21st century heathen

You can't have a facility for a rider that is yet to ride for the club. 18.1.4.2. No facility is permitted to replace a Rider, who although (re-)declared has not made an appearance for that Team since being (re)-declared.

A bit gutted to read this to be honest but as we all know it's unfortunately the case that on occasion one or two individuals cause trouble it ends up being the club that gets a bad name. Hopefully it's all sorted to a satisfactory conclusion. Slightly disappointed with the comment by stansolo. We are, of course, grateful for the opportunity afforded us by Wolves/B'ham but lets not forget it wasn't so long ago that a B'ham fan caused a spot of bother up at Sheffield. As I said, unfortunately these things happen from time-to-time but it's down to the actions of individuals not the clubs as a whole.

Fair enough. I guess we'll see by about half 9 tonight. But I have a feeling Pawlicki will be a threat, even to your top 5 if they're not at their best. I doubt Bridger would rate it as a fave track, even before this season, but he seems determined to do well of late and may chip in vital points. Past form suggests he has the ability on a bike but his application of that ability is what has been brought in to question. I think, as I hinted at, Barker and Sweetman will be important for Cov too. If they're in the points it takes the pressure off Pawlicki/Bridger. P'brgh certainly have enough in the top 5 to be a threat to anyone on their day, and the reserves are potential surprise packets on their own track though. I do think it will be a home win and perhaps very tight. If the Bees end up relying on the tactical's I hope none of the Panthers' fans have the cheek to moan about it!!

I suspect the highlighted potential position changes after the deadline this season will lead to re-think on the deadline for next season. There really is no need for it to be so early.

I disagree mate. I think that's looking, if only half-heartedly, for some sort of excuse. There was nothing wrong with the track. We met a team that were sharper from the gate most of the night and quicker out in front than most visitors this season. The like of Perry, Morris and Franklin found it more difficult to come from behind, although they all did okay. That coupled with poor showings from Smart, Evans and Anderson, for whatever the varied reasons, meant that the Heathens weren't coming through from the back as they have in virtually every other home meeting (the Mildenhall meeting that never was being the exception). Anyway, onwards and upwards. We've got a league fixture to win this week.

It's absolutely vital that we smash Weymouth out of sight (due respect to Weymouth - I'm just being entirely selfish) to make it virtually impossible for Buxton to overhaul us. We currently hold a 7 point (points difference) advantage over Buxton so a relatively narrow win may not be enough. Buxton don't have an easy task to go to KL and take all 4 league points but they certainly have to ability to go there and win by a hansom margin if they all click on the night. Whatever else happens this season (KOC and POs) I would desperately like to finish top of the table. I reckon the lads will be self-motivated after the home defeat last week but I'm sure Will will make sure they're in the right frame of mind if there's any doubt. 'Ommer um' lads.

I wouldn't be at all surprised is this ended up being pretty tight. P'brgh have a good top 5 but Cov's better reserves should prove the difference between the two teams over the 2 legs. A reasonable contribution from Sweetman and Barker would take the pressure off the Bees I feel.

So what does the bit in rule 17.3.3 mean then when it says NL to PL shall be 3.00? Genuine question mate. Unless the rules also stated no duel citizenship then any rider with a British passport should be okay. That may prove counter productive in a sense. The experienced riders such as Armstrong can pass on a lot of info to the young lads.

17.3.3 as quote above does not make that distinction although it does say "where a conversion is necessary". I assume then that if he retains his assessed NL average it is not eligible to be converted and therefore he can only have an assessed PL average? So with that in mind his best bet is to do his second permissible season in the NL, gain a true NL average and then go PL in 2012. He'll be on to a winner as he'll go PL on a lower converted average 2012 than he will assessed in 2011. I think going PL on 5.00 in 2011 is a bit early for him anyway. He's going well and is quick and stylish when he makes clean starts but he's still learning to navigate traffic from the back, something he would need to get used to in the PL as the riders are sharper away from the start. In my opinion Anderson needs a second year NL too. He's grabbed some important double figure scores for us at times but is pretty uncomfortable at Monmore and I suspect other smaller tracks. He'll chewed up and spat out and places like Edinburgh for example. That's getting into the realms of who the Heathens used next season if we are able to continue though, so back to the rules for the NL.

There could be changes to the rules for 2011 so we can only say how things stand for 2010. Two successive seasons is correct for any Commonwealth rider. So Micky and Jake could ride for the Heathens again next season. Also, I'm not sure about his average. He won't complete 6H and 6A for the Heathens so he will not get a new NL average. Therefore he remains on his assessed 6.00. A rider moving up from the NL to PL apparently has an average of 3.00 (see below) for the new PL club but I'm not sure if this only applies to riders that have gained a NL average. As Micky would still be on an assessed NL average would that mean he would join a PL team (if he went PL full time) on a PL assessed average of 5.00 as a new Commonwealth rider? 17.3.3 For Riders transferring between Leagues, when a conversion is necessary, the factor shall be: from EL to PL or PL to NL (x2 of the actual CMA), from PL to EL (50% of the current CMA), subject to the minimum / maximum converted CMA's being 3.00 / 12.00 and from the NL to the PL it shall be 3.00. Additionally, see below for further information on Commonwealth riders. Micky and Jake can only ride NL for the Heathens next season. The rules actually state a PL rider must have a PL average of less that 4.00. Smart is averaging 5.87 for Stoke so would not be eligible to ride NL next season. I think riders have to be 15 to ride in the NL and 16 (definitely) for the PL and EL. Nooooooooooooo have they learnt nothing from the mess the EL is in from dropping the points limit so low a couple of years ago and the inflated averages that average riders have now?!! I could live with trimming it a fraction to 42 if absolutely necessary. But even then that could prove low and force riders out of the league. If Mildenhall do not return and Bournemouth are lost (strong hint by Matt Ford in his programme notes that were written about the Heathens' support down there a few weeks ago) then there will be riders on the market with nowhere to go. Commonwealth riders are already limited to two per team. 17.4.7.6 Commonwealth Riders as permitted (see SR 17.3.2.2), subject to a maximum of 2 per club are limited to ride for a maximum of 2 consecutive seasons which must be with that same club. They cannot ride for an EL/PL Team under any circumstances, even as a Guest.

Congrats to Buxton. The best team, by a margin, won the meeting and that has been the general feeling from the Heathens fans. I've not heard or seen any excuses. Certainly there have been grumbles about our performance but everyone is just holding their hands up and saying we were well beaten. I was happy to read on the Dudley website, and again on here, that Lewis is okay after his crash. He's going to have to watch out for those black cats on his way to Monmore in future. Well done to Micky, 'Fred' and Ash for keeping us in the meeting for so long. Rich had no pace but scored reasonable points for a reserve but I know he was not at all happy last night and expects much more of himself. He escapes the worst of the criticism but it wasn't his best performance. Lee had no pace but was clearly wringing it's neck and working damned hard for the points he did get. But in a crunch meeting you desperately need more than that from the number 1 and captain. It was very disappointing to see him struggling so badly for pace when he's having such a good season in the NL, and his return to the PL has been a huge success. That just leaves Jake and Barrie. Other than being abusive, which I won't resort to, all I can say is that I hope they hung their heads in shame after meeting last night. Both were utterly useless. I'll leave it at that!! Overall it was a poor night, but a rare one. The fans will bounce back after 'mourning' the result for a couple of days and I'm sure the riders will too. The KOC may be out of reach now, though with 15 heats to go and no pressure you never know, but we still have the league to go for so it'll be heads down and ass up for those meetings. For Buxton Cook was very good after a first ride blip when he was well beaten, and from the back, by a slow Smarty and blitzed by the length of the straight by Dyer. Branford chipped away and picked up an unexpected and vital win at an important time. He gated well and got in the way a few times, and although a little shaky at times he was picking up points which was clearly job done from his point of view. Allott and Morris were very good value for their points with sharp gating and good raw pace. Morris was also a victim of a 'from the back' effort by Smarty by there's no disgrace in that despite the Heathen's lack of pace. Garrity was, well, different!! He had very good straight line speed but the tight turns seemed to flummox him on any number of occasions which led to up and down results. When he rode a bit smoother he was amongst the big points but otherwise in a bit of trouble. And I think someone should have a word in his ear because his attitude a couple of times was shocking. One to watch if he calms down a bit and just rides smooth and a little more within himself. He was a bit too much on the edge in my humble opinion. No doubt the points he got were valuable and he was a major contributor to the win though. Once again congrats to Buxton. We were well beaten and if anything the score flatters us a little.

Now that the Brummies finally have full planning permission I am hoping that one or two things may be improved for speedway fans, but it's entirely understandable that they couldn't make the investment before knowing if they would get full PP.

The MC oversee all moves and can do what they like regardless of the rules which is one of many things wrong with the sport in this country.

Fair comment mate. But in my view the three I mentioned are the ones that may win vital races and of course if we can stop them then we at least split the race 3-3. Jake is not so good on the small tracks and I think I'll be right in saying that's his only ever visit to BV, which is pretty unique with a slick surface, long straights and very tight turns. Also it's worth noting that Jake is bottom of our home averages which backs up my view that he's not good on the small tracks (with us having predominantly ridden Monmore). But as I started to say it's a fair comment you make. Buxton are very much a threat and have been on a good run so the Heathens should certainly take nothing for granted nor allow good results in the past to lead to complacency in the future. The next meeting then the next meeting etc is going to be the most important of the season for the next few weeks. It's crunch time and there's pressure on young shoulders. Hopefully the terrific support the lads have had all year will carry them through. -------------------------------- On the weather front - I am at work near the track so in a good position to comment. We've had fairly persistent light rain or drizzle most of the day but finally it's beginning to brighten up after a pretty dank day. The rain we've had should have just watered the track evenly rather than the track staff having to try to do it. It's pretty mild and breezy so it will begin to dry out quite quickly as the late afternoon and early evening passes. *edit* Update 16:00 - The blue sky is getting ever nearer. I expect to see the sun before the end of the day. *edit* Update 17:00 - Sun came out about 16:15 and it's drying up with sun intervals.

Not necessarily mate. I've posted about it on the 'Deadline' thread but basically all three clubs can finish on 45 points. Newport are out of contention for eventual top spot with an inferior points difference but there are just 7 points (points difference) between Dudley (our advantage) and Buxton. Advantage Heathens with a home meeting to come but we would still have to win by a significant margin to be sure of top spot. Buxton certainly have it in them to go away and win comfortably so we couldn't afford any slip-ups. Pretty drab, dreary with occasional light to moderate at worst rain. Not enough rain by any stretch of the imagination to adversely affect conditions yet, and it's forecast to be an improving picture as the day wears on. ------------------------------------------- Buxton are no mugs and Cook, Allott and Morris in particular will need to be neutralised. I would like to think, and the stats on paper back it up, that we are more solid through the 1-7 and that should pay off for us. A comfortable lead would be very nice please lads.

The rules should be adhered to not an idealist view of who we would like to see ride for each team. Otherwise can we bring back Taylor and Armstrong as replacements for Morris and Franklin as they're only out of the Dudley team due to injury?

Congrats to Newport and Bournemouth on doing what was required of them to take their respective positions in the POs. I was hoping Rye House could do us a favour and beat Newport, but it was not to be. The battle is well and truly on between Dudley and Buxton now. We face each other in the KOC semi first leg tomorrow, we seem likely to face each other in the semi of the PO and one of these two clubs will ultimately top the league table too. Currently Newport sit top with 45 but have an inferior points difference to their two rivals who can both finish on 45 too. Dudley hold a slender advantage on points difference at +176 compared to Buxton's +170. With the exception of the expunged Milldenhall result it's Buxton that have pushed Dudley the hardest at home when it took a last bend move by Smart to secure all the league points at Monmore back in April. Dudley then went one better and took a loser's league points away from their east Midlands rivals (league aggregate was 94-88). So it could be some rivalry over the next few weeks. Bring it on!! No mention of that on the Dudley website, and there's a preview for the KOC fixture tomorrow. So I suspect a late change is extremely unlikely. Not for me mate. I would be totally against that idea. Two difference competition and two meetings for me please.

Scunthorpe will have the extra backing of about 2,000 arm chair Heathens' fans tonight. C'mon lads, don't let your fans down.

I think I more or less covered everything on the updates. So I'll just add congrats to our lads on another comfortable win, though not the massive score one or two thought possible. That was due in part to a cracking performance by Simmonds and a very solid effort by Stephens, but also due to the Heathens letting some points slip through their fingers (though not always our fault). Twice we were on a 5-1 when races were stopped and the re-runs were 3-3 and once on a 5-1 that became a 3-5. Also Dyer's minor misjudgement in heat resulted in a disclusion. All 7 Heathens scored in every ride they completed which represents a very solid display once again. We'll just need to be careful that failures to finish races doesn't cost us big time in the final reckoning. Smart - A relative nightmare for him with a broken chain (and resulting crash damage) and a bike problem (after heat 13) meaning both bikes finished the meeting is pieces. Dyer - Disappointing start but two superb wins to end. Perry - In cracking form again. Great to watch. Anderson - Has been worth his weight in gold at times this season when others have had off-nights. Evans - Disappointing score but a brave move for his win won over a few that were grumbling. Morris - All rather went breasts vertical. One to park at the back of his mind and forget. Hope he's not too sore after a heavy fall. Franklin - Very solid throughout and had good pace. Arguably rider of the night but that's perhaps only because we've come to expect Perry to score well and it's easy to forget he started the season as a 3 point reserve but grabbed paid 12. Glanz - Very disappointing. Rarely showed the form I expected to see from him. Pickard/Bates/Reade - All gave 100% and were far from disgraced but just couldn't handle the Heathens. Good effort all round though. Stephens - Largely very good and a threat to our boys all night (bar one dodgy ride). Simmonds - A rare threat to our top riders and worthy of any and all praise he gets for his performance. MOTM. Charles - Found it tough and wasn't really at the races.

I agree entirely with that. It's far from a pointless fixture given our situation. It would be a great tool to beat Dudley Council with if we could present a final league table that shows us top of the pile.

I don't think the goal posts should be moved. That's not the issue for me. What has dawned on me is that there seems likely to be a scenario where all the fixtures are completed well before the play offs but not all the results will count towards the final positions. That is ludicrous. As Parsloes has said, and I can't believe that after 5 years he and I have found common ground , if the PO dates were in the calendar all season (as per the EL) for either late next week or early the following week then the 12/9 deadline would make sense. If, as suggested (and I wasn't aware of the potential), the POs don't go ahead until October then 12/9 deadline makes no sense and should never have been agreed. There seems a complete and total lack of common sense from the-powers-that-be in this country.

Richard Franklin is confirmed fit to take part. Has the Plymouth team been confirmed? Big night for us. We need to post a big score if at all possible, and then it's over to the others to see what they can do.

The play offs are not even scheduled yet so we have the ridiculous situation where fixtures are run well in advance of the POs (our last fixture is a week today) but don't count towards the positions for the POs.

I don't suppose there's any speedway in Western Australia in the second half of November?

I should just add that I don't agree with any suggestion that the deadline should be extended. That's just moving the goal posts on a system I already don't like. I said the same of the EL deadline and I'm not going to change my mind just because my team is affected in the NL. I don't like it but the POs are the way the league title is decided and a deadline date is set at the start of the season...end of!