lucifer sam

NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS (BLUE) 1. Steve Worrall 2. Tero Aarnio 3. Ludvig Lindgren 4. Anton Rosen 5. Simon Nielsen Glad they were able to track a team. All the best Rob

Tsunami, it's difficult not to feel some sympathy for Newcastle, especially given that Kerr's injury occurred in the fours. But you know how it is, you allow one team a guest, and then the following year, you've got around eight guests in the fours. All the best Rob

Who will be reserve at Glasgow for these meetings - Sarj or Palovaara? The September figures were pretty close. If Sarj is back at reserve and can avoid the tapes, it might add some extra strength to the Tigers. Should be an intriguing two legs. All the best Rob

The moment guests are allowed in the fours, it's a slippery slope. Keep them out. All the best Rob

I see two-thirds of the Panthers Trio from the old Weird World days are still around and are as barmy as ever. Well done Peterborough on last night's win, but after their gamesmanship, I wonder if we'll see a pumped-up Sheffield out for revenge in the second leg. That second leg should be one hell of a meeting, because there's certainly no love lost between the two sides after this week's events. All the best Rob

Glasgow's leg of the final will be 18th October then :rofl: All the best Rob

Yes, but where's the confirmation from BSI/FIM; they still show TBC. Not saying that it won't be Masters and Sedgmen, but there's been nothing official yet from the FIM. I would guess the Edinburgh vs Sheffield/Peterborough semi-final will take place on the dates of October 1st through October 4th. Peterborough are talking of a date of the 25th or 27th for the second leg against Sheffield. All the best Rob

The FIM might not be best pleased. Or they simply might not care. After all, we're talking about (probably non-riding) track reserves here. Doesn't make a lot of difference who they are. Have the track reserves definitely been decided then? Official SGP website still says TBC. It could turn out that Glasgow are missing Morris, while Edinburgh are at full strength... if those teams reach the final. All the best Rob

Because we've got two riders who have qualified on MERIT, and don't need the charity wildcard picks like the Swedes do. All the best Rob

Because these were the reserved dates since the start of the season and should have been kept free. It's already mid-September, and time to get on with the play-offs. Each year, they just about get completed in the last week of October. One year they won't get finished at all. High time for fixed date play-offs in the PL. How would you feel, Skippy, if Plymouth reached the final and then there wasn't time to hold that final? All the best Rob

Surely Nick Morris will get the wildcard, in which case it's Glasgow who will be missing a rider? Anyway, to answer the question, I hope it's Sheffield, because they seem the only PL team interested in getting on with the play-offs!!! All the best Rob

Surely these meetings should be this Friday and Sunday. Just as Peterborough's home leg should be on Friday. All the best Rob

Cheers. No Graham announced blue (Davies) as second. It was just several of us thought Wilko had got it. Seems we were wrong. All the best Rob

No doubt he's getting ready to camera-bomb Rosco's moment of glory, should it come next Monday. All the best Rob

The only fact that is relevant is that Peterborough have tried to turn down a reserved play-off date that has been in Sheffield's fixtures since the start of the season. It shouldn't be allowed... and judging by the fact the fixture is listed on the BSPA website, it hasn't been allowed. All the best Rob

So, that was a league match then, not "a challenge or other meeting of some sort". Sheffield have finished their regular league meetings. They are now ready for the play-offs, and Thursday has been their reserved date for the play-offs since the start of the season. There are six weeks of the season remaining, and it's time to get on with the play-offs, otherwise the PL will be squeezing in the final in the last week of October once more, on a wing and a prayer. Maybe it's high time for fixed dates for the PL play-offs, just as in the EL. That would stop all the nonsense we have from Peterborough at the moment, and from other clubs in other seasons e.g. in 2012, when Workington kept on turning down Edinburgh's dates, and it then got rained off on October 19th, and Denham was hoist on his own petard because the Comets lost out off-track, which was hard to take for their fans. Fixed date play-offs may also gain TV coverage. All the best Rob

I'm sure at one point in the John Chaplin biography that Fundin is quoted that he saw Craven as his biggest rival, although I did read it around 9 years ago so the memory is a little hazy. The contemporary World Rankings, plus more recent recollections, tend to put Fundin ahead. But that's not to say that Briggo wasn't a great rider in his own right, some of Briggo's accomplishments will take some beating. For example the six successive wins in the BLRC, which is outstanding when you think it didn't even happen at the height of his career, and that Mauger was a Belle Vue Ace in '69 and '70. It is possible to have more than one all-time great around at the same time. And Ronnie Moore often gets a little forgotten in such discussions - for three or four years, until Fundin grew in stature, Moore was the man they all wanted to beat. All the best Rob

Just to back up SCB's point: From what I recall, Sheffield only removed the 10th as a reserve date on their website around last Monday/Tuesday. I was checking, because Bellego was guesting for Scunny last week (ended up being Compton as well, after Theo pulled out on Wednesday), and part of the publicity was trying to lure the Sheffield fans across, which would be much easier if they didn't have a meeting themselves last week. The 17th was always there as a reserve date for Sheffield. Sheffield have had two blank Thursdays on the trot; is it really fair to expect them to have a third one? The date has been there since the start of the season. All the best Rob

A quick question regarding Heat 14: After Jack Holder came steaming under Alex Davies on the last bends of this race, Alex went wide, nearly fell, and I'm sure he lost second place to team-mate Carl Wilkinson. I'm not the only one who had Wilko down as 13+1 - for example, this was what was listed on the BSPA website. And yet the referee's programme shows Alex still as second. Live updates also show Alex as second - but they could have simply taken this from what was announced on the night. Which rider do other people have down as second in this race? Obviously it doesn't affect the 53-40 scoreline, it's just a neatness thing!! All the best Rob

Rogero, I think you'll find the majority of Scunny fans are pretty chuffed that you reached the play-offs. It's nice to see a team get in there that hasn't been in there before. Good luck in the play-offs. All the best Rob

Per Jonsson and Jan O Pedersen are the strongest one-time champs from the 1990s... both were stopped from winning multiple titles by injury, whereas Sam did have injuries earlier in his career, but was lucky enough to still be riding in his mid-40s. All the best Rob Briggo was the man in 1958, for sure. Otherwise, the most consistent rider from 1956 to 1963 was Fundin. All the best Rob

Hmmm.... surely Belle Vue are the most famous and glamorous remaining team in British Speedway... despite what Poole and Coventry fans might like to think. All the best Rob

Best of luck to Plymouth tonight! All the best Rob

Yes, as a meeting it didn't have an end-of-season feel to it at all. Scunny, despite having not a lot to race for, were well motivated and went out and did the job. The Devils tried hard, but came up short, and their frustration was there for all to see. Brilliant speedway between Alex Davies and Kyle Newman in Heat 6. All the best Rob

Poor old Lewy, a stressful first week back at school and then a drubbing for the Devils at Scunthorpe. Yes, Rob G made it very clear what had happened with Theo. All the best Rob