Col

What a bizarre meeting. All Dackarna (except Pawlicki) then it was the Protasiewcz, Holder & Woffinden show.

Is that better than R/R? Any news on a replacement for Jenkins?

No ruts, no blue groove, little dust. Works for me. Even gates? Philip Hellstroem-Baengs Swedish season is over, sign him up! He has impressed on the TV, only 16 I think.

The track walk did not occur on my previous visits, the post interval centre green viewing heats 12-14 is regular. Brummies only have fellow wooden spoon contenders Scunthorpe & Berwick left to ride at home. Unless they make changes they are likely to struggle to win both, not having Shanes at reserve is a massive loss to the current team.

I did not walk the track, looked fine from the stands. Bit dusty later on, but nothing like a few meetings ago when there was so much dust turns 3&4 looked like they'd been hit by a sandstorm.

If I've seen a more convincing away win in Speedway I'm not sure when. 5 home heat wins all night isn't good but only four visiting 0's on the scorecard tells the story. Ellis was poor, easily passed by Nicholls when on a Tac Sub in heat 7 with a clever cut back, only one heat win is not good enough from a #1. Looked slow. Aarnio & Castagna were OK, they got the only home heat advantages of the night. Aarnio did well to deny Nichols a maximum but the meeting was effectively over as a contest by then. Castagna is too nice & is infuriatingly obsessed with the curb. Should have been more ruthless down the back straight on a couple of occasions, particularly in heat 9 he had a huge lead over Douglas exiting turn 2. Garrity was entertaining because he was having clutch issues & even when he didn't go off 15 metres was giving the other 3 a head start. Only beat the Lions reserves & Douglas but that took a wall of death style effort. Agertoft won heat 2, then picked up a few points from the Lions reserves. All you can ask for from a reserve. Coles proved to be a mobile chicane for a few laps in each of his rides. Worrall gated & was fast 4 times, did nothing when he missed the gate. The two Lions reserves, Perks & Nicholls all impressed. Douglas less so but still did as much as was required of him. Gate 1 seemed a bit of a graveyard tonight, odd. Having seen 3 of the 4 likely playoff contenders at Perry Barr this year, Leicester look the team to beat to me.

No problems with the track tonight.

Now Agertoft has got an official average, I'm not sure it's worth keeping him in the side for the rest of the year if there is a better option.

For those at the meeting, West Bromwich Albion are at home to Reading. If you don't make a swift get away when the M5 merges with the M6 it's going to be horrific. I did mean to mention this before but I forgot.

Yes, Brum are going to struggle at reserve and the pair of them have to cover Shanes rides as only Castagna of the top 5 can. Unless Brummies name a number 8? I assume that is still the rule!. Danyon Hume maybe? While he is erratic he is quicker than Agertoft & Jenkins. Not sure Ellis would be keen to partner him again though. IMO it would be worth switching Castagna to #2, Aarnio #4 and have R/R at #3.

You seem well set to finish 17th or higher, which is the only aim now the Blades are Premier League. It has been nearly 3 years since Rondon's hat-trick of headers, that was the last time it was enjoyable to be a Baggie.

Thanks for clarifying. Is it too late to re-declare? Even if down to injuries?

According to the GSA's on the BSPA site published on 16/08 Agertoft is still 5.00 & Shanes 4.78.

Going. Glug. Glug. Swindon by 14. At least.

I don't need to see the consequence of their choice. Gate 2 was the best gate on the night. Ellis won from it, Musielak won from it, Perks scored a point from it. If the Swindon team manager hasn't figured that out he is an idiot. He needed 3 points to get a losers bonus point, so take the best gate and put your best rider on it. Swindon got a 5-1. That gets them nothing more than a 3-3 would. They had the best two riders at the meeting. The only way they could have scored less than 3 barring a mechanical disaster was to hand Poole the best gate. Poole needed to put their only rider capable of out pacing Batchelor & Doyle on it, in Kurtz & hope Holder can sneak past either Robin as they queued behind Kurtz. Utter ineptitude all around.

Well Middleditch is equally stupid putting Kurtz off 4.

Gates 1 & 3. Rosco a tactical genius you are not.

One would think with choice of gates one of Batchelor or Doyle will win heat 15 to secure Swindon a point.

Musielak, wake up. Robins need you to win heat 14 off the best gate.

That's it. Over. Musielak, Jensen & Ellis rubbish after reasonable first rides. Let Perks have a few rides, at least he is giving chase.

If Agertoft has an official average now is the time to say thanks, see you at reserve next year.

Batchelor & Doyle could be unbeaten by a Pirate yet Swindon could still lose. No back up. Gate 2 is a massive advantage.

Have seen on Brummies site now. Sidecar accident, fractured vertebrae, bruised lung & heart. Not good, fingers crossed no complications. Agertoft at reserve & R/R for Shanes. Big ouch!

Well I'm a long suffering West Bromwich Albion supporter. It was on TV so I should have realised. Don't know if Owlerton, Brammall Lane or even Hillsborough are north, south, East or west Sheffield. I think Hillsborough is close to Owlerton judging by road signs? Will try that route next time. Thanks.

I see, wasn't aware of that. So no Charles Wright Why? That will halve the entertainment.