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012.1.1b Championship League Championship League, teams will meet on 2 occasions, 1 home and 1 away. The top 6 clubs qualify for the play offs going into 2 groups of 3. The team who finishes top will select their 2 group members, the other 3 qualifying clubs make up the second group. The winners of each group will contest a 2 legged final home and away with the aggregate winner being crowned the Championship League Champions. A rider who’s team is not in the play offs may only guest for one team in each group of the play offs. Excluding the final. A rider may only guest for one team in any 2 legged tie (home and away).

If my arithmetic is correct there is a scenario where Monarchs could lose both matches in the Super Heat and still qualify for the play-offs having just won one home match all season!

Monarchs just need to beat Birmingham to qualify for the play-offs. Or, if they beat Plymouth they just need to score 37 against the Brummies. Looks doable with these teams but fingers will be crossed that riders come through their Thursday night fixtures unscathed. STELLAR MONARCHS: Richard Lawson (guest), Lasse Fredriksen, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna, Josh Pickering (captain), Luke Killeen (guest), Bastian Borke. PROWPARK GLADIATORS: Kyle Howarth (captain), rider replacement for Richie Worrall, Jason Edwards (guest), Sam Hagon (guest), Justin Sedgmen (guest), James Pearson, Ben Trigger. CURTIS SPORTS BRUMMIES: Kyle Howarth (guest), Alfie Bowtell, Troy Batchelor, Paul Starke, Justin Sedgmen (captain), Stefan Nielsen, Sam Hagon.

Good point. You've saved the reputation of British Speedway!

I hope I'm wrong but R/R at #1 and the NDL reserve points to a comfortable Poole victory. Edinburgh seem to be putting all their eggs into the Friday double-header basket, which is risky.

...or ever? Very sad situation. The fact that the 'withholding his services' statement has been given halfway down a preview piece on the British Speedway site with nothing yet on the Edinburgh website and nothing mentioned in last night's preview show is disappointing.

Great ride from Joe Thompson in heat 15. Given all the issues it's been another fine close meeting from Plymouth.

Well they have at least addressed it by reading the SCB statement, but the co-commentator has not made any comment on it.

Like with Nick Morris, when riders are not allowed to ride for failing drugs test, reserves are allowed to take their rides.

A top guest for Cookie (Nicholls/Schlein/Kerr/Wright/King/Riss) and this could be a good close match, but I have a feeling it will be R/R.

3rd time lucky? Weather forecast is perfect. STELLAR MONARCHS: Guest or rider replacement for Craig Cook, Lasse Fredriksen, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna, Josh Pickering (captain), Mason Watson (guest), Jacob Hook (guest). WESSEX MARINE PIRATES: Richard Lawson, Anders Rowe, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Steve Worrall (captain), Kyle Newman, Joe Thompson.

After an iffy start turned into a really good pairs meeting with some excellent racing when any of the three top teams met. Well done to Glasgow who thoroughly deserved their victory with Chris Harris the rider of the night. His team riding in the semi was epic and in stark contrast to Charles Wright in the final, who was busting a gut to win the race when he should have dropped back to try to help his partner into third. Also a special mention for young Max Perry taking a fine heat win. And finally - where was Cami?

I hope he does. If Craig is going to race speedway properly again he needs to....race speedway. Realistically Edinburgh have no chance without him so it's a bit of a free hit. And remember he's ridden very well at Oxford twice this season already, including beating Sam 3 times just last month.

Thought the patched up Gladiators team did very well but, from a fan's point of view, going into heat 14 6 points up then losing must have been hard to take. Got to say the Plymouth stream is very good and I enjoy watching matches from there. Ben Barker very good as a co-commentator (although I'm sure you would have much rather had him on track).

Good close meeting culminating in two 5-1s for the Monarchs to sneak the victory. Why no tac sub for Edinburgh in heat 14? In the end it didn't matter with Bastian riding a brilliant race, but it did seem a strange decision. Super ride from the skipper off the unproductive gate 1 in heat 15 and great to see Erik in the blue and gold again with an immaculate performance. Paco very good too.

Second part of a double header following the Poole match, this is the important one for the Monarchs. STELLAR MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Max Clegg, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna, Josh Pickering (captain), Dayle Wood Luke Kileen (Guest), Bastian Borke. CURTIS SPORTS BRUMMIES: Richard Lawson (guest), R/R for Stefan Nielsen, Troy Batchelor, Alfie Bowtell, Justin Sedgmen (captain), Sam Hagon, Paul Starke.

Cookie back assuming all goes well in his return for Leicester at Ipswich tonight. STELLAR MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Max Clegg, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna, Josh Pickering (captain), Dayle Wood Luke Kileen (Guest), Bastian Borke. WESSEX MARINE PIRATES: Richard Lawson, Kyle Newman, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Steve Worrall (captain), Anders Rowe, Joe Thompson.

See e) then d) 012.4.6 Reserve Switch (RS) Can be taken by a #6 or #7 rider, subject to a maximum of 7 rides in total, where the #6 or #7 takes the place of: - a) a rider who is absent, missing or late in arriving b) a rider at the Team Managers discretion before a heat (except heat 15) has commenced c) a rider disqualified for a starting offence d) a rider in the re-run of a heat where that rider was not disqualified and is unable to take part due to injury or damage to their motorcycle, in which case assumes the status of the rider being replaced. In the same helmet colour and gate position e) a reserve, already replaced in any heat, cannot be re-introduced, except in the case of point d above

Don't know his name but here he is giving young Tom a telling off. And as you can plainly see from the picture Cami is about to go in to headbutt the ref.

Was watching the stream and this didn't happen. Cami Brown was trying to keep the two apart. Even he wouldn't be stupid enough to headbutt someone wearing a crash helmet!

And it looks like Bartosz Zmarzlik would be on a 5 in the Championship! The relevant rule is: 010.2.2 Assessed MA’s Given to riders who: - a) are new to British Speedway or are without an established MA b) fails to achieve an established (or converted) MA below the 2.00 minimum Speedway Control Bureau Regulations 96 c) have to apply for a new CoS due to transferring from the Premiership to Championship if the riders established MA is below the minimum required as a new entrant Assessed rider gradings are calculated as follows: - Riders new to Premiership League racing are categorised as follows: - a) a rider riding in a professional league in the previous or current season will be assessed on a Grading List. Based upon results obtained in all other professional Speedway leagues and given an Assessed MA accordingly Riders new to Championship League racing are categorised as follows: - a) a rider riding in Danish, Swedish or Polish Leagues in a previous or current season will enter on a 5.00 MA b) a rider who has never ridden in a Danish, Swedish or Polish league will enter on a 4.00 MA c) a new rider with a British Passport who is eligible to participate in the NDL will enter on a 2.00 MA No rider with a current or previously assessed MA, other than a rider who has never achieved an MA in a professional league, can drop below 4.00 at any time during the season.

Really? A rider who beat Jason Doyle twice two weeks ago (once from the back) and scored 13+1 tonight. You'd rather use Vissing, Complin & Pijper to cover these rides?

If it's Patryk Wojdyło don't see any reason why they wouldn't want him at Plymouth, and if 'any other track' why not at Poole on Wednesday.

R/R now confirmed on Monarchs' website. Difficult to believe that none of King, Schlein, Kerr, Howarth, R.Worrall, C Wright, Riss (5 of them ex-Monarchs) were available. Looks, from where I'm standing, like a deliberate decision to go with R/R. And it may be the correct one as the match points were already written off, giving the team more rides and building up their stamina for Friday's double header . Alternatively, with my day having already got off to a good start with the England football team failing to win the women's world cup , the Monarchs could pull off the shock result of the season. Either way I'll be watching on the Poole stream, which is generally very good.

The worry about there being no news about a replacement is that they are going to go R/R.