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Perhaps Rob Godfrey dictated that a Worky thread could not be started on a Friday......

I agree..GO OUT AND BUY A NEWS AND STAR NOW.....fantastic coverage !!!! NOT TO BE MISSED ! DO IT !

Just wish the tie was at Arena as it would make for a much more competitive pair of meetings overall.

Good result to set up a great 2nd leg Worky have overcome significantly bigger deficits but I think Lakeside may be a tougher nut to crack Can see it going down to the last heat or two with Worky just nicking it

Hey come on WorkyWorky none of the supposed southern softies have complained about any inhospitable elements.

Some teams in both leagues may not continue next season so wouldn't it be better to join the rest into just the one league and create the variety you desire.

The bike he had there on Monday was a dummy bike that was knitted out with his bike covers. His season has finished and while money isn't everything why should he ride in a meeting for a few hundred quid when he was there to meet the fans after making history as the first three time World Champion from Britain. Riding was was never in consideration and let's face it, it's not exactly a line up to test him or even riders like Fricke, Lambert, Iversen and Doyle who have full bike set ups here but it's not questioned why they were not riding. Yes merchandise sales were part of it but to knock him for turning up and putting a smile on many faces that night is surprising anyone would even question it. At least he did his bit by doubling the gate and never had a holiday booked

You have just confirmed from saying this what an absolute idiot you are

I agree. I'm worried that coming back from so many big deficits will lead to some complacency and this Lakeside team will be up for it and they have a strong top end. We need a 4-2 five times just to draw level and I'm sure they will get some heat advantages. A bad night for a rider (we've had some of them), a tape break, a bike failure, a bad ref decision and things can change quickly. Far far from over in my opinion.

Yes Tero tomorrow in place of Dan Bewley, R/R for Ty

the thread for the return leg has been locked so we cant post on there we will need to start a fresh 1 personlay I think the return leg is far from safe Lawson and morris if on form could easily go unbeaten but the home form recently most will be expecting another easy victory for Workington we can only hope so at this stage

I can see Workington scoring between 55 and 58 points tomorrow night. Lakeside simply don't have a big enough lead. Workington deserve a long-awaited league title. I hope they do it.

Was a shame not to see you there SteelShoe you missed out on doing a rain dance! The meeting could have swung either way in those last two heats, but common sense prevailed, safety comes first. Both teams of riders in agreement on that without doubt. Sad to see a playoff final have such an empty feeling there tonight, not much atmosphere and a poor crowd... not helped by poor viewing and a poor racing track. Bring on tomorrow back at the holy grail full of noise and excitement, can we pull it back? Soon find out!!! Give us a C..

Thank god we got an end to that... my feet and hands are near frozen off

Thankfully we got a result tonight. I don't think i could handle another visit to the house of fun next week.

How would that work - there would be no posts

I pop in from time to time, just to check for anything interesting on Panthers-related threads. I very rarely look at other threads, and post on them even less. I spotted this "Panthers 2019" heading and - silly me! - thought it'd be worth a shufty. But what do I find? Same old inane dross, very little that's actually to do with Panthers, and juvenile posts by people like Jenga and THJ. One thinks his posts are highly amusing and entertaining (they're not) and whenever he's taken to task he hides behind the "it's just banter" excuse. The other comes across as an argumentative **** who mistakenly thinks he's a master of the put-down. No doubt he basks in a self-satisfied glow at his posts, thinking them to be very erudite. Oh dear, if only he knew how unintelligent and inarticulate he sounds At the mo, the only thing anybody can say about Panthers 2019 is that Ged has given us an assurance that Panthers will run next season whether he finds a suitable buyer or not. After the umpteen winters we've had worrying, let's just rejoice in that. The pick-a-team game can wait until after the AGM. In the meantime, I wish the annoying numpties would stay the f*ck out of Panthers' threads - but I guess there's as much chance of that happening as the SCB/BSPA running speedway properly!

Ive put a call in to my mate the big chief for you

Come on rain do your best, Lakeside starting to get a good lead, any comets fans at rye house please do a rain dance

Great News and Star on sale today, front back, page 5 and 59 too.

Would be a very good signing whatever level the league is at.

As you'll appreciate from the first line I didn't realise that I was dealing with Exidor and that THJ was a pseudonym, although it does now make my evaluation correct. Here's one of his classic quotes which shows why knowing when to take your ball home is an acquired skill: Exidor: I realized that my faith had been misplaced and I began my quest for truth. I tried Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, Punch-and-Judy-ism, but nothing worked for me until I found speedway! Oh, and as I just scanned this page for THJ posts: " And a bet ya did read it all... you little tinker... that post... you read it all... at least that's what everyone is thinking anyway." - wrong as usual. Looking at your replies on here or anywhere come to that I don't want to see anymore of your dross and vitriol so I'll stick you in the moron section (ignore list as it's know on the system). Feel free to say shazbot and reply this time Johnboy because you're history

Sad to read all this. However, Mildenhall all but did the same thing last season to Plymouth. They wanted our fixture cancelled as it was 'meaningless' They sent a heavily under strength team to the SBA. No Promoter, no Team manager,(although they did enlist the Weymouth SDL sides management) Unsuitable guests galore. Plymouth riders had a good pay day, 64-26 win,while the Mildenhall contracted riders, Ruddick and Jenkins, conveniently lowered their averages. Therefore costing Plymouth, while the Tigers benefited. Clubs struggle to find sponsors. Part of the deal is,I am sure, we have 'x' amount of minimal exposure for League fixtures. How can you go back to those same sponsors and say 'we have 'x' number of meetings, thats providing the other teams bother to come down'? This is a serious matter. Sorry, but it really is not good enough.

I feel the same and would rather see a slightly lower level of riders but with many more teams that only race once a season home and away rather than the same team and guests week in week out, and racing every one or two weeks without long gaps.

Top post mate, as someone else has said this should be printed off, and given out at the agm, but far to much common sense here for the BSPA to take notice.. enjoy your Pint .

And at least one team, and often more, will end up miles behind the top teams... In March they all are supposed to start 'relatively' equal... Also in March, most contributors on here can spot how poor some of the teams actually are.. By the end of April those teams highlighted are invariably getting hammered each week.. And will continue to do do so unless they have money to replace poor performers with better riders.. And if they had that money, they wouldn't have put that team together in the first place.. Too many teams (or not enough riders) to ever keep the Leagues competitive and with no relegation each team basically decides it's own level, sometimes based on the ego of the Promoter... For me, the top league should have no more than 10 teams with six riders per team.. 60 riders needed and all above a four point average.. No make weights allowed at the bottom end of the teams.. 40 point average per team, meaning you could have one 4/5/6/7/8/9 point plus rider per team if you so wished.. With the top league becoming an aspirational motivator for the other clubs to aspire to. Not "I've got a few quid, I want to race in the Premiership".. No point having the 'flagship league' loaded with uncompetitive teams as this would just be damaging the 'Speedway GB' brand even further...

Thanks for the offer but not needed. My blood line is all Cumbrian, unfortunately, my bloody selfish parwents (The Young Ones or Harry Enfield) work options went south therefore hatched far away. Always enjoy a Cumbrian Shank.

Defo wasn't meant to be for the Scorpions, didn't think 18 was enough but defo didn't expect to be demolished like we was. Congrats to the Comets, I personally hope you do the treble

Been a few seasons since I’ve been to Rye House , so let’s hope the showers are kind and fly over , long way to come for no Speedway ! We are used to jumpers up in arctic Cumbria I would imagine it will feel quite tropical . Our boys need to keep it close if they can ,be chuffed with 10/12 . My nerves are shattered having to pull back 18/28 points Stay safe guys we will be there cheering you on

Yes I would certainly support a championship level team. I get fed up with seeing the same teams week after week. I supported the lions home & away in the second division, but haven't bothered since they went up a league. I find it really hard to get enthusiastic about home meetings these days when it's Poole, Kings Lynn, Swindon etc etc every other bloody week ( that's when we aren't on a three week break from racing).

I really think you need the complete and full story first. As far as I know, you dont really need much of an excuse to miss a meeting as a rider in the NL. After all, it is only semi-proffessional. On the face of it, it does not look great but you need to see full explanation before throwing the barn door at them.

The lad comes across as being on something and its not the first time its been noticed their is passion but hitting walls kicking out at the toilet and swearing at kids is not passion didnt see anyone else do it!mr godfrey got a mouthfull as well just lifted his arms in despair and walked away .and for what its worth i thought rasmas got second place

And there was me thinking people in psychotherapy hospitals never had access to the internet ...

Have you thought of becoming a Jehovah's witness as you are wearing us all down with your constant drivel and enough elongated post's to write your own bible.

I think you have misunderstood what people are saying. Nobody is saying Darcy's injury didn't affect Chris Holder. What people are saying is that the ability to overcome an obstacle such as that is part of determining how great a rider is - such as Peter Collins overcoming his own fears that he had in the immediate aftermath of Tommy Jansson's accident.

Jeez! Couldn't be bothered to read it but the first line set the usual diplomatic tone, and as you're clearly as mad as a box of frogs I'll bid you good day so don't bother replying although I'm sure that you'll not be able to resist.

I like going to the pub and I like going to the speedway. Both of these pastimes have been in serious decline over the past few years and people have stopped going to both in droves. Some of the reasons can be found in both of these pastimes. It's hard to tempt people out of their houses and pay money for beer when they think it's overpriced and the same can apply to speedway. The pubs that just do the same thing that clearly doesn't work time and time again, and just throw their doors open expecting the public to flood in are the one's that die. This is what speedway 'promoters', by and large, tend to do. They offer a product which does not represent value for money and do nothing to keep the fans they have got, never mind attract new ones. Some pubs are thriving because they offer what the customer in their community wants. Some offer live entertainment, some offer food, some offer karaoke nights. My local offers a warm welcome, a nice pint and friendly people and it's busy most nights. The landlord drives around in a Mercedes and has a holiday home in Florida. It works where I live but wouldn't work elsewhere and the promoters have to work hard at getting their product right for the audience they want to keep and attract. To do this they need a product. The product they are offering is potentially one of the most exciting sports in the world and surely, this must be a good starting point. However, what they provide is an overpriced chaotic shambles of a sport with no direction, no identity and no credibility. They need to get back to basics. Offer a full and attractive fixture list with a team of riders that ride for one club. Not the current situation where any seven riders who pull on a race jacket is called a team. It isn't. People will moan on about the 'not enough riders to go round' myth. There are enough riders, they are just riding at the wrong level. Grand Prix riders should not be riding in the second tier, half the third tier riders should be at Championship level and the poor kids stuck in the Development League should be in the National League. If they must charge £17 to get in, at least give the fans £17 worth of entertainment. Unfortunately, 15 races of 55 seconds interspersed with 50 minutes of track grading does not justify parting with £17 in cash. The continual fixture list farce demonstrates absolutely the reasons why the promoters should not be allowed to run things for themselves. I am sure they are all successful businessmen and women in their own right but they have no idea how to work collectively for the benefit of the sport. It is all about vested interests and stabbing each other in the back. I cannot think of any other sport where the owners of the clubs run things themselves. It needs someone with authority and respect to run the sport. There needs to be some way of cutting down on the rained off meetings. Is it any wonder there is hardly any travelling support when riders refuse to turn out if someone spills so much as a cup of tea on the track. I know that if it's tipping it down at start time then there will be little chance of racing but some way of covering tracks cannot beyond the capabilities of the human race. It is also about time we stopped penalising success and rewarding failure. We go on about the lack of riders yet Joe Jacobs, who made massive progress with Belle Vue a couple of seasons ago can't get a team place the following year because his average is too high, whilst another rider who under achieved and threw tantrums was rewarded with two team places the following season because his average fitted!! Finally, the riders have got to come to their senses. If you want to be a full-time rider and are either rich or riding in Poland in front of 15,000 fans, then fair enough and good luck to you. If you are second string in the 'Championship' riding in front of 500 people, surely you cannot expect to be full-time. Look back at the Peter Oakes' Who's Who book in 1974 and the vast majority of the riders had jobs. Now, for some reason, all the riders seem to feel that they are entitled to be full-time, thereby expecting the wages that would enable them to sustain that lifestyle. It cannot continue on current crowd levels. However, having wasted half an hour of my life typing this, I expect that the 2019 season will result in three small leagues, riders riding for multiple clubs, more riders being frozen out of the sport, fixture chaos, declining crowds, arguing promoters and more tractor racing. I'm off to the pub.

Probably Lakeside did as well and didn't want a single figure lead to defend up here?

So the call to big chief pissing down worked

Should be a prompt 7.30 start get on with it and no messing about .

Matt Ford. Said he was looking at something abroad and anything north of Poole is abroad.✌️

I feel your pain. It's bad enough for me travelling from surrey.

You just stay well covered up thanks Jenga

What a load of pathetic posts on here Slagging people off seems the name of the game........

Cheers for that (I think) lol Sounds like a challenge Anika that like and the bad news is if my transport doesn't come through am sitting next to you in the back seat of the car HA HA!!! OMG!!! Regards THJ

Same for everybody thats Speedway. We lost Brady, and who knows what he may have scored. Take away the play off's and you will kill the league stone dead by mid August. Anyway, Poole Pirates, Premiership Champions 2018. Sounds good doesnt it..

When Huggy did the track, I always thought the racing was excellent. It usually seemed to be on the grippy side, which visiting riders weren't always too keen on. Since Buster has been doing the track, I have never felt its been the same. I don't know if that's down to a different type of shale, or differences in todays modern bikes, but what ever the reason I don't think the racing has been as exciting as in times past. Maybe its my rose tinted specs, but "from the gate" racing is poor entertainment as far as I'm concerned, and has been a major factor in my loss of interest in the sport over the last few years.

This year it was Sept 9th in the Championship which was extended to the 16th Hardly greatly different from proposed on here but look where we are..... It is the cup and shield that causes the problem. These IMO should never be running finals at the same time Hard and fast enforced cut offs required with semi and final set for specific weeks - miss the dates and you are out! This year shield shouldve ended by June and cup by September leaving the whole of last months for a semi and a final in the play offs

Easy to say when you are one of the teams building with the higher budgets and finishing towards the top end I wonder how those at the top would feel though if the Facennas at Glasgow and Guy Nicholls via Tru7 at Ipswich came in all guns blazing and went onto another level (both probably could if they wished) Would those then playing catch up rather than being top dogs then change their tune?

Main talking point has to be the removal of Chapman and Godfrey