21st century heathen

What have you been smoking?

Or if you fancy non-Wolf-like company...

The only way the obvious 3 will be challenged for the rostrum is if they have a fall, ex, ef etc. PK will win if the knee is okay. If he is not 100% comfortable then the format may make him think twice about a couple of overtkaes here and there.

I was looking forward to seeing Mark again. He's always great to watch. Looks like PK, Billy, and Freddie just need to work out the order for the podium.

If you need to, text me. I'll PM you my number now.

It'll be interesting to see if he remembers the quickest way round Monmore.

Well that's a line up to ensure a home win. Funny how Greg never gets a ride now considering he used to beat your guys all the time. Oh well congrats PK. Don't forget you have the challenge with Cov too.

It'll be interesting to see how he goes if he gets a chance. He was widely reported to be carrying an injury when he came over before. He looked well short of pace though. So which was it? The injury? The bikes? Both? I know he's a little older but any news on whether Ryan Fisher is still looking to come back over? He's got talent. If he can stay off the pop, and most importantly get some decent equipment under him he could be well worth someone taking a risk on.

A part quote from the Wolves Official site. The next meeting at Monmore Green is the hugely popular Banks's Olympique individual event, which features the unique handicap system, on Monday October 16 at 7.30pm. Further details of the line-up for this meeting will be issued in due course. So still no details on the line-up. Yuo'd think they'd get it sorted as soon as possible. That would give any fans that may wish to travel a chance to make arrangements. If it's left 'til the last minute to announce the riders it could be too late to pull in any but the locals.

It seems PK has taken a guest booking on place of Hans tonight. My personal opinion is that he sees it as a chance to test his new knee brace. If he comes through ok he'll ride in Wolves colours next week.

Not yet. If it's in the local before it appears here one of us will post it.

The current Wolves team will ride to get the home fans in. I would expect one more big name that could challenge to win it. Greg/Hans/Nicki perhaps.

I couldn't give a flying wotsit whether the ref is male/female/alien. It was some of the worst refereeing you'll ever see. It was very dangerous, and there was no reason not to put the red lights on when the leading two were coming off the second turn. By then it was obvious a fallen rider was hurt, and couldn't get up immediately. It would've also given the leading two all the time they would've needed to slow down and avoid the incident safely.

Why? It's up to the individual, and has nothing to do with anyone else. Although I hope he'll take advice from those closest to him. Being a Brit, with a British passport, would make building a career in Europe easier.

That comment was sarcastic not nasty. As I said to you on Monday you're about 4' 6", weigh about 5½ stone, and couldn't look fat in a coat even if you wanted to. At one point I thought the breeze was going to blow you off your heels!!! edit - Anyway it was you that said you hadn't put a coat on because they make you look fat...not me. Women!!!

Thanks. I think you're right about Mear. Thankfully he got striaght up, and seemed physically okay. He may well have scared himself have to death though. He went in to the bottom turn with way way too much speed. As I said to someone on Monday night Simon Stead and Charlie Gjedde in full flight take that bend faster than anybody, but I don't think even they would have gone in like that. Charlie always makes us laugh at Monmore. He carries scary speed through turn 3/4, but then isn't quite sure what to do with it all when gets back into turns 1/2. It usually ends up with him drifting out frighteningly close to the fence, or turning himself inside out trying to scrub some speed off.

No probs. Always nice to be able to air our views without the b!tching that appears on most threads these days. As you are more familiar with this level of speedway could you tell me if there were any shocks on last night performances? Was everyone about where you'd expect? Anyone that really shone on the night? Anyone let themselves down on the night? etc...

Phil, As I've mentioned a couple of times I don't watch lower league speedway. This is for no other reasons than I was brought up on a diet of the worlds best and prefer to watch the best ride, and the fact that I can't afford to go to as much speedway as I'd like. I really enjoy this meeting, and always look forward to it. Everything I've said is just based on what I saw, and taken entirely at face value. I accept and understand that I'm in no position to analyse the riders performances as I would the Elite League riders. *edit* Any none regulars that enjoyed the match last night should try to get along to the Olympique a week on Monday. That's always a great nights speedway. (esp. when Greg was showing the home riders how to do it )

That wasn't loneliness. I'd just farted so nobody wanted to stand next to me. And whos fault was that? I said head not face. That move works very nicely when there's a nice line of damp dirt around the outside late on. The other line is right against the curb on the exit of turn two. The bit in the middle is not usually the fastest late on. I'm not taking anything away from him at all...just a bit of Monmore insight for next time. Not sure about that. He tailed off when the pressure was on. It was said to be an old injury that he'd given a whack. Hopefully it will settle down after a couple of days.

In that case...it's a good job you hadn't got a coat on because rumour has it coats make you look like a right fat heifer. Like I said Steve, I don't know anything about the guys. I couldn't have told you the above. Don't let it be lost in this that I asid he rode well and deserved his place on the rostrum. Barker has a good style. He was good to watch. Smart was impressive early on, but then blew his chance of a rostrum place in his last two races. The video was being played back, as normal, in the bar after the match. I assume it will be on sale from a week on Monday???

Yes forced!!! She sat on my head while you talked at to me. (Not really) Anyway it wasn't a complete waste of my time. We did find out that you are a skinny little short-ar$£. Yes, that's what I meant. He rode well but his style on the bike isn't exciting. He picked up his points easily, but wasn't good enough to challenge Lewis. Nothing against the guy at all. I would happily watch riders like Simon Stead, James Wright, Lewis Bridger, Mark Loram...just doing practice laps for an hour. I wouldn't stand and watch riders like Tai, Bjarne Pedersen, Leigh Adams, (of old) Tommy Knudsen, Jimmy Nilsen...doing practice laps. I hope that clears it up. I don't watch lower league speedway so I only see a few of these guys when they come to Monmore for this meeting. With that in mind please remember that I have no bias, I just called everything as I saw it. The only rider I've seen ride a decent number of meetings is Lewis as I hold a season ticket for both Wolves and Coventry.

It's a shame so few people will read this thread because it really is worth highlighhting how poor the ref was in this heat. I found Woffinden boring to watch, although he did very well. Barker was very impressive, and well worth watching. Hargreaves was solid, without really having to do much. Lewis was a cut above the rest. Especially in his first ride when he was having problems with the bike on the first lap. So many riders would have just pulled off the track but he just refused to give up, and managed to get it running properly. He managed to get past Westacott without too much hassle, but had lost a hell of a lot of ground on Hargreaves. He just reeled him in to take the lead. That was such a good ride, and not the only time he had to come through from the back. From an entertainment point of view let's hope he never learns to gate. Certainly the right 3 made the podium.

Apologies for any mistakes but I was forced to talk to Wolves fans for most of the night. I'm sure they were trying to distract me. For the record the ref was Christina Turnbull. By not putting the red lights on until so late she put riders in serious danger, and there is no good reason for her actions. The reaction of the fans said it all. Virtually everybody turned to the ref's box and either made gestures, or had words to say. There delays were when there were re-runs, two rides back-to-back for riders, quick track grades, and of course the main interval. Heat 17 was a cracking race. I didn't have time to text comments on it straight after the heat, and it hasn't been added. Betson went from 1st to 2nd, back to 3rd, along the home straight and going around turn 1 lap 2. He then held a tight line to go passed both riders to regain 1st place. As they went around turn 1/2 they were 3 abreast. It was Westacott that went from 2nd to 1st as they were going into the turn. As they went around the turn he went back to 2nd. Taylor was making ground on both around the outside. He went from from 3rd to 1st very briefly as they went 3 abreast. He couldn't hold the speed on the turn and went straight back to 3rd. Betson levelled off on the exit of the turn to go clear for the win. Martin then got in on the action towards the end of the race to provide a tight last lap battle for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. There were no more passes, but there's was barely 2 bike lengths between 2nd and 4th on the line. Lewis provided more passes in one night than some tracks manage in a season. The crowd was respectable, but probably only half the normal number.

I'm going to give you 15 minutes to edit that comment before I respond to it. Too late - Are you sure there isn't something you'd like to insert between the words 'never' and 'down' so that it makes perfect sense? I could amend it for you if you like?

JACK THE LAD IN LAST CHANCE SALOON! SHROPSHIRE youngster Jack Hargreaves is facing up to his last chance to win the British Under-18 Championship at Wolverhampton on Monday (7.30pm). Hargreaves, born in Shrewsbury, is now a Premier League regular with Redcar and is making steady progress up the speedway ladder. But the favourite for the title must be Eastbourne talent Lewis Bridger who finished on the rostrum last season in a meeting won by William Lawson, who has now become a regular in Wolverhampton's Elite League squad. Bridge beat 1996 world champion Billy Hamill in a league meeting at Monmore Green earlier this season. Monmore promoter Chris Van Straaten said: "I wanted to stage this all along and I'd have done all I could to include it even if we were in the play-offs," said Van Straaten. "I enjoy these meetings, the young lads come along and see it's a big stage to perform on and they always put on a great show. Next Monday should be no different." In a meeting supported by Kit Co, this is the line-up: Daniel Betson (Rye House), Richie Dennis (Scunthorpe), Shane Waldron (Plymouth), Robert Mear (Rye House), Harland Cook (Rye House), Ben Barker (Somerset), Lee Smart (Plymouth), Sam Martin (Boston), Tai Woffinden (Scunthorpe), Ben Taylor (Buxton), Ben Hopwood (Mildenhall), Joe Haines (Cleveland), Billy Legg (Newport), Lewis Bridger (Eastbourne), Jamie Westacott (Plymouth), Jack Hargreaves (Redcar). *FIRST details of the Banks's Olympique line-up will appear in Monday's official programme, priced £2. Taken from Wolves Official Website. I don't know if that's the riding order, or just a list.