Bleeds Pirate Blue

I thought I'd answer my own question, so have trawled through the results pages on the Poole Speedway website and tried to keep tab of how many times over the past 3 seasons that the Poole no.7 [weakest rider] was only given three rides... I do expect I have slightly miscounted somewhere clicking each match sheet over 14 different pages, but regardless, here are the results I collated! 2022 Poole started the year with Drew Kemp and Nathan Ablitt at reserve. As the season progressed Kemp moved into the main team and both Ben and Zach Cook spent time partnering Ablitt at reserve. Ablitt had three rides in 32 matches that year, which was 84% of meetings. Interestingly, only 29 times were down to reserve changes. There were three instances of him being a 'NS' [non-starter?] 2023 Kyle Newman and Adam Roynon started the year as the reserve pairing, but over the course of the year Joe Thompson was brought in. He spent time at reserve with both Anders Rowe and Kyle Newman. The Poole no.7 only had 15 matches with three rides (41% of meetings) this season. *There was a extended period where Poole were using R/R at second string, which meant there were actually six matches this season in which the Poole no.7 rode five or six times in a meeting. **Additionally, Poole had a tendency to make 3 reserve changes of no. 6 and no.7 during a meeting, favouring the no.6, this season. ***This season was the only one in which Poole used a tac-sub to replace their no.7, which happened once. 2024 The season started with Sam Hagon and Max Perry at reserve, but this soon changed with the addition of Vinnie Foord. Hagon's form also saw him move into the main team with Tobias Thompson riding at reserve alongside the Poole no.7. Further to this, injuries prevented Foord from riding at times, leaving Ben Trigger, Jacob Hook and Paul Starke to deputise. The Poole no.7 had just three rides on 15 occasions (45% of potential meetings). SUMMARY Over the last 3 seasons, the Poole no.7 has been given only three rides in 62 meetings, which was 57% of the time. Over half of those instances were Nathan Ablitt in 2022. Over the last two seasons the Poole no.7 has been given just three rides in 43% of matches. CONCLUSION I was clearly wrong re: Middlo not being ruthless enough! He (and the substitute away managers!) have been happy to make a reserve switch when needed!

I have often felt Middlo didn't take out our [Poole's] weaker no.7 when he should have! For me, this is one of his weaknesses as a manager, not being ruthless enough! The flipside being that he is an excellent man-manager and motivator, so I make the assumption he prefers a team-talk and slap on the arse on the way to the track!! Would love to see some data here - what percentage of meetings in the last few years has Middlo made a reserve change and given the Poole no.7 just three rides...

I'll put my neck out and say Kerr gets close to a 9.00 average next season, if he can remain healthy. The Poole press release notes he was in the top-15 averages in the Championship, and with at least two riders above him (Brennan and Ben Cook) no longer riding in the league, standards are being lowered, he can hopefully put 1.00+ on his average

Ahh. My bad. I had heard Andersen was going to be a Pirate.

Well Tobias is the ???, not Ablitt as I guessed, and as previously noted, its a "continental 4.00 and a new 2.00", aka Mikkel Andersen and Will Cairns.

Richard Lawson Lewis Kerr Zach Cook Anders Rowe ??? Mikkel Andersen placeholder reserve (William Cains once he is old enough!) I think Vinnie was pencilled in when the limit was expected to be 38. Once it ended up being 40, that gave the us an extra 2.00 to play with for the signing. I'm wondering if Ablitt gets brought back instead.

Waited until Heat 14 for his tac sub. Allowed an earlier race with 3 riders only. Very strange

Glasgow manager needs a talking to. What is he doing? Where is the tac sub!?!

Greatly missed for sure. Some of my fav Poole memories came from Darcy.

Bit more passing tonight so far...

Right decision from the ref to award it

Ok.... Now that was a tactical lay down from Ben Cook

Did Nicholls get away with laying it down there? Couldn't tell from where I sit. Masters defo had a roller there in Ht 13... Bonus point in jeopardy

Went back and watched Palm-Toft decision in Heat 12 at Poole, and my interpretation was MPT was willing to go down there and that's what got him excluded. Yes there was contact, albeit slight. MPT then runs a little wider and then makes a tactical decision a split second later to lay it down as he knows he's lost the position, and there was contact, so nine times out of ten he thinks a ref will exclude Jacobsen. In my opinion he should have been able to withstand the contact and ride on - we see much bigger contact in the first bend without incident all the time. It's not right to call it a "dive" by MPT, it's more a veteran move by a savvy rider expecting a decision to go his way, which the ref didn't give him. I can totally understand why Poole-haters and Kings Lynn fans are aggrieved, BUT, I'd like to see more ref's take Ackroyd's stance and exclude the falling rider for making not enough effort to stay on his bike after incidental contact. Please note I am NOT accusing MPT of being a cheat. What he did is part and parcel of the way speedway riders act because it's ingrained in them. As for the Woryna incident at Kings Lynn, my take on the matter was that he lost control as he was pushed wide by the clean pass on the inside. Zero contact, but in his efforts to defend the move he went down. Seemed like he was slightly shook up, but it's highly likely if Poole weren't being 5-1'd he have found the adrenaline to at least try and get off the track. He defo had a look to see the rider's position's and that made him stay down. Do I like this? No. I always cheer ALL riders who clear the track after a crash, but is it part of speedway tactics - yup. It's one of those where if the rider does clear the track when being 5-1'd he'll be labelled naive by fans of his team!! I'd add that while Kings Lynn were on a clear 5-1, isn't the rule that the rider had to purposely lay it down to draw a re-run, and that's what triggers the 15m handicap? I don't think that's what happened here... Just wanted to give an attempt at an even-handed Poole supporter's opinion...

<applause> great ride by Lambert. Meeting over if he didn't do that