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Or, have the 8 teams in the league, and do a seperate trophy competition for the 5 stand alone teams? Added to the KoC, that means stand alone teams get 12 meetings minimum.

It's in the SS today, but I haven't got it to hand. Off the top of my head, it's later this month.

Fair enough. Still, if Swindon are allowed to run, would Saturday not have worked? It just seems silly that you are going to have 2 events, wanting to attract the same riders, and there will be a decent section of fans who would want to attend both. Someone will lose out.

No issues with holding a meeting for a club legend, but it seems counter-productive to hold it on the same day as another meeting that is going to be going after the same riders to ride in it. And, for Reliant Robin, it's not the first Sunday of the season, that would be the week before. Why not hold it on the Saturday night? That way, any riders who fancy doing both can do both?

They had a pre-agm meeting where most things were discussed. I think the AGM is just finalising a few things? Either that, or, unlike the EL, the NL is capable of applying rules for more than 1 year in advance, meaning more stability.

I know which one I will be at! Parks all the way for me

What a stupid date for this meeting. British Speedway giving a well deserved farewell to one of the true entertainers of a generation, and Swindon decide to hold an individual on the same date. Ridiculous.

Heeps will no doubt be the top rider in the league. Everyone who was above him has, pretty much, left the league! But, even given his talent, I can't see him pushing much more than 10, remember Lambert last season was phenomenal, and even he ended below 10! Blackbird has the potential to improve a bit more, needs to sort out some of his away scores. But then Mildenhall have 3 riders who were at reserve for part (If not all) of last season, and one of these needs to step up and be the third heat leader. It is that or go for 3-3's with your middle order, a dangerous tactic when you come up against teams with a strong top end. Therefore, it depends who they get as the final 2 riders. Get 2 guys capable of increasing and they have a chance of doing well, but that part of the team will be vital (In the same way that Stoke are scratching around for 3 pointers, and if one comes good, then we could be in for a very good season. It's not how you start team building, but how you end it!)

Mildenhall's team, thus far at least, seems an interesting one. I can't see Heeps putting much more on his average, Blackbird could potentially add half a point to a point, but I can't see much improvement from Nielsen, Halsey and Jacobs, primarily because they all spent a spell at reserve last season, boosting their averages. Maybe a point between them. Leaves a lot of pressure on the last 2 signings.

While I agree in principle, I personally don't care which rider is riding where. All I want is to be entertained and whatever rules are put in place,good or bad, are followed consistently. Oh,and Stoke to win the title please ;]

Written small so that I can't dispute it (Yes, that was a joke!) No idea. I tend not to believe everything I read. To try and claim that one visa covers something else is ridiculous! Especially when it seems that it's the wrong visa to begin with!

Nope. They say he had a settlement visa, which covers people who have lived in the UK for a number of years, and want to make it permanent. To get an ancestry visa (based on patriality) you need to be 17. That is the only visa that covers patriality..

Close...Ricky joined Stoke on an assessed 6, with Stichaeur joining on an assessed 7, though goven Sitera's average,who knows.

Would lve to see Brendan Fremantle at reserve with Reade, that would leave around 3.26 for the final rider. No idea who s around on that!

Tony Atkin to Stoke on a 7.84

Tony Atkin makes it 5 signed on a 7.84 Very top heavy from Stoke,though a top 4 that could win meetings on their own!

Unfortunately, we say this every season. And every season we are left saying that something needs to be done. It never is, and as fans we are expected to just accept that they make the decisions, and we should be thankful. The amount of promoters whose responses are either "If you think you could do better, then do it yourself" or "You should just be thankful that there is speedway" depresses me. In an ideal world, we would have a governing body that doesn't change rules on a whim, and answers to an independent body. Until then, we will continue to be a joke in the eyes of many.

Riders coming through at Mildy? No idea. My gripe lies with whoever let Heeps ride. At the end of the day, had he been entitled to ride under the rules, he would have been in from day 1, Mildenhall made no secret of the fact they wanted him. Instead, midway through the season the paperwork was suddenly finished. No idea what paperwork, as no-one would say. You can only ride in the NL if you are British or hold a British Passport. Cameron wouldn't be able to claim citizenship through his parents until he was 16. Until someone comes up with an answer that isn't "It must be fine because it happened" I will continue to hold a gripe against the BSPA and Mildenhall promotion. As for other riders at Mildenhall, all credit to them. You had a couple of lads who upped their averages considerably, and others who pulled out performances when it mattered. However, it won't change the fact that I have an intense dislike for your promotion after seeing the way visiting riders were treated on my trips to Mildenhall. The promotion could have drawn a line under everything after our first meeting, but they stoked the fires, continued to play up them having no idea how Lambert could ride, continued to stoke the fire of hatred under him, and look what happened. Messers Lee and Louis should be ashamed of themselves, but we all know that will never happen. Apologies for going off topic, so to bring it back on topic, Louis is complaining about money that they always knew they owed. Stuff him. Pay the money that you knew you were going to have to and stop whinging. Paying double because you owe a year seems about right. Idiot.

And here was me thinking that Heeps replaced Nick Laurence...while, if memory serves, one of the Baseby brothers replaced Brundle. Lets face it, Brundle should have been allowed to double up, and Mildenhall would have replaced Laurence with Heeps. The whole thing stunk.

I know, but for average purposes he came over as an American. Hence I was trying to point out that, surely, Sitera would start on a 7, and not lower...

Wells is a Yank. The 6 came from his assessed 3 point EL average doubled, as it was higher than the WP average he would need. There must be other examples of riders dropping down on assessed averages. It was put in after the Brian Yarrow/Tomasz Piszcz fiasco.

So Wells WP average would have been a 5, yet he came in on a 6?

Wouldn't it be 7? Riders come down on the higher of their converted average or their initial assessed average (Stichaeur and Wells at Stoke prove this)

So, that leaves us with: 1. Ashley Birks 8.28 2. 3. Jaimie Pickard 6.87 4. 5. Richie Worrall 7.75 6. 7. Ben Reade 3 Total 25.9 thus far. Leaves us with 14.1. No idea who to have! EDIT: I think maybe Tim Nobes will be back as a second 3 point reserve. That leaves 11.1 for the other 2. Possible combinations I would like to see include Brendan Johnson 5.52/Lewis Kerr 5.55 Stefan Nielsen 5.28/Mark Baseby 5.67 Paul Starke 5.89/Richard Franklin 4.84

Jaimie Pickard for Stoke. 6.87