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With Cookie form is temporary but class is permanent he will hold his own , maybe not as the force he once was but still a capable heat leader. Anytime I have seen Batchelor he is average at best and his antics at last season’s pairs were poor at best.

Dont judge any rider on 1 meeting

Went to Worky today . Some fine racing. i thought Batch looked as if he chucked it. In 2 previous races I thought he could have done a bit of team riding with Celena and Sam. Berwick look a solid team and in my opinion could be in the mix for a play off spot. If all their riders get dialled in at home they will nigh on unbeatable there. A well balanced team. Worky have got 2 great prospects in Tate and Anti.

Just a small request, you don`t happen to have any pledge or Mr Sheen spare do you by any chance, it seems we have a trophy to polish, where as you don`t.

Must have imagined Bomber doing it for fun in the play-off final , Need to check back to see if it was into double digits right enough.

I thought Berwick were excellent last night , Workington not so much. Workington will improve as the season progresses but Berwick are a level above them as it stands.

Claus and anti would have been my choice in last heat !

Why are people complaining about the track when a young reserve Freddie got out there in the dirt line and passed way more experienced riders. Cooke fell on his own. Nothing wrong with that track at all, the comets riders just stuck to the inside line far to much, my only complaint was heat 3 that was a shocking decision. I'm a comets fan to.

Ah yes, a temp replacement like all teams should strive to do once an injury occurs, the opposite to what Plymouth have been able to achieve in this scenario. Nicholls guested once for Doyle (not twice) due to his wife being in labour, which is as good as an excuse you will get. For what it’s worth, if I was setting the rules then if only one rider is missing then it should be RR and no guests.

Still prominent in the memory banks though. Good night had by all , well maybe not all we did though.

Some positives from today, Tate and antti both look like they are going to be good riders at this level, antti especially, cook and batch were cook and batch !! Claus was good both at Berwick and at home today, just leaves the 2 reserves, early days but looks weak, at least celina was on the pace today and had a couple of good races, hopefully they will improve in the next few weeks, A big positive was the racing at the GT tyres Northside arena was very good and the improvements are fantastic, well done to Andrew Bain and all his merry band of helpers. UTC

Not certain but your assumption looks credible. Never like to see this personally because the crowd want to see their riders race to the end.

Gotta agree with these replies, Sam & Freddie are both 6+ NL riders, so no reason why Sam shouldn't be able to beat Freddie. If you think Celina wasn't going to challenge Freddie, then I'd question the wisdom of signing a 4.00 foreigner who isn't expected to beat a 2.00 Brit.

Least we don’t have to pi$$ in a portaloo Steady lad. Some weekend for you following Cookie’s comics, he’s not even won a heat yet and you said he was the best rider in the league.

The season preview speedway star, has always been my favourite. But I miss they days when promoters (later fans) would give their predictions of the finishing order. Don't know why they stopped that? Too many people not willing to join in? What's the harm of you get it wrong, it's supposed to be a bit of fun.

Sam should of been challenging hodder, more laps than most round Workington.

I know it's early days, but first impressions: Claus - still got it Tate and Antii - both excellent today even first time out, once they get settled in I'd expect them to be the heat leaders with Claus Cook and Batchelor - best days are in the past but will still do a job Celine and Sam - looking like the weak point, but let's give them a chance and see how they do against teams with similar level reserves. Neither were going to challenge Hodder and Celine had a good second ride to beat Borke.

Agree with this, just because a track isn't small and tight doesn't mean its not difficult for a first time visitor. The narrow straights make it very tricky if you're not familiar with it.

On that showing would struggle to beat most NL riders

It was hardly causing an obstruction,it would be no different to a rider having an EF and touring round the inside of the track.No idea why the ref stopped the race.Poor Decision.IMO.

Not really, he's got a pretty good record for getting what he wanted. I know he failed with Oxford years ago but he was nothing to do with it this time around. And he was only involved in Cov because BE knew he was good at closing Speedway tracks down! Dont get me wrong I'm not a fan of his, in fact I'm Reading fan. If I saw him on fire I'd go fill a jerry can and make sure the job was done properly! But hes obviously a devious bastard and very good at it. .

Well that turned out to be an interesting night. I left home ( about 10 mins from the track) at about 6.30. It had been a glorious day, none of the predicted showers had appeared thus far. A minute or so into the journey, the rain started to spot on the windscreen. Looking at the sky, most of it was clear, but off to the south the sky looked black and was slowly approaching. Within seconds it was torrential, ever the optimist, I continued on, there was always the chance the rain could miss, and sure enough by the time I passed the Riverside stadium I was in clear skies and the road was bone dry, although off to the right there was a clear dividing line between clear sky and torrential rain. As I got nearer to the Ecco arena, I started to see all the cars parked on the main road, and then I realised it was a Bank holiday weekend. Fridays on a bank holiday weekend. can be chaotic, especially if there are other events taking place at Moto X or Kart tracks as well. With yesterday also being a bank holiday as , it was even worse, most of the car park was taken up by large vans & motor homes etc. Being of limited mobility, parking on the main road is not an option, so I made my way to the car park entrance, and was informed that parking was limited, but there might be an odd space. I made my way through the car park just as the rain was reaching the arena, by the time I found a parking spot the rain had got heavier. Not wishing to get wet I decided to wait in the car in the hope the rain would pass over quickly. It didn’t pass over quickly, it got worse. I could see that everyone in the stadium had made their way to any available cover. I sat in the car waiting more in hope than anything else. Eventually, it dawned on me, the chances of the meeting taking place was fast diminishing so I decided to cut my losses and go home. When I got home just after 7.30 I checked the updates site to see the meeting start had been put back to 8.00pm, followed by a further update a few minutes later to say the meeting was Off. Decision vindicated. Normally, when I go to the Speedway, the wife and daughter settle down and watch a movie, so yesterday I had the double whammy of not getting to meet up with two friends who only get to Redcar a few times a year, and having to put up watching the last hour of a s*** movie called Black Adam, so not a “Good” Friday for me. The trials and tribulations of being a speedway fan, eh. but I still love the sport.

The Comets are against local rivals Berwick Bandits in Workington's first meeting of the season after the Ben Fund fell foul of the weather. Hopefully it will be dry and the racing will be good , oh and a home win too.

First visit too New Worky.Credit to Andrew and Steve and the Volunteers what a brilliant set up and track.Excellent meeting Bandits all round strength won the day they all had their moments,but the rider of the day was Rory total class performance and special mention too Freddie for 110 % effort and looked very good again.

Two good wins for Berwick this weekend. Thoughts are with @Bandit59 at this sad time

If you had won it I doubt you would say the same.

I don't think Workington have any worries over their top 5, sure Batchelor & Cook will have their off days, but so did the leagues top averaged rider Sam Masters at Poole. It's at reserve where I see the Comets struggling. Hopefully they'll be able to win the majority of their home matches, but don't see many bonus points coming their way.

Sellafield fumes are stronger than ever right now I see!

It's a Poole thread and the races are from Pirates TV. If you want something else try BSN.

Was Batchelor’s retirement in his last race his usual “can’t be arsed” if he’s not placed or was there a bonafide reason?

No,it is still a protected race for the rising stars.Thomson is the rising star for Ipswich,not Jenkins.

Berwick have their first away win and trophy of the season.

Other work undertaken by the team includes moving the start line back by around five metres. Taken from website

Weak locally elected bodies allow such things to happen all the time.. Often, due to saving the cost of going to court.. And with virtually zero protestations from the Swindon fan base, and zero fight back, we are where we are.. In fact, the lack of a vocal response and clear protest targeted action taken, could help the cause of Osbourne who can turn around and say "it wont be missed"..

Sure I seen somewhere 5 meters maybe George Dodds could confirm.

So the ref couldnt see close finishes!

It is quite common in other sports where weather is a factor. Have you been to a cricket match where an extended time period can be required following rain to dry the outfield and ready the square? Even for tennis at Wimbledon the roof on Centre Court takes 10 minutes to close, and it then takes a further 20-30 minutes for the air management system to re-create the correct conditions. Such delays are common in weather dependant sports and most sensibly minded 'newbies' would be accepting of this within a reasonable timeframe. I wonder if organisers in other sports get the same hammering that speedway promoters do!

With his knowledge of the track could be Dan T getting one or two extra rides, not Rew. Ipswich are in a good situation with reserve options.

Steve Worrall is racing in Germany today.

Spot on. Get out in the dirt . Simples

There’s nothing wrong with the track don’t know all the rubbish about it being rough is coming from,riders didn’t have any problems.Freddie Hodder and Borge were passing no problems

Berwick has not got narrow straits F.I.M.Standards.

Tracks was fine for this time of the year. You should’ve seen it 15 years ago when it was like a roller coaster.

There was not many positives to take from that performance was there. Berwick moved out from the white line where the Comets riders bar Vissing were not interested in going out there. Heat 3 mind needs noted Comets on a 5-1 and stopped because Berwick rider had not cleared the track, staning on fate one !!!! He should have been fined for that.

I shall be buying the stream tonight. I live in Ipswich so there is no chance of me going to watch live but it will help swell Berwicks coffers by purchasing the stream. Every club should do a streaming service.

You give him too much credit, he got lucky and came up against SBC who allowed him to hoodwink them over and over again if had been someone like Oxford or rugby council he may have come unstuck.

It's always a shambles at Scunny or seems to be whenever I choose to go, being brought up on the era of around 10 matches to choose to go to on a Good Friday this year I had a choice of 2! Poole too far away as a neutral with a 7:30 kick off or the 80 mile trip to the omnishambles that is Scunny. In recent years it seems to be the track I've spent the most time at waiting for Speedway to actually happen, usually I've been kept waiting due to inadequate medical resources. There's no way Rob Godfrey should be anywhere near the top table of British Speedway, he should step back and look at getting his own club in order. At the risk of sounding like a Tory... Where is the plan? There's no plan! Like you say it's not the first time this has happened... anywhere! And it will happen again, we know what our climate is like and it'll probably only get worse before it gets better. A stadium full of punters, who were happily let in to be greeted by the sight of a track that everybody knew, deep down , was never going to see any Speedway ridden on it that night. There should be a set of procedures to work through, that have been proven to work, if a meeting is going to be attempted to be saved. Credit to those that tried to get the circuit into some kind of condition and clearing the pools of water on it but even after that work was carried out nothing was done to soak up the water that wasn't standing in pools but still quite clearly visible. I wonder if any research has been done into finding a financially viable absorbent substance that could be used on tracks in such events. Back in the day it used to be sawdust but the sport probably can't even afford that anymore. Blading the track and relaying with fresh shale would have been another option, just getting on with it may have been another option... or just calling it off after the downpour. That's my point there doesn't seem to be a set of procedures to run to in the event of this happening, it's generally nothing happens for a while, then riders start appearing, kicking the track, then work starts, the the ref, captains and managers walk a lap of the circuit, then there's more faffing about, everybody disappears for a while, then the ref, captains and managers appear again to walk another lap of the track, everybody disappears again, punters are stood around waiting, those who know, know and have already gone home... eventually it's called off... we've all seen it at our local tracks before and we'll all see it again! Added with that on this occasion was the ridiculous "music" being blasted at the elderly crowd, not a single update as to what was actually happening, an annoying loud humming noise emanating from the PA when the "music" did cease and even more ridiculously a large queue to actually get out of the stadium!

Ok, can't do anything about a heavy downpour that was forecast on several weather apps. The promotor was straight out after the rain stopped, actually driving the tanker sucking the water off, so he was being very proactive in trying to get the meeting on. If the call had gone out for 20 odd volunteers to help sweep off the rain water, I am sure they would have helped. Even our number 7 , young Harrison , was keen to sweep the start finishing area! What was a major failing, was keeping the crowd informed and entertained. Just playing the same tape over and over was plain lazy ( All aboard, all aboard...!) What is the point having an announcer in the box if they are unable to communicate with the crowd. Why no rider interviews to break the boredom- new team members, new female etc? From the demeanour of the team manager and Worky captain, on their track walk after sterling remedial work, it was obvious they had no desire to ride. Don't know what Babs Horley was saying to the riders, but personally I have seen worse tracks raced upon? The second shower sealed the event end and finally a decision was forced. To cap it all , the farce to get tickets stamped/ refunds needs to be addressed. Surely someone could direct the crowd to what was happening , which side to queue, what procedures etc. Maybe the tickets should be date stamped as they are being sold on entering the stadium, just a thought? I only had to travel 5 miles home, but did wish the Workington fan parked next to me, a safe journey home for his wasted time and money. As others have said not a good opener, we must do better all round.

100% correct decision to call it off. Used my spare evening to visit a relative in Lynn hospital and it was slashing down when I came out at 8:10pm. Clubs often get criticised for getting it wrong, so only right they get praise when they get it right.