Gresham78

I really thought the Robins were going to lose this by a lot more tonight so credit to Jason, Nick and super guest Robbo for keeping the score respectable. Thanks to Bryn for his weather updates although I didn't go in the end - having been at the shambles at Kings Lynn on Wednesday & with the BBC forecast predicting slow moving thundery showers in the Grays area that was enough to put me off. Instead I went to watch the other half of the Robins team at the Oak Tree arena Somerset where Rohan Tungate recorded a 15 pt maximum. He goes like a bat out of hell round there pity he's more like an asthmatic sparrow round Blunsdon... Bad week for Rosco's Roobins - play off chances severely damaged...

Ever thought of getting a job with the Met Office Bryn?!

Thanks very much Orlov - after getting caught up in the Kings Lynn fiasco the other night I'm understandably cautious about going along today...!

Was going to attend this meeting but I see the forecast is predicting slow moving thundery showers in the Thurrock area for today and having been caught out the last time they tried to run this fixture ( a downpour flooded the track late afternoon) I'm thinking about giving it a miss unless somebody local has a more accurate forecast? Would be grateful if any Hammers fans could provide a local weather check.

Regardless of whose job it is to call off a meeting what we got last night was a shambles and yet again the reputation of the sport suffers. As a Swindon fan i was expecting to hear the announcement at 7.30 that due to the heavy rain shower the meeting was postponed and i would have accepted that as the amount of water that came down was quite considerable. The worst thing for me was the lack of communication with the crowd - we were just left standing there wondering whether we were going to get a meeting or not. Whatever line of business you're in you should be putting the interests of your paying customers first and I don't think that happened last night. Whether it was Buster's fault the refs fault or whoever's fault it's the sports governing administration that needs to get its house in order to make sure this type of thing isn't repeated.

Thanks GRW123

Think this could go either way tonight. Which Robins team will turn up? If its the motley crew that flopped so badly at Wolves on Monday then the Stars could probably leave NKI to beat them on his own. As well as wanting to win for the team there are a number of Lynn riders with personal reasons for wanting to get one over Rosco; Batch, Lewis Rose and the guest for tonight Kyle Howarth will feel they have something to prove so no lack of motivation in the Star's team. Also Robert Lambert will want to impress in front of Rosco thinking of his Team GB place. For the Robins I think it depends on whether Rosco can motivate them. Interestingly enough Rosco said in the local press after the Wolves meeting that the team "wouldn't listen" to him when he was trying to tell them where they were going wrong during the racing. It does make you wonder if there's something awry with Rosco's relationship with the team as there have been other incidences of the riders just doing their own thing. Perhaps its the "Team Australia" thing and they'd rather just listen to Jason instead? I'm planning on going to this - if there are any KL fans who could provide an update on the weather forecast I'd be very grateful. Good luck to both teams tonight and let's hope for a good, competitive and safe meeting.

This was a total shambles by Swindon and reminiscent of some of our more embarrassing efforts at Wimborne Road. None of the Robins came out of it with any credit and Rosco has now got a job on his hands with it being such a crucial week with 4 fixtures in 5 days. You don't want to to start with an absolute mauling but that's what we got. As Hagonshocker has said Doyley lacks a 7.5 rider to support him but to be fair I think Rosco expected Nick and Josh both to push for that no 2 position but we're not seeing the best of either them this season in particular Nick. By the sounds of things he's not picking up the rides in Poland and just isn't getting enough time on the bike. Josh is capable of more too, especially when you think how good he was with Poole. For one reason or another this team hasn't clicked this season and I think if we don't pick up something at home to Belle Vue and Lakeside beat us on Friday (which is highly likely after this showing) the Hammers will be in the box seat for the 4th play off spot.

Sadly this is a reflection of the state of the EL ; first v third separated by 2 points and nobody's really bothered. Still, I'm off to watch it and also going to King s Lynn on Wednesday, the Aces at the Abbey on Thurs and Lakeside on Friday - bring it on!!

Congratulations to the organisers of Saturday's GP; the presentation was very slick and Ole Olsen's team produced an excellent racing surface which was reflected in the standard of racing which was the best i've seen in the 5 years i've been going to Cardiff. Pleased for Lindback he's a flamboyant character and was very quick all night. Agree with some of the comments about the fanzone - liked the new location but the formatt is looking very tired same routine every year and badly needs freshening up. A word about Tai; he's done a lot of good for the sport but bad language during a press conference is unprofessional and presents a bad image of the sport. That kind of behaviour can cost him and the sport sponsorship opportunities which speedway is desperate for. I'm all for keeping the GP at Cardiff the only downside is the amount of empty seats in the stadium but please keep it out of London!

thanks Tocha and Bryn for weather updates - i took a punt on travelling to the track - got as far as Cobham Svces on the M25 when i saw the post. Oh well that's speedway and the British weather for u...

Anyone got any weather updates please?

very grateful for this Bryn as i'm planning to travel up from deepest darkest Wiltshire for this meeting. Will look out for your next bulletin!

Thanks for your response Rob and addressing my points. If our new stadium at Swindon ( if it ever gets built) is half as good as the NSS I shall be very pleased.

They say that fortune favours the brave well Danny King certainly proved that - stunning final ride that was worthy of any final, he knew exactly what he wanted to do and he just went for it - completely out thought Cook who was a lot of people's favourite on the night. I hope those Coventry fans who've berated King this season will eat a bit of humble pie now as I believe his EL scores have picked up as well. My first visit to the stadium; the track is fantastic with a great shape, plenty of room and obviously the drainage is excellent too. Much credit to the Belle Vue track staff and also the much maligned contractors who constructed the track - they obviously got it right in the end. The stadium itself I have a few issues with; why, if you're building a permanent structure do you only provide toilets in portakabins? (I refer to the south terrace) the south terrace has a temporary feel about it being of a prefabricated structure. I know its a cost thing but concrete terracing is far more durable and will last a lot longer again on the south stand; the PA system is poor - myself and those around me struggled to hear what was being said. As somebody suggested next to me placing some speakers on the centre green would sort that out; as others have said the catering outlets are disappointing; usual burger and chips fayre - people want different food these days. It can't be that difficult to bring in a choice of caterers especially if you want to attract younger fans. Overall though I think its a great facility and a big step forward for the sport in this country. As others have said I think the poor weather and a Monday night coupled with the traffic issues in Manchester last night had an impact on the attendance. I very much look forward to my next visit to the stadium.

Hard luck to the Lions last night they had a real go and on another night would have won it. Hougard, Klindt Auty & Lindgren all shone. Robins dug deep with Jason leading the way abley supported by Josh & Sedgie. Think the ref got it right with Summers exclusion & agree with Grachan about Doyle's reaction. Without condoning it the sport needs some incident & a riders displaying a bit of temperament is no bad thing from time to time. When i used to watch the Bulldogs Steve Gresham was always in the thick of the of the action on track and off it and it used to add a bit of spice to the meeting. Leicester maybe the basement team but credit to their riders fighting spirit.

Personally I think David and Yulia Hemsley have done a fine job in bring speedway back to Leicester. The stadium is very good and shows what can be done when building a facility for the sport from scratch ( albeit with a slightly less than perfect track). Unlike some other people here who think David lacks business acumen or is just plain stupid I think the club is well run. The only thing I think you can accuse him of is a bit of over ambition and a maybe being a little stubborn. As is patently clear you cannot run a successful EL speedway team with a Saturday race night (Eastbourne). However David has said that switching to a mid-week slot doesn't work as there is a significant drop off in attendance. Surely the best option then is a return to the Premier League where he can retain the Saturday night slot and with better rider availability in that league he can build a competitive team again and present a better racing experience. I'd never criticise him for wanting to compete in the EL as I imagine it was always his ultimate aim when resurecting the club but it hasn't worked out so cut your losses and return to a model that works and most importantly the sport is retained in the city and the track continues to operate. I'm a Swindon fan and intend going to Beaumont Park next Saturday and I wish the Lions all the best for the rest of the season.

On paper this had the makings of decent meeting; Puk - one of the world's top riders, the return of Batch to the Abbey, Robert Lambert an emerging talent and former Robins favorite Mads. Unfortunately cold and breezy weather, an inconsistent track surface and a paltry crowd put paid to any chance of an entertaining evening's racing. Credit to Sedgie he got on with the job and returned a fine score but in fairness the riders deserve a better surface than they're getting at the moment. Come on Ronnie you can do better than this....

Well done to Rosco's Roobins - another solid team performance tonight with Rohan excelling at reserve. Also very pleased to see Stefan not giving up and being rewarded with a paid 3 in the second reserves race. And Charlie Wright produced another 'never say die' storming ride in heat 10 to hold off Bomber. Don't know if this is the Doyle affect but the team really seem to be pulling together as one which is great to see. The Bees do look out of sorts but I think they've got under performing riders at the moment. Danny King is a much better rider than his current performances suggest and I think if went back into the middle order his scores would pick up. And whilst I admire and respect Jason Garrity's ambition to move out of the Fast Track Draft and improve his skills his decision seems to have unbalanced the Coventry team. As others have said if he could return to reserve and King slot into the middle order and a genuine third heat leader is brought in I think the Bees would be punching their weight again. I thought Kasprzak took too long to get going tonight and I think it had a negative impact on the team. Sad to think this will be one of my last visits to Brandon - I've enjoyed watching speedway there as the facilities and view of the track are very good.

Congratulations to the Robins on a fine all round team performance - Rosco certainly had them pumped up and the Aces were blown away in the early heats. Craig Cook again disappointed at the Abbey Stadium - he really doesn't go well round Blunsdon. I thought all the Robins put in a shift, Charlie Wright deserved more from his efforts at number 3 and Stefan Nielsen did his best. A very positive attitude seemed to emanate from the Swindon pits last night with Jason leading the team from the front.

I think the revised rider positions will benefit Rohan and Josh but its a big step for Charles to go from reserve to heat leader however one thing is for sure Charlie boy will give it his all and won't give up - he was outstanding against Wolves last week. Think this could be a draw...

Congratulations to Wolves on their victory at the Abbey Stadium last night, they adapted to the track better than the home team and deserved their win with a solid team performance. As for the Robins, personally, I feel the new riders just need some time to bed in and should be given tge chance to do so. Josh is a good rider and has performed very well at Blunsdon in the past and I'm sure his form will pick up soon. As we know Rohan came in as late replacement for Dak North and needs to be given the chance to dial into his new tack, similarly the same applies with Justin. I was at Leicester on Wednesday and both these two put in decent performances in their roles as middle order riders. Personally, seeing riders develop and improve is really satisfying and I hope both these two go on to do so while they remain at Swindon but they do need to be given time. I know we've got off to a poor start but its still early days yet. I'm sure Rosco can be trusted to make a change if and when required - let's remember he's never failed to get us into the play offs since he came back to manage the team in 2012. Hopefully as we go further into the year and the weather improves and the track becomes more consistent the team will kick on.

Many congratulations to all at Plymouth Speedway at the success of keeping the club running! Track closures are always bad news for sport and its a relief that the Devils can continue to ride in 2016. Fantastic effort by the fans and those organising the fund raising efforts.

Personally I think Leicester are better off returning to the Premier League. David Hemsley has said on more than one occasion that Leicester fans want to watch their speedway on a Saturday night and switching to an alternative night leads to significantly reduced attendances. Unfortunately as we all know its very difficult putting a competitive EL team together for that night of the week. Unless Leicester fans are prepared to put up with a switch in race night then I think a return to the PL would suit them better. They can put a competitive team together and retain their preferred race night. That way I'm sure their attendances will remain healthy and most importantly the track remains in business. Surely most people would rather see competitive close racing whatever league its in? That fact seems to be proved by the success stories at Birmingham and Eastbourne. Whilst I applaud David Hemsley's ambition and desire to bring top flight speedway back to Leicester surely it would be better for the business to return to the second tier?

I can understand some Coventry fans being slightly 'underwhelmed' at Hans guessting for them tomorrow night but he's claimed publicly that he likes the Blunsdon track and to be fair he performed very well last season when he appeared as guest at the Abbey, which I recall was on several occasions. The thing is with Hans he is a bit of diva and needs to feel loved - Rosco was always good at making him feel wanted when he was with the Robins. I've always felt with him that if something's not quite right he's prone to sulking and if he thinks people aren't behind him he'll just do what suits himself which I think may have been the case at Brandon last year. Anyway, back to tomorrow night - I think he'll rack up a decent score for the Bees - I think its more of a question of how the other Coventry riders perform.