Halifaxtiger

Can't argue with either of those Ritchings is missing because of mechanical issues , Hume is injured, no reason for Bacon. Shanes was contracted to a grass meeting (Birmingham & Kent websites). No reasons as yet from Belle Vue, Isle of Wight or Stoke.

Mildenhall, Eastbourne, Cradley & Rye House look fine. King's Lynn have Greaves at Glasgow and Bailey injured and Kent have Ayres at Glasgow and Shanes committed to grasstrack so they are OK too. Belle Vue have Payne missing, Birmingham Ritchings and Bacon but their pairings are still decent. Isle of Wight have no Stoneman and no Cockle. Poor show for a club whose customer care and professionalism have been second to none this season. Stoke have Wilson, Atkin, Tedham & Hopwood missing. Hopwood has been suspended, but one of the others could surely have been there. Overall, its not too bad compared with some.

Finally got an announcement on the BSPA website.................with 4 teams naming their riders. This is an absolute shambles and I suspect they are desperate for bad weather so they can call it off. As it happens, the forecast has improved considerably since last night. I wonder if they will have the brass nerve to complain if the gate is poor.

Bowen and Thomas according to the Kent website.

Shockingly poor as there are still no announcements. All I can find is that Clegg and Morris are in for Cradley on the Heathens website. If memory serves me correctly, this was a very decent meeting last year. The problem, I suspect, s not that the Pairs is one too many but that it is being held at the very tail end of the season and has become little more than an afterthought. To be fair, that's not totally the fault of the NL or King's Lynn.

Its mentioned on the Eastbourne rain off bit. Have to agree, though. A major NL event and we have no idea who is riding or whether it is even definitely on.

King's Lynn website says a preview will be on there a little later this week.

Best one I ever saw was at Barrow back in 85. The lights went out during the meeting and we were told that the generator had failed but they would use the tractor to power it. A chap ran across the centre green, climbed onto said vehicle and drove it off only for it come to a halt about 50 yards away. Then another chap was seen running across the centre green with a petrol can and inserting it into the stranded machine. A roar and a large cloud of blue smoke later, and it was off. A couple of minutes later and the lights came back on to a ragged cheer. Then there was a huge bang, the lights went out and the meeting was abandoned. As Cityrebel says, these things happen once every couple of seasons (unless you are at Stoke). Annoying but rare.

I am not quite sure who 'Pizza Boy' is (although I can make shrewd guess ). No matter whose company I had, if the racing was crap I wouldn't go. Put it this way, I have an awful lot of time for you, Wayne, Cozzie and young Jordan but won't be there on Thursday. I can't disagree with that but the thing is as I have said Redcar's gates seem to hold up no matter what. 3 wooden spoons in 7 seasons and just one finish in the top half of the table would be disastrous for most clubs. There also has to be a recognition that their expenses (not including those for riders) are way, way cheaper than Workington's.

On the first bit, I think you are dead right (although I am not a fan of the Swales' track preparation). On the second, I have been up 4 times in about 6 weeks. There's no way I'd have made a 300 mile round trip for rubbish.

I heard the excuses, yes. Been to around 600 meetings in the last 10 seasons or so in all of the leagues and I have never seen that before - injuries, blown engines and everything else thrown in. I hope Havelock gets heavily fined. Redcar turn up with a wooden spoon team that was further weakened by absences and can't even put two riders out in the one race where they need to. Its little wonder the gate at Workington was said to be 'appalling'. I hope that money gets used for that purpose, too. However, with 3 wooden spoons in 7 years I think the chances are remote.

Not sure if you are one that gets about but, if you are, try Isle of Wight next season. The contrast is staggering (although that word doesn't describe it adequately)

Workington may well have been imprudent but Havelock is very fortunate at Redcar because as I have said both elsewhere and to my pals there their gates hold up no matter what. In the last 7 seasons, Redcar have had three wooden spoons and have finished in the top half of the table once. I have seen the odd decent meeting at Redcar over the last few seasons (including one brilliant one against Plymouth in 2015) but mostly they have been poor. What's worse, in the early seasons STMP was a brilliant race track and deteriorated disastrously when Havelock took over. Crap teams and crap racing is usually fatal to any speedway team but Redcar, exceptionally, seem to buck the trend. What I am certain of is that Havelock's method of promotion is not an example for others to follow. That is a very valid point. Havelock might break over the season, but his team is so poor away - including last week at Workington when they couldn't even field 2 riders in heat 15 - that they put people off attending.

Thing is I have seen some very good speedway at Workington. Last night, for example, was a cracking meeting. Given that they have the lowest entry prices in the PL, good racing, good presentation and only necessary delay, I am wondering precisely what they are doing wrong.

Wasn't like that at Workington. Cracking meeting

Yet another very entertaining meeting and my only regret is I only attended one match up to September. No interval, cracking racing and good presentation. I am wondering precisely what it is that Workington are doing wrong. Fingers crossed for the future.

Me neither and it says a fair bit that two wanderers like you and I won't go near the place. Workington tonight ?

As far as I know, Glasgow, Scunthorpe, Buxton, Kent, Eastbourne, Leicester, King's Lynn, Somerset, Rye House all own their own stadiums.

I didn't think they actually own it but as far as I am aware their rent is way less than others.

That's a bizarre one. In my experience, the Aces gates have doubled this season and I'd say the Colts meetings attract around 500 per go. Last Wednesday, they must have cleared £100k in gate receipts alone. I have heard a few rumours about why its the case but don't give them credence. What I am pretty sure of is that the riders aren't being paid.

He's still the British World Champion. If he wins it again - and he's still only 26 - he can make a fair case to be named as the greatest British Speedway rider of all time because no other has won it 3 times. He was, by far and away, our top scorer in the World Cup and is our only world class rider. He won't ride British Speedway for exactly the same reason as a lot of other top riders - too many meetings on too many different dates (although money probably has something to do with it). We don't know why he won't ride for GB but we are talking about the BSPA being involved. As such, he could well have a very valid reason indeed. What you are saying is that he is wrong not to ride in British Speedway and then also wrong when he does ! Personally, I didn't understand why he was abused and still don't understand it now. In private I, for one, agree. But, to me, that word is too strong to use on social media if you are a public figure to describe some of the fans of the sport in which you compete.

Personally, I'd say 'idiots' is fine - principally, because they were. 'Scum' crosses a line and he shouldn't have used it. I also think that blaming the promotion for the fans attitude to Woffinden just doesn't stand up . While the comments about Wolverhampton's track and Woffinden's second string status were unnecessary, had they not been made he would still have got the equally unnecessary reception that he did.

Completely agree and it is remarkable how widespread that view is. It pretty sums Havelock up when you have to rely on the weather to get a decent - in fact, very good - meeting.

Really ? I must have misheard Rob Godfrey last season when he said (several times) he was going to shut the track if crowds didn't improve.

Havelock is fortunate because Redcar's gates seem to hold up no matter what. I am sure all the Bears fans will be delighted that he has made money given the poor team he gave them at the start of the season and the rubbish tracks they get week after week. That will lose him a few, I am sure and heaven help speedway if Redcar are the blue print. The principle reason why Plymouth are in trouble is because they have finished at tge bottom of the league for years. The sadness is Workington have tried hard - a lot harder than Havelock for a start - to pull people in. Its still the cheapest in the PL, the racing is good and the presentation excellent. Laura and her team deserve better.