arnieg

Well tell the MA to get a move on - I'm in Tasmania for the next week!

Bit like immigration rules then!

Good solid top two, popular entertaining rider with Cov history at no5 in Stuart Robson, one of King and Bridger will always be a second string, and the most entertaining pair of fast trackers in the EL. Seems a good team to me. PS When was the last time an EL team tracked six British riders?

We have to make sure there are no clashes for the Raiders riders!

It's a mistake I've made too - but it was Phil's trophy not Jason's.

Aussie 250cc championship:- A Final 1 Jaimon Lindsey (12) 2 Brody Eves (14) 3 Mathew Gilmore (14) 4 Dakota Ballantyne (9) Declan Knowles (12) missed out on the final after losing to Ballantyne in the B Final. Lidsey dropped his only points when chasing Eves when they met in the heats. Track in remarkably good condition given that parts of South Queensland had 4 inches of rain the previous day, but third bend did cause some problems. Have to say I was very impressed with the set up there.

"Close to beating Arlo Bugeja..." I don't think we're out of the woods yet!

A most elegant summary

What is the point of a trade association if it is not to look after its members interests? Your analogy with the FCA falls down because it is a regulatory body not a trade association. If my trade association [the ICAEW] was aware of widespread breaches of regulatory requirements and failed to provide advice and support to its members on the issues I would regard it as failing in its obligations to its members. And to my earlier list we can now add: 7. not guaranteeing payments to injured work permit riders 8. allowing riders to ride in second halves without work permits

Doyle is affected because his sponsor (Leicester speedway) has had their sponsorship certificate withdrawn (along with all other promoters). This is because of multiple breaches by numerous promoters of the existing regulations. I can see at least six categories of repeated breaches that have been committed (there may be others I have overlooked) 1 riders with one year contracts getting multi-year visas 2 riders guesting out with the terms of their visa 3 riders doubling up contrary to visa regulations 4 riders changing teams mid-season without applying for new visas 5 riders obtaining new visas despite not attaining their assessed average 6 riders getting 5 point assessments instead of 7 Is it any wonder the UKV & I are unhappy! This is clearly such a widespread systemic failure that the BSPA must take the lions share of the responsibility for allowing so many poor practices to exist - resulting in the position that our sport now finds itself in. [What if no date/venue/facilitator for the sponsors workshops can be found for six weeks? Add a couple of weeks to issue new sponsors' certificates and another couple before visas are approved and it could be April before Jason Doyle and co return!!]

There is no problem with Bachelor's eligibility for a visa - the problem would appear to be whether Swindon (or indeed any other speedway promoter) are "fit and proper" persons to be sponsors of a visa.

The danger is that the first available workshop will be in August in a disused lavatory behind a sign saying "beware of the leopard"

A very good article. I'm sure Alex is furious, but he resists the temptation to start allocating blame. Three interesting points from the article: 1) It is not just speedway affected 2) the BSPA members will have to attend workshops - I bet they will love that 3) There is some prospect of it being sorted out before the season starts

So that is why Craig Cook hasn't got Polish League place!

with the caveat that I haven't seen the 2015 regs, I think that Lewis Rose gets a 2.5% discount (Kerr may too?) which reduces his CMA to 4.05 16.2.3 AMENDED MA’s may be either Established or Assessed MA’s that have been amended with the Approval of the BSPA GC or MC for: a) Riders who have been absent from British League racing for more than 3 seasons (NB. The MA may be increased or decreased). Riders who have been absent for more than 1 full season due to injury. c) A Rider who has participated in the National Development League will receive a 2.5% reduction on their MA once he has achieved an established EL / PL MA, for the next 3 Seasons taking regard of any season where the Rider did not appear in a PL / EL Team Declaration. [2014 regs]

Yes - Bernie Leigh took 8 rides for Reading at Newport that year. He didn't ride in heats 1 or 13 so he actually came out eight times in the space of eleven races!

Only 21 - but as that was in 13 heat match ( a 40-38 win over Hackney) it still merits a mention

I think it is worth noting that although 1985 and 2004 show similar numbers of meetings the breakdown between leagues is very different. In 2004 there were less EL (BL in 1985) fixtures, less PL (NL in 1985), but lots of conference League meetings (compared with just a handful of junior meetings at Barrow in 1985) that with the (principal) exception of Wimbledon had very low crowds. And I think the quoted figures include double headers as two meetings. There were (approx.) 11 in 1985 but 68 in 2004 (source: Barry Stephenson spreadsheets)

Isn't that risky? I recall Simon Wigg got thrown out of a meeting for having too much caffeine in his bloodstream.

Yes that would... and I just knew I'd get Rye House wrong!

Number one - no surprise - but I think 2 & 3 were less obvious. 3 Sheffield 69 seasons (1929-2015) only two blank years since 1960 2 Eastbourne 73 seasons (1929-2015) have included 1940 which is not in the records, but a programme recently appeared on e-bay. There may have been meetings in 1953 but there are no verified details. Seasons where the track was used for training only are not included 1 Coventry 76 seasons (1928-2015) includes unlicensed meetings in 1936; has staged league speedway for 68 seasons in a row

What are the highlighted matches on the 2013 list?

and as we approach the coveted number one spot: 7 Rye House 63 seasons (1934-2015) aggregate for all three tracks (the original track was on site of go-cart circuit, but as it was within the curtilage of the same site I have aggregated them). There are some additional seasons when track was used for training, but no meetings were staged. 6 Ipswich 63 seasons (1950-2015) including an unbroken run since 1969 5 Swindon 67 seasons (1949-2015) 67 consecutive seasons of league racing 4 Poole 68 seasons (1948-2015) unbroken since opening, with one year of non-league speedway (1957)

Would that require Borders Agency consent? Would they give it if it resulted in the dropping of a British rider?

and the next batch: 11 Wolverhampton 61 seasons (1928-2015) includes a single open meeting in 1950 10 Exeter 61 seasons (1929-2005) includes amateur meetings in 1934 9 Oxford 62 seasons (1939-2007) includes 59 consecutive seasons, does not include mixed meetings post 2007 which included a few 'dirt-track' races 8 Wimbledon 62 seasons (1928-2005) The highest placed track no longer operating