arnieg

Although in a rematch Oxford would be at full strength (only 4 out of r/r last night)

For once I think you are wrong! Let's assume 3 teams (or even 4) are much better than the rest and equally good. Then team that comes top gets to meet 5th and 6th. Chances of reaching final 90%. Chances of winning final 50%. Overall chance of winning 45% Now for teams finishing 2nd and 3rd let's say chances of winning group are 40% (and for team 4, 20%). Then team finishing second in league only has 20% (40% x 50%) chance of winning title even though they only finished behind top team by a single race point So that single race point difference has reduced the second place team's chance of winning the league from 45% to 20%. That is a big difference

But the play-off system makes coming top very important. Whoever comes top only has to beat 5th and 6th place teams to get the final (assuming they make the logical choice), whereas the runners up end up in a 'group of death'. (So if Poole don't come top they would have to beat Glasgow and Redcar to get to the final)

And yet your captain won the toss and chose to take it I ht 1, thereby gifting gates 1 & 3 to the Cheetahs in heat 15.

And a heat leader for Grudziadz at that

I would award that title to Lewis Kerr tonight.

Beginning to show some promise at Somerset in 2019 then lost two years thanks to covid in 2020 and a broken leg (and I think a second injury later in the season when attempting a comeback) in 2021. That"s a lot of ground to make up. Very popular at Cowley, and interestingly, given the circumstances of his departure, much love shown for him at Plymouth the previous evening.

And I hardly think throwing about homophobic insults reflects well on you or the team you support.

Turns out it isn't. But you do have to go back quite a bit http://www.gbspeedway.com/2015/meeting.php?mc1=s&mc2=rc&mc3=pf&mc4=x&comp=ELb&meeting=1253

Not even his first this year. (10 April v Belle Vue)

Oh you cynic.

Well I sort of enjoyed Kelvin telling us about the exciting racing, just a shame it was never on screen.

Then Henry Atkins, paid 19 from two away matches in the last week is well up for it.

Hagon is three years older and has at least two years more experience. Boughen certainly has something, almost as good as Kyle Bickley was at the same age.

OK then name a rider aged 18 or under who is currently better. Despite him being only 16 there are only three riders in the under 19 final with higher averages, and all [the Thompsons and Mulford] are 19 this year.

I agree, but hey I was only standing next to you.

I'd hazard a guess at 1 June GSAs being determining method of qualification. [Edit: didn't need to guess as it is in the rulebook - 15.5.1] And assuming Vinnie Foord is still injured then Harrison will get a shot.

Yes this seems very odd given the age of criminal responsibility is 10 in England (and 12 in Scotland). So said rider could be charged, convicted and sent to a secure unit, but the ACU/SCB couldn't ban him for 28 days?

Ryan's got 6 double figure scores in 7 Chargers matches and scored paid 14 points from 3 Cheetahs home matches. Anything he scores away from home is a bonus. You can't realistically expect much more from a 2 point rider.

Well he beat Jason Edwards at West Row last season. And headed Ace Pijper and Connor Bailey in the first ever race at New Northside.

Ht 15 was an interesting one, a wide divergence of views on who should have been excluded, and not split across partisan lines. It probably depended on where you viewed it from. Either way it was a cracking match and that twist made it one of the best league matches I've seen in years - can't see the play-offs providing that much excitement. Redcar already topped my chart of favourite places to visit in British speedway, and is in no danger of being deposed. PS Good to hear Roy Clark is on the mend

I'm sure Olching will be delighted that Riss has chosen Berwick over his own team in Germany.

League matches (inc play-offs) joint 1st with Richie Worrall 26 each 3rd Connor Mountain 24

The absurdity is that it doesn't exist in the Championship, the place where if could be of most benefit.

It is very rare for a rider to peak at 19, unless they completely lose interest in the sport. I think it more likely they will continue to mature, adjust to being independent adults seperate of each other and their father and return to an upward trajectory.