topsoil

I'm hoping for a similar Peterborough performance to last night but I can't see it. Totally different tracks. I can see Shielfield specialist Simon Lambert taking 7 rides tonight. A crucial match-up could be him against Jye Etheridge, who will also probably get 6 or 7 rides. Nick Morris v Steve Worrall will also be another key to the outcome. Shame Bomber isn't riding I would have liked to see him around the banking. Nick Morris and David Howe will both get 6 rides, to cover for NBJ. Hopefully Captain Kev will have sorted out the machinery troubles. Tested stuff out after the Stars of Tomorrow and scored well at the 4TT so here's hoping. Will need to be firing on all cylinders to beat a Peterborough team who always go well here. All through their team they have riders who do well at Shielfield. Heavy fine rain at the moment but forecast to clear up this afternoon and tonight.

The SGB website gives the line ups on the morning of the meeting.

I see, cheers

At the risk of sounding ignorant, what is the difference between a "bought" event and a "shared" event? I thought all BSPA events would be shared? Which ones would be "bought?

Genuine question from a fan who doesn't know. What does the likes of Peterborough or any staging track get from meetings like this? Obviously parking and tea / bar / food takings, the entrance money will go to the BSPA, who will meet the expenses. Does a staging track receive a fee for holding the event? Does the staging track have to tender for the event and pay a fee to the BSPA?

Sometimes, when you ignore the politics, concentrate on what speedway is, four riders over four laps at high speed, you remember what a bloody good sport we have here.

What was the chant?

I actually like Roy Clarke, he is a presenter at Berwick every week. He knows his stuff, keeps the crowd informed between races, does good interviews with the riders and he's done some things this season that I've not seen done before, like interview some of the visiting fans between races. He doesn't try and wind people up, but is still good to listen to IMO. Glad to have him at Berwick.

That's been my thoughts for a long time. Clubs over here need to concentrate on producing their own local talent, rather than expensive imports. Look at rugby league, how many times have you seen a player tempted over to rugby union by a big pay cheque? It doesn't seem to affect rugby league clubs, they have an impressive conveyor belt of young local talent just waiting to come through. Hopefully one day speedway will cotton on and be in a similar position.

Think there will always be a place for speedway, if it's at a part time or amateur level. Whether there is a future for professional riders in this country, that's a different matter. For that to happen either costs have to be cut (machinery-wise) or extra income has to be found, either by crowds or sponsorship. Exactly. The crowd was never going to be like it is for a league match. It doesn't need to be, costs are much less as well. The meeting was sponsored, each heat was sponsored and most riders were sponsored, which was an impressive effort.

About 250-300 at a guess. Definitely the smallest crowd I've seen there for a long time. Lot of factors, some aren't interested in "junior" racing, some going to the 4TT today, holidays, showers yesterday tea time.

Bit of a slow burner, the showers just before the start left the track heavy and riders struggled in the first couple of races, but the meeting got better as it went on. Few good races, heat 11 with Greaves, Mountain and Ruddick and heat 10 Rutherford and Thomsen passing and re-passing. The semi and final went up a notch. Greaves was a deserving winner, showed a lot of aggression all night. Tobias Thomsen was as committed as last year, a sort of poor man's Ben Barker. John Bernard got better as the night went on. Has a really nice style, I reckon a few more outings and he would make a decent 6 or 7 in the Premier League. Hope this meeting continues to have a place in the calendar each year.

You're right, Ruddick, Clegg, Perks, Bowtell, Mountain, Lawlor, Dugard have all had their day. Would liked to have seen how Kyle Bickley has progressed, but red tape has ruled that out. Tobias Thomsen was certainly "committed" last year, no idea the age or standard of the French or other Danish riders.

Can we use r/r for the fours? Surely there isn't much more that can go wrong this season for injuries?

Dan Bewley or, based on his performance last year, Tobias Thomsen, would be my favourites to win, perhaps Fernando Garcia. Plenty of talking points though. What standard will the French riders be? First time around Berwick for the other Danes? Ellis Perks certainly was impressive for Redcar this season. Kyle Bickley has a great future ahead of him. Enjoyed last year's meeting, the standard was way above the ones I used to remember from years ago and the line up this year looks even better.

Heard the same rumour last night, that both riders had arranged to ride in Poland after hearing Berwick had originally been left out of the meeting. NBJ definitely out now with injury.

Another eventful meeting. Sheffield building a lead, the Berwick curse strking NBJ in heat 4, obviously trying too hard in his first race, that looked a bad one, especially when he never moved for a while. Then the comeback. Cracking bit of team riding between Doolan and Etheridge to keep the much faster Howarth out. Berwick got a point ahead at the interval. Then heats 11 and 12 where Sheffield twice gained an advantage from 3-3 positions. Heat 14 I thought Jye just ran out of steam, certainly cannot fault his effort, he has been a great signing along with David Howe who also rode well tonight. Sheffield look very solid throughout, while Berwick just carried too many tonight. NBJ will hopefully score a lot more, he had to be affected by his first ride fall. Even though the track was a bit one lined, there was still some cracking races, passing in more than half the races. At least the juniors won.

Saturday and the sun is shining. At the start of the season I had Sheffield down to win the league, I thought they were stronger in every department and I still think that is the case. Their first visit to Shielfield this season, but Grajczonek and Kurtz have already guested for Berwick. Three strong heat leaders and very decent second strings. I also thought they were strong at reserve (especially round Berwick, where Rob Branford flies), but injury put paid to that. Looking forward to seeing Busk Jakobsen in Berwick colours, he normally goes well around here. Berwick have shown plenty of fight in the meetings against Ipswich and Glasgow, so if that continues we should be in for a good meeting. Hopefully the weather will get a few along and there is always a decent following from Sheffield. I know the promotion have been working hard to bring the kids in during the school holidays.

I often wonder if there was any communication between the committee before decisions were made. Five riders in a race was an obvious non-starter, riders in the World Cup hated it years ago. Now bikes are faster and more temperamental, what gave the committee the idea that anything was going to have changed? Then to exclude two teams, surely somebody would have realised this was a PR disaster after originally inviting all ten teams. The best thing that can be said is common sense has prevailed. Hopefully better weather than the Pairs, or at least the track is covered properly if it rains beforehand.

Five rider races was never going to work, it was very unpopular with the riders in the World Cup, so why did they think it would have changed since then? Five rider race are only possible on huge, wide tracks, none of them in Britain. An easy solution is 5 team, 4 rider, 10 heat semi-finals and final, each team takes a turn to sit out, each rides in 8 races and sits out 2. That way all 10 teams, as advertised, get to compete. The BSPA have made a fool of themselves (shock) by announcing one thing then a few days later changing their minds and excluding teams. But then again..... Hot on the heels of the Pairs being cancelled, when covers weren't used properly. Fair enough to say right from the start only 8 teams will compete, but to change the rules so close to the day?

Easy formula, 5 team, 10 race semi-finals, 4 riders in a race, each team races in 8 and sits out 2. Same formula for the final. Overall 30 heats in the day instead of 28 as it was. To announce all 10 teams are in it, then change their minds within a week takes some believing. But let's face it... Hot on the heels of the bad press after the fours were cancelled. Feel sorry for the fans who have booked holidays and arranged travel and hotels. Positive thinking, that's the spirit.

I agree that some form of meeting should be held at Somerset the night before the GP. As to which meeting, that is open to discussion.

After speaking to a championship promoter at the fanzone on Saturday, big likelihood of it being at Belle Vue. Makes sense in every way, great track, national stadium, within driving distance for almost every club competing.

Nobody else listens

Very feasible Yip