Grachan

Lampart was his new Bellego last week, until he scored 10 on Thursday.

Really? You watched that film and got annoyed by the politics? I didn't even notice that there were any politics in it.

A very entertaining night, and I liked the changes to the track. A definite improvement. Fairly comfortable for Swindon, despite some super fast gating from the Witches. Some of the starts looked like flyers, they were so fast, but, to be fair to the ref, the only real movement was from Lampart and that was pulled back for a restart. I prefer seeing races left if there is no clear jovement and, in most cases, the Robins managed to get past so it meant for much better entertainment that 5 races getting stopped on lap one.

This voting is rubbish. You only get one vote. Surely you should get 2? Why is Lampart in it?

Spot on about Joe Owen. Used to average 11 for Newcastle back in the day. If that's not proof that the old Second Division was stronger than the top league is now, then what is?

True. But always a disappointment not to win. That's always the main objective (unless the averages need to drop a bit, as it were).

So here we are again. Another season of whingy, whiny Swindon fans and the same old Reading fan calling for team changes after one match. What a surprise. Losing by 2 at Wolves is a disappointment, but hardly a bad result for a season opener. Swindon haven't even had a practice yet. Yes, the botttom end didn't score many, but that is how the side is put together. It's always going to be the top 4 scoring nearly all the points, especially away from home. Nine from Jason could have been more, perhaps, but he was paid for 11 and it included a 15m handicap for tape touching. Could Jason still have gone in heat 15 I wonder. His big race mentality might have got us a draw? Hard to judge without being there.

My 15 year old enjoys speedway a looks forward to going if I suggest it. Five pounds doesn't break the bank, but I don't go regularly - just when the mood takes me. I do think that letting under 16s or under 18s in for free would be a good strategy to get kids interested and parents attending, particularly if you are going to attend regularly.

It was 2008 when speedway began its current decline. Before that is was having something of a minor revival, with radio 5 even running a report on how Speedway had become "cool" at one point. Then, with crowds relatively healthy, the introduced low points limits and "cost cutting" measures time after time, and each time they did it the crowds dropped. So, each time the crowds dropped, they did it again. So they dropped again. It always amazes me when people say that the future is about cost cutting. That is what caused the trouble in the first place.

Weird how it seems to be mainly Belle Vue fans criticising Swindon. At least Swindon have been honest to supporters and said that the track isn't ready rather than taking the fans' money and making them stand around for hours.

I do wonder if it might be a good PR exercise to offer free admission to people who live on the adjacent estate. Get them onside, as it were.

It's interesting to see the difference between these house and the properties being built right next to Newbury racecourse. The fact that they overlook the course is seen as a selling point, and those that have a direct view of the course are actually more expensive. On race days people are out on their balconies watching. There's not the merest hint of houses being built there being any kind of threat to the racing.

Only on bends 1 & 2. I would imagine that won't be a great place to watch, but there's loads of other options.

Pretty sure John Boulger made a Gotenburg final.

What's to stop fans of both sides doing that, thus evening things out?

The thing is, if you're not interested in it then you don't have to do anything. Just watch the racing. 13 heats using to old race formula and 2 nominated races at the end. That's it.

I'm unlikely to vote either, but I'm quite happy to see what the result is from those who do vote and just go along with it. That's fine by me. You don't have to vote.

Why should there be? Isn't that what it's supposed to encourage anyway. As long as the managers put their top 4 up for the vote then it's swings and roundabouts anyway. If you are voted weak in heat 14 you are strong in heat 15.

I think it's quite a fun idea. When it seemed that it was a case of just voting for heat 15 it seemed open to abuse, but this way it works well, as it's for heat 14 rather than heat 15. I do think there should be some way of supporters at the stadium to vote, if they wish, without using a phone. I certainly won't be logging on to Twitter while at a match, although I appreciate some people will do that. I can't see it ever catching on, but as a bit of fun for a season opening tournament it might be ok.

I must say, that track does look a good shape. I hope it will be as good as people are hoping. For a long time now we've had a problem with riders just spacing out down the straights. Hopefully this will solve that a bit and keep races closer. It will be interesting to see how it rides. I can't see many people wanting to stand on bends 1 and 2 though!

By the stadium owner, not by the speedway promotion who are guilty of nothing other than, perhaps, being a big naïve in believing everything they are being told. It's good to, at least, see something happening there, but it seems it's the club that are doing it rather than the owners.

Are you really a Belle Vue fan, or are you another forum member posing under another name? Why are going on about the stadium like you are? Swindon fans know there are concerns, but we don't need supporters of other tracks coming here and taking the mickey about it, just because they now have their own new track. I think there's only one person who needs to grow up.

Interesting that Terry Russell talks about "his" contractors and "the clubs" contractors. It certainly gives the impression that the club are paying for this rather than the stadium owners.

I went to the Basketball play-off final a few years back. It's a great show, but they do, of course, have the advantage of the indoor lighting/facilities and so on. Interesting, also, that it attracts their biggest crowd of the season, but the play-off winners are not also league champions.