Big Al

Have the promters of this league collectively done a very good job by raising the overall quality of this league whilst increasing the number of teams and working to a low points limit? The league has lost Erik Riss, Adam Ellis, Rene Bach, Ludvig Lindgren, Nicolai Klindt and Dan Bewley (to take just those with 6+ averages who ended the season in their teams' declared 1-7's). Others have gone due to retirement, not returning, or had left their teams' during the season for reasons other than retirement or injury. The league in 2019 will re-gain Kennett, Sedgmen, Kerr, Douglas and Bates plus 5 or 6 others with previous experience in the PL. Then there are 12 or 13 newcomers (some of whom have a small amount of previous experience). This group is going to be significant in terms of how good the 2019 league is, compared with the 2018 version. Some teams (Eastbourne, Glasgow, Scunthorpe, Somerset, Eastbourne) are including at least two newcomers to the league - will this turn out to be the undoing of those clubs or are there some potential big averqge-gainers in there? Overall my view is that by the end of the season, the changes made this winter will be viewed as a success.

Is he related to Finn Jensen, of Leicester and Birmingham 1980's and now engine tuner? I know Jensen's a common name, but he looks similar.

But who is actually supposed to be paying/arranging for the track work to be done? Is it Swindon speedway, or the landlords? If it's the latter, well,.......

Would have though a different approach is more suitable for the NL. Riders making the step into the PL need 1 or 2 seasons when they can continue taking part in the PL if they wish to, without becoming effectively barred from doing so because of stringent team points limits. Some thing along the lines of having a tight points limit for 5 NL team members, alongside a squad type of arrangement for the top two riders - say for example up to three riders with a generous combined points limit - and rules which set out minimum and maximum number of matches these 3 riders can take part in, with facility to draft in and out a replacement in the event of injury.

Fair enough it looks like Perks was moving ahead in 2017 but somehow things went a bit wrong so hope he can get back on course. Can't be definite but did Rye House muck him about a bit (not sure when it was). This probably means the Bates injuryy reduction was a red herring, and they are honouring the deal with Douglas.

Well that would make some sense, both in terms of the eligibility for a reduction and the apparent hitch in the team building. If they have come up against a problem with the rulebook it could cause a re-think about the middle of the team because I wouldn't expect Nicholls, Worrall, Mountain and Thomas to be changed.

Does the 2.5% reduction apply to Scott Nicholls? I've been presuming it doesn't because I don't think he was ever in the CL or NL. Or maybe he was? But confusion seems to be reigning over whether the 2.5% reduction eligibility is for that, or if it's given just for being British. If his average is reducable by 2.5%, that would give an extra 0.21 to the points left for rider 7. Maybe they are trying to get Jan Graversen in - but I think he'd need the CL/NL reduction in addition to Scott's Brit reduction!!

I thought the stadium was built on top of a sealed landfill, and Hemsley's rubble used to build up the land surrounding the stadium. There were rumours that the landfill seal was broken (illegally) when the track drainage tanks were installed - but I must stress they are rumours

Stuart Robson?

Is Buzzkowski still riding?

IF Bates is 5.88 as posted somewhere....he would have 4.47 left including a Brit discount, or 4.37 for non Brit. But who is there? Greaves, Lambert, Perks. If Bates is 6.48 though, that comes down to 3.67 left. So I hope he has something clever in store. Like Jason Crump on 4.00

There's a scarcity of 4-4.5 point riders out there, and they'd need one of those to ensure that Mountain starts the season at reserve and have anything approaching a strong No.2. Nathan Greaves is the only one I can see, after Sarjeant being confirmed by Glasgow, or dare I say Simon Lambert. 5-6 average it looks like a few more to choose from - but that would mean another at 6-6.5 to complete the side.

So that's either Martin Johnson or Ben Wilson. Can't see Johnno on a speedway bike....

So with Josh Bates's average - is it confirmed if it will be reduced due to being out injured for a season? If so, and with Thomas having his aversge discounted, there could be scope for someone around 8 to come in to form a good spearhead with Scotty? Or a 7+ a 5?

I suggest a team name which provides an acknowledgement to Beaumont Park stadium having been built on top of a rubbish tip, or Beaumont Leys former location as a sewage farm. Leicester Landfillers? Leicester Loggers?

Douglas? Did ok on visits in the old PL days, before the track was altered, just looked and sounded like he was on a lawnmower engine! With the points left, they could probably fit in Wajtknecht, Sarjeant and Jack Thomas.

I think they're called the Darwin Awards, the annual compilation of people whose lives have been ended by committing completely stupid acts. There should be a new category, for people who have just suffered bad injuries in similar fashion. I'd have made the list in about 1968.

He also spoke of his enthusiasm for boxing. I thought that had come to an end after his first round defeat by the pits wall at Leicester a couple of years ago? I don't think it will be dull with him around this season, as long as he gets that far without doing something daft.......

You just have to like his positive talk in the SGB interview. Somebody needs to tell him that it's Saturdays and not Sundays for the home matches, though.

Laura Morgan in SS accusing two clubs of acting irresponsibly by making over-lucrative offers to riders but declined to name the clubs. Who did she have in mind? And if what she says is true, shouldn't those clubs be in the Premier League?

Yes as far as I know. With this 38 point limit is it a case of needing to have 4 riders with starting averages under 5.5 in the team, to enable it to have a strong no.1 plus two other heat leaders?

Glasgow for Charles Wright then?

They are, of course. But don't they also need the solid middle of the roaders and "bottom-end specialists" (ooh, Nurse) as well ? That 3 pointer who turns into a match winner at reserve won't be doing that forever. And he's soon enough going to be casting around for the chunky signing on fee, whether its there or someplace else including Poland.

There must come a point, when a rider realises that he isn't going to become World Champion. Or even make it to the "big show". If he genuinely believes, during his early to mid 20's, that he can make it all the way and has the evidence to support that including realistic advice, then it's up to him but yes fair enough pour everything into it - but FFS accept the reality and shift the plans if it's not working. Question is, how many are carrying on under the delusion and for how long. And in these instances what is the sport doing and what could it do, to help riders to adjust although of course there is substantial personal responsibility to be realistic and make a change. Otherwise we have riders hitting reality in their mid 30's and having problems. It would be very interesting to see results of a survey among current riders, about their alternative sources of income and when they started to undertake it.

Agree with all of the posts about combining speedway with a job. Many of the "old days" arrangements sound like jobs in transport were useful to have. But are today's road conditions better or worse than they were, for enabling a rider to combine them?