lucifer sam

Nielsen has taken over Denmark at the time of a re-build. He's therefore the ideal man for the job, because any incoming riders could hardly have a better example. GB scored 15 paltry points in this year's final. Woffy could have scored more than that by himself. And he could have advised riders like Cookie and Lambert, who struggled badly, regarding set-up. It's no coincidence that Steve Worrall, Woffy's mate who spoke to him regarding set-up before the meeting, did OK. How can Rosco advise riders how to set up a bike on a Polish track? Did he ever ride on one? If he did, I doubt if he ever scored points on one. All the best Rob

PLEASE note that today’s meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway between the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions and the Workington Comets has been postponed, due to bad weather. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey explains: “We were battered by the rain during the night. The track is already soaking wet, plus there are heavy showers which are going to hit us at some point during the afternoon. “The track won’t take any more water, so it’s sensible to call the meeting off now (11.15am). The last thing I want is for everyone to make a wasted journey, and for the shower to hit when everyone is in the stadium, and for supporters to go home wet and miserable. We will always take the fans into account for any decision.”

MEETING OFF!

I'm not sure if stone last in this year's final is anything to brag about. I certainly wouldn't describe 15 points in 20 races as 'outstanding' - quite the opposite. As for last year, it was far more down to Woffy than Rosco. Take away Woffy's 19 points and we would have again finished a poor last. Our other three riders scored a paltry 13 points between them. I can't see how Woffy can do any worse. Give him a go! All the best Rib

SCORPIONS CHASE HOME VICTORY NEW SIGNING Jake Allen will make his debut for the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions against the Workington Comets at the Eddie Wright Raceway tomorrow (Sunday, 5.30pm) – with the club seeking a precious home SGB Championship victory. Scorpions lost 36-48 to Glasgow Tigers at the EWR last Sunday, and a casualty of that defeat was long-serving club stalwart Carl Wilkinson, who failed to score from three outings. 21-year-old Australian Allen was brought in just before the transfer window slammed shut, and joins Scorpions on loan from Somerset Rebels for the rest of the season. He also races for the Rebels in the SGB Premiership. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey says: “We’ve lost seven times out of 12 at home this season, and that record is simply not good enough. “We needed to do something to freshen up the team, and replacing Wilko was the most obvious move, as hard as it was to release a rider who has been a fantastic servant to the Scorpions over so many years. “We’ve gone for a one-for-one change, and I’m delighted to have secured the services of Jake Allen, a great young talent in the sport and an out-and-out racer who will love it around the Eddie Wright Raceway. My thanks go to the Somerset promotion. “We considered all the options. We looked at two-for-two changes, even three-for-three. But, in the end, I didn’t want to do anything that would upset the balance of the side. “You’ve got to be careful, because there’s a low points limit this season (40), and if you strengthen in one part of the team, you’ve got to make sure you don’t weaken elsewhere. “In the end, I decided against sweeping changes, because I think that would have weakened us rather than strengthened us. “As it is, with just one change, it means that Tero Aarnio, who has scored 13 points in the last two home meetings, should stay at reserve for the rest of the season. “We’ve still got six home SGB Championship meetings this season to win, plus we’ve still got the Knockout Cup to chase when Peterborough come here on September 22.” Godfrey is expecting a tough battle against the Comets. He says: “They’ve got their No 1 Craig Cook ruled out with a bad back, but have bought in a superb replacement in former British Grand Prix Champion and three times British Champion Chris Harris. “I’m sure many of our fans would have seen Bomber on the TV just a few weeks ago leading Great Britain’s scoring in the World Cup final in Poland – now they have a chance to see him in the flesh. “Plus the Comets have three ex-Scunthorpe riders in Thomas Jorgensen, Matt Williamson and James Sarjeant. “They’ve got a good side, but if our riders step up to the plate, I don’t see any reason why we can’t emerge from the meeting with the three SGB Championship points.” There are 21 heats of action in total on Sunday, including a six-heat second half Northern Junior League match between Halifax Dukes and Workington Meteors. Admission prices for Sunday: Adult: £15.00 Student/OAP: £13.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £35 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) Match Programme: £1.00 Expected teams for Sunday: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 2. Jake Allen, 3. Josh Auty, 4. Ryan Douglas, 5. Lewis Kerr, 6. Tero Aarnio, 7. Josh Bailey. Workington Comets: 1. Chris Harris (guest), 2. Mason Campton, 3. Ty Proctor, 4. Matt Williamson, 5. Thomas Jorgensen, 6. James Sarjeant, 7. Rob Shuttleworth. Northern Junior League teams: Halifax Dukes: 1. Kean Dicken, 2. Dan Gilkes, 3. Jordan Palin, 4. Harry McGurk. Workington Meteors: 1. Liam Little, 2. TBC, 3. Sam McGurk, 4. Callum Gill.

New signing revealed here: http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=7559

Jenga, sorry to disappoint you, but Scunny's new signing is not James Sarjeant. We have 6.13 to replace Wilko; Sarj is 3.68. All the best Rob

Yes, just one change. All the best Rob

Apologies for any uncertainty, but the club will be in a position to name the replacement for Wilko first thing on Saturday morning. All the best Rob

This includes some reasoning for the TR in Heat 8: http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/sport/other-sport/scunthorpe-scorpions-drop-carl-wilkinson-231753 To be fair to Dave Peet, there have been instances in the past where Wilko has had a quiet meeting and then popped out to win Heat 8. All the best Rob

SCORPIONS SEEK REPEAT RESULT HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions are looking to defeat high-flying Glasgow Tigers for the second time in 2017, when the two clubs meet at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday (5.30pm). Back in April, Scorpions pulled off a stunning 47-43 victory over the side that many consider the favourites for this year’s SGB Championship. Both sides are due to be at full strength on Sunday. It marks Scunthorpe’s first home fixture for 16 days, and it’s the first home meeting since skipper Michael Palm Toft has returned to No 1 in Scorpions’ line-up. Scorpions’ promoter Rob Godfrey says: “Our previous win after Glasgow was definitely one of our best performances of the season, and we’d love to be able to defeat them again, because they are a quality side. “Our form has been up-and-down in recent weeks, but the one big plus is how well we rode in the last meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, when we defeated Newcastle by 54-39. “That was an excellent performance, and we need to bring that form into Sunday’s meeting, rather than our recent away form. “We may not be able to reach the top four, but we continue to strive to win every match we take part in, and that will be no different on Sunday”. Scunthorpe are hoping for a bumper crowd on Sunday. The meeting comes a day after the British Grand Prix at Cardiff, and a large quantity of Glasgow supporters are expected to drop in on their way back home from the Millennium Stadium. Godfrey adds: “We’re expecting the Tigers to bring a good following of supporters with them, on their way back to Scotland following the British Grand Prix in Cardiff. “I’m reliably informed by the Glasgow promoters that there will be a couple of coachloads here and I’m sure there will be some Tigers fans travelling independently as well. “We’ll endeavour to entertain them with some fabulous racing on the best race track in the country. We hope they enjoy their evening – except regarding the result, of course!” There are 21 heats of action in total on Sunday, including a six-heat second half Northern Junior League match between Halifax Dukes and Ashfield Giants. Admission prices for Sunday: Adult: £15.00 Student/OAP: £13.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £35 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) Match Programme: £1.00 Expected teams for Sunday: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 2. Carl Wilkinson, 3. Josh Auty, 4. Ryan Douglas, 5. Lewis Kerr, 6. Tero Aarnio, 7. Josh Bailey. Glasgow Tigers: 1. Richard Lawson, 2. Nike Lunna, 3. Richie Worrall, 4. Dan Bewley, 5. Aaron Summers, 6. Tom Perry, 7. Jack Smith. Northern Junior League teams: Halifax Dukes: 1. Kean Dicken, 2. Joe Lawlor, 3. Jordan Palin, 4. Harry McGurk. Ashfield Giants: 1. Russell Barnett, 2. Connor Fletcher, 3. Sam McGurk, 4. Luke Harrison. * Skipper Michael Palm Toft and Lewis Kerr go for glory in the SGB Championship Pairs at Somerset tonight (Friday, 7pm).

Jenga, there was me thinking it was a speedway meeting and not a library. Heaven forbid you ever go to Poland, where there are 10,000 Poles all chanting at the same time. All the best Rob

Trees, in your opinion maybe. Others see it differently. If it comes down to a choice of our star rider vs the team manager, then the manager has to go. All the best Rob

I wonder where Rosco took the boys this year. McDonalds, or Burger King, or simply didn't bother at all? The result was there for all to see. GB were an embarrassing shambles in that final, with our chance of a bronze medal disappearing when our 30-year-old captain was beaten by a 17-year-old Russian kid. Russian tracked only one rider who anyone had heard of before the World Cup. And still beat us. Time to try something different. Let Woffy have a go with his five-year-plan. All the best Rob

I don't think Rosco's position is sustainable, particularly if it's his presence is stopping Woffy from returning. All the best Rob

DOUBLE DOSE OF ACTION FOR SCORPIONS HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions are involved in two SGB Championship meetings in two days, travelling south to Suffolk tomorrow (Thursday) to face the Ipswich Witches, before hosting Newcastle Diamonds in the big clash at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday evening (7.30pm). Scorpions have received the boost that Tero Aarnio should be fit to resume racing. It was initially feared that the Finn had broken his thumb during last Sunday’s 39-50 home defeat to Redcar. But Aarnio revealed on his twitter account that, after a hospital check-up, no bone damage had been found. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey has pinpointed Friday’s clash with the Diamonds as a meeting where Scorpions can get back on the track, after the home reverse to Redcar. “We’d won the last couple of home matches before last Sunday, so the loss to Redcar brought us crashing down to earth with a huge bump”, he admits. “It would be easy to blame the defeat on some very debatable refereeing decisions, and there’s no doubt that they had a major impact on the momentum of the meeting. “But we can’t solely blame the referee for that defeat. We also have to look at our performance, individually and as a team, to see what we did wrong and where we can get better.” “We can’t reach the play-offs, we all know that, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to continue to battle. The aim going into each meeting is to win it and if we lose one, then we forget about it, move onto the next one and try and win that. “The Redcar meeting is now just a memory and now we’re fully focused on beating Newcastle.” Diamonds will be without Robert Lambert and Steve Worrall, who are currently preparing for the World Cup Final in Poland on Saturday. Godfrey adds: “We wish Robert and Steve and their Great British team-mates the very best in the World Cup Final. All four of the British riders in final compete in the SGB Championship, and that shows the strength of this league. “I think everyone knows Steve Worrall started his professional career at Scunthorpe. What’s less known is that we were also the first club to give Craig Cook a chance in the National League – we gave him an outing with the Saints in 2008. “In addition, Robert Lambert used to practice here all the time. His dad used to book the track mid-week, and Robert did lap-after-lap. “I was delighted to see our British lads qualify directly for the final, and good luck to them in that meeting. “Diamonds have got two very capable guests in Richie Worrall and Kyle Howarth on Friday, and I’m expecting a hard-fought meeting. It’ll be tough, but we can do it.” Admission prices for Friday: Adult: £15.00 Student/OAP: £13.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £35 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) Match Programme: £1.00 Expected teams for Friday: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Lewis Kerr, 2. Tero Aarnio, 3. Josh Auty, 4. Ryan Douglas, 5. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 6. Carl Wilkinson, 7. Josh Bailey. Newcastle Diamonds: 1. Richie Worrall (guest), 2. Ashley Morris, 3. Lewis Rose, 4. Ludvig Lindgren, 5. Kyle Howarth (guest), 6. Ben Hopwood, 7. Alfie Bowtell.

Massif away win, I reckon. Shame I can't make it, but I'm up very early the following morning to go to Poland. All the best Rob

Programmed guests are Richie Worrall and Kyle Howarth - Scunny press release will go out tonight. All the best Rob

I would have thought it was the Czechs who have to qualify, since the Danes scored more points of the two fourth-placed teams. There is only one qualifier these days, or have they gone back to two? All the best Rob

Keep up, Lewy old boy, no-one's said anything to the contrary. It was just a huge pity that what was shaping up to be a great contest was ruined by some 'interesting' decisions by the trainee referee. All the best Rob

I'm refrained from commenting on yesterday's refereeing 'display' (I can think of other descriptions) since I realise that I'm a bit biased in such matters... OK very biased! As the above proves, you're also a 'bit' biased... in the opposite direction. I prefer to point people in the direction of the neutrals. Squall is a Sheffield fan, and on Live Updates gives his honest opinions. He called it "pathetic reffing" yesterday. And then we have HT, who always calls it exactly how it is. Fair play to Redcar yesterday, and congratulations on the win. Good luck on your quest to reach the play-offs. All the best Rob

Just looked on Woffinden's twitter and I can't see anything inappropriate. All the best Rob

Being an idiot on social media. He's still up to it now. A ban will be next. All the best Rob

Expected teams for today: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Lewis Kerr, 2. Tero Aarnio, 3. Josh Auty, 4. Ryan Douglas, 5. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 6. Carl Wilkinson, 7. Josh Bailey. Redcar Bears: 1. Stuart Robson (guest), 2. Jonas B Andersen, 3. Ben Barker, 4. Ellis Perks, 5. Charles Wright, 6. Coty Garcia, 7. Danny Ayres. British Youth Championship (500cc class): Liam Little, Daniel Gilkes, Charlie Brooks, James Laker, Drew Kemp. British Youth Championship (250cc class): Jordan Palin, Leon Flint, Jason Edwards, Jacob Clayton, Nathan Ablitt, Ryan Morris, Jake Mulford, Dan Thompson, Joe Thompson.

Three less home points lost. All the best Rob