Fourentee

The NL is supposed to be a development league for young British riders, helping their talent to blossom. It has enabled the young, talented and British Roynon to get confidence-building time in the saddle following dreadful injuries and, as such, has fulfilled its remit perfectly. Where's the argument?

Brave ride there from Nermark. Thought AJ was coming through regardless!

Just to echo other posters' comments, this is an absolutely cracking stream. Big thumbs-up to whoever sorted it out.

Ah, but he might have jumped as well!

Surely Zetters jumped there?

Exciteable lot, aren't they? Edit: Interesting choice of paperweights.

Some interesting analysis by 21CH and MR there. I'm sure we're always grateful when officials on the managerial side of the fence give us some insight (that's not you, 21CH, to head off any delusions of grandeur. Still interesting, though ). I either recall (or, possibly dreamt) that the hard-working Heathens Speedway Supporters Club were moving at one point towards funding a track spare. Perhaps someone from HSSC could let us know if that's the case and how things are going. Very impressed, in passing, with the effort that HSSC puts in both in front of and behind the scenes.

Sure. It was just a cheap gibe; I couldn't resist!

Be prepared to go into the next league? Do you seriously have any idea how flat-out desperate they are even to get a sniff of the next league? The whole concept of running Dudley is to prove to local authorities that the demand is there, to help facilitate finding somewhere they can call their own and move up the ladder. But they're a stand-alone club and there will always be a different thrust to their approach when compared to, for example, Scunthorpe, with a Premier League set-up running alongside. As for Roynon, presumably the target of your Elite League jibe, you, me and the whole world know that what he needs after a devastating series of injuries is time on a bike to rebuild confidence. There's not a Heathens fan around who doesn't want him to disappear at the end of the season, much as they love him -- because that means the job is done and he can make progress. And while we're at it, this year Dudley are running such gnarled veterans as Perry, Morris (both local to the area), Ritchings and Greenwood (the last-named tipped by Roynon as a potential trump card before the season started. How did he know? Because he took the trouble to stay on after the Coventry/Wolves match and watch his Dudley reserve in a series of second-half races instead of clearing off for the long journey home. Roynon, incidentally, has such a lack of commitment to the Heathens that last year, when sidelined by injury, he took in the away match at the Isle of Wight to root for the side. Not a bad effort for someone based in Cumbria). Incidentally, when Dudley have finished killing the concept of the development league other promoters will have to do without the turnstile money from their travelling support. Just a thought. OK, that's me done (and I don't even support them!).

Not the way you spell the second one, they don't!

Straight from the heart. I doubt anyone could have put it better.

Build it and they will go. I watched last year on a night when they were slaughtered at Monmore, walked out to apologise and were cheered to the echo. And if they ever get their own stadium...

Yes, for different reasons probably the worst two you could have selected! As posted elsewhere, give it another go when Mildenhall are in town and the racing is likely to be far more competitive. As to your other post concerning the "at least the Heathens are back on track" view, I'm sure the club stands a much better chance of securing its own venue in the long term by being able to point to the sizeable crowds, high media coverage and passionate support engendered merely by running in the third tier rather than trying to go from a standing start.

A poster on the Brum thread mentioned that the Wroclaw match was a rain-off restaging. That being so, presumably Birmingham should take preference. Edit: Going purple in the face now after holding my breath.

And the point is that you're trying to provide the fairest possible format, but even that might not prove entirely satisfactory.

With complaints from the fans of those riders without an NL berth.

Three points.

At home with his feet up; he is 26.

Secsy1, I thought the referee did really well. Seemed to get virtually all the decisions (and there were plenty to make) correct, had the two-minute warning on virtually before the previous race had finished and generally cracked on as quickly as possible. The U21 is always a long meeting; these are young racers whose reach frequently exceeds their grasp. Couldn't be happier for Haines, who was the first to admit he'd ridden his luck with the semi-final stoppage and then finding himself off the best gate for the bungee cord start. Previously in his career, if he didn't have bad luck he had no luck at all. Congratulations too to Perry, who was delighted with his podium spot, and to Kyle Howarth. Commiserations to Richie Worrall, who went so close, and to Jason Garrity, who had the bulk of what misfortune was going. I know there's a panto relationship between Garrity and the Dudley fans, but I had to sympathise with him especially after he ploughed selflessly into the fence in heat 10 to avoid the first bend faller Richie Worrall instead of laying it down and piling into him. Full marks.

Hmm, don't remember Monmore staging the 2010 final Haines won.

Agreed. He clearly tried to put the bike down in an attempt to miss Holder but couldn't quite manage it.

Chucking it down when I arrived at work at 6.10am. Cleared up mid-morning-ish, but still a lot of surface water on the roads and pavements.

He got straightened up after touching with King, although Barker was clear at that point.

Must be the excellent Teesside supporters of the 70s then (or their descendants).

The big question! Shame there's no film; a slo-mo sequence might, just might be the smoking gun for the ref!