lucifer sam

Yes, typical arrogance from a top-flight fan.

Nice try, but there's far more many riders of second division standard doubling-up than those of first division standard. Almost every second string and reserve in the top-flight is a second division standard rider. Add in some second and third heat-leaders as well. If the top-flight want first call, then it's about time they put out genuine top-flight teams. If not, then the two leagues need to avoid racing on the same night. And with three teams to one, it's clear Thursday has to be a Championship night. It's an agreed night, and needs to be stuck to. Swindon either need to run on Mondays and Wednesdays next year, or otherwise down drop to the Championship and race on Thursdays.

The whole problem stems from the top-flight using riders who are second division standard. If the top-flight clubs want everyone to fit around them, then I suggest they go out and sign proper top-flight riders. That would stop the need for doubling-up and allow more freedom on race-nights. While doubling-up is so common, then fixed race-nights are needed to avoid a repeat of the total farce of last season. And the agreement in place is quite clear. Mondays and Wednesdays for the Premiership, and Thursdays to Sundays for the Championship.

I don't really see how Thursday is any different to Wednesday. Thursday is out, because Sheffield, Ipswich and Redcar all ride on a Thursday. Hopefully the stupid situation where Swindon are allowed to ride on Thursday will only last this season, and Robins have to fall into line and run on Mondays and Wednesdays next year.

Nicolai Klindt is riding for Workington: http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=8563 Still a big test for Scorpions, even with Bewley and BWD missing, especially with Tero booked in as the guest at No 7. It should be a great night of speedway.

Kyle Howarth guests for Steve Worrall.

Best wishes Brett Saunders!

ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE EDDIE WRIGHT RACEWAY! HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions – fresh from a brilliant 54-36 away victory in the Championship Shield at Redcar last night – will be looking to get their league fixtures off to a winning start, when they entertain the Bears at the Eddie Wright Raceway tonight (Friday, 7.30pm). Scorpions will utilise the rider replacement facility to cover for injured skipper Steve Worrall. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey says: “Tonight’s match at the Eddie Wright Raceway is a very important one for us, because it represents our opening league match. “We’ve already beaten Redcar home and away in the Championship Shield this year, and there’s no reason why we can’t defeat them again, but the scores start from 0-0 and we still have a job to do. “We feel we’ve got a team that can challenge on all fronts this season. We’ve taken a major step towards the semi-finals of the Championship Shield, and now we turn our attention to the most important competition of all – the league championship. “I feel it’s going to be another terrific night of racing at the EWR and one that our supporters are not going to want to miss. All roads lead to the Eddie Wright Raceway!” There will also be 160cc racing in the second half, a recently introduced class in the Amateur Meetings at Scunthorpe that is rapidly expanding. Admission prices for tonight: Adult: £16.00 Student/OAP: £14.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £37 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) Match Programme: £1.00 Expected teams for tonight: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Rider replacement for Steve Worrall, 2. Stefan Nielsen, 3. Josh Auty, 4. Jake Allen, 5. Jason Garrity (captain), 6. Danny Phillips, 7. Gino Manzares. Redcar Bears: 1. Ben Barker, 2. Tobias Busch, 3. Jonas B. Andersen, 4. Mikkel B. Andersen, 5. Matej Kus, 6. Jordan Stewart, 7. Theo Pijper.

Thanks very much.

Cheers Norbold. In addition, I looked one week further on in the Speedway Star regarding the home match v Wolves (i.e. the week after the match report), in which it mentioned Mauger's 'homecoming' after the World Final and that he broke the tapes in Heat 1. So it was indeed a tapes exclusion, rather than one for two minutes, so Grand Central your thinking was right. That's everything confirmed expect for the Leicester away match on July 29.

Thanks very much.

Thanks Grand Central and DaveAllan81. I've also checked through the Speedway Stars of that year: Hackney: mentions excluded for tape breaking Glasgow: simply mentions "excluded" (but Dave Allan has confirmed completed programmed says he broke the tapes) Leicester: simply mentions "excluded" West Ham: mentions excluded for tape breaking Belle Vue (home v Wolves): does not mention exclusion in write-up: in heat details it does include exclusion but merely states (exc) So it's Leicester (A) and Wolves (H) that still need confirmation.

I’m putting together some stats on Ivan Mauger’s remarkable 1969 season with Belle Vue, when he was almost unbeatable in races that he completed. I’m trying to get to the bottom of the five exclusions he suffered during the course of that season. According to the brilliant Speedway Researcher website: April 18: Hackney (A) Heat 11: Chris Pusey, Jimmy Gooch, Des Lukehurst, Norman Nevitt (fell), MAUGER (tapes) May 9: Glasgow (A) Heat 9: Oyvind Berg, Tommy Roper, Russ Dent, Eric Broadbelt, MAUGER (tapes) July 29: Leicester (A) Heat 11: 11: John Boulger, Chris Pusey, Malcolm Brown, Bill Powell, MAUGER (tapes) August 26: West Ham (A) Heat 1: Ken McKinlay, Steve Waplington, Eric Broadbelt, Stan Stevens, MAUGER (tapes) September 27: Wolverhampton (H) Excluded from Heat 1 (2 mins) However, according to a Peter Oakes article in Speedway Star in 2003, Mauger was excluded for tapes infringements against Hackney, West Ham and Wolverhampton. No mention of either Glasgow or Leicester. Speedway Star did not include tapes or two-minute exclusions in their heat details in 1969. Is anyone able to clarify the nature of Ivan’s exclusions from these 1969 meetings? It would be great if someone had original marked programmes. Thanks for any help that can be given.

Comparing the cost of living in the two countries, the price for the test match is somewhere around for the region of £15.

I reckon: Last races on a UK track: His match-races at the Golden Greats at Coventry in 1988. Last appearance on a UK track: The very last four laps of Exeter in 2005.

Best speedway meeting I've seen for years. Awesome.

Didn't realise he was now injured, but the point stands on priority. Premiership: Monday and Wednesday. Championship: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Why should a championship team be missing a rider, because a Premiership fixture is taking place on the wrong day? Swindon should be given a clear choice next year to stick to the set days, or drop down a league.

Monday and Thursdays is clearly out of the question, since Sheffield, Ipswich and Redcar are all Thursday night tracks in the Championship. Swindon should fall into line with everyone else. They blatantly can ride on a Monday evening. Ridiculous that Lewis Rose is not at Redcar tonight, on a set Championship race-night.

RIP to a true sporting legend.

Confirmation that it is R/R on Friday night.

Single headers have gone up £1 from £15 to £16. Double-headers remain at £17.

Is this some sort of New Year Resolution, or will normal service be resumed soon? But yes, it's blatantly obvious that the Ben Fund and Peterborough Speedway made completely the right decision - there's no way a speedway meeting could have taken place this coming Sunday.

Just to clarify, that the current state of the Peterborough track has as much to do with any postponement as the forecast. It's very soft and there's no way it could recover in time for Sunday. It's unavoidable, given recent weather. If you notice, any tracks holding amateur meetings this winter have seen their programme decimated.

Yeah it's gutting for such as Paulco and Willie, but I think it's the only decision that could be made. Forecast for Sunday is wet, cold and icy, even possibly snow.