MrMungo

Not met any teenagers recently then I take it?

Maybe they are planning on adding a rider into the draft, who only has a comparable PL average? Eg, Richie Worrall.

He has previously had an average of over 3.00 though, which is the point, I think, Ben was making

An NL eligible rider could also be a British rider without a PL spot... Don't you just love the BSPA's vagueness?!

Sarjeant won't be at number 7 though In that case, it would just be 15m handicap, or exclusion, one assumes.

It depends on the contract. It may be part of the deal. May get machinery supplied to them, but get paid less. Same with van, mechanic(s), etc. It happens sometimes in Poland too, so riders can just fly in without having to worry too much about the travel arrangements as far as bikes are concerned.

Newman is an interesting case. He actually has a higher EL average than a PL average, the only other rider to achieve that was Birks and he only rode a handful of meetings. Does riding for his local club just bring the best out of him? Depending on the T1 group, given that Blackbird/Birks are not riding in 2016, Newman could actually be the 8th on the list if they find 2 higher averaged draftees! If they don't find any other draftees, it's likely (I am presuming) Starke and Bates would take their places in the T1 group, meaning Simon Lambert would be the highest averaged T2 pick, even though his EL average was, well, not so great compared to his PL average. Figures from SpeedwayGB site. EL Garrity 7.21 Newman 7.09 Auty 6.86 Worrall 6.80 Kerr 6.72 Wright 6.11 Birks 5.74 Blackbird 5.43 PL Garrity 8.46 Worrall 8.04 Auty 8.00 Kerr 7.03 Wright 6.89 Newman 6.84 Blackbird 6.16 Birks 5.57 EL Starke 4.63 Nielsen 4.55 Sarjeant 4.31 Ellis 4.14 Bates 3.90 Morris 3.30 Lambert 2.87 Rose 2.85 PL Starke 6.00 Bates 5.58 Lambert 5.19 Sarjeant 5.00 Nielsen 4.74 Ellis 4.67 Morris 4.53 Rose 3.84

That's how I read it, too, but the statement is, as ever, a smidgen vague in some areas. Should find out in March one way or the other!

It doesn't have to affect the race format. Just make sure they ride at 7

I think FTR riders gaining an average after 4 matches is too soon, too. It's far too small of a number for someone to gain a true average.

It was certainly an interesting statement. "Draft system retained – all Tier 1 riders start on converted PL average and start at reserve but gain EL average after four meetings with ability to move into main body." No mention of T2 reserves, which is interesting. At least there's now some opportunities for NL riders - it's been a huge step for a while.

And definitely not Garrity!

I think you're being a little harsh on Graversen - granted his average now is really low, but it's been over 4 for the vast majority of his British career. I actually went through the list of potential draftees last week, and I reckon there's enough talent (just about) to have a semi-experienced #6 (eg Ellis, Morris, Nielsen, Bates, Sarjeant, et al) along with a rookie @ 7 (Ayres, Wajknecht, Shanes, Perks, Spiller, at al).

It's also worth mentioning that some riders may be based in the north, but ride for a southern side, or vice versa.

The AGM is always my favourite time of the year. They always keep me guessing on which wonderful delights they can come up with next!

Fully agreed. It was an awful year!

I don't think Matt Ford has decided yet

I have. At this stage of their careers, Thomsen is the superior rider. Thomsen is on a par with the Michelsens and Bechs. Kurtz, whilst having plenty of talent, still has a bit to go. Thomsen doesn't constantly roll at the start either!

Stead seemed confident he'll be back next year last night

There were about 20 riders King's Lynn could pick from! It just so happens that they picked a rider who decided to retire. The waiting was then related to Morris' fitness following his spill last year.

It's worth remembering that some may well still be eligible for a reduction. It's never a lot, but every little helps!

Updated for final averages.

An interesting unique viewpoint, Travertine. Personally I don't think that dropping points at home 5 times (out of 12) is play-off material, and that is where the downfall was. Although there were other times when an extra point or 2 could have been gained here and there which in hindsight would have the difference, that period in May when the track was not well prepared (due to new shale?) ultimately cost the side dearly.

Denmark, like Britain, ride on an assortment of dates. Usually either Mondays, Wednesday or Fridays. It has been that way in the past at least, not sure if it's changed lately. In the top league that is, their 2nd division usually runs on a Saturday morning or afternoon, whilst the big individuals are often run on a Friday evening. King's Lynn are one of those sides who could operate on pretty much any day of the week they wanted to. They have run on Thursdays before when riders were in Denmark on a Wednesday, they have held lots of meetings on Fridays too. It's some of the other 20 odd clubs with limitations that could be problematic!

With Belle Vue running on Wednesdays next season (if I remember correctly), that does leave Wolverhampton as the only 'pure' Monday night club left. One could argue that Wolves are in many ways more suited to the PL now given that they seem to really struggle in the heat-leader department. Could Speedway on Monday nights be a thing of the past? Is it at all possible we could have EL Speedway on Wednesdays/Thursday & PL Speedway Fri - Sun?