DC2

Spot on. To be fair, it’s no fun gloating at Poole anymore. It’s like getting a bargain from Oxfam; it just doesn’t seem right to benefit from the unfortunate.

You have been for months. Swindon fans haven’t and won’t, so “goodbye”.

Take a look at Swindon. We won next to nothing for forty years but we are still going. We have not based our club on winning at all costs or sacking riders for lack of form, but at the same time we have not been able to keep some riders due to their averages (hence our useless Scot Nicholls’ side a few years ago). I remember a 70s team of Ashby, Hunter, Kilby, Andersson, McNeil, Bouchard and David Ashby. Both Jan Andersson and David Ashby were useless - it was Jan’s first season, and David was always a mystery! - but the team did OK in mid table and we kept it the next season and again it did OK, with Jan improving immensely. We won no trophies. The point is, keeping the same riders kept the fans happy because everyone identified with those riders. Admittedly we won most home matches (and lost most away) so that would be the only caveat, but a mid table team with continuity and more home wins than losses can be more of a commercial success over time than the “winning at all costs, use every trick in the book, constant chop and change” club (Poole). Indeed, I doubt modern Poole have kept a 1-7 from one season to the next and that their fans have ever identified with 7 riders the way Swindon’s fans of the 70s did. So, no, big names and trophies are not necessary.

Sorry, I don’t usually follow the wooden spoon matches.

No. I suspect 800 is an absolute minimum.

Well, maybe we are looking at 16 teams for one big league, with the current three least profitable ones (including Berwick?) dropping to the NL? We know the likes of Orion want Polish style teams, but Poland has crowds of 10,000, not 1,000, so we have to cut our cloth.

You think Thorsell, Masters & Heeps are no better than Jorgensen, Becker & NL 2 pointer? They’re at least 8 points better!

Think you’ll find that Swindon believe they already have enough points to finish top and we won’t bother to have another home meeting until September.

And each of the 16 teams to have at least one Brit under 23, whether that be someone like Wajtknecht or Kemp at reserve or Lambert or Bewley in the top five.

There's 150 riders on the 2016 end of season list so that's plenty. One league with no double uppers is feasible.

Surely that description fits exactly the rider profile for Poole this season? A perfect fit for Matt.

Yep, Stevebrum cough ....

Dodnt the rules change in 2009 when Poole were cheating?

Ah, but you didn’t take long enough to chill.

And there’s about 150 riders listed on the 2017 year end averages, plus more newbies this year than retirees. Plenty for 16 or 18 teams, with excellent NL youngsters ready for reserve berths.

Chill, BWitcher, have an ice cold Verdelho and read my post again.

Not necessarily. More guests are often due to having more foreign riders with international commitments, especially GP riders, so dumbing down with UK riders (even double uppers) can be better, although I would prefer one big league of 16 or 18 teams with no double upping.

A shorter season with weekly home meetings would encourage me to return. May to September.

Lol “He’s coming home, he’s coming, KK’s coming home!”

I’ve never been that bothered about the price or the standard of riders, but I did lose interest when there was no home meeting for three weeks and the next one was against a weak team with two guests and R/R. First you get used to not going every week, then you start picking and choosing the meetings you go to, and then even for the good matches you think “can I even be bothered with those now”. Eventually you make do with Updates and the TV coverage. I think that has happened for Grachan too.

God, no, get rid and get someone in who actually cares about speedway as a sport.

See, you’re such a decent bloke that I’ll pass on this application to Rosco so you can come over from the dark side.

Blimey, Steve, I’m framing that. Your shortest post ever. Even shorter than your wedding vows when all you were supposed to say was “I do”! Apparently you were still answering on your first anniversary. Lol.

Shovvy is ready, willing and able. Come on, Steve, show Ford how it’s done!

No, I don’t know what the issue is. I assumed it was the need to race on Saturdays. Why don’t Rye and the BSPA tell us?