waiheke1

Already answered in previous posts: Someting like 60% for PL, 110% for Ekstraliga/Elitseriesn,75% for enmark plus 2nd tier. That would be the order od=f priority I would give for working out the appropriate average. when i did comparisons in august, 60% still seemed appropriate. Bearing in mind that the EL averages are being converted downwards for riders racing at 2nd string and reserve. 75% could be about right if you weren't doing the SCB conversions on the EL averages. Bjerre missed all of 2016 in the EL, so I would say he should be re-assessed based on performances in Poland/Sweden. agree re: reserves. Look at what the likes of Eliis scored as HL, normally 2/3. What I would add is that with these converted averages you end with an average team strength of around 38, wheras in reality you should end with team averages at 42. So you can argue that all riders averages are understated by around 0.5 each, though my feeling is that it is that the HL averages are actually understated by a higher value, number 7s (who often rode only 3 heats, 2 protected) may be about right. Worral and Ellis end with similar converted averages to Kurtz and Karlsson. Which seems about right? Howarth i thought had a disapointing season, so his average seems about right to me, in fact I though he would be more than a point behind those other two. Look at it this way - the 2nd strings essentially had a "balanced frmat" whee they raced HL, 2nd strings and reserves. Would you expect Howarth to average more than 4 racing as a 2nd string in that format. Personally, I wouldnt. I do. there were more than 24 Brits of a suitable standard who rode EL in 2016. And you could add to that the likes of Stead, Barker, Bewley. Don't see how it helps British speedway if the likes of Bates have to go back to riding PL and Nl instead.

My guess is that he is not part of the "younger audience."

Why grade though rather than average? I fail to see a single advantage, but definitely issues. looking at that proposed methodology, you could end with teams effectively 6.5 points apart! compare: Doyle Cook Fricke Batchelor Bech Starke Kerr with: Nilsson Kennett Swiderski Bridger S Lambert Bates Mear And that was including Starke rather than Schlein in the first team.

Laguta has been consistently one of the top 10 riders in the world in recent seasons imo. But struggle to justify a wildcard for him. Hope Freddie drops out of top 8 and it is 2 from zagar,lindback, puk plus emil and nicki. If you wanted the strongest line up, laguta arguably would warrant a place ahead of zagar or lindback.

All three are in the top 10 ridersin the world imo. Too early to call he will kick on to the greatest things. Currently dudek and zmarzlick a touch ahead of pawlicki imho. Zmarzlick reminds me of Jan o, but with a touch of the dirtiness associated with another pedersen. Enjoy watching all three, and looking fwd to next year's GPs already. Hopefully emil will be in there as well.

Look at scbs thread on averages. The best way to convert averages. It would be a nonsense to convert only edr, when other riders have spent more time at reserve.

I would suggest Schlein would be given a higher average, as he rode less than 10 meetings. Think he would need to be given a rolling or assessed average and end closer to 5. As noTed above, I'd also suggest 4 should be the minimum for any foreign rider. And a minimum 3 brits per team (suggest one should gave to be u21 or u23). So that team perhaps put in kerr and clegg as reserves.But agree there is no fairer way.

I hardly think official enagement after offical engagement is "fun." - so yes, I would say the Queen "works" a damn sight harder than most 90 year olds! I'd expect the amount of tourist revenue the royal family bring in is immense.

OK, so taking the top 56 averaged riders, including top 24 Brits (assume minimum 3 Brits per team), it looks like 40 points would actually be a suitable limit. But probably should be set a little lower, as you can assume Tai probably won't ride here, and if there is a 3 brit minimum then chances are that some lower averaged Brits will also get places. I'd also say that an overseas rider should not be able to come in on lower than a 4, so the likes of Huckenbeck should be a 4. Looking then at the averages of teams as they finished the season, and assuming Tai not riding and minor tweaking like J Holder in for Bjarne at Poole , the average team strength is around 37.5. Assuming we want to encourage slight strengthening of the league , then my original estimate fo 38.5 seems about right. For a team like the Aces, that would probably mean letting Nicholls go an bringing in an early-mid 5 pointer (or let Fricke and Nicholls go, and bring in Woffy and a 3 pointer for example). Poole could let Holder, Andersen, Buzz and Pedersen go, and replace with say Magic (assuming 2016 Polish/swedish average +10%), KK,,J Holder and Starke. Wolves could keep 5 of their team, with 11 points to replace Woffy and PK (so Tai plus a NL rider, or Joonas plus a 4,5 pointer, os some other combo). Those strengths look about right, the top teams needing to weaken slightly, the teams which missed the play offs being able to strengthen slightly (or a lot in case of Leicester).. Of course, there will still be some bargains, but at least they will be "legitimate" bargains like woffy was this year. Average from 2016 Swedish/Polish top flight plus 10% I think would work for most overseas riders (for protected reserves in Poland, perhaps remove the +10%). Use 60% as conversion for PL. Riders not racing in those divisions could perhaps be say 75% of 2nd tier Swedish/Polish/Danish league average. Riders not racing in those divisions to be a 4 unless otherwise agreed (e.g Smoli should be assessed at start of season as a 6 perhaps, cannot think of any other notable riders that would need to be assessed in such a way).

What would be a suitable pl conversion to use for riders like j holder? 60%? NL brits come in on a 2?

What team/s do these cover predominantly?

Excellent work as always. This should be the basis with a 38.5ish limit. Riders who raced less than 10 meetings in 2016 should get an assessed average, or rolling average including 2015 scores. After two months (min 3 home 3 away meetings) under a conventional format riders get new averages. Team limit for re declarations would go to 42.5 at that point, but any changes must stay under that limit. All riders outside the EL to be given a published assessed average at the start of the season. This is the type of system that should have been in place in 2014 when we pointed out what would happen to averages.

It would be simpler but in no way addresses the issue.

Option 3. Not perfect, but by far the best option. Ally it with a reversion to a conventional heat format and a rule that any redeclaration the team must be declared under the points limit. Rolling averages to start afresh in 2017. Any rider not racing uk in 2016 to be given an assessed average at the start of the season based on averages on other major leagues. Option 3. Not perfect, but by far the best option. Ally it with a reversion to a conventional heat format and a rule that any redeclaration the team must be declared under the points limit. Rolling averages to start afresh in 2017. Any rider not racing uk in 2016 to be given an assessed average at the start of the season based on averages on other major leagues.

Should always be 10 quid for a sky meeting imo, excluding the play offs.It's very "chicken and egg" but if the overall product was better, the Sky deal could surely be negotiated upwards.

Most El tracks are capable of prodicing good racing though. Most had good sky meetings this season. The issue was they were generally raced in front of poor crowds. Put those meetings in front of a packed crowd and they would be excellent adverts for the sport. Racing imho is as good as it has ever been. It's the rest of the package letting it down.

We've just had a superb demonstration in the play off 2nd leg of what speedway in this country can be. Great racing, good presentation, good mix of world class and local riders , super atmosphere, modern facilities, packed crowd making it a great advert for the sport. What we should be doing is seeing what we can do to replicate that on a weekly basis. But instead we seem to be focusing on the negatives, how we can cut costs etc What that meeting was was a much better example of a sustainable product than an expanded PL product. I know it was the play offs, but if u can get crowds turning out for a meeting like that, you have the potential to do so on a regular basis if u can get priduct,price,marketing etc right. BV I'm sure would not be having their reported financial issues if they could get a crowd close to that each week.

There is no way the asset system would stand up if challenged in court. Essentially it's a zero hour contract which precludes you from working for anyone else in the industry in the uk for an indefinite period of time..

That is great news if true. Just need zagar to make top 8 ahead of Lindgren. Wc for emil lindback puk and nicki. Gives as strong a line up as u could hope for, with possible exception of g laguta.

Really hope the rules are set up in such a way that we don't have someone like Cyfer at reserve rather than someone like Ellis. 3 brits per team, one of whom must be u21/u23?

??? Freddie finishing top 8 takes away a wildcard space, it doesn't add one!?! As whoever finishes outside top 8 will likely need a wildcard. If Freddie finishes outside top 8, that sane rider will not need a wildcard. Essentially if Freddie finishes top 8, Bjerre "steals" a spot that otherwise would go to a wildcard.

No, the difference is that Zmarzlik, Pawlicki, Dudek etc. are world class. IMO the EDR has been a success in bringing through young Brits, but you cant compare the likes of Newman, Worrall, Bates, Jacobs etc. with those Polish riders. Do we have 8 riders u21 of a standard to not be outclassed in the EL?

hoping Matty Zagar pulls out another good display, and Freddie has a shocker (would settle for Puk/Antonio having a good performance, anyone really so long as they knock Freddie out of the top 8)

The issue of course is that reserves only race in protected heats, so some would gave no average if you do that. A simple multiplier should be used for meetings ridden at second string and reserve (approx 75% & 50% respectively).

Thanks dave