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Been raining in Paisley for a couple of hours now , but i'm not worried as its a nice bit of natural watering , as long as it stops soon . A few of us meeting in the Horseshoe at half 12 to raise a glass or two in memory of Falkirkbandit ( wee Marty ) . Rest in peace wee man , we had some great times on speedway trips

Entertainment to my mind is where ever race is not over by the first bend and if it is your track staff are directed to sort it out. I remember a number of years ago being at Workington when the Bandits were taking a comfortable lead after four heats out came Messers Stonehewer and Thomas with the track staff and that track was completely changed allowing a easy win for the Comets. It was clear our guys were being out gated but there was nothing for them to work with once they left the gate. If you ain’t got home advantage after the first four heats make dam sure you do after heat five. I rest my case!!!

Win on Tuesday & hope that when the rules are made up we go through

Wonder if we will take a leaf out the Monarchs book and ride under protest, now that would be ironic double standards yet again but only when it suits.

Agree it's not acceptable he's missing this. No matter if it was pre arranged or not the maximum facility allowed should be NL guest. Can understand riding in your own country but this is Poland today I believe. Stronger monarchs team without him but reckon still a Glasgow win. We have won in the past when not expected so you never know. Good to have Glasgow on a Sunday afternoon just seems right.

Definitely Yes!!! My son and his best mate - both late 30/early 40 and regular fans over several years - attended their first meeting of the season on Wednesday. When the parade began and the music started, they both looked at each other and burst out laughing - and that was before we got tonked on track!! Personally although of pension age myself, what happened 70 years ago means very little to me and I really hope that after the Birthday meeting on Thursday, we can move forward. MF has mentioned 'changes to the presentation' a couple of times and I sincerely hope there are to be things of a more modern era in the pipeline.

Having no team suits is crap. Having that ancient marching music is an embarrassment and totally cringworthy.

Dejavu again, no fault of the promotion though. Why is it, we always seem to be playing catch up, some clubs will actually have had 3 league meetings (weather permitting) before our first league meeting. Should be all clubs start their league fixtures in the same week, not a month in advance of other clubs.

Aldershot, Ballymena, Barrow, Belle Vue Hyde Road, Birmingham Perry Barr, Bristol Eastville, Coatbridge, Coventry, Cradley Heath, Eastbourne, Edinburgh Old Meadowbank, Exeter, Glasgow White City, Glasgow Hampden Park, Glasgow Blantyre Stadium, Hackney, Halifax, Hull, Ipswich, King’s Lynn, Leicester, Liverpool, Long Eaton, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, New Cross, Newport, Norwich, Oxford, Poole, Rayleigh, Reading Tilehurst, Reading Smallmead, Rye House 1 (1957 track), St Austell, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke Hanley, Sunderland, Swindon, Wembley, West Ham, Weymouth, White City, Wimbledon, Wolverhampton, Workington 47 tracks listed, can anyone add to these?

Exactly.Huge opportunity to build on what was a happy,entertained crowd after a great meeting last week blown big time.

If the opportunity presented itself, it would be criminal not to make a move to slot him in. Kildemand was asked this at the press conference by Piratebleedsblue and dodged the question. He could easily have said that he is on his way once CH returns. He didn’t.

Very few people taking their places at Shielfield last night would have predicted what was about to happen, but take nothing away from Newcastle they thoroughly deserved their win and had Berwick not finally got into some kind of form in the later races Newcastle`s win might've been all the more convincing. Gating was vital last night and the away team were far better in virtually every race and with track conditions ultra slick passing was always going to be difficult. Hopefully for Berwick this performance was a one off, and it might be a blessing that it was in a non league match that saw such a poor night for normally reliable riders. I guess we will get some answers next week against a handy looking Lakeside team. Thank you and well done to Dick Barrie on a perfect tribute to the late Ivan Mauger and letting us remember Berwick supporter Martin Hastings.

It's no doubt more a case of let's see who of the three second placers is our preferred option before we devise a formula to meet that objective, rather than taking a chance on a pre-agreed formula that could throw up a totally random outcome

Nobody can ever convince me that a 'team' of riders all in different colour kevlars look as good as seven matching team suits. For the top division of a 'professional' sport it's not acceptable, in fact I'd say it should be compulsory for every team in our top two divisions.

Judging by his UK form probably paid him to go to Poland today.!!!!!!!

Captain Pugwash theme would be good

In the same vein we should be working towards going back to EDI asap for the Scottish Cup rain off whether its r/r for Harris or not. Pointless to drag it out. Similarly Worky home and away, this has been a problematic fixture over recent seasons. Get them agreed and out the way before the proper league business begins.

That's shocking , not like its a rearranged fixture , he should be at Ashfield . I remember Peter Waite sacking a rider for doing the same thing a few years back , and he was actually Polish . Makes it a better meeting cause r/r will score about half a dozen points more than Andersson would have , but its still a nonsense .

Does he? I'd of thought he'd have got rid of that to save a few bob.

I see that Dan scored 11 points out of 12 in Sweden riding for Vargarna in the Vetlanda Cup. augurs well for the future

Don't panic, it's all in the plan Only one rider practicing after meeting, do they not care? Don't they want to improve?

No good to us though is it. Needs to be riding like that when wearing a Poole race bib.

That was an absolute privilege watching The Brummies at Loomer Rd this evening.I even bumped into the legendary Potters supporter,Vog!

Highly speculative that he would be a prolific scorer, seems on the downward slide unlike Stevie who improves year on year. I would have thought Somerset would have suited him too. Worrall seemed really up for it this season as his scores, at home at least certainly bear some evidence of this. With a high home average and a moderate away one he would probably have climbed to about 8 this year. Don't think Hougaard has ever achieved that.

Redcar "Cubs" v Newcastle "Gems" scorecard. A good competitive first meeting of the season for both clubs. Kyran Lyden replaced Cubs regular Alex Goldsbrough who was ill on the day. Two special maximum men in Gavin Parr in the 500's and Archie Freeman in the 125/150 class. Pity that the machine problems of the Gems No 1 Josh probably cost the Gems a possible away victory. Good advert for the NJL.

Hougaard for Worrall is laughable Steve had started the season flying and on a low average that he looked like improving he will be nigh on impossible to replace. Nobody is saying he is a world champion just on an average that he looked like improving on and to replace that with someone else who could improve isnt easy and it certainly wouldnt be Hougaard!! As an example Howarth at Wolves looks on a low average , same for Ellis at Swindon. If either of those got injured i would say they would be more difficult to replace than either Thorsell or Morris for example.

I agree about the scoring system, it was one of British speedway's best ever ideas which worked really well, then they went and spoilt it by giving the home team three points for any win. Hopefully one day they'll put it back to how it was.

Ivan's chosen records were Joseph Maori Girls Choir - Pokarekare Ana Herb Albert - Lonely Bull Jim Reeves - Distant Drums Dick Van Dyke - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Oliver - Consider Yourself Roger Whittaker - I Don't Believe In If Anymore Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire Herb Albert - Tijuana Taxi Interesting selection and his luxury? Box of family photos. Speedway on Desert Island Discs? Wouldn't happen in a million years now...the roaring seventies speedway's last 'Golden Era!'

It will all be irrelevant when the Witches win on Tuesday

You're sarcasm has been noted and we will treat it with the contempt that it deserves and bearing in mind we have to make allowances for witches supporters. Bless them they know no better.

The facts are that Evans was found not guilty in two hours ..unless your saying that is untrue of course ?

I have already posted on this forum exactly how the qualifiers are decided and what Peterborough need to do on Tuesday.

The Team losing matters not one jot to me by entertainment I want to see passing not follow the leader I and lots of other people came away feeling it was time and money wasted..

Interesting both Worrell and Wells in Poland yesterday and both are a bit off the pace today,wonder where their priorities lie.

Easy to have an opinion when it's not your money!!

To be fair if Poole can financially persuade Kildemand to stay and fit Holder in too they'd be daft not to.

Plenty of British speedway interest( riders who ride over here.)

It would be nice if all the silliness and name calling could stop on this thread, let's get it back to civilised conversation and debate. My prediction 45-45.

The match race against Autrey at the Festival of Paisley meeting on 14th May 1975 can be added to the list.

team kevlars i think unlikely to be brought back at poole this season as purely a cost cutting decision,most clubs are anticipating a very tough financial yr in the speedway world not just poole,early season financial targets almost certainly already missed.I prefer team kevlars but can easily get by without them!

Only in the direction of deluded geordies

To be honest I was prepared to see what the team would look like without the race suits purely for nostalgia reasons, however, after watching the first 2 meetings I have to say that I think Poole are wrong to go without them. I can appreciate what Matt was trying to achieve but I think for the era we are in it hasn't worked. Swindon looked so much more professional last week. I personally think Matt should reconsider and change back, obviously this is my own opinion but I have heard a lot of other supporters say the same. I am sure a sponsor could be found even at this stage

Is Kev keeping the good bike for the guest appearances?

First time I have attended the Speedway for a long time but it will be a lot longer before I go back , That tonight can only be described as total complete garbage and a complete waste of 15 quid the fact that other people were with me was the only thing that stopped me from leaving early . Entertainment value was NIL...

Beating Glasgow one week and losing to Newcastle the next - Berwick Bandits in a nutshell.

Edinburgh Powderhall in 1985.

How does his 5 points at Swindon show where he is lol How about Kurtz 7 away and 3 at home ......guessing though as he rides for Poole that doesnt show 'where he is'

I am in no doubt Batchelor would have given his all to beat them horrible people from East Anglia in heat 15. . It would have made little difference on what he was being paid, or that the points had already been decided, cause he hates Kings Lynn with a vengeance, - and that is what makes the result even sweeter. Only a fool would dismiss the Robins at home, so to push them pretty close I thought we performed impressively. Looking at the scores of last night, we have to be confident of contesting well with all the teams we have to meet on our travels.... That for the predicted Wooden Spoonist, is bound to put egg on quite a few faces....

Like everyone else Ivan had to learn how to ride Brough when he first came. With long straights and tight corners you have to have great skill to slide in with power and already be broadside ready for the drive out of the next bend. In those days it rode like a Diamond, and Ivan spent hours after the first meetings throwing in the bike from even just past the starting gate, which was one hell of a slide. He often filled his fuel tank full(bigger in those days I believe) and would on his own ride probably 20 laps flat out trying to get it right. He was of course physically very fit, and a lot of other riders at the time could only watch him as their fitness was no good for such durations, He experimented with bikes that he bought when he first arrived until he found the frame and setup that he preferred. Him and his then German mechanic would load up his Bedford snub nose van and head off to buy bikes, and go to other tracks to get extra rides. He was fanatical to get it right. I remember when Peter Kelly lived beside him in Manchester, he told me that if he met him say a Xmas time the conversation was always speedway nothing else, he was so driven. The track in those days was even narrower, with straights always about the legal minimum of 8 metres as it is now, and the corners were tight, possibly be about 10 to 12 metres wide. After we opened up in 1997, the corners were 10m on corners 1and 2 and about 12m on corners 3 and 4. In the late 90's we took 2 metres off the inside kerb of both ends, and that is the shape and sizes that we have now. The 3rd and 4 bends have always been 2 m wider that the 1st and second. The track probably got its 'rough' name over time by others that couldn't ride it, and because with a powered broadside hitting similar positions every lap, the wear must be considerably harder/more. Say a track like Somerest with a wide track. multiple race lines and constantly drifting rather sideways power, the condition of the track is going to be smoother for longer. Nowadays and in the recent past the track is nowhere near 'rough' as delusional Redcar fans would have you believe, but does have by choice more dirt on it to get better grip. That is the riders choice to give them more overtaking options. There must be something right about Brough with 4 world Champions to our claim, Mauger, Olsen, Michanek and Nicki. We'll not count Brian Anderson as we got him for 6 weeks after he won the U21 title.

Excellent revamp !!! But could we have less space devoted to Grasstrack and European/Overseas news?