HGould

Tend to agree.. I went to 4 Wembley Finals...90,000+ at each great occasions 1972 - awful racing 1975 - awful racing 1978 - poor racing only enlivened by Kennett and Jessup doing so well 1981 - great racing and great spectacle. Everyone remembers 1981, conveniently forgets how bad the racing was in the previous 3 (and before that) yet it's lauded as a "great venue"

In amidst all of the delays and issues hats off to the Stadium / Tannoy Presenter / Announcer Not sure who it was; as you don't really see them in the setting at Cardiff, but worked overtime and can't have been an easy gig.

You are wrong. Clubs staging major Events will put out a release seeking sponsors for meeting / heats / fuel / oil / various packages. It's standard practice. Don't Poole have sponsors, heat sponsors, match sponsors or is the Chateau owner so filthy rich he pays for everything. A Club has to pay to stage a major event, it has to generate enough through its own promoting and attendance to make enough to cover the costs and generate a profit. Get out of cuckoo land.

No one knows exactly what he has taken, either in excess from off a banned list of legal prescription drugs (e.g painkiller overdose) or something that is illegal and not pain relief but something classed as a social drug (soft or hard) or even alcohol related, other than Ben himself. It would seem very unlikely to be a steroid or performance enhaning in terms of muscle / strength building, more likely to be either a social drug (in which case he deserves 2 years minimum ban) or an over-dose in terms of amount of a prescription or off the shelf drug that is on a list of medicines he should not have taken OR and probably most importantly, have self-decared he had taken. If you were to test and ban every rider who in extreme pain and under pressure to ride has taken a prescription drug he shouldn't then there would be very few left. That doesn't excuse what he's done , it means he got caught and has to deal with the consequences. May the first person who in pain has not swallowed may be more than they should for relief cast the first stone (accepting there are degrees of difficulty or risk you are then putting workmates under - a bus driver may put 60 lives at risk, a train driver hundreds, a Speedway rider you have to balance against that kind of risk factor) Past reputation, good or bad counts for a lot and on that score it's about as bad as it gets. Had he been someone with a better reputation no doubt many would be calling a different tune. It's Ben Barker so in many eyes its hard to have any degree of compassion. Until the actual results are published (if there are ever published) and a hearing takes place, no one knows do they? The Hearing btw is standard practice and is his chase to explain with representation if he wants it what his side of the story is. His CL Club have been very clear to set out the defence from day 1, not excusing it but in mitigation. IF the findings back what they are saying the punishment may be relatively short, possibly to 31 October, if what was found refutes and contradicts that defence then I think it'll be 2 years at least and he will have fooled them and all the rest of us. Whatever the outcome the Sport needs MORE tests and more education and not just gloat that they have caught one and then sit back and do naff all for another 3-4 years.

If your not sure god help the rest of us. Be interesting to see what happens. Bomber would be very popular Might be best for Brennan to focus on tomorrow.

good point...thought he was SGP reserve - who is SGP reserve as opposed to local reserve

On m5 and just realised the ferral zombie half of brum are playing Cardiff today 12.30pm kick off. Brilliant planning that from someone. They will be loose in the city and blind drunk at around 3pm...headin for pubs no doubt! The ferral lot of brum who shame the city v Cardiff who are equally idiotic. Word of advice, if they approach - ignore, keep stum and head in the other direction!

If Lebedevs is there (without bikes presumably on way) he would take Adams place. He'd be deemed to be signed in for practice. I'm not sure there is a requirement to actually practice. If he's not there (Lebedevs), I'm not sure if Brennan would take Adam place or whether Tom and Leon would just split Adam's rides. Someone with more knowledge will know.

Indeed after Lawson has nearly wiped people out pulling same trick a few times lately in PL and CL. Basso is a massive talent and in the right place with you to optimise it.

sadly that's not the way SGP normally work SGP will have designated reserves. Tom and Leon are just local "Meeting reserves". SGP will try to get someone there if he's not already there in situ.

They haven't used him TONIGHT have they?

Why would Plymouth use a guy whose fencing of MPT not only cost them a win at Poole but also all their momentum. If Lawson could Guest why hasn't any other team used him?

Think you've totally missed the point. This Fixture traditionally night b4 SGP at Cardiff. Was previously at Somerset who had a 4000 crowd in 2019. Oxford now most suitable with decent capacity adjacent to M4 link to South Wales.

It was a cracking meeting when run at Somerset in 2019. All teams seemed to be near full strength, massive crowd and some exceptional racing. No longer the depth of talent though there was even then.

Craig had a series of hard falls and got pretty bashed up physically a few weeks back, several through no fault of his own. May be they don't want to risk him riding with painkillers after what happened to Barker if some rival Club wants to snitch him up? With Craigs other well documented health issues it may be the case he's just not in the right place to ride physically or mentally at the moment and if that's the case he deserves space to get 100% right.

Are you seriously suggesting SCB and BSPL would still be authorising a Guest facility on the alleged circumstance you suggest. Even they would ask for independent proof surely.

You mean false information from whingers with ginger hair. Do you really think management committee would continue to sanction without credible independent medical proof. Someone said he was riding in testimonial for ginger whinger. It turned out he was. The proof offered was for the original running in early 2020. PMSL

Where prime Real Estate is involved money talks and no doubt someone will be tapping up Harry Redknapp for some very big brown envelopes for Councillors gratuities.

Agreed Many Clubs do under 16s free some Family Tickets, some Student under 22 discounts. Strange Poole have suddenly gone Under 16s free for a Council visit. Stranger still when getting good crowds they discount adult tickets to a tenner when they don't need to. Could well alienate locals and probably Council will be very aware of usual crowd dynamic anyway. Why meddle? Maybe the rumour this is last year and not 2023 is true after all?

Kyle (Newman) struggled at Brummies in early 2019 in a struggling team when asked to be a heat leader. I always felt he was unfairly jocked out of the team when others were delivering less at the time but it was an averages game. He then seemed to find a whole new lease of life and best form in ages at Eastbourne in 2019 when he replaced Brennan and where he said he was enjoying racing again and again in 2021 before they closed. He struggled with fitness at Oxford it seems in a difficult No 2 role and seemed rusty race fitness wise when I saw him earlier in the season. If he can have a spell at reserve at Redcar and get the enjoyment back he could be a massive weapon for them. As for Bickley, flash websites and social media and stickers on your van doesn't mean anything on the Track. He's been passed and left behind now by 3-4 years worth of newcomers. Never going to be better than a good NDL Heat Leader, a big fish in a little pond.

How times change. 45 years ago Peter Collins made a valiant attempt to retain a world title with a huge hole in his shin. 38 years ago, at Cowley no less Kenny Carter won a British WC semi final with 2 broken legs No doubt both full of morphine and painkillers. You make an accusation about alcohol that is completely unfounded but again 40 years ago Kelly Moran would famously or infamously (take your pick) arrive at matches so drunk that they'd throw him in a cold shower for half an hour to sober him up. Over the decades and now speedway riders take large amounts of painkillers, some take illegal substances, depending on their popularity often a blind eye is turned. Some rude with well documented mental health issues that require medication that they have been brave and honest to open up about. Who hasn't driven with excess alcohol or painkillers in their system. Is a speedway track any more or less dangerous than the M25? Barker will be dealt with according to the severity of what he is proven to have done. Until then may be people shouldn't be holier than thou. Then go and look up "snus" widely used in British Speedway. Illegal in most EU countries.

sometimes you gotta know when not to argue with a lady...

100% agree Lack of enough top end riders so those that are about; are if rumours are correct; holding Clubs to ransom demanding 4 figure sums sometimes up front, to ride and that just makes it an ever vicious circle of increased costs for all Clubs. Don't blame the riders, its the law of supply and demand, if you're in demand you make the most of it. Needs to be a complete realignment and far more realistic pay grades in CL in my opinion.

We had Verge and Wooley both NDL (second strings at best) and Morley and Complin (NDL heat leaders) from memory plus Starkey and Sedgeman Very much an NDL look I'd say. Did rather well in the circumstances

Bit lax of Poole not to inform all their supporters of the line-up for the Match this late. They would surely have had it for about 24 hours and haven't updated their website from TBC since Sunday.