marko

The Hurry situation, he was given an average, someone or some people complained, it was reassessed accordingly. Should same happen now I expect they would simply drop Ben for a two pointer, maybe a hot prospect like a Tom Brennan, really not concerned at this stage, we will have a very strong team regardless.

Jon Cook does not need to justify to opposition fans that his team is legal, if you have a problem, then ask your own promotion about it, then buy some wood, build a bridge, and get over it.

Seems like a lot of experts on here who claim to know the averages, I gave up years ago, only the bspa knows the true figure that each rider will be allocated and it’s those that count, not what joe bloggs think X rider is worth.

Very promising team indeed, didn’t consider Max Clegg but his addition allows Zach to start at reserve is massive. Jon Cook has been extremely shrewd with this set up, good heat leaders, very capable number four and three younger riders who are likely to benefit from spells at reserve during the season.

My prefered final three would be Edward Kennett, Zach and Tom Brennan, no disrespect meant to Alfie Bowtell.

Put Kennett in there and I can’t see anyone getting even close to touching us at Arena but I would not mind too much if it was Adam Ellis as I think he would strike a great balance away from home, you can get to the play offs on home form but to win it you need something about you on other tracks too.

That side would certainly not be a classic Lakeside team that struggles on the road, that team should give every team a run for their money no matter the track and if your good away from home, your going to be untouchable at home, that's what happened in 1991.

That is a fantastic top two to have at this level, I never really expected Nick to carry on at this level since he was going to be Swindon's number one.

I think we will see further tightening on doubling over the next few seasons, the fixed race nights are one step towards mitigating the effect but ultimately there goal will be to not have so many doubling in the first place, (prevention rather than cure) they dug a hole, a pretty deep one, and it will take time to level it out.

Since this rule probably only applies to the start of the season then if clubs choose to go without a "number one" then more fool them because i can't see any reason why one or two months down the line if for example another teams highest rider has dropped below eight, why they can't bring on another rider above eight in, or maybe they could bring in another 8+ regardless as this rule is to ensure even teams prior to the campaign. As i see it, we have Jason Doyle and probably Kenneth Bjerre and Jacob Thorssell that will be available for others to sign, Doyle has rode for Leicester and very popular there, Bjerre has had stints with Lynn before so he knows the track well and Thorssell would be a useful for any team who doesn't have a rider above 8, Rye House would be a good fit for him if they didn't or can't use either KK, Harris or Nicholls.

I think Ben was a dead cert and rightly so. As for the Scott Nicholls business, without defending the bspa maybe they have brought back the no rider over 6.00 can drop down rule to reduce the doubling situation? Still would rather have Nick Morris though, he would come in on a very nice average of 8.72, Scotty after conversion would be close to 1.5 to 2.00 more than that. Question is, will they go for a top two then even throughout to get both Ben and Zach at reserve of push Zach into second string territory and have a 2.00 at number seven so they can have a stronger third heater or number 4?

So we think it could rule of Scott Nicholls, it does now rule out Rory as he is staying put, so that still leaves the door open on Lawson, Morris and maybe Kyle Newman might be a target, would make a good number 4?

Edward Kennett as a third heat leader behind any two of Nilsson, Schlien, Lawson or Morris would be fine on away tracks i think and as already said would push a double figure average around Arena.

Hmm so to add to the rumour and innuendo, if said rider is a Swindon asset he could therefore be part of a deal which saw the sale of Zach to the Robins? Lets speculate here, could we fit Morris, Schlien, Lawson, Morley and Zach W in and still leave say seven - eight points to play with?

Assetts though don't mean much in speedway anymore and it never prevented us from being able to track the likes of AJ. In the grand scheme of things Lakeside have and for the immediate future will be a selling club, but in the CH that could over time change. If and its a big IF we end up with a top three of Kim, Edward and Richard, only Edward and Richard would i pressume be on loan, and if we got Lewis Kerr he would also be on loan, but it does not really matter, so long as they are there each and every week bar injury, I don't care who owns them.

I bet it was and such is my memory I can still remember the rider who won it for, Paul Bentley The potential clue is Jon saying it will be an almost all British team or maybe he is throwing out a curved ball there? Would love Kim to be involved though, I know some compromise might be required over dates but at this level on his average we would have the pick of almost any rider as a guest, not that I want to start having loads of guests but away from home at tracks Kim is not so familiar with it might be in our favour, wouldn’t be the first time a scenario like that has been used against us, Cough Dryml Brothers Cough

Oh indeed, and Simmo hiding in the Dartford Tunnel, well that was the rumour that was going around when he went missing at one point in I think 1988. My favourite years of the Hammers being a second division club was 1990, I recall us going to Eastbourne and caning them on their own track with Troy Pratt getting a maximum, 1991 of course where we won just about everything, the late 90s when we brought through Gary Corbett and Colin Chalky White had his most successful run, then 2003 where Henning Bager joined us and became one of the most popular riders to ever don a Hammers race jacket, we also had Kylmakorpi entertaining us for fun that season. Not so great however was the fours final at Coventry in 2002, we came so close to winning it but luck was not on our side, I was there and I still haven’t forgotten it to this day, the mood on the club coach coming home was very sombre.

We always build to have good home advantage, its just the way it has always been, the only exception was 1991 when we were awesome away from home too but that was a side unlikely ever to be repeated. However with this latest news it begs the question if we are going to have a new track, even if its in the same location, what would everyone want? I would love a track built to the same dimensions as Gustrow, that is an awesome track, very wide plenty of lines and speed, if i had to pick a British League track to copy then Somerset or Peterborough, Belle Vues is very good but its sheer size and area it would take up i think would make it a no go.

Said it before but Lewis Bridger for me is a guy with issues which has not corrected itself with age so I doubt he will change now, when his head is in the right place he can be a very good rider but when it’s not it’s dead weight, sorry but Lewis for me is too unpredictable. Adam Ellis.....the jury is out on him, could never ride our track then joined Poole and delivered a back handed insult to his former club and came back and rode the track like he had mastered it, again very good rider potentially but would his head be in the right place to ride our track (which he claims to not like) every week? Lawson, Kennet, Morley and Zach should all be in the frame but as mentioned before I would really love to see Rory Schlein race for us at some point, of course he is not British but I think he only rides in England and maybe Sweden on Tuesdays? With the tactical subs coming back having a good top three is going to be paramount in picking up points on the road. Wow that’s interesting, never saw that coming and what’s more important is the words come from Stuart Douglas himself.

The good Friday or bank holiday home and away meets with the Witches also seemed to be well attended, I hope we will see a return to them in 2018

But the whole point is with the fixed race nights it will be no different to when riders raced in several different countries, in fact it will be better because they will be able to travel around the UK riding for two clubs without either club being affected by the other unless of course said gets injured, and that could happen anytime. More chance of seeing a settled team next season, than for some time.

I am pretty happy with that, my team is in the division I have always prefered to watch them in, fixed race nights should help keep teams together and not just seven individuals and the biggest plus of all, getting rid of the tactical ride which has irritated me like a gnat bite ever since there inception. Thank you BSPA, you can and will get my money in 2018

This plus the return of the tactical sub rule and the fixed race nights has got me more excited for the sport in this country than I have been for a long long time, Certainly enough for me to want to start attending on a regular basis again.

Wonder who will represent Lakeside then as the promotion don't travel outside of Kent or Essex, yet alone the UK

My Hammers Team Kim Nilsson 7.13 Zach Wajtknecht 3.21 Danny King 6.66 Edward Kennett 6.39 Richard Lawson 6.43 Ben Morley 3.12 Alfie Bowtell 2.00 Total 34.94