Col

Remains to be seen if Zagar is fit. Regardless he surely hasn't (g)raced the Owlerton shale for 15+ years, has he? 2005ish with Reading? Bydgoszcz are at FZG on Sunday, he is listed as riding on sportowefakty.

i was planning on visiting the EoESg on Monday, has the format been confirmed?

Interesting, Becker is listed as riding for Dackarna this evening.

Would Harris have been a better choice. Or King? Wolves are at Owlerton, so Panthers or Witches riders are the only ones available.

Oops. Thought Wright passing Pickering in heat 15 denied Stars a point, I was incorrect.

First two track grades the tractor was removing dirt from the inside which improved, but no rider ventured beyond 2/3's towards the air fence because of the build up of loose material there, the build up must have been 8 inches high exiting turn 4 midtrack by the end. It had been there for a wile, tractor never went near it.

Well watching it on catch-up and skimming all but the races I wasn't sure which riders were who Riss & Barker and the camera operators don't help, but Witches needed a 5-1 - King hadn't had a good night but was only option to partner Doyle.

A more interesting & enjoyable meeting than I'd expect from Foxhall. Sheffield put the point the Aces nicked from their visit into perspective. Foxhall was always going to be the one track Musielak would struggle on this year. King seems to be trying to hard, Batchelor looks spent, why was he in heat 15?

Track very strange today, looked like allot of loose material on it, riders barely moved off the white line. Came good by the end and lots of tractoring. Except for Brennan passing Thomas in heat 4, while races seemed fast they were also quite spread out. 3 good race at the end, Fricke passing TS Iversen, Pickering passing Fricke in heat 13 and the best of all Wright passing Pickering in heat 15. Stars unlucky not get a point, inside gates big advantage tonight. MPT was poor, in his own words he needed to "grow some balls", I'm sure Zagar would have excelled on that track. Suspect the absence of the Slovenian affected Kurtz who looked nothing like the rider that scored a 15 point maximum on BHM, says when Zagar riding it feels like a weight of pressure is lifted. Was surprised Worrall wasn't used in het 14 but Thomas had been decent in his previous rides.

Obviously been more rain here, it was torrential as I passed the airport but dry now. Roadworks by the old greyhound stadium.

Spotted with rain 15 miles South West but very brief, not enough to wet the ground. 1 ride for Wright, 3 for Brennan will yield more points than I'd expect Etheridge to score. MPT is best guest available, lacks the star factor Zagar brings but can't see it affecting the overall score 53-37.

Well if the weather is anything like it is 60 miles South it's turned into quite a nice day, so my Monday afternoon pilgrimage will commence shortly.

Arrival due at 13:30 flight from Katowice? Or 15:40 from Krakow? Guessing, can't see anything else due into Manchester airport today from Poland.

No cancellation as yet.

Weather forecast for today is rather wet.

WTF was Janowski doing in the semi.... idiot! Cost me big time.

Lokomotiv are tier 3 now, I thought.

I'd like to play DYM please. Janowski £175 more Michelsen £66 more Vaculik £125 less Doyle £34 less

Looking forward to the first evening of league action at the NSS when the Kings Lynn Stars visit, Aces finished bottom of the Northern League Cup while the visitors topped the Southern section but Belle Vue have made changes and have started the league with home and away wins v/s the Panthers, whereas the Stars league campaign got off to a spluttering start at Monmore Green live on Eurosport. Assume NKI is still @#1 for Kings Lynn or has that changed now Eliteserien is underway (I'm sure I saw his name on a scorecard from Tuesday).

Yep! They're all younger than me! b**$***$! But seriously? I really have no objection to any Panthers, Harris gave me one of my most memorable moments as a fan in a stadium in Cardiff. Fair play Boro won the league last year but they were always unlikely to replicate that success.

Watched it. Dull as dishwater for first 8 heats. Panthers really are one year too long in the tooth. Aces could have won without Fricke & Zagar! Kurtz was excellent, not just his maximum but his team riding.

It is down to two thing I believe. Most likely the cameraperson has never watched speedway before so doesn't know where to pint the camera. Or less likely the camera is getting everything but the producer (possibly director, I don't know) is choosing the wrong camera to show. Could be both!

Do the riders are on bargain averages for other clubs?

Batchelor a Monmore specialist I think he was less disappointing at Monmore for Sheffield last year than some other tracks. I do remember seeing him employing the typical Monmore tactics for riders that don't really know how to ride it last year: Locking up on the white line on the apex of turns 1 & 2 to stop any riders nipping up the inside as they start the back straight. Somewhat effective but far from quick or pleasant on the eye.

Haven't watched anything yet but disappointing results for Czestochowa & Leszno considering Gorzow & Lublin were without key riders. Lublin maybe the team to beat this year. Mikkel Michelsen might be a good outside bet for a SGP podium overall judging by his Ekstraliga form - behind Zmarzlik & Janowski obviously!