Brummies v Tigers 25/3

[Wolfie456]

1 hour ago, chun said:

Did many Wolves fans attend?

Yes quite a few of us were there 

[Ovalman]

9 hours ago, DaveWayne said:

A decent meeting all round. Sheffield seemed to struggle early on, particularly getting out of the gate and on a one line track with little chance for passing in the early heats they fell a long way behind very quickly. Woffinden found his feet for his second ride and was backed up superbly by Edwards, and the outside line coming into play was used well by Holder, Woffinden and Picko in later heats. All the hard work was undone when Chris Holder fell and the 10 point deficit was back, but Sheffield proved too strong in the later heats to pull it back. Super heat ended up a massive anti-climax with the exclusion of Milik, but the 3 riders gave it their all and still gave us a good race to end the meeting. I don't think any fans could go home disappointed after a meeting like that whichever team they were supporting, and a great match for a neutral.

Observations I would make as a first time visitor.

Viewing is very poor with the home straight being too low and the track lights seemed to be the perfect height to dazzle from there, and the 'terracing' on the bend could do with being a little higher to give a better view over the air fence.

Track seemed very dry to me and I wondered if they had left it that way on the expectation of more rain during the day. Expected to see some water put down but it never happened.

No mention from anybody of the bonus lap we received in one of the heats ? For some reason the last lap flag didn't come out when it should have done, leading to many on the terraces questioning themselves as to how many laps had been completed. Chequered finally came down after 5 laps, with an announcement that the result was taken after 4. All well and good as nothing changed anyway, but wouldn't have been so great if someone had crashed on lap 5 and done themselves some damage.

Air fences were a welcome addition for safety reasons but does obstruct views unfortunately. Was the same at Swindon, terraces were too low, and only helmets visible from bends on grass banks.

[*JJ]

10 hours ago, GeneralMelchett said:

Like someone posted above I am not sure if any team subs / changes late on would have affected the final result.

Certainly it did; Sheffield put in Tai Woffinden as a tac sub which gained a 5-1 to bring the scores closer. (Then he and J Holder were too good in heats 13, 15 and 16).

[Col]

9 hours ago, DaveWayne said:

Viewing is very poor with the home straight being too low and the track lights seemed to be the perfect height to dazzle from there, and the 'terracing' on the bend could do with being a little higher to give a better view over the air fence.

Believe me it will get worse in the summer, the sun is directly in your eyes when standing on the terrace by the start gate at Perry Barr.  If only those poplar trees would grow a bit, does miracle grow on mature trees 

[GeneralMelchett]

17 minutes ago, *JJ said:

Certainly it did; Sheffield put in Tai Woffinden as a tac sub which gained a 5-1 to bring the scores closer. (Then he and J Holder were too good in heats 13, 15 and 16).

sorry I meant from the Birmingham perspective in that swapping out someone for Flint etc or putting Brennan in

Edited March 27 by GeneralMelchett

[brianbuck]

11 hours ago, auntie doris said:

Air fences were a welcome addition for safety reasons but does obstruct views unfortunately. Was the same at Swindon, terraces were too low, and only helmets visible from bends on grass banks.

 

11 hours ago, auntie doris said:

Viewing is very poor with the home straight being too low and the track lights seemed to be the perfect height to dazzle from there, and the 'terracing' on the bend could do with being a little higher to give a better view over the air fence.

 

Yes, numerous people have commented on this, but unfortunately, there is little that can be done to remedy this. When the stadium was restored from the wreck that the previous owners (Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club) left it when they moved out in the late 1970's, the new leaseholder Maurice Buckland was only interested in greyhound racing and laid the facilities out accordingly, removing the original terracing on the home straight and replacing it with a flat area for the bookies to use to set out their stall. Spectator viewing was confined solely to the grandstand/bar.

When the operation was sold to the GRA in 2004, speedway was invited back and restarted there in 2007 and this was when the "temporary" accomodation on the first bend was installed by Tony Mole's promotion. Part of this later had to have the roof removed because it was blocking the view of a section of the dog track from one of  the executive boxes, which the GRA would not allow.

As the stadium now has only another 2/3 years before it is demolished to make way for houses, there is little point in trying to remedy this, which I agree is a pity, but its fair to mention that the view of the speedway track from the stadium's first floor bar is superb and uninterrupted, and is air conditioned on warm nights, and heated on cold nights, and there is no additional charge for viewing there.

Personally, I'm not too keen on watching from inside, but even I have to admit that it does have its consolations on a cold or wet evening, and I'd say that overall, a visit to Perry Barr on a speedway night is well recommended.

[stevebrum]

On 3/25/2024 at 11:38 PM, szkocjasid said:

That's a fair point. But would you keep a pairing that lost a 5-1 in heat 15 or try someone else for the "stupid heat"?

I don't think Sam has made any particularly bad choices, just every 50/50 choice to change a rider or not hasn't gone well when he's not made the change.

The same pairing that took a 3 all in heat 13 tho.