False dawn

We run both meetings at Belle Vue on Monday. Alright, I'll get my coat

I think this is an unusual round i.e. there are 2 riders from each team that nearly everyone will pick. The final already looks a bit less obvious in terms of who to choose. It is still "game on". You could invoke the "choose before the competition starts" rule as they have with the championship itself. Then we would have to choose 2 riders from every team before event 1 and be stuck with our choices barring injuries 4 out of 13 haven't.

Am I the only one not to extend this thread and obey the rules by editing my original post? Oh bugger, I broken the rules by asking!

I recall when they brought in tape touching as an offence (yes that was a long time ago). It was mayhem and some riders (Kelvin Tatum was one as I recall) said it would never work and the rules were stifling good racing. But within a season, riders learned to come to the tapes, sit still and not touch the tapes. Now we have a certain breed of riders who are working hard to anticipate the start. So what do we do? Let them play silly buggers? Go back to charging the tapes? Allow anything as long as it doesn't cause the odd stoppage/delay? Well no. Don't relax the rules because riders are not prepared to obey them. Referees are paid to judge what is and what isn't a fair start. Oh I know, we all watch the reruns and say that was a perfect start, but without electronic assistance we have to rely on the referee's judgement. The idea of the warning and that warning remaining in force for the rest of the meeting seems a very effective device to make riders sit still. A bit more of an unpredictable period between the green light and the tapes going up will help. This doesn't mean holding the riders for an inordinate time either. A shorter period is just as effective. The, "Oh it's Burt on the button tonight. Just count to 3 and drop the clutch and hey presto" syndrome has to go. Where has the "punishing a rider by his own actions" technique gone? I'll teach the little bugger to sit still. If he moves and pulls up I'll let the tapes go and he'll end up dead last. This isn't rocket science.

Robbie B was not only the top scorer from Event 2, he scored a maximum, did he not? Congratulations.

Can I borrow your crystal ball? I assume you took a bet on Denmark going out tonight?

So before the championship started, if we'd asked Denmark which meeting they wanted to be in, what do you think they would have said? Denmark, Scandanavia. There's a clue in the question! No disrespect intended. But for Denmark to go out tonight is massive news. To lose to Russia and Latvia is shocking. I might sound like Uncle Albert (you know, "In the war.....") but I remember Russia touring over here (a long time ago) and getting thrashed. They have one (or two) pretty good riders now and that means more will follow. Latvia? I know a few of their riders but who had any money on them tonight? Well done and no mistake. A huge result for them and well done. No if's and but's. Speedway is in decline. But someone didn't tell some of these foreigners. There's hope for us all. That's what everyone said we had tonight (before the meeting).

Event 1 Czech Republic Matej Kus Vaclav Milik USA Ricky Wells Gino Manzares Australia Jason Doyle Troy Batchelor Great Britain Craig Cook Robert Lambert Event 2 Sweden Fredrik Lindgren Andreas Jonsson Latvia Andrzej Lebedevs Maksims Bogdanovs Denmark Kenneth Bjerre Niels-Kristian Iversen Russia Emil Sayfutdinov Grigori Laguta Race Off Latvia Andrzej Lebedevs Maksims Bogdanovs Russia Emil Sayfutdinov Grigori Laguta Vadim Tarasenko Australia Jason Doyle Chris Holder USA Ricky Wells Gino Manzares Final Sweden Fredrik Lindgren Antonio Lindback Poland Maciej Janowski Poitr Pawlicki Great Britain Craig Cook Chris Harris Russia Emil Sayfutdinov Vadim Tarasenko

Your description supports my conjecture.I can be a nerd at times, I admit. And I would be truly interested to know the (small) percentage of meetings that meet my criteria. But I can't think of an easy way to determine the exact number and I have a life.

K Bjerre £50 more Jonsson £50 more

Had an email today saying mine have been despatched

And still we suffer endless guests and RRs. So that strategy isn't working. Anyone have any idea how many league and cup meetings have actually taken place with two full teams, 1-7?

I do believe that Scotty still has no desire to ride for Team GB. If the right Danny King turns up, he could be a real asset.

A brave (and honest) assessment of the track. I hope it invokes the proper response and not the sack!

As a Bees fan, this post is a bit hypothetical. But when we race against Poole, all I want is for us to win. I'll shout at their fans. I'll even accuse their promoter of "bending" the rules. The joy of going to Wimbourne Road and winning the playoffs was beyond description. But when it's all done, I'm happy to have a beer with the Poole fans (and continue to debate the rights and wrongs!). This is sport, not real life. Of course, sometimes sport spills over into to real life, when one of our heroes is badly hurt. Then you realise just how meaningless any silliness between opposing fans really is. Get real. This constant bickering is pissing off 99% of the real fans on here (I can't speak for 100% like some seem to). I was there when this forum started and we wanted a place to debate issues and share news. I despair when I see some of the childish nonsense.

I have been watching speedway at Brandon regularly since 1970. And just in case you think I'm casual supporter, I do have vague memories of going with my Dad in the late 50's. I am heartbroken with the loss of a team that riders from all over the World wanted to ride for. There were a few other clubs who came close, but the Bees were the best. Okay, I'm biased and Belle Vue were pretty good and a few others had their day. Don't get into keyboard warrior mode, I'm just trying to illustrate a point. So there are two key things to remember. 1) NEVER give up. The patient is in ITU and is fading. But the disease is treatable and will only give up when we do. 2) There is still some great speedway out there. Oh, the authorities don't know their arse from their elbows, but it has always been so. But despite that, there are youngsters still putting it on the line to win races. And what about the World stage? You've got to be very good to even compete at that level now. Start looking for the good my friends. Please.

The stats don't support that conclusion. BV have only dropped 5 league points at home (44-46 to Somerset and 46-46 to Poole). However their away record speaks for itself. In fact they have an aggregate advantage over everyone except Somerset so far.

Bit concerned by Hans's comment about crunching noises in the back of his head when he turned it. Might be worth chacking out properly.

I didn't say there was anything wrong with gate 4. I'm just imagining myself making the first pick in the final (well I can dream!). Someone whispers in my ear, "half of the races up to heat 16 were won from gate 4". Then adds, "there hasn't been a winner from gate 4 in the last 6 races". My decision might be a touch difficult. Oh I know not all races are won from the gate and these stats can only be an indication. But such stark numbers must indicate something significant.

This year's field will not allow anyone to cruise to the top 8. After 5 rounds, Tai is 3 points ahead of the 8th place rider. And in 9th and 10th you have PP and Zmarzlik. There is, of course, the also ran's further down the field, like NKI and Chris Holder, yeh right. You sit on your laurels at your peril.

So what did they do to gate 4 after heat 16? 8 wins out of 16 races and then not 1 in the remaining 7 races. Call me a nerd. But don't tell me that track "preparation" doesn't make a difference. Still a good meeting. For the record, points scored from each gate and races won from each gate (1 to 4) 2016 38 41 34 25 8 9 4 2 2017 30 40 33 34 4 6 5 8

Chris H got a last in his last race and he's in gate 4 this time out. Any predictions? Gate 3 is a graveyard

interim report..... Gates 1-3 have won 5 races between them. Gate 4 has won 7. I love it.

I watched a meeting at Peterborough recently and, from memory, gate 3 was a massive advantage. Had won more than the other 3 put together. So I went down to the start line to inspect the condition of the track. Guess what? All 4 gates looked identical. I think Excel tells us more about track conditions than the amount of shale in place. I'm still a student of statistics and my own analysis is a strong indication as to what might happen. But riders defy the stats every meeting I go to. And long may it be so. P.S. I'll post the 2016 vs 2017 stats at the end of the meeting

What price statistics? 3 heats. 2 wins from gate 4. That's as many wins from gate 4 as we had from 23 heats last year