Steve Shovlar

That’s the plan. Watch the stream after the football.

The issue is Poole Speedway are in the minority when it comes to AFCB. Many local sports fans support both. The issue is, you have to buy an AFCB ticket well in advance otherwise you will not get in. In fact getting a ticket is almost impossible, so I checked there was no clash of fixtures and got a ticket. Now, Poole have decided to go head to head against the football. So I will be at Vitality as I have already purchased a ticket. Very frustrating for myself and many other fans who want to attend both. As the others have also purchased AFCB tickets, the shortfall of fans will fall on Wimborne Road.

Of course I want a Poole win but I am a realist. You expect a 5-1 every heat LBW! A Poole win would be against all odds. Scunthorpe are on form, have momentum and are pretty much rock solid at home. For Poole to win, they must ride above themselves (possible) not have any ef’s or falls, (possible) and realistically very few last places (highly unlikely) our heat leaders must have the beating of Douglas, Palm-Toft, Allen and Lambert. Our reserves, or at least one of them, need to see off Kemp. (Unlikely) I will be watching it with fingers crossed and cheering on the boys, but expectation will be low to avoid the disappointment.

Have to accept Scunthorpe on this occasion are massive favourites and unless they croak big time should make it without too much trouble. Pirates never give up and will battle but the home track advantage with riders like Toft and Lambert riding like top heat leaders will more than likely be enough to see them home. Poole won here by two points last month but Kemp wasn’t riding at that time. 50-40 ish.

There’s a lot of AFCB fans who attend Poole. Crowd will be well down.

If they are running it next Wednesday that’s bad news. AFCB are playing and I have tickets, as when booking there was no clash. I know quite a few that have tickets for the footy and now won’t be in attendance at Wimborne Road. A bad call to go up against Bournemouth. Fans have to buy tickets well in advance to get in. Hopefully common sense will come into play and a different date be chosen.

Track has gone ultra slick. Needs water and wonder wheel.

It doesn’t matter if we have never heard of Infinite Reality. The fact that they have been prepared to splash the cash on speedway is great news and Zmarzlik has abused the rules. If he got away with it then all other riders would as well and the sponsorship would be lost and a possible lawsuit appearing which would kill off the sport. The fact that the WC and leader of the series broke the rules is even worse imo.

That is the rule. Doesn’t say up to that punishment, and rightly so. If you had paid a kings ransom for your company to be front and Center, then the WC came out on his own sponsors where your business should have been, you would be seriously pi55ed off.

Nasty crash.

Interestingly, on X, a lot of Polish fans are blaming Zmarzlik for being stupid, as the rules were clear.

https://x.com/MarcinKuzbicki/status/1703085466638078138?s=20

Sponsors have paid a small fortune to have their name plastered on the riders kevlars, especially the Infinate Reality splashed front and center. For the WC to not have this but his own sponsor is a major breach of the rules. More I think about it, I can understand why he has been punished. Won’t make a mistake like that again.

The problem is the rules have boxed in the organisers. There is no flexibility. Wear the wrong Kevlars, equals a €600 Fine and disqualification from the GP. There is no other option. Draconian but no option for a slapped wrist.

Bigger than recent crowds which bucks the trend but I have been to Voyens with 25,000 and it is a sea of heads. (Trick, Nielsen, Boyce runoff)

Clearly this penalty is in the rules so he’s out. Big crowd there tonight. Better than recent years. Hope the racing is better than normal.

Rather than throw him out of the GP., a points penalty of say, 25 points, would have been more fitting to the crime. Removing Zmarzlik punishes the fans, especially Polish fans who have made the trip. Ridiculous punishment.

I know I have said this dozen times but the first thing I posted after Glasgow beat Oxford was Poole, Edinburgh and Redcar and leave the battle between Glasgow, Oxford and Scunthorpe. Redcar with Wright and King are no pushovers but these riders are beatable. Plus weaker reserves. Instead we chose Scunthorpe with a virtually unbeatable Ryan Douglas and a Drew Kemp determined to put one over on us, as he will again attempt on the return leg. Ryan Douglas scores at Poole this season. 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3. 35 out of 36 points.

It was a very bad decision to chose Scunthorpe over Redcar. But no point crying now. We won at Scunthorpe last month but Kemp is now at reserve and is riding well. Think a gargantuan effort would be needed to make the final now. Scunthorpe destroyed Glasgow recently around their place. We can’t win it every year, but it doesn’t help choosing the wrong team in our group. Having to rely in Edinburgh turning over Scunthorpe is never going to happen.

No surprise. Right call.

Easy as expected.

The Ipswich riders are also finding the track difficult. Holder said they need a motorway blade on it. The bumps have thrown riders all over the place on the first bend. Holder has a point. Witches have this in the bag.

Danny King had a near get off and Danny Hume lost it. Seems there’s a bump with grippy material. Ipswich got this sewn up with their top two.

Track is grippy and causing riders issues. Doyle nearly took a purler there. What’s happened to cause this?

Nothing wrong with the track. Slick and smooth. Needed more dirt imo but the riders obviously wanted it like that.