4thbender

Didn't he produce Ben Hur?

I'm puzzled as to whether to perceive you as a gifted amateur psycho-analyst or a proficient barrack-room lawyer. Either way, I sense the truest perception has you down as a glove-puppet with the hand of the BSPA up you. So from now on I'll call you Patsy, the Promoters' Performing Puppet, going around like a deranged Mr. Punch, bonking everyone on the head with your policeman's truncheon if they dare to speak a word of dissent. Later on when I’ve got a bit more time I’m planning on having a serious go at the promoters’ unhinged idea that the answer to speedway’s ills is to ration its exposure to the paying public. I may put a few noses out of joint – best be ready with your truncheon!

The one that's slipped in under the radar is last week's "desperation" signing Kasper Andersen. He might turn out to be Sheffield's "find" of the season and well worth a spot at no.6 for 2019. After his 13 at Edinburgh, he's shown he could prove to be the one who gives Sheffield some firepower at reserve on some of the dodgier away tracks. The irony is that he's the diagonal opposite of the one he was brought in to replace. Lasse was dynamite at home but couldn't score away. This lad is may be the one who'll score mightily away but be hopeless around Owlerton…. but he's still learning and who knows what he might grow into?

Or Boris?

Anyone taking bets against a Monarchs 4-point win on Thursday?

Didn't stop him from scoring 13 on his first visit to Edinburgh on Friday.

Good point... but the same trio scored 24 points between them at Armadale 24 hours later. And the two longer-established ones each have highest scores of 11 points, recorded as recently as July. It's not that they can't score points... it's that they can't score points right now AT OWLERTON! Very odd, don't you think? What's more, the Owlerton malady doesn't only infect Sheffield's own riders. Jason Garrity - who was absolutely unstoppable in winning the British Semi-Final at Sheffield in May, and scored 12 here for Scunny only a fortnight ago - could only muster 3 points on Thursday riding as guest for Charles Wright. I'm not a conspiracy theorist (I never believed the riders not being paid scenario), but the nosedive off the cliff in the team's home performances belies any explanation of random coincidence.

The article in question was published in the matchday programme, which is a Sheffield Speedway publication. Although it comes with the usual disclaimers, it would be hard to dispute the fact that it expresses the bona fide views of the promotion. It is an accepted fact - and a well-tried strategy - that any failing organisation attempts to deflect attention from its failure by blaming the "media." It's called "shooting the messenger" (we see it on here all the time - if in doubt, just ask certain Workington contributors about recent events for further evidence of this in practice.) On this occasion, the writer not only attempted to deflect attention from the team's abysmal performances but did so by insulting the intelligence of the online commentators. Calling us "clowns" and "abusers" and intimating that we don't know what we're talking about. As a commercial provider of sporting entertainment, the promotion's responsibility is to provide competitive sport which entertains. For the past four weeks they have failed on both counts; bad enough to be charged £16 to support a team which fails to compete, but then to be charged a further £3 for a programme which insults fans' intelligence and challenges the integrity of those with the temerity to voice dissent is a double calumny. Like you, I devote a very important aspect of my life to watching competitive sport (and pay dearly in the process). But what we've witnessed in the past four weeks is not competitive sport, it's a total capitulation by the team that claims to be the existing league champion... and it's demeaning and humiliating. When Newcastle arrive at Owlerton with three riders in Aarnio, Kus and Wethers with a combined average of 15.77 who manage to score 36 points between them and Sheffield, meanwhile, put out a team with three riders in Anderson, Broc and Shanes with a combined average of 15.32 who manage the grand total of 6 points, you just know beyond all doubt that there is something the promotion is not telling us. But they call US clowns "with half-baked conspiracy theories" engaged in a "deluge of misinformed rantings". Which part of 36 v 6 is "misinformed"?

The Sheffield promotion has taken the usual disgusting step of blaming the paying patrons for the team's current demise. According to Des Lomas in last Thursday's match programme we are "keyboard clowns" who think we know what's best. He says "Sheffield Speedway is owned by the promotion, in particular the Bates family, they can do what they want, have riding who they want, call the team what they want. They put their time and money into Sheffield Speedway, so why should they take unwarranted abuse from faceless keyboard clowns?" Mr. Lomas, apart from being grossly offensive to die-hard Sheffield fans, needs a lesson in simple business economics. The promotion own Sheffield Speedway and can do what they want? Is that so? Let them try doing it for a few weeks without the fans' hard-earned cash coming through the turnstiles and they - and Mr. Lomas - would very quickly learn where the heart and soul of Sheffield Speedway truly belongs. At least the Drillerman (in the same programme) demonstrates a scintilla of understanding when he writes "It is important to us as fellow Sheffield fans, in addition to promoting the club, to have your support and regular attendance once again." (i.e. Keep paying us your money, even when we do serve up complete dross in return.) I have nothing to do with Facebook or Twitter, but I do regularly contribute to this forum, which I suppose makes me one of Mr. Lomas's "keyboard clowns." Along with OdsalBoy, graz gp, Blackadder, r8gdp, Spin King, Cue Ball, The Third Man, Tigerblade, Moranboys and a few others, I do regularly have a few words to say about the way the season is shaping up. I have to say that I have never seen the "unwarranted abuse" to which Mr. Lomas refers. I see lots of criticism - most of it warranted (but some, admittedly, less so) and a great deal of good-humoured banter, lots of encouragement and the occasional barbed comment. But "unwarranted abuse"? Never! If Mr. Lomas has been allowing his gaze to stray into Twitter and Facebook - those renowned dark corners of debasement and heinous malevolence - then what does he expect to encounter other than moral corruption and venality? But contributors to THIS forum are true aficionados of shale: salt-of-the-earth supporters who live and breath the sliding sport. Des Lomas's reference to "keyboard clowns" is just plain insulting and he should withdraw the comment at once and apologise. There certainly are clowns at Owlerton, but which side of the safety-fence are they on? In the words of Stephen Sondheim: Isn't it bliss? Don't you approve?One who keeps tearing around and one who can't moveBut where are the clowns? Send in the clowns Don't you love farce? My fault, I fearI thought that you'd want what I want, sorry my dearBut where are the clowns? Send in the clownsDon't bother they're here

After an amazing season like 2017 it might be expected that the team might struggle to maintain past glories and some level of disappointing performances might be understandable. But to go from hero to zero in the space of half a season - losing three home matches on the bounce by big margins - suggests there's something rotten at the heart of team morale. A drop-off in form I can understand, but such a spectacular and sudden descent into chaos in virtually every department can't be put down to random coincidence. There DEFINITELY has to be more to it than meets the eye.

They're planning to sign his brother Willie.

Two weeks ago Woods was out and Lawlor was in. Tonight (Thursday) Lawlor is out and Mountain is in. Tomorrow at Edinburgh Mountain is out and Lawlor is back in. I can't keep up with this.

Sheffield's season just gets weirder... The new no. 7 the Tigers have just signed (who hasn't ridden a match for us yet) is replaced for this fixture by the rider HE replaced only two days ago. With all the comings and goings the Owlerton revolving door is in danger of becoming logjammed.

I hate to admit it but Sheffield just seem to be sinking deeper in the mire with each week that passes. On current showing the Diamonds have to be favourites.

Only had 6 fixtures and you're complaining? Sheffield's season finishes next Thursday, then we've done till next April!

All things considered I'd say this week is a certainty for a rain-off. Forecast for Thursday is showers - expect an early announcement on Thursday morning (it's not as if the fixture list is too crowded to accommodate the re-run!)

Who's next out of the revolving door at Owlerton? This to-ing and fro-ing is not doing the promoters' reputation any good. The general perception has always been that Sheffield was one of the fairer clubs - always paying on time and looking after their assets. That reputation must have taken a huge battering with a growing list of riders having been shown the door since May. The rumours of riders being fired in bar-room bust-ups does not auger well for the future team-building policy. If the rumours have any substance, putting together a team for 2019 may cause some unexpected difficulties for a promotion which engages in such disreputable conduct. For the first time in 53 years I can't wait for the season to end so that a veil can be drawn over this most unedifying spectacle. The management should really consider making a statement to fans about what factors have conspired to pull the rug from under last season's league champions. This has been a season of deeply humiliating disappointment for fans and we deserve an explanation.

What's happening? The top three seem incapable of winning a race, let alone winning a match! Prior to the Lakeside and Scunthorpe debacles, the top three had not ridden at Owlerton for a month (due to injuries and the long three-week break in fixtures). I find it inconceivable that this sudden loss of form doesn't have a lot to do with the lack of home fixtures. It's beyond coincidence that the top heat-leaders - who in May and early June were all close to unbeatable at home - should suddenly suffer such a devastating loss of form at home at the end of July. The only common factor that you can put your finger on is the midsummer lay-off. Sports psychologists tell us that winning is a habit - break the momentum and you lose the thread. I can say with confidence that's exactly what's happened at Owlerton.

Absolutely appalling. Our home season finishes on 23 August (it finished on 23 OCTOBER in 2017), whereas Workington's home season only got started on 23 June and they've only had 2 home meetings so far. Perhaps the promoters are thinking that if they just phase it out slowly we'll not notice.

Appeasement... you missed out "a diversity and inclusion supporting, non-voting leftie, socialist APPEASEMENT Guardian reader."

I bet you're a remainer too.

Seems like this forum has been taken over by the establishment appeasers. Soon we radicals will have no-one to moan to.

As things stand at the moment, our home season will finish on 23 August, with two weeks of the kids' summer holidays still to go! (Just for comparison, the 2017 home season finished on 23 OCTOBER!) At the other end of the spectrum, Workington's home Championship programme didn't get underway until 23 June. The lunatics really have taken over the asylum.

Bad decision. On this occasion the speedway was rather better than the footie.

Todd Kurtz is looking like Sheffield's most improved rider of 2018. He's starting to take on that rare quality of looking very hard to beat round Owlerton. I assume he's been taking lessons from Steady because he's started doing that "slingshot" thing out of bend 2 which was a Stead hallmark but which Kyle, Lasse and Charles have all also perfected.