Hamish McRaker

The start of a new era. The previously unthinkable has a habit of happening in life. An amalgamation of the two old rivals,based at Beaumont Park. So, Which league (assuming there will be a choice)? Which race night? Team manager - Allan, Havelock, job-share, or neither of them? Promoter - Horton, Hemsley, someone else? Light blue touch paper......retreat a safe distance.....

He's probably keen for Leicester to stay in business for the rest of the season

I'd guess that B would happen

Ok, I'll have a go at answering my own question then (nobody else seems interested!). Let's say that Team X, struggling to attract new riders and with sharply declining attendances, can't carry on running any more. They call the BSPA and say "we're pulling out of the league, use the bond to pay money owed to riders". So it becomes a league of 7 instead of 8. What's more likely to happen? Scenario A : the other promoters make a collective decision to all chip in and keep Team X running until the end of the season. Somebody is installed by them as promoter. It keeps the league at 8 teams, thus ensuring no fall in fixture numbers, and Sky continuing to broadcast matches. or... Scenario B : the other promoters do basically nothing except try to pay riders money owed using the bond, let the league go down to 7 teams, use the "spare" riders to help bolster the remaining teams, but have a reduced fixture list and run the risk that Sky will invoke their prerogative to walk away. Which one?? Any takers? Place your bets, And PLEASE if you want to cr*p on about Woffinden, get a bl**dy room!!

Two years ago, Birmingham dropped out, but there were 10 teams back then and the league withstood it. If a team has to drop out this year, would the league be a viable proposition with only 7 left? Would Sky invoke their "get out clause?".

This stinks. Is it something to do with Leicester?

Is Cameron Woodward fit and riding again yet? And does anyone know if Seb Ulamek is just over here to get in a bit of practice before Poland gets properly underway?

I hope the management appreciate what you do

Leicester to win. 48-42

Yes, and the fence was considered to be a job requiring specialist expertise (quite rightly) and therefore not done by the contractors. Those installing the fence, whenever it was done, were also "experts" about tracks I think, and therefore you would think they would have had a very good opportunity to raise their concerns! It would be interesting to know if the contractors (aka "Paddy Murphy") themselves used the services of experienced track curators in doing the job. I can hardly believe they would not have done. And if so, what was the nature of their relationship with those people, and how good were they? Presumably the nature of the contract with the contractors precluded Belle Vue from having direct input until very late-on in proceedings. And left them in a terrible dilemma, and produced a disastrous outcome. So it looks as if this may end up being dealt with in court, meanwhile the poor sods who spent money on travel, accommodation and tickets are left dangling.

Using my quality formula based on 4 categories; 1. Number one rider 2. Reserves 3. Riders 2-5 4. X-factor (ability of management to make effective changes, motivate, exploiting loopholes in the rules) 1. Poole 85% 2. Swindon 70% 3. Belle Vue 65% 4. Lakeside 65% 5. Coventry 55% 6. Wolves 50% 7. K.Lynn 40% 8. Leicester 40%

And then you can show up and pay to get in every Saturday, sit and admire the track for a couple of hours, and go home happy without seeing any speedway because there isn't a team.

Your team for 2016; 1 K.Bjerre 2 G.Walasek 3 S.Wozniak 4 A.Summers/L.Bjerre (d-up job share) 5 N.Klindt 6 J.Auty 7 P.Starke How much would you pay to get in? (Presuming the track changes work)

Sounds like he was very successful

Rip it all up and start again. Get someone with a brain and the hide of a rhino to oversee it. (Not a past or present promoter) I don't mean the brain of a rhino!

Maybe its being done to cut down on the number of nights the foreign riders will have to spend over here, what with the press and practice day being on Friday, they may be able to fly home on Saturday. Might also save a few pennies on electricity and generally keep people from freezing their najjers off.

You could equally ask the question why was it not done a few years ago and the main reasons could be similar. As for this winter, there were some weekend training schools taking place and maybe availability of plant and labour to factor in as well.

A consequence of the format - necessary in 2014 & 2015, but should not be retained in 2016

Belle Vue, Lakeside, Swindon, Wolves, Leicester, Coventry, and Kings Lynn have been disadvantaged. This is because an error was made in the compilation of the list, and one club was smart and quick to take advantage.

Have it rumoured from Instafacetwit contacts that the legendary Norwegian, Red Herring, is coming out from retirement to spearhead the Lions

Purely hypothetical question: Is there a current Premier League club, which would want and/or be able to join the Elite League for 2016 season, or maybe 2017, should a vacancy arise?

The past two years have the appearances of things being made up as they go along with inability to think or plan ahead. This appearance is further enforced by the poor communication and apparent unwillingness to be transparent with the customers. When things do get disclosed, it seems to re-inforce the negative impressions. If forward planning has actually been going on, they have chosen to keep it confidential but it would have been better to have been more open. But I agree with Kester it would seem very little forward thinking has been happening. For the organisation in question to refer to some of its customers as "thick", is beyond thick!

Mr Hemsley only said he could "envisage" completing the team by Christmas. If you look up the definition of that word, it only means a possibility, at the most!

Hill Street Blues. Mick Belker......"you're under arrest, douchebag"

Call me thick, but I am still not 100% sure who this Jon Cook is. Is he that lanky fella with the big beak down in Essex? Don't mind being called thick because there's an element of truth there, but BIASED??? Nobody calls me that and gets away with it! Would like to have a frank conversation with him in person but there's a few hundred miles between me and Essex. Anyway, SCB did you offer to let BSPA use your rational and logical method/program for producing a set of realistic rider averages? And if you did, what was the response? And I am presuming that Mr Cock is speaking on behalf of the BSPA in his description of those who have dared to question their potty list (even more potty, now the truth about the method used is out!). Highly embarrassing for them. And finally....when all is said and done, has this list really made any difference to team building, so far?