sparkafag

I agree new asset is a great default answer to any team building question. Sign a new asset, sign a 7.00 rider, it is often positioned that said 7.00 new asset will be an automatic success, the majority aren’t, they are a massive gambles As an example, there was a time Kasper Lyke was a new asset and a 7.00 rider (I think he came in on 7.00), and I don’t mean to single him out, but he is a 7.00 rider who is still averaging 4.00, there was once a time when he sounded like the best idea in the world, on a track, he isn’t really. He does try and he is good to watch at times though I will say that for him. The PL hit rate has suffered as the leagues have moved close, there was a time a few years ago when Newcastle would have signed Michelsen (Eastbourne) Porsing would have been at someone like Newport and Berwick might have signed Milik. The guys who most knew would be quite good wold have came to the PL as the EL was to strong for a first season rider in the UK. An example being the ofte mentioned Krcamer, he isn't a well kept secret, he perfromed at the world cup, if Berwick fans on this forum saw that and were impressed, so did the promotion of Poole, Leicester, Wolves, the chances are he will never be near the Premier League. The leagues are so close now that the EL clubs can take the gamble on the known talents, and the PL are left feeding of the scraps of the continent, there is a real risk signing a new asset now. Signing a new rider on a 7.00 is an acceptance that you are dropping the best part of a point (at least) of your teams starting average, it is a big risk, one which Berwick have already taken (if Allan is 7.00) doing that with 2 riders, and looking at dropping 3 or 4 points of the starting average means that you are giving teams a start.

Doolan isn’t going to up his average again IMO. He isn’t going to be Kings Lynn Doolan again. He hasn’t been that rider for 5 years. He is however a very solid middle order rider, just because he has declined doesn’t mean that he should be discarded. If he could be fitted in at 3 or 4 he would still win a lot of races for a rider in that race jacket. I wouldn’t put money on him before the race but it wouldn’t shock me to see Doolan beat a lot of Number 1’s in the league around their own track (he could also throw in a couple of dodgy rides in the process) but a guy who can score 7 or 8 with a big race win thrown in is valuable. It is comparable to a lot of older riders over the years, not being the rider they once were doesn’t mean that they don’t have something to offer.

Quite a bit depending on the rider actually Logistics and travel has quite often been a problem for Northern clubs

It is a decent looking side, not the strongest in the league IMO. This isn’t just a Glasgow thing, it can be applied to a few clubs, Glasgow a few years ago being one actually when they signed Jones on a low average (not that I am picking on them). Why is it always the default setting when a side get money that they go top heavy. It always puzzles me. If the rumours are true and Glasgow are throwing money at it (nothing wrong with that) you would think that you would try and track the best 1-7 you could, I am not entirely convinced that side is. **All of this is said with the caveat that I understand that anything is better than last season and so on, but if you are going in all in, best to go as strong as you possibly can.

Shame Adam Ellis stays so far away.

The meetings that have had the larger attendances have been GP Qualifiers and World under 21 Finals, of course more people are going to attend! It has offered fans from Newcastle, Workington, Edinburgh and Glasgow the chance to see riders that they wouldn’t usually see racing in the North, even attracting 10 or 12 from each track will see an increase in attendance. As well as the increased number of travelling fans selling a guy who appears on TV often is a lot easier to push to someone with minimal interest in the sport. The lesson learned is, bigger meetings attract more fans, it’s the reason Play-Offs have been introduced to the sport. If clubs could find a way to make every meeting mean as much as a GP Qualifier or Play Off that important there would be bigger crowds.

If he could be fitted in at reserve I would back him to win races around Berwick, despite his erratic performances around most tracks in the country he has always got on quite well with Berwick, well suited to his style. That, and I am not that big a fan of Josh Auty either, loathsome.

I would be disappointed if Allan was removed even if he is on 7.00. I don’t think it would do us any favours with other possible Australian targets but that’s another thing for another day. Look at the PL last season Masters, Fricke, Tungate, Douglas, Kurtz, Morris (and previously Smith and Nelson). The scores of Allen are on a comparable level in Australia, that doesn’t always transfer to the UK, but it is a gamble worth taking, short, medium and long term.

Time has been kind to Peter (and rightly so, many should have been a lot kinder to him at the time as well). But let’s not pretend Peter knew he was going to sign guys like Hawkins in December and went to press and practice and meetings with 6 riders despite actually knowing his team (it is possible to rewrite certain parts of history not events that actually took place), he rode his luck many a season, part of the game, a team building genius, no.

He absolutely did, but there wasn’t a strategic plan IMO. He stumbled upon riders like Cartwright, Smethills, Hawkins and to a lesser extent Wilkinson who turned in career seasons for Berwick and punched above their general regression to the mean, if they hadn’t the seasons would have been an utter embarrassment. I am not convinced that is planning in anticipation of other targets falling through. He deserves credit for signing the riders, but I don’t think that he set out with the idea of signing a Hawkins, otherwise he wouldn’t have started the season on the side lines.

His plan A depended on other team’s plan F, he couldn’t tell you his 1-7 in March most years, that’s not something to shout about.

Kus was brilliant for Berwick last year, but Havelock has done them a favour. There are far better bets on his average, or slightly lower.

Hall on 4.28 would be worth a punt?

How you ride a bike at 13 doesn’t always translate to how you perform in the PL, but Sissis looked to have “it” when he raced second half’s a couple of years ago. Sheffield, and the PL as a league, looks quite strong based on who has been signed up so far.

I don’t think it’s as simple as that.

What did the number 1 score? About par. With Barker, a big race winner (something Berwick lacked last season against the stronger sides) it is offering the chance to have a good season.

Carr scored 1, 0, 3 and 2 in meetings when Berwick hit 49 points or more away from home!

They did mate, fair point, even still Fox found his way to reserve pretty quickly and Sneddon didn’t really pile in the points I would’ve expected. I think it is a bit of a fallacy that you need two strong reserves, Berwick’s scores most of last season show that, I don’t think a side with Carr in it has strength in depth!

Worral was outstanding, every club would give you their soul for a rider to have a season like he did last year, but Fox? He could pull out a big ride now and then but I wouldn’t class him as one of the strongest reserves in the league. He finished the season with a lower average than Chris Mills!

Who’s the last team to have a strong number 1 and two of the best reserves in the league? Must be going back a few years. If you have a good number 1, one reserve can take you a long way.

Berwick just signed Ben Barker, on paper he is probably the best signing Berwick have made in 20 years, what do you expect fans to say?

He isn’t from Oz (although they seem to have adopted him) but Howarth would be more than welcome at Berwick!

There is so much upside to signing a rider like Barker! As well as having a rider who you can back to score at least 10 points a meeting, just about everywhere, he is on a bit of a bargain average 8.91, he can add to that figure. You also have the huge plus of Barker v Stead, Morris, Lawson, Cook around Berwick, and seeing how he deals with those riders around their own track, and of course, the big events like the pairs, 4s and PLRC. Allen appears to be a talent, is the 3.00 average on the team building thread correct or will he be a 5.00? And Jorgensen gets around most tracks in the PL quite well.

I agree. I don’t think he will ever be a superstar, but he is a rider who is capable of putting a point or a point and a half on his average. Workington are looking quite strong.

How’s that? Barker briefly rode for Somerset a while ago did he not? Did he leave on bad terms?