Alan_Jones

Rob Godfrey has explained the rule changes, proposed by Alex Harkess, in the Speedway Star. New riders will, as we've found out, come in on 5 points, but they will have to have gained a 7 point average by the time their visa is due for renewal. That could be one, two or three years and if they don't achieve it they then have to qualify via the championship route. As an example, Scunthorpe are giving Taylor Poole a 3 year contract which gives him 3 seasons to reach a 7 point average. The best news though is that any new foreign rider, including Europeans, won't drop below a 5 point average for the next year which will protect the NL reserve. Existing foreign riders with an average will be able to keep it but the 5 point minimum will apply for the following season. As examples, Paco Castagna and Coty Garcy keep their 3 point averages next season, but if they haven't reached 5 by the end of the season, they come back in 2017 on 5. Also if Zach Wajtknecht gets an average better than Jake Allen and/or BWD, as long as it's below 5 he'll stay at reserve.

Yes.

ISTR that refs being scored by TMs at each match was dropped some years ago, a contribution to the decline in standards perhaps. There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding of the track awards. It isn't decided by an end of season vote, there are specific safety and track prep criteria scored at each round which are totalled to decide the awards and track shape and quality of racing don't come into it. Even if Cradley scored 0 for the final meeting, they'd only need to score higher than Birmingham in a few meetings to beat them overall.

Schroeck. No big surprise, he was looking after Rob Branford's bikes and helping other riders during the season and he's been running the training schools.

I'm sure he'll carrion the good work.

A return to the 1999 criteria would shake things up. To qualify for a work permit for the first time the overseas rider must be: USA — The top rider excluding those already in the UK. Australia — The top three riders excluding those already in the UK. New Zealand — The top rider excluding those already in the UK. Czech Republic — The top two riders excluding those already in the UK. Poland — The top two riders excluding those already in the UK. Others — The National Champion of their country.

The critical word is "effectively" which was originally misinterpreted by the press officer who reported it as a non-existent rule.

I'd forgotten the fact that around the turn of the century there was a two tier system with 2nd year riders being given an easier ride than those coming back in subsequent years. In 1999, riders in their 2nd season had to have achieved an average of 5(EL) or 6.5(PL), whereas those coming back for 3rd or later seasons had to have bettered 5(EL) or 8(PL). By 2001 only the latter applied.

His last PL average was 3.7 with Leicester in 2012.

9 was the assessed average for new riders at one time. What I was quoting was the requirement for returning riders.

Morley, Hughes, Priest, Hume, Hunter.

When GSAs included bonus points the qualifying average was 8. From 2006, when bonus points were dropped, it has been 7.

Infinity.

He'll still be a Rye House asset, for what that's worth.

It's called the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship, held over 4 rounds this year, from which the top 8 or so should be made visa eligible, the number of qualifiers being adjusted to reflect the number of top riders not bothering to enter.

Yes it is.

Nelson, Campton, Holder, Poole in NSW.

OK, so let's agree that Chris Holder is a liar. Fair enough.

How about this one then; "There were three of us going for two Pirates places in me, Maciej Janowski and Darcy Ward this winter. Magic has had a couple of good years here and me and Darcy the same. It's a bad position for the riders to be in when one of us can't come back, but it's not a bad position for the club. They have good riders to choose from. I didn't really want to be waiting around. I couldn't have really waited around as long as Magic did - I'd have probably had to go somewhere else. If Matt couldn't have fitted me in, no worries but I would have needed to start making plans." From Chris Holder's guest column in Speedway Star, 28th March.

Their press officer has apologised for making a mistake in the original PR and it's being rewritten.

The FIM recommended lengths are 260m - 425m for speedway tracks and 350m - 1300m for long and grass tracks.

You can see the list here; http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=80692&page=2&do=findComment&comment=2724588

Could it be that Raiders matches will be on GP weekends with the likelihood of better crowds on the Sunday?

Interesting to see that it's on a 180m indoor track and that NSW riders Masters & Tungate are riding in the SA championship at Gillman on the same night.

But Campton, Allen et al "are internationally established at the highest level of their sport and whose employment will make a significant contribution to the development and operation of their sport in the UK" as required by the UKVI rules.