Fourentee

A mark of the top two sides' domination that three-quarters of the league is in 'arrears'.

You'd better tell the SCB then, who still refer to it as the National Development League in the 2012 regulations at least once! The name aside, I'm sure you would accept that development of riders is part of its reason for existence. Obviously that would not be at the same level as the ADL and MDL you mention.

To a degree, Chris, I think you may have answered your own question there. The situation has been picked over on numerous threads but, in gist the answer from those who oppose your view (among them myself) is as follows: Roynon's horrendous injury history means he is way behind his contemporaries in terms of time on the bike and he needs a season such as this to rebuild his form and confidence. He's a young-ish Brit -- it is the National Development League -- and if he makes strides, then that's good for the sport as a whole. He's an excellent and enthusiastic captain (he travelled to this fixture last year when injured, purely to support the side) who sets the tone for a young squad. Tom Perry has repeatedly mentioned his desire to take the No.1 jacket; Roynon sets a high bar there to which others can aspire. Given Roynon's form across three leagues this season, it's salutary to recall that he didn't even start the 2012 NL campaign as the league's highest-averaged rider. He won't be in the NL next year, all being well, and Dudley fans will be pleased with his efforts and happy to see him moving back up the ladder. 21CH has posted more lengthily and eloquently along these lines somewhere and if I can dig that out later today I'll reproduce it. Cheers.

This is an excellent all-round effort and I commend it. A tiny, tiny observation is that the projected points calculation is made on each team's form (obviously) but without reference to forthcoming fixtures. Thus Mildenhall and Dudley, both showing excellent form but yet to meet each other, have projected end of season point totals of 49 and 45 respectively which is not possible.

Definitely think Tokley has something about him, given that was his first time out. Plenty of pace in the bends, just lacked a little entry speed. Not easy to gauge that on a small track. Will be interested to see how he comes on.

Well, that would have been us -- sure I would have noticed another dad and lad pairing, one of them carrying a white cane! We did enjoy it; I've been to Buxton before and there are so many different unusual aspects about going there, such as the location, size and shape of track, the fact that you can get so close to the action and so on (can't think of any other circuits where 'turn left after the third cattle grid' features in the instructions). Couldn't agree more with your Rye House assessment; I had this one down as about a 6-10pt home win. But RR for your number one can hardly instill optimism among the trooops.

Took my son along to this one for his first taste of speedway. Chose Buxton because, although registered blind, he does have some residual sight and off the top of my head I can't think of anywhere else where you can get closer to the action. Good performance by Buxton; Wright will clearly make a big difference and Branford looked happier at five although it's hard to gauge the merits of the home showing accurately given that Rye were running rider-replacement at No.1 (don't know the full ins and outs of that decision, but as an instant impression that disappointed me and could hardly have helped the gate). As a former Cumbrian resident I also wanted to give Ryan Blacklock a cheer but must have jinxed him as he withdrew injured in laying down his machine to avoid a fallen rider. Best wishes to him; it doesn't hurt any less when it's someone else's accident. Congratulations to Buxton and hopefully better times ahead for them.

And a great shame, too. At risk of going off-topic, is there a chance he might think again at some time? He's only 25 and would have a lot to offer.

A rule of thumb way of calculating how teams are performing if there's an imbalance of league fixtures so that some teams have ridden many more matches than others. Assume, for the sake of argument, that all matches are won by the home team and by a sufficient margin to take all three league points. Anything other than that affects the par score. So a drawn match would leave the home side on -2 (having dropped two points) and the away team on +2 for the same reason.

Manchester Paul will be on your case shortly.

Four of that Buxton team were in the Hitmen side that walloped Dudley 55-40 at Monmore last year, albeit not necessarily occupying the same roles, eg Branford is this year's No.1 where last year it was Adam Allott.

Couldn't have put it better m'self.

I'm not a Dudley supporter; but I would say the same about Roynon regardless of where he was riding. After this season, hopefully the NL and Roynon will part ways as he will no longer need it. But this year I would suggest the benefit has been mutual. By the by, he's also clearly a very good captain although I appreciate that point doesn't really come under the remit of the discussion.

The NL is supposed to be a development league for young British riders, helping their talent to blossom. It has enabled the young, talented and British Roynon to get confidence-building time in the saddle following dreadful injuries and, as such, has fulfilled its remit perfectly. Where's the argument?

Brave ride there from Nermark. Thought AJ was coming through regardless!

Just to echo other posters' comments, this is an absolutely cracking stream. Big thumbs-up to whoever sorted it out.

Ah, but he might have jumped as well!

Surely Zetters jumped there?

Exciteable lot, aren't they? Edit: Interesting choice of paperweights.

Some interesting analysis by 21CH and MR there. I'm sure we're always grateful when officials on the managerial side of the fence give us some insight (that's not you, 21CH, to head off any delusions of grandeur. Still interesting, though ). I either recall (or, possibly dreamt) that the hard-working Heathens Speedway Supporters Club were moving at one point towards funding a track spare. Perhaps someone from HSSC could let us know if that's the case and how things are going. Very impressed, in passing, with the effort that HSSC puts in both in front of and behind the scenes.

Sure. It was just a cheap gibe; I couldn't resist!

Be prepared to go into the next league? Do you seriously have any idea how flat-out desperate they are even to get a sniff of the next league? The whole concept of running Dudley is to prove to local authorities that the demand is there, to help facilitate finding somewhere they can call their own and move up the ladder. But they're a stand-alone club and there will always be a different thrust to their approach when compared to, for example, Scunthorpe, with a Premier League set-up running alongside. As for Roynon, presumably the target of your Elite League jibe, you, me and the whole world know that what he needs after a devastating series of injuries is time on a bike to rebuild confidence. There's not a Heathens fan around who doesn't want him to disappear at the end of the season, much as they love him -- because that means the job is done and he can make progress. And while we're at it, this year Dudley are running such gnarled veterans as Perry, Morris (both local to the area), Ritchings and Greenwood (the last-named tipped by Roynon as a potential trump card before the season started. How did he know? Because he took the trouble to stay on after the Coventry/Wolves match and watch his Dudley reserve in a series of second-half races instead of clearing off for the long journey home. Roynon, incidentally, has such a lack of commitment to the Heathens that last year, when sidelined by injury, he took in the away match at the Isle of Wight to root for the side. Not a bad effort for someone based in Cumbria). Incidentally, when Dudley have finished killing the concept of the development league other promoters will have to do without the turnstile money from their travelling support. Just a thought. OK, that's me done (and I don't even support them!).

Not the way you spell the second one, they don't!

Straight from the heart. I doubt anyone could have put it better.

Build it and they will go. I watched last year on a night when they were slaughtered at Monmore, walked out to apologise and were cheered to the echo. And if they ever get their own stadium...