old bob at herne bay

Sounds like a bit of reach “fixing” going on there Steve re Boughen. Does he know Lawson ? wonder if there is any intent from Ford’s to move Pool into the “top tier” to maybe keep their team together. Other than reckless and hagon they surely have a ready built. “top tier” side. ? The main problem as regs stand would seem to be race night . The finances would be interesting. Would they attract any more fans to watch “ top tier” sport? Their riders would need to find new double down clubs to ride for in the CL and would demand higher wages. Admission charges would increase and may affect crowds. personally think Ford’s have more business sense…. So Pool will win the treble next season ….. don’t see much opposition tbh. Merry Christmas everybody.

This from BSN's Preview on their website >>>> "POOLE boss Neil Middleditch believes it’s “dangerous” to take anything for granted ahead of their Cab Direct Championship KO Cup decider. The Pirates lead by a whopping 24 points after their 57-33 win at Oxford in the first leg and it would take something outrageous to stop them completing the clean sweep of trophies at Wimborne Road tonight, live on BSN. It would be the first treble since Workington’s success of 2018 but Middlo refuses to get carried away..." What a silly old S*D you are Mr. Muddledutch !

A gale of gusts for Oxford, must be some sort of record 5 gusts and 2 Oxford riders ? If it were Kings Lynn , think a postponement would be demanded by Buster as unable to field a competitive side. Will they present Pool the KO Cup trophy before the meeting, or at the end in the cold early winter air? Young lad Fooord should be presented with the cup for his outstanding contribution to Pool's victory in both the p.off and kockup finals. ko'd both Oxford reserves , and an tremendous score last week against the 2 gust reserve replacements. Sadly injuries have wrecked the p.off final and kockup entertainment value this season. A fixture for the home fans to savour and guess attendance will be just Pool supporters.

"although, as I’ve said before, hopefully he’s turned a corner now." Lets hope so - speedway is full of corners .

You know when a sport is dying when you can charge what you like to attend and the crowds more or less remain ever dwindling. If they halved the price doubt it would make much difference to attandances. Most of the posters on here for example would pay £50 a ticket to see there league team race. Always 15 heats 4 riders 4 laps per race clutch start in an anticlockwise direction. Tractor racing every 4 heats. oh yawn and so it trundles along until the p.offs when all of a sudden lots of people turn up and get excited. 2 meetings in a season. The "product" is stale, little or no innovation. Individual SGP events charge a fortune but people pay and they attract a huge crowd. ENTERTAINMENT. Even cricket with its T20 games has a family atmosphere with kids getting 4 and 6 cards to wave during the game, and firworks dotted around the grounds gaoing off at regular intervals. Traditionals cringe .... but this has saved cricket from the dustbin.

Oxford Cheetah's season started to go awry with the loss of Jordan Jenkins. They did well to maintain their campaign and qualify for the p.offs, due in part to Boughen's great run of form. Come p.offs and the ko'ing of Killeen by reckless fred , loss of form from Boughen(who I read carrying an injury) and the loss of J Scott - no surprises losing to a strong poolside. The kocup and Nicholls crashes out in his first race. How much luck can one team have? Now the second leg, and I would turn up at pool with a few of the Chargers in the Cheetahs team. Gusts seem to be a waste of space Well done Pool, strongest side in the cl this season, with no injuries to key riders. They can lap up their success this season - makes up for last season's disappointment.

Don't know what other sports you are comparing with professional speedway ....... £25 for 120 minutes of standing around in the cold in a usually decrepit dirty "stadium" , for 15 minutes of actual action interspersed with tractor racing,and interminable delays due to any number of excuses ... I cannot think of another sport that compares. (and don't for Christ's sake say Premiership football) I am an OAP and the ever increasing costs didn't put me off attending (when I did have a local track) but in my last season of attending I didn't have either the patience or stamina to stand around waiting for paint to dry before the next heat, trying to listen to garbled pit interviews to fill in time. Yes, they might as well abandon the OAP discount.... there are ever fewer of us able to attend as the years slowly catch up on us. Squeeze the pips out of us berfore it's too late. Seems "The Undertaker" Sir K Charmer has the same idea.

So Oxford travel to Pool next Wednesday ( weather permitting) with more gusts than their own riders. Congratulations to Pool…..they have defeated an Oxford select four times.

Assume the meeting is going ahead this evening? After a tropical day, 21c ….Tremendous storm here yesterday evening thunder lightning and torrential rain. Team line ups ?

There is precedent for Oxford to be entitled to delay tomorrows meeting to allow them the second leg and thus present the KO Cup to the Cheetahs in front of the home supporters.

Well it’s Wednesday .. the sun is shining in Herne Bay and it’s unseasonably warm. Pool is obviously wet. Surprised that a delay of one week has been allowed by the SCB? Pool must think next Wednesday will be dry .. always a gamble in early winter. Seems Middlo and his mates can only get to Wimborne Road on Wednesdays! Do they ever race on any other day but Wednesday ?

Yup 100% . Surprised it hasn't already happened tbh. Referees will also be keeping an eye on his every "move" and he'll find his exclusion light on in every " incident" whether or not he was to blame.

Well whatever day it was - it was on the telly. Foord needs to learn some machine control before he hurts himself.

Ooopss 🫢 Yes it’s only Tuesday today !

Well it’s a lovely mild sunny day here in Herne Bay today so hopefully all set fair for tonight’s 1st leg KO cup. 😎

Think they were well and truly shafted by the previous “promoter” of speedway at Arlington. Once bitten twice shy.

Cannot see how “Eastbourne” can run at Iwade in the NDL when previously the SCB closed down Kent’s NDL team last season under threat of legal action ?? if they are allowed , then surely Kent can run in the NDL again ?

Might be so Steve Lyric2 - but with clubs finishing their official fixtures some time in September.... they aren't going to have to accept a gust booking whether or not they "are in contract"..... whatever that means in the murky world of speedway.

Most of the junior riders have either sold/ packed away their equipment for 2024, and taken up thier winter jobs. Doubt a ride at Wimborne Road to be knocked off by Foord is a very attractive early winter fixture ?

Not a great weather forecast for Poole on Wednesday. Always a risk with these early winter meetings. As for the result , think Winnie Fooord won it last week by taking out 2 Oxford riders. Seems he has literally KO'd Killeen out of the KO Cup. 😞 So a hollow Poole victory is on the cards ...assuming they can find a dry Wednesday befor the end of October.

How very sad. Len was one of the true PROMOTERS of speedway. A decent rider in his younger days - Provincial League Riders Champion - injury meant Len taking up the Promoter reins at Hackney. As a PROMOTER he had no equal, and we will not see his like again in the sport. He always put 100% into PROMOTING his clubs from his early days at Hackney through to his construction and Promotion at Sittingbourne. R.I.P. Leapin' Len and Thank You for providing me with some great Speedway Entertainment over the past 60 + years.

Teams were different ... Jenkins was riding for Oxford, and Poole didnt have Fooord. Cannot see Poole losing this one again at home. UNLESS the track is wet. They dont like it wet the Pooole boys...

Schroek - blimey thats a blast from the past. Think the inclusion of him in the then "National League" opened the floodgates for foreing riders into the 2nd tier. He's clearly a blooming useless TM ... teed up the interval to give Killeen a good rest , and he fluffs it by putting out of sorts Boughen in. Poole should walk this at Wimpborne Road. Their only weak link is Hagon, and he can be covered by the two reserves. Muddleditch will make no mistakes in his choice of reserve replacements.

Mmmm Bartosz is good there’s no doubt about that, and if he continues will join one of the greats such as Fundin Mauger Rickardsson. IMO Fundin is the “GOAT” due to his consistency of World Final appearances throughout his career. Mauger won more finals, but not as consistently as Fundin. These young lads such as Hancock et al Aren’t old enough to remember these riders who rode in one off finals, with a tortuous path of one off qualifiers to get there.

No I didnt know that Fromafar....... haven't seen Polish speedway for a while now.