For the first time since the inaugural British round was ridden in Mansfield back in SL3 there will be no English hosted meeting in the series. Eight meetings will once again decide the World Champion, but the two home nation events go to Scottish club Houston (British GP) and Northern Irish outfit, Belfast (European GP). Ranked second and fourth in terms of capacity in the country—the two can cater for 28,500 and 22,800 fans respectively—it’s no surprise that the two Celtic sides, who have both hosted one round in the series before, have been given the honour of staging the prestigious meetings, Totton (British Final) and Long Eaton (World Championship 3rd Round) may boast venues that rival the two, but having hosted meetings in the GP series last year their two promoters will be happy enough with their selection of major events. Also big winners in the allocation are Stirling and Bradford, who will stage a World Championship 2nd round tie and the Division One Riders Championship Final respectively. Caversham host the Club Pairs Final which will take place at the beginning of the second month of the season, that the first club silverware to be awarded in SL17. On the track Houston were the only side to finish pre-season unbeaten, the Colts won at Dudley, 42-48, this week. They are amongst the favourites to land the division one title, with themselves, Long Eaton, Hallamshire and Belfast hard to split according to the pundits, who are expecting a four-way battle for the crown. Hallamshire’s Joshua Hay meanwhile scored a maximum 15 to win the BU19 title in this years final at Belfast, the top seven from the meeting go on to represent the home nation in the WU19 Championship.