Halifaxtiger

It would surprise me greatly. While there's no excuse for jacking in, there's a significant difference about doing it in a heat when the match is dead and buried and doing it in a play off match when a place in the PL final and a possible PL championship at stake. Tungate certainly put it in in heat 15 and it would be quite incredible if a team manager chose him for that when he had simply given up in a race two heats earlier. According to green sheets his average has improved more than any other Ipswich rider (Hawkins is the same) this season. To not 'touch with a barge pole' a rider like that for next season seems to me to be a little foolish. I think that's fair point - I am sure that if Scunny had something to go for it would have been different. I have to say, though, that throughout the season they have not been as good as the standard of meetings at EWR (and that's the whole package, not just the racing) definitely deserve. I do M62/M18/M180 and on the latter two I have never encountered any problems (to be fair, that's coming from the north). I set off at 5pm last week and arrived at 6.15 because there was so little traffic on the M62 (to my surprise). Not using the present system when meetings are dead, even if that is just one club. I think Tigerite (and others) are correct in that 4 teams only is better. Bit harsh, Rob. They wouldn't have got in to the play offs in the first place if they were a poor team and that takes away some of the credit from a quite brilliant backs to the wall performance from Scorpions. This wasn't just about Ipswich throwing it away.

I did the updates tonight and while I first thought Tungate was passed on the inside and outside at the same time I thought it could only be down to slowing with engine problems when he stopped immediately afterwards. It never occurred to me for a single second that he was passed and merely gave up and bumped onto the centre green (to be fair, he certainly didn't give up in heat 15). That's because it is absolutely incredible - given the importance of the meeting in general and that race in particular - that a rider would do such a thing and I can only wonder what the reaction of his team mates, the management and promotion of Ipswich and its fans would be to such an action. Personally, I'd be bloody furious and it will be interesting to see what is in the Witches match report. I thought it was out of the top drawer Wilkinson's attempt to protect Williamson and Howe and Auty's brilliant passes of Worrall were capped by an amazing heat 15, which was probably one of the best races I have seen this season. It was a performance of real guts and effort by the Scorpions, and their supporters should be proud of them. The only sadness was the attendance, which didn't look good. Rob Godfrey puts on an excellent show - with cracking racing, limited delays and quality presentation - and if he can't attract gates then there is genuine cause to fear for the future of the sport.

Personally, my experience of Laurence is that is very decent bloke who always has time for a chat and a laugh (even when he doesn't), has put a huge amount of his own time and money into the sport and is as passionate about it as anyone I have ever met. He's been in the sport for at least 40 years and has done everything - announcer, promoter, team manager, has ridden bikes for charitable purposes and organised youth meetings (and probably a lot more besides). Seeing him at Lakeside this season he still remains as truly incredibly enthusiastic about speedway as he was when I first met him in 2006. I am very pleased to count him as a friend.

It wasn't brilliant last week...........but it was still better than many tracks get.

I did............after I had posted But the point I made still stands - without Horton, there's every possibility that Peterborough would not have run this season anyway. SCB also has a point, too. Frost closed the track, so will Horton. Yet somehow the opinions are good riddance to Horton, please come back Mr Frost. The only difference is Frost has money, Horton doesn't.

Is it me being ridiculously optimistic or is there some hope in those words ? Wouldn't he say that there would be no speedway at all unless he was able to sell the club if that was his intention rather than pointedly ruling out PL speedway ? That's very harsh, Rob - he deserves better than that. Its entirely possible that Peterborough would not have run this season without his involvement. EDIT: that piece in the paper has sunk my post without trace

Aside from the tapes exclusion which was bizarre, I'd agree with all that EDIT: Hiding my Somerset fleece as I do so

Having had a look at the teams, this will be close. EWR is still the best race track in the country so it could also be real cracker. Hope it gets the attendance it deserves.

Weymouth is a seaside town and there is a difference between that and Sittingbourne, but when planning permission was granted at the Wessex a few years ago it was stated that every signature counted wherever people were from. I think you are dead right.

Not that you're biased, of course. You obviously missed Auty clattering into Morris the lap before. The only difference between the two incidents was Morris stayed on, Auty didn't. As far as I was concerned, Auty got a taste of his own medicine and, for that reason, I thought the correct decision was made (and I suspect that's how Dave Dowling saw it too).

Its hardly unheard of although Rossiter, as GB team manager, should know better. Personally, I thought the referee called both decisions (Morris/Auty, Morris/Jorgensen) correctly although his decision to exclude Morris for tape touching was a bizarre one. Even the spectacularly biased if very Mr Godfrey didn't see it.

If they were in a helicopter, maybe. Its 150 miles or so by road from Glasgow to Newcastle or about 2.75 hours travelling time (according to the distance calculator I used, anyway). Allowing two hours for a meeting, they'd arrive back in Newcastle at 9.45 (and that's if they don't stop). I have been to some late meetings at Newcastle before but never one that has taken 3.25 hours.

Based upon that information alone, its a perfectly reasonable decision (although riders dashing to and from meetings is hardly unheard of). But that's not the whole picture. As Lioness has said, Glasgow supporters do not want 5pm starts and the later time will put Newcastle supporters off travelling. So what we have, yet again, is the long suffering speedway fan and their wishes and requirements being placed at the back of the queue. One day speedway promotions will learn that taking fans for granted is one the main reasons why the sport is on its knees.

That's why I'm not going.

I think there's every chance you will be one of the top dogs in the league. Given the fact that Eastbourne don't have a rent liability, in the NL there's every chance they could break even on about 350 people. Get a few local young lads in with two or three riders to make the team competitive and I'll be surprised if they don't hit that. For me, this is brilliant news. Keep it Saturday night but don't clash with GP meetings.

I am still not happy but that's just because I can't go now. Its difficult to argue with the reasoning.............although I could say that it is about time the interests of paying customers are put before paid employees. Lioness is spot on, though. There's no way we should find out a start time change from a fan on the BSF.

I was going to come to this match. Not now

Even if he is, his riding for Belle Vue this season speaks volumes.

That's how I saw it and it was right in front of me. Completely accidental, and If I'd have been Grajczonek I'd have wanted a word with Stead too after being taken out. If Grajczonek had fallen, Stead would unquestionably have been excluded - which begs the question as to whether there has to be a fall before such action is taken. Probably where they usually are if anything kicks off - hiding in the toilets. I thought it was a pretty entertaining meeting with the highlight being Newman's stunning pass of Stead in heat 19. Quite brilliant, and it shows what you can achieve if you have a never say die attitude. Big thanks to Spinny for organising the Barracks get together.

You can't stop people being untruthful, particularly when it is in their interests to be so. What you can do is expose them as liars - and if you do you inflict significant damage their on their case because their word can be shown to be wholly unreliable. That means its worse than worthless in that it actually strengthens your position.

Let them lie. In fact the more lies and the more ridiculous they are the better. No easier way to win a court/tribunal decision than to expose your opponents case as untruthful, biased nonsense.

That's what I'd do. Probably the most impressive performance by a visiting rider I have seen all season. From the gate or not made no difference. Dead right on both. As you had said elsewhere, though, despite the league position there have been positives for the Tigers this year.

I think Coventry are as good from the gate but Swindon are just riding the first two bends much better than they are.

Definitely one of the best. There is such a short run to the first corner that the first two bends are most certainly the best. There was a debate about this very subject on the first bend on Saturday, with there being some question as to whether Sky could get all their equipment in as the entrance is somewhat narrow. I think there's also a problem about whether they could actually run mid week. If possible, though, a Plymouth-Somerset match would be a very good choice indeed. I suspect Mr Taylor would very much like to be a TV star

I think its the damage it has done to certain tracks rather than generally. Plymouth have had just two rain offs, Workington have quite possibly had 5 times that. To try and put a bit of a positive slant on it, based upon personal experience and those I know some tracks have had increased gates - most notably Sheffield. Although Peterborough's are still not enough (and I suspect the double headers will do further damage to the average) I am advised they have gone up too. Plymouth's have certainly increased in the latter part of the season. What I have noted is that the standard of racing has improved. The usual suspects - Plymouth, Somerset, Scunthorpe & Peterborough - are as good as ever, but one or two have really upped their game - most notably Glasgow, and I have seen a couple of cracking meetings at Redcar as well. That's got to be good news.