arnieg

By definition half the riders in the league will have averages of under six. Get rid of them all and you've just halved the number of riders.

I'd agree Drabik, Woryna, Smektala and Kubera are the top prospects, but I'd also suggest that Rafal Karczmarz Oskar Bober Oskar Polis Daniel Kaczmarek are all better than Drozdz (and under 21) In addition the following riders are all 19 or less (ie at least two years younger than Drozdz) and therefore better long term prospects. Igor Kopec-Sobczynski Jakub Miskowiak Wiktor Lampart

Whereas the cheaper race card would attract VAT

The council found a new site for Reading. The council gave it planning permission. The problems were elsewhere ( and are probably ones that should concern Swindon fans)

Given that the one rider over eight rule hasn't yet (if it ever will be) been confirmed and assessed averages still seem very much up in the air, the answer is who knows. Anyway I doubt if anything will be confirmed until the second week of January (at the earliest).

As recommended by yours trulynearly 2 years ago: I saw him at Holsted in 2015 and was VERY impressed.although he hasn't quite lived up to expectations since, he only turns 20 next week. He did win Danish Under 21 and Fritte Cup in 2016. Most notable 2017 achievement was in the World under 21 championship where he missed a final place only after losing out in a run-off.

Castagna, Morris, Wester, Clews, Marsh, Marc Norris and Shane Colvin. Wester and Marsh were replaced mid-sesaon by Mullett (after a year out with a broken leg) and Lee Herne Wester under-performed leaving the Racers with a weak third heat leader to add to poor reserves (both averaged below 4 including bonus). It was the only season in Reading's history without an away league win (they did manage a couple of Trophy wins)

Looking at what I wrote in 2007, it does feel as if 2000 was one of the better seasons (unless you were a Reading fan - racers got their second wooden spoon in a row!). Here's the opening to the 2000 season chapter in 'Tears & Glory': For the first time in many seasons the mood in British speedway seemed overwhelmingly positive. Hull returned to the Premier League, but otherwise the Elite and Premier League make-ups were unchanged. The Conference League expanded with a new track in Somerset and speedway returned to Rye House thanks to Len Silver. The Rockets had competed without a home track in 1999, tracking three Reading juniors: Simon Moon, Peter Collyer and Ian Clarke. The star of the homecoming meeting in May (apart from 'uncle Len') was a young rider called Chris Schramm. Honours were shared around and both Elite and Premier Leagues produced close finishes. Eastbourne won the Elite League, aided by a solid contribution from Petri Kokko. They went into their final fixture needing to beat King’s Lynn to stop the Norfolk team picking up their first league title. King’s Lynn did have the consolation of winning the Knock-Out Cup. Beaten finalists Coventry picked up the Craven Shield. The Norfolk team regularly featured five Australians, and when Adam Shields guested for them in July they tracked six! One of them was Travis McGowan. He started the year by winning the Australian Under-21 title (with Scott Smith third and Brendon Mackay ninth) and ended it with the biggest improvement in average of any rider in the Elite League. The destination of the Premier League title depended on bonus points. For the first time since their introduction, the team with most match points did not win the title. Thanks to their massive home advantage Exeter picked up all 13 bonus points available, but only two away wins. It was enough to clinch the title on race points two days after Swindon lost a bonus point run-off against Newcastle (September 28). Although Swindon remained without a league championship since 1967 they did win the Knock-Out Cup and the Young Shield, their first trophies for 33 years. Hull won the Premier Trophy. To add to the sense of euphoria Britain had a speedway World Champion. Despite not winning a single round Mark Loram relieved Tony Rickardsson of his crown. And the British GP did have a British winner with wild card Martin Dugard storming to victory. On a personal level it was the year I only attended 21 meetings, fewer than in any other of my 47 seasons.

Indeed. If his 2016 PL average of 4.23 is no longer valid then surely his converted 2017 CL average of 3.20 (4.15/1.3) should apply.

You seem to have missed the point. All teams (bar Edinburgh) were signed and announced by the equivalent date last year. The delay between signing and announcing riders is not a new phenomenon, so clearly team building has been substantially slower than last year.

It may be a risk but the fact that Danno (and Ben Morley) are showing the ambition to improve their all round riding skills, even though it may cost them in the short term, should be applauded. It is the sort of commitment that should make them popular with fans. I hope it works out for both of them. (Last year signings of Campos and Portwood raised a few eyebrows, but both were very popular - so it is clear that such left field signings can work for the Warriors).

24 vacancies left to fill. At the equivalent date last year nine out of ten teams were complete. There were just three spots left to fill. Looks like there are some problems.

31 spaces to fill. At this stage last year (and excluding Belle Vue and Leicester who were not confirmed as running and had no promoters) the number of unfilled spots was just TWO. Looks to me as if signing affordable riders may be an issue.

Sixth in Danish Under 21 Championship 2nd in Fritte Cup (season long competition for up and coming riders) Rode a few Danske Metal League matches for Esbjerg, including a 13 paid 18 at Grindsted where he beat Porsing, Bellego and Patrick Hansen 11-nil Scored 4 points for Sweden in European Under 21 Team Final (he was out scored by all four Latvians) He is one of a number of promising Danes of similar ability - Patrick Hansen, Jonas Jeppesen, Jason Jorgensen, Andreas Lyager, Mikkel B Andersen - all of whom could turn into decent riders but none of whom look like future GP stars. Most likely top stars among Danish under 21 riders are Frederik Jakobsen, Tim Sorensen and Mads Hansen (the latter two only moved from 85cc to 500cc last year so are still very young). Jakobsen would be worth considering for a PL place, the others would probably be better suited to the CL [subject to assessed averages being appropriate.]

One thing I'd add to SCB's excellent post is team identity's need to be reestablished. For example team building rules that encourage tracks to retain more of the previous season's riders would be a start.

Looks like generator problems are infectious! http://www.sportbible.com/football/reactions-news-stoke-city-vs-west-ham-will-now-kick-off-at-4pm-after-bizarre-delay-20171216

While that is true, what British speedway need if it is to survive is a dozen riders like Joe Jacobs and Stefan Nielsen. Paul Starke is as great example of a rider who took quite a long time to make the grade (which he did through hard work) that most supporters would be happy to see in their team. Up and coming riders don't need unrealistic expectations to live up to, equally they need to be given the space to learn at their own speed. One Dan Bewley is a bonus.

In a couple of threads I suggested that an easy way to produce assessed averages would be to I could do it in a couple of hours using data already in existence I'd use dolgin's rankings, starting by doing linear regression on all those riders who have 2017 British averages. That would give a formula that would provide an average for every rider. ( I would reduce the average of Americans by 10% because I think dolgin's methodology over-rates them). And finally I would round to the nearest half point). And I would use a 1.25 multiplier to go from PL to CL. I have now done it (and it took less than two hours) I used Dolgin's rankings at 30 September (topped by Tai Woffinden on 4701 ranking points and end of season PL GSA averages for all riders (61) with a PL GSA achieved in 2017 over 3.00. The regression formula came out as: Formula: Assessed Average = (ranking points – 1118) --------------------------------- 347.3 Here's the scatter graph: And the list of assessed riders (note it includes anyone without a PL or CL GSA achieved in 2017 (so it includes riders like Stefan Nielsen, Tobias Busch and Davey Watt) And a list of assessments: 10.5 Woffinden 10 Zmarzlik 9.5 Zagar Dudek Hancock 9 Laguta Laguta Pawlicki Pawlicki Sayfutdinov Vaculik Pedersen 8.5 Janowski Kolodziej hampel Iversen Milik Wozniak Jonsson 8 Lindback Drabik Kildemand Sundstrom Lebedevs Holta 7.5 Jepsen Jensen Miedzinski Protasiewicz Michelsen Ljung Woryna Bech Zengota 7 Smektala Okoniewski Thomsen Crump Jamrog Smolinski Mat Szczepaniak Mroczka Korneliussen 6.5 Janniro Jedrzejak K Gomolski Fajfer Wolbert Bogdanovs Karpov Buczkowski Przedpelski 6.5 Ulamek Czaja D Davidsson Kosciuch P Aspgren Pieszczek F Jakobsen Bach 6 Walasek Kudryashov J Davidsson Pavlic Lampart B Pedersen Jablonski Krcmar Jeleniewski 6 Covatti Puodzuks KK Hansen Lyager P Karlsson 5.5 M Ruml Franc M Nowak Berntzon Berge Gizatulin Gala Kroner Gafurov 5.5 D Balinski Miskowiak Kubera Kulakov Miesiac Tarasenko 5 Watt K Jablonski Brzozowski Karczmarz Kus Koza C Vissing J Andersson Eklof 5 Polis Palovaara Cyfer R Jensen Bober Hjelmland Borodulin 4.5 Fisher J Jorgensen Mazur Hartel Busk Jakobsen M B Andersen K Andersen Kostigovs Jeppesen 4.5 J Kling Dolny Busch Chugunov Thornblom Stachyra Ajtner Gollob A Gomolski Nissen 4.5 Adamczewski Borowicz Drodz T Sorensen Jedrzewski Skornicki Monberg Kaczmarek 4.5 Risager Tabaka Stichauer Kuciapa K Lykke 4 Lindman Melnichuk Grobauer Mads Hansen Z Holub St Nielsen S Burza Michalovs L Sowka 4 Fox Becker Manzares B Bast Nicol Novratil Thaysen Alden M Tresarrieu 4 Chmiel Castagna Melgren Sogaard Gruchalski Chalov Fierlej R Kling P Hansen 4 Adamczak Logachev F Eriksson Fienhage Tornqvist V Bergstrom Mag Karlsson suchanek Puszakowski 4 Dilger

I did the linear regression I mentioned earlier and Joel Andersson comes out at 4.96 PL equivalent!

A true devotee. He will be missed as a familiar face at a lot of tracks. He did over 5000 meetings!

I could do it in a couple of hours using data already in existence I'd use dolgin's rankings, starting by doing linear regression on all those riders who have 2017 British averages. That would give a formula that would provide an average for every rider. ( I would reduce the average of Americans by 10% because I think dolgin's methodology over-rates them). And finally I would round to the nearest half point). And I would use a 1.25 multiplier to go from PL to CL.

A very contentious statement! I agree but thousands wouldn't

Championship has now reached the point where over 50% of positions are filled. But in the PL it is only 16%. Looks a bit worrying.

I've come up with a FOURTH Reading Racer who was a full time member of Reading's Premier League team prior to being a full time GP member: ....Peter Ljung

Straightforward really. Step 1: Get a data set of riders with averages in both leagues. Step 2: do linear regression to come up with a best fit. Step 3: apply formula to riders whose averages you wish to assess.