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I come in peace and am not envious, a moaner or a victim, I am but a lowly mushroom (aka a Comets supporter) who is going to push his little head slowly above the parapet formerly known as Hadrians Wall. I am not asking for a solution to the Irish Border situation or for details of what impact a no deal is going to have on our economy, all I ask is please, please, please someone in the know (or noooo) from either camp tell me when are we taking on the Tigers home and away. Its nothing much to ask you would think, but the longer we are kept waiting, the more the insults and vitriol fill this vacuum, replacing the usual 'friendly banter'. Frankly I am bored with it all, though probably not as bored as the Lakeside and Panthers fans are with the thought of facing each other 7 times I believe in the next couple of weeks - couldn't they sort it all out during 2 meetings, one at each venue, much like they do in boxing when they have their unification bouts. Because by the time the 7th meeting comes around (probably around Christmas time) they will be lucky to have the proverbial one man and his dog there to witness/give a toss about it.

This is one of the things we are most proud of on the IOW and it also adds to our evening’s entertainment because MFS students and Mini Warriors are all part of the show. Every week from 6.15 - 6.45 we have around 12 mascots on track on Revvis, Piwi's, 160cc and 500cc machines - we have noticed that people are now attending the stadium earlier to watch the mascots - at 6.45 when they have finished we bring them on to the centre green to receive their applause - this is part of being a speedway rider... it gives them (and us) great pride to hear people clapping and cheering for the mascots - we also interview them to start to teach them public speaking... one of my favourites for this is Chad Wirtzfeld who would not look at anyone let alone speak as freely as he does now on the microphone. At every opportunity we include piwi races in our main events - obviously non-league or cup meetings. This has proved hugely popular with the fans and students and again it teaches them from an early age what it is like to win but more importantly how to improve, how to react if your bike stops, how to interact with the crowd, what to do when another child asks for your autograph... the pride of wearing a MFS race jacket. As it stands as a direct result of the school, My First Skid, we have a stream of new riders all wanting to be speedway riders. So much so that we decided to enter a Wizards squad in to the SDL league with an ethos of no matter what, we only use our squad and riders in that squad must be My First Skid students. It has shown remarkable results in my view - Morgan Williams, Ben Ilsley, James Luckman, Steph Whitlock, are now totally different riders from just 6 months ago and indeed in my view exceeded our expectation. Of course, we now want them to continue on their path and become Warriors making way for other students coming through the school who want to be Wizards. I believe next year we will have a very healthy supply of second halves with 3 new 15-year olds joining our Wizard squad who will want to push for a team spot. Let me tell you, this is so rewarding - we are now seeing result from 2 years and if it continues as it has then there is just so much potential. Our school takes everyone, and we operate in a fun, safe, educational environment, that has rules and seems to work. It constantly sells out - on Oct 11th we have 22 children and 22 adults booked in, some living the dream, others wanting to make the dream begin and others really wanting to make it. Their ages are 4 - 78 and they come from across the country. I have no idea why they choose us, but I am so proud they do. I am more proud they keep coming back. Finally, I have learnt so much from the school too - our school basically pays for itself and a set of team tyres for the Warriors per event. No one is paid, no one expects it. I have learnt that kids and adults love our sport, our kids want to be speedway riders and we make them all feel like they can make it to be world champion… why? because they could. I also know that people have brought their children just to ride a motorcycle not knowing what speedway is... it’s true...but they are all converted when they come to our fun filled nights where their kids are part of the show. They love it.... we all do. It is brilliant. Enough of my ramblings.. It’s true to say that we love our school, we love the reaction of the kids and adults when they achieve, we love that our methods do work and riders are progressing, we love the teamwork and sense of pride that we instil in our students, and if you ever want to try look up My First Skid on Facebook or twitter. Come live the dream. See you trackside.......

Rosco and Terry Russell should hang their heads in shame at that excuse for a speedway meeting last night. A poor track, sloppy tired presentation and some riders just going through the motions in scruffy delapidated stadium. And both Rosco and Terry R have the cheek to urge supporters to make an effort to support the team. As somebody else said on this thread the BSPA rely on the goodwill of the current supporters to watch dross like last night. There's little chance anybody else than die hard fans would put up with it. As Rosco said in his programme notes he and his chums at the BSPA have to be radical at this year's AGM to save the sport in this country.

Nobody has mentioned him but i think Simon Lambert has really contributed to a great team effort punching well above his weight.

Just saying it as it is. Kings Lynn finished top so the pressure is all on them. No mind games needed. If Poole make the final against all the odds (bottom in July) they will have done a remarkable job. In doing so Pirates will have “the peoples vote” as the team to support.

The year it went to 36 wasn’t great, 34 doesn’t make it much better than 30! The limit needs to be 42/42.5 run all 3 leagues the same remove the D from development league it’s a full league on its own that is flourishing!!

Live internet coverage with commentary from Dave Rowe and Sam Ermolenko(from the track) start time 6pm UK time 1st race 6.15pm UK time No rain today

One of the most miserable nights I've ever had at speedway. Rossiter urging fans to support the club and turn up to this dead rubber had the desired affect and a more than decent crowd. To be honest he and they didn't deserve it. The most processional night of racing dragged out by constant delays at the start line for no apparent reason. Frustrated riders touching the tapes, when they did get going Swindon riders consistently trailing in the wake of the Belle Vue riders. The away side won at a canter such was the lack of effort from the Swindon riders. Can't remember hardly any passing apart from Musielak, who is the one Swindon rider who has consistently tried hard this season. Interviews at the end with the riders all saying the same thing, they were "disappointed" but "that's the way it is". Could have been a different story if Rossiter made team changes when it became obvious they would never win away and thus didn't have a hope of making the play offs. Would've loved a colourful firework display as was always the tradition at the end of the season but none of course. If this turns out to be the last ever meeting at Swindon then they went out with a whimper rather than a bang. Rossiter was "disappointed" but hey, ho, "that's the way it is". Oh and I'll be more than happy if I never hear those AC/DC, Van Halen et al tracks they always play ever again.

This has to be the worst speedway match of all time .10 mins between races to back drop of a 1980's sound track .if you wanted to know why speedway is dying this is it

Can't believe I am saying this but good luck Monarchs at least with Monarch fans we (weegies) get the usual banter, so hopefully Monarchs hump the Comets, as their fans come across as envious moaners who play the victim role. The Comets team have done very well this year and deservedly so , but certain fans seem to think that other teams should jump to their demands because they have a problem fitting their fixtures in after not having any during the long hot summer.

No one in the old Boys club ever listens.

As a I’ve said before I think he got involved for the right reasons but ended up making things worse, I’m all for passion and defending your own riders but he went OTT. Haven’t read the article but I’d have thought he’d have been better off reiterating his apology and playing the whole thing down personally, perhaps there was other stuff going on behind the scenes on the night which we don’t know about which wound him up but he should have acted differently and been a bit calmer about it all. Notice I haven’t told you to go and find yourself a Poole thread starman

Ok, we went, a round trip of 100 miles from home and for what! This most be the worse meeting I have seen for the complete and utter lack of urgency from anyone to keep the meeting flowing. Not on the TV and took just over 2 hours to complete. The presentation just has to be improved, I do not subscribe to the theory that you need to make it last so long to give value for money, the value is given by the racing of which there was none apart from a very few exceptions. When tapes are broken there is no need to refuel and have a long break, put the 2 minutes on straight away, do not allow a return to the pits or tinkering, get on with it.. Thankfully there wasn't an interval! The track action, well very little, Swindon used to be a pleasure to go to, no more. This was a bore fest, gate and go and of course the scoreline didn't little to help. I'm not going to say some were reducing averages or not riding to their full, my observation was that the track offered nothing to those trying to overtake, dire. In the programme Rosco is calling for radical thinking, I'd like to see more races, a lower pay rate to allow that to happen and on tracks that allow those who miss the gate the option to overtake, nothing more thrilling . Swindon's man of the match, Tom Brennan, rode well, give it his best, very unlucky with bike trouble robbing him of a 2nd place. In summary, we went, we saw, we wished we had stayed at home and saved the £34.

Slightly changing tack. Ive just read the speedway star. How the hell has Alliit got the nerve to say he doesn't regret wading in the other night ? If it was me running your club he would be in my office and his feet wouldnt touch, he would be given a verbal warning. He is there as manager to set an example, not wade in with handbags. You dont see Neil Middleditch or Garry may doing it, they both have a different mentality and mindset. Yes its not Table Tennis as he put it taking a quote from Neil, but you have to show restraint and deal with the issue appropriately, not by wading in on the track in full view of the BT cameras watching public and fans who attended the meeting. His remarks in the Star do not justify his actions..

The Comical Ali of the Poole propaganda machine strikes again

Doubt the management and riders see it that way. Finishing clear at the top means anything other that winning the final will be viewed as failure. Either Somerset and Poole will go into the final as plucky underdogs.

so nothings going to change, lets go back to how it didn't work perhaps the so called big teams will realise there is a problem when they keep losing teams mid season like this year, but even then I doubt it so another nail in the speedway coffin

The solution to this one is quite simple. Use the formula that Poland had when they used averages. Take the last 20 matches (as now), but throw out the two highest and two lowest scores and calculate the GSA from the remaining 16 matches. Then if a rider wants to reduce his average he would have to underperform in no less than four matches to make a meaningful reduction in his average. That would be a big hit to a rider's pay packet (or promoter's wallet if they are subsidising the suspicious loss of form).

A sad night for me last night another poor night's entertainment again a real borefest.The only pluses were Musielak and young Brennan who looks impressive.Speedway does not seem to grasp that fans want a swift and prompt meeting last night delays galore god knows what the ref was on forever holding the tapes.The crowd considering was pretty good even after Rossiter's silly comment beforehand that was not wise in my opinion.Also can Rosco explain two things ? why did he replace Brennan in heat 8 with the poor Sarjeant baffling i would of been certain Brennan would of seen off young Bickley again.Also why was Anders Rowe not in that meaningless meeting? he is our number 8 why was Sarjeant there.He was an ex rider an ex junior sprocket who was given chances along the way he should of understood .That was very disappointing for me youngsters should get chances i am just glad this crappy season is over.

Cannot see Swindon riding next season unless the stadium and track stays as it is for another year. Quite clear to anyone that its only a matter of time before the whole stadiums bulldozed to make way for housing. such a shame, used to love standing at the 4th bend bar and bbq area in the summers back in the day when Newport were there.

I was busy tonight so didn’t go, thankfully. Sounds exactly like the waste of time and money I expected it to be. Its all well and good saying that crowd numbers need to be decent to put some money in the bank for next season, but what’s the point if you put on an absolute shower in the form of entertainment and expect people to cough up 17 quid for the privilege, denting people’s enthusiasm to do it all again next season. It sounds like the crowd was not too bad tonight largely because of the goodwill of the public after rosco’s words in the local media. Trouble with that is people only have so much goodwill and patience, and it feels that that’s what the sport is largely running on in the UK at the moment, goodwill. A meaningless result combined with a system for riders that means a poor performance makes them much more employable for the next season, a track not fit for providing close racing with today’s bikes and charging full price to the paying public that you’ve basically guilt tripped into coming to witness it all, is an absolute toxic mix. How promoters don’t see this and continue to ignore it is completely boggling. Any changes to the blunsdon track can’t come soon enough, but unfortunately that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the wider problems for the sport at the moment.

FOR most fans music of the 80s is far too modern

Probably because they have one very big foot in the final. Can they cope, I bloody hope so, but who knows. I wouldn't put my money on them at those odds.... I see Poole getting past the Rebels in the 2nd leg and it will be a Lynn v Poole final. I'm not bigging Poole up for a reaction either, remember I was offering a £100 bet on Poole making the play offs when they were bottom As much as I hate to say it, Over 2 legs I would make Poole favourites. I think you would if you were honest. I will be happy to take all the flack I might get if i'm wrong

What surprises me about the Anders situation is Rosco knows the history about the Swindon faithfull loving a young local english lad mixing it with the big boys.Are record in the past with Crash, Kilb,Dukey,Keener,Wellie,Alun, Martin Hewlett the Smart/ Chessell bros is excellent and last night i just felt gutted for Anders.

Why Sarj instead of Rowe baffling.