TheScotsman

Indeed there are 15 heats to go but I wouldn't bet 50p of your money that Edinburgh would be able to keep it close without Tabaka. Claus, Max & reserve(s) are not going to score what Joe would have. Max has gone off the boil recently and I think Deek didn't trouble the scorers the last time there. Somerset may well deserve the title I don't dispute that. It's just a shame that some dangerous riding (referees words) has spoiled the spectacle and put Joe in hospital.

Joe had had an exclusion and a 2nd and was ahead of Morris when he was put through the fence. However the bigger effect will be on Monday when I don't think r/r is going to rack up the double figures Joe would probably have picked up. Good. Saves me having to reply.

Shame that Morris putting Tabaka in hospital with his "dangerous riding" has probably decided the title.

But there are other sports where players can play in different leagues (even in different countries) and for higher ranked teams in the same club in the same league. No thinking of spectator sport but it does happen elsewhere.

Who says he doesn't want to? His aim is to ride in Sweden as well as double up in the UK. However there is more to it than just wanting to ride over there. You have to find a team that also wants you and for a relatively unknown rider (as far as the international scene is concerned) that is not that easy. Particularly with the average he would start on. So what is wrong with doubling up in the UK as well? At least the PL provides regular employment which is more than can be said for the EL.

Totally agree about removing the reserve's eligibility for 7 rides - totally skews matches when a team has a really strong/improving reserve (e.g. Lewis Kerr to name only one) and gives him 7 outings every match. First thoughts are that you are also correct about the nominated heat 15 advantage, but I think I would like to see some stats showing the results since it was introduced and whether it really did give top heavy teams an advantage compared to well balanced ones. Somerset would seem to prove your point in the PL but Brum were top of the EL table with a well balanced team so I'm not sure about that one. I think doubling up/down has got a bit out of control and I'm not sure how that can be reversed. However in terms of priority, to me it's simple - if one of the teams has the rider on their retained list (I hate the word asset!!) then they get priority. If the rider is on loan from a third team then either the PL or the EL team pays the primary loan fee and gets first call.

Had to read this twice just to be sure I hadn't misread it!! What an imagination. It's not Poole we're talking about. What other dates have Edinburgh got available? Tomorrow? Yep can surely get the programmes and publicity sorted out that quickly. And if redcar is called off tonight?

FTG boring dustfest then Might have been interested in giving it a look but the field is pretty unappetising and it's getting a bit chilly in the evening for marathon nights so I might not bother. Can see why not many top class riders would want to hammer their bikes over 16 laps!!

Silly me - there would also be an NL derby with the Kings Lynn second team. See how attractive the NL could be - local derbies every other match

Or you could drop down to the NL and have local derbies with Mildy and the Kent mob!

So not that much talk then really!!

Only the same few of you talking about it - frequently!!

Plonker! Ever seen THJ try to get round the Dale? Time for a new fishing rod. Cookie is a much better rider.

More likely his heat 2 fall when he didn't clear the track when just perhaps he might have. As the announcer commented - they are heavy things these speedway bikes!! But there again he did manage to come off another twice so who can tell I must say I was surprised that he did clear the track in 14 and ditto Schramm the bam in heat 7 given that Ippo were losing both races. Sad that it becomes a surprise when riders don't just lie there till it's stopped.

Strange niggle that one - any true cynic would think he doesn't go well up there He should take a leaf out of Sneddon's book and overcome his demons Cheers HE.

Can someone who was at the meeting last night please confirm whether Hawkins was in heat 14? I have him in my programme as replacing Schramm (and then falling yet again, but clearing the track just in time) but Speedway Updates has it as Schramm. I got it wrong the last time when Edinburgh were at Ippo and Max replaced Deek which I hadn't picked up so maybe I have tried to compensate here Or maybe I got it right this time

Joe Jacobs again? Really?

Just my last(?) words on the subject....... - mega praise to the track staff for getting the track into such a good state considering the rain yesterday. It seemed much smoother than on my past couple of visits. There wasn't a huge amount of overtaking after the first couple of bends but I don't think that was down to the track. And big commiserations to the Ippo team, management and faithful (seriously ). To have your team decimated by injury on one weekend when prior to Ellis' injury everything was looking so good must be heartbreaking. So this was a genuine hard luck story. I think with your own team rather than the rag-tail set of guests it would have been a different result on the night though we would probably still have picked up 1 point as Cookie still wouldn't have been beaten and Deek would still have been Billy Bigballs :D

At least I can sleep well tonight Was slightly concerned when Ippo went 6 up after 10, especially with rain imminent but 3 unbeaten rides from Cookie plus 2 unbeaten from Smokin Joe plus 5 paid 6 from skipper Deek plus a win for Claus saw us to full points. Track was surprisingly good given the heavy rain today though the shower towards the end made it a bit greasy. The gamble of having 2 high rollers(!!) as guests never paid off for Ippo - a warning for each of Bach and Klindt in their first rides blunted that part of their game, though they did try it again and both took the tapes with them that time. Well done to Chris Gay the ref - that's the way to deal with it. Cookie obviously remembered him from Rye when he fell foul of him 3 times in 1 night. He sat perfectly still this time. Schramm the bam couldn't conjure up a repeat of his Worky form and scored what you would have expected from him i.e. not a lot plus a fall. Credit for clearing the track so quickly. Hawkins was a big disappointment (for Ippo fans - not for me). 3 falls in 5 rides when I expected him to wipe the floor with our reserves. Didn't clear the track when he came off in heat 2 which I thought was a bit naughty but he did clear it from a fall when last in heat 14 so credit to him for that. He seemed to need a bit of treatment after his heat 14 fall so I fully expect him not to be at Edinburgh on Friday :wink: Risager was surprisingly good - 11 points from the number 5 position when he gets so much grief from Ippo fans, He was well slagged off during/after the 5-1 loss in heat 11 to Deek and Cookie but in fairness Cookie's team riding was outstanding - very wide into bends 1 and 3 and very tight to the kerb coming out of bends 2 and 4. He spent as much time looking behind as he did in front and was going to have the measure of anything Risager threw at him. Morten could have tried some more different lines of attack but Cookie would have been there. Which only leaves Heeps who rode very well apart from heat 15 where he was miles behind the field (but still pulled wheelies on the warm down lap which seemed a bit odd given his team had just finished pointless again!). For Monarchs, well........... Cookie yet again untouchable. So fast, so controlled, so smooth, so much drive and straight line speed. Can't remember but maybe he was behind until bend 3 once! And that with a bad knuckle!! Max was a major disappointment. 1 point from 3 is not what we are used to. Not at the races in heat 1, an ok 3rd in heat 5 (though it was Klindt he beat with Klindt in gate 1, so nuff said!!) and overtaken easily by Heeps and Hawkins in heat 8. Maybe he was still suffering from his big shunt last week? Claus got better with each ride - 0, 1, 2, 3 so that was encouraging after his recent form slump. Seemed to struggle on turns 3 & 4 in his first couple whereas he was quick enough round 1 & 2, but an improved performance. Joe was his usual unpredictable self. Demolished the tapes in one, good win in another, slowed to last in the next to lose out to Bach who was off 15m, but then a good win and paid win to finish. Looked smoother than I've seen him!! Theo was also a big disappointment. Was well ahead in his first till he made a big pig's ear of bend 3 lap 1 to drop to 3rd, then way off the pace in his next 2. Then in heat 13 he was well back until lap 4 when he mounted a big charge to catch Bach. He got up to him by bend 3 and went for the big drive round 3 and 4 but careered into the fence at the start of the home straight. He probably didn't need that much speed to have taken Back. His bike was a bit of a mess but hopefully he is in better shape. Liam was unlucky. He was well ahead in heat 2 for a couple of laps until it was stopped - he wasn't going to be caught. But in the rerun and his other 2 rides he was a fair way back though he did let Theo through each time. And then there was Cap'n Deek!! Sensational!! 3 rides on the trot early on and then 3 rides in 4 heats later on, he must have been knackered by the end!! But all worth it for a monster 16+1 from 7 rides. Given that his form has been dire for the past few weeks and that he scored a blank the last time at Ippo, he deserves mega praise. So a very unexpected 4 points and now just need to avoid a mega home defeat from the Ippo select on Friday. Oh and another thing - burger and chips from the 2nd bend stall = superb But size of crowd - very poor though the dodgy weather forecast must have put a lot off. So onwards and upwards Monarchs

Gonna be very muddy tonight.

Really hope Ippo get stuffed tonight :drink:

And now it's Schramm the bampot instead of Bates. I predict carnage!!

Good site that!! Looks like the rain's nearly on a track from me to Ippo. So the fact that it's stopped here now can't be bad. Plenty of puddles around though.

I assume they don't have any track covers?

Hoping to make it LW. Raining in Braintree at the moment though.