Speedy swindon pete

Can't understand why Nick isnt riding in the polish 1st league at least or the swedish league, plenty good enough. He's not going to learn much more from another year in the premier league. If he wants to reach the big time, he needs put himself outside his comfort zone pretty sharpish.

As if my enthusiasm couldn't get any lower for the sport after the play-offs...the AGM rears its head yet again. I mentioned my idea of a running format a few years ago, and after seeing the mess the league finds its self in now, the more I think my idea has legs. EL Teams face each other home and away once each, alternating each week, home one week, away the next. Every team also has a 4 rider academy/conference team running 4v4 13 heat formats in the week the elite team is away. Keep charging 17/18 quid for the EL matches (wont be enough to fund an elite team of old but enough to retain a decent standard 1-7), 10-12 for the academy. People asking for weekly speedway get their fix. We can watch the kids get more track time and develop. People get to watch the few world class riders left racing over here (possibly attracting a few more back with reduced fixtures).Promoters aren't shelling out for so many elite meetings. And crucially all meetings (elite or academy) are of a reasonably equal standard. I'd much rather that than the awful "cut and shut" mishmash that we have on our hands currently.

Poole have just been significantly better out the gate / first bend the majority of the night, just like they were against Swindon. I dont remember one Poole rider making a pass past the second bend last week, and again tonight. Sickening to watch. And that's before we get to see Ford and Middlo on screen.

Thought it most of the season, Birmingham far too flakey, especially away from home. Barker and King can go unbeaten one night and look like juniors the next. Not too bad over the course of a season, but in a one off tie, you are never sure what they are going to do. Add in Auty who is similarly up or down (too much death or glory) and smolinski getting found out against the big boys. This could get grim.

Had to laugh at Ermolenko saying Hancock was desperate for a British League win. So desperate he's sat out the last 5/6 seasons here. Funny what Uncle Ford rustling up a special pay packet can do.

Might as well light the blue touch paper on this one. Morris should be first on the sheet, what-ever format the league takes next season. Everything else probably guesswork until the AGM and Ford gets his brown envelopes out.

Morris has been the pick of the Swindon riders for the last 2 or 3 months since he was picked for that heat 15 at wolves (?) which plenty of robins fans who weren't even there were lambasting rosco for picking him. He's been proper mustard, if only he could gate, he'd be lethal. First name on the team sheet for me next year. Thanks to the Poole riders for freeing up a few nights for me in the next couple of weeks. Works music quiz and seeing Peter Gabriel back on the menu now, was worried rain off reruns would scupper those.

PK, a god amongst men.

Well done to the Poole riders. Better out the gate all night. RIP Elite League

Middleditch not able to see the crater that hoiked Josh off? Dangerous track.

Rosco said before the match that last year when we faced Brum away in the semi first, because we did so well in the away leg, the return home leg had a poorer crowd than expected because everyone knew it would be a non event. So they're negating the chance of that happening this year by going at home first. That's a brave decision and some big assumptions to make... I would have thought the poorer crowd would have been more to do with the pi55 poor weather we constantly had last year. But it could be a good decision tactically, hopefully whatever lead we have from the first leg, we can then defend down at Poole, rather than chasing a target at home. Though with Pooles agregate win over us in August....they surely must go in to this as massive favourites... It'll be an expensive few days with the footy that's for sure, although I'll save a few quid watching the Poole leg from the hospital car park. Don't want Ford seeing any of my cash.

I said after the KL round on Monday things must be bad if people wanted barker to ride in Prague...getting someone in who'll "give it his all" is all well and good, but without any refinement you'll get nowhere on the big stage. It was incredible in those few hours after the second round how many people just completely forgot how poor Barker (and Bridger) are on the international circuits. I can't remember either of them doing anything of note in any meetings on the continent. I wasn't completely surprised to see how bad we were. Sure, at somewhere like any of the midlands tracks those 4 would have probably been taking the Aussies to a last heat decider with the yanks and Latvians somewhere adrift, but on the continent, we are generally absolutely awful. We've no experience on these big, flat slick tracks. Tai seems to have mastered it, Nicholls had it more or less and Harris in flashes (in the past) did and it was Rico's ace up his sleeve most of the time, from a British perspective. People can bang on about opportunities in the British leagues for British riders till your ears bleed, to an extent they are right, but if they are to be expected to perform on the world stage, they need to be practicing and racing on the continent continually. They can look great banging in the points on the heinz variety tracks in the UK, but show them somewhere big and open with a few European juniors and they're completely ruined. Our boys turn up there without a clue how to set up for the tracks and conditions, can't gate and then get the riding style completely wrong. Bridger and Barker are kicking out and all over the bike, wrestling it like its a greasy weasel, as if the dirt is a foot deep with ruts and holes all over the place, whilst all the other riders let the bike flow and keep a smooth line on the slick, sweeping curves, keeping momentum up and the bike pointing forward. People are surprised the Latvians did so well...tracks like that are all they know though! Some have said that some promoters will be getting them in their phone books to get over here. You'd be a fool to think they'd ride like that the instant you get them over here though. Most tracks here would be completely alien to them. Sure a couple might get the hang of them after a while, but it won't matter much to them because they'll be earning the big money and growing their presence on the world stage on the tracks in Europe. Yes we can blood through some talent in the British league, but don't expect them to turn world class overnight by just staying here.

Good god, things have to be bad if people's best bet for a crap, slick GP track, is international superstar Barker.

This year's World Cup has to be the worst as a competitive competition since its reintroduction. Lots of injuries meaning a lot of the top class riders missing, Team GB even weaker than usual and the farce of the Czechs seeded straight to the final. Hope I'm proved wrong but Prague is a god awful track for entertainment which I fear will neuter what little action will be left in the race off and final.

The people trying to defend Belle Vue and their promotion are probably even more pathetic than the stunt in question...and probably considerably more wet too.

Surprised no one else heard patch on the radio on Saturday after the town match....he said then the BSPA still had to ratify the signing. This is so incredibly tedious.

Agree its highly likely that middlo's quote has been snipped somewhat and what he actually said at the time is (hopefully) less alarming . But in those situations you have to question how many brain cells the person in question actually has to not know that the press can twist and extract words to make things sound sensational. Anyone who doesn't realise this when responding to such a serious case can't be very bright, no matter what they intended to say. Rule number one, don't get yourself into a position where you can be misquoted. As for the incident it's self...can't say it's exactly it's a surprise seeing what has happened in the last 12 months. Hopefully this has opened the eyes of some of his talented rider mates too.

Looking for some inspiration for next year Patch?

Good stuff from noddy...looked very good lately. Very good GP. Shame the track was graded and watered a bit too severely at times just as it was getting good, but still very good all round. Credit to Nicholls for his effort, unlucky to miss out on the semi.

Just chucked it down whilst I was cycling on the way home from the Swindon station....to quote the great Adder "as moist as an otter's pocket" Hope it's missed blunsdon. Would be gutted for steady if they had to call it off.

Cracking race to finish. Best man won on the night. Unlucky for Woffy getting it called back when in the lead. Fancied Scott to pull it back and over haul him anyway though. Shame w can't see Scott riding like that all time....absolutely superb when he's got the bit between his teeth.

Makes these last few races interesting though...

Good to see some speedway at last, shame about the weather and a pretty sedate crowd, didn't make for the best meeting ever, but not bad considering the conditions. Doubt gates 2 and 3 will be a major problem except for last night, probably bore the brunt of most of the packing in anticipation of rain compared to the inside and outside. Comedy moment watching Rico drop the clutch off gate 2 in the first heat, only to take a couple of seconds to make any significant encroachment to the first bend. Most of the robins looked pretty decent. Encouraging to see hans looking reasonably quick, along with Morris who was unlucky and PK...thats what I've been waiting to see from him. Proper commitment and throwing himself all over the track....not what can be said of batchelor who again displayed why I dislike him so much. Everyone else making a poor start from gates 2 or 3 got their head down and raced. I accept there is always a degree of testing at early season individual meetings so it's not too bad seeing someone not make much of an effort to catch up from behind, but Batch instead of putting his track time to good use as a rider on his home track, decides to pull up after a lap, pull a wheelie and drop onto the centre green. Credit to all the other riders for giving it a go and putting on a show in difficult conditions. Apart from that...Zagar looked class once again (Replacement for Batch in may maybe?) Ulamek standard appearance at blunsdon, sluggish at the back...lightning in front. Bjarne did well and wasn't suprised to see him win, good on him.

Great to see Arthur having an outing in a meeting on a 500...will be waiting to hear how he does with interest.

annoyed i couldnt make it last night... sounded like i missed a cracker. fair play to the swindon faithful's favorite, Schlien. sounds like he was on top form. if only i'd remembered to stick that tenner on him at 14/1. not sure if i'd have been happy to see scott win it or not...especially as he's rarely won heats at blunsdon this season. shows his class and commitment though...we need to make sure we hang on to him for next season as second heat leader. good to hear the track was good as well... as much as people try to deny it, Ronnie has worked wonders on the track since he took up the track man job a couple of years ago. Its returned to the great track it once was again. glad there was a good crowd!