Wee Eck

Being positive - you positively can’t get Richie as he’s signed for Plymouth

I’m not sure it’s just “pond life”. How do you turn the fact one of the top riders wouldn’t be riding after all, actually wouldn’t be allowed to ride, into a positive? Cook was advertised in the line up but where and when (other than at the track) was it announced that he wouldn’t be riding? Surely it’s reasonable for supporters to feel cheated, “pond life” or otherwise?

Kractart? I love it! Say it loud and say it proud: KRACTART

Congratulations to Poole on their comprehensive win. Perhaps unusually, they’ve stayed loyal to their 1-7 all season and it’s shown through in the way the team has performed. It sounded like they were riding with something to spare tonight which will help them next week when the opposition is likely to be much tougher

Ah. That old myth. Don’t let the truth get in the way of a fevered defence of the indefensible. Hancock first rode for Poole on 5 August 2013 and completed 4 home and 3 away meetings before the play offs. Hardly being signed “just for the play offs”

Nilsson wasn’t a pick. He qualified by right through the GP challenge.

No t/s allowed

I’m not sure any rider takes serioudiy being booed when being. They know that almost invariably, it’s a bit of fun and neither the rider nor the spectators are upset by it. If the riders are, they’re in the wrong job. There is a big gulf between genuine banter and abuse - being booed on the parade is not abuse.

I think the importance of a good manager is often overlooked. The best three over recent years have probably been Pete Adams, Rob Lyon and Middlo and they seem to share the ability to motivate without histrionics. Doc Bridgett was the same. Glasgow perhaps need to look at this to see whether a change would help them. They’ve been involved in three questionable call offs this year - all justified by them but not universally accepted - plus the debacle a few years back at Eastbourne. Would any of the four mentioned above have got themselves into such a lather? The Tigers’ actions last weekend seem to have come back and bit them hard tonight, so maybe they need to learn to calm down a bit? I wonder if some of Glasgow’s riders were embarrassed by what happened so were maybe not on their A game? Poole on the other hand were more than ready for revenge after Sunday and to exploit any weaknesses and boy, did they find them. With Brennan and Basso both riding in Poland on Friday night before racing back to Scotland on Saturday, the tie looks beyond Glasgow now. Of well, they’ve still got the Jubilee Cup finals

Basso flies in and out so maybe too expensive to use as a guest? Anyway, he’s riding in Toruń on Friday so maybe not willing to risk that for a guest booking (I know Tom’s in the same meeting but he’s riding as a team member of BV at Ipswich rather than as a guest). Unless there are big rule changes across Europe next year, I doubt Basso will be able/willing to ride CL next year so he’s unlikely to be dictated to by Glasgow (might not stop them trying though!)

Yeh. Craig Cook looked really rusty last Sunday. Only managed third overall and beat Steve Worrall, Richard Lawson and Danny King (twice) in the process. I reckon he’s the danger man against Poole - he’s missed so many meeting this year through injury (and being dropped by Sheffield) that he’ll be looking to make as much money as possible.

Monarchs have come into form at the right time with their less experienced riders now having had a full season. On the other hand, Leicester seem to have peaked and are on the way down, so I expect a comfortable win tonight, maybe 52-38 with a score in the 40s tomorrow to see them through to the final.

No. They fulfil board of directors duties. Big difference between being a committee member and a director

There is no such thing as the management committee - it was abolished a few years ago. Danny King said that as long as he was a promoter and a rider, then he wouldn’t have the time.

BV have never closed - the Windmill Theatre of British speedway

I think that’s only in a PL league match. Golden Heats are detailed in SR 11.1.29, each team manager nominates riders for 3 additional heats and the first team to score a heat advantage wins. Scoring is usual 3-2-1-0

But would Adam have bikes with him?

I know there’s a lot of sniping between some Plymouth and some Poole fans so I’m trying to remain neutral but do the Plymouth fans feel let down by the “late withdrawal” of Hans Andersen? I can’t help feeling that it can’t have been that late or there wouldn’t have been time to bring in Adam Roynon. So was information about the change held back so as not to impact the crowd?

Did Chuganov not get it at Wrocław? He’s not a national champion

From what people say about the weather there, I thought it was closer to the Baltic….even King Jamie, the soothsayer of the Monarchs, a man of infinite charm and wisdom predicted 30 tonight. Fahrenheit!

I should have said that…..IF they get by Plymouth. But, I have a sneaky suspicion they might, especially as, like Arnie, Middlo will be back.

From a business perspective, Leicester vs Glasgow in the final is the dream line up. The self styled chosen one versus the money boys who chased him off the premises (not actually true, but makes a good story). To make that happen, Leicester need to pick Poole in the semi. All a bit of a gamble though if Glasgow don’t make the finals or if Poole beat Leicester on aggregate. There’s still many a twist to come in this league……

BSPA is the association of speedway promoters with BSPL the umbrella organisation. BSPL has four (or five?) directors. I know that Messrs Godfrey, Bates, Louis and Ford (Dan) are directors. I don’t know who else is if anyone. SCB is a sub-committee of the ACU, the governing body for motorcycle sport throughout the British Isles excluding Northern Ireland. It has two members from ACU - Tony Steele and Paul Hurry - and two from BSPA - Rob Godfrey and Chris Van Straaten. It also has an independent non voting chairman, currently Jim Lawrence. An easy way to look at the different roles is that SCB is responsible for the rules of the sport whereas BSPL/BSPA are responsible for the business of speedway.

It’s just my opinion and not really “over the top”. But, are you saying that I am wrong about Eddie Kennett never going to do more than the very first few meetings?

Putting aside bias, why would you want a team that built a decent 1-7 from riders who wanted to ride for them, and who have not made any changes, even when tempted, to be beaten by a team put together in the knowledge that their number one rider wasn’t going to last the first month, let alone the season, and who have chosen to ride out the league campaign using other teams’ top riders rather than finding a replacement? Yes, they’ve been hugely unlucky with injuries, but that problem has been exaggerated by the tactic of trying to go all year using guests. Oxford managed to get Summers, Birmingham Sedgmen - either could have done a job for Plymouth allowing the promotion to strengthen up further down the order. Their hope for success was having 7 specialists round the tricky track at the Coliseum who could then dominate home meetings so that away legs became unimportant. It’s my view that relying on guests has lost them much of that advantage.