Grachan

Amazing to think that, in 1963, ITV would show a challenge match in the Saturday afternoon schedule!

I thinkSwindon fans should calm down with the big predictions as these could come back and bite us on thw backside. People were mocking Swindon in the same way not so long ago and look what happened there.

Janowski is now at the level where he is a good enough rider to win the championship. The question is, does he also have the mental toughness? Now he is in a position to become a prime contender the next couple of rounds should answer that one. Doyle has, I think, shown that he has the mentality to win and that maybe gives him a slight edge - but I don't think we should be fooled by Magic's pleasant demeanour just yet! He's right in there with a shout now. It's funny to be looking at these two at potential winners. When both started at Swindon, I wouldn't have had either down as a future World Champion - particularly Jason.

I guess it's because Bachelor wasn't excluded but was unable to ride due to being injured after starting the race first time out.

There was an entire section on the back straight upper tier that was completely empty. I've not seen that before.

I just said 25 quid is not too expensive so why quote me and say what you said? Everyone is going on about 25 quid tickets, but it is the more expensive ones that don't seem to sell so well.

People keep saying about it not being too expensive at 25 quid. No. It isn't. That's what I paid and those areas are pretty full. A lot of the tickets are over 25 quid and those areas are a lot less full, and my comment on price was based on that rather than the 25 quid tickets.

Enjoyed the meeting although did seem a bit more muted than previous ones. Security going in was pathetic. Took about 45 minutes to get in. And don't say it was for our safety because they stole the selfie stick that my wife always keeps in her handbag. Last time I saw terrorist atrocities on the news, Al Qaida weren't killing people with selfie sticks. Great stuff from Jason Doyle after a disastrous start. Good to see Woffy getting a good reception as always. Great ride from Josh Bates first time out. Ref was a prat. Stopping every race If someone made a good start and then deciding whether or not some or moved from the replays. I think this 'warning' system makes it worse. Riders now have it in their head that they can get away with rolling once. Jason Doyle had nothing to lose taking a gamble in the final as even if warned he had no more races. Ticket prices need to come down or this event will slowly die. Without the Poles the place would be half empty.

Here's an interesting article http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/other-sport/zach-wajtknecht-unveiled-full-asset-11041354 It seems that Lakeside took ownership of Zach from Birmingham as the Brummies apparently had no claim on him as an asset as a lower tier club. Therefore, using this same logic, Lakeside have no claim on Zach and Adam as assets. So could we take them on as Swindon assets if terms are agreed with the riders?

They would be shafted again. All the double up and down riders would ride at their current top league clubs and the lower division sides would be left with no riders.

I think it is a reflection on a lack of riders. Not long ago they had the doubling-up, where two riders shared one berth. Then, suddenly, it just went crazy and 'doubling down' began. Nick Morris, for example, was second in the top division averages when he signed for Berwick.

I didn't realise until recently, but the entire GB team races in the Second Division. That seems very wrong to me.

This happened to me before, so now I always record the programme after just in case as speedway can overrun.

Where did you get that figure from? On the Speedway GB site it is show as 9.23. 11.08 was his average at the start of the year.

Having a crap number one is not the same as not having one at all.

I know. We've been so lucky - especially against Leicester where we were lucky enough to be without our number one and then lose two riders to injury during the meeting (although the commentators on tv didn't seem to notice that, so there's no reason you should have either). And as for those lucky wins against Wolves and Belle Vue, who were really unfortunate to have race us when we were without Jason Doyle and, in one case, Nick Morris as well. Jammy again! Unbelievable. And then we won at Poole who didn't have their number one. Oh. Hang on. Yes they did.

KK was always a risk. I always felt they should have gone with Holder - although whether he would have had any better a season at Poole than he's had at King's Lynn is open to question.

Remember at the start of the year. Swindon were roundly mocked by opposing fans for keeping hold of Doyle and making up the team with a bunch of "fillers". Swindon fans groaned as the side was put together. Ellis on a 7? Bellago.. eh? Who? But what Rosco did was actually very smart. While everyone gushed over Rye House, who filled up with "name" riders on the way down in their careers, he made up the team with riders who were rapidly improving. It was pretty clear that Ellis and Bellego, in particular, were riders he was very keen on signing irrespective of what average they were on. The averages these riders were on were no more reality than Doyle's 13.41. He focussed on a team that would gel and riders that were improving. And in this past week this has kicked in big-time. Then there was the troublesome position in the side which needed to be sorted out. Grondal not really scoring well, Gappmaier not even being there most of the time. And Rossiter was getting a LOT of stick over this position - people calling the side a failure. People demaning he sign Josh Auty, for example. Rosco is not a great tactical manager, but where he really shines is finding riders to sign. When all the slating of the side was going on by those now glorying in the recent success, not one person mentioned Tobias Musielak on 4.5. But he came in and has been brilliant. And the amazing thing about it is that the side's current form really kicked in with Doyle not even riding due to his broken foot. If this current form lasts we could even be in with a shout of winning the title - but things can change so rapidly in this sport. Look at King's Lynn all of a sudden. And the last time Swindon looked to have a potential league-winning side was when Darcy came in to the side, and we all know how suddenly that all collapsed. But, for the moment at least, it's great to see a side of no-hopers confounding everyone - and a lot of the credit for that has to go to Rosco, who clearly knew what he was doing when selecting a side that gave everyone else kittens.

There's no question of average fiddling. Poole have nothing to gain from KK doing badly. It's just Gater1 being silly.

We've had a surprise match winner in each of the last 3 meetings - Bellego v BV, BWD at BV, Musielak at Leicester. Just one point dropped between the 3 of them in those meetings. One of the bottom 5 needs to put in a match winning performance again. Maybe it's the turn of Adam Ellis?

I think 4,3,2,0 is a better way of doing it. A lot of people know nothing about bonus points and don't care about them.

Let me guess. Tried for one year, then scrapped because it didn't really work well. Doing that is fine for speedway nerds like us forum users, but it would confuse an awful lot of people I think.

When were bonus points included in the team score? I'm not sure I'd go along with that idea. It would make scoring more complicated to understand and not everybody fully understands bonus points.

I don't have them personally. You could always post a topic in Years Gone By. It's amazing what old details people sometimes come up with in there when asked!

I'm guessing that's when Uncle Tim took over and pretty much won the match for them.