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On my way up to this meeting from Torquay! Speedway and then a day or two in London. Will be cheering for the Comets. Honorary marra for the day!

No consensus from the promoters about how to move forward. Mediocre riders already putting out quotes about wanting to ride for more than one team to enable them to be full-time riders, performing in front of crowds of 500-700 people. Fans not listened to. No one in charge. Complete joke of a sport at the moment.

The photo of the 'cup winners' on the SGB website sums the sport up for me. Left to right; Starke - guest from Glasgow. Also ridden for Belle Vue and Poole this year. Lawson - rides for Somerset and Lakeside Garcia - guest from Ipswich. Also ridden for Edinburgh this year Doyle - A SOMERSET RIDER!! Harris - Guest from Poole who has also ridden for Rye House Covatti - rides for Somerset and Ipswich No 7th rider. Just a mish-mash of riders from all over the place who pull on a race jacket and call themselves team mates for the night.

I bought Bobby his first set when he came over from the states. These are my favourites.....

Congratulations to Tai Woffinden - 2013 World Champion under the one-off format without even winning a race. And no engine failures.

It was good just to hear the 'Heathens Belles' on the 4th bend : )))))))))))))) No, it wasn't a meeting that will last in my memory, but after the difficult season we've had, the promoters deserved something back and if this meeting helped them, then I'm glad! Anders Rowe rode impressively.....it was good to see the progression of Dan Gilkes.....shame that 'Shanesy' made the gate so many times.....Ref made 1 error and that was excluding Lawlor for a first lap/ bend incident.......he let tapes touching/moving at the start go a couple of times, which I think was of benefit to the continuity/fluidity of the meeting on a chilly (standing around) evening! As for who rode for who and who was named who ??? it was a 'challenge' meeting, so does it really matter? There are Cradley/Wolves fans at PB every home meeting and there's no sign of a Cradley/Wolves rider then ? Great to see our injured 'heroes' in attendance....none more so than 'Mitch Davey'....I'm glad I stayed till the end to see him back on a back...it's helped a long way to erasing the memory of that dreadful incident back in May !

No, it wasn't. There is no supplementary rule that amends the original rule under which his average was too high. People in authority apparently agreeing to break the rules doesn't alter the fact that the rules were broken. It simply reflects on their integrity and the credibility of the sport. Having said that Poole are no more or less guilty than the rest of those involved.

Still no sign of any humility...... sad sad sad

Kings Lynn won the admiration of speedway fans - the same cant be said for Poole!

Before the agm the sport needs to head down to the Houses of Parliament and have it’s anual pat on the back ceromony, really only the Isle of Wight should get any sort of medal/ recognition for its seasons work but I’m sure there is some self congratulations to be handed out somewhere, after all it’s takes some sort of special to make your own rules and then not be able to stick to them

Good luck

Doyle must have not got round to his application for a restraining order...

Well, it wasn't the most thrilling meeting I've ever been to but god I'm glad i got to watch some more racing before winter strikes! At the end of the day speedway is for entertainment and that's what we got. So I genuinely couldn't care less about the exact line-ups of the Wolves and the Heathens selects. Earlier this year we had matches in Australia with teams named Swindon Robins, Edinburgh Monarchs, Falubaz Zielona Góra and Leszno Bulls, and the sport somehow didn't collapse. I'm glad I got to watch Shanes, Morley and Clegg, as well as Rowe, Flint, Gilkes and the incredibly impressive Kemp. Nice to see there is so much talent in the youngest generation. Well, let's see what winter brings and see you in spring!

If you want a team to win the league by any means possible, in 2018 King's Lynn take that honour. Poole kept their noses pretty clean in 2018 and I think that's why Middleditch put this down to one of his greatest league title wins. There's nothing that can be pointed at them. King's Lynn can be thanked for instigating the use of Morris in the 2nd leg over the points limit. Poole won the title in 2018 fair and square, they should be congratulated. King's Lynn proved in the KO Cup just how weak they are in the middle order and reserve. Injuries were not an excuse for Poole winning, again proven by their KO Cup final performances. If a reserve is used as an excuse it just proves how poor the team is as a whole. MPT being missing isn't the reason King's Lynn ended up without a trophy. Middle order to weak, 2nd reserve to weak, and the management clueless.

I apologise for that I was always lead to believe it wasn't possible.

Kings Lynn did not cause anything - the rules (as was) permitted them to use Adam Ellis in the first leg at Poole - they didn’t (and still don’t) allow Poole to use Nick Morris at Kings Lynn. I don’t have any agenda either but what I can’t stand is a team (any team - including Swindon) that benefits from a blatant disregard of the rules. As I have said, Poole could have legally used RR and won with a legal team - and I would have congratulated them for that. However, they chose to include an ineligible rider according to the rules and a team that benefits from ignoring the rules are cheats! QED

Spot on! Until the dwindling crowd levels do finally make it unsustainable and UK speedway is extinguished in the form we have known it until now. Onwards & Downwards seems the BSPA motto.

I do feel sorry for you there should have been a trophy for finishing top of the league you deserve that you were consistent all season.

First may I congratulate Garry May and the Somerset Rebels on their success of winning the KO cup. Without doubt, you were the best team in the final. The fact you achieved this with half a team and 3guests merely highlights how poor the Stars were. What was suppose to be a season finale, turned into a damp squib.. I've experienced more atmosphere in a dentist waiting room. The place was dead. On a night when we had to wait 5 heats before we had a race winner, any thought of a come back were gone by that time. The only pairing to offer any excitement was Lambert and Riss, who showed the others how it is suppose to be done.... Like I have said, I have fallen out of love with this sport and see so many things that disappoints me, for that reason this was probably my last meeting. I'm so fed-up with the consistent gate and go races. the track is that grippy the only rider prepared to fight from the back is usually Lambert. Most races are decided but the back straight.. Why did we have to stand around in the cold for half an hour waiting for the meeting to start?? They said it was about the team formation, but we all know it was to allow the late comers time to get in . Again our guest selection was dire, never in a million years would he come close to the standard of MPT. His inclusion all but sealed our fate. The respect I once had for NKI is fast disappearing, Tonight he was selfish. he obviously had a point to prove, an axe to grind, but to whom. The fans here use to love him when every week he would perform to the highest level. But not any more.. For three races he couldn't care lass, he rode like a novice, 50 yds adrift, shutting off halfway down the straight, his application was nil. Then come heat 13, the toughest race of the night, he makes a lightening start and is gone, leaving the likes of Doyle and Bomber well adrift.. whether he has issues with Dale or Buster I don't know, but one thing for sure he didn't enthral anybody with his performance last night. Its as if the fans don't matter. a 16pt mountain was always to high to climb, but we could have made a fight of it..... Probably, more sceptical than most, I feel this could have been our water shed season. Everything was in place to write our chapter in the history books, but unfortunately we fell way short. I cant imagine there ever being a better chance then we had this year , but as usual, we ended up with nothing. The brilliant fireworks display at the end ensured we finished the season with a bang, just a pity it wasn't reflected on the track....

Bit harsh I think Tigerowl. The nature and danger of the sport make guests a viable solution to the problem. Provided the selection and choosing of guests is fair and within the rules laid down at the beginning of the season I think it’s the only way. The BPSA have made some strange decisions over the years ( double points tactical ! ), but in the 20 or so years I have been following Speedway again since the formation of Somerset Rebels , I think the most damaging has been the Poole/ Nick Morris business in the Play off Final. Sorry Poole fans every other team will see this as bang out of order, if the boot had been on the other foot your Poole thread would have gone into meltdown. Whoever was responsible at high level for that decision should be shown the door, it was very wrong. Can the Poole fans not see that their win will always be remembered as the one where Morris was riding ?. As fir Somerset being a mish mash of riders , with four guys injured what could we do, pray tell. Jack and Aaron were both victims of other people taking them out, BWD a pre booked hospital procedure, and Jake an injury picked up the day before. All our guests came in within the points limit. Somerset only made one enforced change all season and that revolved around the disciplinary thing with Wrighty. Jeppersen was struggling and Summers and Covatti came in . Compare this to Leicester who changed their entire team apart from Hans, and Poole who only kept Josh and Brady. We were everyone’s favourite to finish bottom, I think we were around or in the play off positions all season. I also have no problems with riders riding for two leagues, it’s a job you have to go where the money is. The season was messed up with the football World Cup, some riders were doin nothing for two to three weeks.

Congratulations to Somerset best team over the two legs.The usual couple of suspects having digs at Lynn,but overall they had a brilliant season and lets hope there's will be more to come. I do actually agree with Shovlar on a couple of points though.Allitt does he motivate the riders enough,i'm unsure on this we probably needed a Rob Lyon over the last couple of weeks. And Iversen,i have had much admiration for him for sticking with Lynn for so many seasons and doing so well.But to nearly drop 2 pts of his average is unthinkable considering he has been doing well in Sweden and Poland which are arguably much tougher leagues than in England.He quite visibly backs off going into the 1st corner for one reason or another.If he was on top of his game here we would have been a lot tougher nut to crack. But on the season over all to be tipped by many to finish bottom or very near to it,me included we have done so well.Alright we never won anything but topped the league,in the play-off final and KO Cup final that's not bad is it. And for those that think the KO Cup is dead and nobody attends,well the crowd was very healthy again tonight so well done the fans for that.It proves there is support there it's just finding a way to make them come every week.

i hope if there is one league next year all you dickheads learn to lose and win with a bit more grace. Its infantile and embarrassing

Sorry to butt in, a group of us travelled up from Plymouth for the home leg, a first rate atmosphere and very good racing plus a good win. One of are group had a bad turn just after heat 8,the St johns medical team looked after him . This is a very big thank you to the medical team plus the Somerset staff, plus a very big thank you D/H the promoter for popping into the medical room to check on Len. We did all get to see the last three heats. WE are back in Plymouth now, and Len is ok after the scare he gave us, Once again a very big thank you to all the medical staff and Somerset speedway. It turned out to be a very good night of speedway, I wish Somerset all the very best for the second leg and for next season. Very best whishes' Mike Bend one.

Workington class this year, hope they win the lot

Isn't this thread Somerset v King's Lynn KO Cup final / Kings Lynn v Somerset KO Cup final. How about getting back on track any other topics start a new thread

You may be right but I can see opportunities in the GP's. A rider in the running for a top 8 spot needing a point of two to get into the semi finals and facing riders already out of the running or similarly, in the semi finals and wanting to get into the final. There will always be those prepared to help a friend or team mate, if it doesn't harm their chances and a very small number, prepared to help for money. I don't think it was or, is now, a major problem. I suspect that the number of times it happens are few and far between.

A good story but unfortunately, the facts don't support what you say. It was the 1949 final. Norman and Jack had both won their first 2, not 3, rides. They met in heat 13 and Jack won with Norman second. However, Norman dropped another point to Louis Lawson in heat 15 and finished last in heat 19, behind Price, Longley and Kitchen. Price won the title with a 15 point maximum, Jack Parker was second with 14 and Lawson third with 13. Norman wouldn't have won it even if he had beaten Jack. He would have scored 11 and still finished 4th. In any event, Price wouldn't have accepted money to lose to Norman because a second place in heat 19 would have put him in a run off for the title with Jack and nor would Lawson because he still had a chance of the title when he and Norman met in heat 15 and he could also have lost his eventual podium place to Norman if he had let him beat him. The whole story lacks credibility.

Obsessed troll alert.

The "sport " started as a circus con like the old boxing booths nothing has changed much over the years

Thank you for the sensible reply and not a single mention of a dodgy promotor, I was looking at the wrong average column, no wonder no one understands any of it :S

Only those who are in control of the finances would know the real answer, but regardless of that, you would hardly expect him to admit he was running at a loss when trying to sell the club any one in this position would always gloss over the facts , but I honestly believe which ever way it is that it's a minimal amount, and also believe if he was local to the area i'm sure he would not be selling the club as all the travel involved must be taking it's toll with a business to run in the Middlesbrough that probably doesn't get his full attention it's hardly surprising he wants to sell up regardless of the Redcar situation.

Without quoting all the exact details (I'm working on my model railway after having just walked the dog!) although I can lift a quote from the said book "I (Ermolenko) let Loram pass me around the outside and I stayed in second, with Billy in third behind me...Nielsen could only make the B Final , while Billy and I, Greg Hancock and Loram, we were all in the A Final..." He goes on to quote "...What I didn't realise was that Loram and Chris Louis, who were both in a similar situation to me, had their one little arrangement going. I got caught up in something that I didn't know about" It's an interesting chapter in his book and well worth a read...far too complicated to explain the whole scenaio but enlightening nevertheless as Sam explains that it went back were he felt that the Yanks had been screwed up during a World Pairs semi-final back in 1991.

A lot of the neutral support will be with the Comets - I particularly would like to see them win a long overdue league title. Not that bothered who wins the Shield, while I'm hoping Scunny can stop the Comets juggernaut in the cup (I'm not neutral when it comes to that one ).

Even more crap posted by the troll

Tbh i dont see it as a flaw. Its about getting the most points, regardless of how you do it

That was the 82ic final. And actually he waved for Gundersen to pull over to let Bo Petersen through

The amazing thing about that Joker incident was that they didn't scrap it straight afterwards. I never liked the double points thing, but in the World Cup final it was particularly annoying.

Swap Dryml and Hancock in ht6 And all 15 except the winner have a heat win.

You know, it is possible for Woffy to win on 9 without winning a heat... Swap Woffy and Vaculik in ht3. Madsen and ward in ht6. Pedersen and puk in ht8

No need to apologise. It was an interesting point.

You know full well that King's Lynn caused the situation. When King's Lynn announced Ellis the whole forum went into meltdown about how embarrassing it would make the sport look by having a guest appear for 2 different teams in a final. Blame is only at the door of the King's Lynn management for the whole debacle of the Play-Offs.

A lot of the lure for speedway is not the racing but the characters. I suppose speedway having lack of characters has followed the other sports which speedway fans used to find boring and sanitised. I suppose the interesting thing with Tai is when he gets a new tattoo. I'll stand back and await BWitcher to come knocking with a list of facts telling me Tai's tattoos are much better than those from the seventies, more professional and done with many different shades than 50 years ago. You can't compare the two.

Watch what you're saying, my friend, they'll come for you next. I can't stop giggling at the number of in-depth replies I get from people who believe the sport is in fine shape and isn't facing another winter of uncertainty. I too find Tai boring. But I suppose others will try to tell me he isn't boring, he has tattoos.

44 pages and still no reason to class Woffinden as the best ever. To come on here and be critical about past riders achievements doesn't prove that he is the best. He rides for the team that controls 25% of the GP line up, why shouldn't he win. I still find him boring and nothing in the last 44 pages would encourage me to cross the road to watch him

If the powers that be change their rule that they originally made to allow Morris to ride, how have they broken it? If it wasn't changed for the fixture then they would have broken it.

Most of us Poole supporters are a decent lot don't tar us all with the same brush

Go away

Oh dear , clicked on this to read about - " Tai Woffinden , best ever " what happened to manners on the internet , and a bit of friendly banter between people with different opinions. lucky for me I have a life and don't spend too much time on forums, take care

Brilliant! lol....Trust you to come out with that. I do think poor Rob gets blamed for everything. Ive just read on comptr news " Snow and cold weather to come from the weekend". Rob will no doubt get blamed for that too.

Any time you don't have a straight "knockout" system, and rely on points accumulation, strange things can happen. Like you, I don't consider them flaws, but anomalies. As we have said though, just because things CAN happen, it doesn't mean they will! Steve