Grachan

I've never been warned. It's because I'm a squeaky clean do-gooder.

What a great meeting. Excellent racing.

Ah right. So he must be an injury replacement then.

If Holder is in the Poole team, and Poole are within the points limit. Then, surely, they can bring Ward back in whenever they want as long as they are still within the points limit. So what's the issue?

I'm not being critical of the draft system. I'm saying Swindon are likely to be the first to make a change. That was the initial question and that was the question I was answering.

My point is that Swindon had one of the last picks in the first round, and then ended up with the last picks from the second round too. So, yes, that gives us a huge disadvatage at reserve and one that we are helpless to do much about. Who would I pick? I don't know about the riders enough to say. Just in terms of how the positions of the riders we have we are clearly at a disadvantage because our second pick, who would have been quite high in the second round, then opted out. So Swindon may be looking to strengthen if they can purely for that reason, but it's not a criticism of Dan Greenwood.Nor is it whingeing. It's a legitimate opinion. Also, Swindon's options should not be limited to riders below Dan. It should be riders at or below the original position of Josh Bates.

Which is the best track you have been to? Belle Vue, Hyde Road. Current track would be Sheffield. Which is the worst track you have been to? Oxford in the 80s when meetings were getting called off in dry weather. Which has the best food you have tasted? Sheffield. Which has the worst food you have tasted? Swindon's home straight burgers. (The ones from the van are decent enough) In terms of facility's ie toilets, seating, access which is the best place you have visited and worst? Wimbledon. The only time I was ever actually impressed with a speedway stadium toilet. Worst was Cradley Heath. They were like the famous Swindon back straight ones, but without a roof.

Unless Darryl Ritchings regains his place in the side I would expect Swindon will make a change. I don't think having Dan Greenwood is doing the club or the rider any favours. Swindon have done badly in the draft, and the impact of currently having to use their third choice as a second rider is having a big impact on results. As stated, if a team make a change then it should be from the same position in the list that they were originally given or below. Or would current league position alter that? And how?

And one thing that really bugs me. Swindon has an electronic score board which shows heat results, times etc. Why has nobody there thought of showing what the actual score is? Surely some people might find that particular piece of information useful.

Very true. And the frustrating thing is that it needn't be because the actual sport itself isn't. It's an interesting point someone made earlier about Bet365 feeds giving a whole new perspective on it. I think that's true. Maybe it lets us see speedway as those who think it is a dull evening out interspaced with 15 minutes of entertainment. The whole evening should be entertaining.

The nature of speedway dictates a lot of gaps between the action. You need to fill those gaps n a way that keeps people entertained. Music plays a part in that. It may not get people through the turnstiles but it plays a part in the overall experience. Speedway has a real problem with that. It is an excellent product packaged badly. And that does matter.

Just watch 4music or listen to radio one. Play new stuff. It just keeps things more current. If you want to play Born to be wild then play it, but have new stuff either side. Not just continuous old fogey rock, which was what happened for the second half of the meeting. And i'm an old fogey rock music fan by the way. But it has it's place. Keep the music selection fluid and updated from week to week. You want it so that when people hear a current song they will recognise it from hearing it at speedway. That's what i think, anyway. Speedway seriously needs to lose it's old fashioned image and the music played and style or presentation can play a big part in that. And don't play Hey rock and roll. Even though it's not Gary Glitter an awful lot of people think it is. And lose the William Tell Overture too. It really dates things. Have some up tempo dance music (one thing swindon do get right).

It's Showadywaddy. Not Gary Glitter. Firstly, I never said the presentation at Swindon was any better, although I do think there is a bit more going on in Swindon's presentation insofar. Sorry for the comment, but when you watch these live feeds they really do make the sport look like some small gathering at a Sunday fete and I was rather horrified at the music being played. Bat out of hell? Seriously? Sorry. I guess I'm just a bit of a music obsessive. It wasn't intended as a 'Swindon's presentation is better than Lakeside's' comment. Presentation is poor at most tracks and I think they need to do something about it because nearly every match you see seems to have barely anyone there, and people being left standing around listening to 30 year old songs is rather uninspiring to a lot of the target audience.

The prresentation at Lakeside typifies everything that is bad about speedway. Aside from the wittily appropriate music we now have someone's Classic old rock Cd. As if watching Swindon wasn't bad enough that seriously rubs salt into the wound. North over Klindt any day. At least there is potential there. Oh my lord. Born to be wild now.

Legendary junior from the 1970s. I think he got as far as making the Weymouth side at some point. Typical of the type who would have been in the draft nowadays.

Or Melvin Soffe. Surely we should be able to take anyone in the bottom half, not just someone below Dan.

It could have been Ivan Mauger. I'm sure I remember reading that about him. I believe he also kept notes on referees, such as how long they held the tapes after the green light, who they tended to exclude if a rider came off and laid on the track, stuff like that.

So it's Klindt out and North in. Interesting move. What is North's average? Is it low enough to get Gustafsson sweating too? I'm not normally one for changes, but it was clear something was lacking in the second string department.

How many times do we get this? Swindon fans go to Poole and are disgusted because the nasty Poole fans were, like, cheering their own side and when Swindon riders fell off and packed up. Yeah but Swindon fans are horrible too because they cheer their own side too. They're so bad. It's disgusting. They cheer when Poole riders fall or pack up. They're so bad. I tell you what though. Coventry fans are even worse. 'Cause thy cheer when Swindon AND Poole riders pack up and fall off. I hate Coventry fans. As for Eastbourne fans. Don't get me started on Eastbourne fans.

Defensive? I'm a Swindon fan you donkey.

Why don't you check the BSPA website and have a look if he's eligible to guest?

All this talk of Poole being great and Swindon being poor. Yet the Pirates are favourites for the league. Take away the extra points gained from the tactical ride and we beat them. So we can't have been that bad. I very much pick and choose my meetings these days. Probably I only do one or two meetings a year. And I thought it was good.

I thought it was an excellent match tonight, so it's a bit disappointing to come on here and just see a bunch of whingers and wind ups. Disappointing to lose, but we really threw it away in the middle heats. Some very good racing though. Plenty of clse heats although, of course, there were the normal one or two processions and some unbalanced line ups. Overall, though, i thought the reserves were very entertaining and good value. Swindon don't look like title contenders at the moment but hopefully we'll get more fire from the second strings in the future. Well done Poole. Boooooo!!!

I don't think people are saying Swindon lost because the track was crap. Swindon were clearly outridden by the better side. And the track looked crap.

I doubt it. Unless the Poole team manager is an idiot. Which, of course, he isn't.