Tapeworm

But, if he was gating successfully, that would suggest that there was little wrong with the power/torque being produced by that engine so a different engine might not be the solution. Perhaps ragdoll's theory about his exit technique, and speed, coming out of bends 2 and 4 reveals the real cause of a reduced speed down the straights? Again, if so, this is something with which he could be helped by a more-experienced teammate.

"Starke was gating, but Christ there was no speed in his bike on the straights and he was having to ride defensive alllllllll night." I don't pretend to be an expert but is that not a simple matter of selecting the correct gearing? Correct balance to be struck between fast acceleration (gating) and top speed down the straights? Surely his team captain or more-experienced riders can offer advice on the most beneficial settings for the new Ashfield track?

Surely a major contributory factor in the delay to staging the Glasgow/Poole semi-finals was the adoption of "the top 6 teams to qualify for the Play Offs". This resulted in Glasgow sitting twiddling their thumbs for a couple of weeks while the 3rd to 6th placed teams settled their quarter-final ties. If the much-derided Play Off system has to be retained to provide much needed extra income, the BSPA simply MUST revert to a "top four only to qualify" next year (if indeed there are still 4 clubs solvent with access to stadiums!). That way, all of the top 4 teams can immediately get on with arranging their semi-final ties. Let the 5th and 6th placed clubs arrange home and away fixtures, if they like, for further income and bragging rights.

Leicester cannot be caught. Glasgow could still overtake Poole for 2nd. AS AT 25/07/22 - E&OE P H A +/- 1 Leicester 18 9 9 +19 2 Poole 17 8 9 +12 3 Glasgow 15 8 7 +10 4 Plymouth 13 6 7 +7 5= Edinburgh 16 8 8 +2 5= Redcar 14 7 7 +2 7 Scunthorpe 15 8 7 -2 8= Berwick 14 7 7 -7 8= Oxford 17 8 9 -7 10 Birmingham 15 8 7 -12

With Newcastle points, sadly, expunged. Calculated whilst sober so apologies for any errors. 1 Leicester P15 7H/8A +13 2= Poole P12 5H/7A +7 2= Plymouth P12 6H/6A +7 4 Glasgow P12 7H/5A +3 5 Redcar P12 6H/6A +2 6 Edinburgh P12 6H/6A +1 7 Oxford P14 5H/9A -1 8 Scunthorpe P12 7H/5A -2 9 Birmingham P14 7H/7A -9 10 Berwick P9 6H/3A -12 E&OE

At least the fans got to see a speedway match (of sorts!). The promoters got nothing for their money if the points are expunged.

Well he still seems able to update the table daily from his holiday venue with recent results! Maybe he's waiting for Newcastle to formally declare one way or another. Meantime the published table could be giving a false picture until results against Newcastle are expunged. Very sad business when it happens mid season. And how about recompensing promoters who paid out appearance and/or points money to their riders for a probably null and void away fixture?

Sorry to see them in difficulty but Newcastle are still included in Championship table on BSPA's website. Perhaps BSPA think Newcastle will complete their "postponed" fixtures without starting gates, air fence, track grading machinery, etc?

Quite right. Thanks. I really shouldn't attempt the calculations whilst sober! Is this any better? 1 Leicester P15 7H/8A +20 2 Poole P11 5H/6A +11 3 Glasgow P11 6H/5A +8 4 Redcar P12 6H/6A +6 5 Plymouth P10 6H/4A +4 6 Oxford P12 4H/8A +2 7 Edinburgh P11 5H/6A +1 8 Scunthorpe P11 6H/5A -2 9 Berwick P11 7H/4A -8 10 Birmingham P11 5H/6A -9 11 Newcastle P9 5H/4A -12 E&OE

1 Leicester P15 7H/8A +20 2 Poole P11 5H/6A +11 3 Redcar P12 6H/6A +9 4 Glasgow P11 6H/5A +8 5 Plymouth P10 6H/4A +4 6 Oxford P12 4H/8A +2 7 Edinburgh P11 5H/6A +1 8 Scunthorpe P11 6H/5A -2 9 Berwick P11 7H/4A -8 10 Birmingham P11 5H/6A -9 11 Newcastle P10 6H/4A -15 E&OE

1 Poole +14 2 Glasgow +8 3 Leicester +5 4 Plymouth +4 5= Oxford +1 5= Redcar +1 7 Scunthorpe -2 8 Birmingham -3 9 Edinburgh -4 10 Berwick -5 11 Newcastle -6 E&OE

Since when did Premier Inns allow pregnant cows in?

Still to play 1 Poole P19 9H/10A +19 Red (H). 2 Redcar P18 9H/9A +14 Lei (H), Poo (A). 3 Glasgow P17 8H/9A +12 Ber (A), Lei (H), Bir (H). 4 Leicester P15 8H/7A +6 Edi (H), Ken (A), Red (A), Gla (A), Ken (H). 5 Scunthorpe P20 10H/10A +3 6= Edinburgh P17 10H/7A -1 Lei (A), New (A), Bir (A). 6= Birmingham P16 8H/8A -1 Edi (H), New (A), New (H), Gla (A). 6= Kent P18 9H/9A -1 Lei (H), Lei (A). ????????????????????????????????????? 9= Berwick P19 9H/10A -6 Gla (H). 10 Newcastle P17 8H/9A -7 Edi (H), Bir (H), Bir (A). 11 Plymouth P20 10H/10A -9 Looks as though Poole v Redcar is critical in the race for 2nd top spot…….. and Birmingham v Edinburgh for the 6th qualifying place. E&OE.

Reaching a critical point for play-off qualification (max P20):- 1 Poole P17 8H/9A +19 2 Glasgow P14 6H/8A +12 3 Redcar P17 9H/8A +11 4 Leicester P14 7H/7A +6 5= Scunthorpe P17 9H/8A +2 5= Birmingham P15 7H/8A +2 -------------------------------------------------------- 7 Edinburgh P17 10H/7A -1 8 Kent P16 8H/8A -2 9= Newcastle P17 8H/9A -6 9= Berwick P18 8H/10A -6 11 Plymouth P18 10H/8A -7 E&OE What is the cut-off date for league fixtures to be completed? And how are the play-offs to be organised? Do the top 2 teams go straight to the semi-finals and the other 4 to the quarter-finals? If so, who plays who?

Adjusted following Eastbourne's sad withdrawal:- 1 Poole P13 6H/7A +15 2 Redcar P14 6H/8A +13 3 Glasgow P12 5H/7A +12 4= Edinburgh P15 8H/7A +4 4= Scunthorpe P15 8H/7A +4 6 Leicester P12 6H/6A +2 ------------------------------------------------------- 7 Birmingham P11 6H/5A 0 8 Kent P14 7H/7A -2 9= Newcastle P16 8H/8A -7 9= Plymouth P16 9H/7A -7 11 Berwick P16 8H/8A -8 E&OE

I had to wait for some other team to slip (temporarily?) ahead of the Tigers and that took until now. Otherwise you'd have posted more of your nonsense.

Proving IronScorpion wrong :- 1 Poole P11 4H/7A +15 2 Glasgow P13 6H/7A +12 3= Edinburgh P14 6H/8A +9 3= Redcar P12 5H/7A +9 5 Leicester P13 6H/7A +6 6 Scunthorpe P13 7H/6A +4 ------------------------------------------------------- 7 Eastbourne P10 6H/4A 0 8 Birmingham P7 4H/3A -1 9 Newcastle P12 6H/6A -6 10 Berwick P13 7H/6A -8 11 Kent P11 6H/5A -9 12 Plymouth P11 7H/4A -10 E&OE

1 Glasgow P11 +12 2 Edinburgh P9 +7 3 Leicester P8 +5 4= Scunthorpe P12 +4 4= Redcar P9 +4 6 Poole P5 +3 7 Newcastle P7 0 8 Birmingham P4 -1 9 Eastbourne P7 -3 10 Kent P7 -4 11 Plymouth P6 -7 12 Berwick P11 -8 E&OE

Early days yet, I know, but.................. 1 Glasgow P10 +9 2 Edinburgh P8 +7 3 Birmingham P3 +2 4= Leicester P7 +1 4= Poole P4 +1 6= Scunthorpe P11 0 6= Redcar P8 0 6= Eastbourne P6 0 6= Newcastle P6 0 10 Kent P6 -1 11 Plymouth P4 -2 12 Berwick P11 -8

The dust was choking and obstructive to viewing. While I'm sympathetic with Birmingham Speedway's recent-ish equipment losses, the water bowser was pathetic. I could have put more 'water' on the track if I'd been strapped to the back of the tractor with a pint of cider in each hand! Can they not beg or borrow one or bid in an auction of used farm or road maintenance equipment?

I've got a ticket for Zone B1 for Glasgow Tigers' visit next week. I'm too old to stand for the entire duration of the match. Is there any seating in this area? If not, can I bring in my own folding seat?

By tonight, six teams will have been tracked for their FIRST Championship match of the season. Only one will have fielded their declared seven riders. That's farcical. Injuries and adverse reactions to innoculations are, I suppose, unavoidable but the fans want to see THEIR team competing on "equal" terms, with heart and soul, not R/R and guests. And, I'm sympathetic with the totally-foreseeable situation Coty finds himself in but surely Berwick should have signed a replacement by now? If the clubs can't turn up with their own team for the FIRST meeting of the season, how much worse will it be later on when even more riders are injured or retired or committed to individual/international/foreign/long track/etc fixtures? The authorities need to decide if speedway is a team sport or an individual one. There aren't enough viable dates in the season for both. If it's a team sport, apart from the GP series, vastly reduce the number of individual/pairs/fours titles. Or, if it's an individuals sport, watch support for teams dwindle away to unsupportable levels until the riders don't have teams to supply their 'bread and butter' income anymore.

If the reported events are true, and Glasgow management representatives were there to witness them and apologise for them, I wouldn't be surprised if certain riders were immediately released for bringing the club's reputation into disrepute, even if this jeopardises their league title aspirations. Some of the events sound much more serious than setting off a hotel smoke alarm and subsequently arguing with the hotel manager. What a shame that, despite all the time, effort and money poured into the club by the Facenna family, some riders wearing the club colours act this way.

After 59 of 110 meetings:- 1 Glasgow 11M 5H 6A +17 2 Leicester 14M 6H 8A +12 3 Redcar 9M 4H 5A +4 4 Somerset 13M 7H 6A +3 5 Berwick 10M 3H 7A +1 6 Sheffield 11M 7H 4A -1 7= Edinburgh 9M 4H 5A -2 7= Scunthorpe 10M 5H 5A -2 9 Newcastle 8M 5H 3A -3 10 Eastbourne 12M 7H 5A -6 11 Birmingham 11M 6H 5A -9 E&OE

How is Paul anyway? Nothing broken or torn I hope. And not concussed? Just bruised, stiff and sore after his crash? Any chance that he will be fit for Friday?