Big Al

About two?

They may as well call it off now. Wet n damp set in and I don't think any amount of drainage improvements will make much difference.

On the one hand, prior to the invasion of Ukraine there were thousands of young Russians working in IT and finance jobs for non-Russian companies in the UK, a large proportion of them in and around London. Not multiple property-owning super-rich or agents of the Russian state. I presume they are still here, unless having made their own decision to leave. Then you have the head of the IOC apparently absurdly suggesting that Russian competitors could be allowed to compete as neutrals at the Paris olympic games in 2024, seemingly not realising that in a great many cases, those competitors would still be supported and even employed by the Russian state. Emil S seems to be an instance falling in the middle. I presume he still retains a Russian passport along with his Polish one. He has represented Russia relatively recently, and has not seemingly renounced his Russian-ness. But I'd doubt if he is currently funded or supported by the Russian state. Where does he keep his money? Does he have any private backing from Russian companies or Russia-domiciled individuals? Where did he live and get income from during 2022? Surely these kind of things would need to be clarified before clearance could be given - or maybe they already have been?

Buster Chapman has his critics and might not have much "PR" ability but he seems to have the best interests of speedway in his DNA so will be playing his part in trying to make sure this all goes well. I remember him stepping in to buy Leicester on a short term basis which enabled the club to be taken over by the Bates family and I doubt if he made a profit on that, more likely it cost him by clearing some of the debts accrued.

Maybe it was Mountain's CL average that swayed Stewart Dickson's mind in making his decision. Hopefully Connor will take up the challenge, put a point or two on his CL average, and make himself into a rider who any PL club would like to include in their team. The decision also may have taken account of the potential to win heats 2 and 8 on a regular basis, especially at home. Again, SD may have concluded that Allen or Sedgemen are more likely to provide race wins in these heats than Mountain.

Strong enough to carry Dan Gilkes if necessary for a while during his comeback after his bad injuries.

So maybe he has retired?

Choosing Allen is going to be a key decision

He perhaps ought to hang his riding boots up now because his downwards trajectory is only getting steeper. Think he might also have taken quite a few concussions, the risk of long term harm is going to increase sharply now, if he has more

It's almost as bad as another word which has crept into sporting boll**cks-speak, the "Marquee signing". Strange, I've always thought a marquee is a large tent. "We've signed a large tent".....

What does "out and out" actually mean? Sounds like a bulls**t expression, used by people but with no clear meaning. A rider's either a number one or not. Defined by his CMA

Got the feeling Nick Morris had majority of his race wins for the Lions during the first half of matches, especially away and particularly on the occasions the wheels came off from heat 8 onwards. Also I don't have stats, but there might have been a tendency to go with Howarth and Worrall in heat 15.

Always a big disappointment when a rider starts with an unexpected win but then can't repeat the performance or runs a load of last places. We know there are reasons for it, but all the same it's a downer!!

Phil Herne and Finn Jensen from the early 1980's come easily to mind.

Might be mistaken but the tractor at Sheffield looks very much like the one at Blackbird Road in the 1970's and 1980's. Built to last, those Fergusons.

Could Kyle Howarth be fitted into the side? Or maybe Castagna back?

I still hold out hope that Wozniak will return, but the chances must be very small now

The team struggled and it just went further downhill after Doyle realised he needed to get out. Just a very poor "product" which people walked away from.

Last time it wasn't "they", it was "he" (sorry - haven't been trained in woke-speak!), and he did it too soon, was generally shafted by the other clubs, made too many enemies, and made outrageously bogus claims about the "product". All rounded-off by a verbal assault on a referee. Hopefully this time those mistakes and pitfalls will be avoided. Buying better track equipment and sorting out the drains and lights sounds like a good start, as does signing a top rider to start.

Get a few taller Poles in. The bloke who delivered my DPD parcel today will do for starters - well over 6 foot

Needs a separate golf buggy lane to be built. With a couple of chicanes

The revised planning requirements included the car park being tarmacked over with parking places marked out. This is the landlord's responsibility (Mr Hemsley). So if anyone incurs an injury, you know who to threaten legal action with. I wonder if the Swindon equipment had been acquired sooner, would the second leg of the final have been run at Leicester?

In the UK? Maybe not. I don't know if that particular track is still running, but think that the very small track at Pinjar Park in Perth WA has/had lights in the centre. Possibly one of the tracks in the USA?

Mountain's a bit of a puzzle for me. Didn't seem to impose/improve much in the CL over 2021 but always looked very useful riding for Sheffield and not just in heats 2 & 8. Maybe he will stay at Sheffield?

Not since Ray Wilson was at his peak, anyway. Often steamed through inside on bends 3 and 4 "get out of my way"