Ben91

There are plenty of riders in the National League who could step up to PL reserve berths under a draft system. That proves there are plenty of riders. The Premier League initially may be a bit weaker, but so what? It'll benefit speedway in Britain in the long run. If doubling up was scrapped teams would still be able to field seven man line ups. That conflicts the point though, the guest was for an injured rider right? Yes that is unfortunate but what I'm saying is there are plenty of riders who would sign for clubs on a full time basis and there can be no denying that. Needless comment really, discussing an issue is much more enjoyable when people don't resort to name calling.

They haven't had to though have they? They've had seven declared and there have been riders available to sign. There are riders to fill every team from the start to the end of the season. Check the facts.

Someone call Judge Rinder in quick.

Weak banter game.

Squads if implemented need to be done from the EL down. Guests are a necessary evil, so is R/R. As I've said before though it's when the facilities are being used for riders racing for their other British club that things become a joke. One racenight in the EL cures that issue, one racenight in the EL is also what the top riders want to race over here, in turn that is what fans want because they want the strongest EL possible. Draft reserves would be similar to having a rider base of youngsters, on the few occasions they will be missing if they have NL meeting clashes then another rider from the draft list guests or alternatively clubs draft a number eight too and then he can step in at reserve. Doubling up between EL and PL is fine but should be for Brits only. A 45 point limit in the EL would be awful, the gap between the top and bottom teams would be huge and the few world class riders wanting to be over here would be the subject of a bidding war. Also what about the EL draft reserves then?

The same as they do every year before they get team spots. I have no issues with the overseas riders who are competitive, when they are rubbish yet keep getting team spot after team spot that's where there is an issue. There is a simple solution to that, assessed riders averages stay at their assessed figure if they do not achieve a higher average than that assessed number. Having a draft system for British reserves only removes the poor lower end riders who get contracts year after year, or they become riders waiting for the phone to ring at the start of the year. That creates a bigger surplus of riders, not a shortage.

They have though, there are no six man teams, all have a full seven. You cannot say there are not enough riders until there is literally one less rider in the country than the amount of team places in the league.

That's not a lack of riders though, that's teams not signing a replacement.

Throughout the season though, teams always have a declared 1-7, granted some have long term injuries to riders but the has not yet been a team that has said "there are no more speedway riders left we can only have a team of six now." Therefore there is not a shortage of riders.

He's averaging over 9 in the NL, he'd attain a three in the PL. Doesn't sound great perhaps? But Maassen and Greenwood didn't even reach three.

Every team started the season with seven riders. Due to injuries, poor form etc most have made one or two changes. That means quite simply that there are more than enough speedway riders today who could fill each seven man Premier League team. The standard of reserves would be slightly weaker to begin with perhaps but it would keep the poor foreign riders out of our reserve berths which is a good thing for the development of our own talent. The racenight argument is valid, our Elite League teams all race on a Monday when Sky are there, there's nothing apart from weak excuses from stopping them going to a Monday racenight each week. If the PL then runs meetings Tuesday-Sunday (only dropping one racenight nobody uses at present anyway) then there would be a way for British riders to DU and not miss any fixtures for either of their clubs.

Keep them at reserve by all means but there doesn't need to be a change to the heat format. The EL has done that and riders averages are all around 6 now because riders only race people at the same level as they already are. A track reserve would never work. For one what if there is a rider missing on both teams? Only very bad, and I'm talking not good enough for NL, riders would entertain being a track reserve because there's no guarantee of even getting a ride and there's no way that will earn them the money to live/maintain their kit. There's no need to downsize teams and there's plenty of riders to go around to make up seven man teams. R/R isn't great but sometimes it's unavoidable. What is avoidable is a team using a guest for a foreign rider who is unavailable as he's riding for his other British team.

He's quickly learn, need to have a team that can do a job on the road too. Money talks, we're crap right now but over the last decade we've been one of the more successful PL sides. We're not a small club, just need to get out of the rut we're in.

R/R is part and parcel of the sport. Facilities are being used too often in the EL and PL for riders who are riding in the other league. One solution is to make doubling up solely for Brits, another is one race night in the EL and no PL fixtures are allowed to be run on that night. There is not a shortage of riders. The suggestion to drop the points limit to between 34-36 is for the top 5 only, the reserves are drafted as in the EL. From 42.5 to 35 you are losing 7.5 points, about the points two reserves take up at the start of a season but the beauty is no more Konopkas, Maassens, Dilgers or Daveys taking up spots which could be given to British talent. If the draft riders aren't protected by a change of race format like there was in the EL there's no way he'd attain an 8+ average in his first PL year.

There's not a lack of riders there's too many racenights. Each team has had a full line up of seven since the start of the season and many have made more than one change across the year, that means there are plenty of riders to go about. Drop the points limit to somewhere between 34-36 for the top five and have a British rider only draft for reserves. Job done.

And? He was part of that team. Every point scored by a Birmingham rider counted towards them winning the title, if their top three alone had turned up every week they would have finished bottom.

If Scott is willing to pay them more than the other clubs after them then there's no reason for them not to sign for us. We've been there and done it with Morley and he's lacking on bigger tracks. Ayres I'd be interested to see, no thanks to Greenwood though. I'm in favour of a draft but I can't see it happening, if it did we might not have to put up with Maassen again.

Calpol by the litre, only the best.

It's a good team and if money is no object there's no reason it couldn't be put together.

Even though the kid is part of the team that just won the NL title...

Will never happen but: Lambert 8.38 Barker 7.55 NBJ 7.23 Holder 6.85 AN Other up to 6.35 Branford 3.14 Wajtknecht/Spiller/probably Maassen 3.00

People shouldn't tell other people what they should and shouldn't do. Oh...

Edinburgh finished top they should be Champions.

Can't quite work out how that line up has been decided. The ten number one riders are: Adam Ellis Liam Carr Darryl Ritchings (with Dan Greenwood done for the season) Max Clegg Bradley Wilson-Dean Ben Morley Jake Knight Danny Halsey Rob Branford Lee Payne The next six in the averages are then: Zach Wajknech Tom Perry Matt Williamson Kyle Hughes James Shanes Jon Armstrong Surely all the riders with averages higher than Mountain, Ayres and Owen haven't been invited and declined? Looks a good line up nonetheless!

If it isn't due out til next year surely it would be better to release it as Speedway Grand Prix 16 and have the riders for next year's series included.