Steve Shovlar

Well having slept on it, that has to go down as the perfect, if unexpected first home meeting of the season. A huge crowd, a new look team, and an opposition touted as possible title challengers. The BSN format has no room for errors. A home defeat and you can virtually say goodbye to the trophy, so it was with some trepidation we faced our rivals up the A34. But any fears were soon dispersed when Lawson saw off track specialist Masters with ease and Tobias Thomsen leading Masters for half a lap. Killeen got stuck in to win heat 2, and was possibly Oxfords most impressive rider with 8 points. Best I have seen him at WR and he was quick and smooth, for a change! Oxfords 3 and 4 were woeful. 6 points between them but only 1 point scored against opposition riders when Heeps beat Max Perry. Boughen was tailed off on all his rides, as was Atkins. These riders though are a different kettle of fish around Cowley, and Wednesday will come around quickly enough for some retribution. Though they will need a miracle to pull back 32 points. The new Poole track was in great shape. Bends one and two are more banked and allowed two racing lines around the boards and up the inside. Same as bends three and four with Brennan’s charging under Heeps on bend three and Benn Cook around the outside off the final bend to pass Masters. An impressive opener from the Pirates. But a tough meeting awaits in the return and Oxford will be gunning for revenge after the humiliation last night. Get your tickets at see you there!

Tobias T said to me before the meeting he had parcelled up the neg feedback hos signjng had brought over tge winter and was going to show what he can do. Was far mire accomplished than expected. Sam Hagon take a bow. Superb debut. Special mention to Killeen who tried all night and battled hard for his points.

What a brilliant meeting! Track is top notch. Massive crowd. This what it’s all about! Oxford giving everything but being passed inside and out.

Hope you get a clear run to Poole LBW. No trains running between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst due to signal issues. My daughter wants to go to from Weymouth to Pokesdown but is scrambling around trying to work out bus services.

Few showers about tomorrow but nothing like today. Dont think there’s much risk of it being called off.

Considering we have four new riders, there won’t be a better opportunity for Oxford to get a result before the boys are dialled in. Riding a few laps at P&P is not the same as racing in a meeting so we have vulnerability for this one. Pretty sure once the new four have got used to the track we will be a force.

Hagen and Perry got better with every lap though we mustn’t expect too much from them. Tobias looked more confident than I expected and seems to think he will do a good job. Soon find out against opposition riders who know the Poole track very well. Roll on Friday night and let’s hope it’s a good entertaining opening meeting.

Ouch what Lawson said!

I didn’t say he was signed two months ago. I said talks were stuck due to wage demands on what Vissing wanted and what Workington were prepared to pay. One way or another they have worked it out and come to the tapes with a decent lineup. Wish them successful season, but with an empty trophy cabinet.

Not sure who blinked first but this was two months ago.

Just seen this for any Swindon fans. Comes up in the next hour or so. https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/85c77f55192c614f639b69c34d9d4bbd/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/avenue-sale-lot-448/

Brandon stadium has just been brought up in PMQ’s! The local MP asked Sunak if he backed the planning decision to turn it down was good. Sunak replied that it was and hoped to see stocks and speedway return to Brandon Stadium.

I had many late night chats with Brian online with a few glasses of wine. He said he worked better fired up. Nice chap and sad news. R I P Brian.

Vissing still holding out for about £100 a point and Workington not prepared to pay it. Who blinks first?

They might up their average in a weaker league, however riders from other clubs will also think they can up theirs as well. Riders like Batch and of his age/career tend to play the percentage game. Score 8 with no risk, don’t chase down the rider in front and therefore don’t get injured = regular pay packet. Push for those extra points =risk = injury and pain, no earnings and weeks out. Younger riders don’t think that way, take the risk and progress (or face time out injured!). Tate should be the rider everyone should be watching in that team, like Ben Basso was at Poole a couple of seasons ago. Might come up when Poole visit, though hoping BSN are there!

I was writing about your top three. If Cook has sorted out his personal issues, and Batchelor is in the mood, the team has a decent chance of winning some home meetings, but not against the top sides in the league. The Workington track is big and wide, so no fear for away riders even on their first visit. The reserves are desperately weak in my opinion. But there are weaker sides. Berwick, Edinburgh, Plymouth.

Yep. Hans is the perfect signing. Just need everyone to climb aboard the De Lorean in back to the future, turn the clock to 2010, then you have a championship winning team. Seriously, Cook, Batchelor and Vissing, if he is the missing link, have no improvement in them. You have Antti Vuolas 5.0 and Tate Zischke 5.00 who look good prospects, and a team needs riders who can improve. I wish Workington a successful season with good crowds, good racing and goodwill. But the touted team won’t get near the playoffs. The inclusion of Celina Leibman is great for publicity but seriously? Would Englands best female player get a team place at Swindon Town or Wigan?

I would have gone with that! Rowe break through season, Newman reliable and knows every track. Reserves decent. Brennan is capable of improving but what we gain there we could lose with the Dane. As for Thomsen, he is a 4 pointer and won’t make or break our season. Our top 4 are the best 4 in the league, no doubt about it. Our reserves match most clubs. Time will tell for next season but if he fails to at least score his average he won’t last long.

PROMOTER Danny Ford described Tobias Thomsen as a “wildcard signing”, after the Dane was confirmed as the final member of Poole Pirates’ 2024 septet. The 29-year-old has been snapped up on a four-point average, with his only previous stint in the UK a brief spell with Birmingham Brummies in 2019. Thomsen joins the main body of the team alongside Zach Cook, with Richard Lawson, Ben Cook and Tom Brennan set to be the heat-leader trio. Young British duo Sam Hagon and Max Perry will operate as reserves. Discussing the decision to sign Thomsen, Ford told the Daily Echo: “Tobias has had experience riding over here, with Birmingham in 2019 in the Championship. “He didn’t necessarily impress, to be honest and got let go as part of a reshuffle. “But when it became clear we would have 4.20 to play with, we sat back and assessed our options. There wasn’t any clear initial options who really stood out for us. “You start looking deeper and Tobias’s name popped up. He rode here in 2019, came in on a five-point average, but his average dropped. “That makes him available on a four, whereas a new Dane would come in on a five. “So we started doing our research, looking how he rode last season. He rode in Denmark’s second division and was one of the top scorers over there.” Ford admitted: “It is a bit of a wildcard signing. It is one that people wouldn’t necessarily be expecting. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it until we spoke to him. “I fully believe that in a slightly weaker Championship, like it will be this season, and based on Tobias’s growth as a rider and how much he has improved over the past few seasons, he should certainly be a rider who can not only improve on the four-point average, but dramatically improve on it. “We should hopefully see a much improved Tobias from what we saw in 2019. “I’ve been watching his meetings from last year as much as I can, on YouTube and stuff, and he’s certainly got the gating gloves, which I feel will help him massively. “We’ve got some great experience in the team around him in Richard, but then some younger guys who are also looking to improve. They can help each other out and push each other on. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/24000659.danny-ford-poole-pirates-signing-dane-tobias-thomsen/ “It’s hopefully an exciting signing and definitely one I’m sure the supporters weren’t expecting. “It’s nice when you stump a lot of people. “People can often predict a team, but not many people would have seen that one coming! It’s good to have him as a Pirate.” Discussing the lengths Poole have gone to to fully maximise the points limit this year, Ford added: “We certainly had many options on four-point averages. But none of them stood out to us. “We want to win the title, we don’t want to settle for second best. “We feel that Tobias, given his recent form, can come in and be a rider who can improve his average. “That’s what makes a winning team. If you can get seven riders who can all improve their average, you are certainly going the right way about winning silverware. “It will be interesting to see how he settles in and hopefully it works out.”

His name is Tobias Thomsen. Tobias Thomsen Born:23.08.1994, Brovst, DenmarkBritish Clubs:Birmingham (2019)Year..Clubs..Meetings..Rides..Points..Bonus..Average..Maxima2019..Birmingham..12..45..31..5..3.20

Can’t say I was over excited when I heard the name myself, and expected the reaction his announcement has brought about. Have to wait and see but not expecting him to last the season. Time will tell.

Young Dane.

Vitality Stadium will be sitting empty in 2/3 years time. Could make a hell of a great speedway stadium! Anyway who is this last rider? Hmmm!

Difference is that the council own the stadium, not Osborne. He is a leaseholder, nothing more. If the stadium lease came up, Matt Ford has said already he would form a consortium to get the lease.