wjm

Where are the riders coming from if it is scrapped? Do riders have to make an impact on the world stage for it to work? Doubling Up/Down impacts on a number of levels other than simply helping to produce the next World Champion. If you were to list the positives and negatives it would be quite a lopsided argument in favour of keeping it, and arguably confirming that it has been one of the better, and smarter rules introduced in recent years.

1.Alden 2.Howe 3.Bellego 4.Wethers 5.Smith 6. 5.00 assessed rider (Berge) 7. Carr In an ideal world.

Don't know if that puts you in a minority to be fair mate. Out of those who attend over the course of a season how many feel the need to voice their concerns on forums and social media 4 or 5? Given the numbers who attend the shop can only imaginable an additional 2 or 3 at best who aren't happy but aren't internet users. Talking a pretty small percentage. Despite what you read on here (and it easy to think it is many, but it's not its just the same faces and same recycled stuff week in week out ) it does seem the majority are actually pretty happy. Be it the die hards who travel up and down the country and are there every week, people who attend the glam meetings or the people who make it when they can. The "problems" (if that's how some choose to pitch them) are country wide and deep rooted. There are number of reasons people don't attend speedway in the numbers they used to, it is beyond simplistic to say "it's down to the track" Irrespective of what is written on here the sport actually thrives in a town and catchment area like Berwick. Clearly some (4 or 5) are of the opinion that it doesn't, and more power to their elbow for having an "opinion" but when that opinion isn't shared by the majority, there must be a reason why not? What ever could that reason be? Re the team. I would have Alden back in a heart beat, at worst he will hold his average, you do feel though that it will click one year and he will be a 9 point man.

The issue that is there now is a rider working his way back from a serious injury, that will take time. By showing an understanding you increase the chances of the rider returning. “Do I want to go back to Berwick, a club who sacked me while I was finding my feet after a serious injury” “Do I want to go back to Berwick, a club who stood by me while I found my form again”. But naw, go ahead and punt a guy who has been a great servant because he has a couple of dodgy meetings.

That’s absurd. I appreciate that after a result last night it becomes the norm on forums for people to just get completely carried away and begin to say things that are emotion fuelled, and sure the riders deserve a slating but what you are saying is just nonsense. You are implying that riders like Richardson, Harris, Havelock, Loram, Louis, Screen and even the likes of Barker and Bridger don’t have passion and a want to ride for their country? For his limitations at the top level the one thing that can’t be levelled at Barker is a lack of National Pride. Even during last nights meeting (and I am not one to buy into this BS about who likes who, and who doesn’t, but I will go with it for the sake of this) Barker and Woffinden apparently don’t get on and based on their body language last night (not an expert on this field) it was easy to assume that they don’t, but they weren’t avoiding each other and clearly put their differences aside for the sake of the country, fair play to them for that. I would say any lack of “National Pride” has come about as a result of a feeling that the country (or the authorities at least) have turned their back on them, and if that happens often enough and the riders take the attitude of “if you don’t care, it makes it harder for me to” I can’t blame for that, that’s not a flaw.

What riders would you be aiming that accusation at just out of interest?

I would move him on because it needs something fresh, but the riders at his disposal are just that bit short. Take Cook, he is a hell of a rider at PL level, his progress has been pretty stunning, if he keeps up like he has he will be mentioned in the same breath as your Wilson, Stonehewer and Carr like riders. And he has made the step up to EL, but that step isn’t what it used to be, whereas the step between EL and GP/SWC is still a massive one. I am quite surprised by how much of a struggle it has been for Cook, not just at Kings Lynn he wasn’t that hot at Cardiff either. Cook is probably like a few Brits (and to a lesser extent guys like Lindgren and Adams were for a while) they show their full hand to often in league racing IMO. It is to their credit that they do it, but your Barkers, Cooks and Bridgers are at their maximum 100% of the time, they will put the same effort in at Redcar, Berwick and Eastbourne as they will in Prague, where as you wonder if some of the guys from the Continent do. A huge part of the step from good league rider to good SWC/GP rider seems to be knowing how to pace out your season and when to turn your form on, find that other gear. It must be perplexing for guys like Harris to pass a Bjerre or even Pedersen with such ease and regularity in the EL (although perhaps not this season) but then have them take care of them in the GP with ease. Even a Cook v Ljung battle, I would back Cook to leather Ljung at Armadale in the EL, but perhaps not in the WC, where these guys seem to have the Brits sussed as the Brits just show their tricks to often IMO. Arguing over King, Cook, Kennet, Barker and Bridger, I just can’t get as involved as some and say “if it had been Cook or King” because they would more than likely have been making the same daft mistakes. Barker in Heat 17 was a frustration though, just silly mistakes that you can’t make at the top level, he was in a hell of position coming out of turn 1, I wouldn’t back many top riders to blow it from the position he was in.

Bridger was a close to 5.00 EL rider by the age of 16, in terms of short term progress that dwarfs just about any Brit of the last 10 years, but he is a bit of a twit which always works against him. Bridger is 23 years old and has been a close to 7.00 EL man on more than one occasion, won open meetings or been on the podium in open meetings featuring some outstanding riders, while open meetings aren’t what they were it does show that (in the UK at least) he has the ability to compete with a standard of rider far above even the PLRC. You could argue that his progress stalled for a couple of years, but at the same time there was always a chance going to plateau out at some stage given his early rise, he seems to have picked it up again this season. In terms of career he has still only had 7 years racing competitive speedway, and in that time has achieved a fair amount. I just find it slightly odd that there is this growing idea that guys like Cook, Auty and Worral should be given experience, yet Bridger, who has achieved more than any of the 3 despite being comparable ages, or younger than the others is constantly rubbished. He was poor in the previous WC he rode in, but at the same time, he was riding it in when he was 21/22 that’s young, that should be forgiven and put down to being part of the learning curve IMO.

It would be a mistake for Team GB to give experience to a guy who is closer to 30 than 20 IMO, more so when they have a genuine chance of making the Final. Cook, at best is going to be Carl Stonehewer level, which while admirable, isn’t what Team GB should be looking for. For all his faults Bridger is still only 23 and has achieved a hell of a lot in the sport than Cook, and more than likely will go on to be the better rider.

You are implying that Swindon riders wouldn’t be wanting a team place where they are offered a bit of stability….

I probably would have excluded Vaculick as well. I thought track conditions played a bigger part in the incident than Lindgren, on a decent track Woffinden would have been alright IMO, even if there was minimal contact. At the time Vaculick came down, I don't think there was any need for him to lay it down, credit to him for anticipating an incident (or so it turned out to be), but it was an incident that could have, in theory, never have occurred. It was a "homer" decision, I am yet to be convinced that makes it a right one.

But he never touched him.... If going into a bend hard is seen as a move that will see you excluded, what is the point in racing at all....

The only reason I have read to justify Lindgrens exclusion is that he "came in a bit fast" is that not the point of the sport? A terrible decision from the ref.

Just to clear this up. Its fine to say whatever the hell you want on this forum, but if anyone dares to question it, that’s wrong…..meh, fair enough.

Linus Eklof would be a decent addition for a PL side looking to strengthen up.

Magnus Karlson, he could steady the ship but I get the feeling he might become a source of frustration pretty quickly. Seems to be in the middle of his usual 5-8 meeting purple patch, the rest of the time, it is all a bit meh… Despite the fact that he would have been good for 7 a meeting I was quite relieved when Berwick didn’t sign him a few seasons back.

A meeting that proved, despite the doom and gloom and bad press the sport gets (a lot of it unnecessary and a lot of it on this forum).It is actually a pretty simple sport, that works well when you simply get the basics right. Political nonsense, RR, riders missing meetings for whatever reasons, when you get 4 riders on a decent race track, does it really matter? The Starke incident, sure it was a bit naughty, but did it really hurt anyone? Does a wee bit of controversy and niggle really do that much harm? Berwicks promotion get a lot of praise, and a lot of it is deserved, what is happening, and has happened at Berwick over the last few years, is special, the reality is that the promotion have punched well above their weight given the location of Berwick. When you stand there and see meetings like GP Qualifiers, the Ben Fund, a Sky meeting etc, you all know the drill, it is hard not to praise them and look at Berwick as a model for other clubs to follow, looking after fans, thanking them for their efforts, the presentation of the stadium, the simple upgrades to facilities that go a long way. There are other clubs who do things well, Newcastle, Glasgow, Workington, Lakeside. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and there doesn’t need to be the niggle that some seem to thrive on and want to exist. Clubs don’t need to overpay riders and win by 50 points every week for their “model” to work. You often read on here that the sport is “dying” some clubs, meetings, incidents etc, they do offer hope.

Both sides had RR at the Leicester meeting and that was a belter of a meeting, hopefully Newcastle leave it as late as they can before making a decision on Robson, been in fantastic form this season, the kind of guy you want to see at a meeting irrespective of it being on TV or not.

Happens all the time.

Zzzzzzzzz Same auld pish.

That was superb. Every Bandit was excellent. Kennets pass in heat 13, just a class above Starke making himself an instant hero Kozza, mental Aspegren, classy Barrett, a talent Wethers, great 'twas most enjoyable

Smart decision….

You can see the attraction of the PL for a guy like Kennet. He wasn’t at his best last season, he has previously missed part of his career as a result of a ban, as far as I am aware he doesn’t have a team place in Poland (possibly does in Sweden?). A lot of “EL exclusive riders” don’t actually race that many meetings (Swindon have about 9 fixtures between now and July, in theory Kennet now has 17), any sort of additional meeting is beneficial to "EL exclusive riders" He was rumoured to be after a PL place in the winter (linked with Rye and Plymouth was he not). He is going to have a massive EL average next season if he can keep his form going, given the rules and regulations in place it might see him struggling for a team next season…thus, a decent PL average could be to his benefit (to be fair he could drop half a point of his “assessed” average and still have his pick of PL teams if need be) If the leagues ever merge, you would assume it would benefit guys like Barker, Doyle, Stead and Kennet should it ever come to any sort of ”one league assessed average”. Massive draw for the league as well as Berwick.

That is rather fn impressive....