crescent girl

FIM Europe. Not FIM. Big difference!

Bingo!

Just to pull in the horses a bit. If Poole currently attract a crowd of 1,000 in the Championship, how many more holidaymakers, etc, will attend if the Pirates move into the Premiership? Let's be optimistic, and say another 500. No more, as regular followers will be there anyway, whatever the level of racing (as long as the team is regularly winning) as history shows attendances go up very little if a team goes up a league. In the past, Scunthorpe, Workington and Plymouth were all running very profitable speedways at NDL level, but found little if any increase when they went up. When Somerset went up to the top league and signed the World Champion, the increase was minimal. Simply, Poole is a profitable concern in the Championship. Why change? To run as a Premier club, the dramatically-increased wage bill -- probably 4 times that being paid this season -- world have them running in the red in jigtime. TV money? Who're you kidding? Even if a deal were reached, the dribble-down that would accrue to each Premier club wouldn't turn loss into profit. Take it easy Pirates. That grass isn't really greener.

They're British. Aussies don't contest FIM Europe Mickey Mousers.

They're British. Aussies don't contest FIM Europe Mickey Mousers.

Tonight's news on Reid Battye, who has re-signed for Berwick in 2027 is really tremendous. Reid has had (generous) offers from other clubs to leave the Bandits, but will instead "dance with the one that brung him to the ball"

SRBF collection tonight. Time to remember guys like Carlos Villar, Ricky Ashworth, Adrian Rymel and, for visiting supporters, Neil Hewitt. Weather looking good, that 100% home record on the line and a new 16-y-o face making his Championship debut for the Bandits. Tapes up at 7. Free car park!

If no-one will beat Poole over two legs, why aren't they in the KO Cup Final?

Your nearest club is Berwick

You never give a reserve a t/s, he can take the ride whatever the score!

Those hours are fairly dragging.........

Maybe we'll see Danny Ford up at Armadale to help steer the ship. He's quite often at away matches. Certainly the management of the squad at Berwick was truly mystifying/incompetent/ridiculous (delete as required)

A little over a week away, excellent promotion of the event, a really worthwhile cause -- but no mention of who will be racing?

Looking back over last Saturday's excitement, perhaps the best observations came from the website reportage. Two paragraphs from which rather sums it up: "...but when all seemed lost, the 2026 Bandits and their own local hero of choice stepped up to the plate and --- with the assistance of a rash teenager and an unfathomable piece of tactical incompetence --- reignited the playoff flame". followed later by: "......celebrations which seem to have got up the nose of the charmless Havelock, who raged over Rushen's exclusion, the floodlighting and just about everything else post-match. All decent attempts to deflect from his tactical shortcomings" Which more or less sums it up. Whatever your views, this was a nerve-tingling meeting with an amazing conclusion and just the thing to keep the Berwick public -- who have been solid in their support in this, their 59th season of speedway, coming back for the next helping on August 22nd....

You couldn't make it up! Edinburgh have announced that Eddie will be Poole's guest on Friday -- in place of Kyle Newman! The little detail of not being allowed to guest if you aren't in another club's 1-7 has been circumvented by Eddie now having been smuggled into one of the NDL teams.

Like I said............

Somewhat confusing, if Scunny can bring in Hook, and Poole are today (reportedly) signing up Slater Lightcap -- both signings after these clubs completed 11 Championship matches...... Why can't the Tigers make a couple of signings before their 12th match? Or can they?

No, Eddie can no longer be a guest for any club -- he isn't in anybody's 1-7 now.

You think? Hasn't the 75% of matches deadline been passed? Glasgow have said they cannot replace Kyle Howarth or the German lad (although they might want to) and both clubs have raced 11 Championship matches plus their BSN rounds............. Guests all the way now!

Plus Nick Morris and Jordan Jenkins (two of the Bandits who figured in Berwick's superb revival over Poole on Saturday night) guesting for the Pirates.

With Mario Hausl having this morning ruled himself out of racing for six weeks -- heart trouble and kidney stones, really? -- it must be imperative for the Tigers shuffle the pack to replace him and Kyle Howarth before the next meeting. Guests aren't the way to go for a team looking certain to be in the play-offs. Quite apart from making it harder for the public to support a changing roster of riders, guests make it a harder "sell" when you're trying to build up ongoing public awareness in what is otherwise a successful operation.

When we wrote in last night's programme about Poole's management having apparently been in disarray during their June visit, it was expected they'd be in better shape this time. Instead, the strange allocation of riders in crucial races, etc, was worse. Plus, how about Havvy spending a lengthy time on the phone to Willie Dish, arguing the Cooper Rushen exclusion? On a brighter note, it was an impressive display of team spirit when the entire Bandits team came up from the pits to check on the stricken Reid Battye. Plus, the noise in the stand before, during and after the last couple of races was really impressive.

Cairns? I think you must mean the other one. Will Cairns is in full control of his bike as far as I've seen....

Cairns? I think you must mean the other one. Will Cairns is in full control of his bike as far as I've seen....

They could even have replaced Hagon in the re-run with Eddie. A very disorganised Poole backroom again.