ouch

Correct, no reassessment was made for the Wolves signing. I'm not banging on about it merely using it as an example of the flexible approach to rider averages when querying what Zagar will be on......for us.

So did Tai but he would have been 8 if we signed him.

I wasn't at all suggesting that a prospective sponsor would use this forum as their only form of research but it not inconceivable that it could form some part of it. As to the other points they are all true but it's highly unlikely they would be read by someone only interested in one particular fixture. The point put across by many is that no one is interested in the KO Cup irrespective of who's missing or what teams or involved. It's this I take issue with.

I think if a team has three or more members missing or if the total with both teams combined is four or more then the fixture shouldn't be run. Filling gaps with guests has been far to easy recently and has resulted in riders missing meetings willy nilly. The current situation with Wolves is quite unique imo as all the riders involved are injured. There is no prospect of rearranging this tie within the current season so I think steps should have been taken to make the Wolves team at least feel like a Wolves team. The inclusion of Wells fits the bill and I would have been happy to see Tai. R/R for another spot would leave only one potential "foreigner" in the wolf pack and I hope give their fans something to genuinely get behind. One side note I'd like to make is that comments about how uninterested fans are about this competition do not contribute to the greater good and should be kept to yourself. A potential sponsor toying with the idea of becoming involved would soon turn away as would any floating supporter. Constructive criticism, yes. Blind pessimism, no.

It's the dammed numbers game. I feel bad enough just typing a team without him, what it's actually like telling these riders to their face that they don't have a team place must be hell.

1. Cook 2. Hougaard 3. Holder/Woffinden 4. Tungate 5. Zagar/Fricke 6. Bewley 7. Smith

Sigh. You do realise he's not here, so you can take a holiday from the goading insults. No need. I'm hoping in future Wolves/Aces threads can be as enjoyable and devoid of insults as the Aces/Stars, Lions, Pirates, Rockets, Rebels & Robins threads have been.

I posted on 25/8/17 that RR had only averaged 7.03 in place of a 8.48 rider, though Lee's average was due to increase at the next set of averages. We are not benefiting from RR. We could have signed another rider up to 8.48 but decided to let the lads have the rides before Lee returned but unfortunately he didn't, then it got so late on it wasn't worth making another signing. No rule breaking here mate, only bones.

Yep. Imagine if the 3 ride ref cock up had cost another final in the KO Cup. Add in gogglegate and you have to question why these costly ref errors always happen to us?

Re the nothing meetings, this is another side effect of the play offs as this is the be all and end all which renders anything else pointless. It all but killed the other two legged cup competitions. This filtered through the sport to the point where riders were dropping out and this only reinforced fans opinions. To make it worse fans regularly voice these opinons so potential attendees start to belive it. Back in the day the Northern trophy was an important cup for us but try selling it now with all the online negativity.

I think it should be compulsory for at least all top flight teams to have a junior team even if it's only a small MDL type to run as second halves.

The main reason is the Colts are a very good team and riding at home only serves to highten that. We lost at Lakeside by 8 when Dan only scored 6. There was a last heat decider at Mildenhall that we lost by 4. Apart from those we have only lost when fielding under strength teams. The only reason we don't win away by more is the inexperience of the young lads in our team and the fact they have to get use to the quirks of those track. They have ironed out any quirks at the NSS due to the fact they ride there regularly. I think at this level differences in home and away performances are heightened by the riders inexperience.

Will Zagar be on his 7.48 average or will it be upped if we want to sign him?

Are we all a bad bunch or is it just a minority as it's unclear from your post.

It's been an extremely fine line between Lemon winning and losing. Who's to say the ref would have bothered re gogglegate, as they didn't alter their decision when their mistake was pointed out last week? Different refs and an earlier implementation of the anti ringer rule would have seen Lemon with three on the trot titles.

Indeed you are mistaken, about a great many things. Copyright: The Emperor, Return of the Jedi.

What's people's views on this one? Do clubs get a better average attendance per meeting if they run weekly up to the end of the season or if they cram several fixtures into a short space of time or even run double header? Here's one for people with promoting knowledge, do you make in gate receipts running two meeting one week after the next at full price or do double headers draw a bigger crowd in, that compensates for the reduced admission charged for the two meetings?

I described a scenario where fans miss the regular season but go along to the play offs and you counted that by describing a scenario where fans miss the regular season but go along to the play offs.

How does it work then?

Hey mate are you coming to the speedway again? No I'll wait 'till the play offs, I like the big crowd atmosphere, it just seems better. Oh right.

I think this tie is nicely balanced. The Colts are strong at home but they've not been tested and having this deficit should give them something to think about.

Makeshift Colts keeping it close but I think they'll run out of stream towards the end.

When Jason Doyle fell during the previous TV match I thought there's a rider that once he improves his skill and throttle control he'll go a long way.

Was always going to be the case after the rain off. Run Thursday and screw wolves. Run Monday and (slightly) screw BT. Run Friday and screw Belle Vue and get double bubble as it screws the Colts. No brainer for the powers that be, win win in fact.

8 riders injured or withdrawn following crashes over the last 8 meetings. Whether it's the riders, the bikes, the track surface or shape, it needs discussing. Putting your hands over your ears and humming is a slap in the face to those injured riders and more importantly those who will suffer the same fate in the future. It's not about blame or a mine's bigger than your's contest, it's about rider safety.