Shale Shaker

Does anyone know why FreeSports has suddenly disappeared from the Freesat listings?

You and me both, obviously!!

And there's the crux, and that's where this idea will ultimately fail.

Exactly - hence the "inverted commas" ..

Tai Woffinden is the new World Champion and he is British. Would you not expect "speedway journalists" to be following him writing about him and publicising his events? If speedway has not been featured in the NEC show in the past, all the more reason for it to be publicised in the SS this year, surely??

Is it not the job of a "journalist" to find these things out?? Especially if you are a "speedway journalist" ??

Hang on a minute, though, this was publicised in MCN. Did you expect it to have a double page spread in Woman's Weekly? No mention in the Speedway Star, though............hmmmm!!

At present, I feel there's more chance of Peterborough coming to the tapes at the start of next season's PL.

“I can assure supporters I am making every effort to ensure the sport continues here at Sheffield,” said Machin. “But it will be without me. My time is up and I am deadly serious, I can’t do this anymore and I have to move on. “There are several issues, the conflicts with the sport’s authorities and certain individuals with their own agendas." - Neil Machin 22/11/13 Looks as though Elephantman may not have been far from the truth?

Latest statement on the Tigers website from Neil Machin suggests a buyer has not yet been found: "Tigers have been named in the 2014 Premier League line-up and have already drawn Berwick in the Knockout Cup. But Machin says it all depends on a new owner taking over the club this winter."

As pandorum previously and correctly asserted - "idiots" !

I'm sure SKY are most impressed by the "clarity" which has come out of the AGM.........??

About time the back straight was back in use - always my spot when I were a lad. Wish they'd re-open the 3rd bend bar as well.

Indeed perhaps some of the cognoscenti here ought to have read and re-read again, and again and again and again.............etc

Maybe only two from next year if Alex Salmond gets his way. Which begs the question, will Glasgow and Edinburgh still be under the remit of the BSPA? Or will they form their own SSPA?? Could we see "Team Scotland" in future SWC's

And he has staunchly resisted calls to move to the EL - a very shrewd man.

I actually find this a bit condescending. Perhaps we should all just shut up and accept that we know nothing, and others will decide what's good for us.

I'm sure there will be many who will jump at the chance, and many who will consequently be demoralised when they are banished back to the NL half way through the season when their scores don't live up to the team's expectation. I'm sure many riders would jump at a chance to be fast tracked into the GP's, too - that doesn't make it the right thing to do. Their scores will still count towrds the team whether their heats are protected or not - let's see how long it is before some of the lads are dropped or "rotated" out of the "chosen 20".

Riders develop at different rates just like everyone else. Some come on faster than others, it does not mean that slower developers have any less potential. The fast-tracking approach just seems too heavy handed and will discourage as many riders as it benefits.

So what if a few young riders are compelled to ride above their level and above their financial means too soon and are lost to the sport. Make no mistake, it will be sink or swim for some of these young lads. At least a handful of promoters will have saved a few quid.

So the if we have to wait for the BSPA to detail their plans, then all we have really got at the moment is an "idea" with no concrete evidence of how it will be acheived in reality. World peace and a cure for all diseases are also good ideas - we just have to give time to sort out the details - simple.

Imagine the dive in moral for the rider who gets picked last.

I wouldn't really call it nit picking. There are several well put points here as to why it is a ludicrous idea and why the whole thing won't work. I can't even see that it's an idea even "worth a try".

I just can't see how any system of rider allocation can work. What say do the riders have? I can see a few buying into this, but certainly not all of them.

Do these N/L riders not have any say in who they ride for. How is it going to help their costs if they have to travel the length of the country to ride for their assigned "EL club"??