Grachan

It was there last season. I remember someone mentioning it during the season and then checking it was there.

Happy for Troy. He deserved to keep his place. From a team-building point of view is does put a big question mark over Rasmus, who looked a more likely returnee. But Troy deserves his place, although whether it's the best move in terms of the overall strength of the team is questionable. I think this will be a team built with mid-season changes lower down the order in mind. So, does this mean that the "2 over 8" rule has been ditched?

What I like about this signing is that Sheffield haven't relied on cast off Poole riders, or waited to see which riders can't be fitted into other teams, but have gone their own way and done it themselves. A very positive sign for how they will fare in the top flight, in my opinion.

Great news. Well done Sheffield.

Other than availability for some clubs, meaning they stay in a lower league, I don't see why fixed race nights are a problem. In fact, it has improved some of the problems that were occurring with riders being abroad or riding in lower leagues.

Fair enough. Leaves 3.81 for another reserve. Perhaps we would be weak at the bottom end at the start of the year, but that didn't work out too bad for us this year.

I've read good reports about Anders Rowe, although I'm yet to see him ride. If he has the suggested potential, and it is felt he is ready to do PL, then he might be worth including. I'd be ok with Nick Morris returning, although his recent form is, perhaps, smething of a risk. If Musielak wants to come, I would have him. I feel sorry for Batch. All teams put forward leave him out, as there seems no other choice. Doyle Jensen Ellis Musielak Bellego Perks Rowe Comes to 41.89, which looks low, but plenty of scope for improvement, and possibly strengthening at reserve during the year if we look weak in that department.

What's wrong with that? He obviously wants his child to have dual nationality. So what?

Most middling riders (eg Perks) already have a CL average anyway, so wouldn't need converting.

I'm pretty sure they would average over 11. Don't forget there would be 20 teams. That makes the top 60 in the current PL as heatleaders and the top 20 would be number ones. So anyone in the top 3 averages for a club at moment is likely to be a number one give or take a few exceptions where teams have a strong top 4. Your looking at riders who are currently at reserve being heatleaders.

There's no point. Give him 14, or whatever, and he's just going to drop by about 3 points anyway after a month, and then you get tactical team changes again (eg 2017, Musielak for Grondal after Doyle started on 13.42). Winning by half a lap is the same as winning by 10 yards points wise. All 3 would be pretty much unbeatsble at champ level.

If one big league, then the best way would be to use Championship averages. Riders without a CL average could then be assessed to CL standard, with a maximum of 12.00. Pretty sure Jason would be a 12. I don't agree with assessing above 12 though, as it is higher than any possible value to the side.

I don't know how Swindon did financially this year, but last year they lost money and a big part of that was because of getting rid of Jason Doyle. They were very keen to bring him back this year, so it will be interesting to know how their finances were. Stronger teams do bring in better crowds.

The point was actually raised by Speedway Star as something that should be done, hence the topic. The thing is, the last 40 years are the years that speedway began its slow, steady decline, and the top league was weakened deliberately a few years back, year after year, and costs were cut. The result was lower crowds. I certainly feel there is a case for strengthening the league again. For example, Swindon and Ipswich had to bring in NL standard reserves in order to fit a rider of GP standard into the team. I also feel that a team having to make major cuts after doing well suffers the following year as crowds fall away again, which, surely shouldn't be the objective. Personally, I've always found the massive destruction of successful sides to be a bad thing. It was noticeable at Oxford, in the past, that crowds fell when the successful sides were dismantled. I'm not saying I agree with teams having to build to the highest average, but something a simple as Troy Bachelor or going to Peterborough would bring a competitive league without having to work teams out to the nearest decimal point.

Yeah, I know. But I couldn't spell it.

Team were never built to equal averages until the low points limits came in. They don't need to be equal in average. Swindon have a high average because of a few big home wins, but other teams can still get decent sides together. A low average encourages team changes, and also makes as side that can make a decent change almost unstoppaple. Ipswich had to drop two good riders to bring Iversen in. They would have had a better chance in the final if they had been able to keep Kennett.

Ipswich could bring Kennett back in for Sargeant. You don't have to make every side equal averages to get a competitive league.

It's a Premiership rule. Doesn't seem to apply in the Championship. 18.6.1 A SGB Premiership Team’s initial Declaration must not exceed 42.50 and may include ONLY one rider with an MA of 8.00 or above.

Here's another with a speedway yheme.

Yeah, fancy that, eh. The point is, Jason gets a bit of criticism for often missing heat 15, but it may not be his decision and Swindon might have to cut their cloth slightly to afford him.

Interesting comment in an interview with Rosco, during the play off final, where he said he might get in trouble with Terry Russell for putting Jason Doyle in heat 15. The indication from that is that Jason is on a higher rate than the others, and the reason he sometimes misses heat 15 is a financial one.

I think the thing is, do all teams need to be built equally? They never were before, and it was only when low points limits started coming in that this obsession with equality came in. The sport has become obsessed with equal averages. As I said, one team switch (Batchelor to Peterborough) would make a league with all teams competitive, even if they averages at the start of the year weren't all within 0.01 of each other.

Really, a simple bit of rider control would solve everything. Assuming Poole become Sheffield, Troy Batchelor goes to Peterborough to replace one of their reserves. David Bellego comes in at Swindon. That's it. A pretty even league, which is a lot simpler than working out team averages to the decimal point.

I think I'll let you work that one out.

Yeah right. I'm really going to do that. I think you are over thinking it. It's just two random examples of team averages to show how they can differ. It doesn't need to be from the same match.