MD

First major challenge on the road and ........ At least we seemed competitive until the last third. Its all very well thumping teams at home on a ploughed furrow but the measure of genuine title contenders is how they perform away from home. Both matches have seen the home side afford their second strings ht15 outings which is telling. Hard matches for Glasgow where we were least likely to get any points but a reality check that they need to do more than just turn up to be competitive.

That's my point

Track was slick according to Stewart Dickson on the Glasgow website.

Not if Etheridge decides he has had enough and moves on of his own accord. He is highly unlikely to get a move to reserve and being in the main body must be soul destroying.

Add in that Etheridge will likely have departed by then and it could be that bit harder.

Track slick by any chance?

A good night for Berge but a pretty poor one for GLA. Only those there will know if Sheffield were that good or Glasgow helped them look good but if your 1 & 5 arent at the races its nigh on impossible to get a result.

Summers criticising it wouldnt suggest that. Im not interested in the mechanics of how it happens but having it the same each week would be good, like it was against Peterborough, plenty of passing from the back. Prior to signing for us had never shown any pedigree for Ashfield other than 1 meeting with EDI which was a good few years ago which I based my opinion on. Im happy to have been proved wrong.

Interesting that Summers made reference to the "track being a bit iffy" at the start in his after match comments. Once again it was excruciatingly deep on the corners for no explicable reason. It was a reasonable week weather wise and not fearing anyone we dont need to adopt a mentality of preparing the track the opposite from what the visiting team are used to. Whilst the opposition were rotten, most couldnt turn the bike properly in their opening rides and a re-grade was requested after a couple of heats. Ht2 was dreadful to watch as Holub had to drive the bike round the corners. The previous week against PB the track had half the amount of dirt but had some decent racing despite the scoreline and thats what i pay to see. Continually preparing the track the way it was on Sunday makes it a poor viewing spectacle when we are trying to grow crowds and wont help us when he head down south to slicker tracks and find our riders particularly the lower order arent getting points because they arent used to it.

Sedgmen or Nick Morris would.

Scunthorpe are woefully understrength at 34 points and thats not the riders fault. Matches like this skew riders averages particularly the middle and lower order guys who wouldnt normally hit these scores.

One of the MC was presiding over it today.

That was as pi55 as poor gets, not helped by an overly deep track that Scunny couldnt turn their bikes on in the opening heats. With their entire team averaging 34 points it was never going to be close but this was dreadful and only memorable for Carl Wilkinson packing up on a TR for the second year in a row.

Scunthorpe are rarely decent visitors to Ashfield and dont see anything other than a resounding home win. Hopefully Carl Wilkinson turns up with a second bike having last year left the venue after his second ride when his engine blew on a TR.

Looks like ht2 cost Glasgow gifting Clegg and Blakelock their only points of the meeting. Humped would be 30 points not 3. That's the way it goes. Onwards to Scunny at the Stade D'Ashfield Peugeot on Sunday.

A win for Garcia in ht2 and Clegg is under more pressure when he's already got to take a ride for Etheridge and Blakelock.

Bager's last appearance in the UK was for Glasgow in the 2013 season. He was pretty poor as well and despite then having years of experience frustratingly stuck to the inside line like even when the dirt had long since moved out. Perhaps on better equipment he could be better though i think the PL is a bit stronger than last time he was here even for a middle order rider.

How about just standing somewhere else, fourth bend is decent viewing and not always packed out. Second bend between pits gate and phone mast is also good. If in any doubt where to stand ask one of the locals in red and white.

At the next set of averages several teams will likely be looking for changes but try the likes of Justin Sedgmen, Nick Morris, Ty Proctor etc. Judging from Sunday, having Lambert on an average around 4.5 at reserve is a waste when you could get the same return from a 3 pointer. Simon Neilsen on a similar average turned up with Redcar the previous week and rattled up a decent score.

In all likelihood people down south with the exception of London and surrounding counties are likely to have less expendable cash than those up here in equivalent jobs IMO. In that scenario wages aren't that much higher but house prices most certainly are, whether buying or renting.

Thats a fair point but after a year of the new set up the novelty hasnt worn off, its exciting heading to the track regardless of the visitors. Perhaps differently from the previous PB owner, Glasgow own their track and are making the stadium the business, of which speedway uses it one day a week. Im sure great efforts will be made to break even this season as long as the weather improves and we dont see too many visiting performances that we did on Sunday. Glasgow fans have suffered more than most and recognise the good times dont last forever however right now we'll take it.

The football season lasts longer though. From what i can see a top tier team will have 19 home league games not including cup and the occasional before Christmas European game(s). Thats not far off a home speedway season of 12 home league meetings, 2 league cup, a KO Cup meeting then any qualifying rounds from these. Our home fixture list is usually bare around the Cardiff GP date as we also do away meetings down south. I take the point that it is a lot for 4 home meetings in a month but balances itself out across the season.

Thats a fair point about putting off newcomers though crowds have generally been good so far. People will happily pay more than that each week to watch Scottish football which I wouldnt cross the road for with a free ticket. Speedway is appropriately priced according to the other alternative sports in Glasgow of ice hockey and basketball. If Braehead Clan can regularly achieve sell outs of around 3500 spectators it shows the money and the fans are out there. For my son and I to attend a hockey match would be over £30 but £23.50 at the speedway.

Two years ago the same would have cost £19.50 in a ramshackle stadium with a portakabin for the public toilets. Whilst it is expensive I know what id rather have for £3 more.

Danny is actually going fine but is getting needlessly frustrated at times. Bearing in mind his short time in speedway as long as he achieves his average each meeting which he did today we cant ask for more at this stage. He hasnt yet seen most of the PL tracks and needs to gain experience before he improves. Just look at how Garcia has improved after having served a full year in the PL.