MattK

Plans are here: http://pa1.swindon.gov.uk/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P23E0APTKAM00

Put yourself in the shoes of a Championship team. Why would they join a league where they would have to compete against teams lining up with the likes of Doyle, Holder, Lindgren etc.? There is nothing in it for them. They already ride in a league with half the rider costs and almost identical admission fees. The only way one big league would work is if you jettison the top 10% of riders and keep both strengths and costs down to Championship levels.

I don't disagree, I am merely stating that if one big league with 19 teams was ever to be a serious proposition, it would have to be pitched at a Championship level.

One big league would have to be at Championship level - so no GP riders for a start. There are also 17 Premiership riders with an average over 6 and no Championship average, so if you deduct those, you're down to 109. In 2018 there will be 19 teams requiring 133 riders, so you're at least 24 riders short.

The most telling document within the new planning permission is the 2017 Framework Master Plan. It shows houses where the "new" stadium was originally supposed to be. These plans are simply being submitted in order to unlock further house building. http://pa1.swindon.gov.uk/publicaccess/files/48810D4EB6A3C6FD126E1250D0E7D8C3/pdf/S_RES_18_0027-2017_FRAMEWORK_MASTERPLAN-646104.pdf

When will the rules to determine priority be published?

Unfortunately, no one says that and the Mildenhall cases proved that "we were here first" is not a valid defence.

Are there enough weeks in the season to do that?

Why would the Premiership have priority if the agreed race nights are Monday and Wednesday? It shouldn't be too difficult to arrange the fixtures so that Swindon's Thursday home meetings do not clash with rider's Championship commitments.

I don't think there was a contract, that's the point. He said another team were ready to put pen to paper, but were scared off by "the top man of British speedway". I don't think you have to be a genius to work out who was is.

Times have changed. How many of the riders that Lambert was competing against in last year's World Under 21s have a full time job and ride speedway as their side-gig? The answer is almost certainly none. I don't see Lambert's comments as amateurish. I think he makes a very valid point about an outdated and almost certainly illegal asset system which is loaded in favour of clubs.

Isn't the point Lambert was making is that he was prevented from negotiating a better contract with another team by King's Lynn, therefore he was forced to accept their offer?

Let's turn your question around. Why shouldn't Lambert expect to make a living out of speedway? He's expected to make himself available to King's Lynn, turn up fit and health, with machinery prepared and ready to race. Most people expect to make a living from their job, why shouldn't speedway riders?

In which case, why not offer the "discount" to all customers?

When housing costs are taken into account: Pensioner incomes 'outstrip those of working families'

I'm fairly sure Chris Holder is in the GPs and has a ride in Poland and Sweden lined up for next year. You'd think other, lesser riders might want to compete in the Australian Championships, which are a feeder to the Grand Prix Qualifiers and a chance raise their profile on the world stage?

There is no crossover between speedway and the bikes you can ride on the road, unlike MotoGP, WSB and even motocross.

I don't think £17 is too expensive, especially when you consider the underlying cost of running the team. As you said, I think a bigger factor influencing attendances is the irregular fixtures. Gaps of over a week followed by two fixtures in seven days towards the end of the season goes help people get into a habit of attending.

Anyone know why Nick Morris isn't riding in the Australian Championship?

Yes. In fact I'd suggest that the crowd might be slightly higher if it wasn't on TV, as a few armchair fans might be tempted into attending. The big difference with Cardiff though is that the meeting is almost a side attraction for the whole day (or weekend in some people's cases). Everything about attending Cardiff is an experience completely unique to anything else in the British speedway calendar.

Depends on the market which the company is trying to appeal to, obviously.

How can they afford NOT to try? When Swindon did entry for a tenner and there was a very strong crowd (maybe 50% up). The following week there was no meeting and the week after it was back to £17 and regular crowd levels. This would suggest there is a sweet point, somewhere between £10 and £17 which would maximise revenue. £10 is too cheap (the rise in attendance didn't make up for the drop in income) however £17 seemed to put off many from returning.

Congratulations to Leicester. They certainly have put together the strongest team so far. I think they will definitely give Poole (the second strongest) a run for their money.

Can you explain why so many clubs have tried to run an Elite League and a National League team and failed?

Swindon would have been able to sign him on his old average, just like we did with Musielak last year. It's called the Rosco Discount.