Somerset 2019

[RebelDan]

Going with 2 x 2.0 reserves would be a mistake to me - you need one reserve who at least can challenge the oppositions 2nd strings.

 

[SharpenRake]

16 hours ago, Batman65 said:

I can’t see harris riding for less money than they offered Wright ... some porky pies i think 

And it looks as if Glasgow couldn't afford him for another year

[Sherborne Green]

I think that in this league next season the reserves will mainly be from this years National League. This is why I suggested the names I have. You are looking at losing on average about 4.5 points from each team on last years starting averages.

on finishing averages the lowest last year was Sheffield on 38.60 and the highest was Edinburgh on a whacking 46.44.

To drop to 38 teams will have to bring riders up a league.

 

 

[Najjer]

2 hours ago, speedybee said:

I'm a bit nonplussed with this line up, despite my heritage as a Coventry fan. Bomber and Schlein were the essence of Coventry - but around 2005-2007 and of course Bomber gave great service after that to Bees. I was attracted to Somerset last year by the riding of the younger brigade, especially Wilson-Dean, Allen, and also the spectacle of seeing Wright and Covatti. This all seems a bit backward looking to me... 

I couldn't agree more. I can't go every week like I used to for one reason or another, but the times I went last season was great mainly due to the riders we had in our team and wanting to all out race. I've never taken to Schlein in the past and he is just far too frustrating for my liking. Some of the names being rumoured for the last positions really doesn't get me excited in the slightest. Sad state of affairs really.

[Cliffeboy]

I get the feeling the sudden non arrival of Wrighty as thrown a spanner in the works. I’d def take Starkey, good OTA second string, with experience on away tracks, if we can’t fit in BWD.

Edited November 22, 2018 by Cliffeboy

[oldtimer]

Think the new points limit is too low, you used to be able to follow your favourite team rider for a few seasons and watch the young riders progress in your team. Assuming the points limit stays the same, at the end of the season you will lose half your team to get back down to 38.  

[Najjer]

43 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

Think the new points limit is too low, you used to be able to follow your favourite team rider for a few seasons and watch the young riders progress in your team. Assuming the points limit stays the same, at the end of the season you will lose half your team to get back down to 38.  

You're right in your first sentence. It is absolute madness. A plan to try and phase out double upping but is in effect just going to put most middle strings out of work and not stop double upping at all because riders like Harris, Nicholls, Cook etc are keeping their Championship averages from last year! Just when you thought they couldn't get it any more wrong than they usually do!

[Cliffeboy]

Not the right thread for this, but with the demise of Rye and Lakeside the nearest track to me now is Swindon a 120 mile round trip. Happy days for me back in the day when I watched the sport at Somerset ( we had a place there ) seven or eight times a season . Followed by occasional visits to Rye and Reading. 

Same sort of thing happened when I started watching Speedway in the 70’s with Wembley. Then it was Wimbledon, Hackney, West Ham and Reading, all subsequently disappeared. Very sad. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by Cliffeboy

[STEVEHOLS54]

29 minutes ago, Cliffeboy said:

Not the right thread for this, but with the demise of Rye and Lakeside the nearest track to me now is Swindon a 120 mile round trip. Happy days for me back in the day when I watched the sport at Somerset ( we had a place there ) seven or eight times a season . Followed by occasional visits to Rye and Reading. 

Same sort of thing happened when I started watching Speedway in the 70’s with Wembley. Then it was Wimbledon, Hackney, West Ham and Reading, all subsequently disappeared. Very sad. 

Tell me about it.

Being Hackney born and bred followed the Hawks/Kestrels from 1970 until their demise. Had the pleasure of visiting all of the above incl West Ham's second attempt to try and run as well as White City which was eerie watching them win the league in a stadium almost empty. Factor also in Rayleigh and now 2 in one season in Lakeside and Rye House.

Can't take away the memories but its so sad what has happened over the years. At least being in Chelmsford allows access to the 2 new clubs that have come up to Prem in Ipswich and Peterborough.

[SomersetBlue]

Does Wajtknecht get a 2.5% reduction on his average

[romans lovechild]

i think your all forgetting a 2.5% reduction for roo boy having started in the conference for Sheffield.

[bloom89]

Anders Rowe has signed

[Sings4Speedway]

19 hours ago, Sherborne Green said:

What everyone has forgotten is the low 38 point limit. Therefore nearly every team will have very low average reserves.

What average would Henry Atkins or Richard Andrews come in on. Maximum I would think 2.5 each. Alfie Bowtell has an average of 2.38.

After taking into account the top 3 already signed you have a total of 15.05 points left.

Two reserves would take it down to about 10.05 for the last 2 riders. Maybe someone like Paul Starke at 5.88, James Shane's 5.09, Mark Riss  at 4.84, Ben Morley 4.92 all come not the numbers game.

i think BWD at 6.00 and Todd Kurtz at 5.91 are too high.

However new Australians on 4 could come into play.

Fun doing guessing games. Mr May and Miss Hancock will sort it out.

 

 

Certainly the lower points limit creates a headache but it also offers up a new approach and new riders plus different promotions perspectives on things will decide who they sign. For example i see Starke on 5.88 & BWD on 6.00 as bargains you look likely to put 2 points on each. However the young progressing Brits like Morley & Shanes could struggle to land a place in either league now (although i hope not).

 

[Cliffeboy]

23 hours ago, bloom89 said:

Anders Rowe has signed

Good luck for the season young man. Stay safe.

[ArthurRudge]

I'm disappointed at Somerset after such a good go in the Premiership you would think they would want to come back and challenge for the title again. What was the excuse for dropping down?

[idh]

53 minutes ago, ArthurRudge said:

What was the excuse for dropping down?

Its on the Rebels WEB site........ Race night, Expenses etc. 

[RebelDan]

7 hours ago, idh said:

Its on the Rebels WEB site........ Race night, Expenses etc. 

I would have thought a Thurs would have been better avoiding all the football clashes on a Weds unless Swindon objected and the promotion were left facing Monday night racing.

[idh]

This explains a few things from the Rebels web site

 

Garry May delighted the gathering of over 100 supporters at the Oaktree Arena on Tuesday night when he confirmed the return of Nico Covatti and the addition of Cornishmen Chris Harris to the Rebels fold.

Earlier the assembly had heard that the Rebels management found themselves in a no-win situation at the AGM conference as they were keen to continue in the Premiership but a combination of costs and the need to change race nights again made it impractical to maintain their membership at the top flight.

Debbie Hancock said "I am sat here this evening still gutted and feeling a sense of failure that we can't bring you the top level speedway, but our ultimate aim has to be the long-term future of Somerset speedway, something that Garry and Dad Bill, share my passion for, so I can only hope that our supporters will continue to support us. We do struggle with footfall here at Somerset because we are not a big town club like many of the Premiership rivals so we have to manage our costs carefully and we could not afford the high costs associated in that league."

With a team limit of 38 points to work with for the Championship, Garry May admitted "it has been devilishly hard to work within such a limit but I promise Rebels fans I will put together the best possible team I can that will not break us as a club. I can confirm that Nico Covatti will be returning after his excellent time here last season when he came on board mid-season and I can also reveal that a deal has been done with Chris Harris who is very keen to ride for us and I believe will do a great job.

[drew2]

3 hours ago, Always a RACER said:

I would have thought a Thurs would have been better avoiding all the football clashes on a Weds unless Swindon objected and the promotion were left facing Monday night racing.

It would have meant yet another application to SDC to change the planning consent they run under. With all the development just down the road in Highbridge and the NIMBY issues a lot of speedway track have I guess the less times the club's name comes up in front of them the better.

 

Not them again wanting to change the race night............!

[Batman65]

15 hours ago, ArthurRudge said:

I'm disappointed at Somerset after such a good go in the Premiership you would think they would want to come back and challenge for the title again. What was the excuse for dropping down?

i don’t think they want to spend money on the good riders that a team requires to compete for the title