cinderfella

Maybe but speedway start in the spring and look at the number of meetings that were postponed at the beginning of the season (53 in March & April) and now at the business end of the season the weather is taking it's toll again.

The sooner a fully independent body is appointed to run speedway the better. Yes promoters are the ones who make investments in their clubs but it is the fans' gate money that keeps them in existence but that fact is always overlooked when it comes to the BSPA making decisions. It is only human nature for promoters to vote to protect their own interests but OWN interests mean exactly that and other teams do suffer eg Rye House. I do believe the amalgamation of the PL & CL would benefit the sport especially if it stopped doubling up. Going back to clubs' traditional race nights would also surely be a good thing (ask Rye House) but then no doubts the Poles and their money would mean some riders choosing not to ride over here. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing if meant giving loyal british riders and youngsters better opperchancities. Incidentally if clubs who can't fulfill their league commitments are fined then the sport really is doomed. The weather can't be helped unless one of those promoters is actually God like he thinks he is and has been turning the tap on.

Yip all we need is to get rid of advertising hoardings sorry bike covers, uprights and kevlars and then we will be racing again

Ah but will he still be riding at 80 like Glasgow Cyclones' legend Chic Mackie?

That extra speed is down to not using bar/fork cover I bet

In that case I propose all 14 programmed riders start the race with the back marker dropping out after each lap until there is one guy left. That guy gets three points and the previous 2 get two and one respectively Ht2 has only 13 starters as the guy who finished last in ht1 dropping out of the meeting. Same format for races and subsequent hts. That way fans would get by my reckoning 111 laps at least for their £s

The first step is simple - A TOTALLY INDEPENDENT RULING BODY!

And the track was packed with 5 of the toothless variety

Evidence? Recent match vs Lakeside, one of the other contenders for a play-off sport and a team with two former Tigers that know Ashfield as well as anyone does. We had to prevent them from gaining even a single point to help our own cause yet he gave a reserve who had scored 1pt from three rides another ride while the other reserve had scored 7(+1) while the score was 36-23 with 5 heats to go which included their top 3 taking 7 rides. Lakeside could have overturned that gap and secured a point which at the end of season could have been the difference in either team qualifying. That's is evidence of tactical naivety in my book

When I heard who had been appointed as co'manager pre -season I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If anyone should have had the job, or the manager's job after Stewart resigned it was Michael. I recall him being able to quote every gate position from either column (something Vissing needed help with last night) and he is tactically aware and shrewd as well as knowledgeable as anyone I've known in my 50 years watching speedway. He would bleed red & white stripes but whether or not other commitments prevent him from taking on such a post I don't know.

Er you forgot 4) the training track behind the stadium

Got thinking back to the days of old 13 heat league matches followed by 5 or 6 further races in the 2nd half culminating in the Rider Of The Night Final. Why don't they bring back a National Rider Of The Night Final but with points awarded throughout the season with the rider with the most aggregate points at the end of the season winning something like a new machine, van etc. A scoring system awarding success at an away track (such as an extra point for reaching the final) could be introduced to make things interesting perhaps. Any thoughts?

But the young Poles don't seem to need that time. Why is that I wonder?

Young Master Kemp seems to be the latest hot prospect. I just hope that he is given time to mature at a sensible pace and not too much pressure is put on him. Look forward to seeing him in action against Glasgow.

Just having a thought about last nights meeting Edinburgh, who of course own Cookie, must have been laughing when they agreed to let him race for Glasgow knowing he wouldn't be available for the derby league clash at Armadale and although being the highest averaged rider in the league the choice of guests would have been limited.

We had a big Screen and he was as bad round Armadale as the majority were last night

And he ended up at Edinburgh - maybe Bomber will too and give us some hope

Think the writing was on the cards from our first home meeting when Richie went through the tapes in ht 1 and Sarj was sent out to replace him BEFORE the team manager had made a decision on whether he was going off 15m or not. Need either Stewart Dickson (and I was never his greatest fan after way Ian Steel was treated) or Michael Max (one of the most knowledgeable guys in speedway) as team manager as current one is tactically naive to say least.

You would have room if Scotty moved back to Ipswich as the usual season ending rumour mill grinds into action lol

Think maybe Paul is finding the flying up to home meeting a bit more expensive than expected. Think it would be safe to assume he will be back at Peterborough next year based on his guest outing for them recently. If all the talk of Glasgow changing leagues is true all I can say is the NL will be slightly better off

He has 'allegedly' told Poole fans he is fed up with the travel. Glasgow certainly got rid of the wrong guys when they let Richie go and yet another season where we've carried a passenger at reserve.

Certainly don't see Glasgow winning based on that performance. Apart from guest Ben Barker only Paul Starke could hold his head high. Lots of questions to be asked of Glasgow management and decisions taken this year on and off track.

From where we were on the 3rd bend it looked like Vissing was taken down and as I said Richie started slowing down before the red lights came on almost as if he knew there had been contact and he expected something. I have to say I thought the ref was slow at putting on the red lights at time tonight especially in the NJLRC and it was poor that he did not stop the race when one of the riders got his helmet peak caught on the tapes (though I don't don't know if it was the official match ref who officiated that part of the evening). Also thought medics were too slow in getting to Greg Millar after his bad fall.

Full marks to BB tonight. The real Ben turned up thank goodness otherwise it could have ended up much worse. Would be Glad to see him back at Ashfield on that form.

One lesson for Glasgow management tonight - DON'T MESS WITH RIDING ORDER! 1) Harris and Starke didn't know where each other were most of the time 2) If you put a rider at a different number make sure he knows what gate he takes his first ride from. Vissing went to the wrong gate for his first ride and was told to move by the start marshall and rather than turn round he went on to the centre green and got excluded. On another note why did the Edinburgh management only choose to show replays of certain exclusions? In ht9 it appeared that Vissing was pushed wide and taken down to the extent that an Edinburgh rider slowed down expecting the race to stopped before the red light came on. Vissing was, in many fans of both teams wrongly excluded. The replay wasn't shown. Later on Riss was rightly excluded after locking up and falling on his own and the replay shown on the big screen several times. Then in ht 15 many thought Wells was taken down but the ref invited 3 back (Worrall had already been excluded). The replay of the Wells incident was shown several times showing he was taken down. Were Edinburgh trying to influence the ref it has to be asked. Surely a rule has to be brought in saying it's either all or no replays?