torpointfanatic22

No surprise to see Alfie and Joe back. Be interesting to see if the plan is to start with Alfie at reserve. If I've read it right, with reductions they come in on 5.07 & 5.63 respectively. Assuming Barker will be named in due course (believe he'd be 5.87). I make that 16.57, leaving a healthy 23.43 and would be a solid, if not spectacular engine room. Will be interesting if that is the 3-4-5 as you suggest. Barker can't be anything higher than the 3rd heat leader if Plymouth are to be more competitive this season. Not convinced by Covatti on his starting average but let's wait and see.

My bad, I thought they used rolling averages. Wouldn't touch them with a barge pole then. Harris was obviously wishful thinking!

Great to see Plymouth back to the tapes in 2025, hilarious that the BSPA actually think supporters believe the KO cup draw is actually drawn. Poole again classic! With a 40 point limit, knowing Dan is moving on and that Alfie and Ben are likely to be back, a possible team that would be useful... Harris - 9.07 (with reduction) Bowtell - 5.07 (with reduction) Barker - 5.87 (with reduction) Joe - 5.63 (with reduction) Covatti - 6.67 Hagon - 4.73 (with reduction) Baek - 2.62 Total - 39.66

That’s so last year! You’re supposed to dig us out for Covatti now. Come on get with the memo

Result aside, I think this season has shown that Barker is no longer up to it at this level, maybe as a reserve, but heat leader or even 2nd string he isn't. I've watched about half a dozen Plymouth matches this season (albeit from afar) and he looks a totally rider to that of a couple years ago. Both his equipment and himself showing serious signs of wear and tear. I hope if we're back at the tapes next season that the promotion go in a different direction, despite the family connection. The Thompson's and Hook again proving to be the shining lights in an otherwise underwhelming 2024 team.

Not all Plymouth fans, just those invested in the club normally. It's very disappointing that it was a few years ago a lot of the better riders in this league talked up the Plymouth track and how they found it a lot of fun to ride. Back then though there were different people prepping the track. The track itself sits on some kind of marsh land which makes it very difficult to maintain and find consistency with the weather being unpredictable at the best of times in the west country. That being said it's good that the promotion have tried to make positive changes to the track to make it better to ride, unfortunately the prep is often not great. It's either slick as hell and follow the leader or far too wet, occasionally it produces some great racing though and Pickering was a great example of what can be done around there. Unfortunately constructive feedback isn't well received by the promotion. That being said, delighted with the result!!

Keeping everything crossed we can sign him for the remainder of the season with a clause that he must pick up a sick note after his first meeting that lasts until October.

Makes sense, a shame the Plymouth fans still haven’t seen our number one around our own track. The biggest shocker is Batch taking the guest appearance, he despises the Plymouth track and is very open about that. We must be paying him a fair few quid!!

Yet another knee-jerk post. Easy to call someone out when they get something wrong. Only the vast majority of this forum would concur on how the club is perceived to have been run and some of the decisions made. One decision that is turning out to be a good one so far though is the Thompson twins and Dan especially could be the signing of the season. Let me be clear, to win at Edinburgh is an incredible effort from the boys and judging from what I watched on the stream we found our gating gloves in the first half of the meeting having been consistently out trapped on Tuesday and it made a huge difference. I still find it hilarious that you seem to think fans can only say positive things about their club, we're not all invested like you Lewy so we're allowed to be honest. As far as the result goes though I'm delighted to be wrong, and I hope we can do something similar at Berwick tonight!

Monarchs by 20 for me.

Thought Rory's analysis was first class.

Over-exaggeration of the century. There is a rut and that's about it. I"m a Plymouth fan but I'll call it as it is, the track at Plymouth hasn't produced consistent great racing for a couple of seasons now but at least they're trying to make it better with a lot of restrictions. Cookie and Bach have always hated the place so always moan about it. Now question Cook wanted the track slicker to aid his team. I don't blame him, got to do what you can to win at the end of the day.

Masters for me is the top rider in the league, Nicholls is a good heat leader, but he's not the 2nd best rider in the league IMO. I agree they do have the strongest top 2 but I don't think they have the best 2 riders in the league. Going back to the meeting though, I expect the Oxford meeting to probably be a blueprint into how Plymouth matches will go (if we're lucky). I don't see us taking points off the top riders very often but hopefully we can be stronger in the likes of heat 8, 12 and 14.

As a starter I was delighted with how the Thompsons went, Dan looks a different beast these days, hopefully they can keep this going, also Alfie looking much more at home on an away track. The match should have been 45-45, if only the ref could actually watch a replay correctly. That being said I was shocked how many people thought Oxford would be up there in the playoffs based on their starting 7. The top rider in the league with a good heat leader, a second string and four reserves. Yet Plymouth were unanimously wooden spoon winners, baffling. Great effort though from the Plymouth lads, just a shame Newman and Barker couldn't get themselves going or we'd probably have won with a bit in hand.

So the Chairman of the sports governing body is allowing this to happen on his own front door step, what does that tell you about his values and care for the sport in this country. Godfrey is a disgrace.

Completely agree but it should be nowhere near a speedway track.

If we get 30, we've had a good night (or Poole a bad one). I fancy this will be a bit processional for those going to watch. Hopefully the Pirates miss a few gates so the fans get to see some decent racing.

What a weird observation. Not sure I'd judge a club by the age of a machine being used to do the track. I think you're looking at it the wrong way. I don't think it's so much about Plymouth being a 3rd tier club, more a case of the likes of Glasgow and Poole being top tier clubs. The reality is you're always going to get 'minnows' in every league, clubs that punch above their weight and on the flip side clubs that are fallen giants, that a bigger fishes in smaller ponds. I fully accept Plymouth in the past has been poorly run and I'm not a massive fan of the current promotion, but the facilities today are chalk and cheese from what they were in the past.

Classic! In a day when the sport is on its arse, supporters are walking away year on year and tracks struggle to survive, the authorities would rather hang Plymouth and their fans out to dry rather than work together to provide a solution. If Saturday goes ahead it will likely be a mauling and all that does is see more supporters walk away. It will be the same in each meeting. I don’t know when Covatti may be fit but based on what I’ve seen and am aware of, this is a problem that Plymouth didnt cause and have tried every avenue they can to resolve (without financially crippling themselves) and yet the authorities are sticking two fingers up rather than offering support. Classic reaction from a body who has their own interests at the heart of what they do. It’s not the authorities fault either, I’m acutely aware of that but the lack of flexibility is piss poor

I think much will depend on Covatti and his return from injury, the management are clearly keen to stick by him when he is fit so if he could get fit by the start of May it’s a case of seeing if someone could agree a one month deal. I think the shout of moving things to a Tuesday through April would make sense if it meant a rider like Riss would sign on for that month. From the clubs perspective, giving away meetings by having a poor guest at number 1 wouldn’t be good for business. On that note would we get a guest facility? 8 possible meetings until the end of April would surely be attractive to someone!!

So back to the topic at hand, with Plymouth set to host their first meeting at home to Poole in 3 and a half weeks. Will we have a new number one announced (temporary or permanent) and will the new look track be ready to go to give the Plymouth lads a chance to actually ride it before Poole do!? I see on the Plymouth forum someone suggesting the track won't be ready until May, not sure if that's true or speculation but maybe that would allow Covatti to be fit in time to prevent Plymouth needing a replacement? All very quiet at the moment, which isn't necessarily a good thing!

I wouldn't want him on a 4 let alone 8. If Riss can make it work he has to be the one.

Or it shows just how hard people are working in and around the stadium to improve the track and ultimately the racing. Of course I’m biased being a Plymouth fan but I actually think the pictures give a real truth behind what happens in off seasons and I’d like to think most fans will empathise with the challenges faced to help a club improve their product.

Completely agree but the minute bigger clubs like Poole or Glasgow that have the means to pay riders more along with various packages (signing on fees, engines etc) it opens the door for others to start to demand silly money that clubs with lower budgets simply cannot afford. Thus you get a division within a division and it makes it all the more remarkable when smaller clubs win trophies, it's the same in almost all sports in this country sadly. Some kind of thinking around a salary cap or fixed structure of pay would protect clubs and level the playing field. It would put the power very much back in the clubs hands because I'm sorry to say that riders demands increasing constantly (among other things) is what is financially crippling for the sport.

Really shocked and saddened actually that Dan Gilkes hasn't got a place in the championship.