SteveLyric2

Matt does have CO-promoters you know!!

Monday/Thursday Buster confirmed was being talked about!!! Until that's confirmed, the number of SGBP teams cannot be verified nor can the points limit. Hopefully the pre-AGM meeting will decide and it'll be leaked before the November dates!!? ;-)

I imagine the SCB official (referee) wasn't aware either!! Maybe the rule book was delayed in the post?!

If anyone's got this week's Speedway Star read the piece about Swedish speedway in the International section. I know British speedway has its issues but Elit Vetlanda - the league winners - and Piraterna have got serious financial problems requiring bale-outs from wherever including local councils. It is being suggested that their 'top' clubs will have to severely cut their outgoings if they are to run next year. Vetlanda's website reporting that they are cutting their rider budget substantially for next season if they are to run. (Lets not forget that this is at least the 2nd season that some riders in Sweden have not been paid everything they are owed!!) Logically this could well mean several of the 'top' riders looking elsewhere (SGBP?) for a team place, so the SGBP promoters could well find themselves with a lot more choice of riders, on the back of the Polish rumours that they will lessen their rider restrictions if the SGBP goes fixed racenights!! Obviously SGBP clubs will have to be able to afford it and there will be some clubs in a better position than others to do that!! :-) (I wonder if that's a topic of conversation for Greg Hancock at Glasgow last night?!) ;-)

Some more bad financial news in this week's Speedway Star for Piraterna and Elit Vetlanda!! "...a bit surprisingly comes news that league winners Elit Vetlanda are also experiencing problems. ..The situation is not as bad as Piraterna but crowds have dropped way below their pre-season budget. ..The club has also lost plenty of sponsorship money and has now asked the local council for financial help. Unless this is granted Elit Vetlanda may have to withdraw from the Elite League and join the Allsvenskan League. ..Overall its been a good year for the Elite League weather wise ....and crowd-wise with the average attendance only dropping slightly on 2016... It is however still obvious that the sport has become too expensive for the clubs. Tracks are closing down one after another and the number of speedway venues is lower than ever before. Swedish speedway can ill-afford to lose more tracks and at the moment it is doubtful there will even be a second tier next season." ​​ In a seperate report from Vetlanda's website they are planning a substantial reduction to their rider budget for 2018!!

Possibly Poole's last meeting before the Winter break, so why not stick to normal pricing? I would have thought that Matt's budget figures for this year have taken a huge hit from attendances (due to having a 'weaker' team and some poor home performances) whilst Sponsorship/advertising revenue has stayed really strong and positive and looking really good for next season!! ...and from one that was there on Monday, and as I've said before, the crowd was not too bad at all - around 1000 in the grandstand plus I would estimate another 600-800 around the rest of the stadium.

So KK back to his Poole form last night!! Guess he won't be part of the Rye 2018 team?! lol

I'm no Coventry fan, but may I just say what a superb post from Jeff Davies. Not just about the Coventry situation but about this forum. Good work and long may it continue to the return of the Bees.

Hardly a Number 1 though!! lol :-)

So will BWD be riding 'against doctor's orders'?? If so He could be a danger to other riders as well as himself. I can see a BV protest coming in now ;-)

If there are to be either 10,11 or 12 teams in the top league as is being rumoured for next year, then I can't see the points limit being any higher than 42!

Poole crowds at the start of the season especially Easter were up to expected levels, despite the issues over the abandoned Darcy Ward meeting. However the Kyle Newman episode and the underperforming Number 1 certainly affected attendances after that. Also of course, like most clubs having no fixtures for a month or so made things worse. Since the run of home defeats the attendances have certainly diminished which in my eyes supports the notion that fans will turn out when they have a successful winning team - which by any stretch of anyone's imagination, Poole have not been this season. With that backdrop I actually thought the crowd wasn't too bad for a semi-final on an off-night, that most people thought Poole were lucky to be in (which they were) and were unlikely to win (which they didn't)!! ps. Incidentally the article/interview in today's Echo with Kyle Newman explains that the discussion or dispute over Kyle riding was to do with the loan paperwork between Poole and Leicester, which was sorted out at the 11th hour, but not before BWD was told to get down to Poole in case he had to ride. That explains why he turned up late and told the Pits gate steward that he was riding despite not being on the rider list!!! Not sure if Kyle has been booked for the 25th yet, although I guess Poole may wish to use their asset if Starkey were to get injured??! ;-)

Lambert's interview in the SS last week suggested that he may give British speedway a miss altogether?! If he does continue it might not be at KL unless Buster guarantees to build a stronger team. Looks like Newcastle will miss out. ps. back to Poole 2018 we could be close to a further announcement of the next rider - maybe by the end of the month?!

So having been to the meeting last night and now watched it back, I can say that at least the ref Mick Bates was consistent with his first bend decisions - wrong but consistent!! Having started off with his 'All 4 back' decision he couldn't really do anything else with the later incidents could he??!! Despite the advantage of TV replays!! Re Lahti for those that watched the TV his poor form was due to sending the new engine away to be serviced and it came back 'flat'!! As Middlo commented 'if it ain't broke why fix it'? Well done to Swindon and to Kyle for the win, despite all the pre-meeting controversy which almost saw an official protest being lodged by Poole before some sense prevailed. Although I wonder what would have happened if Starke had picked up a niggling injury in Peterborough's Sunday meeting? I suggest MF would have been straight on the phone to Kyle Newman - only to be told that Kyle had already accepted the Swindon booking considerably earlier!!! Ce la vie. ;-) So many ifs, buts and maybes the result could easily have gone either way - but some great racing never the less. Finally a word about the track. The track staff were denied access to the track due to a greyhound auction that did not finish til 1pm-ish. After all the rain - and with the continued threat of an occasional shower throughout the day - they had a difficult job to even get the track into a rideable condition. It caught out the home riders more than the Swindon boys early on but still gave some great racing. Now its onto Blunsdon when Ronnie Russell will undoubtedly 'work his magic'!! lol

Kyle would probably have been there anyway. There is no issue between Kyle and the club or vice-versa. However that may not be the same as regards some of Kyle's 'entourage' who may have burnt several bridges along the way, but I'm sure won't be worrying about it in the least.

I have Freeview as an integral part of my TV from purchase. Channel 95 is denoted with a 'D' rather than an 'HD' - as is Channel 273 when it starts.

I don't really have any issue with Kyle riding tonight - just not sure why Rosco waited til today to announce it?! He could have simply announced it last Monday when he chose Poole in the first place

Its not as if Rosco hasn't got form for this sort of thing himself. Going back to the 'infamous' 2010 Rosco publicly admitted bending the rules by deliberately leaving out Pawlicki from an earlier meeting just so he could be at reserve with 7 rides in the play-offs!! He has since confirmed that on several occasions. Anyway back to tonight may the best team win and if Poole don't manage to progress I hope Swindon win the final. ps currently still a mix of downpours and sunshine.

Just seen AFC Bournemouth Manager wishing good friend MF good luck this evening - not sure if thats a good thing or not on current AFCB form??! lol

Are you sure AORLOV? Channel 95 is nowhere near HD standard!! Not even sure that Channel 273 - 'Sports Channel Network' - when it starts, is the same service and its certainly not HD either, as you say?!

Next season?? Oooooh.......

So weather-wise we've had bright blue skies with sunshine and a drying breeze since 9ish. Its now 10.30 and there has just been a short sharp (but heavy) shower. The weather graphics show these showers being very localised but continuing on and off through the afternoon. As many locals know, Poole has its own micro-climate so we should be ok later. It could be much colder than of late this evening which should suit the Robins as they are much more used to those cooler temperatures at Blunsdon!! lol ps. its bright and sunny again now.

For what its worth, back in 2001/02 when Tony Rickardsson rode for Poole, he was on a basic of £180 per point. And then there were the add-ons..........!! Incidentally how many clubs have actually closed down in the recent past through losing money? rather than any other reasons eg track availability etc?

Quick question - Whats the latest news on the future of the Lakeside track/stadium?

Freesports (channel 95) on Freeview is showing Swedish speedway at 2200 hours on Wednesday 13th for 2 hours!!!