SHEFFIELD v BIRMINGHAM Thursday 15th August PL

[Brummies_Ste]

SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Kyle Howarth, Chris Holder, Josh Pickering, Tai Woffinden R/R, Jason Edwards, Dan Gilkes.

BIRMINGHAM: Freddie Lindgren, Piotr Pawlicki R/R, Wiktor Lampart, Zach Cook, Tom Brennan, Michael Palm Toft, Leon Flint.

[GiveusaB]

Lindgren/Brennan will surely have one eye on Cardiff?

55-35

[Manifesto]

52-38 home win.. Brennan and Lindgren go well round sheff and think Zach Cook will win a couple. 
 

Be interesting to see how the track is after criticism last week 

[TINYS]

Any track should be made raceable not just ignored like it was at Sheffield, hope they have been told not to let it happen again.

[Cue Ball]

Sheffield isn’t known to be a dangerous track with bad accidents thankfully rare

[DaveWayne]

Lots of comments on here last week about the track conditions, lack of rakers, etc. so I assumed my eyes had been playing tricks on me all season. I made sure I paid attention tonight, and sure enough, 4 rakers on each bend, just like I had seen at every previous match this season. The track curator did the same job he always does, and many riders ran the outside line but no crashes.

Can we all now accept that the accident last week was as much down to rider error as the track conditions, or are we going to continue to vilify the Sheffield track and it's preparation ? I have no doubt that Sayfutdinov is the best rider in the UK leagues at the moment, but he is not infallible, and I believe there was also something posted to say his footrest snapped off in the back straight incident so I am sure that would also have been a contributory factor. He did exactly what we want to see the top riders do and gave it his all to win the race, but sadly it didn't come off and he ended up hitting the fence, but let's blame the track instead.

[Derrickn]

11 hours ago, DaveWayne said:

Lots of comments on here last week about the track conditions, lack of rakers, etc. so I assumed my eyes had been playing tricks on me all season. I made sure I paid attention tonight, and sure enough, 4 rakers on each bend, just like I had seen at every previous match this season. The track curator did the same job he always does, and many riders ran the outside line but no crashes.

Can we all now accept that the accident last week was as much down to rider error as the track conditions, or are we going to continue to vilify the Sheffield track and it's preparation ? I have no doubt that Sayfutdinov is the best rider in the UK leagues at the moment, but he is not infallible, and I believe there was also something posted to say his footrest snapped off in the back straight incident so I am sure that would also have been a contributory factor. He did exactly what we want to see the top riders do and gave it his all to win the race, but sadly it didn't come off and he ended up hitting the fence, but let's blame the track instead.

Then the rakers are not doing their job,they should be dragging the shale away from the fence,not letting it build up through the meeting.

[Manifesto]

Some great racing last night even though the result was never in doubt for Sheffield after heat 4. The track was great and the riders could pass inside and out which gave Pickering in particular more to go at than last week. Good to see the reserves score some Dan Gilkes looks very smooth at times, I’m not sure Edwards feel as comfy still he doesn’t seem to like going out towards the fence. 
 

Fast Freddy showed his class in the second half of the meeting looked very quick. Thought Lampart did well and could see the 100% effort from him could be a bargain on his average next season. Cook and Brennan disappointing they normally go well round Owlerton. 
 

Top 4 very tight not sure who we will get in the play off semis 

[DJC]

10 minutes ago, Manifesto said:

Some great racing last night even though the result was never in doubt for Sheffield after heat 4. The track was great and the riders could pass inside and out which gave Pickering in particular more to go at than last week. Good to see the reserves score some Dan Gilkes looks very smooth at times, I’m not sure Edwards feel as comfy still he doesn’t seem to like going out towards the fence. 
 

Fast Freddy showed his class in the second half of the meeting looked very quick. Thought Lampart did well and could see the 100% effort from him could be a bargain on his average next season. Cook and Brennan disappointing they normally go well round Owlerton. 
 

Top 4 very tight not sure who we will get in the play off semis 

Brennan has been flying most places until this week. Hopefully hasn't burnt himself out before today/tomorrow

[brianbuck]

Surprised to read that there have been issues with Sheffield's. I've been there numerous times and have always considered it to be one of the best prepared tracks in the league.

Pleased to hear that there was some good racing there last night though. With the gap between the strengths of the two teams, I wasn't expecting anything but a home win so well done Sheffield and good luck in the play-off's!

One small point to make though. We all see how both the guest rider and rider-replacement rules can be beneficial to strong teams and detrimental to weak teams, so maybe there would be merit in devising some kind of system which would base the choice of either rule being dependent on the overall average of the opposition?

I'm not having a go at Sheffield over this. They complied with the rules as they are entitled to do, and their supporters would have been up in arms if they hadn't. I'm just making the point that a better and more competitive match could have been possible if the teams had been more evenly matched - which is what speedway is all about?

[DaveWayne]

31 minutes ago, brianbuck said:

Surprised to read that there have been issues with Sheffield's. I've been there numerous times and have always considered it to be one of the best prepared tracks in the league.

Pleased to hear that there was some good racing there last night though. With the gap between the strengths of the two teams, I wasn't expecting anything but a home win so well done Sheffield and good luck in the play-off's!

One small point to make though. We all see how both the guest rider and rider-replacement rules can be beneficial to strong teams and detrimental to weak teams, so maybe there would be merit in devising some kind of system which would base the choice of either rule being dependent on the overall average of the opposition?

I'm not having a go at Sheffield over this. They complied with the rules as they are entitled to do, and their supporters would have been up in arms if they hadn't. I'm just making the point that a better and more competitive match could have been possible if the teams had been more evenly matched - which is what speedway is all about?

Tai's 2024 average is around 9, his home average around 10. The rider replacements for him last night scored 8. In my view the choice to use R/R was the weaker option compared to bringing in a guest of the same calibre as Tai.

[The Third Man]

3 hours ago, Derrickn said:

Then the rakers are not doing their job,they should be dragging the shale away from the fence,not letting it build up through the meeting.

The track last night was no different to last week, riders were taking the same outside line but didn't fall off, perhaps there was another reason for Emil's fall last week apart from the track

[heathen52]

From what I saw of the video, Emil seemed a little unsteady (a little wobble) down the back straight prior to going in to the 3rd bend, footrest issue ?.

Edited August 16 by heathen52

[stevebrum]

14 hours ago, Derrickn said:

Then the rakers are not doing their job,they should be dragging the shale away from the fence,not letting it build up through the meeting.

Doing a job that doesn’t pay you mean?

Feel free to offer your services at your local track. 
it’s quite possible track curators order there to be no raking. Just a thought. 

[The Third Man]

13 hours ago, stevebrum said:

Doing a job that doesn’t pay you mean?

Feel free to offer your services at your local track. 
it’s quite possible track curators order there to be no raking. Just a thought. 

There was the same amount of raking as there always is

 

[sparks123]

On 8/15/2024 at 10:58 PM, DaveWayne said:

Lots of comments on here last week about the track conditions, lack of rakers, etc. so I assumed my eyes had been playing tricks on me all season. I made sure I paid attention tonight, and sure enough, 4 rakers on each bend, just like I had seen at every previous match this season. The track curator did the same job he always does, and many riders ran the outside line but no crashes.

Can we all now accept that the accident last week was as much down to rider error as the track conditions, or are we going to continue to vilify the Sheffield track and it's preparation ? I have no doubt that Sayfutdinov is the best rider in the UK leagues at the moment, but he is not infallible, and I believe there was also something posted to say his footrest snapped off in the back straight incident so I am sure that would also have been a contributory factor. He did exactly what we want to see the top riders do and gave it his all to win the race, but sadly it didn't come off and he ended up hitting the fence, but let's blame the track instead.

Just reading what Simon Stead said on the Sheffield website about the Birmingham meeting.

 

“I just thought the lads all stepped up really well together and they all felt a lot happier with the track too.

“Graham (Trollope - Track Curator) and his team have spent a lot of time lately trying to turn it back around and I thought it rode superbly on Thursday and long may it continue.”
 

 

That says to me that the track was different last Thursday compared to the previous week or am I reading it wrong?

 

[DaveWayne]

29 minutes ago, sparks123 said:

Just reading what Simon Stead said on the Sheffield website about the Birmingham meeting.

 

“I just thought the lads all stepped up really well together and they all felt a lot happier with the track too.

“Graham (Trollope - Track Curator) and his team have spent a lot of time lately trying to turn it back around and I thought it rode superbly on Thursday and long may it continue.”
 

 

That says to me that the track was different last Thursday compared to the previous week or am I reading it wrong?

 

Different maybe, but nowhere does he suggest it was dangerous.

[Normski]

On 8/16/2024 at 10:30 AM, Manifesto said:

Some great racing last night even though the result was never in doubt for Sheffield after heat 4. The track was great and the riders could pass inside and out which gave Pickering in particular more to go at than last week. Good to see the reserves score some Dan Gilkes looks very smooth at times, I’m not sure Edwards feel as comfy still he doesn’t seem to like going out towards the fence. 
 

Fast Freddy showed his class in the second half of the meeting looked very quick. Thought Lampart did well and could see the 100% effort from him could be a bargain on his average next season. Cook and Brennan disappointing they normally go well round Owlerton. 
 

Top 4 very tight not sure who we will get in the play off semis 

Wasn't a bad meeting at all against Birmingham, with some decent racing on a well prepared track. 20 of us down from Berwick checked into Ibis nice pub, next door Norfolk Arms £1-95 a pint as it was happy hour lol. Quick pint in the Old Crown then into the stadium, bumped into a Bandit from long way back Doug Wyer looking well. Booked a table for the carvery excellent view and food, although it wasn't £1-95 a pint  so just the 1 lol. After the meeting we all went to the Bankers Draft to finish a good night off.