Boobs

And they are all also deeper in the red

Saw Facebook comments about this. Did Dick really allege the local presenter was gay, and then assault the mascot?Sounds like he's back in form!

Following the clash with the Scottish Cup Final (soccer variety) last month, the next visit of the Monarchs to Ashfield has been neatly timed to coincide with the Mens' Final at Wimbledon. It is a week away, and anything is possible, but if Andy Murray is in that Final once again there will be a number, a goodly number, of people -- not the hardcore committed fans, but the vital-to-the-cashflow floaters -- who will choose to watch the tennis. What is it about these derby matches? Don't the compilers, or rather the clubs involved, look ahead when the fixtures are being allocated?

Nothing in the rules to prevent Boxhall doubling-up, I don't think. What he can't be is an "NL guest" to stand in for a missing No 7. I think that's where the "CMA of over 4.00" comes in.

Here I am! Feel sorry for Schrammie -- he really is a trier, and certainly gave everything he could for the cause on Saturday night. The black-and-white helmet decision was a true shockeroonie. It will go down in history, I'm afraid. PS: Is that how you spell "Keynsham"? Old Horace Batchelor never did it that way.

Interesting on wildcards -- does this mean the wildcards at Berwick might not be British? Although I'd expect Kyle Howarth to be there (not only deserving, but northerm-based and a great attraction for Workington supporters to travel across country) is it possible that -- for instance -- David Bellego could be nominated? Or Max Fricke?

I was at Berwick to watch the Rockets. I remember being disgusted by Ricky Kling, the big-time EL guest, who turned up with a dirty bike and kevlars, and then turned in a performance to match his equipment

Interesting to see Berwick going for two NL double-uppers. Something not a lot of PL clubs are doing.

I can just see some promotions who already have fences getting excited, thinking of claiming back VAT they paid when they bought their fences!

This topic, which has raised interesting information and provoked good discussion, is straying away from the fact. No matter how amazing chain or board fences might sometimes be, only "soft" barriers will be permitted at speedway in 2014. Will clubs cope?

Strange announcement on BSPA newspage by Colin Hamilton about "we were talking to an ex-GP rider, but now he's not coming" What organisation makes negative public statements like that? Now the bar is set very high, and the announcement of a mid-range Dane with (if posters above are correct, as I guess they will be) won't have the same effect on the public. Note to Mr H: You already have a former GP star rider in your team, make more of him!

Rather than having this endless discussion on what will happen at Sheffield, there are other PL tracks where there will have to be a "soft barrier" installed if they are to run speedway in 2014. Somerset shouldn't have a problem, nor might Redcar nor Plymouth. These are speedway facilities, where installation can be achieved -- not cheaply, but achieved. If it was felt the fence had to be hung on the existing outer fence, their inside lines might be reduced to maintain track width. Edinburgh and Newcastle have the problem of adjusting fencing to suit sight-lines for greyhound patrons, but again might be expected to find a way around this long-overdue regulation coming in, as they have the places such as Wolverhampton or Belle Vue (with similar stadiums) to model on. Glasgow and Workington have the problem of being unable to widen their tracks by taking the inside line in after installing a barrier because of rugby or soccer ground-sharing. Glasgow are also known to be financially embarrassed. Then there are the two tracks most-discussed on this thread, Rye House and Sheffield. Interesting times ahead, I predict.

In the next few weeks, expect a whole slew of tracks in PL and NL saying that they'll have to close if they need to get airfences, presuming this is true (sorry, twoo -- greal post!) but expect 80% of the same tracks somehow finding that they can install foam or air fencing after all. Look, it has to come, and this won't be getting driven by the BSPA (although there will be people desperate to blame them) but from much higher up the tree.

No, Berwick Rangers catering is from an "ordinary" source, and their food is, well, ordinary. But Smith's fish & chips at the bottom of the road are mighty fine. Berwick Bandits catering van provides without a shadow of a doubt the best grub in speedway, and probably football or any other sport too, with very reasonable prices! Burgers are great, but the pies go 'way above great, being superb.

Mate, if someone came on here and posted one of your precious Armadale extravaganzas was going to be off because the weather was bad, you'd explode! But it's done and dusted, and a lesson has been learned by the poster, as we have seen above. Although I think the announcer was in the right, no promotion wants to have even one customer put off by a virtual assurance a meeting isn't going to happen.

Berwick have informed their supporters of a National League-level meeting at Shielfield Park on June 15th, with reduced admission prices. From their website: The event will be a visit from Dudley Heathens, one of the major clubs contesting the National League, who will be faced by an amalgamated Berwick squad of younger, locally-based riders under the banner of the Berwick 'Border Raiders'. Berwick training officer Gary Flint has been busy setting up the event, and to help balance the books is offering a special deal of £70 for supporters to sponsor either a rider or a heat. “If they want to be keen, and sponsor a rider and a heat, we’ll do a special deal on that for only £100” said Flint. To sign up as a sponsor – and encourage younger local riders from either club – potential backers should call Gary Flint on 07597-057413. Bandits’ boss John Anderson is delighted to be able to be promoting a meeting for younger riders, and will offer a June 15th turnstile price of only £8 for adults, with children of fifteen and under entering free. “We can only put this match on because of the generosity of our sponsors” admitted Anderson. “So anyone who can help us by getting in touch with Gary Flint will be very helpful”. “I should also place on record our sincere thanks to Berwick Rangers FC, who are giving us the use of the stadium that night for a peppercorn rent”.

OK, Edinburgh/Ipswich and Newcastle/Sheffield. But no dates yet?

The awful thing last night was the attendance. Lovely night, home team going well on a good track situated in the most densely populated area in the nation, and just a few hundred people watching. In the Sky Sports Elite League. Just two weeks earlier, again live on Sky Sports, Berwick (in a coastal area with no big towns or cities withing fifty miles) appeared to have had at least four or five times more people in their stadium for a match in the Premier League. Discuss?

Two very different things

As I said on another thread, if small, out-in-the-country clubs like Berwick and Plymouth can bring in riders of the calibre of Eddie Kennett and Michael Bech, there can be no excuse for the city tracks, in either league, with better (potential) fanbases to find riders when and if they feel the need to change. A truly impressive signing for the PL. I am already looking at the Devils' fixtures to work out where I can go and watch him live.

Well, if small, out-in-the-country clubs like Berwick and Plymouth can bring in riders of the calibre of Eddie Kennett and Michael Bech, there can be no excuse for the city tracks, with better (potential) fanbases to find riders when and if they feel the need to change.

I think history shows ultra-expensive teams, often recruited by fans-turned promoters, close down a lot more tracks than a few defeats. Maybe the changes should start in the boardroom?

Cannot believe the new promotion weren't savvy enough to avoid Cup Final traffic, let alone the counter-attraction of the match on TV. They have done so much that is right since taking over, yet the earlier two too-early, panicky postponements of this fixture (when weather eventually relented, and would have allowed racing on either date) seem to have forced them into running what should have been a plum fixture head-to-head with a cup final in the city, starting at the same time AND live on TV, featuring teams from Glasgow and Edinburgh. A meeting which is now only for the uber-committed.

He might not think so, but at Berwick's next meeting, the referee will be handed a cheque for several hundreds of pounds (to pay the fines imposed on Paul Starke, the Newcastle promotion and, yes, Ludvig Lindgren). Otherwise, he/she won't start that meeting! Berwick will have already deducted the money from their payment to the Newcastle promotion for the points scored by their riders on Tuesday. Newcastle will either deduct Ludvig's fine from his next pay-cheque or suck it up themselves. But whatever, that fine will be paid

A very nice message on the Berwick website from the promotion, thanking their fans for making Tuesday night so special. http://www.berwickbandits.co/index.php/latest-news/344-thanks-to-our-fantastic-fans Terrific PR -- how many other clubs might just have taken their public for granted after the event?