Niels, Edward, Facundo & Nathan

ITEM: Peterborough are playing a very dangerous game. In denying Niels-Kristian Iversen a third season at King's Lynn, they risk bringing down the whole house of cards that is the asset system in British speedway.

Speedway riders in this country do not have contracts in the same way other sportsmen are signed to clubs. Riders are self-employed contractors, no different to you or I employing a decorator to paint our houses. Imagine, though, that as soon as he finished painting your house, you were able to demand a fee from next door for letting him paint their house, too. And every house he painted after that. Ridiculous.

But that's how it works in speedway. For nothing other than a season's employment - and not even that in a lot of cases! - a club can control the future destiny of a rider they are no longer paying. It's a system that was struck down in football two decades ago, and only continues in speedway through the continued compliance of British clubs and their assets.

Iversen ended up at King's Lynn because he was surplus to requirements at Peterborough. He returned to the Norfolk Arena again last year, once more not needed by his parent club. And this season? I don't believe Peterborough had any intention of using him again, but he had a good season in 2012 and his "value" has rocketed.

King's Lynn are keen to continue to loan Iversen, and with loan fees tied to a rider's average, the fee would have increased for 2013. Peterborough are playing hard ball, reporting the Stars for an illegal approach - they did the same last year when Swindon, given permission by the Panthers' team manager, signed Troy Batchelor, who'd already been left out of Peterborough's 1-7.

It's not clear what the Panthers actually want. Do they want to keep Iversen for themselves for the 2013 season, in which case they're shit out of luck because he's declared it's the Stars or nothing? Or do they want a full transfer fee, which King's Lynn are unwilling to pay? Precedent was set last season, when Poole were allowed to rob Swindon of a useful asset, using Miedzinski on loan until his false average value had been destroyed, and if the decision on Iversen is any different there should be wiggle room for appeal.

It's extremely risky for all clubs, though (well, except Belle Vue, who have nothing of value), because all it takes is one disgruntled rider to cry "restraint of trade!" and the whole asset system will crumble like Wolves' title challenge in early April.

Having paid money to Coventry to make Rory Schlein an asset, King's Lynn won't be keen to rock the boat, but someone will, and soon. Who will be speedway's Bosman?

ITEM: Edward Kennett signed for Swindon this week, and there was a mixed response from both Robins' and Bees' fans.

Blunsdon regulars are trusting of their management's judgment, and rightfully so - the return of Alun Rossiter to the club having earned them their first championship in almost half a century. If Rosco and Gary Patchett think Kennett is worth signing, then who are Swindon fans to doubt them?

There are nay-sayers, though, and they mostly fall into two camps - those concerned at Kennett's alarming lack of form last season, and those who still see him as a cheat, having been caught using a modified silencer in the middle of the 2011 season.

The former group can be justifiably concerned - Kennett's average dropped severely last term, although mitigating circumstances can be argued throughout. The latter are ridiculous - Kennett's major crime was getting caught, stitched-up by someone he considered a friend, and he was by far and away not the only one running on a dodgy silencer. In fact, several of those who still call him a cheat eulogise another of the rule-breakers. Double standards abound in speedway, as in life.

Coventry fans, too, are divided, with some glad to see the back of a rider who clearly didn't give his all on some occasions last season, and others frustrated that the Bees are giving away an asset on a artificially low average.

It's no secret that I had my issues with Kennett last season, coming to a head when rumours of him deliberately dropping his average surfaced at the same time as a bizarre performance at Wolverhampton, a track he loves, when to the untrained eye it looked for all the world like he was dropping points from scoring positions when under no threat.

I half-jokingly put him on "#KennettWatch", setting him a target of 7 points per meeting, and but for a shocking display at Peterborough where he recorded four zeroes, he scored much better from that point, eventually averaging 6.60 (7.30 with bonus points) after the Wolves debacle - as opposed to 5.93 before it - and probably would have made his target if Belle Vue weren't a shambles of a club.

I'm pretty sure Edward Kennett couldn't give a flying fig what I think of him, or any targets I set him, but I was pleased with what I saw after Monmore Green, a rider who, while perhaps not happy with his work, seemed to knuckle down and get on with it. I'm sure the rumours of average-dropping were just that, maybe blown out of proportion from half-heard intentions to double-up in 2013.

If you'd have said to me back in September that I'd be sad Kennett isn't returning to Brandon next year I'd have laughed at you. And then laughed again. But there are three riders from last year's Bees' side who are bound to increase their averages by some way in 2013, and Kennett is one of them. On a little over six points he's a steal, and Swindon have robbed us.

So good luck Eddy, I hope you're happier next year, that a rider you grew up admiring doesn't die, and that the man who brought you to Swindon isn't sacked by text message halfway through the season. Without those distractions, it'll be a 7-point plus year, at least. With or without #KennettWatch.

ITEM: They must like Argentineans up in Sheffield. The city's oldest league club, United, once almost signed a teenaged Diego Maradona, and Emiliano Sanchez has been a fixture of the Tigers side for the last few seasons. Now they've added to their Patagonian compliment by signing hotly-tipped youngster Facundo Albin for the 2013 season.

Albin, who has been a top scorer in his native land since he was old enough to ride with the big boys, was all set to sign for Berwick until Sebastian Alden ruled himself out of Premier League speedway next season, necessitating a re-shuffle in their planned 1-7, with Albin the odd man out.

Dick Barrie, who winters in South America, didn't hesitate to get Albin fixed up at Sheffield, where he'll come in on a 5.00 average.

I'm not sure how I feel about the move. On the one hand, Albin is taking a spot that could be filled by a British youngster, a fact made worse by the Tigers also tracking 24-yr old Australian novice Damian Koppe, also on a 5.00 average. There again, the Owlerton outfit have already signed three British riders, giving a first Premier League chance to Jake Knight, and may make it four with the returning Richard Hall.

What Sheffield do have is marketing gold. A young Argentinean, untested on European tracks, embarking on a big adventure, his tyre tracks following in the footsteps of Leo Messi... It's all there for Neil Machin and Dave Hoggart to sell to the press and the public. With local boy made good Simon Stead returning home, the Tigers should have little trouble attracting the media and new fans along on Thursday evenings.

So while Albin's signing may be no good for British speedway riders, it could be good for British speedway as a whole, which in the long run should be good for British speedway riders! The opportunity is there - let's hope Sheffield make the most of it.

ITEM: I enjoyed watching Nathan Greaves ride at Brandon last season, watching him learn to negotiate the bends ever faster and with more style the more laps he put in. He became "our" Nathan, sure to be a Bee one day, and when Mick Horton announced that Coventry were running in the National League in 2013, it was surely only a matter of time before he signed.

So it was some surprise that I got a text telling me he'd signed for Dudley, "stolen" from under our noses, the dirty rotters!

Greaves will not become an asset of the Heathens because he is under-16. Even if he wanted to, the rules simply do not allow it. The Coventry side is being built from assets of the club (or with riders acquired as assets), with a view to them riding for the senior side down the line.

Could it be that Nathan and his advisors were faced with a choice between Dudley offering a team place with no strings attached and a Coventry side eager to get him on board, perhaps even trying some kind of pre-contract agreement? Or did Dudley, wealthy by NL standards, and with good sponsors, offer a better financial package than Coventry were willing to match?

We'll probably never know. If Coventry are determined to make their investment pay off, it makes sense to get everyone signed and sealed, even if the rules frown on it. However, it may put pressure on a lad looking to the future - Greaves has the best of both worlds at present: a good season in the NL and he can name his price come his 16th birthday.

And if Dudley can offer a good package isn't that a reward for their hard work and professionalism, even if it does put their rivals at a disadvantage?

My only hope is that Nathan Greaves gets on with the racing, and doesn't let the politics of speedway, and bad advice from "adults" (because there's enough of that at that level) spoil what should be a good career in speedway.

We have precious few precocious talents coming through, let's not ruin this one, eh?