GeneralMelchett

This is a real blow, so sorry Wolves fans! Being an Arena-Essex fan from the 80s i know what it is like to go through this. I hope you find a new home and don't fold. Thanks for the memories - two of the very best meetings I have ever seen were at Monmore - one was a Wolves Cradley derby from 1989 (45-45 draw) and the other the Wolves Ipswich playoff semi from a few years back also 45-45 - both great meetings that I have happy memories of!

One thing is for sure the Witches need a good performance to put Thursday behind them!

ah ok! Thanks

Rew could drop lower than 4!

Wright was in my view one of the reasons you won on Thursday! he generally goes well at Foxhall. I’ve argued with team mates in football a fair bit over the years always forgotten about afterwards!

From my vantage point there was nothing to warrant it - I was filling in the programme and missed seeing it but Kevin Long mentioned it - which made me look up to see what all the fuss was about - one hopes they shook hands and forgot about it soon after!

Hume scored 5+1 from his 4 programmed rides including a 5-1 with Emil over two riders who are significantly higher ranked than him - he was never going to score in heat one unless he got third! he had 6 rides not 7 (the updates site is wrong) one was RR in heat one the other replacing his reserve partner late on.

Thats being polite and diplomatic!

Hey Marko - good to see you on here - yes I’d phrased it a tad more gently - a few years later he had basically admitted he’d lost his nerve about racing. I was at Hackney that night sat on the exit of the 4th bend saw it all - horrible thing will never forget it or Paul!

Quite right - we have to decide on stopping something at some point, for him he has been riding for 25 years or more - I can remember seeing him at Owlerton in 98, for all we know this might be his last season in Poland also. I remember the Malcolm Simmons fiasco at Arena in 89 or was it 90, came back to ride did really well - then bust his ankle mid season never came back but it took ages for the fact he'd decided to call in a day (at 43) to filter through. He admitted later he'd lost the desire to race etc - fair enough but come out and say that and be honest.

I am referring to their top flight performances, they do seem to be fair enough in the lower division - I have Kemp in the Witches team in 2021 as the R/S and Rowe was at No2 . I saw Rowe ride a couple of times last season he always seems to be 'on the verge' for example at Owlerton at the back end of last year he was very on the pace but didn't score maybe 1. I just feel both should have progressed maybe a bit more.

some of it depends on Riss - if he is still out then it will be difficult

Yes that's fair comments really we dont know everything, my personal choice would have been Rowe but both he and Kemp have been around a few years now and not seemingly made much of a step forward to perhaps something new was / is in order. As for Hume - I feel he did ok last night - he was slung into heat 1 - he was never going to win that, he did superbly beat Bewley in heat 11, annoyingly he surrendered position or was passed by more experienced riders (delete as to your own view) in heat 14. Before the meeting I'd have said 4-5 from him would have been a good score he got 5+1 from his programmed rides.

It was also good to see KK have a good night too - I can’t see how any rider signs or sets up not to do well - mind you he was a big risk in my view given his fee and age etc!! id never be a promoter - damned if you do and certainly damned if you do not!!

Worrall did all that he could in that first home meeting considering he faced Doyle and Emil in 2 of his rides, i made that point at the time. Glad he had a good night tonight

as soon as the original choice was injured I said Anders Rowe for me!

The Witches pair had gated for a 5-1 in heat 14 - it looking good for a lap but Wright got past them both on the 2nd lap then Lidsey put them under pressure and he then he just drifted wide and sort of vanished into the fence! Meeting was lost in heat 12, Emil and Danyon had secured a great 5-1 to make it 32-34, Danyon possibly the ride of the night for me in that one. Then heat 12 King had a stinker of a gate and the 1-5 to the Aces kind of sealed the win. Heat 13 didnt help but i maintain it was lost in heat 12. Solid from BV no individual star although Kurtz did get 3 wins beating Emil, Danny and then both Emil and Doyle, but perhaps Charles Wright with 9+1 was their best on the night.

Weather bright and breezy - and like that all day they say -

Brennan guessed for the Witches last season and proved a popular guest - he scored 7 maybe 8 that night more than with Belle Vue - a lot will depend if Kurtz can beat Doyle and or Emil as he will face one or both in 3 of his 4 programmed heats weather should be ok - hope so drove down to just north of Colchester in heavy rain at times today

wow thats good, well up on last year when I reckon 2k+ was about right, couldn't make tonight but will be there next week!

i am tempted to make my first visit to leicester for this one.

to be fair to Worrall (i dont have really any skin in this game or a view on him) whilst he is paired with Basso he will struggle to get heat wins so the best he can hope for is 2nd or 3rd and to avoid last place. No he isn't a no 3 but thats what you get for taking him on that average and putting Basso at 4. in his rides last night he was 3rd in a home 4-2 (beaten by King) 3rd in a home 4-2 (beaten by Doyle) 4th in a 3-3 (beaten by Sayfutinov and Hume) 2nd in a 3-3 (Beaten by King) With the exception of his third ride I'd say he did Ok and by that I mean losing to Emil was to be expected but maybe not to Hume - he did make a mistake that let them both through. Lets hope NP is ok, last thing anyone needs is their no 1 injured in the opening heat of the opening meeting, I remember it happened to the Witches in 2006 or 2007 when Mark Loram crashed badly.

good to see that having seen many top sports stars in wide range of sports there is nothing quite like seeing the very best show off their skills, I do remember seeing Nicki P ride for Newcastle in his first ever season 98 at Owlerton - you could tell he was going to be good! last season I got to see Doyle at Owlerton and Foxhall and he is a top class rider too. The last time i saw Emil he was landing one on Nicholls in cardiff!

Am planning on coming to this hopefully as well weather permitting! looking forward to seeing Dolye and Emil v Nicki

Crookes me on top of the hill overlooking Owlerton - raining again now - it’s variable and mixed weather for sure edit 4pm almost and sun and clouds we might be ok