 average. I reckon I could bag double figures tomorrow.

It's lucky Benjamin ignored the Roald Dahl rewriters. Cook could well have been referred to as "enormous".

It's interesting the powers that be must have made up a brand new rule in order to force a pre season re-declaration of the Monarchs 1-7. I'd like somebody to come on here and attempt to explain the decision. In return, I will inform them they're talking pure, unadulterated garbage. No idea why the Monarchs management meakly rolled over and allowed their tummies to be tickled. Quite pathetic all round. Another nail in the speedway coffin.