Bryn

17.30 WEATHER UPDATE: ​I am now at the track and the weather is the same here as it was at home. Meeting is ON with juniors on track prior to parade at 7.45pm and first EL race against the Swindon Robins at 8pm.

15.30 WEATHER UPDATE: No change really, no rain, warm & humid with some high cloud and patches of blue sky. Leaving for the track as soon as tonight's incident recorder collects me en route. Next update from the track.

1pm WEATHER CHECK: Here less than three miles from the track (2,9 to be precise!) on the Kent side, where i could see the Dartford Bridge in the gap between the two houses opposite but for the trees at the bottom of their gardens it's currently fine, bright and sunny. Very little mizzle circa 7.30am, stopped by 8am and NO rain since NOR any forecasted by the Met Office. Same goes for Rainham in Essex (3.1 miles from circuit) which is their second closest point to the track and their hour-by-hour forecast for there shows token 5% chance of rain which may increase to 10% later. Looks like all systems go but will update here if anything changes and/or soon after 3pm before we leave for the track circa 3.30pm. There, from time I arrive as well as other tasks I will answer all the "Is the meeting on cos it's chucking it down here were I am in the Shetlands (or wherever!)." calls and when I say "yes it is," please don't say, "are you sure?" as is normal in such circumstances! ONLY JOKING BUT it does happen! Cheers, Bryn. (will do update from track office once we get there if feasible).

5pm and all is well on the weather front, riders are arriving, Gerald R and crew are preparing the track and it's ALL SYSTEMS GO for tonight's clash with Wolverhampton at 8pm preceded by six Hagons Shocksw Academy races.

I'm here VV et al and have been very busy since mid-morning today onwards as was over the IOW yesterday and didn't get back here until circa 2am. Off to the home of the Hammers circa 15.30 but, looking towards the Dartford Crossing it's been dry all day so far albeit a little cloudy, NO rain so far and none expected either. Will do further update circa 4.45pm ONCE we get to the speedway office and get everything sorted there but NO problems expected.

Those who post on this league's threads might do well to remember that the vast majority of riders at this level are not full time professional riders and combine their racing with working for a living, as do their mechanics, or going to school/college and thus getting guest riders for midweek matches can prove difficult. Hope George Hunter's injuries prove to be minor in nature after his horrendous heat 10 crash.

You'd bet wrong regarding the crowd sir/madam and i you had have gone you'd be praising the tremendous work put in by Gerald Richter and Ken Driscoll in particular in keeping the track fit for racing despite two lengthy rain breaks one of circa 15mins and the other of circa 20 mins that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere before the quoted posting of yours. 21 races including six involving the kids from the Academy, the wrong result from the Hammers point of view yes but we got to see track action! I would have responded earlier but, having stupidly forgotten to set my gogglebox to record the Welsh game, I simply had to watch the replays of same until the early hours of this morning and it's taken quite a while, as you'll no doubt appreciate, to trawl through the host on inane and childish comments that largely make up this thread. Those who post those comments denigrate Phil's effort in setting up this site to debate in a reasoned manner, make suggestions and air constructive criticism of the sport I love.

7pm UPDATE: Caught the edge of a shower circa 25mins ago that didn't last long and the sun soon came out aqnd is shining brightly now as I type. Can hear Andy on the PA and it all adds up to the meeting being ON! Come on down as someone used to say on the gogglebox as I'm sure the Welsh win over Belgium with that round ball will be repeated numerous times on your TV in the days ahead! Nigh on 7.30pm, bikes aqre warming up in the pits, meeting is ON and I'm off to watch it!

I'm sure there'll be much more racing here tonight, where incidentally the sun's been shining, it's blue sky and some white fluffy cloud as at 17.45 than there'll be on the gogglebox. Still there's soccer to watch on that, not England I'm afraid as I think they got knocked out, but the Boyos happily bashing Belgium! Shame really as I like Belgium buns

Slightly later than planned - chauffeur has just arrived, I'll update next from track. Let's go racing!

Well here less than two miles (max) from the Dartford Crossing on the Kent side, I had to go out earlier this morning (9amish) and it was light drizzle (mizzle?) that was falling when I left here which had stopped when I came back an hour later and it's been dry ever since. We'll be off to the track in around 45mins time and, traffic permitting, will be at the track circa 3.30. I'll do a further update from there once I've sorted everything else to be done deputising for the club's general manager who is still not able to resume. See some of you later? Can't help but wonder if SS might run his vehicle on free beetroot juice if he could! UPDATE: Forget what I said about being at track circa 3.30pm as it's now 3.15pm and my lift, coming up from the Kent coast, has not arrived yet. That's the bad news, the good news is that it's still dry here and patches of blue sky have appeared.

Thanks to the agreement of both clubs the postponed IOW v Kent League match has been re-scheduled to take place on Tuesday July 26 at 7pm.

Perhaps those having a dig at Dan Greenwood on this thread should read Pete Hill's article in this week's Speedway Star and take note too of Kent's Manager Chris Hunt's remarks. Riders at any level of competition don't travel to meetings expecting not to do well.

My day has unbelievably just got a damn sight worse I'm sad to say. My daughter has just phoned me with the devastating news that Jim Barry, my father-in-law as was during my marriage to ex-wife Brenda, has passed away. Fans of Crayford Speedway, where he toiled away behind the scenes helping Pete Thorogood prepare the track each week and other tasks, plus other clubs will remember him well and be equally saddened by this news I'm sure. My heart goes out to Brenda, John, Michael, Peter, Rita and Graeme and their respective families. R.I.P Jim - you'll be missed by so many not least of all myself.

Thanks Tocha - was en route to track when phonecall came through and am now back home! For those of you who know the Dartford Tunnel approaches, as University Way was choc-a-bloc we decided to go to Princes roundabout entry and torrential rain had begun to fall as we approached Temple Hill turning and it look widespread. As luck would have it, we were just approaching junction 1A when we got the call. Had some phone calls to make first so thanks for updating this thread. Flaming June!

3pm WEATHER UPDATE: Having puter problems here BUT no weather problems so far and news from the track is that they have had no rain and are going for it! I expect to be at track circa 4 to 4.30pm and will update from there next UNLESS things change before my lift arrives.

WHOOPS SORRY PARDON! MUST remember to put my reading glasses on next time! Quickly looking for Davey's average without them I must have focussed straight away on Poole averages rather than Leicester's! As you say tocha, Davey's current average is 5.40.

Suggest you look up the latest EL averages on the BSPA site and bear in mind the 40 point limit as potential replacement has higher average than the one he would be replacing.

11.45pm WEATHER UPDATE: Pleased to report again that there's been no rain this morning since I got out of my pit at 7.30am. Haven't seen the sun as high cloud cover BUT have had patches of blue sky appearing. Looked at Met Office rainfall radar and not hint of rain short term though hourly forecast suggesting there could be showers developing but, as I've said, NO sign of any at the moment. Will update further circa 2.15pm or before if any change occurs.

10am WEATHER CHECK: I'm based here just over a mile away from Dartford Crossing which I can see i.e. the Bridge from my window. Since rising from my pit at 7.30am its been cloudy but there's been no rain. Will update in 90mins or so.

Two excellent explanations re Blunsdon track drainage that, hopefully "The Voice of Reason" will comprehend. Was looking forward to being there tonight but guy who was kindly going to give me a lift there and back has phoned to say that his wife can't get off work in time for us to expect to get there from Kent given rush hour traffic. Guess I'll have to settle for having to watch Wales beating England instead!

I don't know, an away point and keeping the pen he 'borrowed' off of me!

Updated Met Office hour-by-hour forecast for today suggests no rain until at least 8pm when there's possibly a chance of a shower so let's go racing and look forward to the Wight Warriors league match versus Mildenhall. See you there?

Here's an update, via home team manager Neil Vatcher on injured Wight Warrior Mark Baseby, ruled out of action on medical grounds after a horrendous back straight crash on the first lap involving him and Danny Ayres in the second attempt to run heat 3 of last night's cup clash. That news is that, believe it or not, he's gone to work! He has got a sore coccyx though (NO jokes please about a cushion being handy for him to sit on!) and a measure of whiplash. He's a tough Warrior for sure!

4.30pm and I'm at the track, which looks great thanks to the efforts of Gerald, Ken and crew, so meeting is most certainly ON! No watching those soaps, get yourselves here to support AJ and the Hammers as they take on Fast Freddie and his Wolfpack and remember it's a 7.30pm start.