teaboy279

They hot track in good nick today. Rain looks set to stop around 2 ish and then dry all day. Fingers crossed it's on although the weather actually looks quite nice for a few days either side of next monday should it be required. Off to bed now (night worker), hoping to wake up at lunchtime to find it still on.

I ll think you will find at many clubs individuals (apart from maybe one longstanding meeting) get crowds comparable to challenge matches, which can be as 50 percent lower gate. Even at Kent which supports the challenges etc pretty well must have at least a 20-25 percent dip for non team events.

You just have to look at the size of crowds for individual meetings compared to team fixtures. Team racing is far more popular...

Good to finally meet you last night mate.

On high speed train from ebbsfleet to ashford now, should be at work in next 45 mins, Oh joy.

Getting excited now, gotta get a few hours before I head to the train station and then head straight from leicester to another night shift..... But the biggest match in Kent's history, honestly a bag of nerves.

I am all for BSPA bashing but surely as (it was made public 2nd at least) the ko cup matches were announced 2nd, it was the clubs that agreed the date that caused the clash. Everyone rolls out comparisons to football, well if a third division cup had an international standard player, whenever selected for his country be it a competitive fixture or a friendly the international match will take priority. All that being said and I d be pised off if we have to rearrange a match and we lost a rider to what compared to our clubs glory is a meaningless fixture. Anyway last time i dared check the weather we looked good for tonight (just finished a night shift but got to get up about 11.30 to get to the train station for 1 so will check weather before I leave and not before... ) but I see a tense evening ahead. I think the standard aim for a 2 leg match is to keep the away leg to 10 or less, and when you consider the Cubs worst result of the season is a 12 point win (ironically against kent) 10 points will be a big ask. But last time Kent visited we were under strength at reserve and a couple of other regulars missing too, ruddick missing means extra rides for Hume and the Twins so no massive blow there. I do go to leicester with the expectation of gate and go racing so hopefully i m proved wrong. With so much young talent on show in both teams I just hope all 13 riders come through safely. gonna stick my neck out and say 49-41

Great for all the fans heading north. Swindon or Somerset would mean people going no more the 45 mins iut of thier way. Works for everyone.

I believe the punishment for missing the NLRC is actually a 2 home meeting ban. (How that works for someone doubling up I am not sure, but assume it would only affect his NL club) For me what I would like to see is the cream of the NL riding in front of a big crowd in decent weather. My suggestion is hold it at Swindon or Somerset the sunday after the Cardiff GP, what are peoples thoughts.

Tbh over the past 5 years I dont recall that many rain offs in October tbh, i do recall freezing my nuts of on occasions though lol. The point i am trying to make is, is we have just had an unlucky few weeks weather wise. Whilst I can see the reasoning behind calls to make the play offs earlier, in truth the season is already too short for many of us, plz let's not campaign to make it shorter.

I be struggled to find it in Ashford for some time, think last time I bought one was from Asda back in June/July. Am thinking of asking the mrs to get me subscription for Christmas. Be the first time I ve subscribed since I was in school mid 90s

Believe it or not Matthew Watson the promoter of Buxton raceway has recently posted on ovalchat that despite its rural location even they have had noise complaints and may face more restrictions on running times. I cant help feel it's probably more to do with thier new floodlights then noise though tbh.

And with 2 such young and talented teams the losing riders were always going to get future shots at glory anyway. But HGould has summed it up, in conditions like that the winning team will always say it's fine, and the losing team will say it should of been stopped.

Why would the ref need to inspect the track as no one fell because of it, riders were able to ride close together and there was overtaking. Kyle Bickley has said on facebook that it wasnt the track it was the large rain drops causing poor visability. A race or 2 after the short break when the visitors wanted the meeting off, Dan Gilkes caught Rob Ledwith, rode a lap outside him and then took the lead, not sure if it was deliberate but it showed you could ride close to others with too many issues. A lot of experts on here and facebook who werent even at the meeting. I had riders from both teams say the track was better then friday at NSS. And in anycase when a track gets tricky surely it wipes out the home advantage and helps the away team. A couple of quotes from Colts riders and management after friday suggested the lead was smaller then it could of been as the rain made the traffic different to normal. So a wet track in Manchester helps the away team and an equally wet track in Kent's helps the home team!?!?!

One of the turnstiles does take card payments.