SteveLyric2

Yes he came in on 5.30, immediately dropped to 5.21 but went to Number 2, rode his first meeting as a 2nd string v Bees on 31st July 2013 scoring 12+2 and then against the Eagles a week later scoring 12+1 - happy days!!

....and KK.

The only place the 7 riders are listed on the website is under the 'team' button (unless I'm missing something), which also has Ellis above Kurtz, so cannot be the riding order!! The Echo have Buzz as the 3rd heat leader. The other interesting news is Dak's decision to give 2016 a miss in order to stay at home to help with his dad's long term recovery!!! (Awaits Coventry fans protesting that its not a valid reason to stay away!!) According to most, the reserve pairing won't remain the reserve pairing for very long!!! And as far as 'the pole' is concerned, it was only a few days ago that everyone was up in arms at Poole signing a World Cup rider as a 2nd string!! So I would say the only way............ is up!!

Goodness me - all these rider choices and I thought there was a shortage?!!

THJ last rode here as a 2nd string behind Ward, Hancock and Janowski in 2013 helping Poole to the EL title and gaining a 5.69 average in a much tougher format than we have now. He then went on to become Swedish champion and a GP rider. I assume you are suggesting he still be a 2nd string?!

But where are the fans - home and visiting - going to park??

The monthly quiz was due to be an electronic TV game show style quiz. Unfortunately our presenter Nigel - who runs MMX Events - has been having hospital treatment and was unable to host it. Get well soon Nigel. As for the 'who said what' debate over Chris Holder, I thought it was well known that if Darcy had escaped his ban, then Poole would have gone with Darcy and Magic, which would have meant Chris having to consider another club if he chose to race in the EL. However, the debate actually started over whether Chris himself said that he would only ever ride for Poole. The Echo article in December 2014, referred by GAME ON, actually quotes Matt Ford not Chris, so technically Starman has been correct in saying that he has not seen or read Chris saying he would only ride for Poole!!

Congrats to Poole's Kyle Newman - (you know he's the one with no ambition apparantly?!) - who has secured a Polish contract with Polonia Pila!! (ps. Poole fans - The REF quiz night scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday 2nd December, has had to be called off at short notice due to the last minute unavailability of Nigel our Game Show presenter.)

He admitted to being very naïve in being led down that particular garden path by Trumpton and Grubby!! In any case, nobody has been able to come up with any single person who is 'independent', let alone a whole body!!

DH has declared his intention to run EL and is part of the BSPA group agreement to the format, points limit and Heat Leader list that all others have agreed to. He surely couldn't have been surprised at losing Doyle - however much he may say publicly, so must have had other riders in mind already!! If he didn't, then its no good blaming others.

Buzz isn't a 2nd string! What has been stated is that Buzz didn't meet the criteria to go on the HL list (due to him not riding in 2015!!) He will however line-up for Poole in one of the top 3 positions because his last average is higher than Hans' current average. Newman would have been selected by Poole at reserve in any case - whatever his average - as their protected rider. In fact with a combined reserve average of 7.10 for 2016 compared to 6.50 in 2015, Poole actually have fewer points to build their 1-5 than in 2015. All teams have exactly the same opportunity to build to whatever points limit is agreed. Those clubs that according to some are struggling just because they haven't announced their whole team yet, are only disadvantaged because the riders that are available do not wish to ride on inconvenient race nights, whether they build to 40.5 or 38 or whatever. To blame Poole for 'killing off' the likes of Leicester, Peterborough and Coventry is utter biased nonsense with no founding whatsoever other than in the warped, jealous and deluded mind of the poster with a self-confessed anti-Poole view and quite frankly is way below the usual standard of your posts. ps. Apologies Leicester fans.

Just quoting from his tweet!! Sounds as though he's turned down other EL options already!!!

Agree 100%. Maybe if Tai continues to dominate the SGPs with the BT Sports coverage, it may change, as BT have a much greater affinity with BBC, including sharing commentators and presenters in some instances!! You never know, we may see Clare Balding commenting on the GPs????!!

I can't see what all the issues are other than some clubs having a race night that is clearly not suited to some overseas riders....... The list of 18 HLs was clearly discussed and agreed by all promotions - and accepted that some clubs may get 2 and some get 3 HLs from the list. No matter who is or who is not on it, every club has the same opportunity to talk to and sign whoever they want to fit within the agreed team building criteria. Neither Buzz nor Hans are Poole assets yet Poole got the necessary permissions to negotiate and sign them - or even assuming they didn't get permission (as some posters will undoubtedly claim), there has been no complaining from any of the other clubs - just an alleged comment from Mr Horton that 'MF has stolen a march' on everyone again!! ps. No Poole place for Kacper Gomolski in 2016 - and doesn't want to ride for any one else so no EL at all.

Actually I'm not even sure that MF was at the meeting??!

Have I missed something?? Whats Matt Ford supposed to have done now?? Not building another strong (ish) team again, surely?!

Ah yes, but 'its all about the base, no trouble!!'

oooooh you tease you!!!!!

Matt has his sponsors' Xmas gathering scheduled for this weekend so there should be the announcement before that!!

Sorry FB, I forgot the winking emoticon!!

The top foreign riders aren't all in the GPs so why would they need or want the same schedule of meetings?! I assume in the shared number 1 scenario that the 2 riders would alternate on a weekly basis or so?! The GP riders in the non-GP weeks and so on...... Well one or two might have some input!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry so much GRW123, Chairman Buster will sort it all out!!

Why would he (or me for that matter) lie?!

As much as anyone its the riders that have signed up already that I feel sorry for in 2016.

Well to be strictly accurate, Hans is the only rider from the BSPA HL list that we have signed so far!! With our final 2 coming from that same list according to MF. Shamek won't be on the list as he didn't ride EL in 2015.