foamfence

That was due to the realisation that he might have to get a job.

You raise some good points and it certainly isn't as simple as just saying "right everyone, next year it's Mondays and Thursdays," hopefully the promoters have been prepared for this already, otherwise it might be riddled with snags for some.

Assuming there will still be a CL.

I keep asking that but there are as yet no answers as everything is still rumour.

That would be right, as long as the clubs that you need aren't already booked up on your (restricted) available dates. The other possibility would be double headers, which I personally don't like and which probably lose money. Doubtless when the announcements are made after the AGM, there will be a mixture of agreement and hole picking.

I thought that originally (before doubling-up became a disease) it was suggested to allow more riders to compete here as well as overseas, Jason Doyle still seems to see it that way. Whatever the predominant reasons might be, I can't see it providing a full cure for current problems, too many riders are financially out of reach and some clubs might well suffer on the gate from having to switch race nights, there will also be the problem of rain-offs, it isn't unusual for some clubs to have five or six in a season and never manage to rearrange them all, even under the current less restricted set-up.

Exactly!

The latter and if they get behind with the work, you can issue them with a doubly quick black and white duster to catch up.

I know but if the Poles decide he can only ride in one other league, he wont be here, even though he is currently giving the impression that he will.

And Redcar and Sheffield?

I don't blame him and it isn't relevant that there are others (this is about him) but he has nailed his colours to the mast and from what he says people might expect him to comply with our seemingly inevitable and forced upon set race nights. When we all know that he's a glove puppet of the Poles and how they decide things will be his future. His words might well prove to be hollow.

If the Poles tell Doyle he can only ride in one other league, you wont see him for dust.

You could race Monday AND Thursday if your stadium is available, I don't think it has to be one or the other. If a team has a handful of rain-offs it'll start to get tricky. You are quite right about it getting awkward for some, what with stadium access and the fact that some Thursday clubs may not want to be in the premiership and are in effect being forced to change their race night.

Is it though?

So what happens to Monday and Thursday clubs that don't go in the Premiership?

Then again, why bother with two leagues?

What would he have to gain from being found guilty of assault?

Obviously he'd be happy to 'let it go.'

I doubt they actually 'need' it but any TV coverage is always welcome.

Even though it was in full view of spectators?

I used to go to Halifax, they had some good riders at times but often they didn't, eventually we moved to the Bradford track and richer promoters were able to fill the side with mainly top internationals every season. Halifax had pretty steady crowds and although the stadium was tatty we loved the steeply banked track. The big Odsal track held all the top meetings but I found it rather predictable, whether that was the case with everyone I don't know but for some reason it just died and when it closed supposedly to build a superdome, the crowds were so low it was embarrassing to be there. So I wouldn't blame any promoter who refuses to risk everything on paying massive wage bills on the off chance that it would sufficiently raise crowd levels (it probably would but only for a short while).

Well we can't afford them, they consider our tracks dangerous and Polish Speedway controls what they can and can't do. If things go wrong elsewhere and they start to drift back, fair enough. Meanwhile we need to look at what we actually have and make the best job of it, if only we could agree what that 'best' actually is.

Modern helmets usually have shorter peaks and they are actually higher up on some models, longer peaks would certainly help.

My comment was appropriate.

The leagues are British, Scotland is in Britain! (despite the wishes of Wee Jimmy Krankie).