Steve0

Just remembered that today is Rico's funeral - will be thinking about him and his family and friends today as they say farewell to such a lovely person. I will certainly miss seeing him ride again but he is an even bigger loss to Emma and their boys and hope that today isn't too hard for them. RIP Rico.

First meeting of the season and not too cold but a few light showers but great to see some good speedway. Firstly, have to say I was shocked with the parking - after 3 or 4 years of putting everyone in from the back first, they finally listened to people and common sense prevailed - they were parking people from the front Starting was a bit if a lottery - if you had gates 1 or 4 then you were alright otherwise you were 2 or 3 bike lengths down from the start! You can't read too much into an early season individual meeting as they all test out engines and settings but the stand out riders for me were Matej Zagar (who looked the sharpest of everyone) and Hans Andersen. Well done to Bjarne for winning it. Of the remaining 2012 Robins, Steady started slow but looked good in his last two (both off gate 1), Kildemand and Morris looked good and Batchelor was unspectacular - except for his wheelie at the start of heat 18! Let's hope he gets quickly into the groove. Of the others, Harris was good value - always great to watch him at Blunsdon! Fisher looked very good early on and had a 9 point tally. Nicki P looked pretty good. Of the others, Shields was poor as was Klindt and Ulamek. The remainder looked pretty steady. Good night's speedway - great to see quite a big crowd too - much bigger than the average gate last year (which wouldn't have been difficult).

No competition - the SGPs by the proverbial mile The good thing about the SGPs over the old World Final (similar to the league versus play-off) is that the champion is determined over the season rather than on a night - this, for me, provides a true champion as it levels out the track biases. Like the play offs, the organisers need to be careful that it doesn't just become a money making exercise - they should remember it should be the best of the world's riders - no disrespect to Ljung and Bunyan who aren't!

Eh? It says fantastic team to me! And what a great bunch of riders! In the current economic climate we couldn't afford to put anything like that out - but we can all dream. What we do have is affordable but just not "Elite"!

As a Swindon fan (not one of the "lots" you have spoken to) Poole's victory was not hollow - it was well deserved. What is hollow is the sour grapes from Coventry - get over it By the way, well done Rory - he looked good at the Bob Kilby meeting and he carried this onto the ELRC-well done

That's the four I thought it would be - no surprise!

How about putting out their third in the averages rider Shamek Pawlicki - or does he only ride the meetings he wants to?? Either this meeting is for the elite riders or it's not - no way should Fisher b in this meeting!

I never thought I would see the day - but Nicholls has a superior average than Fisher by nearly 1.5 points and he was our number 1 rider - Fisher is 5th in the Coventry averages!! The point is that Fisher is not the best from Coventry - what's up with the missing Pole again? As I said previously clubs/riders should be severely dealt with for devaluing a once prestigious event (and it's not just Coventry)!

The best of the EL

The best Birmingham and Coventry can do is to put 6 pointers into what is supposed to be a showpiece event. Either the BSPA need to start getting hard on clubs/riders or they need to scrap the whole thing!!

I like Edward Kennett and would like to have seen him riding for Swindon this year. However, I can't believe the reference to a mistake. What happened here (within the rules of speedway) is cheating - however much you want to sugar coat it!! I think sufficient punishment would be for him to be banned Europe wide until the end of the year - anything greater is unnecessary because he did own up and admit his "crime". Anything less would not be sufficient in my view

I have to say that Clive Fisher on his own is normally very irritating but with Dick Barrie they were like a bad double act much like the Chuckle Brothers. Dick's inane prattling was very annoying as were his teeth whistling through the microphone. The speedway was entertaining though - just a shame that Crumpie and Hancock were obviously saving themselves for Saturday - although great to see them both back riding in this country - even if it was for just one night - excluding Cardiff.

Another pointless thread raking up the winter again. There is already a thread in the Shared Events area so do not need one here too

What - we can get a smaller crowd than we have been getting? Hard to believe!

Ifs, buts and maybes - fact is he is not in the final on merit!

Don't know why you are safrican americaning! It seems Auty is crap on his home track at Sheffield or he would have progressed on merit !!

He didn't - and according to the Swindon website is devastated by the decision!

What absolute rubbish - yes I'd love to see an EL reserve rather than an established heat leader - NOT. I would have thought for seeding purposes you select the best 2 riders who didn't get a chance to ride - Auty had his chance and didn't take it. I'm sure I would rather see Simon Stead ride than Josh Auty thank you very much - so please don't speak for others !! Doesn't matter anyway because they have given it to Auty - another nail in the coffin of speedway!!

The news we have all been waiting for.... Swindon have a league point!!

Great news! I don't know why they couldn't have done that weeks ago because it doesn't have any real details. Good news nonetheless

Did you get another wooden spoon for Christmas? Because you are doing plenty of stirring!! :wink:

Who says the rules are being changed? As yet no statement has said rules will be changed or that Coventry and Peterborough will be running any speedway next season!!

Not just bitter but twisted too - take a chill pill and relax - it's Christmas after all :rolleyes:

I see the Christmas cheer has done nothing to help with your bitterness :rolleyes: What a load of cl@prt@p!!

My gut feeling is that only Coventry will be back in the EL next year and Peterborough will be allowed to join the PL. With Peterborough having let their talisman Bjerre sign for KL and the previous statement that they would not be running in the EL, I think that PL is the best they can hope for - but we will have to wait and see. If they do run EL I would have to question why on earth they let Bjerre go so quickly and easily!!